Percy was sitting on the floor of the cave, near a puddle with water. His back was facing the exit. Jack was behind him, muttering and pacing around the floor.
Percy left him alone to think and assimilate the returning memories. He remembered how it had been for him when his memories had been coming back. Hazel and Frank were sweet, sure, but they didn't get that sometimes you just needed to be alone.
With his back to who he now assumed was Jack, he began making little water animals. He made sure he was positioned so that Jack wouldn't see them unless he was staring directly over Percy's shoulder.
As a sort of a joke, he started frothing up the water so it made mini waves, and as they crashed out on his foot, a tiny water horse trotted out. Several more followed after, and soon he had a whole herd running about, darting over his feet and galloping across the waves. Shortly after, an annoyed whale rose up and swallowed all the horses, and sunk back down again.
Percy laughed, it had been a long time since he used his water powers for self-amusement.
Excluding drenching his wise girl.
Suddenly an outstanding idea came into his mind. It would make the Hermes' kids feel proud.
He made the water rise up above Jack's head, and then dropped down in one massive deluge.
And even though he didn't want Jack to know about his powers, the look on his face was more than worth him figuring it out. He looked like that guy who got slapped by an eel, only less slimy.
"Don't look at me!" he said. "I'm not the one with the magic powers here."
Jack's (very mature) response was to glare at him, and stick out his tongue.
(^)(^)(*)(^)(^)
Annabeth sighed contently, and snuggled up closer to her boyfriend. Now, she was no bitch, but with Percy missing for two years, she had finally run out of steam. She gave up the search. Game over. If Percy wasn't dead, then he certainly wasn't making much of an effort to come back to camp.
To her.
She had searched the entirety of both Camps, and most of the United States. She also spoke to different nymphs and gods. Hell, she'd even asked Nico to perform one of his McDonald's rituals!
Percy had just vanished from the Earth's surface.
It had left Annabeth heartbroken for months, but soon Jason had come along and picked up the pieces. Jason Grace.
She didn't know what had happened to Piper, and she didn't want to.
In the past, she had ruined good things by over-thinking them. So this time, she shut her daughter-of-Athena mouth and just let her body do the talking. She'd been with Jason three months now, and she wasn't about to let that change.
Although Percy had vanished the first time after three months….
She was definitely keeping a tight hold on Jason.
(^) (^) (*) (^) (^)
Jamie smiled up at the new girl in the front of the classroom. She was shy, and hid her face behind her hair.
She was also pretty. Her hair was black, and her skin was pale, giving her a waifish princess look. She wore it well.
"Jamie?" the teacher asked. "Is it alright if she sits in the empty seat next to you? Maybe you can show her around."
So the dark-haired girl sat down next to him and offered a shy smile his way. Jamie beamed back.
"I'm Jamie Bennett." He stated proudly. "And you?"
"Pippa Angie Lou." It was barely a whisper, but Jamie caught it.
"Hey!" he said. "Why don't you sit with me and my friends at lunch? We don't bite, promise."
Jamie's new goal: get Pippa out of her shell. Who knows? She might actually be an incredible person!
The boy's logic was infallible as he collected his homework for the day and began guiding her to the next class.
He had time.
Nine-year-olds had forever.