Hey, if you hadn't notice, I made Nico and Bianca the same age, fraternal twins. Okay, bye(:
Btw, this chapter is pretty long, so I hope you like it(:
Chapter 4
Grover was eating something chocolate with Juniper when we got to Dairy Queen, Nico was no where to be seen and Bianca was freaking out. Then, he strolled by us calmly, like we weren't there. Bianca turned red and went over to him. She looked like she was arguing with him.
"Anyway." Rachel said and turned to the counter. "Can I have a cone, vanilla with sprinkles?" She asked, within a few seconds it was in her had, she handed a few bills to the counterman.
"Same as her." Annabeth said and she had a cone in her hands.
"Can I get... A Mint Oreo Blizzard?" I asked.
He handed me my Blizzard, I paid him and sat at a table with everyone else. Annabeth sat across from me, Rachel sat next me, Bianca sat across from her eating an ice cream sandwich, Nico sat next to her, then Juniper left and Grover sat next to Rachel, he looked flustered.
"Percy..." Annabeth said as I picked at my Blizzard. "Why is your ice-cream... green?" She was grinning.
I looked down at my Blizzard. It was Mint Oreo. Annabeth, Bianca, and Rachel burst out laughing. I frowned. "It's mint." Grover said, looking confused.
"It looks rotten." Rachel said. "Do you even like Mint?"
My frown deepened, "I decided to try something new." I said and dipped my spoon in it. It tasted "Horrible" I said aloud. They laughed harder. I smiled then shook my head. I set my Blizzard down far from me. "Any chance I could get a refund?"
"You already ate from it, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth laughed.
I swiped her cone, "Oh, look! A free cone! Lucky me!" I said.
"Seaweed Brain, give me my cone, now." She threatened.
"I don't think so." I said then backed away when she got near.
I smirked then licked it. She glared at me she reached for it, but then I held it away from her. "Percy..." She reached, but could get it. Then, in a swift motion, she grabbed it, but then I pulled back and the ice cream broke and melted all over our hands. "Percy Jackson, you are going to buy me another ice-cream!" She yelled, stomping her foot.
I held my arms up, like I was surrendering, "Fine, fine, Wise Girl." And so I bought her ice-cream, along with another one for me.
"So, you guys together?" Nico asked me and Annabeth as we walked over to them with our ice-creams. He calmly drank his smoothie as Annabeth raised an eyebrow.
She laughed, "No, we're not." She said sat down.
I felt my heart sink a little. Does she really think it's that ridiculous? I shook my head and pushed the thought out of my head, we just met. I realized Rachel was deep in through and her cone was finished. Bianca drank her smoothie and made a loud, slurping noise with it. We all stared at her, then she realized and stopped.
Nico and Bianca's mom picked them up, then Grover realized he was late and scampered home. Annabeth had to leave, so she left Rachel and I alone. I decided to walk Rachel home, she didn't live too far from me.
"So, how are you liking the school?" She asked, twirling a strand of her hair.
I shrugged, "Better then I expected. How about you?"
She smiled, "It's good, I've been here since seventh grade. It isn't all that bad, especially the new kids." She winked at me, and I wondered what she meant.
"Cool. So, uh..." I didn't know what to say.
She grinned and shook her head, "You know how to make great conversation, Jackson." She laughed.
I smirked, "Got a medal for it." I responded.
She rolled her eyes, "Of course you did!" Her voice was full of sarcasm.
We stopped in front her her house, "This is your house." I was in awe. It was huge. Like, compared to the other houses around here, it was the freaking white house. It never occurred to me that Rachel was... loaded.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." She rolled her eyes.
"You're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm." I replied, without a beat.
She smiled at me, "Hey, um, I'm gonna do a little pool party at my house this Saturday, you know, before it starts feeling like fall. You should come."
I grinned, "I'll be there. See you in school tomorrow, Red." I slipped my hands in my pockets.
She turned and started towards her front door. "Bye, Jackson," She waved and went into her house. I sighed then started walking towards mine. What a productive day. I thought and shook my head.
~.~
Friday flew by. I couldn't do anything after school, though me and Grover were going to play a game of basketball, my mom needed me to re-paint the kitchen. That took a while, but I got it done, then convinced my mother let me go to Rachel's pool party, she said yes.
On Saturday, I played a little football with Paul for the afternoon, then at five I changed into my blue swimming trunks and headed to Rachel's party. She texted me to go through the back, and I did. My jaw dropped, the pool was huge. Maybe twenty or more feet long, it was shaped like a... squiggly circle. It was a backyard, there was marble floor, but it abruptly stopped and turned to grass, Grover and Carson were throwing a baseball back and forth. On a deck was a grill and Rachel was standing there, well, grilling. Annabeth was swinging her legs in the water with Bianca and Nico was sitting on a chair was his eyes closed.
