I'm so sorry for taking forever to update! I've been lazy! I'm sorry if I lost a few of you...But good news, like I wanted i got away from that romance crap for a while, and the real Lukabeth comes in at the end! Plus I added some Percabeth, cause we all know, I'm secretly (ok, it's not really a secret) a Percabeth fan as well. XD And a thanks goes out to my story alerters, favoriters, and reveiwers!
Blackhawk1997: ...gee, so many spelling wizards. Thanks anyways.
Padawan-Bubbykenobi: i know right? Luke is freaking badass man!
Anikaandaj: ...that's going to be a couple but it's not coming till later! Percy's not even in the story yet!
94kgirly: I did! but thanks anyways. I'll take up your offer if I really need it!
And a big thanks to my beta: .Pie!
WritersWand
Eternal Complications
Chapter Six
I thought I liked Percy...
I wake up to hands shaking me and someone shouting in my ear. I sprang up, bumping my head on the bunk above me.
"Ow!" I cried out rubbing my head.
I look over at the alarm clock on the table at the far end of the cabin, written in neon green letters: 11:45 AM. I groaned silently to myself. I hate waking up late, I feel as if the day has been wasted, that the time I spent sleeping I could have been spent doing something else, but, whatever, what's done is done.
I rubbed my eyes and looked around. My cabin was full again. That surprised me, it was only October. The person that shook her awake was none other than Cami.
"What is it?" I asked her.
"My cabin became all crowded and noisy," she said.
So the Hermes cabin members came back to camp as well? "Yeah, that happens in that cabin, get used to it," I yawned.
"I know, I'm fine with it, their all pretty cool and funny, I'm not a late sleeper, unlike some people," she said eyeing me.
I pursed my lips together in annoyance. "I normally don't sleep this late,"
Cami shrugged. "Whatever,"
"Excuse me for a moment," I told her as I stood up and walked over to one on my cabin mates. His back was to me so I didn't know who it was until I poked his shoulder and he turned around to face me. It was Malcolm; I didn't recognize him at first cause he seemed to have grown, over the few months he was away from camp too.
"Why are you all here? I thought all of you left camp for the school year?" I asked him.
"We want to be here to help get ready for the war, to train, to help guard the camp, we can't let the Ares do it all by themselves," he said.
"And you all had the same idea? Even the Hermes cabin or so I hear?" I asked.
He shrugged and turned back around away from me. "Well, most of the campers are here actually, just not the Aphrodite's," he said.
"but isn't school in session? What are you going to do when you go back and have all those missed days?" I asked.
"If we come back that is," Malcolm corrected me.
"Don't talk like that Malcolm,"
"It's true though, you have to admit it,"
"Yes, but we don't have to think about that now do we?"
He shrugged. "Guess not, and about school, I don't really know yet, we're think of something, and we're half-bloods for crying out loud. Sugar high, dyslexic, kids with ADHD," he grinned turning away from me.
"Wait, is Percy here?" I asked him even though I knew the answer.
Malcolm shook his head and went back to what he was doing.
I sighed and turned back to Cami who was watching the scene with wide eyes.
"So, I'm supposed to introduce you to this camp, get you on your feet basically…" I trailed.
Cami nodded. "Yup, can we get to the weapons now?"
I raised an eyebrow at the young girl's impatience, or maybe it was enthusiasm…? "How you know-"I started before she interrupted me.
"…You think I would realize? Those big fat kids were marching around with huge spears and battle axes!" she cried.
I shrugged. "I thought you were more intent on watching everything else around you,"
Cami nodded. "That too," she said tying the end of her orange camp half blood t-shirt into a knot on her back, she seemed to be have difficulties trying to tie a knot behind her back but she finally managed it.
"…so, uh, follow me I guess," I said walking out of the cabin.
Cami quickly scurried after me as I made my way over to the weapons shed. I opened the door and walked in, nobody else was in here thankfully, somehow the shed always managed to stay well lit.
