Chapter 9: Annabeth and I Join an Event

"Er, any plans?" I asked Annabeth while wiping Lance's mouth with a handkerchief. Central Park was still the same as I remembered: clean, green, and lively.

She put down the book that she'd been currently reading. "Well, I want to go to the bookstore after this—"

I gave her my perfect horrified look. "Again?"

"Whatever, Seaweed Brain," she said flatly. "'Sides—"

Her reply was cut off by a girl who passed by, saying to her friend, "Did you hear? Central Park is having an event today! I wonder what event it will be."

"Let's check it out!" her friend replied excitedly, and they went hastily in the direction of the Pond.

Annabeth turned to me and asked in curiosity, "Wanna check it out?"

I shrugged without care. "Maybe it's just a free ticket to a buffet or something."

Lance hugged Annabeth while saying, "Goder." He pointed in the direction where the two girls had gone.

She ruffled Lance's hair. "Well, if Lance wants to...um, shall we go, Percy?"

I grinned at Lance. "Okay."

I really hoped it was a free ticket to a buffet.

Meh. I was wrong.

000

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome, welcome!" the sound system boomed as we neared the stage beside the Pond. "Thank you for coming to participate for today's Central Park's event."

Many people were crowding around the stage. There were no chairs in sight.

The speaker, who was holding a microphone, was wearing a white bunny costume. It couldn't be a monster in disguise, could it?

"Now, for this event," the speaker said, and it was a lady's voice, "only young couples will be able to participate."

"Yes!" Annabeth exclaimed.

I turned to her, looking surprised.

"What?" she asked, shrugging.

"May I know who the young couples here are? Please raise your hand!"

Annabeth immediately raised her hand and nudged me in the ribs. I slowly did the same. When it comes to games and contests, Annabeth really gets fired up.

Lance was being giddy again. "Weeee!"

"Nice. We have a lot of participants," said the speaker, nodding in approval.

I looked around me, and, sure enough, many were raising their hands. I heard someone behind me say, "Let's pretend we're a couple so that we can join the event."

"The challenge is simple, of course. You just have to pretend that you're a family while you're doing the tasks. But...with a baby."

Murmurs filled the Pond.

A staff member opened a curtain on the other side of the stage, and we saw there were babies in their trolleys.

"We borrowed them from their parents just for this special event for you participants. Of course, you can't hurt and just leave them anywhere. You have to take care of them like a real parent does," the speaker explained.

"Must be their parents over there," Annabeth whispered.

I saw people waving at the babies and taking pictures on the right side of the stage.

Yep, definitely their parents.

"What about the prize?" a girl asked.

"I was about to say that, darling," said the speaker. "The prize will be a free trip to Disneyland!"

There were loud cheers from the contestants, excluding us. I mean, a free trip to Disneyland? Really? Was she kidding?

"Dishlend," Lance babbled.

"Nah. That was a joke."

"I knew it," Annabeth mumbled.

There were groans from the contestants.

"The prizes will be three cute teddy bears, two music boxes, and two tickets to the Loeb Boathouse. The tickets are one-day use only, but with unlimited charges."

There were cheers again from the contestants.

"Come to the stage now, please, and pick your baby. There's more to the challenge!" The speaker looked around, saw us, and started walking in our direction.

"What a handsome baby," she squealed in delight, stopping in front of us. "Yours?"

Annabeth and I quickly shook our heads.

"We're just babysitting for my neighbor," I explained awkwardly.

"I see. You know what? He can be your baby to use for this event."

"Really?" asked Annabeth.

"Yes, yes, no harm done. Good luck." And with that the speaker hurried back to the stage.

"Bunni, kyut!" Lance said while clapping his hands.

"Is it just me, or that voice sounded oddly familiar?" Annabeth questioned me.

"Really? I didn't notice."

We were interrupted when the speaker spoke using her microphone again. "Now, everyone has already chosen their baby."

A staff member came to us and lent us a trolley.

