|Wise Girl Action|

After hearing the news, I went through three phases. The first was denial.

I paced back and forth in the Athena cabin, muttering to myself that it couldn't be true.

The second phase was doubt.

Percy wouldn't do it. He doesn't have enough guts. Plus, he has me. But maybe...maybe I wasn't good enough?

The final phase being anger.

'He thinks he's so great just because the gods acknowledged him for helping out.' I fumed in my head, 'I'll give him a piece of my mind.'

Hence, I met him at Zephyros Creek.

Somewhere in my heart, I hoped he was calling me there to explain himself, to say the rumors weren't true. That he hadn't kissed my Mother. But once we met, he tried to justify it by saying he'd never get the chance again!

|How's The Oracle Doing?|

"Can you believe that?!" Annabeth punched the wall.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I raised my hands. "Careful! This place isn't mine, you know."

Annabeth had just finished telling me about her talk with Percy and it had not ended well.

"Sorry." She patted the spot she had hit. "I just...can't believe this." I watched her sink into a seat across from me.

"I'm just learning about it from you and I can't believe it. Percy's not the type to..."

"I thought so too Rachel. I really did." Annabeth's voice cracked. "But he's really-he's really changed."

'Changed?' That word caught my attention even more. "What do you mean he's changed?"

"Ever since he came back from Mount Olympus after speaking with the gods, he hasn't been...active. I don't know." She buried her head in her hands. "Maybe I'm just overthinking things."

"No." I stood up. "You might be onto to something."

"Where are you going?" She wiped her eyes.

"...Gonna stroll around a little bit. You should stay here and collect yourself."

"In Hera's territory?" Annabeth laughed. "No thank you."

"She wouldn't kill you in her own cabin. Your blood would stain the floor." I grinned.

She punched me in the shoulder. "Ha ha. Very funny, Red."

I rubbed my shoulder. "Oracle Abuse. Where's Apollo when you need him?"

Silence engulfed us and I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well, I guess I'll be-"

"Thank you Rachel." Annabeth threw her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"What are friends for?" I smiled.

|Still Our Favorite Red-Head Speaking!|

I walked around Zeus's cabin, which was for no reason very large and slithered up the steps of the Poseidon cabin. I pushed the door open as quietly as I could and slipped inside.

"Percy?" I shut the door behind me, stepping inside. "You in here?"

A crashing sound from the Kitchen had me on my toes.

"For Hera's sake Percy." I walked into the Kitchen. "You really couldn't-"

A hand clamped over my mouth from behind and an arm went around my neck.

"Who's Percy, darling?"

|*Promises a mini-chapter in a few minutes* *Updates several hours later.* Whoops!|