hey guys! I love reading your reviews. especially when you tell me I'm one of your fave authors. I get all blushy and shy. Well, I stayed home from school to write this and I was annoyed by my BF (who needed to copy my French homework- don't ask) I really hope your reviews tell me how it was worth it.
Oh, and I won't sue you, silly! I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN. lmfao. no its aiight. Oh, man, I really shouldn't say that.
Ho! read on!
Disclaimer: 'ey. I don't own shit.
Annabeth's POV
The goodbye was painful: it was a reminder that I was alone.
Everyone woke up around six that day so they could pack and the harpies won't eat them alive for staying. Jason was staying at camp, along with Clarisse and Chris. The couple had graduated last year.
I packed my bag, trying to ignore the fact that Macey was staying here with some of my thirteen year old sisters. She was so young, and Chiron wouldn't let me do anything. Malcolm was being especially annoying that morning, fussing around, making sure I got all of my blueprints for Olympus.
He was interrogating George about Apollo's shrine plans when I cut in. "Mal, shut up and pack your own stuff," I demanded. Being the obedient second-in-command he was, he listened.
"Sorry, guys. Just a little nervous." He admitted. "I know you'll be coming back every other weekend to work on the Argo II with Leo, but I don't want you-er, anyone to forget anything."
"'S okay." I assured him. I zipped up my duffel bag and everyone was ready to head out for breakfast. Macey's bottom lip trembled when my siblings passed by me single-file. I hugged each one on their way out and told them I love them. Will was right, we gotta use our time wisely.
"Macey..." I started, my throat tightening. She cried out and threw her arms around my waist. I bent down so I could hug her and I fought the tears that stung my eyes. "Honey, you were so smart to think of IM'ing Percy. You truly are my sister," I told her. She thought of that as the best compliment ever and gasped. She pulled away and ran off, screaming through her tears how I thought she was smart. Mal came up next to me and hugged me around my shoulders.
"She's strong. She'll be fine. I'll be going to a charter school in Syracuse, so I'll be about a five hour drive away." He told me. I was a little shocked. Syracuse? Five hours? Did he hit his head or something- SYRACUSE IS IN ITALY...Right?
"Um, uh, Malcolm? Syracuse is in Italy." I said. He chuckled and ruffled my hair, making me frown.
"No, Idgit, I mean Syracuse, New York. Its in the center of the State. Good town, not too much trouble there. Monster-wise, that is. There's Onondaga Lake there, which Grover will be helping clean with a few nymphs in the park. The school I'm going to is ranked highly in Science. I have a job at the MOST. Museum of Science and Technology. I'm really excited," he said. His eyes were shiny, he was clearly in dreamland.
Syracuse, New York sounded familiar: Grover was going there to clean the two big lakes in Onondaga County. Onondaga Lake and Oneida Lake. The nymphs and draiads were really friendly there. I was happy for Mal. I hoped he had a good time in Syracuse. I squezzed my arms around Mal's waist.
"See ya, Mal. And thank you. You're an awesome brother. My favorite, don't tell Matthew." I laughed. Mal kissed the top of my head.
"I'm here for you, always. I gotta go. My flight leaves JFK in three hours. I'm pressed for time." He looked at me sadly. "You'll be fine?"
"Yeah," I lied. "I have Mr and Mrs Blofis. And Piper and Leo. I'll be back to normal in no time. Now, go. I don't want you to be late, Mal." I laughed, pushing him a little bit. We grinned and we walked off of the porch.
"YO MALCOLM!" The Stolls shouted. "SEE YA, BRO!" Mal waved and soon about forty kids were screaming goodbye to him. He laughed and waved.
He turned back to me. "Stay smart, Annabeth. Love you," he said. He kissed my cheek and ran to Half-Blood Hill. He disappeared behind Thalia's Tree.
Goodbye, I thought. Goodbye, little brother. I love you, and I will try to be the same. I'll miss you. I prayed to Athena Mal would hear those thoughts.
"Yo, Annabethyyyy!" Connor whined, motioning me to join him near the pavilion with the rest of our friends. I waved and jogged over.
"What did I tell you about calling me that?" I panted, hands resting on my knees. Connor grinned. Oh man.
"Sorry, babe." He chuckled at my scowl.
"Connor-" I was cut off.
"HEY EVERYBODY!" Leo screamed. I don't know why he was screaming, but Will and Piper laughed, so I figured I didn't want to know. When Leo stood on top of a rock, Piper and Will were clutching their stomachs. Leo cleared his throat. He started to sing.
"Would you dance, if I asked you to dance?
"Would you run, and never look back?" He was singing with feeling, just like Enrique, one of my roommates favorite singers. I really didn't want to know what he did to deserve to sing this song. Piper and Will were leaned up against Leo's rock, crying with laughter. Leo glared at them occasionally when he sang his Latino heart out.
"Would you cry, if you saw me crying?
"And would you save my soul, tonight?
"Would you tremble, if I touched your lips?" He touched his lips and pretended to tremble. He was hilarious.
