Lieutenant

Chapter 30

"So you're stuck here," Thalia winced in sympathy at the goddess' news. "Well, it could be worse I guess."

"How could it be worse than this?" Artemis mumbled looking at the respective dinner tables crowded with young campers.

The boys were absolutely horrendous. The Hermes table was the worst. The Stolls made no attempt at manners and their siblings were worse. Food was flying all over the place, disgusting combinations were created and shirts were used as napkins.

"You could be by yourself here. At least there's us." Thalia shrugged trying to console Artemis in some manner. "But..."

"You want to sit with your friends?" Artemis asked already knowing the answer.

"If you don't mind. It's been a while." Thalia's face took on an apologetic look, her eyebrows creasing together while her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Go on. I don't mind." The goddess gave her younger sister a small smile and in an instant, Thalia was gone. She's understood that Thalia wasn't quite like the other hunters, her external bonds were very strong. Asking Thalia to refrain from rekindling friendships was unfair.
——
"Hey." Thalia smiled heading towards Jason's place next to Piper at the Aphrodite table. The atmosphere was awkward and as she got closer she could feel the hot stares of both Roman and Greek demigods.

"Hang on," Jason eagerly moved aside and patted the spot next to him. "Long time no see."

"You're telling me." Thalia rolled her eyes. "I had literally no idea what was going on with all of you guys!"

"Jason wanted to message but, let's just say things got in the way of that," Piper explained. "But...I heard you and your crew gave a major ass-whooping to a giant."

"Nothing as spectacular as you guys from the sound of it." Thalia shrugged shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Right, well I didn't exactly like our situation. If we could have switched I'd have been glad." Jason winked.

"No thanks. I've had my cup of tea with the Olympus airheads. I drink coffee now." The three of them burst into laughter at the stupid joke and it slowly dwindled with faint breaths.

"You have an excellent sense of humor," Piper smirked.

"I'm glad you two didn't meet early on cause boy would you guys have gotten into trouble!" Jason shook his head at the mere idea.

A younger brother who'd been deprived of his older sister's attention for years was more than happy to bask in the conversation on his accomplishments in the Roman legion.

"No need to brag," mumbled a Venus boy. His appearance looked very much like a hawk in a rugged and exotic way, "pretty boy."

"Oh, I'm not bragging just catching up is all." Jason shrugged a look of confusion morphing his features.

"Right, you gonna tell her you're a traitor to your cause?" The boy asked his eyes narrowing like a bird's.

"In case you didn't know I'm his sister, so fuck off." Jason was surprised by his sister's language but at the same time, he wasn't. She'd always been fiercely protective and eager to speak her mind.

"Make me. I'm not gonna sit here and pretend everything is fine after what just happened. Bottom line is you Graces have a knack for bailing out on things. At least, that's what your uniform means doesn't it?" Jason could tell before it even happened that this boy was in serious danger.

Thalia grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him off of the bench with ease. Despite his talk, he gave a very unmanly yelp. "No one uses my last name and no one talks shit they can't back up. You have one chance to apologize before I kick your ass."