Plot Twist: I am Uncle Rick and drink the fans' years like fine wine. Mwahahaha!

"So many appointments!" I whine, collapsing on the couch next to Percy.
"I know." He whines back. Apparently he has to attend the first two as well.
"So many wedding appointments!"

"I know." The way he says it makes me think that he doesn't want to get married, either. Maybe he's being forced into this as much as I am.

"Why did they call at ten a.m?"

"I don't know." Percy smiles, I smile back.

A phone rings. We both groan. "I'm not answering it." I say. "No way Josè."
Percy picks up phone, looking at the caller ID. "It's Jason." He answers it. "Hello?" Jason is better than wedding people. "Um... Tomorrow?" Oh gods. Not another appointment. Suddenly, I don't like Jason as well. Jason can go jump of the Grand Canyon. "How about today, instead? No? Leo did what?! Yeah, today's not the day, then. Tomorrow, how does 7 sound?" Band practice, Percy mouths. "Mhmm. Okay. Bye."

He turns to me. "More appointments."
We groan in unison.
Tomorrow's going to be busy.

Thalia
When Annabeth asks if I'd like to go to the city with her tomorrow, I consider it. When she tells me the reason why, I turn her down flat.
"Why not? Come help me pick bridesmaids dresses." She pleads.
"No. I don't want to help you plan your wedding, Annie. It's not like it matters, anyway. We'll be gone by then. Just pick stuff. No pink."

I refuse to be seen in pink. Even though I won't have to officially wear the stupid dress, I'll have to go to fittings. And I'm not wearing pink.

I do, however, agree to to to the city. "Just drop me off somewhere. I'll get supplies." 'Supplies' being cash and gift cards. Gift cards won't leave paper trails and most places accept them. Maybe some of those prepaid Visa cards... Get plane tickets online. I'd have to use a public computer so they couldn't track the IP address...

Identification will be a bit harder, but Luke knows someone. I don't want to know why, but as long as they're passable to get us through airport security I won't ask questions.

We need to figure out where we're going, because if we don't have a place to run they WILL catch up to us eventually.

Percy
At ten, Annabeth and I get into the car and Beckendorf drives us to the Manhattan area for the first of many wedding appointments we have that day. I don't have to go o all of them, thank gods, but still.

The first one's at a place called Juno Wedding Planners, and were supposed to pick colors or something. When we open the door, a tall, brown-haired woman comes to greet us.

"Congratulations! You must be Percy and Annabeth. Come in, come in, sit down. My name is Juno." I don't like this place; it smells too strongly of pomegranates and jealousy.

She sits behind a desk and pulls out a thick binder. "Let's get started. I see you have a date set- September 1st of this year. You need to pick colors, music, cake..." She goes on and on, but I lost her after 'cake'. It's almost lunchtime, and I'm beginning to grow hungry. Annabeth looks very awkward and uncomfortable in her seat. She keeps staring at a coffee mug on Juno's desk. It looks like a peacock, and is very colorful. Much more interesting than anything this woman will be saying, that's for sure.

"So, lets get started! Have you picked out any themes of a color scheme?" She asks. I look at Annabeth and shrug. She shrugs back. Juno makes note of this. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

Annabeth looks at me. "Blue?" She asks. I give an 'It-doesn't-really-matter' shrug; she could make the colors orange and vomit green for all I care.
"What shade of blue, dear?"
I mentally facepalm. This is going to take a while.

Annabeth

Someone kill me now. Seriously. It would be a blessing to have a bullet through my head. Just don't make me plan a wedding. Percy doesn't seem to take any interest in it, either. And what the hell does she mean 'what shade'? Just plain blue! Like Percy's walls! And to think, I get to ensure these questions all freaking day.
"Regular blue. Ah other ideas for colors, Percy?" I nudge his side, telepathically sending 'pay attention, you idiot!'
Percy looks up. "Oh, huh? Gray."

Juno looks wary. "Gray? Are you sure?"

I nod. "Gray sounds lovely." Juno writes down something in her binder, and gets on to the next question.
"Okay, music. Are there any particular songs you want played at your reception?" Percy and I share a look, and answer at the same time.
"Marianas Trench." "Lana del Rey." "The Summer Set."
Juno's eyes widen. I can see warning signs going off in her mind. Who are these singers? Are they songs? They're crazy!
"Do you two have a song?' She asks. "To play as the first dance?"
That raises a question- do we?

"And how about a live band? Or a DJ?" What about chanting Himalayan monks?
"We'll have to think about that one." Percy says, and I can hear in his tone 'next question, please!'

"The next meeting is when you'll look at catering, but what kind of cake would you be interested in?"

"I don't care what kind, as long as it's blue."

I nod in agreement. Let him have his blue cake, it'll all taste the same no matter the color.
"Okay."
We say our goodbyes and head to the car, abandoning the stuffy, pomegranate-scented building. The second we're in the back seat, Percy and I let out sighs of relief.
"She's so intense and stiff." I complain, leaning against the window.
"I know. What's with the pomegranates?" I don't have an answer. "Where are we going now?"
I look at my list. "We have an hour to kill before going to some place called Aphrodite Industries?" Percy blanches. "What?"

He quickly recovers. "Oh, nothing. Can I skip out on that one?"
"Absolutely not. How about lunch?"

Fifty-five minutes later, Percy and I approach an elegant marble building. The plate at the door reads 'Aphrodite Industries'. We enter, sign in, and sit in chairs. I pick up a brochure. It reads: Aphrodite Industries- a fine company that specializes in honeymoon suites and vacation homes.

I now see why Percy turned white. I don't even want to think about the... I haven't even kissed him yet! I know I'll be gone by the wedding, but I don't want to know what I'll get dragged back to if I get caught. And no one needs to get any sort of ideas.

My phone buzzes; a text from Thalia.
A, it reads. How goes wedding panning? Found some supplies for a bachelorette party! -T

We agreed that 'bachelorette party' supplies would be a signal for Escape Plan necessities. That sounds more fun than this.

Lucky. Juno's sucks. I reply. I really don't want to be here. I turn to talk with Percy, but a girl with choppy brown hair comes over to us.

"Percy!" She calls, and then punches him in the shoulder. "Long time no see! Who's this?"
"Piper, meet Annabeth. Annabeth, meet Piper."