[A/N: I didn't expect to update this fast. I appreciate all your reviews! Keep them coming! :D

If there are typographical errors, I apologize. I just wanted to post it straight here and wasn't abel to proofread it. :D

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and CimFan, if I could share, I would. :D

Again, I don't own the Percy Jackson & the Olympians]


WISE GIRL'S SEAWEED BRAIN

Chapter 3: Gone to Waste

PERCY

Oh, gods.

Annabeth did something I wasn't expecting at all. She started kissing my neck. Since I lost the curse of Achilles last summer ("No mortal should be invincible and escape the Fates. We will take that gift from you," blah, blah, blah), my skin seemed to have turned a whole lot sensitive. Like right now, with my girlfriend kissing my neck softly. I felt like million voltages of electricity were running through my body – wait, Annabeth mentioned once that no one could take that much electricity. Sorry, just trying to distract myself.

Distract from what? Jeez, I was getting guy thoughts and if Annabeth ever finds out, I was breakfast for Mrs. O'Leary.

The sensation intensified when I felt her biting softly. I moaned, unaware that it was a bit loud. Then Ananbeth clamped her lips tightly on the skin of my neck. Oh, gods. Oh, gods. My brain seemed to have been frozen – which was saying a lot since most of the time it fails to supply me with usable thoughts. The only thing I was aware of was Annabeth's lips on the side of my neck.

Then it was gone. She sat up and grinned at me. There was a different light in her eyes – something I haven't seen before. "Uh . . ." I said stupidly, debating whether what happened was real or was just a product of my overly-imaginative mind. I touched the spot where Annabeth kissed me and found it a little sore. "Did you just give me a hickey?" I asked.

Annabeth laughed. "I had no idea you know the right word."

"Oh, gods," I murmured. "Do you have ambrosia on you?"

She frowned. "For what? So the mark will disappear? No way, Seaweed Brain. I didn't put it there just so you can remove it."

I was confused. "Um, what if others see it?"

She shrugged. "Don't you like it?"

"Are you kidding me? Hickeys are, like, badges of honor for a guy. I just don't want other campers to think that, you know, we're fooling around."

"I don't really care, Seaweed Brain," she said. "I actually learned something from my conversation with you. And that is not to let other people influence how we act around each other. Besides, I'm your girlfriend; I can pretty much do whatever I want."

"This is just so . . . I don't know, unlike you," I said uncertainly.

That made her smile wider. "Get ready, Seaweed Brain, there's a whole side of me you're about to meet." I didn't know why that made me nervous but I still managed a chuckle."Now enough of the talking and just hold me, okay?"

I nodded as she settled herself in my arms, her face at the crook of my neck. I took a deep breath and inhaled her scent. I wasn't aware of the time passing. Annabeth seemed comfortable with her position. She fell asleep, using me as a pillow, blanket and a bed. I guess I was actually good at being anything she needed.

Somewhere from the distance, I heard the conch shell blowing, signaling the beginning of the curfew. I cursed silently and was able to wake Annabeth up but stopped myself. She looked peaceful sleeping I didn't want to disturb her. I scooped her in my arms and carried her back to her cabin.

Most of her cabin mates were on their beds, ready to sleep. I went straight inside and settled her on her bunk, pulling the blankets over her. I wanted to give her a proper goodnight kiss but I could feel the stares of her siblings so I settled myself with a quick peck on her forehead. "Good night, my Wise Girl," I whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up. Always."

I was about to leave when Malcolm commented, "Nice hickey, Percy."

I grinned. "Yeah. Your sister's kind of possessive," I said, looking at her sleeping figure. "I'll see you tomorrow, man."

"Yeah. See you."

I went back to my cabin and settled for the night, excited for the coming days.

Today was the day.

December 18th, our fourth-month anniversary. I know we've already had a date but that one ended up in a bad note so I guessed another one was needed. I just wasn't sure how I was to plan with Annabeth around.

I came out and was on my way to the Athena cabin when I spotted Annabeth walking to the boundary line. Where was she going? "Hey!" I called. She turned around and smiled.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she said. "I didn't know you were awake."

"Yeah, well I am. Where are you going?"

Annabeth groaned. "Ugh. Ares said Apollo had one more statue than him. Honestly, I was sure they all had at least fifteen each but I guess it was Apollo who hid the other one. Another matter is that Mother informed me that she is expecting the blueprints for the replica of the Parthenon. So yeah, that's where I'm heading. To Olympus."

