「018. trading boo-hoo stories 」

CHERRY WAS painfully aware that leo was holding her hand. she didn't mind, though. somehow- she didn't know when, leo had began to just hold hands with her. she looked at him a few times, he looked embarrassed- which she didn't understand. why was he embarrassed? his face was bright red as they walked, but he swung their hands a few time- so she was far more focused on that. although she couldn't deny now that she definitely had a crush on leo valdez- because if she did she'd sound like an actual idiot.

he hummed a little tune as they stepped of the gang plank, letting hazel lead them around. it started out nice, leo was cracking jokes as they tried to walk and find nico- hoping perhaps to keep the mood light. frank smiled along, and when cherry pointed to a particularly nice plant, leo would make a weird plant-related joke. he'd also recently taken to saying the phrase, 'you only live twice' when in an awkward situation- probably because he found it funny and perhaps also because it was a teasing inside joke between the two of them.

"rome would be real nice if we weren't currently trying not to get killed," leo joked as hazel made them backtrack for the second time.

"i mean think about it," he continued as they passed a mob of tourists, "it's a perfectly nice day. man, if we had some ice cream-"

she elbowed him after seeing hazel's scared face.

"nevermind," he spoke, "we'll get back to the important stuff now." he turned to her and squeezed her hand, a silent message on his face you okay?

she didn't get why people kept asking her that. because with total honesty, she could say for the past few days after the pillars of hercules- she'd never been better. she felt ridiculously happy that she was using some fraction of gaea's power against her. happy that she had her powers back (sort of, she could only do small things like grow shoots and sprouts. and each time it was getting less and less. but still. positives) and that she finally regained something. although hercules had said they'd eventually consume her- they hadn't. in fact, she remembered seeing a little twitch in his eye as he said that. perhaps he was just jealous?

she nodded back at leo with a bright and genuine smile, and squeezed his hand back. although the nervous butterflies were still there, she couldn't get over just how happy it made her feel that she was just able to hold his hand. even if she didn't know if he liked him back, it was nice to feel the warmth from him. she was the type of person who naturally got cold easily. but the heat from the sun was helping. even then, she didn't let go of his hand.

hazel looked really guilty about the fact she kept tugging them around and backtracking so much. apparently her amazing underground senses weren't too good in rome. she'd apologize every few seconds, saying, "sorry... it's just- there's so much underground here. so many layers. it's overwhelming. like standing in the middle of an orchestra and trying to concentrate on a single instrument. i'm going deaf."

as a result, they got a tour of rome. she didn't mind, it was pretty- but she could tell from the nervous jitters that leo was getting impatient. her feet might have ached a bit, and yes- it was a sunny and hot day. and sure, the streets were mobbed with tourists, but cherry gave him an encouraging smile. "only a bit more, elfie."

"elfie?" he spoke, his face probably deep red due to the sun, "when did that come?"

"elf boy," she shrugged, "it got too long to pronounce. so- elfie."

"oh-ho," he spoke, "if we're gonna be like that, fine. cherry baby."

it was now her turn to blush.

"shush," she mumbled, looking down with a flustered look- her butterfly feeling light. he laughed, and they all continued walking.

the forum itself was okay, but it was mostly ruins and overgrown with bushes and trees. it took a lot of imagination to see it as the bustling center of ancient rome, but it was still so fascinating.they passed big churches, freestanding arches, clothing stores, and fast-food restaurants. one statue of some ancient roman dude seemed to be pointing to a nearby mcdonald's.

"i never thought i'd get to see rome," hazel said. "when i was alive, i mean the first time, mussolini was in charge. we were at war."

"mussolini?" leo frowned. "wasn't he like besties with hitler?"

hazel ignored him.

"i'd love to see the trevi fountain," she said.

"there's a fountain on every block," leo grumbled.

"or the spanish steps," hazel said.

"why would you come to italy to see spanish steps?" leo asked. "that's like going to china for mexican food, isn't it?"

"leo!" cherry spoke, sighing, "c'mon!"

"what?" he spoke, shrugging.

"you're hopeless," hazel complained.

"so i've been told."

"come on. i think we should go this way."

after walking forever, hazel stopped in front of a church. or cherry at least assumed it was one. the main section had a big domed roof. the entrance had a triangular roof, typical roman columns, and na inscription across the top: m. agrippa something.

"latin for get a grip?" leo speculated.

