Chapter Text
Jackie Taylor was excited for her last day of school. She was quite proud of herself for making it to the final day with only one warning and, at most, five detentions that year.
Well, putting it that way, Jackie almost sounded like a delinquent, but she was far from it. She always did her best to be the top student in class — or at least, she had tried. Taylor hadn’t skipped any classes, maybe just one when she had the flu; her grades had maintained a steady average of Cs and Ds, which, for a dyslexic and hyperactive girl, was a victory on it’s own. She hadn’t broken anything belonging to the school, and, on top of that, she had even completed two extracurricular subjects — one of them being the support class for neurodivergent students, which had also introduced her to Mari, the girl she considered her best friend.
Jackie arrived at school, skipping happily, and soon spotted the person she had been thinking about. Mari was leaning against the school wall, her yellow backpack dangling from her right shoulder, while she played with a dog toy in her left hand. The blonde found it odd since, as far as she knew, Mari didn’t own a dog. But judging by what she knew about her friend, she wouldn’t be surprised if Mari had just found the ball on her way to school and decided it belonged to her. It didn’t take long for Mari to notice Jackie’s approach, and, once she did, she tossed the ball aside and ran enthusiastically toward the shorter girl.
“Jackie! Finally! I thought you’d died on the way here — maybe eaten by a dog or run over by some kid on a bike.”
“First of all, that happened just once, okay? And it was totally the kid’s fault. Second, I’m not even that late; I woke up earlier. I’m super excited about today.”
“Then you’re the only one,” a voice chimed in from behind Mari, making both girls turn toward the sound. It was Shauna Shipman, and, in Jackie’s opinion, she was the most arrogant, annoying, and self-centered person to ever walk the Earth.
Jackie’s face immediately darkened at the sight of Shauna. She had tried to be friendly with the brunette before; after all, they shared Mari as a mutual friend (though Jackie could never understand how the girl could tolerate someone as bitter as Shauna). But over time, she gave up and accepted her natural disdain for the girl. It just wasn’t meant to be, Jackie thought.
“I don’t remember anyone asking for your opinion,” Taylor retorted dryly, crossing her arms over her chest, hoping to make it clear how unwelcome Shauna’s presence was.
“Wow, calm down, kid, no need to get angwy,” Shauna said with a sly smile, mocking Jackie. Jacqueline wondered if her face had turned red with anger, as she could already feel her blood boiling and her cheeks heating up.
“I appreciate your attempts to act like fucking Tom and Jerry,” Mari chuckled to herself, though neither of the other two found it funny. “But you two should get over it. It’s the last day of school, come on! It’s summer! Be happy.”
“Ugh.” Shauna rolled her big brown eyes. “Let’s go, Barajas. We need to get to calculus class; the teacher is handing out the final exam results. I need to see my grade.” The brunette grabbed Mari’s arm and started dragging her through the school gate. Jackie followed, holding the straps of her backpack.
“Then you’re the only one,” Mari echoed Shauna’s earlier comment, eliciting a sharp laugh from Jackie, who savored the taste of sweet revenge. She thanked Mari for that in her head.
Though Jackie found Shauna incredibly insufferable, she couldn’t deny that the girl consistently earned the highest grades among the three of them — maybe the highest in the extracurricular support class as well (yes, Jackie had to deal with Shauna’s annoying presence there too). If Jackie weren’t so proud, she might have asked to borrow Shauna’s tests and assignments for study. However, the one time she even tried, Shauna had replied that she wouldn’t allow Jackie to score off her intelligence. That day, Mari had to pull Jackie off Shauna, who ended up with a scratch on her cheek. Jackie wasn’t the violent type, but she had been pleased with the outcome.
“Haha, very funny, Mari,” Shauna grumbled before turning to Jackie. “And you? Are you going to keep following us around like a homeless puppy?”
“Did you forget that I go here, you jerk?” Jackie shot back in the same tone. “I’m going to my classroom.”
“Then go. Shoo.” Shauna made a dismissive gesture with her hand, signaling Jackie to leave.
After huffing and saying goodbye to Mari, Jackie turned down the hallway toward her classroom. She did so reluctantly, hating the fact that she had done what Shauna told her, but also because she was about to face a physics class — a subject she despised. Her body seemed to hate it even more than her mind did, as she found it impossible to sit still for more than twenty minutes during the class, her hyperactivity more heightened than ever. This always seemed to annoy Ms. Norris, the perpetually tired middle-aged physics teacher. Jackie always got chills when Ms. Norris entered the room, even after a year of classes with her.
