Author's Note: Sorry for taking so long to update, but I have a bad case of writer's block, so I spent several days rereading and improving this chapter. Thank you to ThoseHotGuysWeLoveLover, alidei, lalaland, and bustermage for the reviews! Especially to alidei – I will keep that in mind for future action scenes (there'll be a couple more coming up).
And, yes, I am quite aware that Percy and Annabeth are kind of OOC in this chapter – but it is essential to the plot and is caused by one of the antagonists. You'll probably figure it out when you read the little hints.
CHAPTER SIX: I GET SOME USEFUL ADVICE
Percy's POV
It was perfect. Tall, thin trees with vibrant green leaves populated the dense forest. The forest was teeming with wildlife – colorful butterflies fluttered in the air, birds were chirping happily, and everything seemed at ease. Giant rocks and bushes were scattered around, making it perfect for capture the flag games.
Yep. I could see this as the second Camp Half-Blood.
Annabeth was ecstatic and started chattering about where she was going to put each facility. "The arena's gonna be there, next to the stables. The volleyball courts should actually be in the sand, don't you think? Mmmm. And the cabins should be in the center of everything…"
We continued walking along, stopping frequently for Annabeth to take pictures. Before too long, we reached the end of the forest and saw the wetlands. The ground was swampy and dotted with little patches of saltwater, which housed baby birds and spiky olive green plants.
Annabeth sighed happily and smiled. "Isn't this great?"
I wasn't sure if she was asking about the location or about spending time together, so I just agreed.
She eyed me curiously, her eyes gleaming with amusement, while I tried to focus on the ocean ahead of us. By now, the wind was starting to pick up and blew my hair in odd directions, making it messier than before. Annabeth's loose strands of hair got in her eyes, which she quickly brushed aside. I could still feel her gaze was still on me.
I sighed. "What?" I asked her.
She rolled her eyes and gestured for me to follow her as she ran the final steps to the sand. I followed her after glancing at Adam, who mumbled something about not being able to take a hint and jogged away.
Annabeth kicked off her sandals and waded in the three inch deep water, impatiently waiting for me. I got in the water with her.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You've been so quiet."
I bit my lip. I could have sworn drinking the smoothie made my mind fog up. Looking at Wise Girl over here didn't make things any easier.
"It's nothing," I said smoothly. I myself wasn't sure either. It felt like a rush of emotions were passing through my body too quickly for me to understand.
She frowned and didn't ask any more questions. After staring at the horizon in silence, Annabeth turned to me and moved closer so our bodies were only inches apart.
"Percy, we need to talk."
"Hmm?" My eyes were still glued on the horizon.
"Percy, I'm serious."
"I can tell."
She growled angrily and poked my chest. "Don't you feel like something suspicious is going on?"
The words hit me like ice. I looked at her, puzzled. "N-no."
She rolled her eyes. Okay, this was getting annoying. "Just tell me," I told her.
"We need privacy," she stated simply.
"Okay…"
I pulled her farther out into the ocean, where the water was almost seven feet deep, and made an air bubble. We comfortably laid down inside of it.
I propped up my chin with one of my hands and looked at Annabeth, who was laying down next to me.
"Remember the prophecy?" Annabeth asked me.
I nodded.
"The part where it says 'Two allies shall be held prisoner, a third shall emerge a traitor' gets me thinking."
I was confused. Where was she going with this?
When she saw my blank face, she explained. "That attack today. The monsters knew exactly where we were. They knew about my knife and my hat. They knew you were invincible. They knew that your weakness is loyalty – that's why they kidnapped me."
I stared at her. "Go on."
"That means somebody told them about all this. Somebody is putting our lives at risk. And I think that somebody is the traitor, as the prophecy says," she continued emotionlessly.
My mind literally went blank. Did she mean Adam? There was no way my half brother could be the traitor. No effing way. I clenched my jaw in anger. How could Annabeth think of such a thing?
"How could you think of something like that?" I fumed. I smacked my hand down angrily.
"HOW COULD YOU THINK MY BROTHER IS A TRAITOR?" I almost yelled at her face.
She was taken aback by my anger, shock plastered on her face. "Percy, think about it. He mysteriously pops up now – why not before? He's never there for any of the action. He wasn't there when I was kidnapped. Who knows, that attack on him last night could've just been an act."
"No," I said.
