Son of the Moon
Annabeth P.O.V.
As I walked past the magical barrier at the entrance of Camp Half-blood, my first thought was to find Percy. I haven't seen him since Winter Break and was anxious to see him again. I quickly dropped my bags off on my bunk in Cabin Six and went to search for Percy. I saw a boy with black hair and a tall strong build on the beach, facing the Sound. Without thinking I ran straight for the boy. As I got closer I realized that it wasn't Percy, but another familiar face, my best friend Aiden. In a lot of ways he looked a lot like Percy, except his eyes were the most peculiar grey, not grey really, more like silver rimmed with yellow. Aiden and I had been really good friends ever since we trekked with Luke and Thalia to Camp Half-Blood when I was seven and he was eight.
"Hey Aiden." I smiled at him, but I know he would see through me to the thin layer of disappointment that lay behind the smile.
He smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes " Looking for Percy?"
"That obvious huh? What gave me away?"
"Your voice took on that high pitch tone that it always does when your disappointed or upset. And you've only mistaken me for Percy about thirty different times, so I suppose that it was just a lucky guess." He shrugged and skipped a stone into the water.
"And that's why you're my best friend." I chuckled lightly, hoping he'd laugh too.
He didn't.
I looked at him from the side but couldn't quite determine what he was thinking like I usually could with him. "Are you okay? Well I mean other than..." I trailed off not exactly sure how to bring it up.
"Other than Taylor you mean?" He said expressionlessly.
Taylor, a daughter of Apollo and Aiden's girlfriend- well I guess ex-girlfriend, died in the Titan War last summer. I hoped that over the year while he stayed at Camp he would have recovered a bit, but now I don't know anymore.
"Yeah." I responded.
He turned to me with a smile that didn't reach his silver eyes, "I'm fine."
I knew he was lying. "You don't have to lie around me, y'know."
"Who said I was lying?"
"I did," a little more bratty and bossy than I meant it.
He sighed. "I'm fine Annabeth, it happened almost a year ago. It's a real freaking tragedy that she died, but people die in wars. I know, I know, I've already gotten this speech. I don't want to talk about it right now."
"Obviously you're not fine. If we're not going to talk about it now, when are we going to talk about it Aiden?"
"Hopefully never." He retorted.
"You don't want my help? Fine. " I snapped, and staying put for an extra moment in hopes he'd ask me to stay. He didn't. So quite maturely I added, " Alright then, I'll go find my not-butthead boyfriend Percy."
I had turned on my heel and was mid-stride when Aiden caught my arm, saying, "Oh and Annabeth? It's so nice to see you again." The worst part was that his sarcasm was tangible. I gulped and bit my tongue, holding back a wicked retort or worse, tears. I couldn't figure out which one I wanted to do, rip him a new one or cry. That's a problem. So I clenched my teeth stared into his eyes for just a moment later until he dropped my arm and turned away.
As I walked away, I figured out which option would prevail. I hardly noticed the wet tracks of tears falling down my face until I was halfway back to my cabin. Percy found me and came running over.
"Annabeth!" He said then realized I was crying. "Annabeth, what's wrong?"
I wiped them away hastily, "Nothing. It doesn't matter."
"Annabeth tell me please." Percy said softly.
"Aiden and I had a fight, no big deal." I shrugged and played it off like I was fine. I almost believed myself. Almost.
"It's obviously a big deal if you were crying. You sure?"
I ran a hand through my hair, composing myself. "Yeah."
"Alright." He said, but I could tell that he didn't believe me. "In that case..." He started and then picked me up and kissed me. I smiled against his lips. Just as we broke apart, the conch horn sounded for dinner.
"Guess we should head over then, yeah?" He asked me.
"Yeah." I said, slipping my hand through his, still a little bit upset but a whole lot better now that Percy was here.
"Maybe you can talk to him after dinner," Percy suggested, sensing my unease.
"Yeah, I'll do that. Good idea, thanks." I said, planning what I'd say to Aiden.
"Annabeth Chase, Miss Wise Girl herself, acknowledging that a Seaweed Brain like me had a good idea? Impossible," he teased.
"Shut up Seaweed Brain. C'mon let's go." And with that, we headed towards the dining pavilion.
Aiden's P.O.V.
I thought about mine and Annabeth's conversation after she left, and was grateful from the short reprieve of guilt I felt from Taylor's death, only to be greeted by more guilt about what I said to Annabeth. It wasn't her fault that Taylor was dead because of me. She's just trying to be a good friend. She is a good friend and I know one thing for certain: I don't deserve a friend like her. I rewound through our conversation and winced inwardly when I made my last comment. The look on her face wrenched his heart.
I cupped salty Atlantic Ocean water in my hands and I squeezed my eyes shut, washing my face roughly. The salt stung my eyes but I didn't move to rub it away. I liked the pain; it gave me something else to latch myself onto other than the agonizing guilt I'd been feeling these last few months. I heard the horn signal dinner and knew I should probably make an appearance, lest Annabeth send the freaking National Guard looking for me. Or worse. Annabeth herself found me. The thought sent chills down my spine, knowing that I'd get ripped the newest of all new ones.
So I made my way to the dining pavilion, sitting down at the Hermes table. No, I wasn't actually a son of Hermes, but I might as well be. They're as much my family as my dad and my step-mom were before they died. I haven't been claimed yet which is beyond jacked up considering super-Percy's request of the gods was to claim every one of their children. Yup, I'm the last unclaimed demigod in the whole freaking camp. I try not to let it bother me though, and plus I'm happy to stay with the Hermes kids, better them than Ares. I went through dinner making small talk, but mostly listening to others' conversations about their school year.