At the moment, Ms. Norris was discussing some topic related to kinematics at the front of the classroom (Jackie wished she could say she was excited about it, but honestly, she really wished kinematics were about movies instead of whatever the teacher was droning on about). The blonde couldn’t understand why Norris had decided it was a good idea to introduce next year’s material on the very last day of school. Maybe she just wanted to make the few students who had shown up utterly miserable. Jackie imagined Ms. Norris found daily satisfaction in her students’ suffering, which made her laugh for a moment — only to regret it immediately. She was just a teacher trying to do her job, Jackie. Show some respect.
As she alternated between fiddling with her necklace and sketching different eyes in her notebook, Jackie glanced out the window, only to spot Mari sneaking over the school wall. “What the…” Instantly, Jackie sat up straight and shot her hand high in the air to catch the teacher’s attention.
“Can I go to the bathroom?” she blurted with urgency, startling the other students. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, so she quickly added in a calmer voice, “Please?”
The teacher agreed, though her expression was far from pleasant. After handing Jackie the bathroom pass — a yellow paper stamped with her name — Jackie bolted out of the classroom, heading straight to where she’d last seen Mari. On the way, her mind raced with possible reasons Mari could be sneaking out. Was she part of a gang? Definitely under Shauna’s influence. Was she going to a party? That was a probability. Or was it all just the product of Jackie’s overactive imagination? That seemed likely and made her a bit anxious.
When she reached the spot she had last seen Mari, she decided to be careful. After all, anyone looking out the windows, like Jackie herself, would be able to see her, and that would definitely mean trouble. Jackie mentally scolded herself as she crouched and made her way to the wall. It wasn’t very high, but given her lack of muscles or any athletic ability, she feared falling. That would be a disaster — she’d get caught and humiliate herself in the process. In the end, it didn’t take much effort to climb over, though her heel ached a bit from the landing, and her arms felt sore. Jackie decided to dedicate some time for sports that summer. Soccer sounds nice.
On the other side of the wall was an empty lot with overgrown grass that scratched her legs. Jackie forced herself to ignore the itching as she began searching for Mari, but her focus was quickly broken by a shout behind her.
“Taylor? What are you doing here? Are you crazy?”
Of course, it was Shauna. Of course, this first-class delinquent was involved in whatever weirdness was going on around the school. Jackie put a hand on her hip and gave the brunette a mocking stare. She wanted to report Shauna’s actions to the principal, but she knew that would only lead to questions about what she was doing there. And come to think of it, were there cameras around? Jackie didn’t have time to worry about that now.
“I came to see what Mari’s up to. What about you? Plotting something?” Jackie tilted her head and smirked. It felt good to catch Shauna red-handed.
“Ugh, shut up! I…”
Before Shauna could explain further, a door — one Jackie hadn’t noticed before — suddenly burst open, and out came a terrified Mari, running as if her life depended on it.
Maybe it did.
Without hesitation, Jackie and Shauna instinctively followed Mari, their bodies and minds working in unison to pick up speed. To Jackie’s surprise, Mari was suddenly right beside her, even though she’d been several meters ahead just moments ago.
“What are you doing here?” Mari yelled, grabbing Jackie’s hand to help her run.
“What are you doing here?” Jackie shouted back, finally glancing behind them. Huge dogs were chasing them. Wait, those weren’t dogs. What kind of bizarre creature was that? Was it… a giant ant? “What is that?!”
“Just ignore it!” Mari yelled, veering toward the small wooded area near the school.
Great. They were going to get lost in there, die, and no one would ever find their bodies. Jackie wished she were back in class.
“Take Jackie and get out of here!” Shauna practically ordered, and to Jackie’s shock, the brunette was now holding a massive bronze shield. An enormous owl was etched into it, leaving Jackie slightly scared. “I’ll handle these Myrmekes. Go!”
“Wait!” Jackie screamed. But Mari didn’t hesitate; she kept running, pulling Jackie into the woods, skillfully dodging bushes and trees in their path.
“We can’t leave Shauna!” Jackie protested.
“Don’t worry about her, Jackie. She can handle herself. The priority is getting you out of here.”
Jackie wasn’t understanding any of this. Where had Shauna gotten that shield? Why were Myrmekes — or whatever those ant-faced dogs were called — chasing them? Why had Shauna stayed behind, and since when was Mari so agile? Jackie felt nauseous, the adrenaline coursing through her body and the confusion of seeing these two acting so strangely made her want to throw up.
