I promise solemnly:
1. to write about characters with accuracy and not out of character,
2. to respect the comments of readers and take their advice to improve,
3. to correct grammar and have a Beta look over my chapters,
4. to finish the story, feeling accomplished, unless you do not feel you have the inspiration to continue.
I accept these responsibilities and shall honor them always.
Chapter 1: The Dinner Meeting
Percy
"Okay guys, gold or silver?" Rachel said as she held up her mismatched nails.
Grover looked up from his phone, astonished, from the back seat and exclaimed, "Rachel, they tested that nail polish on animals!"
"Oh, Shut it, tree-hugger!" Rachel joked with a smile as she pulled her blue hair brush out of her back pocket. She had her freckled legs folded crossed and opened the shotgun mirror to brush her wild red hair. "And for your information, they're not. Besides, you're such a hypocrite! Weren't you the one who said, 'Screw all those global warming forest freaks!', after they built a garden over our senior lunch table?"
"Nope, I don't believe you." Grover said flatly, looking out the window, arms crossed.
Rachel gave Grover a sly smile and sing-songed, "Oh, Percy!"
Percy, sitting in the driver's seat of his blue Jeep smirked, "Dude, I've got it on tape."
"Ah-ha!" Rachel yelled in delight and pointed a finger at Grover saying, "Ever since you started dating Juniper, co-president of the Eco Warriors, along-side Moi, you've been all about 'saving the world'!"
Grover, in denial, yelled, "I've always been about saving the world!", his shrilly, high-pitch voice filled the car.
Rachel resumed painting her nails. "Yeah right! You've got to be kidding…"
Percy usually didn't tune out their annual after school bickering session, but he knew today was the last day to see that girl from across the parking lot.
Calypso.
He could see her saying her final goodbyes to her friends. He watched as she laughed, nodding her head sweetly to a girl telling her goodbye. He wondered if he should say something. He'd been trying to avoid their last moment together because, honestly, he didn't want anything to be the end of what they had.
From the distance, he watched as she turned her around, her eyes searching for something. Confusion crossed her face until her sad almond eyes met his. His palms were starting to sweat, as she made her way towards him in her white dress, caramel braided hair and peach skin.
Gods, she's beautiful.
Ever since she enrolled in Goode High School-which was exactly 2 months ago-
Not that he kept track or anything...
He couldn't help but stutter, gawk and drool when she passed him in the hallways. They had become friends after she went to one of his swim meets. Percy was hoping it would become more, but now that her father, a military man,was being relocated to Australia; he would never see her again.
His thoughts wandered to what it would feel like to kiss her on the lips, instead of that hug he got after he won 1st place at the State Championship Swim Meet. He wasn't complaining, though. That awesome hug was better than nothing. And quite frankly, he was surprised she still kept talking to him, because he kept blushing and stuttering like Porky Pig on Looney Tunes.
Definitely not his finest moment.
After realizing she was halfway to his car, he quickly checked his mouth for drool, ran his already messy black hair with his hands and stumbled out of the car with swag.
He heard laughter from his car and started walking towards Calypso, hoping the blush of embarrassment wasn't showing too much.
They were within 15 feet of each other when a black SUV stopped Calypso, beeping and rolling down the window. She bent down and started talking to the driver, holding up her index finger with scrunched eyebrows. Quickly, she ran around the huge car and straight into his arms. Her body was warm, but her hands felt cold wrapped around his neck. The smelled of cinnamon encased him, along with the dancing strands of hair tickling his ear.
She released him, wiping her eyes and laughed with embarrassment? Nervousness? Sadness? He wasn't sure.
Percy studied her face with a new realization and blurted, "Wow, I didn't know you had freckles."
He could just see the, your an idiot flash through his mind.
Calypso laughed a real laugh and glanced at his embarrassed face. She put a hand on his cheek, teasing, "I didn't know you could blush."
Percy began to smile, and then frowned, "I guess this is it, huh?"
