And last but not least, Happy Kwanzaa.
"They're finally coming back," said Hazel.
"About time," Jason said. "We need to know."
"He might not want to tell us," Piper cautioned.
"We shouldn't pressure him into saying anything if he doesn't want to," said Frank.
"You guys are stressing over something that you don't even know is true," said Leo, hands busy with a solar panel he was building out of pizza. "There could be nothing wrong. You really need to learn how to go with the flow."
"Then why were they down there for so long?" asked Hazel.
"Together time?" suggested Piper. "Gods know Leo hasn't been giving them space."
"It was one prank!" said Leo, now adding some Girl Scout cookies.
"With a domino effect," said Hazel.
"That lasted for two weeks," continued Jason.
"That connected both of their cabins," said Frank.
"Underground," said Hazel. "And they thought that I did it!"
"Again," Leo said, now covered in grape Fanta that had exploded on him when he had tried to pour it into a custard donut, which was smooshed inside a fort of Tagalongs. He connected it to the pizza-red frosting pile with two twizzlers and the whole thing exploded, leaving Leo covered in soot. "You guys are way too uptight."
"How did you do that?" asked Frank, leaning over to survey the damage.
"Tagalongs have amazing capabilities," said Leo. "Especially with red food coloring."
"You're something special," said Piper.
Leo grinned.
Percy and Annabeth walked up. Percy surveyed the damage, but didn't say anything. Annabeth didn't seem to notice. But when she sat down next to Leo in a pile of ash, she clued in.
"Try some of these," she said, pushing some square pastel-colored things into Leo's plate.
Leo licked one tentatively.
"Red or blue?" Annabeth asked.
"Blue. Definitely blue."
Annabeth started building an elaborate Frank Lloyd Wrightesque house out of the square things. Percy sat down and passed around some brisket. Leo's goblet filled to the brim with blue food coloring. As soon as Annabeth's gorgeous house was complete, Leo poured the coloring on top. As it started to melt, Annabeth, hands moving faster than anyone could follow, started layering Twizzlers and wafers on top.
It exploded with a loud bang, releasing a wonderful minty smell into the air and leaving no residue.
"How'd you know how to do that?" Leo asked, amazed.
Annabeth winked. "After-Dinner Mints. You're not the only mad scientist around here."
Percy smiled to himself. He had two pieces of brisket and a tiny cluster of grapes on his plate. He got up at the same time as Jason to make the sacrifices. Percy went first. He scraped one of the pieces of brisket into the flames and whispered, "Poseidon." Jason caught the scent of seawater and chocolate, fresh baked cookies and vanilla extract. And then Percy murmured, so far under his breath Jason almost missed it, "Apollo."
He scraped the last piece of brisket into the fire, and immediately, the scent changed. Freshly cut wood and mint, cinnamon and chopped parsley. And then, in stark contrast to the aromas of the sun god, it changed to the smell of his other job. Medicine. Antiseptic. Hospitals. Perfect white cleanliness. Judging by the look that flitted briefly across Percy's face, this was not a good omen.
Jason quickly made his sacrifices and headed back to the table.
After everyone had finished and had started to eat, they did so without any conversation. This was so that Percy would have leeway to say anything that needed to be said.
If anything needed to be said.
"Um…" Percy started.
So there was something to say.
"So how was your day?" he asked, clearly stalling.
"Fine, how was yours?" Hazel answered, a subtle hint.
"Fine," he said. Still stalling.
Leo was having none of it. Looking up from where he was playing with the mints, he said (in his usual tactless way,) "What's wrong with you?"
"Leo!" Hazel gasped.
Jason was watching Percy's face as he looked Leo square in the eye and said, "I have cancer."
Jason's mind processed the information slowly. Then again. And again. He was still running it through his brain when Frank peeled his jaw off the table where it had dropped and when Hazel blinked for the first time. Piper was watching Percy, her face a mask. Leo was staring off into space, eyes narrowed, clearly thinking. Judging by his expression, it wasn't good. And- wait, was he shivering?
A tear escaped Annabeth's eye, but she brushed it away before anyone noticed.
Percy looked like he wanted to run away, but he couldn't. So instead he asked, "Leo, are you okay?"
He started. "I'm fine, what about you?"
It came out harsher than he had planned.
"Well, at the moment, but thanks for asking."
A heavy silence reigned at the table. It was broken by Piper, who asked, "So what now?"
"I go discuss 'treatment options' with an oncologist that Dr. Maddox recommended."
"He's the orthopedist?" Frank asked.
Percy nodded.
And another question, this time from Hazel.
"What exactly is a wonky-ologist?"
Leo answered. "A doctor that deals with cancer."
That word again. Everyone turned to look at Percy. Their emotions playing out clearly on their faces. Shock. Worry. Grief.
Percy met each of their eyes.
"Don't worry," he promised. "I'm in it for the long haul."
But inwardly, he sighed.
Longest chapter ever! You should be proud of me.
So! Wondering why Annabeth's acting so normal? Thinking about why Leo knows what an oncologist is, and why he's so shaken up? Stay tuned for the next chapter of "The Strongest Demigod I've Ever Met"!
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