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JASON SHOULD'VE RAN when he walked up to the house, even with the consistent yapping of Drew telling him he'd be fine. It's not like it looked threatening, it was just a four-story manor painted baby blue with white trim. The wraparound porch had lounge chairs, a card table, and an empty wheelchair. Wind chimes designed like nymphs turned into trees as they spun. Jason could imagine the elderly coming here for summer vacation, sitting on the porch and sipping prune juice while they watched the sunset. Still, the windows seemed to glare down at him like angry eyes. The wide-open doorway looked ready to swallow him. On the highest gable, a bronze eagle weathervane spun in the wind and pointed straight in his direction, as if telling him to turn around.
"I am not supposed to be here." he said.
Drew circled her arm through his. "Oh, please. You're perfect here, sweetie. Believe me, I've seen a lot of heroes."
Drew smelled like Christmas - a strange combination of pine and nutmeg. Jason wondered if she always smelled like that, or if it was some kind of special perfume for the holidays. Her pink eyeliner was really distracting. Every time she blinked, he felt compelled to look at her. Maybe that was the point, to show off her warm brown eyes. She was pretty. No doubt about that. But she made Jason feel uncomfortable, like a wolf in sheep's clothing.
He slipped his arm away as gently as he could. "Look, I appreciate—"
"Is it that girl?" Drew pouted. "Oh, please, tell me you are not dating the Dumpster Queen."
"You mean Piper? Um ..."
Jason wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't think he'd ever seen Piper before today, but he felt strangely guilty about it. He knew he shouldn't be in this place. He shouldn't befriend these people, and certainly he shouldn't date one of them. Still...Piper had been holding his hand when he woke up on that bus. She believed she was his girlfriend. But that wasn't right. He didn't even know his own story. He couldn't play with her emotions like that.
"You seem lost; it can't be that stuck up witch in Cabin 20, right? Gods, she's such a bummer, like we all lost people - get over it; he was a traitor!" Drew said, rolling her eyes, as she looked at Jason like he was going to agree and say - 'You're so~ right Drew; she's such a prissy bitch!'
Jason was even more surprised she thought Hana was dating him; Jason had assumed a girl like her was in some fantasy relationship with some powerful demigod who everyone loved, but to call her stuck up? She didn't rub him off that way; but the idea that Hana had lost someone who was traitorous made him question Hana's intentions more - then again, she was so confident on the skywalk and when Hana fell off the side and he caught her...they were so close that it wouldn't be too hard to close the gap and kiss her.