"Would you laugh, oh, please tell me this!" By this time, we were all laughing at his accent and song choice-if it was his choice. I doubt it was.
"Now would you die, for the one you love?
"Hold me in your arms, tonight.
"I can be your hero, baby.
"I can kiss away the pain." He made kissy faces at Katie, who was clutching her stomach, laughing.
"I will stand by you forever.
"You can take my breath away.
"Would you swear, that you'll always be mine?
"Or would you lie?
"would you run and hide?
"Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?
"I don't care...You're here tonight.
"I can be your hero, baby." He clasped his fist with fierceness, really getting into the song. Piper's face was soaked with tears and Will ran off to the bathroom
"I can kiss away the pain.
"I will stand by you forever.
"You can take my breath away.
"Oh, I just want to hold you.
"I just want to hold you.
"Am I in too deep?
"Have I lost my mind?" He pointed to his temple again.
"I don't care...You're here tonight.
"I can be your hero, baby.
"I can kiss away the pain.
"I will stand by your forever.
"You can take my breath away.
"I can be your hero.
"I can kiss away the pain.
"And I will stand by you forever.
"You can take my breath away.
"You can take my breath away." He turned his head to the left and gasped, making fresh laughing-tears spring to my eyes. There was a crowd watching Leo. He was really into it. He liked the attention, given he was never really the center of attention throughout his life. He sounded so much like Enrique Iglesias. (AN: I don't own this song.) His accent was the same and his smile was pearly white, too.
I realized he didn't sing the last song line. He started with realization about that and opened his mouth but Piper beat him to the punch. She stood on the rock next to him and cupped his face dramatically.
"I can be your hero," she whispered. She looked very serious, considering she was just laughing her ass off three seconds earlier. They looked at each other like they were their worlds and burst out laughing.
They were such good friends. I didn't know how close they were before, but they were very close now. Piper was clutching onto Leo's shirt so she wouldn't fall and Leo's arm was wrapped loosely around her waist. Everyone that was left in the camp was there, laughing hard.
I snuck a glance at Jason, who was smiling, but his eyes spoke: jealousy, sadness and anger. I'm sure he wanted to be close to them. Especially Piper. But he had a duty. I didn't question him about his er, personal shit.
"Oh, Pipes, that was golden," Leo managed. Piper nodded her head. They got off the rock and they were standing next to me. Leo's hand fell on my shoulder.
"Don't. Ask." He said sternly. "Ever."
I nodded, too amused to say anything. Everyone but our little gang left. Will returned, laughing.
"Yo!" Connor laughed, his hand clasped onto Leo and Piper's shoulder. "That was priceless. Amazing. I wish you were my bro, bro."
Leo smiled hugely. "Eh, we're always going to be bros, yo." Leo promised. They shared a man hung and Piper stood next to me. Leo was off with the guys, gushing about his awesomeness. Piper rolled her eyes at him.
"Do you know anyone who just loves the attention like Leo?" Piper asked rhetorically. I figured I'd answer anyway.
"Percy when he tells Clarisse off," I shrugged. She laughed out of politeness, but we both knew she didn't have any other reason to laugh. She looked awkwardly at me and I smiled small.
Chiron strode up next to me and bent down to whisper in my ear. "Well, after that little show, I'm not sure if I trust that that boy is supposed to be in ninth grade." I chuckled.
"Me too." Piper laughed, hearing us. She walked over near Zeus's cabin and starting talking with Butch, who was giving her a leather pouch. It looked heavy. She was smiling and he was blushing.
"Well, since everyone is early and breakfast isn't going to be ready for another forty-five minutes..."He trailed off, raising his eyebrow at me. Oh. I see. He expected me to lead the camp. He expected me to be a leader since Percy was gone.
No pressure.
"Okay!" I yelled, failing to catch everyone's attention. I stood on Leo's Rock. "HEY!" I shouted. Everyone looked at me. A few kids smiled and waved.
"Oh, hey, Annabeth, how's it going?" A few kids asked. I ignored them.
"Okay, we're a little early, so we have some free time...how about we just hang out?" I suggested like Percy would. I even scratched my head without me noticing. Grover had to point it out in front of everyone.
"OOH! OOH! Percy scratches his head like that when he's clueless about what to do. Which is like, all the time," Grover laughed. Others laughed too, remembering Percy's antics. I blushed.
"Wait," Jason spoke up, his hand in the air like, 'is this a joke?'. I scowled at him and crossed my arms. I heard a few chuckles, but I ignored them. Did he really have to do that?
"Are you serious?" He asked, looking around for, oh, I don't know, hidden cameras or something. "There's a big battle coming up, and you just wanna hang out? Shouldn't we be training, Annabeth?" He asked incredulously. Thalia put her hand on his arm, but he shook it off. She was dressed for travel: she was leaving soon.
I got off the rock and walked towards Jason, kids parting so I wouldn't have to take my glare off of him. I walked right up to his face, nose to nose.
