It was the pain medicine. That was the only reason Reyna found herself in her current situation. Having Thalia help her shop was bad enough and a small hit to her pride. Thalia had admitted she didn't know much about how to find the best deals, especially since Reyna didn't want to spend too much money. That was why Thalia suggested bringing in an expert.
And of course, that expert was Reyna's best friend: Annabeth fucking Chase.
Annabeth hadn't even made eye contact with her yet. Well, that was probably because Reyna wasn't looking away from the window. Her gaze stayed focused on it as she tried to ignore her pain. All of this shopping was already exhausting.
They had found a bed, and it wasn't even that expensive. The best part was that it was comfortable. Granted, a piece of cardboard was comfortable compared to some of the places that Reyna had slept. The next thing on the list was all of the small things that Reyna would need for her place. And food. That was the most important thing.
"Are you cool if we stop and get food?" Thalia questioned as she turned to look at Reyna. It didn't take long for Reyna to nod. She could also go for food. "Where should we go?"
"Doesn't matter," Reyna answered as she tried not to move her jaw too much. Her gaze moved to her broken fingers, and she studied them. "Somewhere good."
"If you're paying, I don't want to go anywhere too crazy," Thalia stated.
"You don't have to pay for me," Annabeth began. It was the longest sentence she had said to Reyna so far. If Thalia sensed the tension between the two, she didn't comment on it.
"I will," Reyna muttered. She shifted and winced as more pain shot through her body. "You're helping me out anyway."
The car fell silent, the only sound being Thalia humming along to the radio. Her head bobbed up and down to the beat of the music. Reyna barely paid any attention as she stared out the window. Her eyes started to drift close. A small nap before food would be good.
"Reyna, I'm sorry," Annabeth began. Reyna's eyes snapped open, and she looked at the other woman. Annabeth looked back at her and made sure to make eye contact and keep it. "I shouldn't have said what I did, and I'm sorry for it."
Reyna studied Annabeth for a few moments. She didn't particularly forgive Annabeth for what she said, but it wasn't like she was the first one to comment on the scar. She was one of the only ones, if not the only one, to apologize for it.
"It's cool," Reyna finally said as she shrugged. Her gaze moved to the side.
"It's not cool," Annabeth said softly. "I really am sorry."
Reyna hesitated before letting out a sad sigh, "I forgive you, Annabeth."
Annabeth gave her a small smile that Reyna didn't feel like returning. The car fell silent between the three of them, and Reyna laid her head back. Her eyes drifted close. She could feel that she was on the verge of falling asleep, but it didn't seem like she would find a sweet spot to pass out.
"How's Jason doing?" Annabeth asked quietly. Thalia turned down the radio.
"Better. He won't stop apologizing, and I promised to punch him in the throat the next time he does it. He should be getting out of the hospital in a few days, but they want to monitor him," Thalia explained.
"Have the police found Lycaon yet?" Annabeth questioned.
"Not that I know of," Thalia grumbled. A noise like a growl left her. "The bastard is lucky that I haven't seen him."
"I would tell you that you might lose your hunter's license, but I don't think you care," Annabeth commented. Thalia chuckled, but it was bitter and dark.
"It's worth losing it for Jason. I hate that Lycaon did that to him. The fucking coward couldn't even face him like a man. Then, he attacks Reyna with his stupid little gang. That should be more than enough to throw his ass behind bars, but I'm worried the cops won't," Thalia confessed.
"They will," Annabeth replied, but she didn't sound so sure. "Any luck with your visit to Ma Gasket?"
"Just got her a little more pissed off, but I think she was born angry," Thalia joked as she shifted. Reyna felt a pair of eyes on her but didn't move an inch, still trying to drift off to sleep.
"Is Reyna doing okay?" Annabeth questioned. Reyna almost shuddered as she became the center of attention. "She looks like she's in pain."
"She hasn't complained, but she has been pretty pale. I'm surprised Chiron didn't strap her down to the bed," Thalia answered. She chuckled. "Remember when he did that to you after you broke your ankle?"
"Don't remind me," Annabeth groaned. Thalia laughed, and the car fell into a comfortable silence again. As Reyna was on the verge of sleep, she felt the car slow to a stop. Her eyes opened, and she saw Annabeth had turned around and was reaching a hand out. She quickly retracted it upon seeing Reyna was awake.
"Are you feeling any better?" Annabeth asked. Reyna managed a shrug. "If you want, we can make a list of everything we need and split the list in half. Thalia and I can do the heavy lifting."
"I'm fine," Reyna said as she slowly got out of the car. A wince broke her facade.
