I got your runaway smile in my piggybank, baby. Gonna cash it right in for a new Mercedes. You were worth the hundred thousand miles, but you couldn't stay a while.

Celeste sighed as she listened to the words flowing into her ears from her headphones. She was in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering when her life had become this…empty. A single tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it away instantly, the only proof it had ever existed being her red eyes. Her heart cracked a little more as she rolled her side and stared at her phone.

Would he ever call her? Was this all a big misunderstanding or had he really… Had he really been late for their date because of studying or was it because he was studying Madison Park?

Celeste swung her feet over the side of her bed and sat up quickly when her phone rang. Her head hurt slightly, but she ignored it, reaching for the cell phone immediately. Caller ID told her it was exactly who she thought it would be.

"I'm gonna kill him," Alyssa shouted.

Celeste let herself smile a little bit. "Alyssa, I don't know if he—"

"What did Madison say exactly?"

"That Simon was with her last night."

In her apartment, Alyssa propped her feet up on her desk and scowled. "Bitch. She stole him! And he let her! Celeste, I think I have a plan. It's really quite simple, but it involves fire ants, his bed, and maybe some help from your grandmother. Ya know, the one…up there."

"I don't really wanna go anywhere, Alyssa."

"Not even Central Park?"

"Not tonight."

"Well it's not really 'tonight' anymore. It's like 3 in the morning."

"Yeah, speaking of which," Celeste said, relaxing back against the pillows, eyes meeting the ceiling again, "how'd you know I'd be awake?"

"When Stephen dumped me I couldn't sleep for days. Besides, I couldn't wait until morning and I just finished my homework, so I figured I'd call."

"You had all weekend to do that homework."

Alyssa sighed. "Do you not know me?"

Celeste closed her eyes and let herself relax. "Let's talk about this tomorrow at school, okay? I really should try to sleep. If I fall asleep in Geometry on the last week of school, my mom will never forgive me."

Even though she knew the girl on the other end couldn't see it, Alyssa nodded. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, C. You know I love you."

"I know."

After Celeste hung up and put the phone back on her side table, she curled up and didn't try to stop the tears. She buried her face into her pillow. Her heart was shattering more and more each second as she thought about him.

I got a first class ticket to a night all alone and a front row seat up right by the phone because you're always on my mind, and I'm running out of time.

Her phone rang again and she looked up.

"Simon," said the caller ID.

Her breath came faster and faster. She just stared at the buzzing phone. It stopped and Celeste assumed voicemail had picked up. She closed her eyes but the buzzing began again. She groaned and grabbed it.

"What do you want?" she whispered.

"What did Madison tell you? Whatever it was, it was a lie."

"What are you doing up at 3 in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep. I tried, but I can't stop thinking about you. Dammit, Celeste, don't you dare believe anything Madison said. She…came on to me the other day. I told her I didn't feel anything for her and she...took it badly."

"I imagine she would. You're a catch."

He laughed without humor. "Celeste, please just tell me you believe me."

"You were really studying?"

"Actually, I was trying to get up the courage to tell you something by going to see my brother in the city. I drove back and showed up at your door to pick you up and your dad said you had left already because I was late. When I went to the restaurant, you weren't there. Celeste, I didn't—I wouldn't—"

"You wanted to tell me something?"

He paused. "Oh. Um. Yeah."

"Well…tell me."

"I'd rather tell you face to face."

Celeste swallowed tightly. "Simon, if you say you didn't...do anything with her, I believe you. But just tell me. I can't stand anymore secrets."

"I love you."

"Wh-what?"

"I was trying to get up the courage to tell you I'm in love with you and I want you to move in with me when I go away to college next year. You can still go to Goode—the subway drops you off right near campus—but I just got a little apartment smack dab next to NYU and I took it. It has two bedrooms and a kitchen and everything. But I don't want to lose you, Celeste. I don't want to take the chance that just because I'm gonna be gone more next year you might…find someone else. So, move in with me."

He waited for Celeste to answer, but she was staring at the wall in front of her, mouth open, shocked.

"Celeste?"

"I love you, too, you know."

He gave a small, breathy laugh. "Yeah, I know."

"I don't know, though, about…moving in together. Isn't that…a little fast?"

"We've been dating for a 13 months."

"I'm not even 17, yet. How would my parents—my father—feel about me moving in with a college boy? Besides…I'm not sure I want to."