Before Jackie could process it, they had reached the other side of the woods and emerged onto the street near the school entrance. Suddenly, the school seemed like a completely different place. Was she dreaming? This had to be a nightmare. It had to be.
“Where do you think you’re going, you little wannabe heroines?” a voice called out, freezing both girls in their tracks. Mari immediately tensed. Jackie had never seen Mari — always so playful — look so serious.
Jackie peered past Mari, who was still catching her breath. Sweat trickled down both their foreheads. Standing in front of them was Ms. Norris, more intimidating than ever. She held a massive metal ruler in her hand and had swapped her usual cardigan for a long brown trench coat. Everything about this felt off. Jackie’s nausea worsened, her vision blurring.
“Ms. Norris, I can explain!” Jackie exclaimed, the thought of being expelled on the last day of school, ruining all her hard work, was giving her a headache.
“Jackie, get back,” Mari said, stepping in front of the blonde. She spoke in a low voice so the physics teacher wouldn’t hear. “Do you know her?”
“Of course I know her, Mari. She’s the physics teacher.”
Mari muttered something Jackie couldn’t make out. The shorter girl was growing more terrified by the second. If this wasn’t a nightmare, she hoped it was. She was used to having nightmares almost every night, it wouldn’t surprise her if this was just another one. Just another bad dream.
“Alright,” Mari sighed, positioning herself defensively in front of Jackie and drawing a short sword. It was made of iron, with bronze edges and a ruby embedded at the tip of the hilt. Jackie was convinced she was losing her mind. Mari glanced at Jackie and spoke again, her gaze never leaving Ms. Norris. “Jackie, I need you to trust me right now. You have to do everything I say, okay? If I tell you to run, you run. Got it?”
“Mari, what’s going on? Why are you saying that?!” Jackie was extremely nervous, but she kept the same low tone Mari was using. If Ms. Norris shouldn’t hear what they were saying, then she would be careful.
“Please, promise me you’ll trust me and listen with an open mind.”
“I promise! Just tell me what’s going on!”
“Okay.” Mari then got into a battle stance, and Jackie instinctively took a step back. “That woman over there isn’t a teacher. She’s a monster.”
“Look, Mari, I know she’s mean, but there’s no need to be rude.”
“I swear! Jackie, look at her carefully. Pay attention, force yourself to notice the details.” While Mari spoke, Jackie stared at the physics teacher. “I might be wrong, but that’s Megaera, a Fury. She’s here for some reason, and I’m almost 100% sure it’s because of me and Shauna, but also because of you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jackie, she’s here to kill us.” Mari said in a grim tone. Jackie felt her heart skip a beat.
Jackie thought she was going to vomit. Now she could see it clearly. The ruler Ms. Norris was holding was actually the blade of a sword. That strange trench coat? A pair of wings, sinister and leathery like a bat’s.
“Jackie! Are you listening to me?” Mari exclaimed, snapping Jackie out of her thoughts. “Shauna will get here soon, but until then, we’ll have to deal with this situation together, okay”
“What do you mean “deal with it,” Mari? I barely weigh 60 kilos, there’s no way I can fight!”
“Take this.” Mari handed Jackie a small dagger. Immediately, Jackie feared she’d trip and accidentally stab herself in the neck with it. “Use it to defend yourself. I’ll buy us some time so we can escape.”
Jackie held the dagger, finally noticing how much she was trembling. She positioned herself the way she thought was appropriate while Mari stretched her legs, pressing her red Converse sneakers to the ground. Jackie imagined Mari would just run off and leave her to die. Jackie wished she’d skipped the last day of school like everyone else does — it seemed like the safer choice.
“πτήση.” Mari murmured, and Jackie didn’t even have time to wonder why on earth her best friend knew how to speak Greek, because Mari’s shoes literally sprouted wings. Jackie figured this was the first time she was using “literally” correctly in her vocabulary.
“What the hell is that, Mari?!” Jackie accepted she was completely losing her mind. There wasn’t a single ounce of sanity left in Jackie’s frail body.
“My precious babies.” Mari grinned playfully before dashing off at an absurd speed toward Ms. Norris — or rather, Megaera.
Mari crossed the ten meters separating them in probably less than a second, and the sharp sound of Mari’s blade clashing with Megaera’s rang out loud, sending shivers down Jackie’s spine. She had never imagined Mari was this fast — let alone that she could fight!
