Author's Note: This is the twelfth chapter of ToD and is the last chapter of 2012.
I apologize for not replying to all those lovely PMs I have waiting. I will be replying them as soon as possible and will reply to ALL reviews (I'm going to die). But, however, I cannot gaurantee as quick replies as I seriously need to write a lot. (For the maybe New Year's chapter with the Valentine's day chapter following closely.)
Thank you for all the wonderful support of this story! :) It warms my heart to see how far we've gone from a mere oneshot to a widely reviewed multi-chaptered story. I couldn't have done it without all your reviews, views, alerts, and favorites. I, on behalf of my story, bow deeply in gratitude to all of the readers.
Still...the tenth chapter had 46 reviews but the eleventh has gotten significantly 17 less. (Not that I'm complaining since that is still a LOT of reviews! :) But it doesn't matter. ToD still loves you all. :3
ANNOUNCEMENT:
I am making a dedication of the first chapter of 2013 to the people who has read and reviewed all the chapters of this story. For now, I am Thalia daughter of Zeus is the only one eligible (CONGRATS, Thals! You've got the Bragging Rights.) So, I'll be seeing who else can finish all that before the deadline, New Year's Eve.
(On with the reading, then!)
The sun has barely risen to set its rays on the snow-coated town beneath the invisible flying Greek battleship. It was a crisp winter morning like any other. But, this winter dawn is special.
It is the dawn of...THE END OF THE WORLD.
Oh, and not to mention a few thousand feet above ground, the man-squealing of Leo I'm-Amazingly-Hot Valdez can be heard all over the Argo ll.
"OH, MY GODS! OH, MY GODS! OH, MY GODS!"
Doors slammed open as the cranky demigods got on deck in their pajamas and messy bed hair.
"Is there an attack?" Frank looked around warily, alert as Reyna's scary metal hounds. Well, his penguin PJ's and bleary eyes ruined the alarmed look of a demigod being possibly attacked.
"Nope." Leo grinned as if it was Christmas already. (Actually, it almost is.)
"Then what is your oh-so-amazing reason to wake us up at 5 a.m. in the morning with your stupid, sissy squealing?!" Thalia crossed her arms with an angry scowl.
"It's DECEMBER 21st THE END OF THE WORLD!" Leo screamed for the whole world to hear. It was also possible that the gods on Olympus getting their beauty sleep heard as well.
Percy frowned, "It…is?"
Leo shoved the calendar into Percy's face. For such a bona fide hero, he sure was an idiot.
"It is." Percy stared disbelievingly with a snort.
"I don't believe a word of that rubbish."
"But WHY on such an early morning?!"
"Argh, I need to do some last minute Christmas-shopping again!"
"Ooh! Get me a Wii!"
"Oh, please. You're definitely on the Naughty List."
"It's almost Christmas!"
"Eh, Christmas kind of sucks though."
Everyone stopped rejoicing at the fact it was Christmas to stare/glare at Nico di Angelo, the gloomiest face on a perfectly awesome Christmas shoping day. "What?"
"It does." Nico replied shortly, trying to smooth his hair and making a face when it stuck up again like Percy's hair always does.
"Why?" Hazel frowned at her brother with wide aureate eyes. How can anyone (even her gloomy half-brother) ever hate Christmas?
"Because…everything is white. And there are angels everywhere." Nico cringed especially at the words 'white' and 'angels'.
Annabeth's eyes softened when she caught the implication.
Unfortunately, she seemed to be the only one who got what he meant.
Jason raised his eyebrows, "What's so bad about those? It's usually the traffic and packed malls that are annoying. But it's impossible to hate Christmas."
Annabeth sighed, "Guys, white. Angels. What name do you think about when you hear those words?"
"…oh. I'm sorry," Jason apologized to the younger demigod, feeling a strange sense of melancholy amongst the joys of Christmas time.
Yes, Nico used to spend his Christmases with his full-blooded sister, Bianca di Angelo.
It just hurts like being in Tartarus to see all those happy siblings bickering over something as stupid as who got the better present. (Even seeing Thalia with Jason makes him want to grimace in the pain of remembering how he used to laugh with Bianca, even if they only had each other.)
Piper suddenly turned to Thalia questioningly, "You haven't said anything."
Thalia wore an expressionless, kind-of pained mask, "Well, I just don't like Christmas, too."
Jason looked extremely disappointed, "How come?"
"It's annoying and I hate it." Thalia said bluntly with a displeased face.
"Really?" Reyna crossed her arms with a questioning look.
"Yup. I hate it with a burning passion." Thalia said certainly without a sign of discomfort.
"I'd disown you even though you're supposed to be older than I am." Jason grimaced.
"We need to get you two to love Christmas," Percy sized up his gloomy cousins, "Therapy lessons, anyone?"
Thalia slapped him while Nico punched him in the stomach, leaving the great Percy Jackson rolling in agony on the frosted wooden deck of Argo ll in his adorable, bright blue, starfish-clad pajamas.
Frank cringed, "Really bad move, man."
Percy paused his drowning in pain to answer, "Obviously."
"It's- it's cold out here." Piper shivered slightly. Come on, early morning in late December? Who isn't cold?
"Really? I don't feel a thing!" Leo grinned. "Maybe I'm just too hot."
"Not all of us are idiots with fire powers, Repair Boy," Piper rolled her eyes, rubbing her hands together, trying to scrap together some warmth.
"Well, since I emit hotness all over, maybe you would feel warmer if you stood closer." Leo winked suggestively at his slightly blushing best friend.
