AN: Hey there! This is my first story, so no hate, please. Constructive criticism is welcome. If you like it, please leave a review! I may do more chapters based on the rest of the books in the series if it's requested. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the characters or original plot lines formulated by Rick Riordan in his books.
Percy has always the worst at first impressions.
So, when he passes out as soon as he meets one of the few girls who has acknowledged his presence, he's not surprised. He is, however, positively flabbergasted when the first words she ever speaks to him whilst he is conscious are, "You drool in your sleep."
He slayed the Minotaur, and here's this girl judging him because he happens to sleep with his mouth open. He hasn't even formally introduced himself, nor has she.
They are formally introduced to each other by Chiron following the remark about Percy's nighttime saliva habits. Annabeth, her name is.
And then, of course, his luck made things happen as they had to: she was his little chaperone, she was to show him around the camp and explain this new and possibly fatal world to him. Go figure.
She's a little coarse with him, but seems to be good friends with Grover. When he says something to Grover about it, he is quick to defend her.
"She's had a hard life, Percy," he says, choosing his words carefully, as if to protect her privacy. Percy sort of understands. His family has always been poor, so his childhood would not be one considered "easy," especially after the entrance of "Smelly Gabe." He's not sure what exactly Annabeth's deal is, but he's a little softer towards her now.
Then, as the Fates would have it, he is of course sent on a quest, which could determine the fate of the world. He is asked to choose two people to go on this quest with him, and so far he has only three friends at the camp. Grover, of course, is his first choice, and, at her prodding, Annabeth is the second.
Not that he minds, of course. He and Annabeth are just acquaintances, and having some brains around certainly can't hurt.
The third friend, Luke, gives them the flying shoes as a sort of compensation for not being able to come on the quest, which Percy prays will help them at least some on this quest. At age twelve, Percy thinks of himself as a conglomeration of wet noodles, if he's being honest, so he hopes the shoes will get him and his friends out of a situation fast, because every last one of the gods knows that his scrawny legs won't be able to get the job done.
And then, they're off. Three juveniles desperately trying to save the world in a very brief window of time, their prospects aren't great. But Annabeth looks ready to face down Kronos himself, and Grover has collected whatever small amount of courage he can muster and packed it so tightly together that it has created an armor, which he uses when he is scared, making him braver than Percy's ever seen before.
So, no, Percy can't give up. It's no longer a question of just him, just making it home to his mom. It's now a matter of getting Annabeth and Grover home, too. And, of course, there is still an entire world to save.
And so the journey continues. There are plenty of mishaps along the way, of course, because, as Percy has quickly discovered, bad luck follows demigods everywhere.
But, there is one bout of good luck: the Kindness International truck.
Alright, so, no, no one was pleased with the rather unethical treatment the animals were receiving. But, after a little prompting, Percy finally gets a glimpse inside Annabeth's supposed "hard life." He can now see why she's so coarse.
See, Percy's been poor, and he's had a somewhat abusive stepfather, but he certainly hasn't been entirely devoid of love from an adult. Annabeth's father and stepmother both made it very clear that they would be better off without her, and she ran.
Percy can't imagine the agony that must have accompanied Annabeth's escape, or the fear that must have had a tight grip around her heart for the days leading up to Luke and Thalia finding her.
He's thrilled to find all of this out, though. Not because he wants his new friend in pain, but because she is now officially his friend- she has to be. No one spills their life story and then goes back to acquaintances, ever. So now, Percy has another absolutely official friend. He's thrilled.
See, with his darting between schools for behavior problems all the time, he's rarely had time to make any friends, and, when he does, they usually are only kind to him out of pity. So, making this new friend all on his own is a huge achievement.
Of course, he appreciates Luke and Grover. But, both times, they became his friend out of obligation: Luke, being his temporary cabin counselor, and Grover as his protector. So Annabeth is his first true friend, the first one he made all on his own.
He's very proud, especially when she even seems to take his advice about her father to heart.
The flying shoes malfunctioning come as quite a surprise, and when they go over into the edge of the dreaded pit, Percy feels a tugging feeling of dread. He chalks it up to being worried about escaping on his chicken legs somehow, but in his head, thoughts fly around wildly. The shoes went straight for the pit. There were certainly more courses the shoes could've accidentally taken, but they headed straight for the pit, almost as if by magnetic pull, even when the whole trio tried to hold them back.
And then, it makes sense. Sitting there, with Luke, in the woods, it makes sense, but as soon as Percy realizes what has happened, Luke is gone and there is a giant, highly poisonous scorpion on his hand.
Go figure.
The scorpion of course goes in for the kill, and despite's Luke's words about the certainty of his death, Annabeth and Chiron manage to nurse him back to health again. Seeing the sadness and genuine concern in Annabeth's eyes when she is informed of Luke's betrayal makes Percy hurt for her, but he does not say this aloud.
And then, a grand finale to the thrill ride he's had the past few weeks: he's offered the chance to go home. He isn't sure about leaving Annabeth behind, since she usually stays at camp all year, and- wait.
She actually took his advice. And there's her family, standing at the crest of Half-Blood Hill, waiting for her to walk up the slope and finally join the family she left so many years ago.
He's happy to see her smile at him, and happy to see her walk up the hill. He's happy to know that his little piece of advice could've potentially turned around her entire relationship with her father.
He's so happy and relieved for his new friend that he thinks, what the heck. He can go home, can't he? He withstood all of this; surely he can make it through the school year back home.
He ponders this for a few moments, and reminisces about his quest: the danger that seemed to shroud him wherever he went, the desperate looks on the faces of the souls in the Fields of Asphodel, the screams of terror when the bus went up in flames.
But then he remembers the good: Annabeth and Grover taking care to make sure no mortals were hurt wherever they went, the looks of determination on both of their faces, their bravery. And he knows, without a doubt, that he can leave camp.
If Grover can protect the most powerful demigods even with all of his insecurities, if Annabeth can have the courage to hold her own ground all these years because of her father and still be able to forgive him, then Percy can go home. He can face this world… although he might need some help along the way.
(She doesn't know how much she's already influenced him, inspired him. No, it's lost on her.)
(He doesn't know how much having someone other than Chiron and the two survivors of the ordeal that is her life care about her story and her well-being has already helped her. No, it's lost on him.)
AN: There you have it! Leave a review with your thoughts if you can. :)
-bookgirl1020