Not many people like Rachel which I don't get. She's totally awesome. So what if she gets in the way of Percabeth? Doesn't that just make the couple stronger? I like Percabeth but I really, really like Rachel so I'm writing about her.

Has the elements of a fluff (more on Romance) but it's not full-pledged (I like angst).

Disclaimer: If I owned it, my name would be printed at the bottom of the book and not Rick Riordan's, wouldn't it? But, if he was giving up the rights to it, I'd gladly accept. I am not earning money from writing this. I only get fulfillment and happiness. Kudos to ya' Rick Riordan.

However, this story belongs to me. It was born after days of doing nothing on winter break. This is slightly AU [Alternate Universe] but not quite. Expect a little OoC-ness. Hey! they're in my story now.

Please R&R. Know it makes my day. :)

Chapter 1: Mr. Beach Bum

I was looking at this girl at the beach. Well, more like staring at her. I just couldn't help it. There weren't many people on the beach today and her flaming red hair just stole my whole attention. She was wearing a light white blouse over her swimsuit with her hair neatly tied back into a ponytail. She was sitting casually on the sand while drinking some cranberry juice. I couldn't tell what her eyes were like over her Gucci sunglasses but I bet they were beautiful. To sum it up, she looked like a million golden drachmas -really attractive.

"Percy, hurry up!" my friends shouted. I picked up the beach ball that cozily lay floating along the shore and headed back to our little game.

I was so tired when the day ended that it felt like I was holding the sky. I longed for the bed in the small villa we rented but I just fell down and fell asleep on the sand.

~O~

When my consciousness started to return, there was this nagging feeling on my back as if someone was jabbing me. The scent of the salty sea slowly woke me up. When my eyes fluttered open, the first thing I saw were the waves slowly crashing against the shore. They made me feel so relaxed I almost fell asleep again but the nagging feeling of a stick poking my back kept me up.

"Oi…," a girl's voice said. "Mister Beach Bum…How long are you going to lie there?" She paused for a moment.

I got up to a sitting position and faced the girl. To my surprise, it was the same girl from this morning. I instantly blushed.

"You know…in other public beaches, bums are instantly arrested for unlawfully using the beach as sleeping grounds…," she added as she poked me again with the stick.

"I'm not a bum...I just happened to accidentally fall asleep…"

"Uhuh…Keep telling yourself that."

"What are you doing here anyway…?"

"Well, Mr. Beach Bum, if you must know…," she started, particularly stressing the 'Mr. Beach Bum' title. "…Some girls started screaming earlier about some dead guy lying around here so I wanted to check it out."

"My name is Percy Jackson not Mr. Beach Bum, please…," I replied kind of annoyed at the title. "And that dead guy would be me, right?"

"Uhuh…What a bummer…I wanted to see a dead body."

That sent me the chills somehow. Why would she want to see dead bodies in the middle of the night? A sigh escaped my mouth in wonder. She didn't seem to mind. She just sat on the sand and looked up at the stars. The light of the moon wrapped her in an aura that was mystifying. I stayed put and simply watched her in awe.

She had green eyes that had a magnificent glint to it. She was wearing the same white blouse from earlier over some button-up shorts. I was pretty sure my face was getting redder from just watching.

"Rachel," she suddenly spoke. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare…" she finished, her gaze glued to the clear night sky.

"Huh?"

"You said your name is Percy, right? It's only proper for me to introduce myself as well."

I stayed quiet for a long while. I didn't know why but when she talks, there's this aura that makes you lose the words you were gonna say in reply. My feet were getting cold from tension for some reason. A few minutes passed and then…, a few more passed. We were far from the city so it was so quiet that the sound of waves was all that I could hear. And speaking of waves, they crept closer and closer towards us. Soon enough, they reached our feet. They kinda tickled.

"The tide is getting higher…"

"Uhuh…," she replied.

She started doodling on the sand with the stick from earlier. I stared at the sketch trying to decipher what it was but the waves got to it and it disappeared. I got up and patted away the sand on my shorts. There was a loud Woosh and a really big wave crashed against the shore showering warm seawater all over my body. The girl on the other hand, got completely doused. I laughed unintentionally.

"Are you okay?"

"Why Yes! I am completely fine! Especially after being doused by water in the middle of the freezing night!" she said with much sarcasm. I laughed even more.

She rubbed her arms with her hands for warmth. I offered my hand to help her up. She stared at me for a short while and took it.

"Thanks…," she muttered under her breath.

Since she was wet, I could see through her blouse and at her white bra, not swimsuit…bra. I looked away and mentally slapped myself. When did you become a pervert Perseus Jackson?

"What's the matter?" she asked out of the blue while still shivering.