"So…do you have any unique talents or something?" I asked the girl.
Cami shrugged.
I sighed. "Then this is going to be a little difficult,"
"Well…" Cami trailed.
"What?"
Cami's head faced the floor; she looked up at me with her blue-green eyes. "I'm not sure if this helps any but I have a good throwing arm…"
I nodded, waiting for her to continue.
She raised her head up and continued, but still acting very modest. "I played baseball in the school team back when I was in school, I wasn't that much good at it besides my throwing skills, but it was fun," she explained. She gave a little smile. "I think I could have been counted as the star pitcher of the school I went to,"
I nodded. "What do you mean you don't think it would help? It does!" I said walking over to a shelf. I pulled out a few throwing knives. They were thin, the handle was black, the blade was made out of celestial bronze.
"You have good aim?" I asked her.
Cami nodded, her eyes brightening as she grew excited. I handed her the knives and she fiddled with them for a few moments before untying the orange camp half blood hoodie from around her waist and putting it on. Then she managed to hide the knives it her sleeves.
She grinned. Then something seemed to catch her eye. She ran over to a shelf and pick up two semi circular disks with wooden handles and parts of the disks being celestial bronze.
"Chakras! I always liked these!" she said excited. She looked up at me. "Annabeth?"
I shrugged. "I don't care,"
Cami grin grew wider. "Thank you!" she said jumping up. The knives in her sleeves dropped to the floor and she jumped up in surprise when they changed into a single hair clip and appeared in her hair.
"What the-What just happened?" she asked.
"The mortal object of those knives is a hair clip, you know, kids can't go wandering around with weapons, so that's why they change into everyday objects," I explained.
"Right," she said nodding.
"Drop your chakras," I told her.
"But they'll brake!"
"Do it," I said, my voice harsher.
She dropped them and they hit the floor with a loud clank. After a few moments they turned into two small hooped earrings and appeared in Cami's ears which must have been pierced already.
Cami's hands flew to the earrings. "Cool!"
I laughed. "Their pretty too,"
"Thank you!"
"My friend Percy has a sword that changes into a ball point pen," I said out of the blue.
"The Poseidon kid you were talking of earlier?"
I nodded.
"That's cool, but why are the weapons a bronzy color?" Cami asked.
"It's celestial bronze, only that metal can kill monsters, and other immortal beings, of course, monsters don't really die, they will…it's sort of like evaporating, but they can always come back,"
"That sucks,"
"It does,"
"So we have to keep on killing more and more monsters,"
I nodded. "While we are on this topic I'll like to tell you that normal mortal weapons and celestial bronze both can kill half bloods, since we're part god and human, that makes us more vulnerable,"
Cami nodded, understanding, but her gaze wandering, as she wasn't able to keep on paying attention, which must be the ADHD kicking in. Her eye caught something in the back of the room. Her eyes widened as she ran to the back of the weapons shed, picking up a guitar. She played a few notes with her long fingers before pulling out the pick that was lodged underneath a few strings.
I walked over to her. "You've played before?"
Cami shook her head. "Not once," she said, her hand moving to the top of the guitar to turn the knob thing-I think that tunes it- and then the guitar magically turned into a bow and the pick into a quiver full of arrows before our eyes.
Cami's eyes widened. "I've always wanted a guitar, and I would be fine even if it wasn't a weapon as well but this is just freaking epic man!"she cried.
I laughed. "OK, I think we better leaves before you rob us of all our weapons Cami," I said as the bow and arrows turned back into a guitar and Cami swung it on her back, carefully of course. She stuck her tongue out at me. "I wouldn't do that,"
"Sure you wouldn't," I said walking out and closing the door after Cami exited the shed.
As we were walking through camp my stomach growled, loud.
Cami snickered a little. "Someone's hungry,"
"Hey! I missed breakfast! I have a right to be hungry!" I pointed out.
