Chapter 9

Percy POV

I love my job, but sometimes it has its downsides. I love working at such highly regarded place, I love the idea that I'm actually helping people, and most of all, I love having a job that requires me to be by the water 24/7.

What I don't love, however, is the 'authority enforcement' aspect of my job, especially since it sometimes leads to confrontation with people my own age. Teenagers can be dicks.

I'm currently at work, sitting in my assigned lifeguard chair by the Colosseum pool and am watching one of these dicks just, well, be a dick. He's a guy about my age with a dark tan and cleancut brown hair. He's wearing a Dallas Cowboys football jersey and a smile so bright it should come with a warning label ("WARNING: Do not look at teeth directly, blindness may occur"). The dick strolls over to the pool with two other guys who are pretty much his clones and tells a couple of freshmen, who had come to the pool early to grab the best seats, to scram, taking over their seats for himself and his goons as soon as they do.

You see, one of the reasons I find my job particularly frustrating is that even though I have all this authority, I can't use it unless someone is actually breaking the rules. And unfortunately, simply being a dick isn't against the rules. So I'm forced to sit here watching in silence for large periods of time as dicks come and go, spreading their dickish disease everywhere.

Well, I think as I lean back into the comfort of my chair. At least it's entertaining.

And part of me is thankful for that much at least. Anything to get my head off of last night.

You see, last night was probably one of the best nights of my life. And that sounds like I'm exaggerating, but when I really look back on it, I genuinely think that it was. I've known Annabeth for less than a week, and I already think I'm crazier about her than I ever have been about any girl in my life. She's super intelligent; in a way that's intimidating and attractive at the same time. You can always see the wheels of her mind turning behind her eyes and she uses big words not as a way of showing off or trying to seem smarter than other people, but because she really just appreciates the beauty of language and loves the fact that there are words out there that are able to convey what she feels and thinks. Annabeth is fun to be around, and I find that I just love hanging out with her. I love being around her in a way that's different from how I feel when I hang out with my friends, but somehow, just as powerful.

We had an amazing time last night, dancing and talking and laughing. I don't think my smile left my face once the whole time that we were together. And then, there was that one moment on the dance floor when I could've sworn that we were going to kiss. She had looked gorgeous in her dark blue dress, with her blond curls falling messily around her face. I had felt the muscles in her back tense under my hands as we had leaned in closer and closer to one another, just before the music changed and I had felt the moment slip out from under us like a wave being pulled back into sea.

So, I had gone to get us drinks. And when I returned, not even fifteen minutes later, Annabeth was gone. As if she had never been there in the first place. There was a moment there where I toyed with the idea that maybe she never had been. That I had merely been so desperate for her to be at the dance that I had conjured up the whole thing in my head, but I knew it wasn't true. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not crazy. Well, at least not crazy enough to fantasize entire evenings with pretty girls down to the last detail. And everything that had happened between Annabeth and I had felt too real to have been imagined. I mean, if I think back hard enough, I can still feel her hands in mine. I can still smell the scent of her hair and feel the warmth of her body. I've been known to get pretty creative with stories, especially when it comes to making up excuses as to why I didn't do my homework, but there's no way my imagination was that good. Which just leaves the question of why she left.

Had I done something wrong? Was she alright? It's not like I can check on her, because somehow, I still don't have Annabeth's number! I know that her leaving is probably not that big of a deal and that I'll definitely run into her around the resort at some point soon, but I can't help being driven insane thinking about it in the meantime.

Another reason my job drives me crazy; it gives me way too much time to think. My ADHD coupled with a job that requires me to sit in a chair for hours on end just means that I spend the whole day driving myself insane with my own thoughts, so I am thankful to be torn away from my misery when a voice calls out to me from my left.

"Hey Perce!"

I look over my shoulder to see Jason striding over to my chair. He wears a dorky smile and a pair of atrociously bright shorts. I mock covering my eyes.

"Jesus Jason," I say, motioning to his shorts. "Who on earth are you trying to punish by wearing those?" Jason looks down at his pants, a questioning look on his face.

"Wait, you don't like these?" He asks, genuinely curious, and I'm immediately overcome with a surge of pity for the poor boy.

"No Jason, I'm not blind," I say with a laugh and motion for him to sit down on the chair next to mine. "What's up?"

"Eh, nothing," Jaosn says, sitting down. "Just came to check in." I look at Jason long and hard. He practically wilts under the stare.

