The broken clock.

Chapter. 7

Percy's POV:

    I've come to the conclusion that Jack's a very strange girl. Nico has followed us inside with his arms crossed leaning against the wall. We're in the kitchen, and instead of Jack throwing some weird vegetables in a drink, she reheats some coffee that she finds left in the coffee pot. I wish that I could say that I completely trust in what she's doing, but I don't know how caffeine is going to help a hangover. I sit down by the coffee table. She just came out of nowhere. I wonder if Annabeth would've liked her. Nope, we are not tumbling down that rabbit hole again. Jack seems really on edge though. Like, someone's going to jump through the wall and try to attack her. But I guess that's to be expected.

    "There's an infirmary here, right?" She asks Nico.

    "Yeah, why?"

    "Is there aspirin?" She gives him a look that sort of says 'please'. He sighs irritated, and walks out of the kitchen.

    "So, are you two fine now?" I ask, a tad bit confused by the interaction that I just saw.

    "Oh no. He's still inevitably pissed at me, and I have in no way earned back his trust."

"You don't act like a horrible person."

"I try." Nico walks back into the kitchen, and tosses a aspirin bottle at her. She catches it without a problem, and a small smile sneaks onto Nico's face. Jack finds a couple of other things, but I'm not really paying attention. She hands me 3 aspirin pills and a giant cup of coffee.

"Are you trying to drug him too?" Nico asks.

"It works, okay." She looks at me. My head starts to pound, and I trust her enough that I pop 3 fucking aspirin pills.

"Jack?" Reyna calls, as I hear the door open. Jack sighs and walks out of the kitchen. I make eye contact with Nico. I can hear them talking, but I don't know what they're saying. And then I hear the door open again. Then I hear the front door close again.

"Maybe we should talk about your sobriety." Nico jokes. That's not actually the worst idea.

"I'm not an alcoholic." I state.

"Not yet." He mutters.

"What does that mean?" He gives me a look. I know he's right.

"Look, I'll stop, life just sucks." 

"That is the worst argument I have ever heard." He says, with a light tone to his voice.

"I will though."

"So then you'll throw the bottles out?" He questions, sort of sarcastically. I open my mouth to respond, but I don't have a clear answer to that. I'm not an alcoholic, but... It helps, sometimes.

"I don't know." I state. He nods his head. I get lost in my thoughts. Jack isn't normal, but she intrigues me. I think my mom would like her. I mean, my mom likes everyone. She probably wouldn't like Octavian but that fuckers dead so... Suddenly I hear Chiron arguing with Jack outside. I walk over to the slightly cracked window. I can't see them but I can hear them.

"I won't let her keep that here. It's not even a traditional weapon."

"It can kill in a second though."

"That's what I'm worried about. You do stupid things when you're drunk."

"I'm not going to get drunk. And if I do get drunk, it's not like I'm gonna fucking kill someone."

"Language." Chiron lectures. "I trust you, but the gods do not, and although you've obviously changed, it's going to take time."

"The gods trust me, Zeus does not. And Zeus can go and-" Before she can finish that sentence thunder echoes throughout the camp.