The Sibling's Battle

Chapter 12

We were all gathered around the rather cramped picnic table, staring silently at each other while shoving food in our mouth. And lucky me I was sitting in between Jake and Leo. Finally Annabeth broke the silence "So Leo how long until we get to Las Vegas."

Leo started naming a whole bunch things that could happen and how much it would throw off the time. I don't pay much attention to Leo, because Jake is intently staring at the side of my head. I come out of my trance with Leo saying

"...And if Ellie disappears again that could throw us off days."

"Looks like we might have to go back to buddy system." says Percy

Everyone starts complaining, except for Jake, Luke, and Amanda who have no idea was going on.

"Okay" I say "First of all, Percy no one wants to do that, and second am I really that bad to hang out with?"

"No, it's just we... Um... Have other things to do." stutters Piper

"I'm not buying it, but since you guys are trying to spare my feeling, I'll go along with it." I say taking another bite of my pizza.

"I'll take the first shift." says Jake a little too enthusiastically. Especially because he still doesn't really know what the buddy system is yet.

"Uh sorry Jake, but we have a system." says Annabeth pulling out a sheet of paper. "Looks like Leo has the first shift."

After she says that we go silent. I finish up my pizza and get up to leave. I see Percy nod to Leo which means 'follow her.' I go to the top of the deck. I sit down in the middle of the deck, and Leo works on his Archimedes Sphere. I end up entertaining myself with making things out of water.

"Leo we can't be like this anymore." I say after a long awkward silence

"What?" he asks

"I miss you. I miss us."

"Of course you do. No one can resist Team Leo."

"Leo I'm serious." I say giving him a playful shove.

"I know. I missed you too." he hugs me and gives me a kiss on top of the head.

"Good" I say standing on my tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Well it looks like you guys have made up." says Percy.

"Oh good I needed to talk to you. There isn't anymore water headed to Nevada, so we need to take the air." says Leo

"Oh" is all he replies

"Is that a problem? Maybe you can get Jason to like talk to his dad so he won't blast you out of the sky."

"No um just that's okay. Just do what you have to do." he says leaving

"Well that went well" I say

"Maybe we should talk to Jason." says Leo.

"No he'll be fine." I say

We stand there I silence for a while, until Leo finally says "I have to get some work done."

"Okay I'll go find someone else." I say getting up.

"Hey Leo." says Annabeth walking into the upper deck. "Do you think we could stop somewhere? Maybe do some sightseeing or something? I'm tired of just sitting on this boat."

"Sure" he says pushing the emergency bottom, sending off alarm signals throughout the ship. I give him a questioning look. "It's the fastest way to get everyone up here." in less than a minute, everyone piles up onto the upper deck. Leo then turns off the alarm and lands the boat on an empty parking lot.

"Uh Leo was there an emergency?" asks Piper.

"No" is all he says.

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "We're stopping for a little bit." she says "Leo where are we?"

"Utah" he says

Wonderful I think to myself. Now we have a day to enjoy ourselves before we almost die trying to kill a Titan. Just great.

"You're coming with me." says Percy putting his arm around me

"Yay" I say "But I was actually thinking of staying on the boat..."

"With Leo? Alone? I don't think so."

"Fine whatever you say your highness"

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm."

"Okay" interrupts Annabeth "If you guys are going to keep wasting our only hour off this stupid boat, then I am leaving without you." she starts to get off the ship, so Percy grabs my hand and drags me down with him. We head into town, first stopping at some clothing stores, which completely tortured Percy. Finally we ended up going to, with a lot of persuasion from Annabeth, a hair salon. She said she needed a new style.

We went inside. On the back wall there was five shelves. Each shelf had about twenty wigs crammed onto them. On the side wall there were some chairs and mirriors, the way a normal salon would look. Just then a lady appeared from a doorway at the back of the room. It was not hard to tell that she was wearing one of the wigs. She was wearing sunglasses, and a long black dress that covered everything but her hands, neck, and head. Percy and Annabeth didn't notice her

"Good afternoon children" she said, with a middle eastern accent. At that, Annabeth turned to see her, and her stormy eyes turned even stormier. Then she turned back to some hair care products that she was looking at earlier. Percy looks at her and just stares. He watches her every move. "You know it is rude to stare" she finally says without looking up. Percy turns and walks over to Annabeth. I turn to follow, but I hear a strange distant hissing sound, like a thousand little snakes. I figure I must be imagining then I see a little snake head appear out from under her wig.

"Percy, Annabeth, I think we should leave now." I say

"Relax Ellie. We still have a half hour." says Annabeth picking up a shampoo bottle. "What is snaky-poo shampoo?"

"It's shampoo for snakes" replies the middle eastern lady.

"Snakes?" asks Annabeth, her eyes getting wide.

"Yes snakes" she replies

"Leave. Now." I say turning to look at the lady, who has taken off her sunglasses and her wig. And just my luck I look at her in the eyes so now I'm turning to stone. "Percy!" I yell right in his ear. "Don't look her in the eye, and just a heads up. I am turning to STONE!"

"Oh my gods Ellie." he says looking at me then covering his eyes.

"Medusa." says Annabeth also covering her eyes.

"I'll make a deal with you." says Percy starting to talk to medusa. "Take me instead and let her go."

"I may be willing to trade." he replies

"Percy don't!" I say

"But you have to promise me one thing. Ellie won't get hurt, or the deal is off and no one becomes stone." he finishes

"Alright I swear on the River Styx and all that stuff."

"Percy no!" I yell with the stone already up to my neck. He puts put his hand to shake her hand, and they do.

"The deal is done." she says and Percy turns to stone.