Piper huffed, glancing at the mistletoe hanging above Leo's head, "Haha, very funny. I'm not falling for that."
"Ah, but you will fall for me." Leo whispered sagely into Piper's ear away from the mistletoe (much to the said girl's relief).
Piper refused to acknowledge his very untrue prediction by looking away and shutting up.
Percy and Jason suppressed their sniggers. If Jason just used a gentle breeze to move the mistletoe a little to the left…
"Anyway, you guys should go get dressed before you do anything else." Leo said quickly.
"Why? I intend on sleeping more."Reyna crossed her arms and glared at Leo.
"Yeah! And what about decorating the tree?" Percy cast a glance at their two meters tall Christmas tree, completely naked without its ornaments. "We only have THREE days!"
"Patience, my young padawan." Leo then grinned the same grin he used when he first suggested they play Truth or Dare. "We're playing Truth or Dare first."
The rest could only groan and complain as they tried to fry Leo into ashes with their glares.
Thalia put on her grumpiest scowl as she pulled her coat closer to her body. She didn't like Christmas for a reason, you know? It was all because of what happened years ago, when she was still a tree…
It was her first year as a pine tree.
She has always loved Christmas, even though the ones without her little brother sucked. But it was always so cheerful and fun! And during the Christmases on the run, a candle, a wish, for each of them was enough. They had each other, after all.
But she had no idea what would happen this Christmas. How is she supposed to celebrate when she is a gods-forsaken tree?
Gods, her dad is really uncreative. Why not be an animal instead?
She'd happily spend her life as a golden retriever if Luke or Annabeth fed her cheeseburger. And she'd have her own way of communicating to them. But no, no, no, no, no. Almighty Zeus, her own father, just had to turn her into a pine tree.
But as the days neared Christmas, her nightmare has begun.
First, the campers brought in all sorts of disgustingly colorful glass ornaments that are corny and cheap. Not to mention the flashy stuff people like to wrap around the Christmas tree.
They proceeded to use ladders to try to hang up the ornaments and break much of her twigs. If only she was human…she'd break their arms for sure. A few even crashed into her and passed out from the impact. She thought it served them right.
And, oh, how she hated the ornaments the Aphrodite cabin hung!
One side of her was covered with pink, hearts, and, the worse of them all, Justin Bieber. She wished she could barf up all the nutrients her roots got for the past few months when she saw the picture Annabeth pasted on her scrapbook of her first Christmas in Camp Half Blood.
And then came the worse of worst, hanging up Christmas lights.
For one, these people were very amateur. For another, they had no compassion for a pine tree that became their victim whatsoever.
It was a torture, the week before Christmas. If a tree could run, then she would've run all the way to Alaska and swim to across the Pacific to go into hiding in Siberia.
Yes, it was that bad.
And it only got worse when the Stoll brothers were staying for winter.
Everyone had wondered why she beat them up the first time she saw them. It was payback for how they spray-painted her (as a tree) into rainbow colors with glitter all over her pine cones as their grand Christmas prank.
Anyway, that is basically why she hates Christmas so much.
Well, Christmas preparations especially.
But, overall, Christmas SUCKS.
"Attention, crew! This is your captain, Supreme Commander of the Argo ll, Leo Valdez, speaking! We are now landing in Minnesota and remember to arm yourself correctly to go to THE Mall of America! AND….we shall be playing truth or dare throughout the trip! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY 2012 APOCALYPSE TO ALL!"
"Leo is weird." Frank stated as he adjusted his stupid hat.
"He wouldn't be Leo if he wasn't weird," Jason responded easily.
"Which is why he'll never get a girlfriend." Piper added nonchalantly.
Annabetha and Hazel broke into a coughing fit as Reyna and Percy exchanged a knowing look that caused Jason to clench his jaws.
The ship landed with a quiet thud behind an isolated snow-covered hill.
"SO, welcome to Bloomington, Minnesota!" Leo grinned, getting down from the bridge.
Reyna shot him a glare, "And how exactly do you expect us to get to the mall?" The glare practically screamed, Do NOT expect me to walk all the way there unless you want to end up with multiple pointy objects all over you.
"Well, we're walking but I'm sure Jason would be more than happy to fly you there." Leo replied slyly. Inside, he was shaking with fear and debating on which way he should jump overboard.
Jason blushed red as Reyna distanced herself from him to avoid any more misunderstandings and she directed all her anger and embarrassment, "I, however, am more than happy to disassemble your limbs right now."
Leo gulped nervously, "Okay, the apocalypse will happen today because of you if you do that."
"Oh, really? Why?" Thalia was as unimpressed as ever.
"Because the world won't be able to survive without my awesomeness!" Leo announced dramatically with a smug grin.
"You didn't used to have such a big ego." Piper observed with a sigh. But inside, she is pretty sure he's just faking it on the outside.
Still, you would think saving the world would have something to do with the inflation of Leo's ego.
Of course, it was all an act.
After all, if Piper was Beauty Queen, the rest of the heroes would agree that Leo would make a very good Drama Queen.
"It's a shame Argentum and Aurum aren't here," Jason mused to his friend, "They could probably pull a sled for all of us."
Reyna gave Jason a 'Really, Jason?' look and replied dryly, "I'm sure they would be thrilled to hear that. So thrilled that they will pounce on you immediately."
Jason grinned and gave her a cheeky thumbs up but said nonchalantly, "Well, they already hate me. They've always have!"
