The Boy On Fire (A Caleo Short Story)

Chapter 6

                Half an hour later, Leo and Calypso walked back out of Bunker 9 and into the woods. Leo held up a picture that Calypso had just drawn. It was a schematic for Calypso's improved Bunker 9. She had drawn it from birds-eye-view and had labeled every little thing, from where the mini fridge would go to what types of flowers would go on the windowsill. It was awesome. Leo could just imagine turning Bunker 9 into their own personal house. Festus would still live there, of course, his pad was bolted to the ground, but there was still plenty of space for a proper living area.

               Thinking about that spawned a question in Leo's mind. "Hey, Calypso? When are you planning for us to get started on the remodeling?"

               She pondered the question. "I think once I get used to being here and when everyone else gets used to me being here too. Then I won't seem like such an outcast."

               "Nobody thinks your an outcast!"

               "Have you seen the way people look at me as I walk by? They look like they're surprised that I'm still here."

               "Well, that's their own problem for not accepting strangers. You will always have a home here."

               She smiled. "Thank you, Leo, but I have another question."

               "What's that, Sunshine?"

               "How am I possibly supposed to remember everyone's names! There are so many people here, more than I have ever seen in one place at once, I think. I guess I'm just so used to living on my own."

               "Even I, the great Leo Valdez, don't remember even half the people here's names! I think you'll fit right in." Leo laughed, then looked around. They had arrived in the circle of cabins, with Zeus's cabin right in front of them. "It looks like we're here!" He began to walk inside.

               "Wait, Leo?"

               "Yeah, darling?" Leo stopped walking and turned around to face Calypso, who was looking at all of the cabins around her.

               "Why are there so many cabins? You told me that each one stood for an Olympian god, but there are only twelve of them and like thirty cabins."

               "Well, long story short," Leo didn't want to get into all of the details of the god's promise to Percy after the last Titan War, "we have cabins for all of the minor gods as well."

               "But their are hundreds of minor gods! Do you have even more cabins somewhere?"

               "We only have cabins for the major minor gods." Leo then realized what he just said. "I mean, the ones who actually have kids with mortals, like Hebe, Hypnos, or Nemesis."

               "Oh. That makes sense."

               "Shall we go in now?" Leo asked politely.

               "Sure."

               They walked into the Zeus cabin. There weren't many bunks, because Zeus didn't have very many children or Hera would get very mad. Their was a statue of Zeus in one corner that seemed to be staring down on them all like: If you cross me, I will smite you! Very intimidating.

               Jason and Annabeth were kneeling in front of a little fountain that was spraying mist into the air, a perfect device for Iris Messaging, trying to get a connection so that they could talk to Frank and Hazel.

               Annabeth noticed Leo and Calypso first and smiled. "Hi, Leo. I heard you were back! And you must be Calypso. Percy told me a lot about you."

               Leo didn't know how this part of the reunion was going to go, whether Annabeth would be mad at Calypso or maybe Calypso would get angry at Annabeth for stealing Percy from her or something, but Annabeth was smiling at Calypso in a friendly way, so Leo assumed that it would be all right.

               "You're Annabeth, right? Percy spoke to me about you a lot too. He really likes you." Calypso's face showed no emotion. Maybe this would be a bit more awkward than Leo had imagined it.

               "Yes, I'm Annabeth..." Her smile faded, as if she wasn't sure what Calypso would do next and was trying to figure her out.

               "Hey, guys? Hazel and Frank are on." Jason broke the awkward silence between Annabeth and Calypso.

               Thank the gods! That would have ended badly. Leo thought as he walked over to the fountain. "Hi Hazel. Hey Zhang. What's up?" He smiled at the faces of his friends. They were awestruck.

               Hazel finally managed to speak. "We... We heard that you were back but..." She stuttered.

               Frank finished for her. "We didn't know what to think! I mean, you were dead! Nico said that he felt you passing into the underworld!"

              "Well, I'm back. The physician's cure worked. And I got Calypso here with me!" Leo added, then called to Calypso. "Come here, Sunshine. My roman buddies want to see you!"

               Calypso walked over and sat down next to Leo, in front of the mist image. "Hi."

               "Oh my gods, Leo. She looks just like that picture I drew you!"

               "What picture?" Calypso looked confused.

               Leo didn't know how to say it without it being super awkward. "Umm... Well... I kinda was heartsick for you back while we were still on our quest, so I had Hazel draw me a picture of your face." Wow, that came out weird. Leo thought.

               "Aww... That's so sweet! I love you, Leo!" She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips. It was the first time they had kissed in public and Leo was feeling insecure, despite all of the times that he had seen his friends kiss in public.

               When they broke apart everyone there stared at them. Leo was still feeling very insecure, but then Jason started to clap. Everyone soon joined in and Leo's insecurity was washed away in a flood of happiness. He started to laugh and everyone joined in that too. 

               Everyone was still laughing and clapping when Chiron galloped into the cabin with a stern look on his face. "What's going on here!"

               Both the clapping and laughing stopped. Leo was the first to answer Chiron's question. "Nothing, sir. We were just having some fun."

               Chiron's face relaxed. "Oh, okay. I thought someone had smuggled baby Hellhounds into camp again. False alarm." Chiron then smiled. "But what I was really here to say is that we are going to have a special game of capture-the-flag tonight, just for Leo and Calypso's return! It starts after dinner." Chiron galloped back out of the cabin.

               Just then the dinner horn sounded from the direction of the dining pavilion.

               "Well, we got to go eat, then." Leo told Hazel and Frank. "See you soon!"

               The Romans muttered a quick goodbye and severed the connection. Leo and his friends stood up off the floor and headed in the direction of the delicious smell of frying food.