“Foolish child!” Megaera hissed, pushing back against Mari’s blade with her sword. Mari jumped away but didn’t manage to get far enough from the Fury. “I didn’t receive orders to kill this time. No matter how much I’d like to.”
Jackie swallowed hard. Even if they didn’t die right now, Ms. Norris would come back to finish the job. That was a problem. She needed to go to the police — or whoever could keep her safe — as soon as possible. Maybe she could move in with Mari; she definitely didn’t want to put her parents in danger.
“Then go back from where you came! Leave us alone!” Mari retorted, striking again.
The Fury couldn’t keep up with Mari’s speed. Even while dodging, the brunette managed to hit her wing squarely. Megaera growled, just a thin trickle of golden blood dripping from where Mari struck. Jackie figured it had been a terrible choice, as it only made the monstrous woman even angrier. Megaera turned on Mari, absolutely furious, using her massive wing to fling the latin girl away. Jackie’s friend hit the ground with a thud, groaning in pain.
“Mari!” Jackie screamed, starting to run toward her. But Megaera was faster.
The Fury swooped down toward the blonde, pinning her to the ground. Jackie felt a blinding pain in her back as it slammed into the asphalt with incredible force. Jackie groaned, trapped under the Fury’s weight, the awful smell of the monster flooding her nose, making her even more uncomfortable. Mentally, Jackie begged for Mari’s help. Jesus Christ, she’d even take Shauna’s help at this point!
“Let me go!” The girl yelled, struggling under the huge, dry leathery wings of the Fury.
“Can’t do that, child.” The Fury laughed, using one of her enormous claws to slash a cut across Jackie’s smooth cheek. A trickle of blood immediately ran down, and the girl winced in pain. “But don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon. I have a mission to complete, and you, little girl, are part of it. Someone in the Underworld is looking for you.”
“I said…” Jackie spoke with difficulty. “Let me go!”
Then everything happened so fast. The Fury’s scream of horror echoed within a 15 meter radius, and when she died, she turned into a cloud of golden dust, covering Jackie’s entire body. Her hand, which still held the dagger Mari had given her, was trembling, frozen in place where she had stabbed Ms. Norris. The ghost of her body seemed to linger over her. In the background, Jackie could hear Mari screaming her name, but she was too dazed to act.
Still dizzy, Jackie stood up, looking at herself. There was some of her blood on her shirt, but she was completely covered in that strange powder. If all of this were a dream, she should have woken up by now.
“You did it!” Mari approached, limping slightly but with a proud smile on her face. “I knew you were one of us.”
“Where’s Shauna?” The question came naturally from Jackie’s mouth. The brunette had stayed behind to ensure their safety; she felt she should at least worry about her.
“She’s fine.” Mari assured her, though Jackie didn’t know how she could be so sure. “Come on, we need to go.”
Mari and Jackie ran with some difficulty, Mari guiding the shorter girl down the street to a black car parked nearby.
“Is this yours?” Jackie asked as Mari used a key to unlock the driver’s door.
“Nope.” Mari grinned, a smile like a kid who’d just won a candy. “Well, it is now. Get in. We’re picking up Shauna and getting out of here.”
“You’re stealing this car?!”
“And you just murdered someone, so we’re all going to jail. Get in already!”
Jackie ran around to the other side of the car, climbing into the passenger seat while Mari hotwired the vehicle. Jackie had a feeling this wasn’t the first time Mari had stolen a car, and, well, she already knew the brunette had a bit of a kleptomania issue, but she never imagined it would escalate to this point. Jackie quickly buckled her seatbelt as Mari sped off like a lunatic, sneaking through the streets while Jackie had no idea where they were going.
“Mari, what did Ms. Norris want with me?” Jackie asked, her voice filled with fear. Perhaps it was because of the growing sense of death caused by the dangerously reckless way Mari drove that car.
“I don’t know.”
“Was she going to kill me?!”
“I don’t know.”
“Where the fuck are we going?!” Jackie was shouting.
“To pick up Shauna.” Mari made a sharp turn into a street, and, as if she already knew, there was Shipman.
Mari slammed on the brakes, stopping just inches from running over Shauna. Jackie stared at the girl outside the car. Just like themselves, she also had a few cuts and bruises all over her body. She wasn’t carrying her shield anymore, and she looked like she had been running from someone, since her breathing was ragged. The brown-eyed girl ran over and got into the car.
“Were you seriously about to run me over?!” That was the first thing she said. Of course, it was the same grumpy Shauna Jackie knew.
“Not even a thank you for coming to save you, huh?”