"Are you undermining my authority, Grace?" I asked. Everyone was silent. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. It was a weird tension, and everyone felt it. For a second I wondered if it wasn't my anger. Jason's breathing hitched. Good, I was intimidating him. He was turning around and things turned into slow motion. Suddenly, there was a big BOOM! and a lot of screams. The kids scrambled for a second but managed to get on the ground. Chiron was running over to the younger kids, making sure they were safe.
I looked towards where the noise came from. The top of Zeus's cabin, smoke was rising into the sky. Piper lay on the ground, twitching. Butch was near Iris's cabin, passed out. I bolted towards Piper with a few others. Jason was there first. He rolled her over gingerly.
"Piper! Piper!" He called to her, touching her forehead and cheeks, but pulling his hand back like they were on fire. I was standing over them. Piper's shirt was a little charred, and her jeans had four holes in them. Her skin was bright pink. Raw.
"Oh, gods, you got electrocuted?" Thalia exclaimed. I heard Chiron's voice, but it seemed miles away. He was telling everyone to stay under the pavilion. Piper's face turned into a little smile.
"Ow," she moaned. She rolled on her side and Leo gasped. He pushed Jason out of the way and held Piper. His eyes were watering a little. He was special, that child of Hephaestus. He could touch burning things.
"Pipes..." he said sadly. She fluttered her eyes open.
"Hey, Fireman." She smiled. Leo wiped the soot off of her beautiful face.
"Are you...can you...make it?" He managed. She laughed a little.
"I won't be dying because of Jason's mistake, Leo." She said softly. Glares turned to Jason: Leo's, Will's, Nico's, the Stolls', Katie's, Chris and Clarisse's and mine. Thalia turned slowly toward him, like she couldn't believe this was all real.
"You didn't." She said. "YOU DIDN'T!" She yelled. Jason flinched and looked at Piper, who just turned her head into Leo's chest. Leo growled.
"I-I- Thalia-" Jason stuttered.
"What did you do?" I shouted at him. He cringed.
"It's...it's Hera. She told me, if I was...distracted by my objective, then my distraction would be...punished. By my father." He whispered. I glowered at him. Does he live to screw things up?
"What's your objective and how the hell is Piper a distraction, Jason?" Leo shouted. Piper whimpered and Will came rushing over from his cabin and knelt next to her. He helped me once. He was good.
"It's alright, Pipes. I'll have you know, its not that bad. Percy got electrocuted once by Thalia. He told her that he was glad she couldn't keep him in check, heh. It was about the same voltage; it wasn't that bad. You're just affected more 'cause your not a child of the big three. But it's all good. Percy lived. Then again, he's really lucky. I don't get it. But, hey, I'm rambling, which is what I do when I heal. But I get 'er done!" Will laughed nervously. Piper flashed her white teeth once and winced from pain.
"Hurry," Leo urged, patting Piper's face. Will nodded and started to work. We all looked up at Jason.
"WELL?" Thalia screamed at her brother. He flinched.
"My objective is to lead us back to the Legion Camp." He said, feigning pride. We knew he was scared now. "Piper's my distraction, 'cause, well, I'm supposed to be eager to see Reyna, my motivation. But its hard to have a motivation that barely knows your existence. Piper's...well, my distraction. I thought...I thought we could actually be something," he whispered. I scoffed.
"'Be something'? Jason, you've been googly-eyed over this Reyna girl since you remembered her. I thought she was your girlfriend?" I asked him. He looked down.
"I never said that. I just-we-she-I like her. A lot. But I also like Piper," he whispered. "Reyna and I have been through so much. I just thought, once the war was over...we could get together. But it wasn't so easy. We don't have what you and Percy have, Annabeth." He told me.
Thalia threw her hands up in frustration and she stormed a few feet away. She yelled at the sky and threw her right hand in the air. She looked down, eyes dark with hate. Tension filled the atmosphere and lightening shot from Thalia's fingers. We all screamed and she aimed the bolt at Hera's cabin. It blasted the door and it caught on fire. The fire quickly died. Thunder rolled and Thalia flipped the sky her middle finger.
"Suck on that, Step-Mother," Thalia sneered. She swayed a little. I've never seen her so powerful. She did her daughter of Zeus thing, and, well, it was BADASS.
"Yeah!" I heard Butch cheer. An Apollo kid shushed him before healing his burns.
"How could Hera?" I asked Thalia when she sat down next to Piper, who was looking visibly better.
"Easy. She probably told Zeus to blast Piper, but Aphrodite probably begged him not to. She's Zeus's favorite daughter, you know, next to me and all," She grinned small.
"Oh, thanks, Mom," Piper whispered to the sky. Her head was in Leo's lap. He chuckled at her.
"That's most likely the only action we'll be getting from the gods anytime soon," Chiron announced from the pavilion.
"Oh, don't I feel special," Piper moaned sarcastically. Leo nudged her.
"Oh, I think you're spending too much time with me." He admitted. She shook her head. Will was breathing heavily by the time he finished his healing with a hymn to Apollo. Piper sat up as soon as Will passed out.
