Chapter 2—

Sally, Percy and Annabeth get to Montauk with a few sarcastic comments, an evil avocado king, and a kiss or two.

oOo

As we piled into the car (luggage in the front seat, me an Annabeth in the middle) my mom said, "Okay, here's the deal. We have a pretty long drive from here to Montauk. If there is anything we need, speak now or forever hold your peace."

I opened my mouth to suggest something but she interrupted.

"I packed a giant cardboard box full of snacks, so don't ask for any more. It'll get you two plenty sugared up by the time we get to the beach, no worries."

Annabeth snorted, still trying to hold in laughter, and I elbowed her side. We had a brief elbowing match before Mom handed back a cardboard box full of just about every kind of junk food out there. After exchanging looks, we knew it was going to be gone before we even got there.

The first while of the drive was awesome. Annabeth and I found a box of toothpicks in the glove box and we made up a new game. Whatever you can stab, you can eat. We took turns stabbing different snack foods Mom packed for us. Doritos, Funions, Cheetos. I even managed to stab a mini pretzel and Annabeth applauded.

We got so good at stabbing it got boring.

It was quiet in the car for some time before Annabeth's head lolled onto my shoulder and she began to snore quietly.

My mom peeked in the rear view mirror. "Who's that snoring?"

I whispered back, "Annabeth."

Mom laughed as quietly as she could. "That's too bad, because we're ten minutes away."

I looked around. Sure enough, I recognized the bumpy gravel road heading to the beach.

We hit a rock in the road and Annabeth mumbled something in her sleep.

"Annabeth," I whispered, poking her shoulder. "Wake up. We're here."

She mumbled something else and sank further in her seat, turning her face against my neck.

"Annabeth, we're here. You have to wake up now," I said a little louder, prodding her arm.

She snorted, still dead to the world. "I'm trying to…to sleep….evil avocado…..king…."

"I'm not an evil avocado king. I'm Percy. You have to wake up now." I did my best not to laugh at her. Avocado king, indeed. I didn't even like avocados.

Annabeth yawned. "Your…majesty…"

"ANNABETH. WAKE UP."

Her eyes snapped open. "What? Where? Monsters?"

"No monsters, Annabeth," I reassured her, grinning. "There seems to be an evil avocado king aboard, though. Beware."

She snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. Th— Oh!" The second her eyes trailed outside and caught onto the surroundings, a small gasp interrupted her mid-sentence. "…It's beautiful."

A waft of salty air hit my face and I breathed in deeply.

The beach felt how it always did to me: breathtaking. Apparently Mom was right; they did refurbish the cabin. It got a much-needed new paint job of blue and grey, and it looked a little…longer.

The ocean sparkled like diamonds, stretching out in a glorious infinity under the azure sky. It looked like the gods put off their fighting today and make the sky and sea compromise in the best weather I'd ever seen here in Montauk.

"You guys stay here every summer?" Annabeth asked in awe as we got out of the car.

"Yeah," I said, almost not believe it myself.

From the front seat I grabbed our bags and began walking across the sand, Annabeth at my side. She discreetly wrapped her fingers around mine and squeezed.

Though Mom acted like she didn't notice, I saw the shrewd smile creep her lips upwards.

We got to the house and filed inside. The length of it turned out to be a guest room added on the back. Now it had two bedrooms—I guessed I'd be taking the hide-a-bed in the living room. The new room, however, had a small bed, wardrobe and a window overlooking the water.

"All yours," I told Annabeth. "For a whole week."

"Oh…Oh, no, Percy, I couldn't." She still shone, but shook her head. "You take this room, I'll have the couch. I really don't have that much stuff."

"It's alright, neither do I," I tried explaining, but Annabeth didn't bother repeating herself.

There was a moment when she just stood there next to me, looking around, eyes shining. The next moment she put her arm around my neck, kissed me, and then twirled further into the room, laughing.

"An entire week!" she said to herself. After stopping briefly to lean out the open window an inhale the scent of the sea, Annabeth looked back at me with a joyous expression. "…Thank you, Percy. Really."

"For what?" I walked up next to her and leaned against the window, too. I knew what for, of course, but (don't laugh!) I was hoping for another kiss.

"Inviting me here."

A breeze drifted in through the window, smelling of salt and warm sand and fish. Both of us closed our eyes against it.

"…The air is so much cleaner here than home." Annabeth cracked a grin, opening her eyes. "Come on."

Without much warning, she grabbed my hand an tugged me along after her and ran outside—

We ran into Mom. Almost literally.

She laughed smiled and turned to us momentarily. "I'm going to town to pick up a frozen pizza for dinner tonight since I forgot on our way," Mom said to us. "Don't get into any trouble. And by all means, do NOT blow anything up."

As my mom drove away, Annabeth laughed. "Your mom is so cool. My stepmom just stands there pointing out your every little imperfection while Dad is just busy."

I pause, looking out over the sea, glad my family wasn't like that. "…Well, you're welcome to be with us as long as you like. We can be your second family."

For a split-second her face shone brighter than the sun, but it suddenly fell.

Luke said that before, didn't he?

"Aw, Annabeth I didn't—" I sighed. "I'm sorry."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and punched me in the shoulder, but it was half-hearted. "Don't be. That was a really sweet thing to say."

But she was still looking upset. We stood together outside the cabin, facing the water, quiet as the long pause settle in. I couldn't help it; I stared. Her hair was draped over one of her shoulders, her chin was tilted down but silver eyes wide and staring out at the horizon with a glazed look.

