It almost worked ✸ Apollo ¹

LII. A typical day

Now, Lydia hoped that's how the day would end. They'd tell Rachel about what she was seeing and they'd go back home to Sally before going back to camp. But why would the fates let it end like that?

The empty band room door opened, and two people stepped in. Lydia instantly unsheathed her throwing knife. She met the eyes of Tammi and Kelli, cheerleaders who had something monstrous beneath them. She was starting to slowly see what Rachel was seeing now "Are we really gonna do this today?"

"I suppose so, Dionysus spawn." Tammi laughed.

Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally. Rachel stood there still staring at them. Probably considering what was going on right in front of her.

"What do they really look like?" Percy asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.

"Oh, forget her." Tammi gave him a brilliant smile and started walking toward them. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking the exit.

Lydia knew she was trapped, but a quick idea came to her mind. Tammi's smile was so dazzling it distracted Percy. He couldn't stop staring at her like he was in a daze.

"Percy," Rachel warned. She looked at Lydia "What do we do?"

Lydia looked back at her "Leave it to me, but keep going back."

Rachel was confused, but Lydia hadn't used this trick in a while. Plus she kinda owed it to herself to do it. Percy then said something really intelligent like, "Uhhh?"

Tammi was getting closer. She held out her pom-poms. Lydia closed her mind. She started thinking about a loud roar coming from an animal. Before they all heard the roar outside the closed door. The cheerleaders turned their back as the door flew open, flying into a corner of drum-sets.

Lydia smiled softly as she looked back at her old friend. Daniel the leopard was standing in front of them, preparing to pounce on the cheerleaders.

"Percy!" Rachel's voice seemed to be coming from a long way away. "Snap out of it!"

Percy was still in a daze, but he managed to bring his pen back out.  Riptide grew into a three-foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. The sound of something shredding echoed through the room, and dust went everywhere. Daniel had tore right through Tammi. The clothes were in a heap on the floor.

Rachel coughed "Gross."

"Monsters do that," Percy said. "Sorry. And— is that Daniel?"

Lydia nodded "I owed him some time."

"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled, interrupting the conversation between the three of them. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"

Then she began to change. Her wiry hair turned into flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She loped toward them, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.

"I am senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."

"Yeah?" Percy said, taking the way from there. "Then you're overdue!"

As Percy and Tammi fought, Rachel moved closer to Lydia and Daniel. Lydia needed to get her out of here before the rest of the school started showing up to see the chaos. But— she refused to leave Percy behind again.

She looked at Rachel, and took a deep breath "I think I can get us out of here before people start showing up. But you have to trust me okay? And— try not to freak out."

Rachel nodded "Fine."

Lydia turned to Daniel, and while the chaos was happening on the other side of the room. She and Rachel climbed on the leopard's back. Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. But also in a way of excitement, this was probably a one time thing to ride a leopard.