Percy's pov:

A big mass of black hits me and sends me sprawling onto the ground as soon as I enter the house. Dark, beady eyes stare down at me excitedly when I open my eyes. It instantly starts licking my face, and I realize who it is.

"Mrs O'Leary! How are you here girl?! I ask shocked and surprised by my dog's sudden appearance. She merely barks as I scratch her behind the ear. Oh, how I missed her. I laugh and finally manage to come out from under her.

A beautiful laughter reaches my ears as I stand up- one that warms my heart, one that I haven't heard in years.

I look up to see the face my eyes have been yearning to see for so long. Her soft yet sharp eyes seem as if they can look right through me and read my every thought. They probably can. Her delicate lips are curved up into a small breathtaking smile as Mrs O'Leary stands beside me. Her eyes never stray from mine though. I can see a hint of sadness and pain effectively concealed behind those joyful eyes, which fool everyone but me. Her long hair tumbles down to her slim waist in thick, silky waves. She's wearing the white dress. It fits her perfectly, showing off her curves and long creamy legs.

"Calypso" I say the name which is always on my mind, always invading my thoughts and dreams.

She stands still, just staring at me, not saying a word. Her eyes though are a different story as millions of unspoken thoughts and emotions flash though them.

Someone coughs behind me, gathering the attention of everyone in the hall- everyone except the two of us.

"Calypso" a deep voice says- my dad I assume.

She moves her gaze away from me and looks behind me at my father. I reluctantly follow her lead, annoyed at being interrupted in between of such a beautiful moment.

"It's good to see you after such a long time." Dad says coming forward, smiling kindly at her.

"Father forced me to go on a trip to Athens this year. I thought he would have informed you of my arrival." She says frowning a bit. I'm not liking that frown on her face.

"Don't worry about that." He says waving a hand. It feels like he's hiding something. "You've got a perfect timing though. It's dinner time, come on." He says guiding her towards the dining room. Everyone follows them out the hall until I'm the only one left. Or so I thought. Annabeth takes my hand and drags me to the dining table where everyone is already seated. I sit on the chair on dad's lefts side, who is sitting at the head of the table as always. Directly in front of me sits Calypso who is looking down at her food, avoiding my eyes.

I don't really eat anything that night. Just stare at her most of the time, trying to make sure that she really is here. I watch as she converses with dad or occasionally laughs with Piper. She'll be staying here for a long time- that's what I figured out from whatever little I heard when I wasn't too busy staring at her- which was rare. I know she feels me continuously staring at her, but not once does she look up at me or acknowledges me throughout the meal. And it hurts. A lot.

I quietly get up and go to my room leaving my dinner behind.

It's a full moon today I notice, as I look out from the balcony of my room.

My thoughts wander back to the girl sitting downstairs- they always find a way to do that. I finally heard the voice my ears have been longing to hear for years. But that wasn't enough. My hands itched to touch her, caress her cheek. I couldn't bare the distance between us. She was so close, yet so far. So far beyond my reach. If only I could just reach out, pull her close to me, feel her heartbeat against mine. I wanted to tuck that lock of hair behind her ear during the dinner. I suppressed the urge to hold her hand, to feel their softness again. Her voice was music to my ears, my favourite music. Her caramel hair was glowing under the soft yellow light of the dining room. Her milky face was glowing with happiness as she laughed with Piper.

I lay down on the bed and close my eyes. Her lovely face immediately flashes in front of my eyes. I force the images and memories to go away. It hurts too much to remember them, especially when she's just a floor away from me and refuses to even look at me.

I hear a thud at my door followed by a bark. I sigh, opening my eyes, and get up to open the door. How could I forget about her?

Mrs O'Leary enters my room and plops down at the foot of the bed. A friend of dad's had gifted her to me when he died. She was aloof and stubborn in the beginning, but eventually warmed up to me- which required several dog bites and scratches and wounds. Yeah, she was quite aggressive. She still is if need be.

With a sigh I close my eyes and drift off to sleep where I'll see her in my dreams, as always.

Annabeth's pov:

Percy didn't eat or say anything throughout the dinner. He just kept staring at Calypso as if finally registering that she really is here. He abruptly stands and leaves with Mrs O'Leary following behind him. Soon after, we all go off to our rooms with Calypso in one of the spare rooms on our floor.

I lie down and think about what happened today. I have never seen Percy behaving like this before. I suddenly realize, I didn't know a lot of things about my best friend until now. It's like a whole new side of Percy Jackson is revealed in Athens.

I admit it. I didn't like the way Percy kept staring at her, as if she was the most valuable thing to him, as if she would disappear in a moment's notice. I didn't like the way he paid attention to no one but her. He didn't steal my food, he didn't laugh with Piper, he didn't crack jokes with Thalia and Jason, he didn't converse with his dad. I had to drag him to the dining room because he was too busy staring at her. Thalia had saved me a seat beside Percy, but it didn't really matter. He didn't even acknowledge me- or anyone for that matter. And the strangest thing? Calypso didn't even glance at him- not even once. Like she didn't care that he was staring at her the whole time. Any other girl would have done anything in her power to just get a glance from Percy Jackson, to just have an opportunity to talk to him, to gain his attention even for a little while. And here she was, capturing his attention the entire night, holding him spellbound. The worst part though? He has never, ever behaved this way in front of another woman. He has always refused their proposals, ignored their looks, turned them down, broken thousands of hearts. But this time, the roles were switched. For the first time, he was the one gazing at someone, craving for their attention, looking at them in longing and desire. He was the one looking vulnerable. And I hated it. I hated seeing that look in his eyes for some other girl. She was able to bring Perseus Jackson down to his most vulnerable state, she was able to make him reveal his insecure, self conscious part- in a matter of mere seconds, without even trying.

I didn't tell him about my feelings. I just couldn't. Not after his reaction to her.

One question constantly disturbs me. Do I really know my best friend? I didn't know he was a billionaire, that he had a mansion in Athens, that he handled business along with Poseidon Jackson, that he had a pet dog, that he had friend back in Athens. I didn't know the most basic things about him, and I always thought I knew him best. I am with him since nine years, am I not? Then why does he feel like a total stranger to me sometimes? I feel as if I don't know him at all, as if I'm just now meeting a guy named Percy Jackson. As if he hasn't always really been there with me, as if he was never really my best friend. He was someone else entirely, hiding the true Perseus Jackson from everyone.

And I'm afraid, I'm terrified of what more I'll find out about him, because I have a feeling I won't like it all.