creep | percy jackson

2 | purple flavour is a need

"I feel so bad," Cora said as they entered the gas station.

"About what?" Grover asked, looking out the window as Cora went straight to the gum.

"Percy?" she reminded him, looking at him blankly. "The kid we threw under the bus for, like... no reason?"

"It wasn't for no reason," Grover responded defensively, walking over to her. "We... we had to get him out of there. We didn't have a choice."

"Whatever," Cora sighed, looking at the different kinds of gum, "I still feel bad. Why don't mortals have pomegranate flavoured stuff? Or purple flavour?"

"Purple isn't a flavour," Grover told her.

"It should be," she frowned. "Seriously, why no pomegranate?"

"Why do you want pomegranate stuff so bad?" Grover huffed, looking towards the window.

"I don't know," Cora shrugged, picking up a packet of strawberry bubblegum, "I'm from the Underworld. We like pomegranates."

"Cora, seriously, you need to hurry. We need to get to-"

"Percy, I know," Cora interrupted, finding the drinks and picking out a can of Diet Coke. "We'll get there, dude. Don't worry. I can protect us."

"Yeah, cause making a bunch of daisies appear is gonna stop a monster," Grover said, shaking his head.

"Don't underestimate the flower power," Cora warned him.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of it," Grover sighed as they went over to the counter to buy what Cora had picked out for herself.

They quickly paid, using money Cora had gotten from Chiron, and left to make their way to wherever they were going, since Cora had already forgotten.

"Chiron just gave you the money?" Grover asked as they walked along the side of the road.

"Okay, well, technically, he doesn't exactly... know?" Cora said with a small smile.

"What?!" Grover yelped with wide eyes.

"I'm surrounded by Hermes kids, Grover, you can't expect me not to start stealing things," she sighed, shaking her head. "They really need to make a cabin for the Underworld gods."

"You're not even a child of a god," Grover responded.

"Okay, technically... I am."

"Okay, well, technically, you're not."

"My mom's a nymph. Nymph's are goddesses. Therefore... boom, demigod."

"Children of nymphs aren't demigods, Cora," Grover sighed. He looked at Cora, who seemed to be thinking hard. "You're about to say you're a nymph, too, aren't you?"

"Well, I am," Cora shrugged.

"You're half a nymph," Grover scoffed, "and not a demigod."

"Then what am I supposed to call myself?"

"Cora."

"No, that's boring," Cora groaned, opening the silver can. "For everyone else it's so easy. Y'know, demigod, god, mortal, satyr, nymph, whatever. But, then there's me. Everyone's favourite orphan."

"That's a sad title," Grover commented as she took a sip from her Coke.

"Oh, so that one you're not gonna deny?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Whatever," Cora sighed. "How far do we have to go?"

"Montauk," Grover answered.