Chapter 1
AN: Hey! So this is my first fanfic. Please, leave me some reviews! Criticism? Did you like it? Advice? I'm all ears!
"So, any guesses yet?" Mom eyed me from the rearview mirror. I smiled. She knew I knew where we were headed as my Christmas "surprise," but neither of us actually verbalized it.
Camp. Camp Half-blood. My mind whispered. Training. Fighting. Mrs. O'Leary. The wide, wide, open water.
Annabeth.
She'd been away studying architectural monuments for the past two weeks. To me, they were the longest weeks of my life. With no way to contact her (no cell phones, of course,) I'd gone for what felt like forever without hearing from my girlfriend.
Obviously, Paul was having a hard time dealing with the subtlety. "So… so, I mean, a whole camp filled with kids like you?" I snorted. This never got old. "I mean, nothing is wrong with you, Percy. It's just… completely fantastical to me. I'm having a hard time fathoming this."
"Paul." Mom elbowed him, but she was smiling. Oops. The "secret" was out.
We celebrated Christmas yesterday, December 23. My gift had come in a tiny envelope shaped like a card:
Percy,
Merry Christmas! You'll be going on a trip to a secret destination!
Love you, Mom and Paul
P.S. Here's a hint: You'll be meeting up with "friends" and we won't be joining you.
Like I said, discrete. So we packed ourselves into our blue car the next morning and headed out of Manhattan to my second home.
I know this is a short chapter. There's more to come, I promise!