“Just start driving already!” Shauna yelled, and Mari complied.
Jackie took a good look at Shauna. She had a few cuts on her arm and a bruise on her right shoulder. Her pants were torn a little above the knee, and Jackie was willing to bet her skin was too. Eventually, Jackie and Shauna’s eyes met, and Shauna’s brown eyes were dark, like a cloudy night.
“I can assume you two have been busy.” Shauna concluded, looking at Jackie, still covered in that strange dust.
Jackie wanted to throw a snarky response at Shauna to keep up tradition, but she was too exhausted for that.
“Megaera,” Mari answered simply, driving calmly. Jackie was surprised at her sudden shift, as she had been so nervous just moments ago.
“What?!” Shauna exclaimed. Apparently, Jackie was the only one who didn’t know Ms. Norris’s true identity. “What was she doing here?”
“By the looks of things, she was looking for Miss Taylor over here.” Mari gave two light pats on the blonde’s shoulder. “Megaera threw me aside and attacked her right away. It was lucky I gave her a dagger earlier.”
Shauna muttered something Jackie couldn’t understand. Jackie figured Shipman didn’t believe Jackie was the one who had defeated Ms. Norris, but to be honest, Jackie herself couldn’t believe everything that had happened in the past five minutes. So much had happened so quickly that she hadn’t had the chance to process it all.
“Did the Kindly One say anything?” Shauna asked. Suddenly, she didn’t seem like her usual sarcastic self, though Jackie knew it was only a matter of time before she reverted to her natural annoying state.
“She said she was on a mission,” Jackie replied. She debated keeping it a secret but decided against it, since she knew nothing about what was happening. Being honest was probably the best option. “And that someone was looking for me.”
“What would the King of the Underworld want with you?” Shauna wondered aloud. Jackie found it strange how naturally Shauna spoke, despite her disheveled state. “We’re heading to camp, Mari. Today.”
Mari answered with a simple murmur of agreement. No one else spoke during the drive to what Jackie assumed was Mari’s house. She realized how little she knew about her friend—she didn’t know her family, her house, or, apparently, her absurd skill with a sword. This made Jackie uneasy in a way she didn’t understand. How could she still trust these two girls after today’s events? Sure, they could protect her, but there had been no danger in her life before meeting Mari and Shauna.
When Mari parked in front of what Jackie guessed was her house, the three of them got out of the car. The other two marched to the door while Jackie started walking down the sidewalk.
“Where are you going?” Mari asked.
“I need to go home,” Jackie replied, her tone sadder than she intended. “My parents are probably worried. And you two need to go to that camp Shauna mentioned. I don’t want to get in your way.”
“Use your two brain cells, Jacqueline,” Shauna snapped. “You’re coming with us. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
Jackie rolled her eyes, but something stirred within her. She didn’t know if it was joy or pure hatred for the brunette.
“Even all fucked up, you still can’t be a nice person, can you?” Jackie retorted, placing a hand on her hip.
“Enough, you two,” Mari grumbled, which was new. “Come on, Jackie. Let’s take care of your injuries, and then we’ll figure this out.”
Mari’s house, which apparently was also Shauna’s, looked very cozy. The front door opened into a simple but immaculate living room, with a dark green couch, a coffee table stacked with books, and an old TV. Beyond that, there was a kitchen with a small two-seater table, a fridge covered in colorful magnets, and some plants. Jackie thought she would have loved to visit under different circumstances.
Shauna immediately went upstairs, and Jackie heard a door slam, likely to her room. Mari followed, guiding Jackie with her.
Upstairs was much simpler. There were three doors: one closed, which Jackie assumed was Shauna’s room, one open, leading to Mari’s room, and a third to the bathroom.
“Take a shower. I’ll grab the first aid kit,” Mari said before leaving. Jackie smiled in gratitude.
Jackie decided to take a quick shower, knowing that if she stayed too long, she’d start overthinking and spiraling into anxiety. She sighed, smoothing her hair, and wondered if Mari or Shauna had any skincare products. Just because she was on the brink of death didn’t mean her pores had to suffer too.
When she stepped out, dressed in clothes Mari had lent her — a Hatsune Miku T-shirt and denim shorts — she found Mari finishing Shauna’s bandages in her room. They were speaking in hushed tones, clearly not wanting Jackie to overhear, which she thought it was fair.
“I’ll get everything ready for the trip,” Shauna said, standing. Then she left without further explanation.
Jackie felt it was better that way — at least she could talk to Mari in privacy. She played with her necklace, trying to calm her nerves.