Of course it was, she's leaving for good, he thought glumly.
His whole life had been a failure, or so he thought. Year, after year, no matter how innocent or young Percy was, he was expelled from every school he'd been to. He made few friends and had many enemies. He was so unlucky compared to his sister, who always found dollar bills lying on the sidewalks of Olympus for her to pick up. And to top it off, he felt like a failure in his father's eyes. How in the world could he run a company by the time he graduated high school, let alone be the CEO?
The only thing Percy excelled in was swimming. It was like he belonged in the water. It was because of swimming that got him into Goode High School, the last good Greek school in the country, Olympus. His parents told him it was his last chance to finish the year off strong before graduating.
For a month or so, he thought things were finally looking up for him and his senior year. He met his best friend Grover Underwood and was going to the same school as his childhood friend, Rachel. Percy even had all the places he was going to take Calypso during the summer planned out. But with his luck, obviously that wasn't going to happen.
"Yeah, my dad's already got everything packed. We're leaving in 30 minutes."
She looked down and for a second, Percy thought she was going to cry.
But, she just kept her head down, not wanting to meet his eyes. He tipped her chin upwards to his face and said, "Hey, don't worry. I'll write to you over the summer."
She smiled and joked lightly, saying, "You? Writing a letter? I'd like to see that!"
"I would!"
"Promise?"
Percy smiled, "Calypso, I promise."
Suddenly, it became really quiet and Percy glanced at her lips and then her eyes. She seemed to be thinking the same thing and with a silent agreement they cocked their heads to the side and …
BEEP! BE-BEEP! BEEEEEPPPPP!
They jerked backwards, their faces red and quickly glanced at the SUV. Percy's hand found its way to the back of his head and the other one in his pocket. Her driver, rolled down the window and pointed at his watch, but she ignored that and yelled, "Give me a second!"
Calypso, blushing, surprised Percy.
She kissed him.
Grabbing both sides of his shirt, she pulled him straight to her. Right then and there. It was the kind of kiss that left him wanting more. It wasn't quick and gone by the time he opened his eyes. It was slow, capturing the mood perfectly.
BEEP!
She pulled back and yelled, "Alright! Alright! I'm coming!" to the driver, although her eyes were on Percy with a slight smile tracing her pretty pink lips. And with that, she gave Percy a quick hug, ran to the SUV and shut the car door; leaving him staring at a black non-see-through window as the SUV left the parking lot, the school and him for good.
He could have stood there forever in shock, but Rachel honked his car and yelled, "Come on, Lover boy! It's the last day of school and I'm getting sick of looking at this wasteland!"
When Percy got in the car and dropped them off at their houses, the whole time, Grover teased him with the song, Sitting in a Tree to saying: 'She'll always be your biggest what if!' Rachel, on the other hand, acted as if he had finally become a man and said, "My little Perce is finally growing up!" And of course she had to add in the fake tears. Rachel always had a way of being overly dramatic.
He rolled his eyes, asking, "Remind me again, why I drive you guys everywhere?"
"Because without us, you'd probably get into a huge car accident!" Grover said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Rachel, changing the radio station, laughed and said, "Grover's right, you're probably the most reckless driver I've ever seen. I bet your driving instructor peed in his pants when you ran over that Stop Sign."
Percy broke into a laugh. "It was a one-time accident!"
He came to his house around 5:30 after dropping off Rachel and Grover, and was starving for some dinner. Percy walked down their long hallway that was filled with shells, crystals and more exotic sea stuff that his father had gotten from foreign beaches he'd traveled to. Each one proudly displayed with a title and date. Percy's favorite one was the sea shell he found at Montauk, New York in America. It was naturally ocean blue and had been his favorite color since he was six. He had a lot of good memories there … Except for the time Hazel almost died by drowning. That wasn't so much fun.
"Mom! Hazel! I'm home!"
Percy entered the kitchen to find his mother busying herself with the oven. He bent down to kiss mom's cheek.
