Ok so here's the next chapter for you. I hope you like it! Yea I know it took longer than normal only because I wasn't home much yesterday. Anyway I'll quit boring you so you can read the story.
I don't own the PJATO series. I mean obviously I'm not that old!!
Percy's POV
The next day I was all packed up and ready to go, so I headed up to Half-Blood Hill to meet Annabeth and Chloe. I stood at the top of the hill and looked down at the camp I wanted to remember it in case I never saw it again. A few minutes later Annabeth came up the hill.
"Guess we're heading out on another quest," Annabeth said.
"Yeah, I guess we are," I said back.
"I wonder how this one will turn out."
"I don't know yet, Seaweed Brain." she said.
"The daughter of Athena doesn't know?" I said with false surprise. "Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth?"
"Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain."
Everything was back to normal with Annabeth and I so I couldn't be happier. She was my best friend (except for Grover) so I hated to fight with her. But just when I thought everything was ok, Chloe walked up to us. Annabeth's face immediately got dark and unfriendly. Not like I was staring at her face.
"Well since we're all here we might as well get going," I said.
Annabeth and Chloe nodded in agreement. So I took my last look at Camp Half-Blood before I made my way down the hill with Annabeth and Chloe right behind me. I wondered where Argus would take us since we're supposed to travel around the famous west.
Argus was leaning against the driver side door. He was dressed in a black suit so nobody could see the eyes all over his body. He nodded to us then got in the van. We loaded into the van that said Delphi Strawberry Service (the mortal nickname of Camp Half-Blood), then we took off towards the city.
Argus took us to the same spot he always took us to start out with on a quest (well every quest I was actually approved to go on): the Greyhound Station. We got off the van and thanked Argus for the ride before he drove back to Camp Half-Blood.
"Ok where to know?" Chloe asked.
"Don't ask me," I said while pointing at Annabeth.
"I think we should take a taxi to a harbor and 'borrow' a boat," Annabeth said.
"Why?" Chloe asked.
"That way Percy could sail the boat to Florida."
"Why Florida though?" I asked.
"Hello?" she exaggerated. "It's always sunny in Florida. We're looking for Apollo correct?"
"And Artemis," Chloe mumbled.
"Artemis will most likely be where Apollo is," Annabeth replied logically.
"Ok," I said, "Sounds good to me."
In no time at all (well if you consider three and a half hours later no time at all) we were on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean heading down to Florida.
"You know what's weird?" Chloe asked.
"What?" Annabeth and I asked simultaneously.
"The sun isn't as bright as it used to be," she replied. I looked at Chloe like she was crazy.
"Seriously, Percy," Annabeth said. "Look at the sun."
I looked up expecting to be blinded by the light but just like Chloe said it wasn't as bright as it used to be. It looked as if the sun was stripped of it's rays. Now it was just a golden yellow circle in the sky.
"What the heck happened?" I asked.
"Apollo is the sun god, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. "Without him it obviously effects the sun."
"No kidding," I said. I was still staring up at the sun. "Why was it so bright at camp then?"
"Maybe because of all the Apollo children," Chloe said reasonably.
"That does make sense," Annabeth muttered.
"Did you notice that this boat is brighter than that boat over there?" I asked while pointing at a boat to the right of us.
Chloe and Annabeth both looked at the boat I was pointing at. It looked like it was in the shadows even though there is nothing there to make a shadow with. Annabeth stared at it in amazement. Chloe looked very happy about it.
"I'm magic," Chloe said and showed her pearly whites.
"I guess you are," I said. "But I can do this."
I made the whole boat go cruising by the other boat we were staring at a minute ago. Then I made a huge wave come up and splash Annabeth and Chloe.
"Percy!" they both yelled. I just smiled at them. After many angry comments from both of them I felt the familiar tug in my gut and the water came off of them and went back into the ocean.
"All you had to do was say please," I mumbled. They just glared at me.
After a whole day of cruising in a boat (at the speed I liked), we were at the coordinates of 29.2 degrees north and 82.3 degrees west. That was just about at Jacksonville.
"Why did you stop here?" Chloe asked.
