My Boyfriend is a Dead Roman Hero | Jason Grace

I Found the End

Thrice will the Underworld steal sons of Three

When traveling by shadow, by silk, and by sea.

The Child of Anguish may save souls from rest,

Her mother's domain brought death in the West.

To sink or to swim through Styx's black gates,

By Imperial Gold, a daughter meets Fates.

-Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Oracle of Delphi

--

Jason's team is up by eight when the last buzzer sounds and the home team's side of the gym erupts into cheers.

He gets a slap on the back, knuckles in his hair, squeezed into the center of a group of nasty smelling guys who are all laughing and jumping up and down like ten year olds. Jason's laughing too. He'd been worried for a while there. The other team really had them on the ropes. He thinks he saw less giants fighting in the war for Gaea.

The trophy gets passed around. Some of the guys kiss it. Some of them raise it up for the crowd to scream for. Some of them pretend to lead it in a waltz. Eventually, it makes it to Jason, and the team all shouts their victory.

The spectators from the winning half of the gym flood the court, totally ignoring the protests of the referees. Jason breaks through his teammates to shake the hand of the losing team's captain. The guy looks pissed. He tries squeezing too hard on Jason's fingers during their handshake. Demigod bones don't break easily, though.

"DUDE!"

Jason turns. Piper and Leo are pushing through the crowd towards him. He can't help but burst out laughing when he gets a good look.

Leo has himself painted from head to toe in their school colors - red and yellow. When he sees Jason laugh, he grins and lifts up his shirt to reveal Jason's initials and number painted across his belly.

"You like?!"

"I love."

"You better!" Piper snorts. "He stained my car seats."

Piper's in her usual distressed designer clothes. Trailing after her by the hand is a girl he doesn't recognize. That's nothing new. She changes girlfriends like Jason changes socks.

"Congrats, Superman!"

Jason beams and sweeps his friends up into a hug, laughing harder when Piper wrinkles her nose at his sweaty uniform. "I didn't think we were gonna win!"

"Well, that was a stupid thought!" A voice pipes in behind him.

When Jason turns his head, his lungs stop functioning.

Juliette is sparkling.

Her hair is in a ponytail high on her head, decorated with a huge red bow. Her yellow cheer uniform is long sleeved and tight fitting. Her lips are cherry red, and her smile is crystal white. Her face is painted too. Jason's jersey number is stamped onto her right cheek.

She squeals and leaps at him. Jason catches her around the waist and spins her in a circle.

"That was amazing!"

"It doesn't feel real," Jason laughs.

Juliette's white sneakers return to the ground, and she beams at him, reaching up to honk his nose playfully.