"Percy."
I whipped around to see Annabeth coming towards me. "Finally," I said. "Are you done using the bathroom now?" It had only been a couple hours after I had dropped from the St. Louis Arch, and out of nowhere, Annabeth screams that she needs to use the bathroom.
So there we were at the gas station.
"Annabeth?" I hold her shoulders to steady her, my eyebrows pulling together into a frown. She looks shocked, like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on her head.. "What's up?"
She's shaking. "Percy, let me go. It's nothing. I-I just need to IM camp. Really quickly. Just wait here-"
"Annabeth, you can trust me! What's up?" I repeat, letting go of her. But I start shaking my head, "What is wrong?"
Grover walks over. He's eating an enchilada and can see Annabeth's in distress. "Hey, what-" he stiffens up in horror. "Oh, no...you-you haven't-"
"Grover!" snaps Annabeth, and I'm momentarily shocked at her mood swing. But Grover just gives a little salute and scurries off.
"I'm IMing them now!"
"Annabeth, come on!" I say, exasperated now.
"Percy!" she screams at me, and I actually take a step back in surprise when a tear rolls down her cheek. She brushes it away angrily, "I started my period, OK?" The revelation is delivered in a whisper, and Annabeth's cheeks begin to pink just as I feel mine doing the same.
"I take it you don't mean the punctuation..."
"I'm surprised you know such a big word," she snarls back.
Annabeth disappears into the bathroom again, only coming out when Grover yells at the door that there's a daughter of Apollo in the next neighborhood.
I open my mouth to say something, but Annabeth just keeps her eyes forward as she leads the way to Clover Road.
"Shut up, Percy."