"Hey, sweetie. Got you your favorite." She pulled out a bag of blue jelly beans from her purse on the kitchen counter and handed them to him.
"Thanks Mom!" he said, already stuffing them in his mouth. "Dad still at work?"
His mom, Sally Jackson, gave him a puzzled look and said, "Uh no, he's actually upstairs in his study. Business call from Praetors Zeus and Bellona." She pulled out the garlic bread from the oven she made and set them on the stove. When she was done she leaned against the refrigerator, her full brown bangs covered her blue eyes until she looked him in the eye saying, "We're having a family meeting."
"Oh come on!," bursting with a groan, he slumped against the refrigerator. "If I have to sit through another lecture on how I will become the next CEO of Jackson Seas Incorporation, I might just die inside."
"Percy! You know if your father heard you, he would have an absolute fit!" She scolded him and then sighed with sympathy. "Listen, Percy, I want you to do what you love, but for the time being; you have to follow through with your father's plans."
"Why can't Hazel do it?" he whined like a little 5 year old.
"You know she get's sea-sick, hates sailing, plus- wait a second…" She stopped mid-lecture and gave him a confused stare. "Didn't you pick her up?"
"N—"
As if right on cue his sister, Hazel, quietly opened the kitchen door with a sigh. With her back facing them, he could see her quickly fixing her sleeves and skirt. Just as her hands were reaching to fix her hair, mom knocked her fist lightly on the island countertop.
Percy had never seen someone turn around with a fright so quickly. She looked like a deer in headlights."M-mom! Percy! What are you guys doing here?!" She fiddled with her gold, diamond necklace and smiled innocently at them.
"We live here." Percy replied bluntly.
Mom crossed her arms with disbelief. "Alright Hazel, where were you?"
But before Hazel could answer, the home phone rang. Reluctantly, Mom went to get the home phone and Hazel gave Percy her signature please-cover-for-me bambi face. He tried to resist but those big golden eyes made it really hard. Then she mouthed the words: drunk and window.
Styx! She got me, he thought to himself.
Last Saturday night he went to Connor and Travis Stoll's epic party. Saying the party was crazy, was an understatement! Beer pong, an amazing pool, a chocolate fountain, dancing and to top it all off : people were burning couches and throwing it off the roof into the lake. Percy didn't get drunk over girls. But he was being stupid and decided to drink his sorrows of Calypso moving to Australia...
He guessed there was a first for everything.
His mind constantly blurred, blacked out and he could have sworn he saw shooting stars, but this is what Percy did remember: him surfing the crowd (that was awesome), a goat and him flying on a magic carpet (he's still debating if that was real or a dream) and Grover shoving him through Hazel's window at 4am.
Her window faced the street and had a big tree to the side of it that was used for more than just their old tree-house days. Nowadays, it was their entrance and escape route to get out of the house without their parents noticing late at night or early in the morning.
He was hoping that Hazel hadn't noticed, since it had been a week and she hadn't mentioned it. But, now it was obvious she was waiting for the right time to blackmail him. He looked at her for a second, proudly smiling inwardly, he taught her so well…
When mom finished talking on the phone she came over to kiss their heads, clearly distracted, "Go get changed. We're having dinner in 10 minutes. And Hazel, don't do that again."
"Got it, Mom!" And with that she was out of the kitchen.
"You know, she's been really secretive and busy lately…" Mom murmured thoughtfully staring at the spot Hazel was standing at before she disappeared.
"Well, she's got a boyfriend now. Hank, remember?" Percy said. But before she could say anything negative about Hank, he quickly said "And besides, this will take her mind off Sammy. You know it's been really tough on her."
No matter what, he had to stick up for Hazel. Even if he hated that snobby, stuck up, rude, self-entitled roman brat-boyfriend. He meant boyfriend… Its not so much that Percy was was blindly agreeing with Hazel so that she could date Hank. It's that when it came down to certain things, they always had each other's back and if Hank (AKA Doucheface) made her happy and get over a certain boy…. Well, then he was all for it.