She shrugged. "Because you slept in,"
I sighed. No point arguing with her anymore, I knew Cami would win this even if she didn't try, sadly. We started making our way to the Pavilion where lunch was being served.
"I'm not really hungry," Cami informed me.
I eyed a group of Apollo kids practicing and impoving their archery skills, not like they need any more improving or anything.
"Hey Cami, why don't you go practice with them for a bit? I'm guessing you will be a good archer, if your aim and throwing skills are as good as you say they are," I said pointing out the group of archers to her.
"They are as good as I said they-wait, what does throwing have to do with archery?" Cami asked.
I shrugged and waved her off before entering the Pavilion. I walked over to the food table. I picked up a handful of grilled cheese sandwiches' for myself and was about to go give part of my food to my mom when I remembered Luke hadn't had anything to eat since last night as well. I lifted my shirt a little so only a small portion of my belly was exposed and dumped the plate of sandwiches' and other food into the bowl of my shirt.
When I was satisfied I walked over to the fire in the middle of the Pavilion and ripped off half of a grilled cheese sandwich and tossed it into the greedy flames as an offering to both Athena and Hermes.
I looked around to make sure the coast was clear before starting off towards the Hermes cabin with the extra food. When I was half way to the Artemis cabin a familiar goat boy stopped me.
"Annabeth?" came Grover's voice.
I turned around to face him, a not so seemingly convincing smile on my face. "Grover?"
"I was just-…why do you-" he cut himself off and grinned. "Someone has to be starving,"
I managed a little laugh. "Well I did miss breakfast,"
"You did, why?"
"I overslept,"
"You overslept? Annabeth Chase overslept?"
I sighed. "it angered me that I did when I could have been doing something productive but I guess it's done now, and I guess I needed it anyways,"
Grover laughed before turning away. "Well, see you later Annabeth,"
I nodded and headed towards the Artemis cabin again. I looked towards Cami and the Apollo archers and saw Cami-eyes wide- as she watched the Apollo leader draw back his bow, as he taught her. I continued on my way to the Artemis cabin. I ran up the steps and emptied the food in the bowl of my shirt gently on the bunk on which Luke have lay have sat. It would probably be enough for the rest of the day too. I turned back to the door to leave when Luke spoke.
"Leaving without even a single word?" he asked.
I turned to him. "Sorry, but-"
Luke sighed. "The new half blood?"
I nodded, pretty sure he understood, before exiting the cabin. I walked over to the little archery lesson where I now saw Cami holding her bow ready to aim. She must have been holding it wrong or something because the Apollo leader corrected her.
.
The next several weeks past in almost the same fashion. I overslept, which I still hate, but like I said before, it's done and I guess I needed the extra sleep or something. Cami practiced with her bow every day, by now I would say she's almost a pro. I'm not sure if she's practiced with anything else, she may have. Cami told me that Zack-the Apollo cabin leader- told her how much she improved and she could very well almost best him, emphasis on almost. Now it was around mid-late December. Every day when I went to get myself some lunch I would give Luke his food for the rest of the day, I think his ribs may be healed soon, I read somewhere broken ribs take a very long time to heal, I think they might be healed but still a little hurt now, but I'm not sure, half bloods do heal a little faster than normal humans.
It was about four o'clock in the afternoon and I strolled around camp randomly. Over the past weeks I have been practicing with my knife more, I'm better I guess, but I could still afford some more practice, maybe today. While I was lost in thought I didn't notice Cami come up behind me.
"Hey Annabeth," she said.
I turned to her, a little startled. I noticed her bow was back into a guitar. "You aren't practicing?"
She shrugged. "I'm getting kind of bored with that weapon,"
"You want to try practicing with your knives? I could help you with that? I have my own knife," I said.
"I've been practicing on my own as well, but- oh! Do you want to have a competition of sorts?"
