Chapter 4: D is for Dams
Style: Book-Based
POV: Percy, 3rd person
Summary: Dams… the title is as legit as it gets. It's corny and has excessive uses of the word 'dam'.
"So, we're at the Hoover Dam, why?" Annabeth asked as Percy guided her through a swarm of people that were closing in on them from all sides. Percy smiled brightly and decided to not answer her question. He just gripped her hand tighter.
She rolled her eyes at him, and his smile got even bigger. He tugged her along through the crowd.
They bumped into a couple, and even though they both laughed, the couple shot glares at them. They had a little kid with them who was now sprawled on the ground, looking up at them like What'd I do to get thrown down here?
That made Percy laughed even harder, but Annabeth sobered up immediately. "I am so sorry," she tried to say to them, holding her hands out in innocence. Percy's stomach was hurting from laughing so much.
Of course, it was really immature. They were both in their mid twenties, taking time off from college to go on a trip to Nevada. Annabeth had wanted to go back to Las Vegas for a little bit, but of course, nowhere near the Lotus Hotel and Casino. They were actually staying at the MGM, which they both loved for all of the shows, amenities, and animals.
But Percy had decided to go to Nevada for an entirely different reason. He wasn't feeling sentimental… but still, Annabeth hadn't been with him when he had come there in the past.
Now, he just had to wait for the perfect moment for a person to say those right words, and the jokes would commence. Maybe this angry couple would start that, and they would totally regret it, but Percy wouldn't.
And then the angry man said it. "Damn you."
Annabeth's cheeks reddened and she looked so embarrassed. A few people had stopped to stare at them. The little kid was crying now because his dad had used a cuss word. It was going crazy.
So Percy, fell onto the ground, near the little kid (who jumped out of the way and screamed something about terrorists) and laughed until his throat was sore and at least twenty people were staring at him as if he had a mental disease.
Annabeth had a horrified expression on her face. She was shaking her head and pulling Percy back up off of the ground. "What is wrong with you?" she whispered/yelled in his ear, and he shook his head because words weren't really coming to him.
His girlfriend looked back at the couple with sympathy in her eyes. "I am so sorry about my boyfriend's behavior."
The looks on the couple's faces were priceless. "That guy needs to go on some serious medication," she growled, pointing at him.
"Damn you all, you worthless spring breakers," he yelled over the roar of the crowd. His threat didn't even make sense, since it was the summer, but they got the gist of it. "You need to leave our children alone."
"You said it again!" Percy cried, wiping tears of joy from his face.
The little kid was bawling and hugging his mom's knees, and the mom was trying to shush him. Percy looked around and saw some of the tourists taking pictures of them and videotaping the breakdown at the Hoover Dam.
Percy hadn't even realized that Annabeth was pulling him away from the scene. She darted them around the corner at sprinting speed. Some of the ignorant people asked questions, but neither of them said anything as they tried to get away from them. He could still hear the crying kid, distraught mother, and cursing father.
When Annabeth finally stopped him, she put her finger in his face. "What was all of that about?" she demanded, her tone so angry that Percy was sure she would pull her knife out on him.
"That was the reason that I took you to the Hoover Dam!" he clarified gleefully.
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.
"Well, why don't we go to the dam snack bar and talk it out," he suggested giddily, snickering to himself. Annabeth shot him a weird look, all of her anger gone like she didn't know what to feel anymore.
Finally, she shrugged and they walked over to the snack bar. No one was watching them, but Percy wished that the mad couple and their child would be in there. He almost wished that a monster would appear, just so that he could freak them out.
Once they were sitting at a table, Percy began to tell her the full version of what had happened while she had been held by the Titans when they'd been fourteen. Not only that, but he told her the full version of their 'dam' problem.
"So, you all had a dam problem?" she asked again, tapping her fingers against his wrist. He nodded. "Then why did I only hear about it now?"
"Well, I wanted you to have the full effect of the place when you heard," he admitted, gesturing to the dam around them.
He picked at his nachos and said, "These dam nachos are awesome."
Annabeth cracked a smile. "I want to buy a dam t-shirt," she joked, trying it out for the first time.
"That's what she said," Percy laughed cracking up and slapping the table with his free hand. The person at the table next to him shot him an evil look.
Annabeth looked at him now lie he was disgusting. "You're so gross."
Then he realized what he had said. "No I didn't mean it like that!" he said waving his hands. "I meant, that's what Thalia had said when we were here. She said that she wanted to buy a dam t-shirt!"
"Oh. Good," she said, sighing and ate a nacho. "Well, we aren't doing a dam thing right now, so why don't we just go out and look at the awesome view?" She stood up and outstretched her hand, and Percy took it.
Someone behind them coughed, and he turned around. The unhappy couple and their child were looking at them, and the child's eyes were swollen and red. "What's your dam problem?" Percy said, but in a happy not accusing voice. Annabeth didn't get mad at him that time.
"There are children here," the man spat at them as their child started to cry again. The sound echoed around them and he groaned.
"Well, in that case," Percy started, and he pulled Annabeth in for a long kiss, right in front of them. When they broke apart, the kid was making an appalled face.
"Ewwww!" the child screamed turning away from them and running away from his parents. The mother called out but the child continued to run, and soon the mom and dad were both chasing their son.
"Dam…" Percy said slowly, but he smiled. "I didn't expect the kid to do that."
And then they laughed at the dam irony of it all.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Please check out and review my new story, Hell and Silence. It would mean a lot!
-BBH