Because, if it was under completely different circumstances, he would have kicked Hank's ass for even stepping on the front porch of their house, let alone kiss Hazel in front of Percy.
Percy silently shook his head; the nerve of that boy...
Mom smiled sadly and they both stood there silently. He knew what she was thinking. They all loved Sammy, he was the little brother Percy always wanted and probably would have been Hazel's boyfriend, if he hadn't …
Mom stopped him mid-thought and exclaimed, "Oh my gods! The lasagna!" She ran over to the oven, opening it, releasing a big trail of black smoke.
Percy coughed after inhaling the fumes and yelled over the fire alarm. "Should I order Pizza Hut or Dominos?"
After ordering Dominos, Percy went to his room and started changing into shorts and a tank. He turned on his flat screen TV to waste time and started flipping through the channels until he found something good. As Percy flipped through the Good Morning Olympus News , he saw the biggest luxurious ship he had ever laid eyes on. Percy flipped back, mouth falling open and stared at the screen while the lady next to the ship started taking:
"'Hello, I'm Liz Stevens reporting live from Good Morning Olympus. I'm here at the beach ports of Olympus standing right behind the world's first luxury flying ship, The Argo. And here we have the world-famous inventor who built this one of a kind boat, Mr. Hephaestus. So why did you build this incredible ship?"
Percy felt someone slide into his couch beside him quietly, but was too shocked watching the TV to look. A man about the size of a boulder, with a hunched back and big muscular long arms with a dark brown beard came into view. He towered over the news reporter and Percy couldn't help but think he was a non-green version of the Hulk. The only unsettling thing about his appearance were his chicken legs. They weren't real chicken legs, but they were skinny. Really skinny. He also had crutches and it was obvious that he was—
"Handicapped." whispered Hazel. Percy wasn't surprised that Hazel had came into his room; they always shared everything, and that meant his Flat Screen TV. Hazel wasn't the kind of teen to be interested in the 21st century technology. The Jackson family had always dubbed her as the "old soul".
"Uh, yeah, this is my ship. I uh, built this…" he scratched his ear and coughed loudly into the microphone. "Maybe about 2, 3 months ago. It was supposed to be for fun-a little project of mine-nothing big. Anyways, my brother, Zeus, you know the Big Guy of Olympus, thought it'd be a cool idea to host the Summer Solstice on it for whatever reason." Hephaestus said, looking everywhere and anywhere but the camera.
Someone was obviously camera shy. And bad with social settings.
"For fun?" Percy exclaimed. "Building huge massive flying ships is his idea of fun? I wonder what else he builds? I bet he's got an army of pattons for video games and iphones that won't come out in stores for another 10 years."
Hazel gave him an exasperated look. "Seriously, Percy? That's all you got from what he said?"
"What?"
"Praetor Zeus is hosting the Summer Solstice on that flying ship. Which means that all the most important people of Olympus and their families will be on there, including us."
Realization hit Percy like a ton of bricks. For years, Percy and Hazel had been able to avoid going to the Summer Solstice by being on "vacation" or "summer camp" or being "sick" during the summer. But this year, their dad had finally set the law that they would have to go, so they would at least become acquaintances with the kids, like them, that will become the leaders of Olympus soon.
Percy was about to say something, when his mom shouted, "Percy! Hazel! The pizza's here. Come down!"
With a sigh, he turned off the TV and got up from the couch. He pulled up Hazel, until he noticed something on her. He paused and got a good look of her. Her long curly hair was in a messy bun at the top of her head and she was wearing Jupiter Academy purple sweat pants and her usual necklace. But what made him stop were the bright red bruises that traveled up from her wrist and forearm.
He took her arm in his hands and inspected the bruises. He looked at her face with concern. "Hazel, your arm… what happened?"
