Spontaneity

Hello everyone. First thing you should know: there are two people who are managing this account, and as our first story, we wanted to combine forces! So the first chapter is mine (I'm Pickle, by the way) and the next chapter will be Olive and so on.

The story was completely spontaneous (hence the title) and has no plot line whatsoever— Olive and I are leaving it up to each other to keep the story going. Our first time ever going improv. and we hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER ONE:

It's A Holiday

"Percy?" an impatient and kind of familiar voice broke through the haze of sleepy contentment he was shrouded in.

"Here," he mumbled absent-mindedly, trying desperately to cling to the safe haven of beautiful, delicious sleep.

He was jerked out of his happy state by a punch to the arm.

"Ouch! What the Zeus was that for?"

"You're not at school, Seaweed Brain. We were – at least, I thought we were having a conversation. Now I can see it was only one sided."

Percy rubbed his arm, and stared up at his glaring girlfriend sheepishly.

Before he could say anything, Annabeth leaned forward and ruffled his hair like an impulsive mother. "I'd consider being offended, but you're just too cute when you're sleepy. Somebody have a late night last night?"

"Algebra homework. Gets me every time," Percy admitted, rubbing his eyes like a child.

"I told you, I can tutor you."

"No," Percy answered, just like every other time when she'd offered. "I don't want our time together to be tainted by homework." He said the taboo word like he would say mouldy warm cheese sandwich or Chiron's horsy armpit hair.

Annabeth laughed and took his hand to help him up. "Come on, let's go. Everything's packed already."

"Wait, what? Where are we— Annabeth!"

"If you'd been awake like I thought you were for the past half hour, you would know exactly where we are going, who we are seeing, and what we are doing. I have everything planned out, down to toilet breaks."

"Wow. This is one of the many reasons I admire you so much. You have enough foresight to guess when I'm going to need to pee."

Annabeth chuckled. "The powers of observation are not to be underestimated. I know you better than you think I do, Percy."

"We're going out on a boat?" Percy asked excitedly when Argus pulled up the Camp van outside a boat rental place.

"Yup," Annabeth said, beaming at his reaction. "And not just on any boat— I had our parents work together to come up with something special. It is a very special day today, you know."

"It is?" Percy panicked, and mentally scrolled through the very limited list of important occasions he had managed not to forget. He knew for certain it wasn't their anniversary; he'd practically burned the date into his brain so as not to forget again. It wasn't Annabeth's birthday, either.

Annabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know for certain that you'll never guess what today is, so I'll just save myself the agonising pain of waiting and just tell you. Approximately 5124 years ago (A/N this is not a fact, guys. Don't take my word for it) our parents combined their powers to create the horse and chariot!"

When Percy's face remained blank, Annabeth nudged him with her shoulder and slipped her fingers through his. They began walking along the dock towards the boat hire, which was situated on a dock above the water of the Long Island Marina.

"I don't get how that is a cause to—"

"It was the first time in any recorded history that our parents have ever worked together without any major catastrophes occurring."

"Oh."

"Don't you think that's enough reason to celebrate?"

"Any reason to spend time with you is a good one," Percy said, bumping her back with his shoulder.

Annabeth blushed, and Percy grinned in satisfaction. It was rare to affect Annabeth in such a way.

They stopped in front of the wooden shack, and before Percy could even say anything, Annabeth said, "I know, I know. Foresight, remember?"

""You are a truly amazing specimen, Wise Girl," Percy said, shaking his head.

Annabeth let go of his hand and watched him walk away to the bathroom with an affectionate (and probably really goofy) smile on her face.

Percy was as relaxed as he could be. He was with one of his favourite people in the whole world, in one of his favourite places in the whole world, eating one of his favourite dishes of food in the whole world: chocolate muffin with blue icing.

As they stuffed their faces with their shared favourite dessert, they were sitting cross legged on the floor of the boat. It was a decent sized ten foot long motor boat with two seats at the front near the wind screen, about a metre and a half squared of walking room at the back, a shade cloth, and even a little compartment below the bow with a bed, a toilet, a cupboard and a sink (pic on my profile).

Annabeth's plan was complete down to the last details:

10:00am— Toilet break (Percy)

10:10am— Take boat out for 24 hours

10:20am— On our way out

10:37am— Stop + eat dessert on boat

11:05am— Pull up at destination

11:12am— Toilet break (Both)

11:17am— Unload boat

11:20am— Cook lunch

11:30am—1:00pm— Eat lunch, swimming, sand castles (Percy), toilet break (Percy)

1:01pm— Begin fishing

5:00pm— End fishing, toilet break (both), go back to destination

5:20pm— Anchor on destination, begin dinner

10:00pm— Go to bed

6:30am— Wake up and go for a jog, then cook breakfast

8:00am— Push Percy out of bed

10:00am— Return boat

"Did you make this?" Percy asked, his words muffled by the chocolate blue brick in his mouth. Crumbs fell down his chin, and embarrassed, he wiped them away.