"Well, maybe Frank here can substitute for them!" Percy joked with a bright smile and an arm around Annabeth.
Frank shoved Percy roughly with a slightly self-conscious look, "If that's the case, you're walking. Besides, I can only turn into one animal at a time!"
"Let's just take the mini-van and go." Hazel rolled her eyes slightly, tugging Frank away from her annoying friend, and smiled brightly, "We've got some Christmas shopping to do on Doomsday!"
Being affected by her cheery spirit, the gang started to make their way with lighter steps and slight smiles at the very least.
Until Leo added, "…while we play truth or dare!"
"Don't remind me," Nico muttered darkly.
"We're here!" Leo grinned happily as they pulled up to the parking lot of the massive mall.
Nico looked quite green as a sniggering Percy handed his cousin a paper bag and he managed to form the words, "I'm never going to trust you with the wheel EVER again."
"Is anyone hurt?" Jason called out jokingly.
"No casualties!" Frank replied with a grin.
Leo pouted and crossed his arms indignantly, "My driving isn't that bad."
The rest only exclaimed in unison, "It is!"
Leo looked like he really couldn't care less.
"C'mon. Let's see how many people go shopping in a big-as-Olympus monster mall on the day of the apocalypse." Thalia grabbed her bag and started to get off the car.
"Wait!" Thalia glared at Leo impatiently. She really wanted to get this over and done with.
"Here are walkie-talkies so we can contact each other to play Truth or Dare while we go shopping." Leo handed out each of the scowling demigods super mini walkie-talkies he made with a grin.
"So, we just go off shopping now?"
"Um…yeah." Reyna reached for the door with relief.
"Wait! I think we should Truth or Dare each other now. We can give each other missions in pairs of two!" Percy suggested in one breath.
"For a Seaweed Brain, that's actually quite a brilliant idea," Nico raised both his eyebrows.
Percy glared at him. The comment sounded too surprised for his cousin's own well-being. "I'm just a closeted genius, thank you very much."
"And we were all wondering why Annabeth agreed your proposal." Thalia smirked slightly.
Percy blushed and spluttered indignantly, "I- we- For the millionth time, it's just a promise ring!"
"We don't care. We consider you two married even before you proposed anyway." A corner of Reyna's lip quirked upwards into a wicked smile.
Annabeth stepped in before Percy can protest, "Guys, cut it out before I start to talk about your…ahem, issues."
The three scowled identically.
Leo muttered under his breath, "Triplets. Huh."
"Can we just get our dares so we can get going?" Hazel asked, practically bouncing up and down just to explore the huge mall.
"I'll dare someone first!" Jason volunteered immediately, beating Leo, who glared at him sulkily, to it.
"Who wants to go first?"
No one answered him, of course.
"Thank you, Frank Zhang, for volunteering so bravely!" Jason said in a sports announcer voice, clapping Frank on the back.
"Oh, yeah! Before we do anything. Here's another rule: We can only accept dares today." Leo interrupted before Frank could save himself.
Piper exclaimed at the audacity of it before anyone else reacted, "Why would we follow such a stupid rule?!"
"Because today is the end of the world. We are meant to do things we don't usually do." Leo said simply with a pleading look.
"I don't know why I am agreeing with him...," mumbled Thalia. "It's not even the end of the world." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Well, hey, it would definitely make Thals and I much happier to see all of you embarrassed in some way." Nico said helpful with a wink at the usually scary girl.
Talk about conspiracy.
"So, it's settled!" Leo grinned before any of the others could protest. "But you two need to join in the game as well." Two jaws dropped as the others smirked, rightfully happy. "Jason, please give Frank and Hazel their group dare."
"Wait, group dare?" Reyna frowned.
"Yeah, we're splitting into groups for shopping remember? It's only fair that way. So Frank gets dared by Jason and anyone else can dare Hazel!" Leo explained naturally.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Reyna wished she hasn't said that. An important lesson learned from the legendary Star Wars saga is to never say those words unless you're prepared for worse things to happen.
"Anyway, Frank, I have decided your dare."
For the first time, Frank felt afraid of the evil grin on Jason's face. So much for the less scary praetor of the legion.
"I dare you to impersonate Rudolf the Reindeer and dance to Gangnam Style on a table in the middle of the food court."
Frank turned into the shade of a tomato as he choked out with a horrified expression, "What?!"
Percy nearly had to stuff his hand into his mouth completely to stifle his laughter. He felt bad for Frank, true. But just try to imagine a reindeer with a huge red nose dancing to Gangnam Style. On a table. In the middle of the food court. In one of the biggest malls in the States. And the reindeer happens to be Frank.
Jason had the decency to look slightly sheepish, "Sorry, man. A dare's a dare!"
Frank put his head in his hands.
"Do you need Nico here to show you the Emo Corner? " Thalia asked sympathetically. "Don't worry, I would rather spend today there if it means I don't have to go through torture."
"Torture? How can shopping be a torture?" Piper suddenly burst out then clapsed a terrified hand over her mouth as she mentally slapped herself.
"Aphrodite side!" Leoo said in a sing-song voice.
Piper slapped him on the arm with all the frustration she has with herself.
"SO, now we need to give Hazel a dare that's connected to the food court or Rudolf the Reindeer… Or should I say, Frank the Red-nosed Reindeer." Percy said slyly, earning himself a glare from Frank.
Hazel grimaced with a hand on Frank's shoulder.
"So, any ideas?"
"I'll do it!" Annabeth said before one of the more evil people around here can.