Everyone, but Nico, waved to me when they saw me. Rachel gestured me to join her, and I did. "Do you like your hamburgers well done or medium-well?" She said, turning a hot dog.
"Medium." I said, smiling. "You can grill?"
She grinned, "Yes, I can. Why? Is it impossible for a girl to be 'grilling'?" She raised an eyebrow at me, then flipped a couple burgers.
I smiled, "No, no. I'm impressed." I said.
"You better be, Jackson. I know how to make poison." She continued grilling.
I wondered if she actually does while I went over to Annabeth. "Enjoying yourself?" I asked, sitting down next to her.
She looked at Bianca, then at me, "Greatly." She breathed.
"Great." I replied.
She narrowed her eyes. "Fine." She responded.
"Okaaay." Bianca laughed. She took her sundress off, revealing a dark blue one-piece swimming suit. She dived and floated around the pool.
"I'm gonna go change." Annabeth said, got up, and went inside.
Bianca swam to me, "Percy, can you do me a favor?" She asked. I shrugged, "Can you please talk to my brother? I don't want him to be all lonely, it kills me." She pleaded.
I sighed, "Fine, I will." She thanked as I got up and sat next to Nico. "So, how you like the town and everything?" I asked.
He opened his eyes then closed them, "It's alright." He said.
This kid is impossible, I thought then sighed. "Listen, your sister..." I trailed off because Annabeth walked out of the house.
Nico glanced at me, then at her, then smirked. I rolled my eyes and looked at Annabeth. She was wearing a gray and white, polka dotted, two piece bathing suit ad she looked... hot. Her hair was in a pony-tail and she was talking to Rachel. Her arms were crossed and she was looking around nervously, she caught my then smiled, but then turned back to Rachel when she said something.
"Yeah, there's definitely nothing going on between you two." Nico said, putting his hands behind his head.
I snapped out of it then shook my head at Nico. "No, there's not." I assured him.
"But, you hope so." He said and leaned forward, "How much do you like her?" he asked.
"I don't like her." I said, trying to get it across. Even though... no. Forget it.
He smirked, "Better do something about that, before someone else snags her." He said.
As if on cue, two people entered the backyard from the gate. One was a blond guy, he looked like a typical surfer guy, he's a sophomore. The other was Thalia, all she wore was a bathing suit top and shorts. She grinned, glared at me, then went on the deck with Rachel and Annabeth. The blond went with her, then stopped short at the sight of Annabeth. I felt some annoyance, but let it go.
I noticed Oliver staring after Thalia then smirked, "That's Thalia. Sophomore." I told him.
"Really?" He said, still staring at her. He got up, "Now this is when I make my move." he said and followed her.
Bianca gave me a thumbs up and I sighed. I got up when the ground started going towards the pool. Rachel was holding a tray full of hamburgers and hot dogs, then set it down on the table near the pool. Annabeth walked away from Luke and came towards me.
"Hey," She said and smiled at me, "What's up?" she asked.
I was lost at words, then shook my head. "Nothing, you know, just here." I responded.
She nodded, "Yeah, well, I find it weird that this is a pool party and no one, but Bianca, is in the pool."
I raised an eyebrow then smirked. I took my shirt off, Annabeth stared at me. "What are you doing?" she asked.
I just grinned, "Give me a hug." I said.
"Um.. okay?" She said, her cheeks turning red. She was going to hug me, but then, with a quick motion, I put one arm under her hers then my other one under her legs then lifted her up, I noticed her skin was soft. "Seaweed brain!" She shrieked.
"Stop yelling," I walked towards the pool. "You said no one was in the pool." I said.
"Percy! Percy – Percy, put me down now!" She held onto me as I ran and jumped in the pool, the eleven feet deep part.
The water was cold, but I quickly grew used to it. I emerged from the water the same time as Annabeth. She took a deep breath then glared at me. "You will pay for this." She said and reached towards me.
I kicked my legs and moved. Swam so that I was behind her, grabbed her waist, then pulled her down. I opened my eyes in the water and almost laughed, her hair was everywhere, so she looked funny. She swam up and I followed.
"Percy Jackson!" She breathed.
I laughed, then Nico, Grover, and Carson jumped in. Rachel followed, I noticed she was wearing a red bikini, she noticed me looking at her and grinned. Suddenly, Annabeth jumped on my back then pushed me under. I swam back up to see the others laughing. I shook my head and laughed along with them. About an hour passed as we swam around.