She kissed him on the forehead and snatched the leather pouch Butch gave her. She looked at me warily.
"I'm so sorry, Piper," Jason knelt next to her. She wouldn't meet his eyes. She even averted her head when she stood. The Stolls carried Will to the pavilion. We followed, Jason trailing behind. Thalia didn't even wait for him. She was pissed.
We reached the pavilion and a few Aphrodite children hugged Piper.
"Okay," I got everyone's attention. "We can all calm down now. Please. Piper's okay and so is Butch. You can go hang out now, but please, no talking about this morning's incidents..." I thought, "Except Leo's performance. You can discuss that." A few half-hearted cheers and thank-yous floated to me.
Just because I could, I looked at Jason, "Do you have anything to add, Jason?" I asked smugly. Jason looked away, ashamed. Chiron frowned at me. Oh well. Thalia locked eyes with me but they were emotionless.
Leo walked around with Piper until breakfast, chatting. I walked around aimlessly, a lot of trivial things on my mind, like Sarah's eyeshadow and Mal's loafers.
Finally the conch sounded and we ate breakfast. After breakfast, the cars started driving up on the other side of Camp Half-Blood.
Will was the first to leave. He was returning to Boston for ninth grade. He hugged the girls and shook hands with the guys. A blonde haired beauty waited on the bottom of the Hill for him. He swooped Janvier in his arms and planted one on her. She was surprised at first, but melted into the kiss. The Stolls cleared their throats after three awkward minutes and they broke away. They blushed Percy and I like that? Prob.
They leaned their foreheads against each other's and the lady called Will. He waved one last time, pecked Jan on the forehead and sprinted down the hill. He left.
Katie left, crying. She was going to New Jersey to finish tenth grade. She didn't like her school: there wasn't a botanist course. Travis kissed her gingerly and told her how much he loved her, which made her blubber some more. She hugged us all and stopped at me.
"Oh, he'll be back. He-" cue pointed look at Jason "-won't have any distractions. He loves you too much." Yeah, but he doesn't remember why. "I love you, too. Now, be good. Take care of those two rockstars," she laughed, gesturing to Piper and Leo, who were looking around, grinning.
"Will do. Love ya', too." I promised. She smiled through her tears, kissed Travis once more and ran down the hill to her dad's pick-up truck. In the bed of the truck, there were plants of all kinds. Oh, Demeter, you sure know how to pick them good farmers.
Nico left next, which was definitely hard. He hugged me for a long time. I swear, he must've took me as Bianca, or like her.
"I am so proud of you for doing that for the fallen. Bianca is proud. I'm gonna miss you, Nico," I gulped away a few tears. He nodded into my shoulder and pulled back. His eyes were red. I was so proud of him. He grew up far too fast, but he turned out to be a great kid despite raising himself.
"I'll fix the Underworld problem. Then I'm gonna kick Percy's ass," he swore, making us all laugh. Minus Jason, who just loved following Thalia everywhere. He shook the guys hands, hugged Piper, and Thalia and high-fived Clarisse (she appreciated his premature swearing). He waved one last time, giving me a last look, his dark eyes sad. He ran towards the shadows and disappeared.
Grover ran out of the woods, ready to say goodbye. Juniper materialized next to him, sobbing.
"Bye guys, really gotta go!" He said, catching his breath. I hugged him and he blushed. Ah, November memories. He hugged the rest of us girls and shook the guys hands. What, no love for the guys? Haha.
He turned towards Juniper and kissed the gorgeous girl. She wiped her eyes as he ran to catch a ride with Argus. He waved once and never looked back. Juniper disappeared along with her tears.
Grover had a mission, we had to respect that. His favorite god (besides Artemis, don't ask) was Pan. Pan's last dying words were for Grover. We all knew that. He'd be back.
The Stolls' ride-a red Maserati (stolen, I bet) rolled up. They grinned and muttered something about their awesome mom. They hugged us all. See, even the guys like love!
"Bye, babe," Connor whispered in my ear. I whacked him and he laughed.
"Gotta say that while Perce isn't here to hurt me," he laughed. He didn't really like me, it was just a ruse.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. Travis told me to stay faithful and blah, blah, blah. I had heard it before that morning.
They waved and drove off to their school in Brooklyn.
Mrs and Mr Blofis weren't supposed to be there for another hour, so I walked off to cabin number three with my duffel bag.
Percy's cabin.
I walked in, ignoring Chiron's looks.
No offense to the centaur, he practically raised me, but he wasn't much help. He had too many secrets he wanted to tell. All he really told me was that I'd be going back to the city and Piper and Leo would stay there too with Mrs B. Piper and my father were paying a third of the rent of their new apartment, which was more than nice. Sally and Paul wouldn't have afforded the apartment without them. At least, not for another four months until Paul gets his raise.
Percy's cabin was cleaned two weeks ago by the harpies, which I was a little ticked about. Where were his good-smelling clothes and half-made bed? His scent was gone, replaced with chlorine, which frightened me. Poseidon was supposed to clean the fountain.
