Pretty isn't Pretty - Jason Grace

I.XI.

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Part one. Chapter eleven.

Fucking sea monsters

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Aris was the first to move towards the deck, much too angry and annoyed and hurt to just stand there. She needed to hit something. Luckily for Piper, others came out of their rooms, curious and anxious before Jason did. So it didn't look like she had been caught eavesdropping. Aris didn't even know if she planned on telling him. She wasn't sure he'd believe her for one. And for another, while she realised Jason intentions hadn't been to hurt her (they never were), he had. She wasn't sure she had anything to say to him at the moment.

"What's going— Gah! Shrimpzilla !" Percy yelled as he caught himself on her shoulders when they both stumbled onto the deck.

"I knew he jinxed it !" The daughter of Venus growled, shooting Leo a short glare before focusing on the ugly sea monster again.

At least, it wasn't the Trojean sea monster. Aris didn't know if that was good or bad. The Trojean sea monster they knew how to fight. Aris had no clue how do deal with this bitch.

Frank ran to Hazel's side. She was clutching the rigging, looking dazed, but she gestured that she was all right.

The monster rammed the ship again. The hull groaned. Annabeth, Piper, and Jason tumbled to starboard and almost rolled overboard. If they had, the daughter of Venus would have only mourned one of those losses.

"How did it get so close ?" Annabeth shouted, pulling herself up on one of the rail shields.

"I don't know !" Hedge snarled. He seemed to be searching for something.

"I'm stupid !" Leo scolded himself. "Stupid, stupid !"

"At least, you're self aware !" Aris commented.

"Aris..." Jason warned. She shot him a look. He only sent a tired one back.

"I forgot the sonar !" Leo yelled in annoyance, completely ignoring the pair.

The ship tilted farther to starboard. Either the monster was trying to give them a hug, or it was about to capsize them.

"Sonar ?" Hedge demanded. "Pan's pipes, Valdez ! Maybe if you hadn't been staring into Hazel's eyes, holding hands for so long—"

Aris blinked as her and Percy shared a surprised look. She hadn't seen that coming. It was strange though. Sure, Leo looked like Hazel's kind-of-ex but she had never given any indication that she was into the son of Hephaestus. Not in that way.

"What ?" Frank yelped.

"It wasn't like that !" Hazel protested.

"It doesn't matter !" Piper, the last person one should go to for relationship advice, said. "Jason, can you call some lightning ?"

"He almost fucking died summoning lightning and you want to make him do it again ?" Aris couldn't help but scold.

"You have a better idea ?" Piper snapped.

"Yeah ! Don't make your boyfriend kill himself !"

"At least let him try !"

Aris rolled her eyes but let it go. It didn't matter that he looked absolutely exhausted. Piper apparently got whatever she wanted.

Jason struggled to his feet. "I—" He only managed to shake his head.

That didn't make the daughter of Aphrodite happy. She was even unhappier when Aris moved to Jason's side and threw his arm over her shoulder. "You do this for all the guys you hate ?" He joked as they struggled to stay upright.