"Percy, he's a good guy, with a sense of humor and brains. I'm not saying he is the traitor. It just seems like it."
"No," I repeated, my voice faltering.
We were both silent for a few minutes until I said coldly, "You know, it said three allies. That doesn't include me. That means two of my friends are going to be prisoners. The third one will be the traitor. So far there's only the two of you."
Annabeth looked at me sadly and shook her head. "Y-you have to learn to let people go," she said. She closed her eyes, like she was trying to visualize something.
I thought about what she said. It made sense – of course, what would you expect from a daughter of Athena? But I still couldn't think of my half brother as a traitor. After all, prophecies always have double meanings.
After she calmed down, I whispered, "Okay, you're right, Wise Girl. I'll be more careful, all right?"
She gave a weak smile and replied, "That's all I ask."
–––– x ––––
"What took you guys so long?" Adam demanded, watching us as we walked out of the water. He sat perched on a rock, playing some game on his phone.
Annabeth and I exchanged looks. My tongue betrayed me. "We, uh, um…" I muttered stupidly.
His eyes lit up and he winked. "I hoped you guys used protection."
Annabeth and I blushed, our faces turning bright red. She laughed nervously.
"Thanks for the useful advice," I muttered sarcastically.
Adam stuffed his phone in his pocket and beamed. "No need to thank me," he said proudly. I groaned at his act. "Now, let's get to the restaurant. It's six thirty now, and walking there will take half an hour. I promised to be there at seven."
"Let's come back here tomorrow," Annabeth piped up. "I need to take more pictures and measurements so I can get started on the blueprints. This is going to turn out great!" Talk about a mood swing.
And she kept going on and on, about which kind of columns she should use for the dining pavilion and how many square feet the new sword fighting arena should be… blah, blah, blah. This was going to be a long walk.
"So what kind of architecture do you like, Adam?" Annabeth asked him as we walked along the boardwalk bordering the breathtaking Pacific Ocean.
"Oh. Well, uh, French and Italian architecture is pretty cool," Adam muttered, playing with his seashell bracelet. That thing radiated something weird. I can't describe it, but I get this tingly feeling whenever I focus on it too much.
"Ugh! I absolutely hate Italian architecture! It's a huge rip-off of Greek architecture. I mean, look at that" – she pointed to an expensive looking shopping plaza across the street – "the facades are practically copies of Greek ones. And they even use white marble and granite. The nerve!" she huffed.
I rolled my eyes at Adam. He looked at me pleadingly, like he was saying can you please make your girlfriend shut up?
I grinned, instantly thinking of a plan.
"OH MY GODS! Annabeth, there's a spider crawling up your leg!" I yelled out, pointing down at her ankle.
The look on her face was priceless. She screeched and almost jumped out of her skin. She furiously kept shaking her legs, trying to get the imaginary spider off. The masses of people around us stared curiously at what was going on.
"Oops, my bad. It was just a piece of dust," I snickered.
The fear on her face changed into anger. Her screech changed to a growl as she clenched her jaw and proceeded to punch me. Unfortunately for her, I already sprinted off in the direction of the restaurant. I looked back and stuck out my tongue at her.
She chased after me, yelling, "Percy, you are such a kid!" Hey, adults always say to enjoy your childhood, right?
–––– x ––––
After getting whacked with a flip flop and sand down my shirt, we finally made it to the restaurant, which had a view of the pier across the street. It looked like one of those posh seafood restaurants that rich families take their kids to. In other words, a perfect place to trash, blow up, and/or vaporize. Take your pick.
"Hey, Adam?" I asked him.
He jerked his head up in acknowledgement. "Yeah?"
"What kind of food do they serve there?" I pointed at the restaurant, which was fifty yards away.
"It's a Hawaiian grill restaurant. Sooo, it's mainly seafood, steak, and chicken?" he said, raising his eyebrows at me.
"Oh. Great," I said quietly.
"Seafood? I love seafood!" Annabeth shrieked excitedly. Wait, since when did she get excited over food?
Loud footsteps and a yelp interrupted my thoughts. I blinked at a blob of navy that rushed towards Adam and pulled him in a bear hug. It was Chelsea, the girl he talked to at Jamba Juice. She was wearing a dark blue sundress with a black bow around her waist. Her silver necklace and nails sparkled in the sunlight. Her tanned skin was literally glowing an aquamarine color… Hm.
