Hey, everybody!

Wow, two chapters in one day! I guess I'm on fire today!

I'm actually trying to make a come-back, for taking forever to start this story and taking forever to post some chapters (even though I was recently writing a short story, which is why I wasn't updating this! You should read it, it's called What Happens to Love!) so, I'm going to try to make a schedule for myself!

Enjoy!

Chapter 9

Hazel

Just because Festus wanted to help, doesn't mean that he did.

Hazel tried to steer the ship correctly, but she really had no idea what she was doing.

Festus tried to speak to her, but she couldn't understand him like Leo could.

And Leo was below deck, saying goodbye to his pig.

She checked the GPS and saw that she was basically on course to Camp, but after being in Rome, it was going to take a long time to get there.

Hazel didn't want to break the ship, so after trying for a couple seconds, she gave up and walked off. "Sorry, Festus, I just don't understand."

She walked below deck and looked for Leo down in the stables. She walked up to the door to see Leo look depressed, leaning against the door.

"Hey," Hazel walked up to him. "What's wrong?"

"He's only so young!" Leo whimpered. "They're going to dissect him! I know they are…I don't want him to die!"

"Oh, Leo," Hazel tried to think of something that could take his mind of his piggy companion. "What have you figured out with Archimedes's Sphere?"

Leo perked up right away. "So many things! I even found something that would make Coach Hedge excited!"

"Well, what kind of stuff?" Hazel asked.

"It's a universal remote! And if you press a certain button, it turns into a screen! I'm not quite sure what the screen is supposed to do yet, but I'll be happy when I'm figuring out what it does! And, as you saw already, it can control other machines and stuff…Now if only it could be a microwave," Leo sighed. "I'm going to go back to my room now and try to decipher more parts of this puzzle."

"Okay, Leo," Hazel said as he passed by her.

"Don't let them hurt LP too badly, okay?" Leo called back to her.

"I'll try. Feel better," Hazel added, and Leo sulked down the hall.

She sighed and decided to take a look through the window in the door at the pig that had helped Leo save her life.

He was zipping around the room, his mouth hanging open, smashing against the glass bottom of the stable. It looked like he was trying to get out.

Hazel felt really sorry for the poor pig. She turned the lock and was about to open the door, when he slammed head first into the glass window.

Hazel was taken by surprise and jumped back. She closed the door and turned to leave. She didn't want to see the pig get hurt anymore, but what could she do? She wasn't Piper, she couldn't charmspeak it into being calm.

She left, not looking back, feeling sorry for the poor animal.

What was Jason planning on doing to it? She had to know.

She found Jason hanging out on deck with Piper. They were talking and looking out over the clouds. She approached and heard part of their conversation.

"…mean it," Piper sighed. "It was just…"

"Deceitful and annoying," Jason said angrily. "I still can't believe it!"

"It's all over now, Jason. Just drink the nectar. It will heal."

Hazel interjected, "What are you going to do to it?"

Jason turned around. "Hey, Hazel."

"What are you planning on doing to LP?" Hazel asked.

"Hazel, it's not going to be so bad," Jason started.

"Why?" Piper asked.

"Leo is really worried about him, plus the pig helped save my life," Hazel countered.

"If you hadn't jumped off the ship, it wouldn't have needed to save you're life," Piper replied. "You really should choose, Hazel. It's really getting annoying watching either Leo or Frank get hurt."

"What?" Hazel asked.

"They both like you, it's really pretty obvious, and you are torn in between. You made the commitment to Frank, however, so you either honor that commitment and stay with him or move on and date Leo," Piper huffed. "It's choose and move on with it!"

Piper turned and stalked off the deck. She called to Jason and said, "Just keep drinking the nectar, it'll heal!"

Once she was out of earshot, Hazel took her place against the railing and asked, "Shoulder?"

He nodded.

"She's right, though," Hazel said.

"Yeah, it'll heal, but she's not completely right," Jason replied. "She just feels like she knows what it's like, being chosen from out of two, but she really doesn't. I met her, and I chose her. I wasn't torn or anything. In her mind, she just doesn't want anyone else to get hurt the way she did." Jason put air quotes around, "the way she did."

"Yeah, that was always my understanding of the story, too," Hazel sighed and placed her forehead on the rail. "But that was still a little extreme, even if I'm wrong."

"Yeah, I found out earlier she's PMSing. Don't worry about it, it's not your fault," Jason smiled at her. "Don't tell her I told you, okay? You're the only other girl on the ship, so she kind of feel like she has to fight with you. If Annabeth were here, it would be different, but…she's not, so Piper just has to take what she can get."

"What…what are you going to do to LP?" Hazel asked, picking her forehead up and resting her chin down on the rail.

"Well, we're going to check out its insides," Jason confessed.

Hazel jumped off the rail. "You can't! Leo will be heartbroken!"

"He doesn't have to be there!" Jason countered. "And we took a dead one, too. We just need to know what's inside of them, see what they are if they aren't animals."

"If it's not an animal, then why does it act so much like an animal?" Hazel asked.

"That's what we want to know," Jason replied.

He rested his elbow on the deck and recoiled sharply, breathing through his gritted teeth.

"You really shouldn't move it so much, Jason. Maybe we could make a sling and a splint, or," Hazel offered.

"Maybe," Jason sighed. "But I don't need it now. It'll heal."

"Jason, broken shoulders don't just…heal. It'll take time, even with nectar."

"I get it, I get it!" Jason said, frustrated. "Thanks, Hazel, but I have to go now." And he walked off deck, holding his arm just below his shoulder.

Hazel looked back at the sky. Night was falling, and the sky was a gray blue. Hazel sighed and muttered, "I didn't know PMS was contagious."

She pulled away from the rail and stared out at the transparent gray wisps of clouds passing in front of her.

She reached her hand out and touched one. Her hand passed right through it, like mist, leaving her hand slightly damp.

She pressed her palms on the rail and sighed.

"Maybe she was right," Hazel said, looking over her shoulder at the entrance to the deck. She looked back over at the clouds. "I…I need to choose. This is stressful for all three of us. I don't know how Leo feels, to be honest, but…I really only need to know how I feel."

Hazel didn't want anyone to hear her. She knew no one could hear. She kept talking.

"I think…I think I'll choose…soon. Sooner, rather than later. But…after LP's dissection. I want Leo to know there is someone there for him for that…but who knows, really? I could be there for him forever. Or, as long as I live," Hazel decided.

Then she backed away from the rail, and left the deck, went into her room, and fell asleep on her bed.

Then, she remembered something.

Someone, actually.

She sat bolt upright in bed.

Where is Nico?!

DUN DUN DUUHH! Cliffhanger!

Well, I just want to say something to you about my story updating schedule.

I'm going to try to put up at least one chapter every Thursday until I have twenty chapters. Then I'm thinking of taking a week break (to sort out my other stories and see what I will be doing with them!)

Yeah, starting this week, every Thursday! I know, you all are probably thinking, "Three chapter in a week? What, is she crazy?"

Well, yes, I am, but that's beside the point.

The point is, I'm trying to teach myself that no matter what the circumstances, I have to keep updating! So, see you Thursday!

Thanks for Reading!