CHAPTER 1

She's Unbelievable

xxx

Percy Olympia took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

I wish this could last, he thought.

It was not often that this privileged young man from New York could get away to enjoy holidays. The beach of San Francisco was a refreshing break from all the hustle and bustle of his life. The sound of the waves and the feel of sea breeze on his skin made him wish that he could just stay there, away from all the commitment he'd have to face again once he come back.

The cool air ruffled his black hair and he smiled to himself. Percy has always loved the ocean, something that runs in the family. When he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a scenery so beautiful he caught his breath. The sun was sinking, reflecting beautiful colors on the surface of the water, and he was reminded of his early childhood.

During the occasional visits to Montauk beach, his parents would always take him to the shore to watch the sunset. It was the period when Percy was still too young and innocent to care about family name and whatnot. Nowadays, his family hardly spend time on vacations anymore. Thinking about these, Percy realized that he really needed the solitary holiday.

Okay, not exactly solitary. He knew that Argus, his bodyguard, was just in the vicinity, keeping and eye on him but still allowing Percy his personal space.

His mother had fussed and insisted that he bring a bodyguard. He had resisted, but he knew there's no avoiding it. His mom was strict when it comes to his safety. Truthfully, he knew he should be thankful. At least his mom only sent one bodyguard. So much for having alone time.

In one week, he would turn seventeen. Not yet of legal age, but close enough to be bombarded with heavier responsibilities. Percy would be expected to start getting involved in his family's business affairs. He may be the youngest child of Poseidon Olympia, but it doesn't mean he would get little role in their empire. He would be trained, much more than before, so that he would be fit to take over his inheritance.

Percy shook his head. It was his time to relax, not to ponder on the inevitable stress his future holds. After all, he would be returning to New York the next day. Might as well make the most of his time. He tried to push the thoughts away, which became easier when he felt something bouncy hit his head hard.

"Ow!" he said, clutching his head.

"Sorry!" A blond boy who looked no more than twelve was running toward him. He reached down to retrieve a volleyball (so that's the culprit) and looked up at Percy uncertainly.

"Are you alright?"

Argus appeared beside Percy, gazing sternly at the boy.

Percy rolled his eyes. Argus was too good at following orders from his mom. He looked at the boy, who took on a panicked expression.

"It's okay, kid," Percy said gently. "Just be careful next time."

"Okay! Sorry again," he replied to Percy. He looked back at Argus and ran away in a hurry.

Percy sighed and turned to his bodyguard.

"Seriously, Argus," he said wryly, "there's no need to scare the boy."

Argus grunted. "Perhaps you'd better go back to the hotel, sir. It's already dark."

Percy gazed at the ocean. The sun had already set but through the lights coming from the city, he could see the waves lapping against the shore. How much he wanted to stay there and enjoy the feeling, but he's tired. He'd been surfing all day and his muscles were sore. He needed to sleep. But first...

"Let's go get dinner," he said to Argus, who nodded and immediately set off.

"And not in the hotel," Percy added.

Argus sighed. "Lead the way, sir."

xxx

They chose a seafood restaurant and got a table on the balcony overlooking the sea. Percy was so hungry that he didn't bother to make conversation until he's finished. They started talking about random things while Percy waited for the bill.

When they were walking out, Percy was persuading Argus to stop calling him 'sir' since it felt too formal for the teenager. Besides, Argus had been working for their family for a long time. It's just that it was his first time to be personally assigned to Percy. Their conversation was cut short, however, when a blonde girl bumped into Percy. He turned just in time to see the coffee she was holding drip into her white shirt.

"Woah," was all Percy could say.

The girl looked up in shock. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of gray but Percy could clearly see the irritation in them. They're very stormy and Percy guessed the thunder was just around the corner.

"What have you done?!" she yelled, earning looks from passersby.

Percy flinched. He really hated it whenever scary girls shout at him. Based from his past experiences with his cousin, Thalia, he knew that the situation had a low probability of ending well for him.

But Percy wouldn't back down. He noticed that the girl was also holding a phone near her ear, which meant she must've been on it when they collided. There was a very large possibility that it was really the girl's fault that she got drenched in coffee.

"I haven't done anything," Percy said. "I'm pretty sure I was paying attention to where I was going."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "So you mean this," she pointed at her shirt, "is my fault? How arrogant are you?!"

Okay, she was starting to annoy Percy. The girl's tone suggested that there is no possible way that she be blamed for her current condition. Can you believe that? She looked greatly irritated as if Percy had caused her something much worse than the coffee on her shirt. Dude, it's an accident, which is definitely not Percy's fault. He also hated being called 'arrogant', especially since there were already a lot of people looking.

He glanced at Argus. The bodyguard was glaring at the girl, but apparently his firm gaze wasn't effective on her. Or maybe it's because she was too busy glaring at Percy to even notice.

"With all due respect, miss," he gritted his teeth, "we had just left the restaurant and you bumped into me from behind. So how is that my fault? Maybe you were too busy talking on your phone that you didn't notice there's someone in front of you."

The girl fumed and then...

"Ouch!"

Percy was on his back. The crazy girl had just pushed him. What's her problem? There were gasps from the people looking and the girl seemed to just notice that they had an audience. Argus instantly reached down to help Percy up while still glaring at her.

The girl gulped. Maybe she finally realized that she was overreacting. Or maybe she was scared to find out that Percy had a company. Argus could look scary if he wanted to, especially since he had the physique of a linebacker.

"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice and hurriedly walked away.

"Ohh-kay," Percy said as he got to his feet, "that girl surely knows how to push."

His back and waist aches, thanks to the impact with the hard asphalt. He noticed that people were still staring. Maybe they're also wondering how he ended up on the floor so fast. He couldn't blame them. He also didn't see that coming.

He groaned, frustrated. He was just pushed by some random girl. His mom wouldn't be pleased. He raised his eyebrows at the onlookers and they immediately went back to their own businesses. Then he turned to Argus.

"Please don't tell my mom," he asked.

Argus nodded. He knew how terrifying Amy Olympia could be if she learned that her 'baby boy' got hurt.

"Best get you back to your room, sir," the bodyguard said. "You might need a cold compress so it wouldn't hurt in front of your mother."

"Sounds about right."

Argus gripped his arm to steady him, and got a taxi to take them back to their hotel. Unsurprisingly, Percy spent the whole journey thinking about the gray-eyed blonde, a stranger who disliked him enough at first sight to push him down without hesitation. It was not a great first meeting, but Percy knew that he would not easily forget about her. After all, that girl was something.

AN: Good day, my dear readers! This is actually my first time writing a fanfiction, but I assure you that I'm giving it my best and will continue to do so. Just give it a chance and please enjoy. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it's all Rick Riordan's.