I hadn't gotten any responses from Poseidon since I stepped into the ocean and promised him I would find Percy. I wasn't suicidal, I was sure Poseidon wouldn't blast me. I was his last hope, and I'm sure he wasn't too happy about it.
I shut the door behind me and walked to the fountain. I sat down on the edge, removing my shoes. I dipped my feet into the fountain, and thought. And thought. I thought about Percy.
He had only messaged me four times since our first message. They were all cut short; Lupa didn't want anyone to be suspicious. We hadn't talked about much. Just about Tyson or Grover, or occasionally, Rachel. Rachel had come and vanished within two days that vacation. We didn't really talk. I was too hurt, and she had her own problems to do with. She was going to hell in Connecticut: Clarion Prep.
Seaweed Brain asked thousands of questions about everyone but me. I supposed that was because I told him not to worry about me. But knowing him, he probably did it when he was alone.
Percy was really awkward, like he was embarrassed to tell me something he remembered. Was it our first kiss? My Big Mistake in November? My sixteenth birthday?
(Flashbaaaaacck)
It was the Monday of Thanksgiving break. My birthday, November 21. I woke up early, but decided to stay in Percy's room and wait for him to come in. He told me he would. I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth just in case he had any 'funny business' planned. I told him the night before not to wake me up at midnight or I'd kill him. He listened to me for once.
So, instead, he decided to put a Post-It note on my forehead when I was asleep at midnight. Fool.
It read: Happy birthday, Annabeth! Its midniht! haha, I'm hilareos. Love you, sixten year old!
I shook my head and smiled when I woke up and managed to read it. We are both dyslexic, so its not like I cared about the misspellings. I just hope he wasn't trying too hard to manage that note.
At about eight o'clock, I heard footsteps in the living room. He was awake. He knocked on his parents door, yelling to them to wake up. He bounded to his bedroom door and must've stood there for a little while. About two minutes later, I heard the bathroom sink run and a toothbrush brushing. I was glad; his morning breath stinks.
Two minutes later, he opened the door quietly, peering in. His eyes widened a little, not expecting me to be sitting up in his bed, waiting for him. He grinned his stupid grin. He walked over and sat at the edge of my bed.
"Hi," he said, waving his hand a little awkwardly. I laughed at his antics and he frowned.
"Hi," I answered, doing the same thing he did. He registered that I was mocking him and he leaned towards me, I met him halfway and he kissed me softly.
"Happy birthday, Wise Girl," he whispered against my hair. "You're sixteen, but you seem older than me." He chuckled.
I wrapped his hair around my fingers and pulled him on top of me. He chuckled again. I had no idea what was so funny, so he enlightened me.
"I like the new sixteen year-old Annabeth," he chuckled after I licked his bottom lip. His breath was minty. I swatted his butt, which probably didn't help his giggles. He put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. I don't think I could have been any closer without things getting 'funny'. Gods, I love him so much.
"Thank you for enlightening me on that subject," I whispered against his lips.
"Does that mean I can enlighten you on other things?" He teased, his breath dancing across my lips.
Things were just getting good-and by that, I mean, he was trying to be in control- when the door swung open, we heard a little squeal and it slam closed. You'd think Sally would learn the first nine times.
I cursed in ancient Greek, "Di immortales." Percy panicked a little, and jumped off the bed. He gave me his hand and I jumped up too. I was still in my PJs: Percy's sweatpants and one of my shirts-it was a little snug, but I didn't care. I had to roll the top of the sweatpants four times so they would stay on. It looked a little ridiculous but cute, with its baggy bottoms and tight top. I know Percy appreciated it.
I pecked his mouth and sauntered into the kitchen. Sally was snatching things out of the cupboards for breakfast.
"Hey, Sally," I said. I was in a good mood. It was my birthday and I was spending it with Percy for the first time. Sally looked over her shoulder and her face reddened.
"I didn't mean to barge in..." she said. She and I both knew it was a lie, but I didn't mind. Someone needed to control Percy, and my PJs weren't helping the hormonal teen.
"Eh, its okay," I said waving my hand dismissively. I gave her a hug and she wished me a happy birthday. She sighed a little and Percy walked in. He hugged his mother and kissed her cheek.
"Hey, Mom, guess what today is?" he asked.
We rolled our eyes. Percy was such a goof. "Um, the day that Paul and I have to drive to Jersey for our English meeting?" she asked sarcastically. He shook his head, smiling hugely. Paul walked in, yawning.
"What about me?" He asked, looking around. He gave me a small hug and wished me a happy birthday. Percy ignored his stepfather.
"No, its Annabeth's birthday!" He exclaimed, hugging me around the waist and kissing my temple. I swatted him away and he walked to the fridge.
"Percy, you're a retard," I laughed and he shrugged.
"So I've heard," he muttered, finding the orange juice and drinking out of the carton.
"Perseus Allen Jackson," his mother scolded. "Don't you do that again. Go get more," she demanded, pouring flour and and sugar into a bowl. Percy looked at her like, 'come on!'.