"this is our best bet," hazel spoke, "there should be a secret passage somewhere inside."

tour groups milled around the steps. guides held up colored placards with different numbers and lectured in dozens of languages like they were playing some kind of international bingo.

leo listened to the spanish tour guide for a few seconds, and then he reported to them, "this is the pantheon. it was originally built by marcus agrippa as a temple to the gods. after it burned down, emperor hadrian rebuilt it, and it's been standing for two thousand years. it's one of the best-preserved roman buildings in the world."

frank and hazel stared at him whilst cherry snorted.

"how did you know that?" hazel asked.

"i'm naturally brilliant."

"i'm sure you are," teased cherry, "but i'm pretty sure i just saw you eavesdropping on the tour group."

leo grinned. "maybe. come on. let's go find that secret passage. i hope this place has air conditioning."

there wasn't, obviously. but on the bright side there were no lines and absolutely no admission fee, so they squeezed their way past the tour groups and walked on in. the interior was impressive, considering it had been constructed two thousand years ago. the marble floor was patterned with squares and circles like a roman tic-tac-toe game. the main space was one huge chamber with a circular rotunda, sort of like a capitol building back in the states. lining the walls were different shrines and statues and tombs and stuff. but the real eye-catcher was the dome overhead. all the light in the building came from one circular opening right at the top. a beam of sunlight slanted into the rotunda and glowed on the floor, like zeus was up there with a magnifying glass, trying to fry puny humans.

cherry turned to leo, and squeezed his hand to which he smiled back. "never in my...two lives have i ever seen anything like this," cherry spoke, smiling, "it's amazing."

leo snorted, "you really like to say that a lot, huh?"

"you only live twice," shrugged cherry.

"you only live twice?" leo snickered, "is that your-"

"in the old days," hazel spoke, looking around with an awe-struck look in her eyes, "the children of vulcan would come here in secret to consecrate demigod weapons. this is where imperial gold was enchanted."

"but we're not here because of that," leo guessed.

"no," agreed hazel, "there's an entrance- a tunnel that will lead us towards nico. i can sense it close by. i'm not sure where, though."

frank hummed thoughtfully, "if this building is two thousand years old, it makes sens there would be some kind of secret passage left over from the roman days."

they all walked towards the middle, looking around curiously around. cherry looked around, still quite confused. she didn't really have anything to bring to the table unless they wanted her to shovel away the dirt with her new fancy powers.

"over here," leo said, pulling cherry along confidently to the shrine. it was shaped sort of like a fireplace, with an arched recess at the bottom.the mantel was inscribed with a name, like a tomb. "the passage is around here," he said. "this guy's final resting place is in the way. raphael somebody?"

"famous painter, i think," hazel said.

leo shrugged. "hold on..." leo looked around to make sure they weren't being watched. most of the tour groups were gawking at the dome, but one trio made even cherry uneasy.

about fifty feet away, some overweight middle-aged dudes with american accents were conversing loudly, complaining to each other about the heat. they looked like manatees stuffed into beach clothes— sandals, walking shorts, touristy t-shirts and floppy hats. their legs were big and pasty and covered with spider veins. the guys acted extremely bored, and leo wondered why they were hanging around. they weren't watching them.

leo briefly let go of her hand as he slipped around the side of the tomb.

"heh," he mumbled, "not very elegant. but effective."

"what is?" frank asked.

"the combination for a lock," leo said, "the the lock face itself has been ripped out—probably vandalized sometime in the last few centuries. but i should be able to control the mechanism inside, if i can..."

leo placed his hand on the marble floor. "this guy must've been a stick."

"we should go get the others," frank decided, "that's what piper said."

"but they're hald way across the city," cherry frowned.

"and even if they weren't," leo said, "i'm not exactly sure if i can close this hatch again. the gears are pretty old."

"great," frank said. "how do we know it's safe down there?"

hazel knelt. she put her hand over the opening as if checking the temperature. "there's nothing alive...at least not for several hundred feet. the tunnel slants down, then levels out and goes south, more or less. i don't sense any traps..."

"how can you tell all that?" leo asked.

she shrugged. "same way you can pick locks on marble columns, i guess. i'm glad you're not into robbing banks."

"oh...bank vaults," leo said. "never thought about that."

"and don't," added cherry pointedly, "criminals aren't cool."

hazel sighed. "look, it's not three o'clock yet. we can at least do a little exploring, try to pinpoint nico's location before we contact the others. you two stay here until i call for you. i want to check things out, make sure the tunnel is structurally sound. i'll be able to tell more once i'm underground."

"should i come with you?" cherry asked, "you know... in case..."

"i'll be fine," hazel said, "underground is my speciality. it's safest for all of us if i go first."

unless frank wants to turn into a mole," leo suggested. "or a prairie dog. those things are awesome."

"shut up," frank mumbled.

"or a badger."

