He he... its not much... but its something I guess...


Chapter 5


"Miss Chase."

The open skies. Cystallian blue. Magical looking, just like something out of a fairy tale.

"Annabeth."

Skimming over water would be amazing. And weaving through creeping moss encloaked trunks without touching the bramble woven ground.

"Annabeth Chase!" Chiron's voice grew louder with each attempt.

Annabeth's clouded thoughts of wings miles wide and wind rushing through her hair was cut short as the kindly older teacher searched to meet eyes.

"You seem to be lost in a different world today Miss Chase." He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her as swarms of eyes connected with her figure.

Annabeth squirmed uncomfortably under the attention.

Truth be told, she had been in another world. Staring up at those gorgeous puffy white cotton candy clouds and envying the fact that Percy could follow the curves of the moisture as he glided. Envying the fact that he was able feel the way she felt in those few seconds of flight she recieved any time he wished.

"Would you please tell us your answer for question five in our text?" Chiron repeated. Looking over his glasses at her with a sparkle of amusement.

"Uh, yes sir." she muttered. Wings fidgeting behind her back nervously.

She read it in a monotone voice. Offering no usual opinions or comments to that section of the book. Her eyes wandering back up to the brilliant blue sky blotted with clouds. The memory of the lightning shivering through the dark menacing clouds, of raindrops glittering and a weightless exhilaration.

Class was over before she could mutter 'wings'. Chiron dismissing them and students bustling to leave piercing through her mind, giving her a jolting start.

Hurriedly she stacked her school items and made a move for the door. Her mind still stuck on the one enchanting topic. Mentally addicting her to dreams and imagery.

"Just a moment Miss Chase." Chiron's teacher voice stopping her in her tracks. His ever analyzing gaze looking her over.

"Sir?" she questioned. Eyebrows furrowing as she approached his rough brown wooden desk obediently. Quickly recalling how class went to see if she had done anything unadmirable or rude.

"What were you daydreaming about?" he asked with a friendly curiousness dancing in his eyes. Sitting back in his wheelchair to look up at her full on. "Be honest now."

Annabeth smiled with a quirk of her lips. Clutching her plasticy binders to her chest. "Believe it or not, I was actually meandering in the thought of flight."

"As in aerial transportation?" he assumed. A hand wandering up to rub the thin grisly grey beard of his chin.

"No." Annabeth corrected. "As in people being able to use their own wings like the birds do."

"Like the birds do." he repeated after a moment of lost silence. His eyes growing a faraway look.

Suddenly his stance stiffened. His shoulders twitching irritably as his eyes grew guarded.

"That's a dangerous day dream Miss Chase." he mumbled darkly. Wheeling himself in closer to the desk so he could stoop over his work once more. His eyebrows twisted down as he scowled at his papers. "People can't fly."

"You may go." he added as a last thought. Clearly done with their conversation.

Annabeth gaped at him perplexed. Never having seen such behavior in her admired teacher. Racking her mind to see if she had done anything to bring on such sudden discomfort.

"Uh… Have a good day Mr. Chiron." she decided on muttering hesitantly. Turning away and walking with a thought burdened mind.

At the door threshold she paused. Not being able to help the urge to turn and look back. Taking in the familiarity of the sun bathed classroom. Of the even desks lined in rows and perky fans persistently whirring on the bookshelves next to open windows. The marble and stone walls, framed with smooth mouldings. Of Chiron's simple black wheel chair and his work curved figure.

His wingless back. Evidence of the car wreck that stole his mobility.

Curtly, Annabeth turned on her heels and marched away. Navigating through the crowds of teens with her tie bouncing and her wings neatly tucked. She couldn't help but let the words dance in her mind again.

I'm quite confident you could figure it out on your own.

She could figure it out. That's what he said. She could figure out how to fly.

But how? She was so doubtful at the aspect of being able to force her wings any larger than they already were.

No remedies in her mind would prove to be fruitful and every theory she came up with died in a dead end. What type of freakish thing did one have to do in order to make their wings grow? And specifically their wings? It seemed highly unlikely that their was a natural source for all of this. Her best bet was some sort of nuclear radiation.

"Annabeth!"

Startled again, Annabeth looked at Piper wide eyed. Now fully aware that she was back at her locker with her best friend staring at her as if she were a monster.

"Would you snap out of it? You've been a groggy mess all day!"

"Sorry Pipes." Annabeth groaned. Leaning against her locker tiredly. "I've been a little out of sorts recently."
"Why?" Piper inquired as Annabeth stuffed her bookbag. Slinging it over her shoulder as nudged her dull locker shut with her knee.

"Oh… things…" Annabeth didn't embellish. In fact she never did.

The walk home was riddled with strained conversations as Piper tried to keep things lively. Her efforts were met with dull "ohs" and "wonderful."

"A week and five days of raging battle General." Piper mumbled as Annabeth stumbled ahead in the fork. Not hearing a word she was saying.

"Than we shall be free of this war."

-{:oOo:}-

Percy was shocked when she dropped a full plastic container of dinner leftovers at his feet. For a few breathless moments he just stared at her with hard, inquisitive eyes.

"Your back." he stated. Cocking a questioning brow to the scuffs and scrapes on her arms and legs. The ruffled mess her school uniform was in was not gone unnoticed either.

"I climb a bloody tree to deliver you an offering of good will and that's the only thing you manage to say." Annabeth huffed. Crossing her arms in indignance.

Percy poked the tupperware suspiciously. Almost as if he were expecting it to explode. Cross legged on his sleeping back as she stood over him.