Hazel gulped even though Annabeth mouthed her, 'I'll go easy on you.'
"I dare you to go to every restaurant in the food court, hug the first person in line and sob dramatically as if they were a long lost friend called 'Mary', and insist that you are their long lost friend until they have finally given up trying to reason you."
"You call that easy?!" Hazel shrieked with an incredulous expression.
Annabeth made a somewhat guilty expression, "It's…not?"
Percy burst out laughing.
"Okay, Hazel, you get to decide on the next team and Frank gets to dare one of them. Or you can reverse that, too." Leo said calmly with a grin.
Hazel and Frank shot him a glare for getting them into this in the first place. The whispered together for a few moments, turning back with huge grins on their faces.
"Piper."
The said girl sensed something was very wrong indeed…
"Your partner is Leo."
She would spew her soda for ten minutes straight if she had any soda.
And the worst part was Leo's smirk.
She used the poker face Reyna conveniently taught them if they ever needed to use, "And what is my horrible dare?"
"Um, we're sort of low on good ideas?"
"Uh…make her...lick the floor?"
"Bad dare, Percy."
"Oops."
"Make her eat eggplants!"
"What sort of weird dare is that?!"
"Eggplants are gross."
"AHA!"
Everyone stopped their discussing when Leo suddenly burst out with a huge grin.
Piper glared at him warily as if to warn him not to go overboard.
"I, the mightily awesome Leo Valdez we all know you love, dare you to enter the Teen Miss Clause beauty pageant!" Leo announced with great lavish.
"What?!" Piper would kill Leo there and now, but there was a poor, innocent little girl and she doesn't want the kid to witness a brutal murder. She could feel herself getting redder at the moment. The audacity of that pervert! He probably just wants to see her in a red super short dress that covers less skin than it exposes.
The others were seriously cracking up as Leo smirked, feeling all too proud of himself.
"Shut up, all of you!" She snapped, using charmspeak unknowingly.
"Yes, Madam Piper." They chorused before shutting up.
"I hate my life."
"Aw, is Pipsqueak angry? It's a great dare, if you ask me." Leo teased mercilessly.
Piper's face turned into a mix of red and purple, which is to say, magenta, as she turned to face Leo wrathfully. "Yeah, well, I dare you to enter the Teen Miss Clause beauty pageant, too! AS A GIRL."
Leo didn't seem concerned the least bit at all. "That's boring. Now, why don't we make things a bit more fun?" He grinned deviously. "If you win, I don't bug you for the next whole week. If I win, I get to kiss you whenever I want the next week."
Piper was too shocked to say anything.
"So, it's a deal!"
"Wait, no-"
"Um, so we dare PERCEEEE next!" Leo said quickly, receiving a glare from Piper.
She sighed resignedly. Looks like she'll just have to win the pageant. (Even though a part of her mind whispered that there are worse things than being kissed by Leo whenever he liked for week…) "With Annabeth, of course."
Leo declared, "Well, I'm daring Percy to go caroling, like the Salvation Army…"
"…wearing a Nemo costume for a whole lap around the aquarium. Oh, and you have to sing The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen, a parody of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, all the way." Piper smirked, feeling wonderfully scheming.
"Wait, and I have to stay with him throughout the dare?!" Annabeth looked positively appalled.
"Totally. But you have to get your dare, too…"
"Ah…"
Reyna snapped her fingers as her eyes lit up like idea-light bulbs, "I know!"
Jason turned to Reyna immediately, "Mm-hm?"
"I dare you, Annabeth, to dress up as an elf, barge into the line to see Santa Clause, yell at him you quit, then run off with Percy the Nemo Fish when he does his dare."
"You are pure evil, Reyna." Annabeth said flatly.
Reyna grinned, "Why, thank you! It's a Roman thing."
"Well, in that case, I'm daring Icky Nicky next." Percy glanced at his grumpy cousin mischievously.
Nico glared at Percy sulkily, "I told you, I hate Christmas, I am not-"
"-going to refuse the chance to play the special Christmas edition of Truth or Dare!" Leo said for him brightly.
"And be paired up with Thals." Annabeth winked, trying hard to feel guilty.
"ANNABETH!" Thalia looked livid and sick at the thought of going Christmas shopping AND doing some embarrassing dare. Especially since it's with Nico, (the same one she accidentally got engaged to when she was drunk,) of all people…
"I dare Nicholas here to, uh…wear an angel costume and go to the chapel…when a choir is performing…blend in with the choir and sing the National Anthem in the middle of a song." Percy said with an even wider grin. He was (closeted) brilliant, thank you very much.
Nico threw a huge snowball with twigs sticking out as a response.
"OW!"
Percy threw one back, clutching his face with a hand.
Hazel stepped in before a snowball war started.
"Guys, we don't have all day and Thalia hasn't got her dare yet."
Thalia looked less than happy that Hazel brought it up and said hastily, "It's really okay, I don't need a-"
"I have one!" Jason suddenly said.
Thalia glared at her traitor of a brother.
"Well, it's just an idea, really…" Jason mumbled nervously.
"Spit it out," Reyna said impatiently, hoping no one noticed that neither she nor Jason has been dared.
"Um…it's connected to, uh, ornaments…and lights…and…"
"Well, I have another idea!" Percy patted Jason on the back, "Thanks, man. Okay, I dare Miss Pinecone Face to dress up as a sparkly Christmas tree (complete with pine cones, ornaments, and pine needles), convince the chapel to take you in as a decoration, and after Nico finishes singing the National Anthem, elope with him and we meet up after the car. "
Thalia started to shake in a fury as thunder rumbled in the sky.