"Yeah right," I say to him, my voice dripping with skepticism. "This is the last way I could possibly imagine you wanting to spend your free time." I cross my legs and sit back, preparing to be here for a while. "What's really up?"

Jason sighs in defeat. "Okay," he starts, a look of concern taking over his face. "Honestly? I'm worried about Thalia."

"Thalia?" I ask, my confusion plain in my voice. That's the last thing I would have expected him to say. "Why?"

"Well," he starts. "As you know, Luke is here. And after everything he put Thals through when school ended, I'm not sure it's the best thing for her to be around him. I mean, they're even going out for coffee this morning!" Jason says, throwing his hands up. "Not exactly the best way to feed a broken relationship."

I laugh at Jason's sudden serge of brotherly protectiveness.

"Jase, Thalia's a big girl." I say to him. "She can handle herself."

Jason takes a deep breath. "I know that she can handle herself," he says. "But sometimes I get the impression that her strength is what makes her dive headfirst into situations like this without first thinking about the consequences. She was really hurt when they broke up, and I don't know if she's thinking about how painful it could be for her if it happens again."

I take a moment to process this, because of course, Jason does have a point. Thalia and Luke had been dating for about a year and a half back at our school in New York after being close friends all throughout middle school and high school. But because Luke is a year older than Thalia and is going off to college this year, they decided to break off their relationship to avoid the inevitable growing apart they knew would naturally happen between them in a matter of time. While Thalia says it was a mutual decision though, I think that we all know it was really Luke's idea. And though she put on a strong facade through it all, we could tell Thalia was hurting. I mean, she really does love Luke, and their breaking up had a much larger impact on her than I think she originally thought it would.

This is why I think Jason does bring up a good point. That Thalia might be running into her reconnection with Luke blindly, her desire to be with him blinding her to the consequences of what might happen if things don't end up working out between them.

But then I think about how happy Thalia was last night at the dance when she told me all about running into Luke and agreeing to go out with him this morning. She had hugged me tightly as we both waited in line to order drinks, her cheek pressed tightly against my chest, her arms wrapped around my waist. I know how important this relationship is to her simply because of the fact that Thalia never openly shows affection like that and must have been pretty overcome with emotion to prompt her to hug me in public that way.

"You have a point," I tell Jason, drawing my mind back to our conversation. "Thalia does have a tendency to charge head on into situations and blind herself to potential consequences." I take a moment to think before opening my mouth again. "But she really loves Luke. This relationship is really important to her, and I think it would be stupid of her not to try to save it." Jason takes a moment to process my words, sliding a hand through his messy, blond hair.

"You're right," he says to me. "I know you are. I was thinking the same thing, and it feels good to hear it come out of someone else's mouth." Jason looks at me, an underlying amount of worry visible in his bright blue eyes. "I guess it's just hard to watch your sister walk into a situation that you know might end up hurting her, you know?"

I nod my head. "Hey, I get it," I tell him. "Trust me, I do. Thalia's like a sister to me too." I take a deep breath, looking out at the pool. "But we've gotta trust that she knows what she's doing."

I feel Jason laugh beside me. "At least in this situation."

I let out a laugh of my own. "Yeah, I can't say I trust her with much."

The two of us sit there in silence for a minute, watching the families by the pool laughing and having a good time, when Jason surprises me with another question.

"Perce," he asks, a look of concern taking over his face again.

"Yeah Jase?"

"Did your dad ever figure out that messy situation he was in with in with his work permits?"

As soon as Jason asks the question, I feel my face fall as I remember how stressed my dad had looked when I had brought him breakfast yesterday morning. He had told me that it was because the normally easy-access permits he needs for his environmental research were being withheld from him for some reason, which is really strange and unusual in his line of work. All the research my dad does for his job is minimally invasive, so it makes no sense why someone would be so adamant on withholding the permits from him. And the longer he is forced to wait, the more money he loses in the process. I find myself getting really mad all of a sudden. My dad works so hard and is always under a ton of stress, the last thing he needs is something else to worry about.

"Yeah, still no progress," I tell Jason. "The whole thing is just super weird, you know?"

Jason nods. I know that he feels as worried about the whole thing as I do. My dad has always been a great uncle to Jason and Thalia, often giving them the attention they were being neglected from their own father growing up. My dad's even stepped in for uncle Zeus at a couple of parent/teacher conferences over the years, despite his own busy schedule. I know that Jason views my dad as a sort of second father in a way, and that whatever stress my dad is currently under is inadvertently affecting Jason in the same way it is me.

