MORE CHAPPIES OF THIS BECAUSE PERCABETH IS BEAUTIFUL! XD

I have a stomachache. Fun.

So yeah, stuff is going on.

Disclaimer: No. *walks away*

Ricky: She doesn't own my stuff.

Me: *anime crying* Why. . . Why, gods. . .

Layla Stevens

I love swimming. Honestly, it's my life. I live, eat, and breathe the pool.

. . . Okay, I don't actually do that. I'd be dead. Still, if I could, I'd spend all my time there.

The only person who spends more time there than I do. . . is Percy Jackson.

Percy freaking Jackson. I wish I could hate him. Really, I do. I was set to become captain of the community swim team until he started coming. He signed up for this team, unaffiliated to any school, so that he could get more time in the pool. From what he told us, he was already the captain of the swim team at his school, but he loved the water so much, he just had to find another place to swim. Worse, he was amazing, flying through the water like he was part of it. Any stroke he performed was flawless. Our coach- the swim instructor at the Y, the guy who set up the team- idolized him.

And he was only seventeen. I was freaking nineteen, going to NYU, and had been swimming since I was a little kid. I had to have more experience than a high schooler.

Still, it was impossible to hold a grudge against him. He was sweet, kind, with a self-deprecating, sarcastic sense of humor that the whole team couldn't get enough of, me included.

All of the girls on the team (so Ava, Grace, and I) thought he was attractive. We couldn't help it. The boy was hot. Despite being two years younger than Ava and I and three years younger than Grace, he was taller than all of us, and muscular while still retaining a lithe, lean build.

So yeah. Wanted to hate him, couldn't, and maybe- MAYBE- had a bit of a crush on him.

Jeez, just saying the word "crush" makes me feel juvenile. Still, it's really the only way to describe the feeling.

Ava was different. She was a bit. . . over the top. Boys were her life, and it made her come off as a bit desperate. She was also (and don't tell her I said this, because she is my friend) a bit of a slut. Percy was her latest obsession. She knew everything about him, or so she said. Where he lived, what school he went to, what coffee shops he liked. . . She would totally win a Percy Jackson trivia competition, if such a thing existed. She said it was love.

I had another word for it, but I'd never tell her that.

Grace thought he was hot. That was it. Besides, she already had a loving, caring boyfriend named Max*. He was sort of obsessive, overprotective, and clingy, but Grace loved him anyway.

Anyway, I was lounging in the pool with them, warming up a little for practice, when Ava perked up. I rolled my eyes at Grace, who smiled softly. We knew what that look in Ava's hazel eyes meant.

We turned around, and sure enough, Percy Jackson had entered the room. In his swim trunks. That was usual for the pool, of course, but Ava never seemed to tire of staring at his chiseled abs.

I elbowed her, and she scowled at me before turning back to Percy and waving excitedly.

"What's up, Perce?" she asked.

Percy grinned, and I could sense Ava melting into the water a little. "Nothing much, Ave." He grinned like he'd told a funny joke, and I laughed. I'd taken Latin in school and knew that "Ave" meant "Hail".

Grace chuckled and Ava blushed at the nickname. She immediately scolded him, but I could tell that she loved it.

Percy smirked, putting up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, Ava," he conceded, laughing.

He slid into the pool smoothly and began to slowly freestyle across the pool, moving fluidly.

Ava sighed dreamily. I nudged her. She sent me a look, and I giggled.

"You've got it bad, girl," I muttered.

Ava nodded. "I know," she admitted, not taking her eyes off of Percy's form. "You know, his birthday is three months. The eighteenth of August. I wonder what I should get him. . ."

I blinked. "Really? He's a summer birthday?" His birthday was also the day before mine, but I didn't mention that. He would be turning eighteen the day before I turned twenty.

Ava nods. "Yep, I'm sure of it."

"How did you know that?" a new voice asked.

The three of us turned in surprise.

A girl was standing there. She couldn't have been older than eighteen, and she was wearing a black tank top with pink writing that I couldn't quite read from my angle and skinny jeans. Her flip-flops were sea green, and she wore a raggedy necklace that was similar to one I could have sworn I saw Percy wearing one time. Still, she looked fantastic. Her curly blonde hair (which, despite her age, had a streak of gray in it) was put up in a high ponytail, revealing elegant features that belonged on a statue of some goddess. Her eyes only furthered that assumption, as they were gray as granite, only stormy and intense. They glinted silver, even in the harsh artificial lighting in the pool room.

Ava looked too surprised to say anything, and I was feeling pretty much the same way, so Grace said, "We're on his swim team. It's nice to see you, Annabeth."

