Charmolypi

Chapter 147

"Cool car," Nico said.

"It was a Maserati, of course it was cool," Leo teased Nico, who silently face palmed.

"Yeah, just like T's car," Hermione said, winking at her friend when she saw the shocked expression on James's face.

"You have a car like that?" James asked, not believing what he had heard.

"Yeah, I sometimes use it when I'm in the city," Thea told him casually.

"It's one of many cars," Percy elaborated when he saw that James's shock had turned into confusion.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.

"But how will we all fit?"

"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose . . ."

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like we used for school basketball games.

"Oh gods," Thea said, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the bus.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoë ordered the Hunters to start loading. Thea helped Nico load his stuff in the bus.

"Are you okay?" Thea asked the young boy who had a deep frown on his face.

"I'm fine," he snapped lightly.

"Sorry," Nico said sheepishly, his cheeks turning pink.

"Stop apologizing," Thea scolded lightly, knowing that he would not take her words to heart.

"She's right," Percy nodded. "You were just a kid and you didn't understand what was happening so the only reasonable response to everything. I was pretty much the same when I first found out."

"We all were," Annabeth said with a sad smile.

Nico looked around at the other demigods, only to find that they had similar looks on their faces. He quickly realized that all of them had a bad experience when they first found out that they were demigods.

Zoë picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that." The Huntress recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

"So ominous," Thea commented, going to stand beside the deities.

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

All the demigods started laughing at what they had heard Apollo say to them. Some of the wizards also giggled lightly, having heard the various stories of Apollo and his actions.

"Why are you guys laughing?" Ted Tonks asked, smiling hesitantly at the group.

"Apollo is the furthest thing from serious," Jason answered.