The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 1: Resurrection

Jason

I wake up, the music box still clutched in my hand. My stomach aches in an unimaginable way. I wince, slowly sitting up. Then I jump and hit my head.

My father is sitting there, watching me sleep. His rust colored hair hanging almost over his soft green eyes. He's holding the flask I was supposed to drink all of last night.

"Don't do that," I sigh, rubbing my head.

He raises his eyebrows.

"Yeah, don't get nearly killed, got it," I say.

He nods, slowly and sarcastically. 

"You been to see dad?" I ask.

He nods.

"Does he know you're bisexual?" I ask.

He shrugs.

"Whatever. I don't know what I expected," I say, sighing.

He hands me the flask.

I shrug and drink it. It tastes like honey, but ten times sweater. The stuff burns all the way down like a shot, but instead of reaching my stomach it just boils into the lining of my throat and mouth. So not Nyquil.

"And that'll make me feel better?" I choke.

He nods.

"What are you here for anyway?" I ask.

He doesn't react, just looking away.

"Fine. Whatever," I find a clean shirt and put that on. He frowns at my stomach, where there are clear scars from the fight last night.

"Yeah. I'm all good. Tell dad if you see him," I say. Then I realize I'm still holding the music box. I always used to sleep clutching it. Well. I guess I still do.

He looks at it.

I shrug, "Yeah. The one thing I kept. You remember the day you gave it to me?"

He nods.

"You should talk to Ev," I say, then I leave the room. I don't look back. I just assume he's gone.

I walk up to the deck. No one else is up yet. For no apparent reason, Hugh and Ev and Penny are asleep on the deck furniture around a half-finished game of monopoly which Ev appears to be winning. I smile. Ev and Penny are curled up together, with Ev as the little spoon despite being a few inches taller. Hugh is on another chair, the hood of his purple sweatshirt pulled up over his head, his bat across his knees.

I walk back down the lower deck. The sun is just coming up over the edge of the world. And the water is a brilliant, perfect blue beneath us. It's great being bisexual. You watch Titanic and you want to both be held by Leo DiCaprio, and you want to be holding Kate Winselt. Complete longing.

I smile as I stare out at the water. The boat's on auto pilot towards the island. I think I see it. A speck off in the distance. Our destination. And right now I'm standing in the wind of the ship. I climb up on the rail, so high above the churning blue waves below.

I hold my arms out to the sides, tipping my head back and enjoying the sun on my face. The water sloshes below me. I stand on the edge of the rail, arms outstretched, staring off at the ocean and the new day to come. One I blessedly lived to see. It's been a weird forty-eight hours. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"What are you doing?" Frankie is behind me. In Penny's paint-splattered jeans and a big Argonauts t-shirt.

"Being King of the World—come here," I say, nodding.