Charmolypi

Chapter 34

The bus pulled out of the station, and they headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She didn't stay dead for long." Percy said, not taking his eyes off the three. "I though you said that monsters could dispelled for a lifetime." He said, turning to the girls.

"I told you that we aren't lucky. Selective hearing is your problem, not mine, kelpie." Thea told him, shrugging.

He turned his head her way and sent her an unbelievable look. "Kelpie? Really, you're calling me kelpie, now? Listen Sparkles-"

"Did he really just call her sparkles?" Someone asked, obviously trying to hold back their laughter.

"All three of them." Grover whimpered, unintentionally interrupting the arguing pair. "Di immortales!"

"It's okay." Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."

"They don't open." Thea said. Percy rolled his eyes when he saw that she didn't try opening it. He reached over and tried to open the window, only to find it jammed. Thea looked at him expectedly. "I already checked smartass." Thea snapped at him. He retreated into his seat, slightly shrinking under her intense glare.

"I really don't understand why he keeps provoking her. I mean he's going to be on the receiving end of her anger." Regulus said to his friends.

"Maybe it's like what happened with your brother? I mean he-" Barty's sentence was cut off by Regulus's icy glare.

"Back exit?"

"There isn't one." Thea said. She looked at around the bus, looking for potential exits. She looked up, there wasn't even an emergency exit in the roof.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy stated, "Will they?"

Annabeth thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof."

"There isn't one. And even if there were, we wouldn't be able to get there without them noticing and doing something about it."

"Why doesn't this bus have any emergency exists?" Lily asked, her tone a mix of worry, frustration, and exasperation.

The bus went into Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus was dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain, despite the situation, Thea missed the sound of the rain more than the dangerous problems they were facing.

The first lady stood up, snapping Thea out of her thoughts. "I need to use the restroom."

"So do it." The two other ladies said simultaneously. With that, the three started going down the aisle.

"Uh oh..."

Suddenly, Thea ripped Annabeth's Yankees cap, and shoved it into Percy's chest. "You're the one they want. Turn invisible, go down the aisle, let them pass you. When you get to the front, get out of here."

"The hat turns them invisible!"

"So it's like an invisibility cloak?"

The Marauders shared a glance at the mention of the invisibility cloak. Fleamont and his son made eye contact, exchanging wink. 

"What?" Percy asked her dumbly, looking at her wide-eyed. Understanding what Thea was originally implying, Annabeth nodded, pushing him to take the hat.

"She's right. You need to get out of here. You're the one they want. There's an outside chance they might not notice us. You're the son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering." Annabeth rushed out.