My Boyfriend is a Dead Roman Hero | Jason Grace

I Jump Off a Dragon

Julie's not pouting.

She's not. Dignified ladies don't pout. They brood.

So, she got her cry on, big deal. She's cried over her mommy issues plenty of times over the years. There is absolutely nothing that makes this time any different.

Nope. Nothing. Just good old fashioned childhood trauma.

Childhood trauma that is not going to make her try and take over the world (yeah, that's right, Luke Castellan - she's got standards).

Juliette groans and buries her face in her hands. She kicks her foot against a pebble and watches it tumble into the creek - the creek she's dubbed "Nico's Great Escape."

Ah. Nico. Yet another person she's recently pissed off.

How did life get so screwed up?

Maybe she should take comfort in the fact that she's no longer used to people disliking her. That doesn't make the looks Piper gave her during that meeting feel anything less like invitations for Juliette to pretty please set herself on fire, but maybe she should try for a positive outlook.

After all, Julie's leaving camp tomorrow to help a gorgeous amnesiac lead a quest to rescue her second-least-favorite goddess from the clutches of, probably, the big baddie of the next Great Prophecy (who recently offered Juliette a summer internship position). Oh, and it'll be super quick and easy! After all, they have the backup of two brand new demigods who haven't taken even a single camp lesson or successfully fought a single monster.

Is this how Percy felt these last five years?

A loud metallic clanking startles Julie out of her pout-brooding. She stands up and looks off in the direction it came from.

Hmm...They did say there's a killer metal dragon on the loose. She probably shouldn't be out here alone.

Grumbling, Julie trudges back to camp in the dark. Nothing stops her on the way back. She's almost disappointed. She could've used a chance to blow off some steam. She pauses when she gets to Cabin 10 for just long enough to glare at the pink shingled roof.

Stupid Mom. Stupid Piper. Stupid Julie. Stupid prophecy.

"Good to see you made it back safely."

Stupid Julie, stupid Julie, stupid Julie-

"Are you okay?"

A hand hesitantly brushes her shoulder, and she forces herself around. This is the worst day ever.

Jason's standing probably closer than he intended to be, looking down at her with a very forced expression of nonchalant concern. There is sheer awkwardness in his eyes. Heart pounding, Julie smiles at him nervously.

"Hi!" Her voice cracks. She clears her throat. "Yeah, I'm - uh - just...coming back from a walk, y'know?"

Someone please kill her.

"Oh," He nods and glances at the section of the woods she just came from. "Yeah, I figured."

Stupid Julie.

"That looked like it was rough for you. The campfire, I mean. The prophecy. And...Piper." rambles Jason. He winces a bit, and Julie decides she can at least take comfort in that he has no idea how to talk to her either.

"Yeah," She agrees. "Not fun. But, I mean, hey - demigods, right? Mother issues aren't anything unique around here."

Julie's going for lightening the mood, but her comment makes his face fall. He looks down at his shoes and shuffles.