Percy

I hadn't really intended to help her. I'd been hoping to leave her stranded for tomorrow. But something my dad had once said echoed back to me across the years telling me "Percy, someone in need is someone you can help."

Funny, because Dad didn't choose to get help with his own problems. And look where he ended up.

And here we both were, in my jeep flying down a highway listening to Shotgun Rider at an insane volume. Her face was turned away from me, meaning I got a fantastic view of her long blonde hair. It was so distracting I mentally threw it out of my head so we didn't flip. I turned off the highway onto a long paved road, which then turned to dirt after a few miles. I saw the place nearing us. "Hang on!" I called to Chase. She turned to face me and said "Hang on for-" but was cut off by my engaging the four wheel drive and jumping a stream with a hard left.

I laughed like it was my first time doing it again and threw the gearshift into third, then fourth. We must've been doing seventy over the field, hitting rocks and tearing the dirt up. I glanced over and saw Annabeth looking sick. Easing up on the accelerator, I put in the clutch and brake to stop the car, then turned the key. "You alrigh-"

Chase decked me so hard in my shoulder I was pretty sure the bruise would never go away. She was breathing really hard and between breaths, she enunciated "Jackson, if you ever do that again I swear to everything you love I will kill you."

I laughed, rubbing my arm. "So you're saying there'll be a next time?" And she gave me a glare that made me appreciate the phrase 'If looks could kill' in a new way.

I shrugged, albeit painfully. "We're here anyway. Go crazy, Chase."

She took her first actual look around. It was a field about ten miles away from the city that was entirely unused, although for some reason the grass wouldn't grow past a foot. Jason, Leo, and I discovered it when we were out driving our cars for test rides (we were all just licensed then). We think and hope that we're the only ones who know about it, because we all refer to it as 'the place' or 'the shop' when we talk to our parents. We have fixed many things out here, although it's mostly Leo's Impala with duct tape.

What I like best isn't the dirt track we built or the hills that are great for four wheeling, is the sunset that you can view at just the right angle from a certain spot in a car. Actually, I think… Yeah, I'd parked the Jeep in the exact spot.

I unbuckled my seatbelt. "C'mon Chase, you've got a mental breakdown to attend."

And she did. Two seconds after she fell into the grass she started cussing in a way that would have made the guys who did The King's Speech respect her. I caught something about her dad and Italian stuff in there. Annabeth also kind of did this punch/ kickbox thing which ended with her spinning around punching and kicking for ten minutes until she fell down.

I watched calmly while leaning against the jeep. This of course, has happened before. Mostly by Nico, who was freaking out about his identity and how people, specifically his parents, would deal with it.

I let Annabeth lay in the grass for a couple of minutes until I decided she was a little cooler. Her hair was splayed all over the flattened grass and dang, in the setting sun it looked great. I'm totally allowed to think that, it's just a color. I offered a hand. "Chase, you're going to miss the sunset"

"Why should I care about some stupid sunset anyway?"

"Because if you miss this one, I'll never tell you how to see another one from here."

Annabeth leaned up on an elbow and took my hand. "Fine" and I pulled her up.

The sunset had never disappointed me, and today it didn't either. I took Annabeth by the shoulder in what I hoped was a semi- friendly way to stand with me by the jeep. The sun cast a light pink and purple tinge to the clouds, and a glow to Annabeth's face, turning her already blonde hair to pure gold.

"My God," she said quietly.

"Not much like New York, huh?"

"Nothing at all…"

I turned my head left to see her looking at me. "This is the part in the movie where the guy kisses the girl," she said.

"What?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

She laughed, and to my great delight, it was high and sweet and almost as nice as the sunset. "I'm kidding. You must have a lot of kelp in your head to think I'd ever like you," But she said it in a kind way.

I was particularly indignant. "Excuse you, our pool is chlorinated. Any plant life would immediately die if it-"

She rested her head against my unbruised shoulder. "Shut up Seaweed Brain."

And for once, I did.