Down in Flames [OC Demigod Fic]

Chapter Nineteen: "Long Drive, Little Patience"

Bright and early the next morning, Pearl and I pile our stuff into the back of a SPQR Jeep™ and prepare to take off. Why New Rome has a trademark on their model of jeep, I have no idea. The Jeep™ is definitely cool— it has camouflage modes to hide the vehicle and everything in it from mortals, monsters, or both. Plus, it's painted a lovely Praetor Purple™.

Atticus and I had visited Grandma Jean one last time the night before. When she given me one last word of advice, it was as if she knew exactly what had happened.

"No matter what comes from this, stay true to yourself and your friends. Your heart will tell you who to trust. Even though someone's motives may not be the purest, never give up on them... Or yourself. People can change."

She must have been talking about Pearl; I told her all about how she nearly killed me in the barracks. Yet, her wisdom applied to me as well, whether I like to admit it or not.

"Earth to Sabine," Pearl waves a hand in front of my face, bringing me back to reality. "Let's get a move on, we're losing daylight."

"The sun just rose fifteen minutes ago," I sigh in reply as I get in the driver's seat, putting the key in its ignition. Pearl hops in the passenger seat, crossing her arms and facing toward the window.

Atticus is there to see us off. He gives me a curt nod to signal we are ready to depart. I nod back and start the engine, driving off through a secret car-sized tunnel that leads out of New Rome's borders and into the real world.

For the next thirty minutes, we travel in silence; the car radio wasn't an option, as it attracts monsters.

Finally, I decide to speak up. "So, what's your life like? Outside of going to Camp Jupiter."

"When I was twelve, Lupa took me in and I trained with the wolves, then they brought me to camp. End of story," Pearl swiftly answers.

"What about your family?"

"I don't have a family— and I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, touchy subject, I get it. So, what was living with the wolves like?"

"Can you stop asking me annoying questions? This trip has been awful already," she slinks into her seat further.

"Listen, you can complain all you want, but it's not going to make the situation any better."

"I can see your deepest fears," Pearl grumbles.

I shake my head, almost wanting to laugh at Pearl's ridiculous behavior.

In the seat behind me, someone sneezes.

"Gods bless you," I reply. A moment after I say that, I realize that there isn't anyone in the backseat. At least, there wasn't when we left Camp Jupiter. Checking my rearview mirror, I see none other than Dennis smiling back at me. How on earth did he manage to apparate into a moving car?

Pearl turns around and shrieks in fright. "I-It's a ghost!" She exclaims, staring at our unexpected guest with such a bewildered expression I begin to laugh. For a girl with nerves of steel, she sure can scream.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't hold that against the poor guy. Now, he's also an idiot, and that we can hold against him."

"Who's your lovely friend, Sabine?" I can almost see the smirk on his face.

Regaining her sense of pride, she answers him, "Pearl, daughter of Timor."

"Well, I'm tickled pink! Never met a child of fear before. I'm Dennis, son of Athena."

"I thought Athena kids were supposed to be smart," I remark. Before now, I didn't know who his godly parent was. It's an interesting discovery, knowing that Dennis' mother is the goddess of Wisdom.

Dennis gives her a quick synopsis of who he was, leaving out anything about Rhodes. He told us that Elysium was, in words us 'hip kids' could understand, thebomb.com. Though he loved it there, he visited the mortal world a lot because he felt that he had unfinished business to do.

"If you're a... A ghost, how are you able to come to the mortal world so often?" Pearl frowns. I wondered about that myself.

"I have special privileges," he responds, shooting a quick glance at me through the mirror. Rhodes probably gave him those privileges. "And I happen to like following Sabine around, so you can just deal with it." He reclines in the back seat, taking up the whole two seats. Ghosts don't have to worry about wearing seat belts, bless their dead souls.

"That doesn't sound creepy at all," I draw out the sentence, pretending to sound concerned.

"Great, now I have one more freak to deal with," Pearl sighs loudly.

I freeze up at the word 'freak'. Karysta's look of resentment and disgust pops into my mind, her eyes locked onto mine intensely.

You're a freak, Sabine!

You ruin everything that's good,

and no matter what,

you'll never belong here at Camp Half-Blood.

It just now occurs to me that I'll have to see her again at Camp Half-Blood— and face her unprecedented hatred.

I lose my concentration and almost swerve into another car on the highway. Pearl shrieks again as the car honks angrily and speeds up, creating distance between us.

"Sorry," I say in a shaky voice. "I'm so stupid, I just— sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just keep your eyes on the road," the girl beside me says with a tinge of annoyance. "Dennis should leave, he's being too distracting."

"No I... I'm sorry. I can't do this," I choke out the words and pull off to the side of the freeway, tears blurring my vision as the jeep screeches to a halt.