When she caught me looking she crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry I ruined the mood. It's nothing. Reall—"

I cut Annabeth off by wrapping my arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Things that that were automatic to me, not even awkward. One of my hands tangled into the blond curls on the back of her head as she buried her eyes against my shoulder. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but smell the fresh lemony scent of her hair.

We stood like that for a few minutes.

The crashing of the waves echoed quietly in the background, matching with frightening precision the beating of my own heart.

In my arms, Annabeth calmed down and shrank a little more against me. Her hands loosened their fists on my chest until they were flat, and I could feel her sigh that bubbled onto the side of my neck.

"You okay?" My voice was quiet, hesitant, as she pulled away.

Annabeth studied me briefly before turning her gaze back over to the ocean. "…Yeah, I am. Thank you."

I wanted to say more. Perhaps something witty that would make her laugh, or adoring that would make her kiss me, or something that would at least make her smile. Though, sadly, my dad wasn't the god of eloquence, so I just did what only felt right to that situation.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and said, "I think Mom packed some Dr. Pepper in the fridge."

We were sitting at the tiny kitchen table drinking soda when my mom came back in, carrying two frozen pizzas in one arm, and a stack of plastic-cased rental movies in the other.

"Hey kids! I—Oh wait. You told me not to call you kids." She smiled, setting the pizza and movies on the table. "I'm putting the pizza in the oven and retreating to my bedroom before this flash of inspiration disappears."

She often got those "flashes of inspiration" now that she's writing her novel, and I knew from experience that nothing could restrain her from getting them down.

"You're not going to watch the movie with us?" I asked.

She shoved a pizza into the tiny oven in the corner of the kitchen. "No. Maybe tomorrow. You kids enjoy this one."

Though my mom didn't correct herself calling us "kids" that time, I didn't find myself too annoyed that time. Was she only doing that to let us have some alone time. If so, I owed her, because—considering she was my mom—that was a serious sign of trust.

"I might sneak a piece of pizza before going to bed, though." Mom came over and kissed my head. "Don't stay up too late."

The second she disappeared into her room, Annabeth let out a teasing snort, eyes flashing with amusement.

"Ickle Percykins got a kiss from his mommy," she said in a baby voice, puckering her lips at me in jest.

I threw my empty soda can at her, but she ducked. The aluminum clattered onto the floor noisily.

"Percy!" Mom warned from her room.

Annabeth stuck her tongue out at me for the second time that day.

The movie we ended up choosing from the pile was actually a decent pick (thanks, Mom,) being some crazy apocalyptic-looking tragic love story or something like that. It had zombies. The only TV in the entire house was this tiny box-like thing in front of the couch in the living room, so we stuck it in and settled down on the open hide-a-bed.

With one of the pizza boxes perched on our legs and a carton of Dr. Pepper under the edge of the bed, Annabeth and I settled down to watch.

Within the first five minutes (of the previews, mind you,) Annabeth had somehow snuck under my arm and was curled against me, legs tucked to her chest. It was easy to admit: she was a lot more interesting than the previews. The way she blinked those fascinatingly-large, silver eyes, the way she had a habit of resting her chin on one of her thumbs, the occasional pucker of her lips as she stared fixedly at the TV.

If she knew I was staring at her, she didn't acknowledge it. The only hint I got that she noticed was when I was sitting back down from manually pressing play on the TV. Her mouth was curved into a sly smile and she looked away from me the second I turned back around, as if she didn't want to seem conspicuous.

As I sat, I flicked her shoulder. "I saw that look you were giving me."

"And I saw the look you were giving me."

Touché.

By the last few minutes of the movie, Annabeth had wrapped both arms around me and was half-hiding her moist eyes from the screen. To be honest, I'd barely ever seen her cry. For there to be tears because of a movie really surprised me. So rarely anyone got to see her truly soft, normal side.

When the credits were rolling, she'd let go of me and put her arms around her knees instead. There were no traces of tears left.

The discarded pizza box was on the floor, as was the half-empty thing of Dr. Pepper. I'd quit drinking halfway through, knowing the sugar plus my ADHD would keep me up for hours after. It had turned out to be a good idea after all because it was well past 10-o-clock after the movie ended.

Even after I got up to turn the TV off, Annabeth made no move to get up or even get out of the blankets I'd draped around her. That was okay with me, of course, b—

"Hey, Percy."

I moved an empty can from the bed. "Yeah?"

"You can crash here with me tonight." Her cheeks began glowing pink and she tried to cover up with false nonchalance. "If you don't feel like getting up right now."

The smile that threatened to show was forced back, on the account of me not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "Thanks." I shifted my arm around her shoulders and only hesitated for a moment before pulling the covers up to her chin. "The movie won't give you nightmares?" I teased halfheartedly. "The CGI zombies were fantastic."

"You're ridiculous," she mumbled, sinking down and flipping onto her other side, facing away from me. "Goodnight, Percy."

"…Goodnight, Annabeth."

I watched her for a while until I knew she was asleep, and then stretched out on my side next to her, watching her blond curls shift faintly with every slumbering breath.

Sleep didn't come for a long time, but when it hit me, it was to the lullaby of crashing waves on the shore.

oOo

I was going to make the end fluffier, but that's coming up later.

There has to be some progression since it's obvious I made their relationship not quite as developed as it could be. So later there will be PLENTY, if that's what you people like. (: