A/N: Hello! SO SORRY FOR BEING GONE FOR 2 (3?) WEEKS!

I'm not going to try to offer crap about being busy, but in the past weeks I've had a week of standardized tests and the flu, which resulted in makeup standardized tests. Ohio makes all sophomores take this thing called an OGT, which determines if I graduate or fail high school and the rest of life.

So I've had a stressful time. How are you?

I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, and the next he might have a time jump because I can't fill in weeks of mundane life.

-Winter'sFangirl

Annabeth

After another movie and an hour of practice, Percy shoos his friends back to their own houses, saying something about kicking Leo's butt. The elf-eared boy merely grinned and waved goodbye before Percy slammed the door in his face.

We're sitting in the couch, Percy and I. Thalia mumbled something about feeling sick and excused herself to her room. She looked pale, though that wasn't anything different than usual. I make a note to check on her when I go up.

"So," I say to Percy, fiddling with my headphones. "Now what?" It's not that late, but lying around all day doing nothing is very tiring, believe it or not.

Percy shrugs. "I don't know." He fiddles with his own headphones.

We're at a standstill, and for perhaps the first time, the silence isn't uncomfortable. It's comforting, because we've hit the point where we don't constantly need words to fill in the spaces. We can just be, and it's like a three-ton weight is lifted off of my soul- one less person to hide around, someone who I can tell anything.

We sit in the silence for gods know how long. In the time, we study each other. I try to memorize the shadows lining Percy's face, the color of his eyes, the way his hair curls slightly at the ends. I study his toes, devoid of hair. They're slightly funny, the little one on the end slightly bumpy.

Percy studies me, too. I feel his eyes, and then his hands, run over the golden length that is my hair. His fingertips offer the lightest touch over the golden strands, trailing their way to rest in my cheek. We've leaned closer together, and our eyes bore into each others. Mine don't close until his soft lips touch mine.

Three short kisses, then a fourth, before we stop and Percy speaks. "Do you have plans tomorrow?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I think Thalia's sick-"

"I wasn't asking about Thalia. Do you have plans for tomorrow?"

"Not really. I've considered reorganizing my bookshelves." Again. I've already done so thrice since unpacking them, once out of necessity, once out of sheer boredom, and another time to fix what I'd screwed up when I was bored. "Do you have plans?"

"As it seems I do not, either, what do you say to spending the day with me?"

Because I don't do already do that. Because I don't live with you. "And do what?" I'm up to just about anything, but this gives me a chance to tease him. Let me have my fun, okay?

Percy looks at me like I'm daft. "And go on a date?" There's a hitch in the end that makes it seem like a question.

"Okay. That works."

"So, any ideas? You've been in New York for months, what have you wanted to do that you haven't yet?" I ponder this for a moment, then shrug.

"I don't know. The Statue of Liberty's closed, and I don't really know what else I wanted to see." I wanted to go to Broadway, but that didn't seem like Percy's thing. I'd just go with Thalia sometime, maybe bring Silenna and Hazel, too. Sil liked all things dramatic, and Hazel had confessed her obsession with musicals. We'd have to make it a girls' day, go shopping or something. Maybe as a bachelorette party.

Percy gives his signature smile (oh gods, what was he up to?) and my heart beats erratically in my chest. Gods, he's adorable when he does that.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask, nudging his foot with mine. He shrugs, nudging back.

"Oh, nothing." He says nonchalantly. "Just thought maybe we could to to a Broadway show?"

My face lights up like a candle, but internally I'm a ball of confusion. Is he a mind reader? Can he hear me now? What else could he have heard over the past months- oh gods, every time I've though about his dreamy eyes... Shut up, Annabeth! He might hear you now!

Either he's a mind reader, or my infernal confusion is also external confusion, but Percy falters. "We don't have to go. I just thought-"

"No, that's great. Just... How'd you know I wanted to go to Broadway?" Maybe he isn't such a Seaweed Brain after all. Maybe he's just perceptive...

"I hear you and Thalia screeching before you go to sleep." Nope. He's a Seaweed Brain. I completely take back what I thought earlier.

"Creeper." I reply. "And we do not 'screech'." Admittedly, we're both altos and can't hit the high notes but try to anyway, so maybe sometimes it does sound like screeching, but he didn't have to point it out.

Percy rolls his eyes. "Oh, you so do. But it's beautiful screeching." I roll mine back and raise an eyebrow.

"I dare you to say that again, Jackson." I don't know what I was expecting, but the response got was so utterly Percy that I almost laughed aloud.

His brow furrows, his eyes crossed slightly in concentration, and then he sticks his tongue out. It's taken on a slight bluish tone, stained from endless pitchers of Kool-Aid.

The teasing, funny faces, and yes, kissing, continue until neither one of us can keep our eyes open. In between, we schedule in more details for our date. The first choice was what musical we were going to see. Over Percy's cell phone, we poured over Google pages.

"Lion King." I point to the times. If I was going to torture Percy with Broadway, he might as well enjoy it. He'd mentioned that he'd liked the Lion King movie.

"Here's one in Spanish. Les Miz-air-ah-bels."

I close my eyes and try not to facepalm. "It's Les Miserables, Seaweed brain. And it's French, not Spanish."

"Whatever. Let's not to see it, I only speak English. And fish. How about that one? Wicked?"

I don't see Wicked being Percy's thing. "Let's just stick with the Lion King. 6:30 showing."

After it's agreed on, we head upstairs and say our goodnights. I'm bleary-eyed and can barely stand straight. Once Percy closes the door behind me, I stumble towards my bed and collapse, drifting off to sleep with a smile.

Thalia

I can't do this. I can't keep doing this. I excuse myself and make a dash for my room, where I promptly plop into a chair. What do I do? Do I try to contact Dad? He probably won't care that I exist, but isn't that better than not knowing? It's at times like these when I need to talk to Annabeth, but she's been so wrapped up in Percy lately. We've even stopped having nightly dance parties, and Saturdays are becoming a thing of the past. And the escape plan... She hasn't even mentioned it for weeks. Luke and I are still planning, of course, but we're relying on Annabeth. What are we gong to do if she wants to stay?

I should have seen this coming. The moment they met, it was a ship waiting to set sail, no matter how much either party wanted otherwise. They even tried sabotage, and that fell flatter than a pancake.

I want her to be happy, but I'm questioning if Percy's the best thing for her. Annabeth hasn't seen the world, meet other people. We could be adventurers and love a life of freedom, travel anywhere the wind takes us. If she gets tied down, I'll be, too.

You could leave, a small voice says. You aren't her mom.

"The hell I'm not," I spit. "I'm the only person who hasn't left, and I don't plan on it."

I'm not tired, but I can't return downstairs. Throwing on pajama pants and a T-shirt, I crawl into bed, place headphones in my ears, and drift off into the world of music.

Annabeth

I grip Percy's arm and try not to cry; curse the musical for being so emotionally draining. The actors have a bow and an encore, and then the curtain closes. The lights come on and people begin talking and shuffling Towards the exit. I look at Percy, who's got tears running down his face, too. We're both sobbing messes, and the sobbing messes are making no move to leave yet. We sit until the auditorium clears out and the custodial staff asks us to leave so they can clean.

We, begrudgingly, oblige. Outside, Times Square is bright and bustling with life despite the darkening sky overhead. Percy checks his phone, sending a quick message to Beckendorf. He's out with Silenna for an anniversary or a birthday or a bar mitzvah. Or something.

"I think we need ice cream," Percy says. "Because that was a very sad play." He hails a cab and opens the door, giving directions to the three ladies driving. I slide into the backseat and he follows.

Percy

I had news to tell Annabeth, and she wasn't going to like it.

From what I gathered, she and her family had a very strained relationship. Things were going to get a lot more tense around the house in a few weeks. Her dad, stepmother, and brothers were flying in for the wedding, but were set to arrive two weeks before to help with the final preparations. I'd only been informed of this this morning, and was instructed to tell Annabeth.

Way to ruin our date.

The musical wasn't bad, though I ended up crying. A lot. Annabeth, thank gods, didn't tease me about it, though she may not have been qualified to. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, too. They were probably about to get even more red.

"I think we need ice cream," I say. From my experience, ice cream helps everything... Almost.

So we get a taxi, and ride in silence until we arrive at a little ice cream shop. I pay the ladies that drove, and help Annabeth out of the car. Its begun raining, and neither of us has come equipped with a coat or proper shoes.

We step into the shop, greeted by a girl at the counter. "Hello! Welcome to Sweet Scoops! Where we have 42 flavors that you just can't wait to try! Tell me when you're ready to order."

Annabeth mumbles a quick 'thanks' before I drag her to the glass ice cream case. "What kind do you want? I ask, before a sickly green one catches my eye. "How about avocado?"

Annabeth smiles and makes a face.

"I think I'll pass. What about this one?" She points to a purple one with colorful flakes mixed in. "It says it fizzes."

I wrinkle my nose. "I think I'll pass." We walk down the row and examine the flavors, noses pressed to the glass like five-year olds. Every once in a while we'll see an odd flavor, point it out, and make a comment. Bread and Butter Pickle-flavored ice cream? My stomach churns at the thought.

Eventually we decide on our flavors- brownie batter for Annabeth, blueberry for me- and after getting them, sit down at a table.

"You and the blue food, I swear," Annabeth takes another spoonful of her ice cream. "Are your innards dyed blue, as well?"

Now that is an interesting thought. "I don't think so," I shrug. "I mean, I don't know and I'd prefer not to find out." I can't keep putting this off; Annabeth needs to know. "Wise girl," I start. She looks up from the list of flavors, her gray eyes widening a bit. Great, now that I've started the speechifying have no idea his to phrase it. Do I drag it out, let her down gently? Or just say it, so I can get it off my chest?

"Yeah?"

My palms are beginning to sweat. I go with option one. "The wedding's six weeks..." I say, and Annabeth nearly chokes. "And your family's coming in from California." Annabeth doesn't react how I thought she would; in fact, she doesn't appears be showing any emotion.

"So?" She eventually says, taking another bite of Brownie Batter. "I'll see them in six weeks."

"They're flying in two weeks beforehand," I say quietly. "To help."