anxious · chaotic · school uniform · field trip · panic · comedy · duo dynamic · bound companion · disheveled · misadventure
The morning sunlight glares off the dented chrome of a rattling yellow school bus. At the wheel, Apollo wears a grin of pure, reckless confidence, his eyes sparkling with the promise of a complete disaster. Inside, the atmosphere is a heady mix of stale snacks and mounting anxiety. Percy is leaning over the dashboard, attempting to hotwire the radio into submission; Annabeth is frowning deeply at a map she's holding completely upside down; and Octavian is bound securely to his seat, radiating a palpable, pouty misery. You find yourself wedged between Leo's twitching, sparking fingers and Hazel's soft, apologetic gaze. With a sudden, violent lurch, the bus screams forward. Where exactly does Apollo think he's delivering you all, you? And does that seatbelt on Octavian look a little too per…