Piper slapped Percy (lightly) and shrieked, "Percy! What have you done?!"
Annabeth pinched him hard on the arm with a warning glare.
Piper then turned to Thalia hurriedly and said in a soothing voice oozing with charmspeak, "Thalia, calm down. Stay calm, and you can punch Percy all you want. ("HEY!) But first, just calm down."
The wind died down and the dark clouds parted as Thalia shot a murderous glare at Percy.
"Well, I think we all got our dares now, so…" Reyna was already edging towards the entrance with her fingers crossed behind her back.
"Not so fast, Miss Praetor! You still haven't got your dare and you're getting paired up with Jason!" Leo grinned blocking, her way.
Reyna punched Leo in the gut with a resigned expression as she turned back to face the grinning demigods.
"Well, Rey, I dare you to go to Starbucks with Jason and convince them to give you a Christmas Couple discount and come back with picture evidence," Nico smirked triumphantly.
"That's it, you are no longer ambassador because I refuse to talk with you ever again." Reyna paled with fury. But she meant what she said, sort of.
"And I need to get back on my treacherous brother." Thalia had a terrifying grin on her face as she whipped her head to face a trembling Jason Grace.
"Ehehehe…..don't be hasty!" Jason gulped.
"Well, your dare is to mail another picture evidence to Aphrodite and pretend that you two are a couple for the rest of the days until Christmas eve!" Thalia Cheshire-grinned at her brother's stricken face. "Easy, right?"
"Easy?! I'm not a Hollywood actor!" Jason spluttered, feeling his ears get hot.
Percy grinned slyly, "Oh, please. I think we all agree acting as a couple with Reyna is definitely not as hard as you two make it sound like…"
He was met with two glares from two exceptional actors who should be awarded with Oscars for their ongoing show of denying their true feelings for each other.
He rolled his eyes indignantly in response, "Well, you don't have to run a lap around the aquarium in a Nemo suit caroling a Christmas song parody."
"Or impersonate an elf to quit in front of innocent little kids who believes the stupid guy with a fake beard is Santa."
"Or be decorated like a real Christmas tree and have to elope with someone you aren't attracted to."
("EHEM, I beg to differ.")
"Or sing the National Anthem in an angel costume while the rest of the choir is singing some other holy stuff."
"Or enter a beauty pageant FOR FEMALES with an idiot who is a BOY-"
"Okay, okay! Let's just get on with it then, shall we?"
With that, the demigods parted ways to complete their respective tasks.
"MARYYYYYYYYYYY!"
When you walk into the glorious food court of the Mall of America, you will see an African-American teenage girl hugging the first customer in line like they were long lost friends.
Hazel felt bad for the old lady she was hugging, but even worse for herself. Most of all, she pitied the people who have to deal with her wrath after this is all over.
"What do you mean, young lady? I'm-"
"Of course, you are Mary! It's been FAR too long. Has time meddled with your brain too much?"
Frank watched from afar with slight amusement and relief. At least there hadn't been any hormonal teenage boys who might want to hit on his girlfriend in the front of the lines so far.
"But- but, Mary! We're friends!"
"I'm not Mary! I am-"
"Mary! How can you forget your own name?!"
"I don't even know who you are!"
"How can you?! After all these years of being friends and you can't even remember my name?!" Hazel fake-sobbed dramatically, hating herself, Annabeth, and Leo more than ever.
"But I-"
"Why? WHY? Why are you doing this to me?!"
"I-"
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME, MARY?! HOW?"
People were actually so used to it they didn't even bother to turn around. It was the eleventh time already.
"-give up."
"Thank you." Hazel breathed in relief, preparing herself for the next.
Before the poor old lady who was probably going to die of a heart attack any time can ask why, she is already heading towards her next challenge.
"MARYYYYYYYYYYYY…oh."
Ah…
The awkward moment when your 'long lost friend', Mary, is a lawyer-like man in a freakishly neat suit.
Well, we all know how to break these sort of awkward moments, don't we?
Cue for the weirdest, wackiest, craziest things to happen.
And true to our prediction, music started to blare from a stereo as none other than Rudolph-Frank the Reindeer pranced in with his shiny red nose and awesome leopard-print sunglasses.
If Frank was in his human form, he'd be redder than Jason after he kissed Reyna, Reyna after finding out she's been set up, and a tomato put together. But he clenched his reindeer teeth as his cue to dance neared.
Then he raised his hooves to dance on a table in the middle of the food court in one of the biggest malls in the US.
Areumdawo sarangseureowo
Keurae neo hey keurae baro neo hey
Areumdawo sarangseureowo
Keurae neo hey keurae baro neo hey
Some people (including lovely miss Levesque) took out their phones and cameras to capture this extraordinary moment. Others let their lunch fall right out of their mouths.
A reindeer, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, dancing to Oppa Gangnam Style? Ridiculous!
Nonetheless, a few joined in the reindeer as the most well-known verse drew near.
Chigeumbu-teo kal dekkaji kabol-kka
Oppa Gangnam style,
Gangnam style
Frank can learn to hate this never-ending song of 'Oppa Gangnam Style'. But he kept his cool-as-a-caribou (he's actually a reindeer) face as he moved his hooves to the tedious beat. Sure, he was glad to save Hazel the embarrassment and risks of calling an impressive-looking lawyer 'Mary'. But she doesn't have to film everything for their friends!