"You're joking, right?" He asked. Sally walked over to him, slapped his arm and said, yes, she was very serious.
Paul cleared his throat and looked at Sally. She nodded and continued her cooking. Percy looked between the two and his eyes narrowed.
"Am I in trouble?" he asked warily.
"You might be." Paul said frankly. "Go get dressed. We'll take a drive to the store for some orange juice. We'll talk in the car." He turned out of the kitchen and walked down the hallway.
"Go. Run along now," Sally said. Percy rolled his eyes the way teenagers do and walked away, pulling me by my hand into his room. He pushed me up against the door-I swear, he was making a habit of this- and kissed my neck. I played with his hair and he groaned a little when pressed my body against his. He was a little rough, pushing me into the door, but I liked it. His hands were soft on my hips.
We continued making out for a little while against the door and we migrated to the bed. I had to stop this, I had a feeling Percy was already in trouble as it is and he shouldn't push it.
"Stop," I told him, pushing him back by the shoulders. He hovered over me and frowned.
"Too much too early?" His face darkened a little, remembering two days before. He didn't want to hurt me. I loved him even more- if it was possible- for his tenderness.
"No," I laughed, pecking his nose. "Too much trouble already."
He scowled and nodded; I was right. Again. He walked over to his closet and stripped into his boxers. He reached into his drawer, grabbed some clean underwear and walked into his closet, shutting the door. I laughed at his openness. He told me shut up from inside the closet.
He walked out with blue boxers which looked very good on him and I blushed.
"Ha, you like?" He asked, smug. I shook my head violently.
"No." I said. He stopped and grinned.
"Sure..."
"Shut up and get dressed, Seaweed Brain." I demanded. He threw his dirty underwear into the hamper. He pulled on clean jeans and a dark green polo, my favorite shirt on him. He ran his hands through his hair and fussed with it. Eventually he gave up, leaving it tousled and messy.
He walked over to me and sat down. I crawled into his lap and snuggled into his chest.
"Hey," he whispered, poking me in the ribs. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked awkwardly.
"Perseus Jackson, are you asking me out on a date?" I asked.
"What? No-huh?-well, only if you say yes. I mean! Ah, will you go to dinner with me tonight?" He stuttered. I looked up at his red face and contained my laughter. "You aren't making this easy," he complained.
"That was the deal. And yes, I will. Shall I dress up?" I asked, making my voice snooty.
"Yes. I'd like it very much to see you in a dress. But no teasing. We'll be in public, so we can't be funny people." He said seriously.
"I don't have a very nice dress..." I trailed off. Percy tossed me onto the bed and ran towards the fire escape. He opened the window and picked up a silver wrapped package.
"Thalia messaged me and sent you this. She told me to wait for tonight. Something about leaving us alone for a few months, but not letting this chance slip away to dress you up. She says sorry for not being able to do this herself, but she hopes this will do," he said, handing me the package.
There was a moon on the package. A package sent by Artemis for Thalia. I didn't open it.
"Go." I told him. He looked at me quizzically. "Go to the store with Paul."
He grinned and pecked me on the lips. He ran out of the room and left me there, with the gift. I carried it to the kitchen to see Paul and Percy bidding goodbye to Sally.
"See ya, Annabeth!" Percy waved, stepping out the door.
"Bye!" I waved.
I turned to Sally, who looked very uncomfortable. She handed me a plate of blue waffles and I sat down to eat them.
"Annabeth, how's your morning going?" She asked.
My face turned red, I'm sure. "Oh, you know..."
"Oh, right. Well, I think its time to have a talk." She sat down across from me. She wouldn't meet my eyes. I connected the dots. Curse my heritage. I gulped.
"This isn't...this isn't THE talk, is it?" I squeaked. She nodded grimly. Oh shit.
"I think its about time to discuss your humor." She said.
Okay, this joke is getting too far, I thought.
(Flashbacks won't end here, it will continue in italics along with Present day which will be in normal. ;*)
My feet were in the fountain, and I was leaning back with my arms behind me. Why does life have to be so hard for demigods?
I heard the door creak open and hooves stepping into the room. I knew who it was, but I didn't open my eyes.
I love Chiron. He has always been there for me when he can. But this time time, this situation, he wasn't very helpful.
He loves Percy too. We all do. But Chiron has lost so many heroes, and they were all his children. Figuratively speaking, of course. It hurts him to lose so many children. He's grown used to it, yes, but it must really take a lot out of him.
The Fates are cruel.
Chiron's fallen heroes are proof to that.
But Percy wasn't fallen. He was at the Roman camp, which Chiron didn't tell me about. Didn't he trust me?
"Annabeth, we need to talk," Chiron said. He walked towards me and stood, his face stoic, hiding all the feelings that had haunted him since his first fallen child
Sally folded her hands in front of her and my appetite went MIA.
"I know you and Percy are...dating. I couldn't be happier. You two have been through so much." She turned her head. She knew she couldn't even imagine how much we have been through.
