Shattered |Leo Valdez|

Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Erikka P.o.v.

"EAT! EAT! EAT!" The chanting fueled me forward as I shoveled in more mashed potatoes. "SHE COULD. GO. ALL. THE. WAAAAAY!" And with that, I threw the last bite of my hamburger into my mouth. A loud belch leaked out of me and my fan group started cracking up.

After we'd finished cracking up down in the lobby, Anna had told us about calming down the people and how she'd had a lady call someone in to repair the damage that was done. When we got back to our room, we had changed into pj's and ordered room service: a lot of room service. Anna had challenged me to an eating contest, which was her first mistake.

"Done! Unless you guys have more, because I'm still kind of hungry." Leo's eyes widened as I licked my lips with a smile. Anna lifted my arm and gave it a flick. "Hey! What was that for?" I asked, rubbing the small little sting.

She stared at me with intense curiosity. "Where do you put it?" Well, I hadn't been expecting that question. So, being who I am, I smacked my butt and gave her a wink. This sent the two of us into fits of laughter.

"Well, I'm pretty sure the hotel is out of food now." Leo said as he stretched out on the couch, his navy pj t-shirt riding up a little over his hips. I chucked my pillow at him and was rewarded with a thwap to his head. "Well it's true." He said with a smile in my direction.

Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach that could just have been the excess amount of food, I pouted. "Never judge a hungry girl. We like our food." He laughed and I smiled as the sound washed over me like the sun in spring.

"Wouldn't dream of it." His smile changed to a smirk as he stared up at the ceiling. "So we've had an interesting day." Nico grunted at the understatement and hugged the pillow he had on the floor.

Anna was oddly quiet, which I had come to learn was very rare for her. My eyes skipped around the room, searching for her black hair covered head. Only when they came near the second bed did they see something. She was moving back and forth as if playing tug-a-war with something.

Quietly, I tiptoed to where she was, neither boy paying attention because they were somewhere lost in their own minds.

Anna growled down at the floor as I looked over her shoulder. I was laying on the bed while she kneeled on the floor closest to the bathroom wall. "What are you doing, Anna?" I asked. Her hands were latched on to something inside of the air vent.

I must have startled her because suddenly she jumped, her hands releasing their hold on whatever it had been.

"Rikki! Gods dang it, you lost me my chicken leg!" My eyebrow raised at her outburst. "He's probably half way across the hotel by now, way to go." She tightened her ponytail and gave me a glare while she sat on the bed.

"May I ask what the heck you're talking about?" I asked, rolling over to give her some more room on the bed.

Anna rolled her big brown eyes at me before saying, "I'm talking about the rat that just took my chicken leg, of course. Get with the program, Rikki." She said, leaning back on the bed so that her legs dangled off the side at her knees.

"Rat?" I gulped out, watching as she shrugged.

"Yeah. Normally, because of dad, animals respect and keep their distance like the satyrs do, but some have to just take my food!" I kind of zoned out during her speech, my brain going back to a time when I was little and used to sneak into the boiler room of the apartment building. Rats followed from the shadows, and their noises laughing at me when I forgot the way out.

"I hate rats." I said, pursing my lips and shaking my head to clear the memory away. Anna's eyes narrowed inquisitively at me, but she said nothing. "So, what? It has a bone to pick with your dad so it goes after you instead?" She nodded and turned so that she was staring at the ceiling once again.