Chapter 10: Break Time
As everyone else went to go sit down and eat dinner Annabeth excused herself to go find Percy. She found him in the room he was using with Carter and Magnus. He sat on his bed in the middle of the water. SAT books were laid out in front of them but he was focused on them. He was drumming Riptide on his thigh with a stormy look in his eyes.
She waded up to him sitting gently on the bed beside him. He looked up surprised. Putting her hand over his so that it stopped tapping and the pen was shut she looked at him closely.
After a moment he sighed throwing up his hands. "I just don't get it. Why is this happening? All of this? I just want to live my life."
"I understand Percy," Annabeth said. "But I hate to break it to you. This is your life."
He looked at her and let out a dark chuckle. "You're right. But still, why me? I'm not special or anything. You guys keep saying that when it's not true."
"But it is," Annabeth told him.
"I'm not more powerful than Jason, Thalia, Hazel or Nico. I'm not anything to special. I'll never be as good a fighter or swordsman as Luke. And yeah, I saved the world, but so has almost everyone else in that room."
Annabeth looked at him incredulously. "You're not serious are you?"
Percy looked at her strangely.
"And here I thought you realized. You're not so oblivious as you seem Seaweed Brain. We both know that. There's so many things we're realizing no one has or will ever be able to do. Except you."
"If you got possessed by a vulture goddess you might be able to speak Egyptian."
"Maybe," Annabeth said. "But you're special Percy. And you're upset because you realize how hard that is. Everyone wants you to be something great, even your enemies. But you….well you just want to be you."
He looked at her appreciatively as if surprised after so many years she could still glean his thoughts. With a look of exhaustion, sadness, and small joys on his face he laid down so his head was on her lap. She ran her fingers through his black hair curling around her fingers. Small breaths came out of Percy's mouth as they sat in silence again.
Ten minutes later she felt his head move. He was looking up at her with a loving gaze. Then he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the water and frowned. "It's just hitting me. What Nico said before, about Luke not knowing. I've known that for years. But I never really thought about it."
"You did," Annabeth countered as he sat up. "But you never thought about it knowing that it could be you."
"I wouldn't have though."
"I know. You never even considered it. But Kronos still had that plan for you. Everyone will be thinking about that now. And the fact that Gaea had plans for you too. She's been planning that with you since the beginning."
Percy sighed. "Take with that all the other things I've done. Not that they're too spectacular. But the others will take it as such. And then I'm never going to be just Percy to them again."
"You were never just Percy to any of us," Annabeth told him. "But that's why you're you."
She gave him a quick kiss then got up. He took the hand she offered down to him and rose as well. There was a slight grumble. Annabeth laughed. "C'mon. I promised Tyson peanut butter with Percy."
Percy grinned. "That's going to be an awesome catastrophe."
He was right of course. When they got to the dining hall different jams and spreads were splattered everywhere. People had food all over their faces and deli meats hung off the walls. Percy walked into the room only to be splattered with someone shooting ketchup from a bottle. Some round piece of deli hit him in the face seconds later.
Everyone paused as he peeled it off his face. He looked around the room seriously. "Who threw this?"
Zia stepped forward to everyone's surprise. "I was trying to hit the obnoxious boy who can make flames."
"Hey!" Leo shouted as Calypso snorted.
"Who started this then?" Percy asked.
Sadie stepped forward with Alex. Both grinned unabashedly. Percy glared at them too but they grinned harder. His face grew into a grin as well. He held up a hand which they smacked in a high five. "Great job."
Annabeth rolled her eyes at him as she walked in. "Yes but we probably need to clean up."
"Oh," Percy grinned. "I've got the washing taken care of. As long as there are some sandwiches for me I'm good to start."
"Peanut Butter for Percy. And Annabeth." Tyson grinned holding up a plate full of sandwiches. He took one off the top and ate it whole.
"Then move back," Percy said as he looked around. There was a sink on one side of the room for people to wash up. Everyone stepped back.
Suddenly the sink turned on. The water rushed out and it should have started overflowing. But Percy moved his hands in a motion and the water rushed around the floors and walls. It seemed to race around creating a whirlpool out of the room. Then it all disappeared down the sink's drain. Percy looked around and nodded. Then he pointed to a closed cabinet on the room's side. "Who wants to mop?"
Sadie looked at Carter who laughed. "You've been wanting to do this for a long time now."
"So long…" she sighed dramatically.
"What does she want to do?" signed Hearth as Blitz translated. He had a feeling it had to do with some spells. That made him even more excited.
"Ever hear of the sorcerer's apprentice? Like the Mickey cartoon? That's based off an old Egyptian myth. And after hearing that I happened to learn the spell so I'd never have to clean again. Or so I thought, but big brother dearest here said I need to slave away like a normal human."
"Hey!" Carter shouted then sighed. "Just do it."
Sadie nodded before muttering a few things in quick succession. Mops burst out of the closet and started up. She held two thumbs up when a large yawn came from Grover sounding a lot like a bleat. Juniper giggled making him affronted. "Satyrs can be tired too."
"He's right. It's late and I'm exhausted," agreed Piper. "Bed sounds good."
With a quick shuffling, some more yawns and a last check on the brooms they filed out of the room. They got into their beds and went to sleep. Except for two people. Thalia and Sadie met up in the hall.
Sadie held some bottles and other supplies in her hands. Thalia looked at it and grinned. "You managed to get some."
"Found it in my bathroom. I guess the Hemsut heard out plan to dye our hair yesterday."
"Him first. Then us," Thalia said.
"Right. Him first," Sadie agreed. "I saw Carter go into that room and I know he's sharing with Percy. Mind if I cast a few spells?"
"If it's for invisibility I have Annabeth's hat. But some silence is welcome," Thalia agreed. Sadie nodded mumbling. Then together they pulled open the door and tip-toed into the room.