"Man, that sucks," Jason says shaking his head. "I really hope he gets it worked out soon."

"Yeah, me too," I say.

"Almost as much as I hope you kick Dylan Ventus's ass right now," Jason adds, turning away from where he had been looking out over the pool, flashing a smirk in my direction.

"What?" I mumble, confused.

Jason motions over to the pool where the dick with the cleancut hair and the Cowboys jersey who I had seen take the good pool seats from those freshman earlier, sits with his goons. The three of them are lounging back, their shoes kicked off as they pass a vape pen between them, obnoxiously blowing smoke everywhere.

"Oh hell no," I say, standing up.

"And that is my que to leave," Jason remarks, also getting up out of his chair. "See you later Perce," he says with a wave, but I barely pay attention to him as I make my down the steps to the pool and head over to the dick, who I gather from Jason's previous statement, is named Dylan.

When I finally get up to them, Dylan makes no move to acknowledge me whatsoever, and exhales smoke right into my face.

I clench my fists by my sides.

"Excuse me," I start calmly, launching into the standard response for this sort of situation. "We actually don't allow smoking or vaping by the pool. It would be greatly appreciated if you would withhold until in a private setting."

Dylan finally turns in my direction, holding eye contact with me for a long moment before taking another drawn out swing from his vape pen and turning to his goons.

"You hear that guys," Dylan remarks. "The lifeguard says it would be greatly appreciated if I withhold."

The other boys burst out laughing at Dylan's mocking tone, and one of them even has the audacity to reach out to Dylan, motioning for another hit. I flash them a look of disgust.

"Come on man," I start. "There are families here. Are you really so addicted that you can't even wait a couple hours for another dose of nic?"

Apparently that got him mad. Dylan shoots me a glare so intense, I worry lasers are gonna shoot out of his eyes.

"You watch yourself-" He starts, but I cut him off.

"I can have resort security down here in two minutes if you refuse to cooperate," I tell him, motioning to the walkie talkie at my side. "And trust me," I start. "There are some pretty big guys in that squad who, just taking a guess here, probably won't be as forgiving about underage nicotine use as I am."

Dylan sits there for a moment before apparently deciding that whatever joy he gets from being the worlds biggest dick probably isn't worth whatever consequences he'll be facing if I call security. He motions to his goons to get up.

"Let's go guys," he says, beginning to pack up his stuff.

I watch as he does, a slight smirk finding its way onto my face. There really is nothing quite as satisfying as beating a dick in a standoff.

As he starts to make his way away from the pool, Dylan gets up really close in my face. I take a minute to notice how bottomless his brown eyes look and feel a deep hatred run through me at the sight of this boy hardly even know.

"You'll regret this," Dylan says, giving me a shove as he walks past me, his goons trailing behind him like brainwashed clones. I shake my head and begin to walk back over to the lifeguard stand. As I do, a mother who is alone by the pool with her three kids gives me a thankful smile. I nod back at her in return.

The next couple of hours go by in a seemingly uneventful way. I watch in boredom as families come and go, my ADHD even going as far as to compel me into counting the number of windows, pool chairs, and umbrellas strewn around the Colosseum-for the millionth time. I'm thankful when the sun finally begins to set and one of my co-workers comes to rescue me, taking over my position for the night shift.

It's completely dark out when I finally sling my sports bag over my shoulder, heading back into the Colosseum. I start off downstairs towards the staff locker room where I then change out of my uniform and take a long, hot shower, making sure to get every last bit of sunscreen and Dylan Ventus out of my system.

When I finish, I dry my hair with a towel and change back into my own clothes, thankful to be rid of my work-required bright red swim trunks and white polo, which are so unattractive that even I can't seem to make them work.

As I head out, my mind suddenly drifts to my newly-acquired, and infinitely embarrassing, Outlander obsession. And, as I head up the stairs, I am so engulfed in the idea of getting back to my room as quickly as possible to pop open Netflix, that I don't even look where I'm going as I abruptly turn the corner from the staircase to the lobby and smack right into a familiar head of blond princess curls.

"What the fu-" Annabeth begins, bringing her hand up to her head, but she quickly cuts herself off when she notices it's me.

