Dinner with Percy and Sally was magnificent. It felt great to feel like a part of a family again. I would've guessed we were going to a Michelin Star restaurant somewhere off of Hollywood Blvd. Japanese or French to be exact, you know, the expensive ones. But to my surprise, we had a nice home-cooked meal prepared by none other than Sally and Percy.

Percy and Sally danced around the kitchen in unison preparing the meal. It was obvious they cook together often as their routine looked almost choreographed. I tried to help here and there, but I just threw them off of their game. I was more in the way than useful. Accepting this, I occupied the role of table-setter.

The food was simple, yet delicious. Percy made Spaghetti and meatballs while Sally made a nice salad and garlic bread. To top it all off, Sally paired the meal with a beautiful '97 Chianti.

It was wonderful spending time with the two Jackson's, especially Sally. For someone as famous as she is, she's super down to earth. She took a real interest in my life and hobbies, even showing me some of her own artwork, one thing we had in common. I pulled out my phone and showed her some of the portraits I've been working on. She told me all of these great stories of Percy growing up. Being at the table with the Jackson's felt right, like I was meant to be there. We all got along well and I could tell Sally and I would be super close in no time. In less than 2 hours, she'd already developed into the closest thing I've ever had to a mother.

Ryan and Rachel came in around 10 and by that time we were all too tired to carry on. We all said goodnight and headed our separate ways.

As I lay in my bed processing the day's events, my phone vibrated.

Percy: Hey, you still up? (10:14pm)

Annabeth: Yeah, what's up? (10:14pm)

A minute later I heard soft footsteps in the hall. My door opened and a figure slipped into the dark, closing the door in their wake.

"Percy?" I called out into the dark before turning on the flashlight on my phone. Percy stood in the middle of my room, smiling at me. He wore an oversized sweatshirt and boxers. His hair was a mess and a goofy smile spread across his face.

He crawled in bed next to me, cuddling me in his strong arms.

"Is your mom okay with this?" I whispered.

"Probably not," Percy replied. "But she doesn't need to know."

"Then get out! I can't make a bad first impression!"

"Relax, it'll be more like a third or fourth impression. Besides, I can't remember the last time mom came upstairs on this side of the house, her room is all the way over there." Percy pointed out into the dark. As if I knew where he was alluding to.

"She came to your room today Percy"

"Yeah, only because I'd been gone for a couple of weeks. Special occasion."

"Ok fine, but if we get caught, I'm putting all of the blame on you."

I snuggled my back into Percy as he pressed his body against mine. We were perfect sizes for each other. I was slightly shorter than he was, and it felt so cozy to be cradled by him. I could get used to this. Before I knew it, I was drifting off into a blissful sleep.

"Are we almost there yet? We've been driving for almost an hour!" Ryan complained. Our journey up the Pacific Coast had taken us a while. The sun was almost set. What made things worse was Percy absolutely refused to tell us where we were going.

"Can you stop complaining already?" Percy replied. "That's like the tenth time you've asked that."

"And this is the tenth time you haven't answered my question."

"And I never will." Percy teased. "We're almost there though. I promise."

"This better be worth it."

"Ryan man, you're making me wish we left you at home." Rachel and I giggled as Ryan's face turned red.

I hadn't paid much attention to the conversations throughout the car ride, the view was just too spectacular. West coast sunsets put the ones back home to shame. The misty haze that came over the California coast at dusk reflected the light in all sorts of weird and beautiful ways. The colors weren't even that spectacular; there were no pinks and oranges, only slightly varied shades of yellow. It was exactly how I'd pictured it, but 100x prettier.

It wasn't just the sunset either, it was the whole atmosphere. The highway ran atop rugged cliffs overlooking the crashing waves. Occasionally, a secluded beach would appear, nestled between steep cliff faces. The beaches were so amazing but looked so difficult to get to. You certainly couldn't get there overland. And if you were to try and approach by boat, you'd better be damn sure the ocean was calm. Rocks protruded through the surface of the water in unexpected places. It would be a daring attempt for even the most experienced captain.

All of a sudden the miraculous view turned into a stone wall. Percy had finally turned off the highway and we were now trudging along down a narrow and steep dirt road. I sure as hell wouldn't feel comfortable driving, not that I really ever drive. I mean, I got my license when I turned 17, but as an NYC resident, I didn't have much need or use for a car. Most places I frequented were within walking distance.

"All right everybody, and especially Ryan," Percy exclaimed, "we are officially here."

Right on cue, we rounded the last corner and our destination came into view. Remember those secluded beaches I was thinking about earlier? Well, this one was the biggest and most beautiful of them all. Plus, you could actually drive here. I wouldn't have expected many people to know about it since it was out of view from the highway, but it looked as if the whole population of LA was here. Hundreds of people spread out across the white sand, drinking, singing, dancing - just having a blast. Most of them seemed around our age too.

"Is this some sort of teen party spot?" I asked.

"Kind of," Percy responded. "My close friends and I have been coming here since we were little. My friend Colin's dad brought us all here when we were really young. It's sort of been a sanctuary ever since. I've fished and surfed here more times than I can remember. It pretty much belonged to our small group until a year or two ago when one of the boys slipped and tipped off the whole school. Now, it sort of serves as our party venue. It's not the best, but it does the job."

"Not the best?" Rachel commented with a raised eyebrow. "This place looks damn near perfect for an evening soiree. I can think of plenty of places worse than this - New York City for one."

"What!?" exclaimed Percy, clearly surprised, "New York City is amazing."

"Trust me, your honeymoon phase will be over before you know it," I commented. "I'm surprised you don't mind the smell after living out here. Not to mention the horrific traffic, frigid winters, lack of greenery, and constant noise. And to top it all off, everyone's an asshole."

Percy just smiled. "You're making me want to -"

"Percy!" came a voice from behind me.

We all turned to see a girl about our age walking towards us. Trust me when I say this, she was probably the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen. Her body was fit and tanned. Natural highlights of blonde faded perfectly in her brunette hair. Clearly, she'd spent the day at the beach; her cheeks were sunkissed and her hair was tangled from the saltwater. Nevertheless, she looked stunning. She had piercing blue eyes and a smile that shone as bright as the sun. There was no way she wasn't a movie star. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.

"Hey, Jamie," Percy replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. I was a bit taken aback. Even though I've only known Percy for a few weeks, I could tell something was off. If I knew anything about Percy, it was that he was always confident. At least in public. But right now, he was tense and uncomfortable. I chanced a glance at Rachel and she was already staring right at me. Both of us were thinking the same thing - ex-girlfriend. I was really looking forward to this party, and I don't think anyone could've scripted a worse, more awkward, extremely uncomfortable start to the occasion.