Melancholy Kaleidescope | PJO

Ch. 16: There's Always A Catch

Tyson wasn't too keen on getting back in the chariot after the last time, and Jinora was still not supposed to be doing anything too strenuous with her arm (even though she insisted she felt fine. Lee could be stingy with healing times). The gentle giant was happy to let Percy and Annabeth team up. He would be driving, and they would be pit crew.

Before the race, Jinora walked up to Percy and Annabeth at their chariot with a grin on her face that gave her away from across the racetrack. Hiding her hands behind her back certainly didn't ease the suspicion. He raised a brow as she approached.

"What are you up to," Percy questioned.

"Why do I have to be up to something, Waterboy?" Jinora asked innocently. Percy eyed her suspiciously. Annabeth watched amusedly, waiting to see what the younger girl was doing.

Jinora sighed dramatically. "Fine, you caught me." She tossed the bunch of celery at the blond, who nearly fumbled it. Annabeth immediately began cracking up while Percy's face flushed strawberry red.

"Where the hell did you get a stalk of celery," he asked in a hushed frantic tone.

She shrugged. "Nothing like a little pick-me-up before a death race, right? Figured you'd need it."

Annabeth was leaning against the chariot, unable to stand straight from how hard she was laughing.

Percy tossed the celery bunch back at the younger girl, who caught it with ease. "No thanks."

She tilted her head and squinted her eyes at him. "Are you sure you're not craving any celery?"

His face turned a deeper shade of red. Annabeth's laughter as she walked away didn't help. "Shut up."

"I mean, 'cause I can get you more if you need–"

"I hate you," he mumbled, tugging on the strap of his breastplate uselessly.

Jinora clicked her tongue with a sly smirk. "No you don't. You love me and you know it."

She could've sworn the boy was about to burst into flames with how red his face was. She chuckled and tossed the bunch back to him and ran before it could be given back. Jinora turned her head over her shoulder as she ran and yelled, "I'm rooting for you! Don't disappoint!"

She ran back into the stands, high-fiving Connor and Travis as she ran by their chariot.

"Thanks for the help," Jinora said to them as she slowed down a little. "Vertically challenged, you know."

She continued running until she got to the stands. She climbed up the steps and took her seat between Alex and a newer camper named Libby Schieber. The ten year-old had arrived at camp back in April and pretty quickly was claimed by her father, Hypnos. She was a sweet girl, and the two of them quickly gravitated toward each other, but she didn't say much. She was still trying to take everything in.

Alex nudged her arm with his elbow as the race was about to begin. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Your crush is a little too obvious, kiddo."

She swatted at him and tugged at the ends of her hair. It was a new nervous habit she'd picked up since returning from the Sea of Monsters.

"You don't know what you're talking about," she muttered. Alex chuckled.

"Sure I don't."

Her attention turned to the track as Chiron sounded the starting horn. The chariots took off.

Percy and Annabeth shot down the track so fast, Jinora wondered how neither of them had fallen off. They took the first turn a full chariot-length ahead of Clarisse, who was busy fighting off a javelin attack from Connor.