Invisible ― Jason Grace

vii. friendship bracelets

AS HAZEL AND FRANK talked quietly and Percy looked off at the shoreline, Camilla busied her restless fingers with a new bracelet. She chose three different shades of blue for the threads, braiding them together guided by muscle memory. As she worked, she wondered if Jason still had his—wherever he was. Maybe it had gotten lost; maybe he'd gotten rid of it; maybe it was buried six feet under with him. 

Whoa, Camilla scolded herself. Don't think like that. 

As they passed Stinson Beach, Percy pointed inland, where a single mountain rose above the green hills. 

"That looks familiar," he said. 

"Mount Tam," Camilla said quietly. "That's where we fought the final battle of the Titan War—it's the old Titan base." 

Percy frowned. "You guys were there?" 

"Just me," Camilla said. "It was back in August. The legion destroyed the enemy's palace and about a million monsters. Scythian Dracanae, telekhines, scorpions, empousai—it was insane. The legion lost a lot of soldiers, but we won in the end. Jason fought Krios himself. Hand-to-hand combat with a Titan, if you can imagine." 

"I can imagine," Percy muttered. 

Camilla didn't know what he meant, but Percy reminded her almost painfully of Jason. They looked nothing alike, but they both had the same aura of quiet power, and a kind of sadness—as if they'd seen their destiny and knew it was only a matter of time before they met a monster they couldn't beat. 

Camilla looked away from the son of Neptune and to the horizon, missing her best friend a little more than usual. 

Hazel fell asleep on Frank's shoulder, which the blushing son of Mars didn't seem to mind. Camilla kept her hands and her mind busy with the bracelet. 

Percy seemed about as restless as she was, tapping his fingers against his knees, trying to expel some of his nervous energy. After a while of nothing but the sound of the water hitting the boat, Percy turned to Camilla and asked, "Were you and Jason together?" 

That was the last thing Camilla was expecting him to ask. Her fingers froze on the bracelet as she looked up at him with wide eyes. "W-what? Why—why do you ask?" 

Percy shrugged. "The way you talk about him," he said. "You sound like you like him." 

Camilla prayed the setting sun hid her reddening cheeks. "I do like him, he's my—my best friend. But we're—we're not together." 

"Dakota said he had a crush on you," Frank said. He didn't sound like he was trying to tease her, necessarily—more like he was trying to make casual conversation. 

 Camilla's cheeks felt like they were on fire. "That's ridiculous," she said. "Jason didn't have a crush on me." 

"What about you?" Percy said. "Did you have a crush on him?" 

"I—" Gods, how much hotter could her face get? "I don't see how that's relevant." 

Percy smirked. "So, that's a yes." 

"I didn't—!" she started to protest, but the knowing look on Percy's face and the amused smile on Frank's face made her falter. 

"So what?" she muttered. "He's gone. It doesn't even matter." 

The boys seemed to realize they'd hit a sore spot. Frank looked away, focusing on the sea ahead of them and Hazel still sleeping soundly next to him. 

Percy's method of attack seemed to be changing the subject. "Who's that for?" he asked, pointing at the half-finished bracelet. 

Camilla shrugged. She was thankful for the breeze coming off of the sea now that the sun was beginning to set, cooling her warm cheeks. "No one in particular," she said. "I just like to keep myself busy. Making bracelets gives me something to focus on."