"Go on, Chiron, I know you've been waiting to have this talk," I said softly, opening my eyes. I felt a little guilty thinking about his past. His face softened. I felt the tears on my cheek bones.
"I don't wish to see you cry, please." He said, his hand pushing my hair behind my ears. "I want to apologize. You have been through so much for your age. I know you must be going through a lot right now."
"Why didn't you tell me about the Romans, Chiron?" I asked him. His eyes spoke for him: pain, hurt, confusion, need.
"I wanted to, child. I wanted to tell the smartest, brightest girl in this camp. If anyone could keep that secret, you could. So far, only the senior counselors know. The other campers are just confused, but no answers are given." He looked at the fountain, specifically my feet. His eyebrows bunched together, like he was trying to figure out why I wasn't blasted to bits yet.
"I...I promised Poseidon I would find him," I told Chiron. He nodded, probably expecting another answer.
"I'm happy for you, Annabeth." He blurted out. His eyebrows scrunched together. "Since you came to camp, so little you were, you seemed so unsettled. Then you requested a quest. You were only ten when you heard the prophecy. You were too young to be haunted by death. Too young to lose what you did." He gulped.
"Then Percy came." He said, looking in my eyes. I never noticed this, but his eyes were a soft brown, comforting. I looked away.
"You're very good to each other. You always have been. He's sacrificed so much for you." She said proudly. "I trust him."
"You were waiting for Percy for two years, so its understandable that you wanted to strangle him. Oh, child, don't give me that look. It was so obvious. All the older kids chuckled behind your back." Oh, that's nice. "He's what you were waiting for. It was clear. You helped him return Zeus's master bolt. You helped him save Grover, even when it wasn't your quest. Or his. He...he saved you. He sacrificed his life to save you. I think that's when you realized he wouldn't hurt you.
"But when you delved into the Labyrinth, and he did, unintentionally, hurt you. He had faith in Rachel when knowledge couldn't help you. He is a boy, Annabeth. He didn't know why you were upset. You two were only fourteen, for goodness' sake. It was a little bittersweet, watching that little love triangle form." Chiron chuckled at my scowl.
"You fell in love with a son of Poseidon."
"You are in love with my son," Sally continued, ripping a napkin into little bits. "I want you two to be happy. Soon, you'll be...intimate-oh, hell, you'll be sexually active, dammit." She growled.
"But we aren't now!" I said, defending myself. "I have more class than that, Mrs Blofis! We've only been dating for a few months."
"Oh, no, no, no. I don't mean to make you sound like...a whore. It's just, you two have known each other for four years, practically together all the time. Its always easier to feel better about having sex with someone after you've known them for years. It makes you feel more...safe. Comfortable." She reiterated. I gaped at her.
"You two were so inseparable when the both of you were at camp, even when you weren't...together. It was so obvious you liked each other. But, Percy being...the way he is, nothing happened. Thanks the gods," he muttered the last part.
"Um, Chiron, where are you going with this?" I asked. I couldn't be having THE talk twice.
"Oh, I don't know. I'm just, saying things. Annabeth, I'm sorry I can't tell you what you want to know. I'm sorry I have to make you suffer more than you already have. Truly, I am. I want Percy back too. We all do. But the promise cannot be broken, even for Percy. I'm sure you're hoping deep down he will break the rules to come home, but he can't. You know that, so that's why you told him not to do what he usually does: bend ancient rules." He rolled his eyes, smiling.
"I can't get over how in sync you are with each other. You're so close."
"Hey, Mrs B, I just turned sixteen. Percy and I aren't that...irresponsible-"
"Percy is. You know that. And you're teenagers. Hormones going nuts. You'll be having sex soon. Especially since you two have grown up a little faster than normal," she said.
"Mrs B, you don't understand. I know all of this. Chiron made sure Percy is a gentleman. Oh, gods, is Paul giving Percy the same talk?" I hit the realization. I could only imagine the situation.
She looked behind her, already looking at everything, but me, in front of her. "Yes. They are."
"I know all of this. You don't need to explain sex to me, Sally." I insisted. She laughed at me.
"Yes I do. It will make me feel better when you two are tearing up the sheets one day."
"SALLY!" I shouted. She laughed. "We. Will. Not. Be. 'Tearing up'. The sheets. Any. Time. Soon."
"Oh, sure you will," she waved her hand dismissively.
"I have an idea. We can pretend we had this talk and you can feel good for no reason, and I won't have to suffer." I offered. She looked like she was seriously calculating it. She stood up and walked to the sink, and washed the dishes.
"Oh, that's not a good idea, Daughter of Athena," she told me. I gaped at her back, clad with a New York City t-shirt.
"Yeah, we're close," I whispered, staring at the beautiful, sea green fountain.
"Jason and Reyna are probably like you and Percy were when you were thirteen or so. The Romans are strict, so love is slow to grow, unlike us. Love for them is hard to see. Jason comes here, sees all of the love and glee here and he gets confused. Angry. Saving the world is the last thing he wants on his agenda, Annabeth."
