4th Grade Gumption

To be honest, Percy Jackson didn't really appreciate having to always be the guy to go up to people and say 'I'm Percy; what's your name? Would you like to go swing with me at recess if you're not spending it with anyone else?'. Of course, being the only kid with ADHD and dyslexia made his destiny to initiate friendships so.

He'd gotten used to it by now. Its just…annoying, is all. Four years is long enough, buddy. Let someone come up to me, was what Percy was thinking.

And by this time in the elementary school period, boys were actually starting to like girls. Percy happened to be the late bloomer in figuring out that he liked a girl with a nice smile, blond hair and a cute laugh.

Anyways, it was around March. Flowers were starting to bloom, kids were starting to wear t-shirts again, and all the thick, fluffy snow was gone, only to be replaced by bright green grass. Oh, and Spring Break was coming up, too. Percy was excited about that-he would get to go down to Montauk for a week. His mother said she was planning to fix up the cabin the weekend before because she'd heard a family was coming to the cabin near theirs. She also thought maybe Percy would make friends with some of the children-maybe there was a girl there!

"Mooom," Percy whined. "I don't like girls. Well, yeah, they're nice, but-"

"But you can still make friends with her, if they even have a girl with them. I told you I wasn't completely sure on that part. Now, I think you should get going on your homework before you complain its your bedroom and its too late to do it."

Percy made a slight pout. "Ok."

The day before Spring Break seemed to last forever. Percy didn't feel like reading Anne of Green Gables, or solving for the product of 12*11. Recess was pretty much the only fun part of the day, because then he could climb to the top of the tree where the recess monitors couldn't tell him he'd fall down. But unfortunately for him, recess was only 15 minutes. And no, PE did not count, despite the many times he protested to the recess monitors. By the time Percy was sure school would never let out, it did.

When he got off the bus, Percy made sure he had all the clothes he needed so they could get going that Friday night. "Mom! Are you done packing yet? We can get going now and buy some Burger King on the way there! Mom!" Percy called as he raced through his apartment.

"Yes, Percy. I'm done packing, but we're going to eat here. Relax," his mother said calmly as she zipped up her suitcase. He nodded grudgingly as he walked over to the living room and turned on the TV.

Spongebob was on. Percy made it through about 4 episodes before he was called in for meatloaf surprise, which surprisingly tasted good. While he was cleaning off the table and washing some of the dishes, his mother had loaded up the car with everything they needed for the 1-2 hour trip to Montauk.

"Okay," she announced. "Are you done with the dishes, Percy?"

Percy's head snapped up from the giant mass of dishes and bubbles. "Huh?"

He wiped his bubble-clad hands and said, "Yep, ready!"

About halfway through the car ride, Percy finally asked, "Are we there yet?"

"We're almost there."

"How 'bout now? I think those bushes are slightly familiar."

"You noticed the bushes?"

"Yeah. I don't know what kind they are, but-"

"Hey, Percy, can you stay quiet for the next 15 minutes or so? Read your comic book you brought along."

"But its dark out."

"Shh!"

Somehow Percy ended up in his bed at the cabin. According to his wall clock, it was about 7 in the morning. Maybe he could go to the beach.

He looked out the window. Through the half dirty glass Percy could see the white sand and the greenish-blue waves sparkling as the sun shone on them. He missed this too much. Apparently his mother was already up, because he heard footsteps, and then his door opened. "Percy? You awake?"

"Yeah."

"You fell asleep like 5 minutes after you said it was dark out. And apparently it was also your bedtime. You up for pancakes?"

Percy practically jumped out of bed. At about noon, he saw a family of five heading out to the beach. A mom, a dad, and three kids; two boys, at least. And oh yes, there was a girl his age with them.

"Hey, mom, I see the people!"

"Do you now?"

"Yeah. I just said that. But mom, I don't want to have to go up to them! You do it," he protested.

"Percy, I can't do everything for you," his mother said.

"But I've been doing that since kindergarten!"

Percy put on his swim trunks and gathered his sand castle buckets and shovels and was about to head out until…

"Don't forget your sunscreen! Do you need sunglasses?"

He willingly accepted both. Percy vaguely heard her say that she might head out later in the day or put the finishing touches on the cabin.

When Percy picked out a good place to begin his masterpiece, he noticed the girl looking at him. He awkwardly waved, and the girl waved back.

He started getting water for his castle and forming it. Percy was about halfway through when he heard a voice say, "You know, I wouldn't put those columns there if you want your castle to get past 4 floors."

He whipped his head around to see who was talking. Standing above him was a pretty girl with blond hair tied up in a ponytail and gray eyes slightly hid by her sunglasses. She had on a yellow polka-dot one piece. "Do you want some help? I made my castle 5 stories." She gestured over to a small little castle tower in the distance with an owl flag sticking up from the top.

"Sure."

She knelt beside him, and dumped some sand into a small square shaped bucket. She placed it on the far top right side of the castle and its form came out perfectly.

She helped him put the big bucket on his castle, she gathered seashells to put on the sides, and she even helped him put a semi-intricate tunnel in the bottom of it.

When they were finished, he helped her up and they admired it together. He had to admit, it looked pretty good.

"Say, how do you know so much about sand castles?" he asked her.

"Well, I'm from San Francisco, but I don't go to the beach that often, but I know a lot about architecture and designing structures a lot like this one," she answered. "Oh, and I'm Annabeth." She held out her hand for him to shake. He did.

"I'm Percy. I'm from Manhattan. My mom says not to give out personal information to people I don't know, but I don't think you'll come all the way from California to find me." Annabeth laughed.

"Maybe I might. Are you staying the whole week?"

"Yeah," Percy said. "We can play and build sand castles together, then."

"Cool."

"Yep."
The two of them watched the sun set together, and Percy's mom just so happened to come out of the cabin to tell him it was time for dinner.

"Percy, I didn't know you were hanging out with a girl all this time!" she said.

"Mom," Percy hissed. "Not now."

She gave him a questioning look, but said, "Did you want to invite your friend over for dinner?"

Percy turned to Annabeth and asked, "Hey, Annabeth, do you want to come over for dinner with me and my mom?"

"Sorry, but my mom wants me back by 7 or a little after. I'll see you, Percy," she said, giving him a quick hug. Percy was glad she didn't see him blush.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" he called as she jogged back to her cabin.

Percy decided he rather liked Annabeth. He still wasn't too keen on the idea of liking girls, but he definitely wasn't repulsed by the ideas of just being friends with them. But at least he can tell his friends a girl had the gumption to go up and play with him.