The Youngest Hawthorne

4. Leo's here!

“Is he really flying a bronze dragon here?” I ask Thalia.

“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sorry in advance for whatever he does while he’s here,” she replies. “He is probably on my top ten list of obnoxious campers.” She had explained how there’s a magical camp for half-bloods (another term for demigods) where monsters can’t reach them, and how we weren’t going there since we’re mortals, even if we can see through the mist.
And she had given me a quick recap of all the myth-material stuff that happened a few years back and about a guy named Percy Jackson. She also mentioned that she had been a tree for the first part of that time.

“Uh, I think he’s almost here!” Avery calls. I am dumbfounded when I go outside, and there is actually a bronze dragon halfway to the ground.

“Someone call for a totally awesome demigod protector?” The boy sitting on the dragon- I repeat, SITTING ON THE DRAGON- calls as he slides off its side.

“I’m Leo bad-boy-supreme McShizzle Man Valdez,” he says as he walks over towards us.

“I’m Avery, and these are Jameson, Grayson, Nash, Xander, Libby, and y/n.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. And this is my lovely girlfriend, Calypso.” He gestures to the girl getting off the dragon.

“You really have a dragon…” I say, stunned.

“Yup. This is Festus. He won’t blowtorch you unless I tell him to.” I look around, and everyone seems rather dumbfounded at how this is real, except Xander. I know him well enough to be able to tell that he’s not concerned about the probability of any of this, he just wants to know how to make his own dragon.

“Well, I guess now we’ll show you to your room,” Avery says.

“Sounds great.” I think that’s when he truly takes in the immense size of the House for the first time, because he says, “you’ve got a really big house.”

“I know I do. Festus can probably fit in the door, then stay in the living room if you don’t want him outside. Or there’s a decent chance that I own a stable and a bunch of horses somewhere, so if he wants to stay somewhere like that, he can. Or I could hire a team of construction workers to build a dragon house, though that might be a little more difficult even with the Mist.”

“How much money do you have, exactly?”

“All the property that I got when I inherited, plus two billion dollars. And that’s after I decided to give away 96% of it.” He just stares at her for a minute. He’s probably never seen that much money through his entire life. “Let’s just go to your room,” Avery says, snapping him out of his shock.

“Right. Yeah, Let’s go.” When we get to his room, his only reaction is, “woah… this room is bigger than my mom’s workshop!”

“This is the bathroom, and Calypso, your room is over there.” I follow Leo back into his room, while Avery and Jameson go to show Calypso hers. He walks over to the fireplace, and I kid you not- LIGHTS IT. He didn’t use a lighter, a match, anything!

“How did you do that?!”

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in here. I’m a son of Hephestus, so I can make fire, see?” He lights a small one in the palm of his hand to demonstrate, then puts it out, and he doesn't even burn himself.

“GUYS LEO CAN SET HIMSELF ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!”

“WHAT?!” Everyone comes rushing back in here, and Leo is blushing pretty hard.

“It’s no big deal! That’s my power, since I’m a son of Hephestus. God of the forge’s son can set himself on fire.” He makes another small flame in his hand, then puts it out and shows everyone that he’s fine.

“Ok. You can set yourself on fire. Anything else we should know?” Avery asks.

“My other powers are being good with machines, and being super hot, and not just because of the fire thing.”

“You like machines?” Xander asks.

“Uh, yeah. Do you?”

“I am a living, breathing Rube Goldberg machine,” he boasts.

“No way! Those are my favorites! Especially when they blow up at the end.”

“I can tell that you and I will become very good friends." Just then, Nash walks into the room.

"The hunters are leaving soon, so if anyone wants to say goodbye, then they should do it now." Leo, Avery, Jameson, Xander, and Calypso all hurry down, so I follow them. I'm not really friends with Max or any of the other hunters, so I just stand a few feet away, awkwardly trying not to listen to their goodbyes. But it's really hard not to find it sweet when Max says goodbye to Xander.

"Friend hug?" He asks. She wraps her arms around him, and whispers something in his ear, and whatever it was makes him smile. Max notices me, trying not to stare, and walks over.

"Be careful around mysterious doors, ok?"

"I will. Don't worry," I say, surprised she actually came over. She turns away from Xander, pulling me with her, and keeps talking.

"I know you like Xander."

"Wait, what? Was I really that obvious?"

"Kinda, but it doesn't matter because he's oblivious to all of it. He still thinks that you only think of him as a friend. But even if you're not ready to make a move, be there for him."

"I will. I promise."

"Good. And I think I know him well enough to say that if you want anything to happen, you'll have to make the first move. And if he's ever sad about me, just remind him that he was the hardest part of this."

"Got it. When will we see you again?"

"With Lady Artemis it can be hard to tell, so I'll just say hopefully soon."

"Ok. Bye." And with that, we’re alone again, but with another half-blood who makes giant bronze dragons and fire.