"i swear—"

"both of you, be quiet," hazel scolded. "i'll be back soon. give me ten minutes. if you don't hear from me by then...never mind. i'll be fine. just try not to kill each other while i'm down there. actually- cherry make sure they don't."

she didn't expect it to be so awkward. but she didn't exactly mind the silence. it wasn't bad,she just expected leo to have cracked a joke by now. however it did give her more time to look around their surroundings. tour groups came and went. most ignored the three of them. a few people glanced at them apprehensively and kept walking. maybe the tourists thought they would ask for tips. cherry had never travelled to rome before. the only place she'd ever had the opportunity to travel to was england. and it didn't exactly have the grandeur that rome had.

the small quiet town they'd visited in england was somewhere in the midlands, stacked with green fields and those homey little pubs and so many muddy puddles. cherry had always wondered why they said british people only talk about the rain (they don't, by the way. they talk about other things too). but she understood on the first day of the trip with her dad. it had rained the whole day, and the day after that. in fact, it rained for most of the time they were there.

her dad had turned to her, swiped for a few pictures on his phone before showing her on his cracked screen a picture of rome- or maybe greece. it was sunny, clear blue seas, pretty little shops. we'll go there one day, her dad had grinned, just you and me.

silently, she wondered to herself if her dad even saw the same underworld as her. or if he was even there. even if he was, where was he? asphodel?

she smiled painfully, sighing as she looked around. leo turned to her, a small little glance on his face that said, you okay?

she shook her head, but smiled.

it was awkward.

perhaps this would change things.

"my dad promised me one day we'd go here," cherry spoke, looking at the both of them, "or... it might have been greece. but he promised me we'd go together to some place." she shook her head, staring down at the ground, as if she could spot her dad from all the way up, "shame he'll never get to see this place."

"look at us," leo said after a few moments, "all these boo-hoo stories. cherry baby had her dad die. my mom died. so did frank's. wow. we're full of joy, aren't we? even our powers... i mean cherry's died before. and frank-" he stopped himself, and cherry nodded. perhaps frank didn't know that they knew yet.

"she talked to me about it earlier," frank suddenly blurted out, "hazel told me you two figured out about my lifeline."

"oh yeah... um-" leo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "i just hope you know. i wouldn't... i'd never- you know, try put you in danger. we're friends, right?"

frank fiddled with his centurion badge, "i always knew fire could kill me, but since my grandmother's mansion burned down in vancouver...it seems a lot more real."

leo nodded. "your grandmother—did she die in that fire? you didn't say."

"i—i don't know. she was sick, and pretty old. she said she would die in her own time, in her own way. but i think she made it out of the fire. i saw this bird flying up from the flames."

cherry paused for a moment before asking, "so your whole family has the shape-changing thing?"

"i guess," frank said. "my mom did. grandmother thought that's what got her killed in afghanistan, in the war. mom tried to help some of her buddies, and...i don't know exactly what happened. there was a firebomb."

"so we both lost our moms to fire."

frank's eyes got watery. "i never like it when people tell me, sorry about your mom."

"it never feels genuine," leo agreed.

"but i'm sorry about your mom."

"thanks."

"back at camp jupiter," frank said, "our cabin lar, reticulus, told me i have more power than most demigods, being a son of mars, plus having the shape-changing ability from my mom's side. he said that's why my life is tied to a burning stick. it's such a huge weakness that it kind of balances things out."

"we've all got weaknesses," leo said. "me, for instance. i'm tragically funny and good-looking."

both cherry and frank snorted.

"you might have weaknesses. but your life doesn't depend on a piece of firewood."

"no," leo admitted. "i wonder..."

cherry let out a little squeak. the three american tourists were coming their way; no more circling or sneaking. they were making a straight line for raphael's tomb, and all three were glaring at them all.

"has it been ten minutes yet?" cherry managed.

the americans' faces were angry and confused, like they were sleepwalking through a very annoying nightmare.

"leo valdez," called the guy in the roma shirt. his voice had changed. it was hollow and metallic. he spoke english as if it was a second language. "we meet again."

all three tourists blinked, and their eyes turned solid gold.

frank yelped. "eidolons!"

the manatees clenched their beefy fists.

"they can't fit down the hole," leo said.

"right," frank said. "underground is sounding really good."

he turned into a snake and slithered over the edge. cherry and leo jumped in after him while the spirits began to wail above, "valdez! kill valdez!"

rosie speaks!

not a long chapter but idc
i'm feeling very happy whilst
i write this so i accept the
fact this isn't like my 4K
big boys and i love because
it's quality not quantity.

nyways i hope  you all have
a swaggytastic day ily !!

thoughts ??

word count: 2,887 words