Oppa Gangnam style,
Gangnam style
Oppa Gangnam style
Things took turn for the worse for Frank when he saw some media from his reindeer eyes. But he kept on dancing as if he never saw anything. Inside, he was cursing at the gods. (Frank never curses.)
Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh
Oppa Gangnam style
Tail high up, Rudolph the Reindeer leapt from his table and trotted away from the food court as everyone else gaped after him and the African American teen sprinting behind him.
Percy was helping his girlfriend suit up as an elf.
Well, as much as he could in his humongous Nemo suit.
Annabeth was muttering under her breath, something about killing Leo for starting this nonsense. She tucked her blonde bun into the hat as she turned to her clownfish of a boyfriend. "If the kids get shocked or scared or something, just tell them, 'Keep on swimming.'"
"Haha, very funny." Percy shook his head with a tiny chuckle at the Nemo joke as he looked down sadly at his costume.
Annabeth giggled in spite of all the hopes and dreams she is about to break.
Percy peaked a look at the line to see Santa ready at his post and grinned at his girlfriend, "That's your cue."
"I hate you and everyone else," was the last thing she said before she slapped on a furious mask with bells jingling on her pointy boots.
Kids gaped at her as she stormed passed them, heading straight for the obviously fake Santa Clause.
"YOU!" She thundered angirl.
"Uh…me?" The fake Santa was trembling at the elf-chick.
"I wanted a pay raise and you just WON'T give me it, eh?" Annabeth looked perfectly murderous.
"I- I-"
"Well?" She tapped her fingers on her crossed arms with her head cocked to the side expectantly. She could hear children's horrified and awed whispers behind her.
"Uh…I…" Obviously, they didn't train their employees well enough to deal with sudden confrontations with a furious elf.
"You know what?"
Santa Clause shook his head frantically.
"I QUIT!"
And right after the two words, came Nemo singing at the top of his very fishy lungs,
"The restroom door said Gentlemen
So I just walked inside
I took two steps and realized
I'd been taken for a ride
I heard high voices turned and found
The place was occupied
By two nuns, three old ladies, and a nurse
What could be worse?
Than two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse."
Everyone stared in shock as the elf ran after the caroling Nemo in the direction of the aquarium.
The restroom door said Gentlemen
"It must have been a gag
As soon as I walked in there I ran into some old hag
She sprayed me with a can of mace
And snapped me with her bag.
I could tell this just wouldn't be my day
What can I say?
It just wasn't turning out to be my day."
Meanwhile, a lot of demigods stopped what they were doing to burst out laughing at Percy the Nemo's singing.
"The restroom door said Gentlemen
And I would like to find
The crummy little creep who had the nerve to switch the sign
Cause I've got two black eyes
And one high heel up my behind
Now I can't sit with comfort and joy
Boy, oh, boy
No, I'll never sit with comfort and joy."
Percy had the misfortune of singing the song again and again as he ran a lap around the aquarium with people and marine creatures gaping at him like a fish. AND what was worse, fish liked gossiping. A lot. And he was running in a Nemo suit singing a gross parody of a Christmas carol with his girlfriend in an elf suit. But he reminded himself this is the end of the world and this embarrassment was much better than the time he was forced to eat at a seafood restaurant.
Oh, and did he mention he is going to enjoy seeing his other friends doing their dare?
Well, after he has had a nice date with his amazing girlfriend, of course.
"So…" Jason was desperately trying to kill the level of awkwardness on his walk to Starbucks with Reyna.
"Yes?" Reyna didn't even bother to look at him. For some reason, she was still embarrassed about the last game they played when they both got drunk on Kool Aid.
"Um, it's the end of the world today? And Christmas is almost here." Jason wanted to slap himself for pointing out the obvious. But he was desperate to talk normally with Reyna. She had been avoiding him in their free time and it may or may not have an impact on him.
"Oh, wow, I wasn't aware of the fact." Reyna said sarcastically.
Jason, frustrated, started to ramble instead, "Uh, okay! So the awkwardness is practically-"
"We're here," Reyna interrupted abruptly.
"Huh?"
You can practically hear a holy choir sing, "Ah~"
And behold…
"Starbucks," Reyna said simply.
Jason blushed when he thought about what Reyna and he had to do next.
For a minute, they stood there, glancing at each other awkwardly.
"Oh, come on," Reyna rolled her eyes, grabbed is hand, and dragged him into Starbucks with a surprised yelp from her 'boyfriend'.
The bells chimed slightly as the warm air embraced them with the scent of coffee.
Reyna's hand fit perfectly in Jason's as they walked naturally with loving smiles towards the counter.
"Hello, what can I get you?" The man at the counter asked dully.
"My boyfriend and I would like two medium Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino, Light." Reyna said confidently with a radiant smile. To be honest, it wasn't the fact she was holding Jason's hand that bothered her. It was the déjà vu of buying coffee while holding hands with him like they used to before he disappeared.
Jason's heart fluttered when Reyna called him 'my boyfriend'. But then he reminded himself this is all just an act for a dare. (No matter how much he wished it was for real.)
"That would be 8.30 dollars. Is that all?"
"Isn't there a couple discount?" Reyna asked with a 'there'd better be a couple discount' look.
The guy looked up and down at the couple with an unimpressed look, "Eh, you two aren't a very convincing couple."
"Excuse me?" The worker is starting to bug her.
"Yeah, well, you need to give us some proof!" Another co-worker with straight blonde hair grinned at them with a sly wink.