A small smile formed on my lips. This was exactly what I needed. "Oh. Good luck, then."

She kissed me and smiled. "Your hickey's already fading. Want me to put another want?" she asked.

I knew she was just kidding but I almost choked with the muffin I was eating. The campers all teased me when they saw the hickey on my neck, saying that I was already marked. I couldn't help but blush whenever they mention it.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm all set."

"I'll be back before sundown, okay?" she asked. I felt like a naughty kid being left by his mother but sometimes, Annabeth could be a whole lot scarier than Mom. Don't tell her that. "Stay out of trouble. I'll be here before sunset."

"Yes, mother," I said sarcastically.

I walked her to the boundary where Argus was waiting to drive her to the Empire State Building. Before climbing in the van, she gave me another kiss. "I love you," she said. I saw an eye from Argus' neck winking at me.

"'Love you, too."

I wasn't exactly sure about the plan forming in my head. For that to work, I'd need help from the Aphrodite cabin, where Drew Tanaka was head counselor. Annabeth mentioned something about her but I didn't think it was true. Drew was just friendly.

Cabin Ten, as most campers describe it, looked like a life-size doll house. I say Cabin Ten looked like an artist's worst nightmare. The painting was too bright and, well, girlie. I guess that made sense since most of the residents were girls but I knew there were at least three or four dudes in there. I wondered why they allowed such monstrosity.

(I apologize, Lady Aphrodite.)

I knocked on their door, feeling a bit nervous. Someone answered it after a couple of seconds and the scent worked its way to my nose and ripped it apart painfully. Seriously, what do these people do all day; bathe in perfume – if you can even call them that?

The camper who answered was a girl with blonde pigtails. I remembered her for the reason that she was one of the few (or probably the only) Aphrodite girl who didn't give much attention to her physical looks. Her name was Lacy. "Oh, hi," she said when she saw me.

"Lacy, hon, who is that?" I heard Drew ask from the inside. "Don't be too long, my bath won't start itself."

"Hi," I said. "Can I talk to Drew?"

Lacy nodded and turned her head back. "Drew! Percy wants to talk to you."

With the speed I didn't know a child of Aphrodite possesses, Drew elbowed Lacy out of the way. She must've been in the middle of whatever in Hades girls do with their faces; her hair was pulled back and was being held by a piece of cloth; a foul smelling concoction was on her face, making her look like a very vain zombie. If I knew Christopher Nolan's cellphone number, I would've called him and told him I found his new Joker.

"Hello, Perce," she said. I backed away a little with the name she used. When Annabeth said it, it sounded really sweet but with Drew's voice, it was kind of weird. "What can I do for you, sweetie?"

I cleared my throat loudly and forced myself to breathe through my mouth. "I, uh, I need help."

"Sure, sweetie, come inside!" she squealed, grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. If I didn't like the outside, I was horrified seeing the inside. The walls were pink, the curtains were laced with colors so bright that looking at them gave me a pounding headache.

Drew sat me in one of the chairs with feathers around it. I figured chickens must have nightmares seeing this. "So what can I do for you?" she asked.

I was aware of the entire Aphrodite cabin looking at me. I nearly jumped to my feet and bolted out except that I thought about Annabeth and what I was doing was for her. I swallowed thickly and said, "Today's my fourth-moth anniversary with Annabeth." I noticed Drew pursing her lips. "I need help with setting up a table for two near the beach. And, uh, I also need help looking presentable."

Drew waved her hand on front of my face. "You, look presentable? Please, sweetie. You don't need help doing that!"

"I mean dressing up in a suit and, you know, making my hair stay down," I said.

"Perce, dear," I winced hearing this. "You are interesting and attractive the way you are. If Annabeth doesn't like it, then you should leave her."

"It's not her," I quickly defended. "It's me. I want to look presentable for once. Can you help me with that?"

"Of course," said Drew then her face stretched into a grin. Definitely a perfect replacement for Joker. "For a fee, of course."

I expected as much. "What is it?"

"I want you to kiss me," she said.

I almost fall off my seat. "What? No way! I have a girlfriend, Drew!"

Drew scowled. "Fine. Two kisses on the cheek."