They pulled away from each other after realizing how awkwardly Annabeth and I were standing there. Adam had his arm slung around Chelsea's shoulder and grinned widely.
"Chelsea, this is Percy" – I gave a small wave – "and Annabeth." She stared at the two of them standing side by side, the same way girls at my school scrutinize every picture in Vague (or was Vogue?) magazine.
"Hi Percy and Annabeth," Chelsea said cheerfully. Her voice sounded beautiful, a perfect combination of pitch and melody.
"Hi," Annabeth and I said at the same time. Chelsea giggled as my face burned despite the cooling temperature.
"Err, let's go inside," Adam suggested, breaking the silence. He and Chelsea walked ahead, talking and laughing together.
"Well?" I asked Annabeth, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you were excited for the seafood?"
She looked at me strangely and cocked her head. "What? I never said that."
"Yes, you did." What was wrong with her?
"Ugh, you must be hearing things. Let's hurry up before they get too far ahead." She motioned at the two, who had already reached the parking lot of the restaurant.
"Whatever," I grumbled, my head spinning out of control.
–––– x ––––
Our table was next to a window overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was evening, and the sunlight was starting to fade away, making the water turn a pale tint of aqua. Wooden panels adorned the walls of the restaurant while huge potted palm trees and minimal lighting created a calming atmosphere. I sat next to Annabeth, across from Adam and Chelsea, who both seemed to be talking like they had been separated for years rather than weeks.
Finally, the waiter came and took our orders. Adam and I ordered steak, while the girls ordered fish. After the waiter left, Adam suggested that the four of us walk on the pier after dinner, which all of us agreed to.
Our drinks arrived minutes later. Annabeth, Adam, and I excused ourselves to wash up. "We had a little sand war," Adam explained while smirking at Annabeth and me, in response to Chelsea's surprised look.
"Awww, how cute!" Chelsea squealed, looking excitedly at Annabeth and me. I made a face at Annabeth, who just rolled her eyes.
The three of us stood up from our seats and headed towards the restrooms.
"If she were a demigod, she'd be a daughter of Aphrodite," Annabeth muttered to me.
I laughed. "Don't let Aphrodite hear that or she'll hate you forever."
"She probably already does," she mumbled.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.
She smiled. "Whatever you think it means."
Of course, leave it up to a daughter of Athena to talk in riddles. "You don't have to talk in riddles," I snapped.
"You know, you look pretty cute when you're –"
"Worried, right?" I finished, sighing in frustration.
She blushed a little. "You remembered? And I was going to say mad."
I was about to retort something when Adam pulled my shoulder. "Dude, I don't think you're a girl." He pointed to the door to the women's restroom, which just so happened to be right in front of my face. I was so absorbed into talking with Annabeth that I just followed her, not paying attention to where I was walking.
"Oops."
Annabeth laughed at my stupidity and disappeared inside the restroom.
A few minutes later, I walked back out of the restroom feeling completely refreshed and ready to enjoy a meal. By now, the drinks were already on the table, but Annabeth and Adam weren't back yet. I sat down in my seat, sitting diagonal from Chelsea who flashed a smile at me that didn't look too friendly.
"The drinks here are absolutely delicious," she said dreamily, putting her elbow on the table and resting her head lightly on her hand. Her bright neon green eyes looked at me intensely, and before I knew it, I took a sip of my drink. I recognized those eyes from somewhere, but I couldn't remember where.
The moment it touched my tongue, a heavenly sweet mixture of pineapple, strawberry, cherry, and orange juice overcame my taste buds. The only thing was that it left a slight metallic aftertaste and distorted my thoughts. It's just brain freeze, I thought to myself.
Chelsea's smile widened, her white teeth shining, even though the restaurant was minimally lit. I was startled to see that some of her teeth were extremely sharp and pointy, resembling a shark's tooth.
"It's not nice to stare," she whispered emotionlessly.
Just in time, Adam came back to the table and slipped in the chair next to Chelsea. They started chatting animatedly again as I half listened and played with the straw in my drink.
Annabeth and the food arrived at the same time. I flashed a smile at her as she looked at me strangely.
The rest of the dinner went by quickly and smoothly. The meal and dessert were great, and before I knew it, the four of us were walking on the pier as the sky turned darker. The weather was cool, and the occasional sea breeze whipped my body and sent chills down my spine.