"Hey, Annabeth?" I heard the blond guy say. I frowned then glanced at Annabeth. "Wanna play pool?" He asked.
"Um, sure, Luke!" She said. That's his name. He helped her out the water. "Um, Percy, you wanna play, too?" She asked.
Luke frowned. "Sure." I said.
"Me, too." Rachel said and we both hopped out the pool.
We dried off then went inside, a pool table was place in the middle of the room and a bar was in a corner, a couch sat on another wall and a TV was up on the wall. Rachel and I were on a team against Luke and Annabeth. He kept flirting with her and I think she was flirting back. I felt a twinge of jealously, but didn't show it.
"Jackson?" I heard Rachel say.
"Yeah?" I responded, then realized they were looking at me. "What?"
"Your turn." She said.
"Oh, right." I said and aimed the ball, hit the white one, it hit a solid, then that one hit another that went in the hole. I grinned, Rachel high-fived me, then I went again. I shot another one in, but then on the third try I missed.
It was Annabeth's turn, but she didn't know how to hit it. Then, Lukeshowed her. I glared at him as he showed her how to do it, putting his arms around her and everything. Grover and Carson came in.
"Hey, I don't feel like playing anymore." I muttered, "Grover should take my place." I suggested.
Rachel frowned at me, Annabeth didn't noticed I spoke and was still being taught by Luke. "Yes!" Grover took the pool stick from me and studied the table.
Rachel gave up too, then Carson took her place. I went out on the deck and took a hamburger, then Rachel came out and sat next to me. She looked at me worriedly. It was dark out, the sun had set.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked after a while.
"Huh? What? Nothing." I said and shook my head. I glanced inside, Annabeth was blushing while Luke said something to her.
"You like her." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"A little." I admitted, then took another bite of my burger.
Rachel sighed, "Jackson, will you stop eating? This is a very important conversation and I can't take you seriously with you stuffing her face!" She said.
I laughed, "Okay, okay." I said.
She smiled and shook her head, "You like her. Why aren't you doing anything?" She said sounding a bit... sad?
I frowned, "I don't know. I just..."
Her shoulder sagged then she looked back inside the room. "Luke seems to like her." She said.
I sighed, "Yeah, well, maybe they belong together."
"Maybe you're just looking at the wrong person." Rachel said I turned from Annabeth and studied her. She was looking down, fiddling with her nails.
"Maybe," I muttered, still looking at her.
"Percy!" Nico said and jumped on the deck. He saw me and Rachel, raised an eyebrow, shook his head, then motioned me to follow him.
I sighed, stood, gave Rachel a final look then went over to Nico. "What?" I hissed at him.
"I don't think Thalia likes me." He said.
I chuckled. "You are a year younger than her. Maybe she doesn't date younger guys." I said.
He punched my shoulder and glared at me. "And maybe Annabeth likes Luke." He said.
"Touche." I responded, sighing. "Listen, try being friends with her first. Don't just jump on her, I don't think girls like that."
He shrugged, "I guess I'll try that. Only because I ran out of ideas." he said. "Go talk to Rachel, you know I heard her and Bianca talking about you."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked angrily.
He shrugged, "Didn't think I'd need to." He said and walked away.
Once he left, Bianca made her way over to me. "You're the first person he's come to advice." She said, impressed.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "You were listening?" I asked.
"Every word." She grinned.
"So, tell me why you and Rachel were talking to me?" I asked, smiling.
She sighed, "I hoped you wouldn't mention that. Rachel just asked me what she thought of you."
I smirked then poked her repeatedly, "What did you saay?" I asked. She stood then flicked me in the ear, "Ow." I muttered.
"Don't flatter yourself, Jackson." She said and went over to talk to two other guys that come in, Travis and Conner Stoll, they're in our grade.
I was sitting alone, then I noticed Rachel was in the same spot I had left her. She was tracing something on the table, looking sad. I frowned then went over to her. Music blared from the speakers, the song wasn't a song exactly, it was like a beat, a really nice one at that. A few more of our class mates came in, I noticed Silena with Charles Beckendorf (?), I thought they hated each other.
"It's party and I'm not even enjoying it." She said, laughing sadly. I smirked and held out my hand. She sniffled, "What are you doing, Jackson?" she questioned.
I rolled my eyes, "Take my hand, Red." I said.
She took it and she caught on. A few more people came and some started dancing. And so we danced. Others saw us dancing and started, too. I haven't exactly danced before, but I guess I was pretty good at it because Rachel didn't say anything, she was having fun, as far as I could see.
