New chapter :) Enjoy.
Walking hand-in-hand around the cabins, Percy silently listened to Annabeth explain her "exciting" ideas for architectural monuments for Olympus. It was so quiet. Like all of the other campers had left to their cabins just for them. They both seemed almost uncomfortable holding hands. They still weren't completely used to the whole "boyfriend/girlfriend" thing yet.
"Hey, Annabeth?" Percy asked, interrupting her explanation about a temple for Athena she was planning. Looking over at him, she asked, "Yeah?"
He sighed, running a hand through his permanently messy hair, "What if the war isn't the end? What if something else is wrong. I've got a lot of enemies now: titans, monsters, and some gods included. Maybe that rule about claiming all their kids was too much? And the gods are never truly satisfied. You know that."
She smiled to encourage him, and squeezed his hand. He was ranting. Something was bothering him. "Percy, it'll all be okay. Everything's fine now." She told him in an "I'm-a-daughter-of-Athena-so-I'm-always-right" tone. He smiled tentatively, "Yeah… I suppose you're right." But the look of uncertainty never left his face.
Walking up to the Athena cabin, Percy stood awkwardly, his hands shoved in his pockets. His mom's chick-flicks all said that the guy was supposed to kiss the girl before dropping her home. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Percy whispered, before pulling her in carefully for a light kiss, and jogging off before the awkwardness settled in
... ... ...
The next morning, he was late to breakfast. Annabeth figured he was just tired, but when he didn't show for sword practice, she was sure something was wrong. She knocked on his cabin door. "Percy? Percy, are you in there?" The door was swung open, and she quietly let herself in. Empty.
A couple of death threats had the entire camp looking for him, but by sunset, he was still nowhere to be found.
"CHIRON! CHIRON!" Annabeth called running up to the big house porch, where the centaur was playing pinochle. "Percy's gone." she cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. Chiron studied her. "Yes child, I know. Perhaps he is underwater."
His calmness unsettled her, and all she wanted to do was shake him by the shoulders and yell in his face. Why was he being so nonchalant?
Sighing, she shook her head. "I checked with the naiads" What could have happened to him? Not knowing infuriated her, and she decided she'd give everything to get him back. "Annabeth, I've contacted Poseidon, but for some reason Zeus has blocked all communication with the gods."
She ran desperately to Rachel, assuming she would know, being the oracle. Dismissing the ominous purple curtains and the "Beware!" sign leading up to Rachel's cave, she trudged in.
"Annabeth!" Rachel called, seeming unsurprised at her unexpected visit, "There's good news!"
"Good news! Percy's missing!" Annabeth snapped, glaring. "I know, it's just that I found a way to find him. A prophecy said that we'd find him with the one wearing one shoe."
"We'll talk about it in council immediately!" She exclaimed, grabbing Rachel by the arm. Rachel warily shook her head, "Chiron has told me to wait until tomorrow. Sorry."
By campire, everyone at camp knew Annabeth was slowly loosing it, and kept a safe distance away from her. She could hear the whispers. The Aphrodite girls were ecstatic, saying that their "tragic love" was probably the most adorable they'd ever seen.
That night, silent sobs echoed in the Athena cabin. Annabeth never cried, and so her siblings worried. "Percy. Where are you?" She whispered, hoping he'd hear her, wherever he was.