Annabeth looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes. "Tyson helped," she said.

"So what's the big deal about this boat?" Percy asked. "I mean, any boat is amazing, but you said that this boat is special."

"Oh!" Annabeth said, smacking her forehead. "I completely forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"I told you that our parents both invested their power, and brains into designing this boat. Think of it as a second appreciation gift for defeating Kronos. It is exclusively for our use."

"Yeah, so what's the big deal?"

"I'm getting there! Be patient!" Annabeth adjusted her sunnies on her head, and tightened her pony tail. "It is a portal in disguise. It can take us anywhere in a matter of seconds."

"Like, anywhere? Like, Mars anywhere?"

"Sure. You wanna visit Mars?"

"Cool! Let's go!" Percy said enthusiastically.

"Okay, let me just find a few of those space suits that you find in the 'miscellaneous' section at the markets."

"Oh."

"Think, Percy. The boat can take us anywhere, but we have to be equipped for the adventure."

"Damn."

"So, where do you want to go?"

Percy grinned, and leant back on one elbow. "Leave that to me. I know the perfect place." Using his awesome mental powers over water the oat began to move by its own accord.

They were sitting so close that when the breeze picked up and blew Annabeth's hair wildly around, some not only went into her mouth, but his as well.

Her sunnies fell down off the top of her head to cover her eyes, and they both laughed, giddy with the prospect of a whole day together on the water, no monsters to fight, no world to save.

Percy lifted the sunnies back up to the top of her head, and she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. The kiss tasted like melted chocolate and salty tang from the balmy breeze.

The boat rocked gently on the water, like a cradle. It was beautifully serene.

They parted after their sweet kiss, and both had silly smiles on their faces.

Annabeth, not accustomed to being so caught off guard, teasingly said, "Now that's a goofy smile if I've ever seen one!"

Percy blew a raspberry at her.

Annabeth looked at her watch and stood up abruptly. "C'mon, we've got to get moving!"

Percy, now on his back with his hands behind his head, opened his eyes and protested against moving. "Loosen up, Wise Girl. I know you have a schedule, but this is a vacation. Relax. Chill. Eat cake."

Annabeth frowned. "But—"

"No buts. You are taking a day off. Come sit next to me. I'm getting cold."

"I was going to say, don't you need a toilet break soon?"

Percy sat up, the tips of his ears colouring pink. "Well, I mean—"

Annabeth smiled triumphantly. "Take the wheel, Seaweed Brain. I'm ready for lunch."

"It's so beautiful here," Annabeth said, gazing around in wonder at the secluded area of beach Percy had found to anchor their boat at.

"I found this place completely by accident. I was on a small quest."

"What quest?" Annabeth frowned in concentration. "I'm pretty sure I've never seen this place in my life."

"You weren't with me."

Annabeth whirled around, an accusatory look in her eyes. "You went on a quest without me? How did I not know about this?"

Percy put his hands up, a small smile playing around his lips. "I was looking for something."

"Care to spill?" Annabeth said, impatient with his games.

"That red pendant you're wearing, that I gave to you in the first weeks of our relationship," Percy said, nodding in the general direction of Annabeth's leather necklace with all her camp beads. And the newly added coral pendant.

Annabeth fingered the pendant, frown gone from her face. "I'm glad you brought us here."

"Me too."

"Let's go, Seaweed Brain. Time for lunch."

"And then swimming?"

"Duh."

"And sand castles?"

"… How old are you, again?"

The water was clear and turquoise. The sand was white and pristine, soft as silk under bare foot.

Annabeth and Percy had climbed the sand dunes and discovered a branch that hung out over the water. Percy fashioned a rope swing for them, and they had hours of fun swinging and laughing and fluffy romantic kisses.

They didn't end up going fishing, but neither minded. They never wanted to leave the beach, which Percy had affectionately nicknamed Sandyland.

Dark came, and while Percy heated up the left over sausages from lunch on the gas stove, Annabeth prepared the bed in the bottom compartment of the boat.

She felt a thrill of excitement run through her body at the prospect of sleeping in the same area— same bed— as Percy. Her boyfriend. She'd never done anything like it before.

"Annabeth!" she heard a yell from outside, and Annabeth sighed. She knew she shouldn't have left her hopeless boyfriend alone with a gas stove and her dinner for long.

"Coming!" she called, smoothing the sheet down on the bed and laying the pillows out. She patted them flat and folded the blanket neatly at the end of the bed. She zipped up hers and Percy's suitcases and placed them neatly on the small fold out table.

When she was anxious or nervous, she became extremely OCD.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled again.

"I said I'm coming!" she shouted back.

She exited the stuffy compartment, making a mental note to open the porthole later for fresh air,

Annabeth glanced around the beach, briefly imagining a raging fire, a singed Percy, and black sausages. Everything seemed fine. Percy was sitting next to the gas stove, turning the sausages, looking peaceful like nothing was wrong. So why had he called her?