Annabeth and I stopped near the end of the pier and we leaned over the railing to look at the water below us. Something didn't feel right about the sea. It didn't feel calm and peaceful like in the morning. It felt as if something dark was stirring underwater…
Annabeth wrapped her fingers around my hand gently. "I want to take a picture of us, okay?" She took out her small digital camera from her shorts pocket with her free hand.
"Say cheese!" she exclaimed. I gave a toothy grin while tilting my head closer to hers.
Her slender finger pressed a button on camera. The camera flashed, temporarily blinding me, and made a clicking sound. She showed me the picture on the screen of the camera.
The picture was of a happy teenage couple holding hands with the ocean acting as the backdrop. The girl's blonde hair was in a messy ponytail while her gray eyes sparkled with joy, and her simple light green t-shirt fluttered in the wind. The boy's grin was lopsided, his jet black hair covering half of a sea green eye.
These two friends had saved each other's butts so many times. They had a close bond with other. Sure, they argued like an old couple, but deep down, they both cared for each other.
And I couldn't help but crack a smirk and let my eyes get a little watery. I couldn't help it – I blame it on the brain freeze I got earlier. My life wasn't perfect. But at least I had somebody – somebody who can be too much of a Wise Girl sometimes, but means so much to me.
Annabeth noticed the water pooling in my eyes and rested her head on my shoulder. It felt oddly comfortable, probably because our height difference was only a few inches.
"You know, when I first met you, I didn't like you," Annabeth began, her voice just loud enough for me to hear. Her eyes were focused on the distant ocean.
"With the rivalry between Athena and Poseidon and all that, you know? But when we finished our first quest, I started seeing you differently. Maybe you weren't so bad after all…" she paused for a while.
"You're such a nice person," I remarked sarcastically.
She ruffled my hair playfully. "Anyway, the year after that, my feelings became stronger. You and I were best friends now, and I wouldn't have any it other way. Just when I thought of us as a little more than friends, Rachel came along." She sighed and closed her eyes.
"I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want you to find another friend and leave me behind. I'll never admit it, but I always valued friends. I guess it was because of my childhood – not having anyone to trust, to fight side by side with. Luke and Thalia… they were my family. But when they left, I only had you left."
By now, I was feeling pretty bad. I knew I wasn't the brightest marker in the box. I was oblivious sometimes, but sometimes… oh, screw it. I'm a Seaweed Brain and that won't change.
"Maybe I should stop, this is starting to sound too mushy and girly," Annabeth thought wistfully.
I wasn't thinking straight, but I wanted to hear what she had to say. "No, I want to hear," I whispered into her ear.
She nodded and thought for a while. The lights were starting to flicker on now, illuminating the pier and making it look like some sort of magical pathway, if you get what I mean.
"When it was time for war, I realized the risks. I could die, you could die… That was when I realized I thought of you as more than a friend. Ironically, you were thinking the same thing… and here we are." She smiled and raised her head from my shoulder.
"One more thing," I said.
"Mmm?"
"What did you say at my funeral when everyone thought I died?" I asked teasingly.
She groaned.
"Please!" I whined.
She gave in. "Fine, but this will be last time I ever say it." She paused, placing her hands on my neck. She leaned in, our noses almost touching. Her warm breath smelled of tropical fruit with a slight hint of metal. Her makeup-less face glowed from in the dim light.
"You are the bravest friend I've ever had."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she placed her lips on top of mine and I entered a world of paradise.
–––– x ––––
After talking for a little bit more, we went searching for Adam and Chelsea. We found them near the edge of the pier, huddled together in a warm embrace. It was hard to see their faces, because the light from the lamps couldn't reach them. Annabeth didn't want to ruin in the moment, so we waited a while, a safe distance away.
After ten minutes, I was getting impatient. "I'm tired and I wanna sleep!" I complained to Annabeth, who had been observing the two of them the whole time.
She put her hand on my chin and tilted my head in their direction.
Adam and Chelsea were facing each other, edging closer to each other with each passing second. And they kissed passionately.
The second their lips touched each other, a couple of things happened.
One: A blinding blue light surrounded the two of them. Two: I heard a splintering creaking sound of wood as the pier collapsed. Three: I blacked out.
All in the course of about five seconds.
Do you know who the traitor is now? :)
I hope the talking between Annabeth and Percy didn't sound too mushy; I tried my best to make it sound realistic. As always, please review if you have the chance so I know what to improve on. Thank you!