The girl- Annabeth?- grinned at Grace. "Good to see you too, Grace. I didn't know you swam."

Grace shrugged. "I may not belong in that cabin, but I'm okay." She smiled. "How are things at camp?"

Annabeth laughed. "Fine. Katie misses you. She says she wants you to visit when you're done with college."

"I could visit any time!" Grace exclaimed. "NYU isn't that far."

"Then you should!" Annabeth replied. "Gods know the strawberry fields could use some of your magic. None of your siblings besides Katie, Leslie, Justin, Danny, and Bea ever want to help there any more, and Justin and Bea are too young to really do much."

I glanced at Ava, only to see that she looked just as lost as I felt.

Just then, Percy came up next to us. "Hey guys, who are you-" He stopped short, staring at Annabeth, before he smiled widely. "Annabeth!"

Annabeth smirked. "Finally noticed my presence, huh, Seaweed Brain? Took you long enough. Then again, you always were oblivious to me."

I thought Percy might be offended. For some reason, he hated being called oblivious. He said something about that being reserved for camp people.

Instead, he laughed. "We can't all see everything at once, Wise Girl," he retorted.

"Doesn't stop you from trying, though. At least, it shouldn't."

"Don't be a smart-aleck, Owl Head."

"What was that about my head?"

"Nothing, nothing. . ."

Grace giggled. "Ah, SmartWater," she said with a sigh.

Percy laughed and Annabeth blushed.

"Honestly, I prefer Percabeth," Percy said in that tone of voice he always uses when he's joking. I couldn't help but think about how natural he was, talking to this girl. It made him look. . . different. Not better, not worse, just. . . different.

"What's Percabeth?" Ava asked in a manner that makes me think she's scared of the answer.

"Our ship name," Percy answered carelessly.

I could practically hear Ava's heart break. I was rather disappointed that Percy was taken, but I couldn't say I didn't expect it. Ava? She was probably going to go catatonic the moment we got to the locker room. She was certain he was waiting for her, and I had never been able to bring myself to tell her that she's delusional.

Meanwhile, Percabeth continued their conversation.

"Lovin' the shirt, Wise Girl."

"Of course you would. You bought it."

"Still. It's so. . . you. Harry Potter and feminism in one go!"

I scrutinized the shirt and realized that it says "I Solemnly Swear That I Will Smash The Patriarchy"**. I grinned. It was a pretty awesome shirt.

"Yeah, I like it too, Kelp Head."

"I'm glad. Anyway, you here to watch practice?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yep, and to tell you that your mother is trying her hand at making pizza."

Percy's mouth dropped open. He looked like Christmas crept up on him and gave him a surprise party.

"Can we go now?" he begged.

Annabeth laughed. "Nope."

Percy gave her the baby seal eyes that make everyone melt. I could feel myself caving, and he wasn't even looking at me!

"Not going to work."

Percy slumped down in defeat. "It used to work so well!" he whined.

"I've developed an immunity since you use them on me all the time," Annabeth replied dryly.

I cleared my throat. "So how long have you two been together?" I asked.

Annabeth smiled at me. "Two years on Percy's birthday."

"But we've known each other since we were twelve," Percy added.

"Everyone always knew these these two were meant to be," Grace added in with a grin.

Ava glared at her. "How do you know Annabeth? What's going on here?"

"Grace used to go to our camp," Percy explained. "As a matter of fact, she's the reason I swim here."

Grace smiled sheepishly at Ava's outraged stare and my befuddled one. She shrugged.

I turned back to Percabeth. Annabeth had knelt down by the poolside and Percy was whispering something in her ear. Annabeth laughed and gave Percy a soft, sweet kiss on the lips.

Even though I could feel Ava fuming beside me, I couldn't help but think about how well the two fit together and how cute they were. One thing was for sure: this was one pair that would never be separated, even if Hell came to tear them apart.

*sniffle* It's so beautiful. . . *burst into tears because THE FEELS*

So. . . yeah. This was fun. I liked it. XD

*Grace and Max, huh? Hmm. . . their relationship reminds me of another one. . . Cookies to you if you can guess who I'm referring to! Hint: it's from an anime. Another hint: death destroyed this PERFECTNESS in the anime. . . *wails out of pure, unrestrained grief because NO HE COULDN'T JUST DIE LIKE THAT NOOOOOOOOOOOO*

**LOL, I own this shirt! I got it for Chanukah and it's EPIC! XD

Okay, peeps! RFF or I won't update! (*GASP* The threat is out in the open!)

The word of the day is HIEROGLYPHIC! Anyone who has ever studied Ancient Egypt or read the Kane Chronicles should know what this means (hopefully)!

Love ya! lulu