In Manhattan . . .

Car horns blare and angrily honk as traffic slows to a crawling pace. The streets are speckled with yellow taxis and small piles of litter. Plastic bags blow across the streets, as a gentle wind lifts them up and up, into the sky. The sidewalks are alive with bustling crowds. Men and women dressed smartly in business suits, glossy shoes, and carrying briefcases, all brush past a raven haired boy and blonde haired girl. They're obviously at ease with one another. Her arm is looped through his. The majority of the crowd is heading to work, the others to school, and the occasional homeless person to no place in particular.

The black haired boy and blonde girl walk carelessly, smiling happily. They watch as the fiery orange sun rises, the light reflecting off the tall glass skyscrapers. Both stop for a moment and stare. The ever-in-motion crowd of people parts down the middle, leaving the two teens standing alone for a fraction of a second. The warm breeze spins their hair together; a mix of brilliant gold and black. Suddenly, a woman dressed in red and muttering unintelligibly on her cell phone knocks into them, spins around, and her arms full of papers, fly into the air. Time slows as letters and folded documents scatter all across the filthy pavement. The lady dressed in red gives a shriek and frantically falls to her knees trying to pick up the papers, dropping her cell phone in the process. She just sits there, stunned at seeing the masses of paper on the cold concrete. And she begins to sob. Terrible, heart-wrenching sobs.

The crowds of people rushing past her pay no notice. The blonde girl tugs on the raven haired boys shirt, and they stop to help the woman. 'Shh, it's okay. Really. We'll get this all cleaned up and you'll be on your way', the blonde girl said warmly. The woman in red looks up at her with mascara stained eyes. 'T-thank y-y-you. It honestly makes n-no difference though. You see I-I-I was sup-p-posed to be kicked of the job today anyways. And I d-d-didn't do anything and I have kids and I'm getting divorced and I-' The woman broke down hysterically. It's funny how comfortable people are sometimes, sharing things with complete strangers. The blond girl looks at the black haired boy, and nods slightly.

Without hesitation, he pulls out a caramel colored square from his gray jacket and breaks off the tiniest piece. He hands it to the girl, who hands it to the woman. 'Here's something to make you feel better', the girl lies smoothly. The woman gives her a suspicious glance, but then freezes when she sees the girl's steely grey eyes. The woman stops sobbing for a moment, and swallows. Almost immediately, her face regains some color and her crying stops. The woman dabs at her eyes with the edge of her skirt and stands up. 'It tastes like my Grandmother's cookies', she said, a strange look crossing her face. She smiles, revealing wonderfully white teeth. 'Thank you so much. I honestly don't know what came over me . . .' the woman trails off. The blonde smiles back and says, 'Your welcome and miss?' The woman picks up her briefcase and turns around. 'Yes?'

'Everything's going to be alright', the blonde girl said. The woman smiles sadly but her eyes show a glimmer of hope. A part of her aches to believe this blonde girl. The two watch her walk away, disappearing into a throng of people. The boy turns to the girl. 'Well?', he says. 'Well what?', the girl responds. 'Why . . . did you help her? What makes you reach out like that?', the boy asks carefully. The girl rolls her eyes.

She sighs. 'Percy, it was the right thing to do. Sometimes I just wish . . . I wish I could be normal again. A normal girl going to the movies or walking down the street. No complications . . .just getting to be me.' 'But you are you Annabeth', Percy smiles cheekily, and pulls her into a warm hug. 'I know that Seaweed Brain!', she laughs and hugs him back.

And they walked on.