Of Demigods and Monsters (Leo Valdez x Reader)

V

You

When Jason finally woke up, I actually felt more sorry for him than amused. He really did look confused. Like a lost puppy.

The distress in his eyes said it all when she said he didn't even know who he was. Of course, Piper fussed over him like a mother hen.

The bus finally dropped us off at a big red building. Just a museum in the middle of nowhere. A cold wind blew through the dessert, causing goose bumps to rise on my skin.

"I'm really regretting the shorts now," I mumbled as we stepped off the bus.

Leo looked back at me. "For all it's worth, I think you look great." The boy's cheesy grin made me blush.

"Umm thanks..."

We finally piled off the bus and Jason and Piper joined us at the edge of the group.

"So, a crash course for the amnesiac," Leo said, in a helpful tone that made me think this was not going to be helpful to poor Jason. "We go to the 'Wilderness School'"—Leo made air quotes with his fingers. "Which means we're 'bad kids.' Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison—sorry, 'boarding school'—in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it all coming back to you now?"

"No." Jason glanced apprehensively at the other kids. I did too: maybe twenty guys, half that many girls. None of them looked like hardened criminals, but it made me wonder what they'd all done to get sentenced to a school for delinquents, and why I belonged with them? I guess I ran away from my home...

Leo rolled his eyes. "You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the four of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You do everything I say and give me your dessert and do my chores—"

"Leo!" Piper snapped.

"Fine. Ignore that last part. But we are friends. Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks—"

"Leo, stop it!" Piper's face turned red. I could have sworn Jason's blushed a little red as well.

"He's got amnesia or something," Piper said. "We've got to tell somebody."

Leo scoffed. "Who, Coach Hedge? He'd try to fix Jason by whacking him upside the head."

"This isn't a joke. I mean, Y/n was acting weird just the other day, and now Jason? What if it's some kind of disease?" Piper delicately placed a hand on the blonde boy's forehead to check if it was burning up, but he just brushed her away.

"It's definitely not an illness." I said, shaking my head. I had my arms tucked into my hoodie, trying to keep warm. "I'm sure he's just playing a short joke on us." I lied through my teeth, hoping not to change the story if I intercepted too much.

"Yo, Piper." It was Dylan, with his perfect smile and perfect teeth. Half the girls giggled as he passed by and went straight for the brunette. "Don't talk to these bottom-feeders. You're my partner, remember?"

"Go away, Dylan," Piper grumbled. "I didn't ask to work with you."

"Ah, that's no way to be. And anyways, you already agreed to work with me yesterday. Today is your lucky day!" He hooked an arm through hers and pulled her towards the museum. Piper glanced back ima plea to save her, but I just gave her a grin and let her go. It wouldn't be that long anyway before it got a little stormy.