Olympus Drive Book 3: According to Plan

Chapter 30

Phoenix

"Hi, Omar this is our cousin Brianna she's staying with me until we can get her sent home," Axel says, hopping up on the boat happily. He's thrilled to be out of school. I sigh. At least my dad didn't give a shit once Reynolds convinced him I wasn't actually in the fight. He'll be telling me off later though for consorting with Axel and people who get in fights in general. We should just leave Winfell if he and my mom are going to complain about Axel and the Rheas all the time.

"Except, I'm not taking suggestions from either of you anymore," Brianna says, leaning against the rail.

"Isn't it a little early to be out of school?" Omar asks, he's just getting back as well with—buckets apparently.

"There was a riot," I say, shrugging helplessly, "So we're off. Do you need help? Bri doesn't have to help she's just hanging with us."

"We can tell them the riot was your fault then my dad might send you home," Axel offers, very generously.

"No, no I am absolving myself of all relation to you, I do not want your involvement," Brianna growls.

"Okay, whatever," Axel says, shrugging while he walks around still being energetic. I let him have coffee this morning while his dad was yelling at us for pretending to have a threesome in the closet. He was well aware that was not what we were doing, there was too much bickering going on. In the end he decided he didn't want to know what we thought we were doing and sent us off to school. Look how that turned out.

"A leak sprung in the hold last night, I may need you kids to start hauling buckets," Omar says, giving Axel a bucket so he has something constructive to do with his hands.

"Wait—is he paying us to do things or is he just somebody who is parenting you two?" Brianna asks, raising her hand, "I'll take money."

"Both, I'll pay you too, get some gloves on and pick a bucket you think you can carry---that bucket is bigger than you are child---you know what never mind," Omar says going to check the hold. Axel picked a five gallon bucket instead of a two gallon one.

"I can lift this easy," he says to no one in particular.

"No, you can't," Brianna says.

"Shh let him wear himself out, it's good for him," I say.

"I can lift it. I can lift you," Axel says to me.

"Ew," Brianna says not aware the source of this information was me running and jumping into Axel's arms to see if he would catch me (he did).

"Yeah, not for long."

"I bet I could carry you all the way across Winfell."

"We're not gonna test that just now we're gonna bail water," I say, about to follow Omar into the hold, only for him to stagger into us as he comes back up.

"There's don't---there's a ten foot long crocodile in there," he says, pushing the three of us back up.

"Crocodiles aren't in the ocean," Brianna says.

"Yes they are why do you think they are called salt-water crocodiles?" Omar asks.

"How did it get in? The leak isn't that big," I say, frowning.

"I've quit asking that sort of question in this town. It's in there now though and it doesn't look inclined to leave," Omar says.

"Cool, cool, I'm gonna go kill it for you babe," Axel says, patting my shoulder and attempting to walk past the three of us holding a large piece of wood.

"NO!" all three of us attempt to stop him.

"That is absolutely not something I want you to do for me. I do not want you to kill things for me," I say, trying to drag him backward by his sage green crew neck, which is already splattered with other people's blood. What am I gonna do with him? Marry him probably.

"I want to. It'll be really cool I'm gonna kill it for you. I'll be right back," Axel says, just flipping out of his sweatshirt to go down there.

"No---I am actually begging you to come back here," I groan, well aware he's not going to listen.

"Get up here, right now," Omar lunges for him and nearly gets impaled with the spear.

"Calm down, I'll be right back it won't be that hard."

"Can you not see it completely will be that hard?" Brianna is very done with her cousin.

"Axel---if you die I'm not going to forgive you!" I shout, hoping that will bring him back up.

"I'm gonna kill it for you, babe."

"I am asking you not to---he's an idiot---that's an idiot," I say, considering running down to stop him. If I pick him up he's not actually gonna stab me to stop me is he?

"No you don't---we are calling what passes for police in this town," Omar physically stops me from running down there. "Hopefully, it's just after me."

"It's a stupid animal why would it be just after you?" Brianna asks.