ENTRAPPED ₂

36

MADELEINE WOKE EARLY, LONG BEFORE THE SUN. This was a forever-ingrained habit. She remembered blurry nights at camp when she would wake up with a scream in her throat. Ethan's hand would be over her mouth. When he was sure she wouldn't wake the whole camp, they would go out and spar until the sky began to lighten.

Ethan wasn't here. Madeleine was in Frank Zhang's grandmother's house in Canada. A snoring Percy Jackson lay next to her. He had turned to face her in the night, and she could make out a line of drool sloping down his lips.

She rolled out of bed slowly, careful not to wake him. She rearranged the blankets around him so he was properly tucked in. Though it was summer, the morning air was cool. Madeleine wasn't used to that in California, but it was more familiar in New York.

She gathered their clothes from the floor, deciding that she would take advantage of the washing machine if there was one. She decided she would wait until Hazel woke to put them in. Common courtesy, after all.

Madeleine padded downstairs, her feet silenced by socks. She found coffee and brewed it, then managed to scrounge cream and sugar from the kitchen. After verifying that the cream was still good, she filled a small mug with her drink and made her way out onto the patio. She sat in the wicker chair, sipping slowly, watching the sun begin to rise.

To Madeleine's surprise, Hazel was the one that joined her. She had been expecting Percy, though she didn't know why. Percy had never been an early riser.

"Morning," Hazel greeted. Her curls were sticking up messily, the same way Annabeth's got when she hadn't washed her hair and had also been questing. "I saw you made coffee, so..." she dipped her chin toward the steaming mug in her hand.

Madeleine nodded. "Morning." She watched as Hazel sat on the edge of the porch and sipped her drink.

Hazel glanced back at Madeleine. "So... I'm sorry if this is a weird question, but you really don't have a crush on Percy or anything?"

Madeleine smiled wryly. "No. He's not my type." She paused. "Why, do you?"

Hazel's cheeks darkened. "No. I mean, he's beautiful... but no. I have a hard time..." she waved her fingers in the air, as if trying to explain something that wasn't there. "I don't know. I have a hard time feeling attracted to people... in that way. For a while, Nico thought it just had to do with the fact that I'm from the past. I mean, everyone at camp wants Frank and me to date, because we're both losers." Hazel made air quotes at the last word. "But I just... I don't feel that way, you know? I adore Frank. He's my best friend. But I can't imagine, like... kissing him or doing anything else like that. I can't imagine doing that with anyone."

Madeleine considered this quietly. She tapped her fingers against her mug. "Have you ever felt like that? Like, was there anyone from your past who...?"

Hazel gazed out at the sunrise. The colors made her face pink and orange and gold, which flattered her complexion. "I had a friend named... uh, named Sammy." Her voice wavered a little. "He was my best friend. My only friend. But we never really... I mean, I didn't feel that way toward him, either. I loved him like family."

Madeleine studied Hazel. She shook her head, laughed a little. "Gods. You're on a suicide quest, you're from the past, and you're having a sexuality crisis? I would hate to be you."

If it was possible, Hazel's cheeks got even darker. "I don't know why I'm even telling you any of this," she said. "I just don't have many friends... especially friends that are girls. I've never had anyone like that. I mean, there's Reyna..."

"But Reyna isn't exactly friendly," Madeleine finished. "I get it." She sighed, long and deep. She set her mug down between her feet. "Do you know what bisexuality is, Hazel?"