Hazel just realizing what he was staring at; quickly covered it up with her long sleeve white tank. "It's nothing, I just fell on my way home after school. I guess it hasn't healed yet." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at him reassuringly.
"Are you sure you're okay?" The bruises looked pretty bad and Hazel wasn't the type to just fall randomly on the side of the street.
She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his room, towards the dining room. "I'm fine, Percy. Honestly, I'm not a baby. Anyways, did you have a little goodbye kiss with Calypso? Everybody's talking about it."
Percy knew she had changed the subject and the bruise did bother him, but Hazel would never lie to him and vice-versa. He was lucky their relationship was much better than other siblings he had seen before. Percy wondered if it would have been different if his parents had adopted a different girl instead of her. But he pushed the thought out of his head; life without Hazel would have been the most pathetic only-child life he could ever imagine with over-protective, hovering parents.
Percy sheepishly didn't answer. Instead, it was his turn to change the subject. "Race ya!"
Hazel laughed and the two of them thundered down the stairs to the dining room.
They got there just in time to see Mom put the pizza on the dining table. Even though, there were two maids on either side of the room, Percy's mom still tried to do things on her own.
He spotted his dad, sitting at the head of the table with the typical Jackson look: his black beard and hair, sea green eyes, and tan skin. He was wearing his usual khaki Bermuda shorts and Hawaiian shirt. To put it short, Dad wasn't the average businessman.
Percy plopped down in his chair and said a quick hi to everyone before digging into his slice of heaven. Meat-lover pizza, his all-time favorite.
"Percy," His mom called.
"Yeah?"
"The altar, honey."
"Oh right, sorry."
To the corner of the dining room, was an altar, almost resembling a fireplace and was decorated in Greek and Roman colors of orange and purple.
It was a tradition, a BIG tradition in Olympus, where a person would give half of the best or favorite part of their meal and burn it for a good life and great luck. No one knows exactly where it originated from but as far as Percy knew, it was a tradition since the beginning of Olympus.
He got up from the table and gave half of his meat topping to the fire and watched it burn, sending a prayer of no meaning.
After Hazel gave away her half of her crust of the pizza, she kissed their dad on the cheek before sitting down. "Evening, Daddy. How was work?"
He looked up from his newspaper and smiled, making his laughing lines more pronounced. "Just fine, Hazel."
Mom, looking at particularly no one, smiled and said, "Your father has news that he wants to tell you two about." Percy and Hazel shared a glance at each other, knowing it had something to do with what they heard on TV.
Dad stopped eating his slice of pizza and sat back. "The reason I called for a family meeting is because Praetors Zeus and Bellona have decided to hold the Summer Solstice on a flying ship, The Argo." Dad paused and looked at Percy and Hazel, as if to wait for a complaint or groan, but they said nothing. So he continued, " Here's the thing, even though the Summer Solstice isn't until June the 21st, Zeus and Bellona have issued the Summer Solstice will be a month trip on the Argo, starting on June 1st to July 1st."
And that's when the complaining started.
"Dad! You know I hate the water!" Hazel whined. "I was okay at first, because I thought it would be a 3 day trip, but a month! That's too long!"
Dad with his calm voice reasoned. "Now, sweetie, I know it will be hard-"
"Wait a second, what are we even going to be doing there for a whole month. Is there really that many issues to discuss with the Olympus leaders?" Percy interrupted.
"Well, the praetors have noticed many of the leaders of Olympus had kids that were all around the same age. And since most of them would be graduating now or in the next 2 years, they thought it would be a good idea to create friendships before the kids started becoming leaders of their future companies. Plus, we'll be traveling the world, stopping in so many exotic locations, not to mention the Argo's a flying cruise ship."
"So while the big adults are discussing issues of Olympus, we'll be dumped at a teen daycare where we learn to do trusting exercises blindfolded and sing kumbaya around a campfire, right?"