“You want to ask something?” Mari inquired as she bandaged Jackie’s cheek.
“More than just one thing,” Jackie admitted. “But if you could start by explaining how we got here, I’d appreciate it.”
“Fine, but promise me you won’t laugh at me or anything like that, okay?” Jackie murmured her agreement, and Mari continued. “How much do you know about Greek mythology?”
“Like, Venus and stuff?”
“Well, that’s the Roman thing, but, sure, it helps.” Mari placed a Hello Kitty bandage on Jackie’s cut, making her smile. “Look, the gods, the monsters, the heroes — all the things you’ve seen in history books? They’re real. Shauna and I are half-bloods, or demigods. We’re mortals, like everyone else, but we’re also children of gods.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
“At first, we thought you were just a human sensitive to the Mist, which is common.” Jackie made a mental note to ask about the Mist later. “But now, since you had a Fury after you, we think you might be a demigod too.”
Jackie stifled a laugh. Sure, Mari and Shauna might be demigods given their strength, but Jackie? She was just an ordinary girl from New Jersey. She wanted to run from all of this.
“Ms. Norris, she…” Jackie began, wanting to change the subject. Mari noticed but let it slide. She could guess how Jackie felt—it wasn’t so long ago that she’d been in her shoes.
“A monster. Specifically, one of the three Furies, workers of the Underworld. She might have been here for a bigger reason, as she said, a mission. Usually, it’s less-special monsters that attack us, not Furies.”
“So these fights are a constant thing? How have you not died yet?!”
“You get used to it. Monsters are basically programmed to attack us; it’s like their instinct to rebel against the gods by killing their children. And we’ve had a few close calls here and there. We’re definitely alive thanks to the camp. And I must say, Shauna saved my butt once or twice.”
“More like ten times, or more,” said Shauna, startling Jackie. She was leaning against the doorframe, and Taylor had no idea how long she’d been standing there. “Go take a shower, Mari. We’re leaving soon.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Mari quickly got up, skipping off towards the bathroom. “Man, I’m going to miss this house.”
Jackie wondered if Mari had ever had to run from a place like this before. Doing it once was already stressing her out — she couldn’t imagine having to flee the city she lived in once a year. Or even more often than that!
“Taylor,” Shauna called, snapping Jackie out of her thoughts. “Come eat. I made a sandwich.”
“I’m not hungry, thanks.”
“I didn’t ask if you wanted to eat. Just come,” Shauna said, already marching off.
Jackie rolled her eyes and followed her. Shauna headed downstairs and into the kitchen, with Jackie trailing behind. She noticed a black bag now sitting on the counter, the kind you see in apocalypse movies or when a horde of zombies is about to eat your brain. Jackie didn’t look too closely to see what was inside, but she guessed it was full of supplies. It was proof enough that this wasn’t the first time Shauna and Mari had to run.
When they got to the kitchen, Jackie found herself in front of a ham and cheese sandwich with tomato and lettuce slices. She thought there might even be some kind of sauce in there, hidden between the bread. At the sight of something so apparently delicious, Jackie’s stomach growled, and she realized she was hungrier than she thought. She sat down in one of the chairs and took a bite of the sandwich. Immediately, a hum of satisfaction escaped her lips.
“Did you make this?” Jackie asked, chewing her food.
“No. Our private chef just left.” Shauna grumbled, taking another bite of her own sandwich. She leaned against the counter, leaving the other chair free for when Mari came down.
“Rude. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t poison it. Sounds like something you’d do — slip arsenic in, just to watch me wither and die on your kitchen floor.”
“Dramatic,” Shauna replied, rolling her eyes. “I’d use rat poison. I wouldn’t waste arsenic on someone like you.”
“Oh, for gods’ sake, I don’t know how I’m going to survive being stuck in a car with you two bickering,” said Mari, sitting in the other chair and taking a bite of her sandwich. Her hair was wet, and she was wearing a black polyester tracksuit with her magical red Converse on her feet.
“Ugh, can’t we just leave Taylor on the side of the road? She can make her way to Long Island on her own,” Shauna complained, finishing her sandwich.
“You’re really obsessed with me, aren’t you?”
“You wish!” Shauna laughed, leaving the kitchen to put the supply kit in the car.
“Ugh, she always has to get the last word, doesn’t she?” Jackie muttered, sighing.
“Tell me about it!” Mari laughed, spinning the car keys on her fingers. “Alright, let’s go. Next stop, Camp Half-Blood!”