RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

35

THEY KEPT EXLOPRING THE CORRIDORS UNTIL THEY FOUND AN EMPTY SUITE TO SLEEP IN.

Viviene opened her duffel bag for the first time and found that Hermes really had thought of everything-extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, a Ziploc bag full of cash, a leather pouch full of golden drachmas. He'd even managed to pack Tyson's oil cloth with his tools and metal bits, and
Annabeth's cap of invisibility, which made them  feel a lot better.

"I'll be next door," Annabeth said. "You guys don't drink or eat anything."

"You think this place is enchanted?"

"I don't know. Something isn't right. Just ... be careful." She frowned.  

They locked their doors.

Tyson crashed on the couch. Percy and Viviene akwardly crashed in a large bed, both of them keeping their distance.

"Can't sleep?" Percy whispered, turning over so he faced Viviene, laying on his side. 

"Yeah." She quietly replied. "My sleeping schedule's a mess."

"The bags under your eyes told me that days ago." Percy joked, cracking a smile. Viviene gasped and hit his shoulder." Ouch!"

"Watch your mouth, Jackson." Viviene rolled her eyes, glaring at him and fighting back a smile.

Percy took a moment to study her.  Her hair was thin and freshly washed, laying over her shoulders. The thiness of her usually thick hair told Percy she wasn't eating enough. Her nose was red from the cold air, her nails a really short lenght indicating she either clipped them or bit them to death.

Her body was still muscular, even though her eyes were empty and lifeless. Percy remebered the ghosts from their visit in the Underworld - her eyes reminded him of those ghosts. They were still the same dark brown shade they were a year ago, except now she held a more dangerous and at the same time scared look in her eyes. 

Which was rare for an Ares child.

Not the good looks, but the scared look.

"Viviene, what happened during the summer?" Percy whispered, his hand slowly approaching her face. Viviene frowned, the small smile Percy got from her fading away as quickly as it came. 

Percy brushed back a strand of her hair, watching her closely.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Jackson."

"Like hell I don't, look at you!" Percy whisper yelled. "Not sleeping, not eating enough. Always snapping at others and you only talk to Holden. The traitors broth-"

"Hey!" Viviene loudly said. "Don't bring Holden and Luke into this."

"You mean the traitors?"

"At least they would come say goodbye to me before leaving camp." She snapped, glaring at Percy and moving her face away from his hand. 

"What?" Percy asked, eyes wide as he watched Viviene get up." Is that what you're mad about? How petty-"

"Go to sleep, Jackson." Viviene said loudly, shooting him a glare.

"Where are you-"

"I'm going for a walk." Viviene said coldly as she unlocked the door.

The door slammed shut and Percy was left alone in the dark room, Tyson's snores echoing through the small suite.

***

Viviene sat on the roof of the boat, the wind blowing in her hair. A frown on her face as she replayed Percy's words in her head.

He looked angry when he mentioned Holden and Luke. Almost, jealous? But that didn't make sense. There was no way Percy felt something for her, right? Like, he didn't even say goodbye to her and than came back and thought he'd get a say in her dating life by playing the concerned best friend card?

Viviene wasn't stupid. She knew better than to fall for his tricks again.

How could he blame Holden for who she's become? How could he blame Holden, who cares for her so deeply, for the lifeless girl she's now? 

If anyone was to blame here, then it would be me, Viviene thought to herself. And who gave him the right to have a say in my life after ignoring her for a whole year and then expecting her to jump him and dance around all happily? 

He didn't even want to say goodbye to her. She considered him her best friend, and he left without saying bye. To others, it would probably seem a petty excuse to be mad about. But to her, it was a really big deal. she thought of him as her best friend.

 How would you feel if your best friend decided to leave for months and never came to say goodbye to you, and then came back and preteneded she (or he) did nothing wrong?

Exactly. It would suck.

"Viviene, my sister." A familar soft voice spoke. Viviene got up and turned around, turning her ring into a sword. She raised Alcippe's sword but Luke was quicker-he threw her to the floor and grabbed her sword, pointing it towards her chest. "I suggest you cooperate."

"You would never kill me." Viviene calmly stated. "What do you need, Luke? And why are you here?"

"Oh, you haven't realized yet? This ship is my ship." Luke grinned. "And you, my sister, will be used as bait to get Percy and Annabeth to me."

Before she could react, someone slammed her head against the floor and her eyes closed.