Chapter 3

Gwen's POV

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long guys! i haven't had much time to work on this and its pretty short...i promise the next chapter will b out soon. anyway i don't really have much to say so enjoy! :D

She sat on a beach chair, watching the sunset and sipping a McDonald's Frappucino. Her long chocolate brown hair in a braid over her shoulder, oversized but cute sunglasses sat expertly on her nose, and wearing a white, Roman-style (the only style Lupa allowed) gauzy maxi dress, Gwen was in heaven. Even though she was a daughter of Venus, Gwen loved the beach, and came every night to watch the sunset.

Gwen also loved things being normal. And it was NOT normal when Reyna and that hot new guy walked out of the ocean, COMPLETELY DRY. They seemed to be talking about something, but Gwen didn't care. She was totally focused on Percy, even if he was a Greek demigod (whatever that was).

Reyna stopped talking when she passed Gwen. Gwen ignored her and gave Percy a flirty little wave. Reyna rolled her eyes and grabbed Percy's arm. He gave Gwen a shy, adorable (in her her opinion) wave as Reyna pulled him away.

Gwen gathered up her beach chair, threw away her empty cup, and headed back up to her cabin. It was time to start Operation Percy Jackson.

Every Venus girl knows that casual conversation is the key beginning to stalking a boy. So Gwen applied a little more makeup, used her new magical perfect-hair gel (birthday gift from Mom), and went to find Percy without making it look like she was (which is harder than it sounds!).

She found him in the gym, lifting weights (classic). She walked over to the treadmill and tried to figure out how to turn it on (the big ON button in the middle couldn't be it), acting like she totally didn't come in there just to see Percy (even though she totally did).

Gwen finally decided that the ON button might work, but she wasn't prepared for the treadmill to actually move under her feet when she pushed it. Apparently whoever used it last had left it on 10, the highest speed, so Gwen went flying off the treadmill and right onto Percy.

"Omigodimsosorry!" she said breathlessly. Percy lifted himself off the ground and offered Gwen a hand, which she took, smiling. She was surprised at how well that had worked, even though she hadn't planned it. She gazed at him.

"Uh, maybe you should turn the treadmill off," Percy said after Gwen's gazing had gone on too long.

"What?" she asked, startled. "Oh...yeah..."

She walked back over to the exercise equipment she had fallen over (being careful not to step on the moving part). She searched for an OFF button but couldn't find one. After almost a full minute of looking, Percy reached gently around her and pushed the ON button again. The conveyor belt slowed to a stop.

"Thanks," she said, flashing him a million-dollar, perfect-teethed grin.

"No problem," he said easily, going back to his weightlifting.

"Hey, I was wondering..." Gwen began, "you wanna go get a Coke or something?"

"Uh, sure," he said, putting down the weights again. "There's a cool place downtown...if Lupa lets me, I mean you, I mean us, leave camp."

He was stuttering! Being a daughter of Venus, Gwen obviously knew that was the first sign that a guy was into you.

"Of course she will," Gwen lied. Lupa was strict (like, slash-her-claws-across-your-face strict) about not letting anyone (and that meant ANYONE) leave camp, except on quests. But Gwen was determined to score Percy Jackson.

"Awesome," he said. "It's called Café Taboo. I'll meet you there in...an hour?"

"Sounds good," said Gwen, hardly able to hide her excitement.

Percy Jackson was hers for the taking!