"Uh, okay…?"
"We'd also like a picture…" Reyna asked hesitantly when she remembered her dare.
"TODD! CAMERA! NOW!" The blonde girl hollered.
A younger man, who was still a bit older than them, came out grumbling with a camera. "So, these are the lovebirds?"
"Yup!" The blonde nodded deviously. "Now, please proceed to prove that you two are a couple!"
They weren't really sure who made the first move but the next thing they knew, they were already in each other's arms, kissing like it was already the end of the world.
Her arms were thrown around his neck and his hands were placed securely at her waist. As their lips moved together in perfect harmonization, Jason's hand slipped upwards, tugging at the hairband that held Reyna's braid in place. They were pretty much lost in the kiss until the camera flashed brightly, pulling them back into reality.
They jumped apart from each other slightly, looking flushed and exhilarated.
"Um…" Jason couldn't meet her eyes, vice versa.
"THAT is some serious kiss!" The blonde looked excited as a puppy seeing snow for the first time. "I SWEAR YOU TWO ARE SOULMATES! Here, take this, for free. For being such an amazingly cute couple!" She shoved the Frappuccino into Reyna's hands.
"For…free?" Reyna stared in disbelief.
"Uh…can we have the picture?" Jason asked nervously.
"Oh, sure! We'll be sticking it on the wall, if you don't mind, which I'm sure you don't. Oh! And here's three extra copies." The blonde waitress shoved a picture into Jason's hand with a grin.
"Thanks," Jason still hasn't gotten over the daze of kissing Reyna like that.
"Now, you two be on your way with your lovey-dovey business before the world ends. Happy Doomsday and Merry Christmas!"
With that, they were ushered out the store by the blonde waitress with a cheery wave.
They exchanged a glance.
"So…do we act like a couple until Christmas eve?" Reyna asked slowly.
"Um, maybe?" Jason blushed again. "Well, you know, I think we just act like a couple in front of them." Reyna breathed a sigh of relief. "Meanwhile, we have to get two of these," he held up the pictures with slight grimace, "to the idiots who set us up in this and I still have to mail one to Venus." Reyna scowled at the mention of the name. Seriously, Lady Venus must really hate her guts to give her a love life like that.
"Gwen will never shut up if she finds out." Reyna said flatly.
"We can always lock her up in a closet with Dakota." Jason countered with a grin.
Reyna laughed as she tugged his arm, "Come on, we need to get Christmas ornaments for your dear sister."
"-who wants to have me murdered three times over."
Piper burst out laughing the moment she saw Leo.
At first, she had been fiddling with the hem of her unnaturally short red dress lined with white faux fur. It fitted tightly and put her beauty to great advantage. She didn't feel comfortable about it.
But now, she didn't care at all.
She was too busy laughing at Leo to do anything else.
"Getting worried, Beauty Queen? I know I look gorgeous." Leo had somehow managed to convince himself that he's doing this for Piper. Come on, a week's worth of kisses from her? As if he was going to let that good of a deal slip past! He knows he has to win at all costs. Even though it involves a red velvet mini-dress that barely fits and red stilettos. Oh! And not to mention weird stares.
"HA! You look too male to win." Piper scoffed loftily, breaking out into a giggle.
"It doesn't matter whether I look male or female as long as I win," was his curiously intelligent reply.
Piper shrugged confidently, "Whatever you say."
"Well, then, I say-"
And that was when their numbers were called.
Leo fidgeted as the judges scrutinized other (hot) girls. He already planned what he was going to say. Besides, he doesn't want to lose to Piper. His side of the deal was much more appealing. At least, to him, anyways. His gaze swerved towards his best friend, who looked as perfect as ever, to enjoy his view.
"Uh, aren't you male?"
Leo's attention snapped back as he replied easily, "No, I entered as Leah Valdez. Does that sound male to you?"
"Um, but-"
"Even if I am male. What right do you have to disqualify me for entering? Has it ever stuck you that maybe I find that this pageant suits me more than the other?"
Murmurs rose in the crowd.
"Yeah! He's right! You can't disqualify him for having enough guts to do what he- she- wants!" Someone spoke up boldly from the crowd.
Piper looked in surprise as more and more people shouted at the judges on behalf of Leo.
Flustered and helpless, the judges continued with the competition.
Leo winked at Piper as if to say, "See? I'm going to win." She nearly snorted out loud in response.
After twenty minutes or so, the judges gathered in front of them with a microphone. Then, the judge in the middle spoke, "We'd like to thank all of our stunning competitors who participated in our 2012 Miss Teen Santa Beauty Pageant of the Mall of America." A roar of applause broke out. "This year…is filled with very, um, unexpected surprises. It has been very hard for us to determine which of you should be the victor. But, we are pleased to announce our winner…
LEAH VALDEZ!"
The crowd went wild as if Leo was some folk hero, cheering for the gutsy dude.
Piper's jaw dropped open. It wasn't possible…right?
Leo gave a boyish grin as he accepted a bouquet of roses and a sparkly tiara.
Piper still hasn't gotten over the fact that Leo actually won a female beauty pageant, even after they went backstage to change back into their normal closes.
Finally stiletto-free, Leo (in his normal clothes) went over to his best friend, who was still in shock.
"So," Piper let out a slight yelp when Leo unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist, "Looks like we'll be seeing each other a lot, starting from tomorrow," his lips brushed against her ear with her back all pressed up against him.
She could feel her whole body heating up. It was probably her boiling rage though. She elbowed him in the stomach warningly, "Leo!"