"Shit Annabeth, I am so sorry," I say, rubbing my own head where I feel a throb beginning to take place. "I really wasn't looking where I was going-too busy thinking about Jamie Fraser I guess," I ramble, and immediately pray to whatever higher power there may be to please make me shut up.

Annabeth looks up at me with a confused expression.

"Jamie, who-" She starts, but I cut her off.

"You know what," I say. "It's not important. Outlander reference. Highly recommend the show by the way, but that's also not important. What is important is that I'm sorry I ran into you." I then pause, realizing how bad that sounds. "I didn't mean that I'm sorry I crossed paths with you,'" I say. "I'm sorry that I literally ran into you. Again."

Annabeth just looks at me for a minute, and I think that this is probably the most embarrassed I have felt in a while, when all of a sudden, her mouth begins to quirk up at the side, and before I know it, Annabeth starts laughing. She throws her head back in giggles, heaving for air.

"You're ridiculous," she says, between laughs. And I can't help but be swept into her laughter, which, apparently, is absolutely contagious. "I mean," Annabeth gasps. "What are the chances that you and I would literally run into each other again!"

At that, I erupt into a whole new string of laughter. It really is kind of ridiculous.

"Guess it's just fate," I say, and across from me, I feel Annabeth's laughter begins to wane.

"Yeah," she begins. "Fate…"

As both of our laughter dies down, Annabeth starts to take a seat on the steps and I follow her lead, sitting down next to her. A long moment of awkward silence passes between us in which neither of us speak, and I look down at my hands, trying to contemplate what to say next.

"So," I start, trying to muster up as casual of a tone as I can. "Why'd you leave the dance early last night?" I ask, hating how awkward the words sound the moment they leave my mouth. Annebeth doesn't seem to notice though, and doesn't miss a beat responding.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she says. "I wasn't feeling well all of a sudden and decided to head back to my room." Annabeth twiddles with a strand of her hair as she speaks. "I would've texted you, but I didn't have your number," she says.

"Oh sorry about that," I apologize. "I totally forgot to give it to you."

You're such a liar, I chide myself. You remembered just fine. You just didn't have the balls.

I look to my left, stealing a quick glance at Annabeth as I do. She looks absolutely beautiful, as she always does, but I can tell from the furrow in her brow and the slight frown of her mouth that there is something bothering her now that wasn't weighing on her last night.

"You alright?" I ask her, resisting the urge to reach out and grasp her hand. Annabeth looks up at me, almost appearing shocked at my concern for her. Maybe she's surprised at the fact that I could tell something was up.

"Yeah." Annabeth gulps. "Thanks."

The way she says it is almost abrasive, and I immediately feel a pang of protectiveness over this girl who I have only just met, a yearning to take away whatever it is that's upsetting her. Against my better judgement, I let myself reach out and curl a strand of Annabeth's hair behind her ear, my fingers brushing against her jawline as I pull back my hand. She draws in a sharp intake of breath and quickly turns toward me, her eyes wide.

A moment passes between us in which I feel we are completely and utterly connected to each other, attached by some invisible force. I am looking into the stormy grey of her eyes for a period that feels like a lifetime but ends in less than a second as I feel my eyes break away, uncontrollably trailing down to Annabeth's lips.

I feel this pull between us then. The same pull I had felt last night, but almost stronger in a way because it's less clouded by all the emotions that were present in the heat of the moment yesterday. And I know with perfect clarity what I want to happen before I do it. I want to kiss Annabeth Chase. Right now, in this moment, I want to kiss her more than I have ever wanted to kiss any girl in my life.

So, I lean in. And my face is only inches away from hers when I am stopped by Annabeth's sudden and sharp intake of breath.

"Percy what are you doing!" Annabeth says, pulling away from me as she begins to stand up. She shakes her head, panic and pain plain on her face. "How could you do this to her?"

What?

I'm immediately overcome with an overwhelming sense of confusion and begin to stand up.

"Annabeth?" I say, question in my voice. She immediately pulls away.

"I honestly don't understand," Annabeth says, throwing out her hands. "You seem like such a kind, amazing guy, so I honestly can't comprehend how you could possibly do that to someone you so obviously love."

There is anger and hurt written all over Annebeth's face as she turns away from me, heading up the last few steps of the stairwell to the lobby. I watch as she walks pushes through a group of people who stand by the check-in counter heads towards the front doors, leaving me far behind in the stairwell wondering what on earth she could've possibly meant.