"Err…Nothing… The air here is freezing. You should go back to your cabin and change."

She looked back at the waves -her gaze seemed like it was looking a thousand miles away. "I…don't wanna go back...to my cabin."

"Okay…but you'll catch a cold…"

She frowned a bit. It looked like she was going to be stubborn. So…I did the wise thing and left. I know. I know…Insensitive right? When I finally reached the villa, the guys were all asleep so I crept in slowly.

"Well, well…Where have you been Percy Jackson?" a slightly husky voice choked out.

"A-Annabeth…I…uhh…I kind of fell asleep on the sand." I uttered aimlessly. She looked kind of red and out of it.

"You know…that's illegal in some beaches…" she laughed.

"Annabeth…?"

"Yes?"

"Are you drunk?"

"Drunk? Of course not, Seaweed Brain! I just took one shot."

"Right….You got drunk from just one shot. That's….weak."

"I said I'm not drunk! I don't even drink any alcohol and nor do you. I just took some apple cider because Katie said it would be good for my cold."

"Oh…" That kinda made sense…I think. "So…Apple cider is good for colds?"

"I don't know…" That sounded wrong in a million unthinkable ways. Annabeth plus I don't know is like wow.

"Anyway…Is there more of that 'magic' Apple Cider of yours?"

"Yeah…in the kitchen…" She looked up at the clear night sky with a longing for something that I did not know of. I stopped in my tracks. She had that dreamy look in her eyes-one that I saw when I first met her. I smiled and entered the villa from the balcony.

When I got out once again, Annabeth had fallen asleep on the pavilion's bench. She looked so relaxed I couldn't help but feel amused. I took a sheet and draped it over her body and then went on my way.

Achoo!

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was sitting casually on the ground…sneezing. I knew it-she'd be stubborn. I walked closer to her but she didn't seem to sense my presence.

"Hey," I called out. "You really should get home."

Before I even finished my statement, she cut me off with a stubborn, "NO way!" She looked at me and her flustered expression returned to the usual empty look that her face bore.

"Oh…so you're back…," she paused. "…Percy."

"So you remembered my name…Rachel." I sat down beside her and handed her a bottle of apple cider. "If you're going to be stubborn….then, would you like some company while you're on that?"

She stared at the bottle l just handed her like it was the most curious thing in the world. "What's this?"

"Apple cider…it's good for your cold…and," I handed her a thick cloth. "You look like you're freezing."

She took the cloth and draped it over herself and took a sip at the apple cider. We both smiled at each other. "Well…uhh…Thanks."

We sat there the rest of the night, quietly watching the beautiful night sky, studded with the diamonds of the night.

When morning finally came, I was sleeping soundly on the sand-alone, the red head nowhere in sight. I thought for a while and considered that maybe she was never there but the maroon cloth that I had given her last night was now wrapped around my body. I trudged back to the villa thinking that I probably looked like I had just woken up from a nightmare. When I got to the villa, hundreds of questions were thrown at me like a machine gun. Where were you last night? Why do you look so messed up? Blah blah blah.

"I fell asleep on the sand and I just woke up okay?"

I ignored the rest of the questions and headed for my room. And with the large bed sitting in front of me in such an inviting way, I couldn't help but fall asleep again.

There was continuous knocking on my door.

"Wake up Seaweed Brain."

-o-

And that was the end of my little summer vacation.

At least…the most interesting day of my summer vacation.

If you didn't like the story, I'm sorry to not have been satisfactory enough, to please you. If it opposes your principles, then I guess this story is not for you.

However, there is a small bundle that might laugh as they read through this and enjoy this story. This was made especially for them.

Constructive criticism is very much welcome though.

R&R

I've read the whole series. I bought the sequel: "The Lost Hero" last November but I haven't read it yet. I promised myself I'll publish a 'certain' story (not this one) first before reading it. But, if worse comes to worse and I'm not able to finish that story before September (the release of "The Son of Neptune") I'll read the book without publishing first.

So what I'm saying is, I'm pretty knowledgeable about the series but I get mistakes now and then. I do modify the story sometimes so expect that.

I recommend skipping what's written below, it's mostly just ranting.

And now, for my chapter blog:

~O~

I've done three chapters for this as of now and I can't seem to find my way to the next chapter probably because I got a block caused by school. You would too, with finals in two weeks, prom in a week, two researches due in a few days, a flood of projects and homework and specially, with college coming my way in a few months(Graduation is in one month...wew). Sigh. I made this story last December and finished off chapter 3 on the second day of January before the periodic exams. And ever since, I've been busy with contests and school. I only won 3rd place in the nationals but that's okay, the food was great XD. I'll keep writing though, don't worry.

I love Rachel. Join my cause!