"Thanks," I told her.

She smiled, gave us a map of Central Park with a paper, and then hurried off.

"Our staff just gave you a map of the park with your first clue. Those things will help you on your tasks. After you're finished with the first clue," the speaker explained, "another staff member will give you the second clue, and so on—if you did the right thing and at the right spot. There will be five clues all in all. Meaning, you have five stages to reach the finish line. We'll also give you a whistle if you need any help or if you want to give up.

"The clues are simple and easy to follow. The first pair to reach the finish line wins. This event will only be until six in the evening. Oh, and by the way," the speaker added with a sly grin, "you'll be handcuffed with your partner while doing the challenges. Well, then. That's all! Good luck and have fun! If you have any questions, just ask one of our staff members."

Another staff member handcuffed my left wrist and Annabeth's right wrist together, grinning. "Have fun, lovebirds."

Annabeth and I exchanged worried looks.

Could this day get any worse?

000

"Annabeth, would you please slow down?" I begged after I'd almost tripped headfirst.

"Percy, can't you walk any faster?" retorted Annabeth, looking at the screen of her phone. "It's already one in the afternoon! We have to win this contest, Percy!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not even interested." I was the one who was holding the map.

"Well, I am." Annabeth read the paper, "The first clue says, 'A key you'll receive where lovers of New York gather.'" She scrunched her face. "Okay, what a clue."

Where lovers of New York gather?

It could be restaurants, but I wasn't sure of that, so I didn't tell Annabeth my guess.

She was muttering to herself, "Of course it's just inside the park..."

I gazed intently at the map, then stopped walking.

Annabeth was tugged back. She was the one who was pushing the trolley. "Ow, hey!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, sorry. Wait," I said. Scanning the map with my eyes, I saw "Bow Bridge." Something in my mind snapped. "There's this movie I watched with Mom when I was ten where two lovers met at the Bow Bridge." I gasped in realization. "Annabeth, that's it! I'm sure the key is at Bow Bridge!"

She looked skeptical. Annabeth hates it when I'm the one who gets an answer. "How can you be so sure?"

"One hundred percent sure. Let's just check it out."

We were having a hard time walking to reach our destination because of the handcuffs tied around our wrists. Annabeth and I kept bumping into each other, which Lance didn't mind. He just kept clapping his hands.

Finally, we reached the bridge. A couple, also wearing the handcuffs, was already going in the other direction, which meant they had been done with the first clue.

I grinned at Annabeth. "Told ya, Wise Girl."

She stuck her tongue out at me, then touched the edge of the bridge. "According to a book about bridges that I read," Annabeth said, somewhat mesmerized by its beauty, "Bow Bridge was designed with Classical Greek refinement during the mid-19th century by Calvert Vaux and Jacob—"

"Anyway," I said, cutting her off before she could give me a one-hour lecture about the bridge, "where do we look for the key?"

Thankfully, Annabeth didn't look annoyed by what I'd done. "Oh, right." She looked around, and then suddenly exclaimed, "Percy, don't you remember what the speaker said? We must act like a family! Well, whatever that means."

I ran a hand through my hair sheepishly. "Er, how?"

"You tell me." Annabeth scowled at the water below.

Lance pointed at a boat that was sailing silently on the Lake with two people in it.

The view was charming to look at: birds were flying everywhere in the sky, and the lake was perfectly calm.

I intertwined my left hand to Annabeth's right hand. "I wish we could do this everyday."

She put her head on my shoulder. "I know, right?"

Our romantic moment was ruined when a guy wearing khaki pants and polo shirt came to us and said, "Congratulations! You may now proceed to the next stage." He gave us an envelope.

"Thanks," I said, baffled.

The guy nodded, then went to another couple. They were playing with the baby happily.

"So, some of the staff members are wearing disguise to check the contestants," Annabeth realized. "Well, open it now, Percy."

I was about to open the envelope when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lance climb the bridge's edge, and then jump into the Lake's inviting water.