In Ruins |Leo Valdez|

Chapter 12

Chapter 12:
Rikki's P.o.v.
My head spun as I glared at the challenge in front of me, unsure if I could make it out alive.
"Check and mate!" The kid yelled excitedly, moving his queen three spaces to the left.
Dropping my head into my hands, I groaned. "You have got to be kidding me!" The little boy laughed and jumped up and down. He had green eyes and spiky red hair- reminding me too much of Peach- with an infuriating child smirk. "I never loose at chess!"
"Now you do." I went to say something but he got up and started walking away, seeing as his fifth grade field trip was leaving.
"GAH." I exhaled in exasperation. I started packing up the library's set as I grumbled under my breath. Suddenly, I glanced up, feeling as though I was being watched. In front of me was a frowning Leo, staring unblinkingly over my shoulder. "May I help you?"
Ever since I got attacked that morning, Leo hadn't let me go off anywhere alone. He even got his schedule switched so that he had this seventh hour study hall with me. Annabeth had said that it was perfectly normal, but I just couldn't bring myself to believe her. He was acting weird.
"Somethings not right. He keeps looking over here." Leo explained without so much as a glance at me. To say that I didn't like his protective side would be a lie, but I was never going to admit that to him.
Turning my head, I noticed who he was talking about. Catching me looking, Mark smiled and raised a hand in greeting before walking over. Leo pursed his lips, but otherwise stayed quiet. "Hey, beautiful." Mark said with a rugged smile.
I turned to Leo. "Beautiful? Aren't you going to answer? He's trying to talk to you." I chuckled at my joke as both of the guys' faces turned red. "You know, I've gotta pee. I'll see you two love birds later!"
Sometimes I'm just hilarious.
Or annoying, which is what Leo says, but still hilarious.
Jumping out of my chair and pushing it in, I walked away to the girls restroom. After taking a well deserved pee, I stood at the sink washing my hands and staring at my reflection. My make up was minimal, and my eyes were a dull brown, and my hair lay flat on my head. Not for the first time did I wonder why Hades couldn't be the god of smoking hot daughters, because that would have made my life a lot better.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"AAARGH! Dad! Stop checking in on me when I'm in the bathroom!" Hades looked sheepishly away from me and down at his black and grey pinstriped suit.
He grunted and scratched his goatee. "It's the only time you ever seem to be alone at a reflection! That's not my fault."
I rolled my eyes. "What do you want?"
Clearing his throat, he raised his head. "The one you seek may not look as you would think. That is all." And with that, his image faded from the mirror, despite my calls of 'Dad!', after him. Groaning in confusion and frustration, I dried off my hands and walked out as the bell rung for the end of the day.
Finding Nico sulking at my locker, I quickly filled him in on what daddy dearest had told me. His eyebrows furrowed together. "That's it? Nothing else? I know Hades isn't the biggest Chatty Cathy, but still. That's really short: even for him."
My lips pursed. "I know. Maybe he thought it was obvious?" I suggested as I shoved my math book into the backpacks we'd picked up from the camp store.
Mine was Hello Kitty.
"Maybe. I'm not sure-"
"Freebush!" I glanced around to see who had the misfortune of that last name when I remembered that was my name as of this quest. I raised an eyebrow and he just smiled, a little out of breath. "I'll see you at the pizza shop in town. It's the only one. You can't miss it."
I nodded and gave him a small smile before he saw his friends and dashed away. "Must you blow holes in my ship when I'm standing right here?" Nico said grudgingly as I slammed the door shut.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." He grunted and crossed his arms. How he'd talked everyone into letting him wear a black uniform rather than navy blue was completely over my head, but he was happy; at least as happy as Nico could be.
Rolling his eyes he said, "Yeah. Not at all. It's not like you make googly eyes at the back of his head constantly. Not at all!"
I groaned and hit his arm. "Is it that obvious?" The whisper was meant for myself, but Nico nodded his head. Shouldering the backpack, we began to walk toward the exit, and where we had agreed to meet with the others. "I can't help it. It's like there's just some magnetic pull. I just want out. I mean, he's still so in love with Calypso that I could be Queen Beyoncé and he just wouldn't care."
Nico raised a hand up with a smirk. "I acknowledge the fact that you just said Queen Beyoncé, and we will listen to her album back at camp. However, moving on, did you just admit to liking Leo Valdez?!"
"No! Yes. Maybe? I don't knoooow." I whined, wanting nothing more than to curl in a ball and eat my feelings with three packs of Double Stuffed Oreo's. We were drawing close to the others as we opened the doors. "Breathe a word of this to anyone and I will rip out your eyeballs. Just so we are clear."
Nico chuckled and we came level with the group, and I cautiously avoided Leo's gaze. If I looked at him, I was afraid I'd turn sappy and drool. "Where's Anna?" I asked instead, turning to Annabeth. She pointed across the court yard to wear Anna was talking very animatedly with a group of terrified looking freshman.
At the climax of her story, several of them screamed and ran off. "AND THAT IS WHY ABSTINENCE IS KEY, CHILDREN!!!" I laughed heartily at my best friend with the others, letting myself pretend- if only for a moment- that we were a normal group of teenagers at the end of a normal school day. However, the sight of Leo's fingers flaming up caught my attention and I quickly reached across the small circle to grab his hand before anyone could notice. "OTP!"
Dropping his hand, I glared at Anna who had of course rejoined our company at exactly the wrong time. "Excuse me for not wanting Leo to be exposed." I hissed loud enough for our small party to hear.
"Let's just go." Percy said, grabbing Annabeth's hand and leading the way. I had to give him props. He was a natural born leader.
I ignored Leo, Nico, and Anna for separate reasons. One, Nico and Anna were giggling very annoyingly, and two, I was pretty sure Nico had filled her in on my mental slip by my locker. Three, Leo seemed as if he had something to say, and I really didn't want to know what that was. Soon we were back at the hotel, and I was in the shower faster than Leo could get a word out. Thankful that my period was last week, I washed and threw on my clothes. If you were expecting some long winded explanation of how the water "cascaded down my body" you've come to the wrong place. Hopefully you've all taken a shower and know how it works.
If you haven't, maybe you should.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I was surprised to see Leo wrapped in the arms of a girl at the door. "What the crap?!" My voice was loud, angry, and mixed with a twinge of jealousy, though I'd never admit it.
And get this.
It was that flight attendant.
From our first quest.
"Get out of my room!" I screeched, pushing her off of Leo with enough force to also send her through the open door from which she had come. Grabbing my sneakers and sending a loathing look to Leo, I grabbed the door handle and said, "I'm off to my date. And you know what?"
He stood there mouth opened as the flight attendant- was it Marlee?- started to get up. "Rikki-"
"I HOPE I GET LAID!"
With that said, I slammed the door, spit at Marlee's feet and walked out without a backward glance.
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I tried really hard to make this long. I'm not sure if I succeeded, but I hope it satisfies while I write another chapter! Don't hate me for taking so long. I have had such bad writers block! But I love you all! ~BrieD