"Because I was not going to go through the Bermuda Triangle," I replied. Chloe looked confused but Annabeth understood just fine.
See two years ago Annabeth and I went on a quest to save Grover from a giant nearly blind cyclops. Of course we didn't even have permission to go on the quest but we did anyway. It's called the Sea of Monsters (or the Bermuda Triangle for mortals) for a reason. I was turned into a guinea pig! Annabeth was almost pulled in buy the Sirens and that was terrible. I almost lost her! I didn't ever want to go there again.
Anyway we arrived in Jacksonville to find out that everything was in the shadows like that boat we past. There were no clouds to cover up the sun but it was like a cloud covered the sun. Most likely, we had the only ring of light in the whole state.
"Wow," Chloe said sadly. "I never knew it could be so dark with no cloud over the sun. It's depressing." Once she said it our ring of light started to fade into the shadows.
"Don't give into depression, Chloe." I said quietly. "That takes the only light we have fade away."
"I'll try," she replied. It obviously helped since the ring returned to how it was before.
"Ok, Wise Girl." I said. "Where to now?"
"Texas," she said simply.
"Because?" I prompted her.
"Because it is hot and dry in Texas," Annabeth replied. "Maybe we'll find a trace of them there."
"Ok," I said. "But how do we get there?"
"Bus," she said.
"No way! I am not getting on a bus!" I said. "Don't you remember our first quest?"
"Oh yeah, our little meeting with the Kindly Ones," she said.
Chloe looked totally confused now, but she didn't ask.
"Ok then we should, um," I said. I couldn't figure out how we should get there.
"How about we find a hotel or something and settle down for the night," Chloe suggested.
"Sounds good to me," I said.
Finally we found a good looking hotel to stay at. It was called The Sunny Side Resort.
"Wow is that name so wrong," I muttered to myself. Chloe heard me though and she just laughed. Annabeth had no idea what was going on.
We got inside and realized they only offered a room with two beds. I just told Annabeth to get that. Not like it matters, I would sleep on the couch. But when we got into the room there was no couch just the two beds. Great, now where will I sleep.
"I'll just sleep on the floor," I said.
Annabeth hesitated, "Well ... you could sleep in my bed with me." She blushed when she said it, I know I was red in the face too.
"Thanks," I mumbled.
All Chloe said was, "I need a shower," and walked off towards the bathroom leaving Annabeth and I alone in the hotel room.
"Which bed is ours?" I asked.
Annabeth walked over to the bed closest to the window and sat down.
"This one," she said.
"Ok," I jumped on the bed making her jump three feet in the air.
I laughed so hard when she landed right next to me on the bed. She look a little angry but she laughed with me. Just then there was a knock at the door.
"I got it," I said. I opened the door to find a beautiful (and I mean drop dead beautiful) maid outside. She just barged into the room before I could say anything.
"Aphrodite?" Annabeth asked.
"Yes, dear." Aphrodite replied. "What did you think, I was an actual maid?"
"N-no, of of c-course not," I stammered. Aphrodite smiled at me.
"You two are so cute together!" she squealed. "I was watching you on my personal TV and I just had to come and see you two in person." Great, I thought, we're being watched by the love goddess.
"You were watching us?" Annabeth asked then she blushed a bright pink.
"Of course! I worked hard on this relationship, I have to make sure it turns out just right." Aphrodite said. "Oh, I really must be going before Athena follows me here. And Annabeth don't let her get to you too much."
I looked at Annabeth very confused. But she avoided my eyes. Instead she said, "I'll try, Aphrodite."
"Good," she said. "Now I must be going. Oh, and follow the pink trail." With that she was gone in a bright flash of light. That was weird.
"That was weird," Annabeth said.
"Did you read my mind?" I asked. "I was just thinking that!"
She smiled, "No, I didn't read your mind, Seaweed Brain."
"Ok, if you say so," I mumbled.
"What do you think she meant by follow the pink trail?" she asked.
I shrugged, "I guess we'll find out."
Check that out longest chapter so far!! So I hope you liked this chapter a new one should be out by tomorrow if not then the day after that.
Review please! :)
