Hoops
CHAPTER ONE
Annabeth jumped in her seat at the sudden turn before glaring across at the driver seat.
"Rachel!"
Said redhead grinned ruefully. "What?"
If anything, her remark made Annabeth glare harder. Huffing, Annabeth turned away from Rachel and moved her attention to the passengers in back.
"You kiddos still alive back there?"
At the same time that Rachel exclaimed an insulted "Hey!", Matthew and Bobby answered with a solid, "Nope!"
Annabeth turned triumphantly back to Rachel, "See? Even 10 year olds know you stink at driving!"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I still passed my driving test."
Annabeth snorted, "Barely."
The twins burst out laughing. Situations were suddenly flipped; Rachel glared while Annabeth smirked.
"I don't even know why I agreed to this." Rachel grumbled.
"Because you love us" Bobby said.
Rachel shook her head, "Don't know why."
Annabeth restrained herself from punching Rachel good-naturally on the shoulder, "Oh come on, Red! It''ll be fun!"
Matthew piped up from the back, "Yeah! I mean chaperoning ten year-olds is like the funnest thing ever!"
Beside him, Bobby said in a no-nonsense voice, "They're going to be counselors not chaperones - it's different because it means they have more responsibility."
Seeming to understand that responsibility did not qualify as fun, he continued. "Anyways, you'll also get to meet some super awesome basketball players. Sure, they go to your school and all but I bet you've never met star player-"
He suddenly jumped as his brother elbowed him in the ribs.
"Dude!" Matthew hissed as he gave a pointed stare at Annabeth.
Annabeth for her part just raised an eyebrow at their antics. "Bobby?"
Bobby looked like a deer in the headlights for all of two seconds before he cleared his throat and smiled charmingly.
"Right, you'll get to meet one of the star basketball players at NYU, Jason Grace! That definitely counts as fun!"
Annabeth was about to scrutinize the twins suspicious behavior, not at all forgetting the caught expression written on Bobby's face when all of a sudden she jerked forward. Straightening, she turned a murderous glare on a nervous looking Rachel who was in the process of putting the car in reverse on account of almost passing a red light.
"Rachel. Elizabeth. Dare!"
She sheepishly shrugged, "Heh."
Meanwhile, thanks to the distraction Rachel provided, the twins were able to deflate with a sigh of relief.
Then it was back to quiet bickering, "Yeesh Bobby! You need to be more careful with your big mouth!"
"My big mouth? I was the one with the quick thinking!"
"Sure you were."
"I was. If it weren't for me we would be the ones getting chewed out right now!"
Both boys winced sympathetically when they looked at poor Rachel who was getting an earful about "irresponsible driving" and "the irresponsible driving instructor who was crazy enough to pass you" (Rachel responded to that with a meek, "It was my tenth time doing the exam and I'm pretty sure she just wanted to get rid of me.")
Shaking their heads with pity, if not a little amusement as well, Matthew and Bobby turned to each other once again.
Matthew crossed his arms, "You're so awesome Bobby that because of you, Annie suspects something else is going on."
"Yeah well, she was going to find out sooner or later."
"I'd prefer if it was later."
Bobby finally relented a tad bit. "What are we going to do, Matthew?"
"We hope she doesn't ask any more questions and hope that either he isn't at camp or that she somehow doesn't kill us when she sees him."
Bobby snorted, "Matt, you can't seriously be hoping he won't show up. Just think about it; we could actually meet him!"
Matthew smirked, "I already did!"
"That was before he was famous though so it doesn't count and anyway, you know there is absolutely no chance Annabeth won't kill us if she finds out we knew and didn't tell her."
Groaning, his brother slumped forward. "We are fried fish, fried chicken, fried cows - we're fried!"
Bobby rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "If we tell her now though… I don't think we'll die."
Matthew looked at him with a crestfallen expression"So what? Our options are either pain or death?"
"Yep."
"Fine. We'll tell her a little before we get there though. I want to remember my last moments as being happy."
Bobby shoved him, "Oh stop being a drama queen! Be fearless, like me!"
About an hour later however when Matthew pointed at the sign on the highway which had the name of the city where the basketball camo would be held however, it was Bobby who was being the drama queen.
"Do we have to tell her now?" The self-declared fearless hero tentatively whispered.
Matthew glared at him, "No Bobby, let's just wait until we're at the camp so that she can yell at us where everyone can hear."
"But we're not even that close yet!"
Almost on cue, the scenery transformed from boring highways into big lush forests with rising mountains.
Oh really?
Just as Matthew was about to start talking, Bobby frantically thrust a half-eaten PB&J at him, "Here, when I die, I will leave this sandwich to you in my will."
Matthew rolled his eyes before squeezing his hands into fists to keep his nerves at bay.
He cleared his throat, "So um, Annabeth?"
The girl paused her conversation with Rachel and turned to face her brothers, "Yes?"
"You know how some of the basketball players from your school are going to be helping out at the camp?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly, "Yes. Why are you squirming?"
Matthew chose to ignore her and instead looked at his brother desperately.
Bobby gulped, "Yeah, well the star player is going to kinda be there."
"Grace?"
"No, um the star player. Percy Jackson."
Rachel squealed, "Seriously? You guys were right this is going to be so much-"
Annabeth stopped her by putting her hand up for silence, "Why is this important?"
Her eyebrows quirked up as she looked at her brothers with what they called her 'mom face'
Matthew laughed nervously, "Heh, you've never actually seen him, have you?"
Annabeth shook her head. She'd never been a fan of basketball and could honestly care less about whoever this star player was.
Both of her brothers shared a glance and Annabeth put more intensity into her glare. Her gray eyes became cold slabs of stone. "Guys?"
Bobby finally snapped from the pressure, "He's that guy from the Game Center!"
Matthew facepalmed, "Wonderful use of tact, dude!"
Game Center guy. Game Center I yelled at and insulted guy. Oh no.
It was Rachel turn to put her hand up. "Okay, okay. Hold your horses everybody… you're telling me my best friend knows Percy Jackson? The Percy Jackson? Awesome!"
Matthew and Bobby coughed. Loudly. "Um, no not awesome" Matthew began. "She yelled at him and called him a jerk." Bobby finished.
Both then proceeded to share a look of horror before backing as far away as they could from Annabeth. She scowled at them as Rachel's jaw dropped, "What?!"
Annabeth ignored her and glowered at her brothers. "And tell me, my sweet brothers… did you know he was going to be at the camp before you asked me to sign up as a counselor?"
Again the look of horror. "N-no! At least not really." they squeaked. Annabeth started to inch towards them and just as they were both getting ready to say their farewells to this world, Rachel pulled up at the entrance to the camp.
Pulling Annabeth by her shirt, she made the girl sit down and look like a proper, responsible counselor instead of a psycho sister ready to dish out revenge.
"You," she stuck a finger in Annabeth's face as she followed the arrows that led the way inside the camp, "Will give me the full story when all this blows over."
"And you two," she pointed at the twins, "Owe me a smoothie for saving your lives."
All three nodded (Annabeth reluctantly and the twins eagerly).
Trying to be helpful and encouraging, Matthew said, "I doubt you'll even see him."
"Yeah." Matthew agreed.
As Rachel parked the car in front of the designated area and everyone got out, Annabeth tried to believe them. She was here now, after all.
It would be okay. She was going to have a fun time these two weeks and not worry about anything.
She hoped.
AN: Yayyy! No more hiatus for this story! However, I do have to warn you, updates might be slow. It will get done though. This chapter was so much fun to write.
Hope you enjoyed and please review!