"Well…" He trailed. A hard shrug following with his indifference. "I just didn't think you would come back."

With scoff, Annabeth waved her arms about. "You bait me with the idea of flying, tell me there's a way that I could potentially do it, then expect me not to come back? Really Percy, you don't have much of a mind in you if that's the case."

"Hey!" he protested. Sliding his fingers around the containers edges a little greedily as if he were afraid she would steal it back. Eyebrows furrowing in annoyance during the process.

Decidedly, Percy peeled back the tupperware lid with a dull pop. Feasting into the plain ham and fries Annabeth's family had enjoyed the night before.

With a dramatic moan, he devoured nearly half of it in a few mouthfuls. Leaving Annabeth to watch in revulsion.

"It's been so long." he spoke between bites. "Since I've last had processed foods."

"How long?" Annabeth tucked her kilt underneath her tush as she sat down. Immediately disliking the feeling of rough bark against her exposed legs.

"Almost a full year now I guess. Depends on if its July yet or not." Percy shrugged. Shoveling another whopping mouthful of fries into his pie hole.

"Is that how long you've been out here?"

He nodded carelessly. Licking the last remnants of the grease off his fingertips. Green eyes, for once, sparkling with satisfaction.

His wings were folded like that of an eagle. Seeming to be perched on his back delicately while they swept down. Each and every black feather preened into place.

"Why are you hiding out here anyways?" Annabeth cocked her head at him. A bundle of curls falling over her shoulder. Curiosity throbbing at the back of her mind.

"I don't know." Percy's face twisted into a dark expression. Eyes becoming guarded.

"Why not?" she persisted. Leaning forward with anticipation. "You have to have a reason for being out here."

"People are chasing me." He mumbled. Eyebrows furrowing as he knitted his callused fingers together.

"Who?"

"I don't know who. I don't know what they'll do if they find me either. Can't be anything nice."

"How do you know? What if they just want to spread the word that flying is a possibility for humans?"

Percy looked up at her with an icy look in his eyes. Sending shivers down her spine at the coolness suddenly seeping into his voice.

"I just know." he kept his eyes level with hers. Sucking her soul out with those glinting green eyes.

"But how?" she couldn't help but utter. The vortex of questions in her mind emerging from her mouth without a second thought.

Percy hesitated. Words forming silently on his lips but were never spoken. His eyes flashing quickly with running emotions.

"I can't tell you." he huffed. "You'd squeal."

"No I won't!" she protested earnestly. Eyes sharpening at the hope of receiving answers. "Who'd believe me?"

"The people hunting me." Percy deadpanned. Figure rigid as he glared her down. Noting Annabeth's sudden tension that overtook her chest. "I'm under the impression." he continued with a warning ring. "That whoever's chasing me, will do anything to find me. Even if it means jabbing out information from a little girl. You're already under some risk just by knowing about me."

Annabeth felt tingles on the back of her neck. A swirl of unease passing through her gut as Percy laid out each word.

"I'm not a little girl." she hissed matter of factly. "I can take care of myself."

"I wouldn't be too sure."

The amount of doubt coating his voice made her second guess herself. Pangs of self uncertainty bouncing around her chest like a single coin in a piggy bank.

"I can." she defied with her nose in the air. Glaring down Percy. Still deciding whether she hated him or not.

"I'll believe it when I see it." Percy snorted. Crossing his arms while he looked her over skeptically.

Annabeth stubbornly remained silent. Face burning with indignation as she glared at the unlit fire pit. Slivers of light filtering through the gaps in the walls from the lazy afternoon sun while a earthy enriched wind would occasionally rustle the leaves outside.

The flap had been tacked up today. Allowing the near summer warmth in comfortably.

Suddenly, Percy got to his feet. Rolling his neck while leisurely making his way to the exit. Wearing the same dark blue shirt and worn jeans he had on the day before.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Rising to her full height and brushing the scabs of dirt off her kilt. "I still have questions!"

"To find Bandit. Entertainment seems to be waning here."
"Oh I'm sorry." Annabeth scoffed sarcastically. White wings buzzing angrily. "I wasn't aware that my presence was simply there to provide entertainment."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Percy shot her a look over his shoulder with his striking green eyes. Eyebrows furrowing. "It just seems a little hostile in here, alright? I'm not used to talking with… other people. I'm rusty at it."

Immediately Annabeth felt a pang of shame for the way she acted. Pestering and prodding for answers like a child asking why the sky was blue. Never taking into account how Percy felt about her barging in on him without an apology in mind. Never once putting two and two together to realize that he was only trying to protect himself from the outside world. Isolating himself in the middle of the woods with nobody to talk to. Probably leaving some family and friends behind.

Her white wings drooped quietly as she pursed her lips together. A sorry jostling around in her mind but never being uttered.

"Let me help you find her." she offered instead. "She is familiar with me after all."

Percy grunted what she assumed was a yes before tipping head first out of the crude exit. Wings unfurling as he left with an airy whoosh.

"Gee thanks." Annabeth grumbled to nobody with an unimpressed expression. "It's not like a needed a lift down or anything."

Painfully slow, she descended. Making absolutely sure of her footing and grip while testing each branch. Terrified that she'd make the same mistake as last time and go tumbling through the prickly branches.

But she got to the bottom alright. Her confidence in her tree climbing abilities rocketing with each step.

"Now to find the shameless sticky fingered bastard." she muttered. Straightening her blouse she set off. Nimbly she bouncing over the fallen trunks and jagged rocks. Disappearing into the deep folds of the chirpy jungle.