Remember in the Titan's curse, when Percy comes back from with a talk with Aphrodite and he thinks Grover knows what they were talking about? Yeah, he does. I changed the dialogue and let Percy and Grover have a talk but it's mainly the same.
Disclaimer: Woah, I mean if it doesn't say Rick Riordan on my birth cert, passport or I.D then I'm either Rick Riordan who went to a whole lot of trouble to steal my name or I'm not Rick Riordan, you decide.
His face looked worried as he approached us afterwards. His breathing was uneven and his shoulder's were tensed up a bit.
"What did she want?" Zoe asked, suspiciously. I rolled my eyes. 'Oh yeah, Aphrodite came to ask Percy if she could borrow some mascara' I felt like saying but didn't. He was my best friend. I gave him a funny look, a mixture of intriguement and knowing. He avoided my gaze as I read through the emotions coming at me.
Thalia was feeling pretty uneasy but anxious at the same . Meeting Luke would be a big stretch for her. She gave her 'I don't care what anyone thinks of me' attitude but I remembered the small 12 year old, who'd cried when she told me about her mother all those years ago.
Zoe. Her mind was clearly focused on finding Artemis but there was a tinge of something else coming from her aura. Fear.
Bianca was a little tricky to read. Her mind was all over the place. She couldn't decide which was more important. Love was coming from her but so was fear, and a thirst to prove herself. She stared at me curiously and I gave her a smile. She returned it but didn't look satisfied.
"She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard." He answered. There was a small sense of truth coming from this but something else was making his thoughts jump.
Zoe's eyes narrowed. I found it funny the way she could tell if someone was telling the truth or not, without reading emotions. Her thoughts turned to suspicion. But clearly, Percy wasn't going to say anymore so she gave a little shrug and replied knowingly.
"The goddess would not have summoned you for that. Be careful, Aphrodite has led many heroes astray." Her voice was bitter and filled with wasn't just the fact that she was a hunter, she genuinely didn't like Aphrodite.
"Zoe's right." Thalia said which shocked both me and Percy. She was taller then Zoe but still stood beside her and allowed Zoe's face to look victorious. I shrugged and turned to look at Percy.
He didn't even shrug. He looked at the ground, tightened his jaw and walked past me.
His mind was litearally throbbing with thoughts and worries and I felt really sorry for him.
"Percy...."
I called but he didn't turn.
Zoe, Bianca and Thalia turned away from us and tried not to pry as they walked towards our place for the night.
I walked towards him. His eyes were focused on the distance, out towards the junkyard or even further away. His face was locked and wouldn't turn.
"Percy."
My voice was commanding and I broke his train of thought. He turned his head.
"Yeah?" He sounded ....uncertain. As though he was unsure of everything.
"What did Aphrodite want?"
He shrugged.
"She said to be careful and not to take anything in the junkyard. I told you."
I gave him my ' you ain't fooling anybody' look. He turned slightly away but kept his eyes focused on his shoes.
"She said,.. you won't believe it, she told me..., I can't, it's not, Athena...., no." His muttering sounded like he was trying to piece something together.
"Hey! Slow down, man. You okay?" He turned to me and I gave him a sympathetic look.
"She started talking about me... and...," his hesitation said everything. I prompted him.
"And? You and?"
He was argueing with himself. I took a small step back. Percy was my freind but I knew that Percy'd tell me if he wanted to so I shrugged and pretended I didn't understand.
"You sure you're okay?"
Percy gave a slight nod. I sighed.
"Okay. I'll see you in the morning then."
I walked towards our place but not before I read the emotions hitting me like a brick.
I know it was nosy. Bad satyr. No kindling for you. But if i knew the problem, I might be able to help.
His mind was all over the place. Some thoughts were about camp, some about random people (some I didn't recognise) but one thought and image was the strongest.
I should've seen it coming. I mean, the signs were all there. His recent depressed mood. His distance from everyone. The dreams. And Aphrodite, goddess of love. I ask you, why would Aphrodite visit a depressed boy who's best friend had just been kidnapped.
Lots of reasons. She was feeling sympathetic. Generous. Nice. But everyone here does, or should, know that Aphrodite isn't any of those things. She is only interested in one thing.
Annabeth's face shone in his mind. Her blonde hair was curled and waving everywhere. Her face untainted by make up but her powerful grey eyes being enough to draw attention to themselves. She was smiling. In a boat, then in a car beside him, then fighting alongside him, fiercely. I'd never seen visions as clearly as this. I could only ever see or understand emotions but I'd never actually seen clips of memories before.
Her image returned. The chariot race. The kiss on the cheek. Then suddenly they were in a taxi with Tyson. Then a photograph of her popped up. A tall guy and his buddies ripped it up and Percy
looked like he was ready to punch them all into next week. Then she appeared again in a different scene but with the same people. She punched one of the guys. Then I actually heard her voice.
"Seaweed Brain."
The images made me remember her. I wanted to find her too. She was like a sister to me but clearly she meant more to Percy then he was letting on. The images gave Percy a happy feeling but then suddenly the feeling was gone as though some cruel person ripped it away and all that was left was a painful scar. One that was bleeding. Percy felt like he was bleeding.
"Percy, you should get some sleep." I said, reluctant to leave in case he did something crazy.
He shook his head.
"No, I'm going to stay for a while."
"We're goiong to find her. She's alive and we're going to find her."
He turned to me quickly and nodded gratefully.
"Yeah. I just want to wait a couple of minutes."
I left him there, hesitantly.
Her voice kept ringing in his ear
"Seaweed Brain."
