Chapter 12

"Ready to go?" Paul lifted Annabeth's duffle bag into the back of the truck.

"Daddy!" Tyson ran up to Paul. It wrenched Percy's heart a little to hear Tyson call their stepfather that, but he didn't know any better. "Can we ride in the back?"

Paul glanced over at Sally, who was watching with a somewhat amused expression. "Well... I suppose it's only half an hour on a back road..."

"Of course you can, bud," said Sally, lifting him into the back of the pick-up truck.

"Alright!" cheered Percy, launching himself into the back as well.

Annabeth laughed and climbed in with them. She sat down next to Percy, seemingly unaware that their shoulders were touching. He was doing everything in his power not to focus on the physical contact.

Paul and Sally got into the front of the truck. Annabeth looked at the mansion, as if wary to leave it, even if for just a weekend.

Percy noticed this and nudged her. "Hey," he said. "It's going to be okay."

She looked down and brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. "I know," she said. Percy gave her a skeptical look. "I do!" she insisted, laughing. "I mean, if I have to go anywhere, I'm glad I'm going with you."

Percy froze. He ran that sentence over and over again through his mind. What did it mean? Annabeth stiffened as well, her train of thought seeming to be backtracking. "You... Guys. Your family," she added slowly.

Percy smiled and nodded, with some difficulty. "Yeah," he agreed.

The truck pulled out of the driveway and headed off down the dirt road. The warm air and the wind rushing by created a pleasant atmosphere. Annabeth lifted her head up and grinned. She flung her arms up into the air, letting the wind flow by them, sometimes catching them on a low hanging tree branch.

After they had been in the car for a few minutes, Percy's phone went off. He glanced at the caller ID. Incoming call: Rachael Dare. He sighed and hit 'Ignore'. He did not feel like talking to her just then.

Annabeth looked at him. "Aren't you gonna answer that?" she said.

He shrugged. "It's not worth the trouble."

After half an hour of bumping down the road, they finally entered Gray Harbor. Annabeth seemed to be slowly sliding down into the bed of the truck, as if someone would see her, recognize her, and pluck her out of the moving vehicle.

The truck pulled up in front of a small blue house that Percy knew to be his grandparents. Their house was just across the street from the waterfront. Annabeth gasped when she saw the ocean and leaped out of the truck as soon as it stopped.

She ran across the road to the docks and got down flat on her stomach. She reached down slowly and touched the water. Percy watched her as she twirled her hand around in it. She laughed, seeming like a little girl who had been deprived of something for a very long time. Which, in a way, she had been.

As soon as Percy heard his grandparent's voices, though, his heart filled with contempt. He wanted to go over there and grab Annabeth away from the water, but he just turned away. That water had stolen his father from him. He wasn't going to let the water win this time, but one thing was for sure: he wasn't going anywhere near it.

I know, I know, this chapter is really short too, but my muse is not speaking to me today:( Also, I have high school work to worry about... Was anyone as nervous as I am about going into the ninth grade?!

Today's theme song is for Annabeth and Luke!

Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri

Special thanks to horse-crazy girl13 and another person who's name fanfiction won't let me enter for this theme song!

Ha... 2 coincidences about that... I'm watching a TV show about a horse whisperer and one of the horses is name Apollo... Also, I'm singing a Christina Perri song in a talent show this afternoon... THE IRONY!

Got any suggestions for theme songs? Let me know!

-Rebel