Daughter Of Lightning - Book 1(A Percy Jackson x OC Fanfic)

CHAPTER 20

(Ella's POV)

The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, we reached Denver. We hadn’t eaten since the night before in the dining car, in Kansas. We didn't take a shower since Half-Blood Hill. I'm sure that was pretty obvious.

"Let’s try to contact Chiron," Annie said. "I want to tell him about Percy's talk with the river spirit."

"We can’t use phones, right?" He asks.

"She's not talking about phones.” I said.

We wandered downtown for about an hour. The air was dry & hot, which felt weird after the humidity of St. Louis.

Finally we found an empty do it yourself car wash. We went toward the stall farthest from the street, & kept our eyes open for patrol cars.

We were four adolescent kids at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we're up to no good.

"What exactly are we doing?" Percy asked, as Grover took out the spray gun.

"It’s seventy-five cents," he grumbled. “I’ve only got two quarters left. Nora?”

"Don’t look at me," I said. "The dining car wiped me out."

Percy fished out a bit of change & passed Grover a quarter.

"Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, but the connection isn’t as good, & my arm gets tired of pumping."

"Less talking, more working, Grover." I said.

"Shut up." He mumbles.

"What are you talking about?" Percy asks.

Grover fed in the quarters & set the knob to Fine Mist. "I-M’ing."

"Instant messaging?"

"Iris-messaging," I corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, if she’s not too busy, she’ll do the same for half-bloods."

"You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air & water hissed out in a thick white mist.

"Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow." Annie said.

The late afternoon light filtered through the vapor & broke into colors.

Annie held her palm out to me. "Drachma, please."

I handed it over. She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."

She threw the drachma into the rainbow.

"Half-Blood Hill." Annie requested.

Then through the mist we saw strawberry fields, & the Long Island Sound in the distance. Standing with his back to us at the railing of the Big house was a sandy-haired guy in shorts & an orange tank top. He held a bronze sword & was staring intently at something down in the meadow.

"Luke!" I called. He turned, eyes wide.

"Nora!" His face broke into a grin. "Percy & Annie, too? Thank gods! You guys okay?"

"We’re..uh..fine," Annie stammers. She tries to straighten her dirty T-shirt, & comb the hair out of her face. I made kissy faces at her which Luke noticed. She glared at me.

"We thought-Chiron-I mean-"

"He’s at the cabins." His smile fades. "Some issues with the campers. Where's Grover?"

"I’m right here," Grover called. He held the nozzle out to one side & stepped into Luke’s line of vision. "What kind of issues?"

Then a Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash, its stereo turned to max hip-hop. The car slid in the next stall, the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.

"Chiron had to-what’s that?" Luke yelled.

"We’ll take care of it." Annie yelled back, relieved to have an excuse to get out of his sight. "Grover, Nora come on!"

"What?" Grover said. "Why me?" I added.

"Give Percy the nozzle, come on!" she orders, ignoring me. She was still mad about earlier.

Grover mumbled that girls were even harder to understand than the Oracle. I laughed.

"Even me?" I ask innocently.

"No..of course not! But don't tell Annie."

"Deal!"

He handed Percy the spray gun & we followed Annie. When we reached the guy's car she turmed to me.

"Get him to turn the volume down."

"Why me?" I asked again.

"Well, you've got powers, use them."

I knocked on the car window, a few seconds later it rolled down. The guy looked to be around, brown hair & hazel eyes. Cute, but not my type. Percy was way better looking than this guy. He stared at me for a good ten seconds. I knew I looked horrible but suddenly he snapped out of it & said.

"Woah, y-you're so beautiful. Are you real?"

Behind me Annie began giggling, while Grover told her to shut up. I had to resist the urge to glare at her. I wonder how he'd thought I was beautiful, clearly I looked like I'd been dragged through hell & back.

I snapped out of my thoughts & quickly said.

"Could you turn the volume down?"

"Oh-oh, s-sure!" He turns the volume down.

"Thanks for cooperating. Come on, guys."

"Wait! could you give me your number?"

I stopped to look at him. My eyes began to glow & my hair turned blue.

"What was that?" I ask sweetly.

"N-n-nothing!" He screamed in terror, rolling up the windows, & the Lincoln peeled out the car wash. We continued walking & once we were a little ahead, we all burst out laughing.

"Oh gods! His face was priceless." Annie said.

"We should've sent Grover instead." I said.

"I know right?" She said, tears rolling down her cheeks from laughing.

"Hey!" Grover protests. Annie high fived me.

"Annie..I'm sorry about earlier." I say

"It's okay. Though, if you're wondering why the guy called you beautiful. It's cause you really are. You should look at yourself in a mirror." She said.

I froze, my jaw hanging open in shock. Was she serious? I followed them in a trance while they still laughed on about the guy's reaction.

I kept my promise guys..one more chapter 😉

Until next time...👋🏻

Vote, comment & share.
Take care my lovely readers.❤
Alice signing off.
XOXO.