Leo chuckled, "Save it for later, babe."
She reeled back with a squirming stomach and started to retort, "You are-"
Leo cut her off by placing his mouth over hers firmly, bringing her together into a kiss.
She pulled away before she melts into the kiss, "What the-"
"Mistletoe," was his simple reply, along with his smirk.
Thalia officially hates spending Christmas with her so-called friends.
No, really.
They attacked her violently with a sparkly Christmas tree costume, stuck pine needles all over her, and, ugh, the ornaments!
Horrid, brightly colored ornaments and Christmas lights! It's absolute torture.
So there she is, in a chapel, surrounded by other poor pine trees as she glared gloomily at her friends snickering in their seats. Her only consolation was her constant stream of, "Percy Jackson must die. Percy Jackson must die…"
Nico, on the other hand, was looking at his attire in disgust. He was forcefully dressed into traditional white robes with a cute golden halo with angel wings. It was killing him to be dressed in such a nauseatingly holy way. What's worse was how his friends were going to witness this and he and Thalia didn't have the pleasure to witness the others' dares.
The beginning was boring but then the grand organ started play.
Oh, boy. Here comes the first song.
Hark! the Herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinner reconcil'd.
Hark! the Herald Angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.
Warmth and wonder filled the room with echoes as many people closed their eyes to listen even more closely at t wonderful Christmas carol.
Hazel had a pure smile on her face.
Nico, however, felt saddened by the familiar tune. It was his sister's favorite. Speaking of which, he could just hear her voice in his head, tutting disapprovingly.
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethle-
Nic would've stopped to feel guilty, but he wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible.
Oh, say! can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming;
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there:
Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Most spectators frowned in confusion. What is the choir member doing? I mean, who sings the National Anthem in the middle of a Christmas carol?!
Percy sniggered when someone through a wreath at Nico, who kept on singing as he glared at his friends.
Meanwhile, more and more people were getting Christmas ornaments to pelt at Nico, who was ducking in and out with the unfortunate choir members. It was almost amusing to see a huge brass star ornament hit the conductor's head though he passed out quickly.
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In fully glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Nico waved at the organ player to keep on playing as the confused organ player stopped playing the tune of 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' and started to play the National Anthem.
Strangely, in the midst of confusion, someone started to sing along the National Anthem at the top of his lungs. That someone coincidentally had a tiara on his head, the sort that is given to beauty pageant winners…
Before they knew it, everyone was singing the National Anthem, their voices clear and strong.
After a few verses, Nico finally came out of his hiding place as they entered the last verse.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust":
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Exchanging a grimacing glance at the last line, Nico ran along the aisle, grabbing Thalia's hand.
Everyone else could only stare as an angel eloped with a Christmas tree.
Well, everyone except for eight lunatics laughing their butts off in the chapel.
"That wasn't so bad, right?" Leo's gleeful voice filled the car as they walked to the car.
"You would say that." Frank muttered, glaring at the screen of Nico's iPhone5 (he has a thing for getting the newest phones). It showed the newest sensation of Youtube: Oppa Reindeer Style.
"It's wasn't!" Leo protested.
"Psh! I would've gotten sued for insanity or harassment if Frank didn't start dancing." Hazel refuted with an annoyed expression.
"And Seaweed Brain and I are already on the news!" Annabeth shouted with a helpless expression.
"Well, doing the dare was bad. But after that…"Percy winked at his girlfriend mischievously.
"Seaweed Brain."
"Barf alert!" Nico pretended to throw up.
"What about you two?" Hazel asked Jason and Reyna with a wink.
"Eh…"
Everyone couldn't stop sniggering at their entwined hands for some reason. It was just a stupid dare!
"You two are so cute together!" Piper couldn't help cooing over them. It doesn't surprise her now that she used to be so worried of losing Jason to Reyna when they were dating all those years ago. Jason and Rey were obviously meant to be. Her mother is just a sadist who would even torture her own daughter with all those mind games.
"Well, so are we…" Leo wrapped an arm around her waist with a teasing smirk.
"We are not!" Piper protested hotly and struggled to push him away as Annabeth watched in amusement.
"Oh, that's because we're too hot!" Leo countered, laughing.
Before a fight could break out, Thalia suddenly burst out laughing, "Guys! Have you seen the picture evidence of Jason and Reyna's dare yet?"
Nico sighed, shaking his head, "Some of us actually want to keep our eyes functional."
"It- It wasn't like that!" Jason spluttered, feeling his face heat up.
Reyna refused to acknowledge what the younger demigod implied and kept her silence with a blush.
"Sure it wasn't." Percy grinned deviously.
"On the bright side, today wasn't really as bad as we make it sound," Hazel turned to her brother and his obvious love interest, "So, like Christmas any better?"
Nico's look explained everything.
Thalia, however, responded verbally,
"I am never going Doomsday-Christmas shopping with any of you. EVER."
"Well, on the bright side, we still have New Year's Eve's game to look forward to!" Leo grinned gleefully.
"GODS, NO!"
"Hehe, overruled."
"Says Santa's elf."
Author's Note: AHHHHH! It may JUST be the longest chapter yet!
Okay, so...
1) Did you like it? :3
2) Favorite dare of this game?
3) Did you like the couple fluff I put in this chapter?
4) Do you think I should still do a late New Year's Eve chapter?
5) Do you think I should make a tumblr account for this story?
Review and tell me what you think as a Christmas gift! XD
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
