Chapter 7: We Didn't Start the Fire
Nico walked back in then and sat down lying his head on Will's shoulder. Will buried his face in Nico's hair. "You okay?"
"What did I miss?"
"Just meeting Apollo. Thalia's about to drive the sun car."
Nico groaned as did Thalia and the attention turned from him to her. She glared at them all. "No one say anything."
Apollo looked at Thalia saying as the Daughter of Zeus the lord of the sky she was perfect. Thalia shook her head saying no thanks. Apollo nudged her saying why not and asked how old she was. Thalia hesistated and said she didn't know.
"You don't know how old you are?" Zia asked her.
"I do know. Kind of. I'm physically still 15. As for how old I should be, well it's close to 23. But if I had kept aging after the tree and not stopped it'd be like eighteen or nineteen."
"That's complicated," Hazel said. "I thought I was bad."
"You?" asked Jaz. "What do you mean?"
"It just gets worse," Thalia said. "The aging thing I mean."
Apollo put his finger to his lips. He told her she was fifteen almost sixteen. She asked how he knew. He told her it was because he was the god of Prophecy. He said she'd be sixteen in a week. Thalia exclaimed that December 22 was her birthday.
"Holiday season?" Will asked her.
"The demon days," Carter and Sadie said together groaning. "I'm pretty sure this was around the same time we found out we were blood of the pharaohs."
Apollo nodded saying Thalia was now old enough to drive with a learner's permit. Thalia looked down at her feet. Apollo said he understood she didn't think she was worthy of an honor like driving the sun chariot. Thalia said that wasn't what she was going to say. Apollo told her not to worry Maine to Long Island was a short trip and she wouldn't get shot out of the sky because she was Zeus's daughter.
"Zeus doesn't have to be the one to shoot her out of the sky," Grover said. "She did that herself."
Only the big three kids heard him. Thalia glared at him. "Not funny goat boy."
"What does he mean?" Hazel asked.
"Oh," Jason realized. "The sky…"
"Yeah."
Thalia was shoved into the drivers seat as Apollo explained that speed meant heat. He told her to start slow and speed up once they had altitude. Thalia grimaced. Percy asked her what was wrong. She told him nothing was and pulled back on the wheel so the bus flew up so fast that Percy fell back into Grover.
"Sorry," Thalia winced.
"You're not really good at lying about that stuff," Percy told her. "So apologize for your driving."
"I was. That was the only thing I was apologizing for."
Percy stuck his tongue out at her.
Grover groaned and Percy apologized as Apollo yelled for her to go slower. Thalia said she had it under control. Percy scotched forward and softly told her to loosen up on the speed. She snapped at him she had it. Percy repeated his advice. Thalia said she was loose.
"Yeah," Jason told her. "Please listen to Percy's advice."
"He's a good stunt driver," agreed Apollo. "That trip to Camp was good. Next time he can drive the sun car."
"Nope," Percy said. "I'm not Zeus's kid. He'll have no trouble blasting me out of the sky."
"C'mon," Apollo said.
Percy ignored him again.
Apollo said they needed to go south to Long Island. He told her to turn left and Percy was thrown into Grover again as Apollo said the other left. Apollo and Percy both looked out the window again as they drove. Apollo told her to go down before Cape Cod froze over.
"That was you?" Magnus asked. "That winter and the crazy weather? I assumed it was the norse gods now. Or some Jotuns."
"No," Percy said. "That was Thalia's driving."
"Shut up," Thalia growled.
Thalia tilted the wheel completely pale and sweating. They were heading down and Apollo was thrown to the back as Grover yelled at him to take the wheel.
"I was kind of unable to," Apollo pointed out.
"Not the point," Grover bleated.
Apollo told them not to worry but he didn't sound confident. He told them Thalia just had to learn to.. then he was disrupted by fires burning next to them.
"You set fire to New England?" asked Sadie.
"Yeah," Thalia mumbled embarrassed.
"Dad hasn't taken anyone in the chariot again," Will nodded.
"And we thought that had to do with the Demon days," Zia said. "And the rise of Set."
"No."
Percy yelled for her to pull up. She yanked on the wheel and Percy held on as everyone was yanked back and the fires were suddenly put out. Thalia was muttering she was under control as Apollo told her that Long Island was dead ahead but that was only an expression so slow down.
Percy nodded looking a little green. "Please."
"Already happened," Thalia told him.
"Let me just enjoy my misery,"
"That's oxymoronic," Annabeth told him.
"You're supposed to be on my side," he complained.
"You're being a seaweed brain."
"You're being a Wise girl."
Finally they were over camp and Apollo told her to brake. She was still muttering. Apollo yelled it again and they slammed down into the lake making the Naids go flying away. The bus came to the service as Apollo smiled saying she did have everything under control. They just needed to check if they boiled anyone important.
Jason, Leo and Piper exchanged looks then laughed. And Thalia just sighed thinking this was a good way away from the attention. Percy looked at them all confused. "What's so funny? I mean the whole thing was looking back on it but I mean…"
"That's pretty much the same way we first arrived at Camp," Jason said. "After monsters in the Grand Canyon, and interrogation by Annabeth and a flying chariot ride. One that was handled much better than the sun car."
"We landed in the lake too," Piper explained.
"So that's what happened to my flying chariot?" Clarisse asked. "I never should have let Butch and the princess use it."
Annabeth sighed. "Thanks again Clarisse. We never would have succeeded without you."
"That's better," Clarisse said. "Now I need to eat before I pound you all to shreds again."
"She won't," Chris assured them as Clarisse glared at him until he came and walked with her.
Thalia stayed behind for a moment as everyone else walked out except for Percy, Jason, Annabeth and Piper. Both girls looked at them questioningly. Jason smiled at Piper assuredly. "Go ahead."
Annabeth exchanged glances with her then Thalia. "Thals?"
"I'm okay. Stop the worrying in that big brain of yours and go with Piper. I'll send your pet boy in in a second."
"Hey!" Percy protested as Annabeth hugged Thalia then left.
Thalia looked at both of them. "Thanks by the way."
"For what?" Jason asked.
"Taking the focus off me when the sun car ride ended," asked Thalia. "You too Percy. You still have to suffer all the attention though."
"Not a problem," Percy said. "But they're going to find out."
"That's not what matters anymore," Thalia said. "Thanks for delaying it though. Both of you. You're the best family."
"Let's just try to remember that in a few chapters," Percy told her.
"What's that mean?" Jason asked as Thalia groaned.
"Just your sister and I are going to face off like in a cornfield in Kansas," Percy told him. "So let's go eat before that happens. I'll need the energy."
"More like the feeling of the full stomach," Thalia teased shocking him.
