Disclaimer: I do not own Peter Johnson and the Olympians. Rick Riordan does.

A/N Thanks for all the reviews ^^ They made my day. Special thanks to: Musafreen: first review, underworldwalker: first criticism, XxxBeLLxXxGiRlxxX76: first subscription and Sagen-Water-Spirit for first favourite. Also to all the other reviewers, thank you very much! This chapter is told from both Percy and Annabeth's POV (it alternates) so I'm sorry for any OOCness ^^"

So of course I was late. Figures, this being my first date and all. You'd have thought one of the Gods would've cut me some slack by now.

I ran all the way to Central Park, but by the time I reached I was already 10 minutes behind time. Rushing to the zoo, I saw her – her back facing mine, sitting on a bench (A/N I'm not sure if there are benches or anything because I've never been to the Central Park zoo before). I paused to catch my breath before grinning: striding up, I tapped her sharply on the shoulder, intending to give her a casual greeting and a sheepish apology but when she turned around the words were stuck in my throat.

She was beautiful. I mean, she had always been pretty, but she must have been playing around with makeup or something, so that her lashes were longer, her deep storm grey eyes bigger and her complexion smooth. Her golden hair, usually tamed in a ponytail, had grown longer, and was now cascading down her back in waves. She was wearing a pretty, lavender sequined top, exposing her slender arms, and a short, pleated skirt that showed off her smooth, long legs. She'd grown taller, her face slightly narrower. I felt rather self-conscious and underdressed, vaguely remembering my hastily put on shirt, dirty jeans and unruly black hair. Of which would probably be even messier, seeing as I had forgotten to comb my hair. I hope she didn't notice. Also, a small part of my mind thought smugly, I had grown taller than her.

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That idiot. Was. Late.

Seaweed brain.

I glanced at my watch again. Maybe it had been stupid for me to arrive 20 minutes earlier, but I couldn't bear to hang around my stepbrothers any longer as they teased me about my appearance after I had summoned the courage to ask my stepmother for help in dressing up. I didn't mind waiting 20 minutes, but 35 minutes was suicide for an ADHD kid like me. I shivered as someone opened the door and a draught blew in. Where was that seaweed brain?!

Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whirled around, a retort on my lips, but it was cut short as I saw Percy standing behind me awkwardly.

First thought: Man he'd grown. I'd always been a little taller than him, but now he was probably a good four inches or so taller than me – I had to look up to see into his green eyes. I don't think he'd ever known this, but his eyes changed colour in the light, like the hue of the ocean on different days – right now from where I was it was a rich shamrock green. Even so, he didn't have the gangly look of someone who'd grown a lot in a short time; instead, he had broadened out, his black shirt slightly tight, showing off his muscles. His face had narrowed somehow, lost some of its roundness, become angular, but that instead made him look handsomer, older than his fifteen years. And his black hair had grown longer as well, but still as untidy as ever – even untidier in fact. Had he combed it?

He was staring at me, probably the same way I was staring at him. I felt self-conscious as his gaze hovered over my face and passed over my clothes. He noticed my eyes following his gaze, and averted his eyes in embarrassment. I eyed his shirt, jeans and Converse shoes, and started to feel just a bit overdressed.

"Uh- hi Annabeth," he broke the silence awkwardly. "Sorry I'm late – I couldn't find anything to wear."

"Not like you're wearing much," I rebutted him. He looked hurt.

"S'not my fault I outgrew all my clothes," he retaliated. "This shirt is Paul's, incidentally."

"Paul?"

"Paul Blofis, my mum's boyfriend."

"Blowfish?"

"Blofis," He had the weary air of someone who had answered that question many times before.

"Have you been working out?" I asked suddenly. He looked a bit surprised at the outburst, but answered nonetheless.

"My mum's idea. She wanted me to be stronger for… you know."

I knew. I did know, the impending doom that lurked, no matter how we much we didn't want to. The drawer inside me that I had been keeping tightly closed opened, the one filled with sorrow, disbelief and hurt, the one with the name "Luke" on it…

He eyed me, concern and some hurt in his intense, green eyes. We stood there in a stony silence. I knew Percy knew what I was thinking, but neither of us spoke a word.

"So, what movie d'you want to watch?" He broke the silence with a carefully nonchalant tone, not looking at me.

I seized on the new subject eagerly. "There's that new romance one – Love Light, I think." My face flamed when I heard him snort.

"What?" I said defensively.

"You, Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena, want to watch a chick flick?" He smirked at me. "I'd never thought I'd see the day."

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain," I'd said the first title that had come to mind, but I wasn't going to say that now. "Did you want to see anything?"

He brightened visibly. "Ah, I wanted to see that new James Pond one. Infinite Solace, it was called."

We sat there arguing over movie choices, until we finally decided on an action comedy. Unfortunately, the next showing was in an hour, so we were left with nothing to do until then. We hovered uncertainly in the theater for a few minutes before Percy suddenly grabbed my hand roughly.

"Ow!" I yanked it back reflexively. "What was that for?"

He seemed startled, as if he hadn't realized his brutal fashion. He smiled unexpectedly.

"Let's go to the dock."