Down in Flames [OC Demigod Fic]

Chapter Twenty: "Fears"

I stare forward and try to breathe, my judgement clouded by ambivalent thoughts. The thought of returning to Camp Half-Blood sickens me, but so does the thought of being a coward and staying at Camp Jupiter.

"What's going on?" Pearl asks abrasively. I glance over to see her eyes narrowed at me.

I squeeze my eyes shut, yet my mouth still opens. "Can you—"

"Leave her alone, Pearl," Dennis cuts me off, though I was going to say something along those lines. "Or rather, think before you make any more snide comments."

Pearl doesn't reply. I receive the impression that she's taken his advice. My eyes slowly open again and tears roll out onto my cheeks. I bite my knuckle to stop a sob from coming out. This whole 'emotional' side I have gets a bit carried away at times; I don't like it.

A silence settles, and the sound of cars swishing past us becomes more apparent. As the minutes pass, my tears cease. Pearl, who had been quietly staring down at her hands, casts me a look of concern.

"I know you're scared," she says, her voice tinged with sympathy. "I am too."

"I thought you weren't afraid of anything," I sniffed.

"You're afraid of not being accepted. You're afraid of losing control," she takes a slow breath and continues. "I am afraid of not being accepted, and I am deathly afraid of losing control."

I don't understand. She acted as if we were nothing alike, though she knew what my fears were since we'd met.

"I can control my fear, but only for a short time. I act like I'm not afraid of anything because I want people to look up to me, not just write me off as another nobody," Pearl elaborates, taking her time to fully express the meaning of her words. "My biggest fear is losing my control over my fears."

Nodding, I decide to answer her. "I think I can see why."

"I don't know the reasons for your fears, but if telling someone would help you to overcome them, I will listen." She looks way, as if trying to be casual about the situation. Dennis swings his ghostly head towards me, then to Pearl, then back at me, expectantly waiting for an answer.

"I... I maybe sort of happened to somehow kinda possibly definitely set fire to Camp Half-Blood."

"You what." Pearl's eyes shoot open like mini torpedoes of death.

Dennis covers his mouth in shock, looking from Pearl's face to mine for a second time.

"The reason I left the Greek camp is because I set the place on fire last time I was there. So, naturally, I'm afraid of not being accepted and losing control. Again."

Pearl quirks her mouth to the side and scrunches her eyebrows together as she takes in what I've said. When her features relax, she decides to speak. "I think I can see why," she echoes what I had told her. Without hesitation, she puts a hand on my shoulder, attempting to be comforting. It isn't comforting, but I can tell she means well. "We can get through this together." I smile weakly in return as she drops her hand, then holds it out for a shake. "Truce?"

"Truce," I reply and shake her hand, affirming that we will start working as a team.

"Awwww, what a touching moment," Dennis pipes up with a sarcastically sweet smile. "Can we get back on the road now?"

A low roll of thunder proceeds his question. I look out to see a blanket of dark grey clouds covering the sky.

"Yeah, we should go. The king of Olympus doesn't seem to be too happy right now."

As a light drizzle begins to patter on the windshield, I start the jeep's ignition and get back on the highway.

Soon enough, the rain turns into a steady downpour. Pearl and Dennis have struck up a conversation about what the Underworld is like— what Elysium is like. He says that, although it's paradise, he feels like his life in the mortal world truly isn't finished yet. That's why he keeps coming back as a ghost. Pearl says he shouldn't meddle around with demigods' lives; he says the Fates would have stopped him by now if they didn't want him to meddle.

During a moment of silence, Dennis whistles a slow tune, compensating for the lack of radio. I recognize the song instantly. He sings softly, "Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you." Even the rain seems to hush itself in the presence of his voice.

"Who taught you how to sing?" I interject as he finishes the line.

"Elvis Presley," I casually answers.

Pearl's jaw nearly drops. "You've met him?"

"Yeah, he was a counselor for the first couple years I was at Camp Half-Blood. Son of Apollo, if you're wondering. He was my role model," Dennis laughs. "Of course, we reconnected after he died, and with as much free time as we have down there, I've picked up a few things."

"Must be nice," she says.

"What, being dead?" He asks, slightly amused.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant—" Pearl scrambles to explain, but Dennis brushes her off with a laugh.

"It's best that my voice doesn't show up on recordings, or else I'd be at the top of the charts," Dennis responds. "It's only fair that mortals get their chance to show off while they're alive and kicking. Don't fret about it, gem."

"My name isn't Gem, it's a specific type of gem. I don't do nicknames. Just call me Pearl, okay?"

"My pleasure, treasure," he flashes her a cheeky grin, one to which she sighs and crosses her arms.

The sound of a police siren breaks the mood. My senses on high alert, I look in my mirror to see red and blue lights behind me. The police car weaves through traffic until it is directly behind our jeep.

The officer's voice reaches me through a megaphone.

"Please pull your vehicle over immediately."