Oh, another 'forgive the ass who makes everything a thousand times worse' talk.
"He's confused between the two camps. He knows there's a Reyna, but only certain memories are given to him. He feels horrible, child. You don't know if he lost as much as you did." Chiron said.
Well, to say I've seen that perspective would be a lie. I felt really bad. I was hard on him.
I wouldn't want to hurt anyone who would treat Percy the way I was treating Jason.
"I...I'll forgive him." I said. I was surprised at myself, but I knew it would be the right thing to do. Chiron nodded as if he knew it all along.
I'm sure he did.
"Its time to do it, then. Mr and Mrs Blofis will be here soon to pick you, Piper and Leo up. She has unpacked most of her stuff, she said, except Percy's stuff. She didn't feel right doing it. Leo and Percy have their own rooms, so you and Piper will have to share a room on the weekends. Mrs Blofis is very grateful for your fathers' help. Piper and Leo will be attending Goode High and are registered. Percy will be attending a high school near the camp. Don't worry, Lupa promised she will make sure Percy passes." He assured me.
I nodded, at lost for words. I continued putting on my shoes.
Chiron walked over and bent down and kissed my forehead. He was a really good person, that Chiron was.
"I'm sorry I can't do what you want me to, whatever it is." He whispered and walked towards the door. My shoes were on, and I bolted to him before he could leave the threshold.
I gave him a hug. He was surprised at first but soon he put his arms around my shoulders. I cried a little into his chest. But it wasn't because of Percy for once, it was because Chiron has been hurt too many times.
"People get hurt, Annabeth," Sally said, gripping the edge of the counter. "I'd love to support your idea. Its just...things can be so hard to deal with. I know that. Love is fragile, strong, but fragile. One thing, one mistake, and everything can halt to a stop. No one knows when its going to happen," she whispered. She turned her head to the side and I could see tears on her cheek.
She was hurt by Poseidon.
"Sally..." I stood up.
"No," she said, putting her hand out to stop me. I froze. She wiped her face and sighed. "I thought I was in love. I was in love with being in love. I was...hurt. I don't want you to feel guilty and listen to this discussion," she told me.
"I just don't want something to happen to your relationship with Percy. Things get complicated when you're sexually active. I'm sorry for crying."
I walked over and put my arms around her shoulders.
"We'll get through whatever the Fates throw at us, Mrs B, I promise." I told her. She nodded and wiped her eyes. For once, her eyes looked aged. Pain had taken it's time with her.
"I know you will, Annabeth. Please, be safe." She asked me. I wasn't sure if she was referring to protection or in general. I didn't ask.
"I must go, Annabeth," Chiron said, pulling away. He pushed my hair back behind my ear and sighed. "You'll be with Percy soon. Then, hopefully, things will be right for a while."
"Gods, I hope so, Chiron. I'm sorry I've been so horrible to you this past month." I apologized. He nodded, accepting my apology.
"Farewell for now, Annabeth. People leave, but I know only the best come back," he smiled.
"Farewell, Chiron." He walked away. I was left in the doorway, staring at my mentor, my teacher, my adopted father walk away from me.
"I have to leave at noon, Annabeth. Paul and I are going to Jersey. Important meetings. I'm sorry we can't be here all day for your birthday..."
"I understand," I assured her. She walked out from under my arm and stood in the doorway. She tossed me the house phone.
"Good. Well, Paul and I will be staying in a hotel tonight. We'll be back tomorrow night. Be good. Watch Percy. And, hell, don't do anything stupid." She grinned and walked away from my gaping face.
"Oh, and call your father, I'm sure he'll have some things to say to you about tonight," she called. Tonight? What? Oh well, she was in the bathroom now, starting the shower.
I told we could handle whatever the Fates threw at us. I wasn't expecting the Fates to throw him halfway across the country, leaving me alone.
The Fates are cruel.
What Chiron said was a little confusing. Plenty of people who were good have left and never came back. Charlie. Silena. Lee. Michael. Luke...
But I know what he truly meant: only the ones who really matter, who are apart of our family, return. Always.
And while I was standing there, in the doorway of Poseidon's cabin, a cabin forbidden for a child of Athena, being studied by my fellow-campers, my fellow-heroes, I came to a realization that had bugging me for three weeks. I recognized it before, but now I was certain.
Percy will come home.
HEY! what did you think? TELL ME!
hahhhaahh, I hope people read these! So, if you are taking your precious time reading this, tell me what you think. I honestly want to know.
next chapter will be about Annabeth apologizing to Jason! and the trip to the City!
and a thank you to my dedicated readers: greek . mythology . lover, another epiphany, Apollo 11o, highandlow, lynnnnyl, GothicNicoLuver, The Nerdiest, swalgren, AnnabethIsTheBest, athenarox .
YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! this one's for you!
PS. I'm going to greece in four days, cuz im vacationing in italy. yaaay. but, sadly, I will have to try supah hard to update! :C
fanks, AJ121