I shrugged. "Why not?" I asked leading her into the forest. We walked through the forest for a few moments before it opened out to a small field, where snow light covered the green grass. Yeah, snow. Most of the time the camp boundaries keep weather from in filtering camp but Mr. D probably decided to let some snow in.
I turned to Cami. "Let's see how far you can throw, you first,"
Cami nodded. She took the clip out of her hair and it turned into a few knives, she threw one and it landed a good fifteen feet forward. After a few seconds it appeared back in her hair as a clip.
I nodded "Good, but not better than me, I've been practicing since I was seven," I said getting a good grip on my knife. I was ready to throw, remembering that Luke gave me the knife and that he was here gave me slightly more confidence, but then as I let go of my knife I saw a glimpse of white blond hair run past, distracting me. The knife landed a mere two feet in front of us.
Cami laughed. "haha, since you were seven? Doesn't look like it,"
I shook my head. "That didn't count, I call a retry!"
.
After about an hour or two of our knife practice, Grover came and found us in the field. I was just throwing my knife when he spoke up. My knife was sent flying in the air towards him.
He shrieked and jumped out of its way. "You trying to kill me or something!"
"Oh Grover! I didn't see you! I'm sorry!" I cried running to pick up my knife.
Grover tended to lean away from me a little after that. "Do you know of the Capture the Flag game tonight?"
I shook my head, kind of surprised. "No, but why are we doing one in the middle of the school year?"
Grover shrugged. "Most of the camp is here,"
My face fell. "But Percy isn't,"
Cami stepped in. "OK, one, who the hell is Percy? And two, awesome! I love Capture the Flag,"
"it's who the Hades," Grover corrected being a smart ass.
I rolled my eyes. "Percy is my best friend; he's the son of Poseidon,"
"And if you liked the human version of Capture the Flag, you're just go ecstatic over our version," Grover finished for me.
"OK, but is there anything more but friends? Because most of the time when I go into your cabin in the mornings you're always saying his name," Cami said.
I could feel my cheeks go warm but Grover spoke before I could.
"yes Cami, they are so together, I remember one time when my best buddy Percy told me about the time they made out underwater," he said growing smug.
"You made out underwater! How is that even possible!"
Grover grinned. "Percy is the son of the sea god; he can do what he likes with water,"
Cami giggled. "he probably wishes Annabeth was water then,"
Grover laughed at her immature comment.
"When I go into the Athena cabin in the morning I hear her moan Percy's name,"
Grover laughed louder.
Cami grinned. "Oh, and another name, I really don't know who he is but-"
No! No drama is going to be added in my life! That is secret! Who knows what will happen if the camp knows if I'm harvesting a traitor. I gave her a look and the younger girl shut up.
My cheeks were literally burning now. "Guys hold it! I'm not the only one with embarrassing love stories you know!" I turned to Grover. "I remember one day I saw you making out with a tree, turns out it wasn't Juniper but another tree you had mistaken her for, she wasn't so happy about that,"
Grover blushed but said nothing.
"Wait, hold on. Grover's girlfriend's a tree!" Cami said before bursting out laughing.
Grover was now blushing furiously.
I turned to Cami, tears were streaming down her face, girl laughs too easily. "Hold on girl, it's your turn now,"
Cami stood up straight. "Oh yeah? You've got nothing on me,"
"Oh yes I do,"
"Spit I out then,"
"I will, it looks as if someone had the hots for a certain Apollo cabin leader,"
Cami blanched, her cheeks a deep shade of red. "Do not, he's just nice, that's all,"
"Sure you don't,"
"Wait, Cami has a crush on Zack!" Grover exclaimed.
"Took someone a while," I said.
Grover's jaw dropped. "But I thought-"
"Thought what?"
"That she was also a-never mind, my hunch was probably wrong,"
"What was your hunch?"
"I said never mind,"
I shrugged and looked at the setting sun on the horizon. "We better get ready for the capture the flag game tonight," I said to Cami. "Hermes and Athena alliance?"