"You look pale," Thalia commented. She leaned on her car. "I know you don't want to be babied, but you got fucked up pretty bad. Just walking around right now is pretty badass. Try to relax and don't reopen that cut on your side."
"I guess we can make a list," Reyna muttered. She slowly followed the two inside the fast food place. They walked towards the counter, and Reyna looked at the menu. A frown came to her face as there were no pictures on the menu. Just writing. In English.
On a normal day, Reyna would be irritated by trying to read English. Today, she didn't even want to bother. A frown infected her lips as she continued to study the menu. She was sure that visible confusion was evident on her face.
"Something wrong?" Annabeth asked. Reyna slowly looked at her.
"We can go somewhere else if nothing here looks good," Thalia offered. Reyna moved her gaze to look at Thalia. She was too tired and started to feel more pain. A sigh left her, and she winced as pain shot through her side.
"I can't read English well," Reyna muttered quietly. Thalia's eyes widened in surprise, but Annabeth showed no emotion. Reyna felt herself blushing as she looked down and tried to avert her gaze. She felt her stomach twist.
"They have good burgers," Annabeth said without hesitation. "I like the number five. It has lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and their special house sauce."
"I'll get that," Reyna said after a moment.
"I'll order for you," Annabeth said as she stepped forward. Reyna moved her hand to rub her jaw and try to massage the pain and annoyance away. She didn't like to be treated like a child, but she knew that Annabeth was trying to be kind. And, Reyna was too tired and in too much pain to let her pride get in the way this time.
"Thanks," Reyna muttered. She lowered her gaze as Annabeth ordered for both of them, and Thalia ordered for herself. Reyna paid and then followed Thalia towards the closest table.
"Might want to take some pain medicine," Thalia recommended. "I'll grab our drinks."
Reyna managed a slight nod as she grabbed her medicine. When Thalia came back with the drinks, she set them down in front of Reyna, "I got you soda. I can get you water if you want instead."
"This is fine," Reyna muttered as she took her medicine and a sip of the soda. Her gaze focused on the table.
"You speak English pretty well," Thalia commented. She made a noise. "Hey! That hurt."
Annabeth just gave both of them a smile as she sat down. She turned towards Thalia and spoke under her breath so softly that Reyna barely heard, "Don't tease her about her English."
"It was a compliment," Thalia whispered back. Reyna looked at them and raised an eyebrow. Thalia looked at her. "That was a compliment. Not an insult."
"I'm not offended," Reyna assured after a few moments.
"Did you teach yourself English?" Annabeth questioned after a moment. Reyna nodded. "That's pretty badass. What is your native language?"
"Spanish," Reyna answered. She took another sip of soda and tried to relax her tensing muscles.
"Where were you born?" Thalia asked. Reyna shifted uncomfortably at the questioning. A frown permeated Thalia's features. "I was born in Hollywood, but my mother didn't stay there long. She jumped around from state to state, following her acting career. Until she got drunk and killed herself in a car accident."
"I was born in Virginia," Annabeth added. "I lived there for a few years until my father moved and met his new wife. Things didn't go so well, and I ran away."
"And ran into me," Thalia added. "We caused some trouble together. Just a little bit."
"A lot," Annabeth corrected. "I ended up going back home, but I didn't stay long. I found a new home here with Chiron and my friends."
Reyna looked in between the two. She knew they were opening up to try and make her feel more comfortable, but she wasn't quite sure how that was making her feel. Reyna wasn't anywhere near ready to share her past with the others, but she could answer a few of their questions. Maybe.
"I was born in Puerto Rico," Reyna finally answered. "Left when I was young."
Reyna didn't elaborate on anything else. She wasn't that close to these people, and they didn't need to know more than that. Annabeth stood and walked away. She came back with their food. Reyna grabbed her own and nibbled on the fries.
"I think we should make a list," Annabeth began as she grabbed her phone. "I'm guessing you don't have everything you need, do you?"
Reyna remained silent, but Annabeth nodded like that answered her question. Thalia spoke, "Let's just get the essentials today, so she can go home and get some sleep. She looks exhausted."
"I've had worse," Reyna shrugged. She rested back in the chair and slowly ate her burger in small bites. "I can handle shopping."
"This one is a little crazy when it comes to shopping," Thalia cut-in. She winced as Annabeth hit her arm. "I'm just saying."
"Well stop saying then," Annabeth retorted as she glared at Thalia playfully. Her sight shifted to Reyna, and she gave her a gentle smile. Reyna found herself relaxing slightly. It seemed like the issues they had were hopefully behind them. And while it would take some time, Reyna would fully forgive Annabeth for her comments. Maybe, they would even become friends.