Dad countered back at Percy, his calmness slowly becoming a storm. "Well, maybe if you hadn't skipped the last few Summer AND Winter Solstices, I would have let you not go to this –"
Percy couldn't stop now. "It was during school! I couldn't have gone to a Winter Solstice to begin with-"
Hazel, trying to use her bambi eyes on Dad (which was totally an unfair advantage) begged, "But why do I have to go? Can't you just leave me at home? I won't do anything too-"
"Guys, listen up!" Mom had one of her rare stern looks. She immediately shut everyone up. She softened her voice and looked at him and Hazel. "Hazel, I know it's a month trip, but it will be fun! Plus, Dr. Apollo gave me the best sea-sickness pill just for you. And Percy, you would be missing such a great opportunity in meeting friends, and you love boats! I'd really hate for you to do something you don't want to do, but you need to come. Just think of it as an adventure! Who knows, you might actually love it. And besides, after you graduate high school, you'll become an apprentice to your father, and when the time is right, you'll be the new CEO of the Jackson Seas Inc."
Half way through mom's lecture; Percy received a text from Rachel:
hey fish boy! me and grover and a few others are going to the beach and the tides are great 2night for surfing, comin or what? :D
Not wanting to waste anymore time, he quickly said, "Fine, I'll go." Mom, smiling, mouthed a thank you. Percy smiled back, feeling guilty, knowing that he agreed just so he could leave.
He watched as Hazel stormed out of the room with a look of betrayal on her face that was directed at him. Percy made a note of buying Hazel her favorite comfort food, shrimp gumbo, as an apology. He hated when Hazel was mad at him, but they were bound to go to the Summer Solstice sooner or later.
Honestly, he really didn't want to go. But the last thing he wanted to do was sit in another lecture about how he is the future of Jackson Seas Inc., which is true. Besides, how hard would it be to survive with about 20 or more other hormone, emotional and probably really snobby teens, who were pampered with money 24/7?
He'd seen some of those kids walk pass him in the mall; with their newest Venus fashion clothes and butlers carrying a dozen or so shopping bags, barely trying to catch up. At least, Percy and his sister weren't like that. Sure they were rich, but his parents taught him to be modest and to give to the poor. In some ways, Percy felt a little embarrassed about his life when talking to friends who weren't wealthy. Basically, he tried to avoid the topic of wealth altogether.
Well… at least on the bright side, Rachel would be coming, and he could probably persuade his parents to bring Grover... And with Hazel being there, it wouldn't be boring … But, then if she started throwing up, that would suck too…
He texted Rachel from underneath the table about what time he should get there, while lying to his parents saying, "Well, if that's it, then I'm heading over to Grover's house for a senior graduation party."
He didn't lie to them often, even more less so to his mom but she thought it was too dangerous to go night surfing, even though he went about once a month for the past 3 years with his friends.
He got up from the table, kissing his mom on the cheek, patting his dad on the back and jokingly saluting the maids, winking at them, who both blushed slightly. Right as he was about to leave the room, his father said with an amused smile, "Not so fast, Perce."
Percy sighing, back tracked to his seat and looked at his dad.
Dad took a sip of his blue coke and said, "I have one condition that you must follow, while you're on The Argo."
Percy, not really listening at his Dad, looked at the text he received from Rachel:
Come as soon as possible! Ur missing some killer waves :) and bring a cake, we've got the beer covered ;)
He glanced quickly at his father and said, "What's the condition?"
"I want you to become friends with Annabeth Chase."
Percy had never heard of that name before, but at that moment he didn't really care to ask who she was. While texting Rachel that he was on his way over, he quickly said, "Yeah, Annabelle Chain. Got it!"
He was almost out the room when his mom said, "No, sweetie, its Annabeth Chase."
He flashed them a smile, before heading out into the hallway towards the garage, shouting, "Don't worry, me and Annabe Chaser will be the best of friends!"
And with that, he raced off to his car outside, thinking of his final last days before he went off to Prison, AKA, the Argo.
Up Next: Jason
Please leave a comment, so I know whether to continue or not!