She approached him and plunked herself down next to him on the ssand. "What's up, Seaweed Brain?"

"The stove isn't turning off, and the sausages are burning."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, and nudged his clumsy fingers out of the way.

She tried to turn the dial, and discovered it was stuck. "Quick, get the food off the stove otherwise it'll burn. I'll fix it."

"Annabeth the Builder, CAN SHE FIX IT?" Percy sung, wisely reatreating out of range of her fists.

"Shut up, Percy."

"Sorry."

"The dial isn't turning!"

"Try hitting it."

"Be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate."

"…"

"Percy, can you breathe a little quieter?"

"You're taking this way too seriously."

"Seriously, shut up."

"What you need is a little man power."

"What, from you?"

"Well, yeah?"

*scoffs*

"Come on… come on… got it!"

"I loosened it for you."

"Don't you dare take all the credit, Seaweed Brain."

"Sorry."

"And stop saying sorry!"

"Sorry."

*all that can be heard is a sound like that of one slapping one's forehead*

Later, the two were stationed around a roaring bonfire, cocooned by sandy blankets, roasting marsh mellows, talking, joking, teasing, nudging and occasionally kissing.

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?" Percy asked after a moment of silence.

"Wake up, toilet break, eat sandy marsh mellows for breakfast, depart by 9:00 to have the boat back on time. We rented it only for a full 24 hours, so it has to be back by 10:00."

"Wait, that's something else I don't get. If Athena and Poseidon made this boat specifically for our use, how come we were renting it from a mortal boat shack?"

"You didn't actually enter the shop, did you, Percy?"

"No, I went to the bathroom."

"That's right. It wasn't a mortal boat shack, Percy. That was the Mist. It was a peaceful monster chain that happened to be the only one anywhere near our area and on the water. So it was the best place to leave the boat for us."

"But why do we have a limited time with it, if it's ours?"

"It's made of Celestial Bronze to deflect monsters. But it's a special type of Celestial Bronze that can only last for a certain time in the mortal world without disintegrating. After we've returned it, the boat will be taken back to be stored on Olympus, until we request it for use again."

"Olympus has its own boat storage shed?"

"I guess so. Actually, I think it's kept in the amphitheatre when the muses aren't performing."

"But the muses are always performing."

"Well… oh, I don't know, Percy! I suppose the gods have everything else, why not a boat storage shed as well?"

"I don't want to leave," Percy said. "When was the last time we really had time to ourselves without any interruptions?"

"Um… we went on an ice cream date the other day, Seaweed Brain."

"That was the other day."

"Exactly my point."

"That's like an eternity for a teenage boy."

Annabeth didn't bother dignifying that with an answer. She simply relaxed back into his sandy embrace and sucked a sticky marsh mellow off her stick.

"Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That."

"Percy, I can't see where you're pointing."

"On the water. I can feel something out of place. And there's some sort of weird glowing light."

Annabeth sat up, intrigued.

She looked where Percy was pointing, and suddenly she was tackled onto the sand.

"Ah!" she squealed. "P-percy!"

"I'm going to make you beg!"

"No way! Percy, stop it this instant or— ahahaha stop!"

Percy leant down and said, "Say please."

Annabeth was squealing and laughing too much from his tickle attack.

"Please please stop! You win!"

Percy stopped and let her up.

Annabeth wished the night would never end. She hadn't been so relaxed in years.

"Can you believe it?" Percy asked later that night. "We've been alone for almost 24 hours, and nothing's attacked us yet."

"Percy!" Annabeth hissed. "You probably just jinxed it!"

However, bed time at 10:00 came and nothing had gone wrong.

Annabeth was starting to feel hopeful.

They boarded the boat, two sleepy teenagers. Percy was already getting comfortable, and Annabeth was just switching off the lights and putting the keys in a safer place than the ignition (where Percy had thoughtlessly left them) when the water exploded. The boat almost capsized.

"Percy!" Annbeth yelled, holding on for dear life as the boat was thrown violently.

Percy was already out of bed, off the boat, inside his own personal whirlpool, drawing Riptide by the time Annabeth had only just regained her balance again.

The water was thrust up into the air again. There was something huge, mysterious and angry under the there. The water was churning with rage. Even Annabeth, who had no connections to the sea, could feel it. Had they done something to offend it?

The thing reared up in the water, and they got their first good look at it.

Annabeth stumbled back, gasping in horror. Percy's hands started shaking and his whirlpool faltered.

What was it?

I leave it up to you, Olive! What is the sea monster? What significance does the island have to the monster? Why is it so angry?

Find out in the next chapter of Spontaneity!

Until Chapter 3, Pickle :)

P.S. It's our first story. Please show some humanity and press that button down there to leave a review! We'd really appreciate it. If you don't, I'll just have to assume that you don't have a heart!