Cami nodded. "I'll talk to Conner and Travis, I think we have an alliance with Apollo as well, I heard them saying stuff about alliances, I didn't really get it then,"
I nodded. "We do too,"
.
It was six o'clock, and already dark, stupid daylight saving hours. A fine layer of snow lay over the trees of the forest and the grass, but I could see that the snow gradually grew deeper the farther into the forest I went, probably to enhance the game. Athena had an alliance with Hermes and Apollo like I wanted. We were against Ares; I don't think the other cabins that were here wanted to play. I'm not sure, maybe they were playing I just didn't see them yet.
The Apollo cabin are all excellent archers and are armed with their bows while they hide in the trees where our flag is hidden.
The Hermes Cabin are looking for the Ares Flag, they are-as I hate to admit it- excellent thieves.
My cabin? I actually don't know what they're doing. Probably looking for any unfortunate Ares or other camper that's playing that wandered into our boundary. I sadly am at loss for a good strategy, which is really strange for me. I think I'm just tired, I did have a long training session with Cami.
I was walking through the forest when I heard the crunch of snow behind me as if someone stepped on the snow. I slowly turned around.
"Who goes there?" I asked, hand going to the hilt of my knife, that rested in its sheath on my belt.
Cami stepped forward; in the dark forest I could only see her shadowy siluette of her. I knew it was her though because of the guitar strapped to her back. Her chakras were strapped to her sides and she wore her hoodie, I'm pretty sure her knives were concealed in her sleeves.
"Annabeth, it's Cami,"
I nodded, then realizing she couldn't see me I spoke. "Yes,"
We started walking through the forest with little exchanged words until the forest opened up into a small field. I looked around.
"Well, I'm sorry, I'm bored, see you late Annabeth," Cami said walking back into the forest.
"Bye," I said, but my voice broke off when I saw a familiar figure standing in the moonlight on a small cliff that hung over the creek. I walked over to him.
"What are you doing here Luke? I thought…" I trailed. Half bloods heal fast.
"Annabeth…" Luke trailed.
"You're healed now. You can leave now, and go back to your master," I said bitterly.
"But Annabeth, I don't-"
I ignored him, remembering something I always wanted to ask him, it was random, but I wanted to know. "Luke?"
Luke looked at me. "Annabeth?"
"Do you remember two years ago, it was before Christmas, before Thaila joined the Hunters, when I was kidnapped, and forced to hold up the sky? Then Artemis saved me, taking the sky on to her shoulders herself…literally…" I trailed, the memory coming crashing down on me.
Luke nodded grimly.
"Why did you save me? Why did you persuade Atlas to take me with you? Why didn't you just leave me to die?" I asked.
Luke didn't answer at first.
"It's okay if you don't want to answer me, it could have just been as….bait…as you said," I said, the word bait getting stuck in my throat.
"Because I love you Annabeth," he said.
My eyes widened, but I couldn't manage any words. He surely meant in a brother and sister way correct? He was a number of years older than me.
Before I could sort out my thoughts, Luke leaned in and gently pressed his lips to mine. My eyes widened as I didn't return the kiss but then I leaned in a little, unsure of what I was doing.
This was one of those moments where it felt like it was forever but in reality it was really only a few seconds. Luke pulled away from me and walked a few paces away, leaving me at loss for words.
I reached out and grabbed his arm, he stopped and I let go, letting his arm fall to his side.
"Luke…" I trailed.
His head turned slightly towards me waiting for an answer, but no response came. I watched as his white blond hair absorbed the moonlit and his blue eyes reflected it. Luke turned back and ran to the edge of the forest, stopping to look back for a final time before running into the forest.
I watched him, somehow knowing, he wasn't really leaving.
The next thing that happened startled me. I turned back to walk back when I saw the figure of Cami standing at the edge of the forest, on the opposite side at which Luke ran.
Her figure swayed in the wind and it looked…tall and furious. I wonder what I looked to her.
"You betrayed Percy!"