There was a pause as Simon considered her words. "Just consider it, okay? And we can ask your parents together if you change your mind."

"Alright." She glanced at the clock. "I should go to bed."

"Not yet. I love you, Celeste."

"I love you, Simon."

"Hmm, could you…turn around for a second?"

Celeste quirked an eyebrow and sat up, turning. Her hand flew to her mouth. Sitting on her fire escape was a handsome Goode senior with a phone pressed to his ear and a smile on his lip. Shaggy blonde hair was falling in his eyes.

"Can I come in?"

"M-my parents are sleeping."

"I promise to be quiet."

Celeste, still staring at the boy, closed her phone and walked to the window, opening it and stepping back so he could enter her room. He smiled and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you."

She closed her eyes tight and grabbed onto his shirt. His strong arms squeezed her. "I've changed my mind," she whispered into his chest. "I'll move in with you."

He laughed. "Something about my hug change your mind?"

"I guess I didn't realize how much I've missed you." She looked up at him, smiling. "Do you wanna spend the night? As long as you leave before my parents find you."

Smiling, Simon kicked off his shoes and pulled off his jacket. "I like your PJs, by the way."

Celeste glanced down at her shorts and tank top and smiled. "Come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him into her bed under the covers. He wrapped his arm around her waist and buried his face in her neck as she squirmed back into his chest. Warmth spread through her.

"I love you," he whispered almost silently. "I love you." He repeated it again and again, but Celeste's slow, even breathing told him she was already sleeping comfortably in his arms.

0000000000

"Are you insane?" Percy Jackson shouted at his daughter. "You are not moving in with him! I can't even think why you would imagine we would let you!"

Annabeth put a hand on her husband's arm but her gaze let Celeste know there was no way she was winning this one. "Celeste, no. You're too young, it's too soon, and he's…" Annabeth glanced at Simon, who was holding her daughter's hand tightly. "Simon, you're a very nice boy, but there's just no way this is going to happen. When you're in college, Celeste, we'll reconsider."

"Mr. Jackson—"

"Simon," Percy said warningly, "I like you. Please don't make me your enemy by arguing with me about this. She's my daughter. You can't honestly think I would let her move in with you. I know Celeste trusts you to take care of her and I trust Celeste's judgment, but this time, I'm putting my foot down. I've already allowed way more than my parents did when I was dating."

"It was different back then, Dad!" Celeste hissed. "Come on. Please, please, please!"

"No!" Percy demanded. "It's not happening."

"Celeste," Annabeth said, taking a step forward to put her hand on her daughter's shoulder, "trust us when we say this is because we love you. If I had tried to move in with your father before college… Well, my mother would have put a stop to it right away. She tried to stop me from marrying him."

"Mom—"

Simon squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Celeste," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Come on. Let's go—we're gonna be late for the movie." He looked back up at the very red Mr. Jackson and the sad-faced Mrs. Jackson, nodding. "Nice to see you again."

Celeste huffed and tugged her boyfriend out the door.

When they were gone Percy collapsed on the couch next to his wife and pulled her close. Annabeth rested her head on his shoulder and her arm on his leg. Percy suddenly felt like a teenager again and the urge to see if he could get to second base flashed through his head. Unfortunately, his wife spoke first.

"She's gonna do something stupid just because we said no."

"She's reasonable. She knows we can't, on good conscience, let her move in with a boy. She's not ready."

"Maybe." Annabeth squirmed closer to him. "Simon was being pretty understanding about it."

"I'm not letting my daughter live alone with a college boy. Do you remember what we did when we were in college? And we weren't even living together!"

Annabeth smiled. "You can't honestly expect your daughter to stay a virgin her whole life, Percy."

He shuddered. "Fine, but…I expect her to be one for a long, long, long time…"

"That's not totally realistic, Seaweed Brain."

He twisted a piece of her hair around his finger and bent to kiss her. "It's bad enough her boyfriend is two years older than her. For all she knows he could be experienced already. Gods, I'm going to kill him if he breaks her heart."

"You and me, both. But you know what—we just have to trust her. She knows the rules. Hopefully she'll follow them."

She doesn't.

A/N: I realized it was Sunday and was like, "OMG! I NEED TO UPDATE!" and so I wrote this as quickly as I could. The song at the beginning is Heels Over Head by Boys Like Girls. I do not own the song or PJO! Review, please!

Love always,

E. M. Zeray