Clunk, clunk...clunk.
Percy threw up his hands in frustration and put the car into park as it sputtered to a stop. Offering me an apologetic smile, he got out of the car and threw up the hood.
Tonight had been perfect, up until the grinding and sparking under the hood of Percy's truck started. It was the night before camp started for the summer, but since Percy and I were both counselors we were required to arrive 24 hours earlier than the others. Not that we really minded; we got to catch up with our other friends that were counselors and, of course, see each other a day ahead of schedule. Having finished our duties early, Percy had convinced Chiron to let him take me out for a spin. (Chiron, how can we adequately defend Camp Half-Blood if we are unfamiliar with its surrounding area?! Yes, I have heard of a map. But what if the land has changed since the map was made? Things could have changed, they move roads all the time, don't you watch the news? Well, yes, I suppose as an immortal being the news isn't as enticing as it is to us regular folk… remind me to show you how CNN works.) With resignation, and probably to avoid the excruciating experience of an ADHD kid explaining the 24-hour news cycle to him, Chiron had given his permission and watched us excitedly scramble into Percy's new truck. Well… new to Percy, that is. The thing looked like it belonged in an antique car parade. But he sure was proud of it, so I nodded and smiled and played the part of a supportive girlfriend ("Nice cup holders!" and "These doors seem really sturdy." and "This is almost definitely not lead paint.").
We had packed a picnic and took the back road through the winding roads of upstate New York, pulling off to the side to eat our sandwiches, gleeful to be alone for once. Laying in the bed of the truck ("Wow Percy, this is so handy!" See? Supportive girlfriend.), I pointed out the various constellations to him as the stars came out. Though he insisted that he knew them, and what kind of a demigod would I be if I didn't know the constellations, Annabeth?, I knew that gazed over look that he had while I pointed was the exact expression he probably wore in astronomy studies when he was being taught the constellations the first time, and pretty soon he was just watching me talk. Which normally, I would never permit such behavior from a student, but what can I say? I have a well-documented soft spot for Percy Jackson.
"And just over here, do you see? That's Cerberus—"
"He looks a lot less threatening in star form than the real thing," Percy whispered, tracing a finger from the scar on my elbow up to my shoulder."
"Well yes, pointillism will do that," I said mildly, pretending that his touch wasn't having any sort of effect on me, though I was positively tingling.
"You know, the way your grey eyes shine put those stars to shame," he said, his hand down at my belly button now, dragging an index finger over the bit of skin between my shirt and my jeans. I doubled my concentration on the stars, determined to make him learn a few more constellations before giving in.
"That's a lie," I said evenly.
"Where's the constellation of my girlfriend letting me interrupt her lesson for a quick kiss?" he asked playfully, now tucking a stray curl of mine aside and tracing my ear. The quick shiver that ran through me gave me away, and I could see Percy grinning at me in the starlight.
"I think it's right next to the one where my boyfriend pays attention to me," I retorted, but there was no sting in my voice. Like I said, a well-documented soft spot. What happened next would have taken a whole smattering of stars to put into constellation form, and not for the first time I thought about how grateful I was that, despite their many powers, none of the Gods were omnipotent.
On our way back to camp, driving well under the speed limit with our hands on the seat between us, we started experiencing technical difficulties. Despite Percy's best "ignore it!" efforts, we found the truck chugging slower and slower, leading up to our current state of being stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Percy climbed back in the car, hands blacked with oil and a frown creasing his forehead. He was adorable when he was frustrated. Which wasn't an infrequent occurrence, thankfully.
"Any luck?" I asked hopefully. He just shook his head.
"No," he said, "I tried though. I'm just... Not very good with cars." He scratched the back of his back sheepishly, a move that I was positive had left grease stains on the collar of his shirt.
"That's ok, if I wanted a boyfriend that could double as a mechanic, I would have dated Leo," I said, pecking him on the cheek. He pulled me into his arms, and we just sat their silently while the radio played a sappy country song. Suddenly, Percy pulled away and got out of the car, tugging me along.
"Where are we going?" I asked, laughing as he gave me his hand to help me down out of the cab. He had that wild look in his eye, that Seaweed Brain look that he was about to do something so off-the-wall-goofy that I wouldn't have even daydreamed it up in my deepest zone-out.
"Nowhere, Wise Girl. Just outside." He reached his hand in the car and turned up the music, and Tim McGraw's voice filled the air. Percy gave a little mock bow and held his hand out with a flourish.
"Miss. Chase, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" The moonlight lit up his features, allowing me to see his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Seaweed Br-"
"Just say yes."
"All right, yes." I accepted his outstretched hand, and we whirled about. Well, it felt like whirling; in reality, we were stumbling and laughing and spinning each other around until we were both dizzy. We had come a long way since that winter at Westover hall. Rather than being a whole head taller than Percy as I once had, he now towered over me so I could tuck myself under his chin perfectly. Settling down into a more modest sway, we could actually dance decently now, the moon like a spotlight on us. Right as Percy picked me up to spin me around, the music cut out. Frowning once more, Percy took a quick inspection and reported that the battery had died.
Defeated, we sat down next to the lake. Percy laid back, and I snuggled into his shoulder.
He made me so happy, it was almost stupid for such a Wise Girl. I was lost, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, with a broken Chevy in nothing more than a thin t-shirt and my old faded blue jeans... and I couldn't be happier, all because I was with him.
I reached over and kissed Percy, and he happily returned the favor. As we broke apart, he looked at me questioningly.
"What was the for?"
"For getting us completely and utterly lost."
He grinned and tipped an imaginary cowboy hat at me. "Anytime, ma'am. Seriously," he said, leaning in for another kiss. "Anytime."
I kissed him back. "Alright, Seaweed Brain. Any objections to calling Leo for help?"
Percy frowned. "How about in, say… twenty more minutes?"
"Fine," I said, leaning back. "Back to constellation lessons?"
"You know what? I'll call him right now."