I thought about that for some time. I remembered what happened the last time I was kissed by a different girl and I didn't want another fight but it would be just friendly kisses. Besides, it wasn't like there was something between me and Drew. I sighed and said, "Fine."

Drew squealed like a pig being tortured and quickly kissed me on the cheek. I blushed deep red, of course. I knew I was stupid agreeing but I seriously needed her help. I stood up. "Meet me at the beach after lunch. Is that okay?" I asked.

"Definitely, honey," Drew said. I almost shivered. "And, as another payment I want to touch your . . . abs later. Non-negotiable!"

What have I gotten myself into.

I went out of the cabin before Drew thought of other payments she wanted, but I heard someone following me. When I looked back, I saw Mitchell, one of the few Aphrodite dudes, marching towards me. "Hey, man."

"Hey. What's up?"

"You said you need help dressing up, right?" he asked. I nodded. "I have some suit. I think we're about the same size, if you want to borrow."

"Thanks, Mitchell."

"No problem," he said. "It's nice to do something other than being Drew's PA. Anyway, I'll help but I ain't kissing you, man."

I chuckled. "Glad to hear that."

"Mitchell!" we heard Drew screaming from the cabin.

Mitchell shook his head. "Later," he said, jogging back to Cabin Ten.

Next off, I found Katie Gardner. I asked her help apologizing to Annabeth and knew she wouldn't hesitate in helping me again. Katie's a personal friend so I didn't have to worry about any payment. "Hey, Percy," she greeted when she saw me.

"Hey, Katie. Do you mind helping me again?"

"Of course not, what do you need?"

I told her. Of course, being a daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, she had talent handling plants. She was the head counselor for Cabin Four and was very nice. I didn't have to tell her twice before she agreed to help me in providing flower arrangements for the dinner.

"Thank you," I said gratefully. "If there's anything I can do, let me know."

"I will."

Next on my list: Lou Ellen, daughter of Hecate; Will Solace, son of Apollo; Travis and Connor Stoll, sons of Hermes and Jake Mason, son of Hephaestus.

A few minutes before Annabeth's return, I was walking in circles like a deranged demigod. I wasn't sure if Annabeth would like what I, with the help of some friends (with Drew's exception) prepared.

The table was . . . wow. Chiron lent me a rounded one from the big house and the Aphrodite cabin did their magic by designing it. Well, no magic was actually necessary but what Drew did was really cool. They used blue and green pieces of table cloth in skirting, with green the base and the blue for designs. The combination of colors made the table look like it was made of water. A piece of white clothe hang suspended above it with Lou Ellen's magic with balls of fire illuminating the area. Bouquets of flowers decorated the sides of the chairs and the center of the table. The Demeter cabin also scattered petals of roses around the area. Katie tried telling me the name and meaning of each one except that my brain rejected the information as it entered.

Jake constructed a small water fountain we situated beside the table. I summoned water and directed it to the fountain. Lou Ellen enchanted the water so it was sparkling with faint white light.

Mitchell lent me a black suit and a blue tie. The dude even helped me with styling my hair so for the very first time in my life, my messy friend was staying down. Lastly, the Stolls brought the food they bought from the nearby restaurant. They were the only ones who could get out of the Camp without alerting Chiron. Of course, the fee was twice as much as the price of the food.

Everything was set. The only one missing was my date. The sun was already setting so I figured Annabeth must be on her way here.

I was holding a long stemmed red rose and was nervously waiting for Annabeth's arrival. I was alone at the beach except for Will and John from Apollo cabin hiding in the woods. They would provide us music.

I checked my watch. It was almost half-past six. Annabeth should be here by now. I heard the campers heading to the dining pavilion and my stomach growled. I patted it and said, "Relax, dude. Won't be long now."

The sound of my phone chiming nearly made me jump. Oh yeah. A little bit of background on that one. It was Lamia, a daughter of Hecate, who gave the monsters the power to track us. Ever since Hecate's children had been welcomed to camp, they've been working to find a way to reverse it, but Lamia's incantation was strong. The least Lou Ellen and her siblings could do was provide us with protective enchantments. That included having cellphones. Before, having electronic gadget was like nailing a sign on your forehead saying: DEMIGOD BUFFET FOR FREE! But now, we could actually own cellphones without worrying about being tracked by a bunch of nasties, thanks to the Hecate cabin.

I fished out my cellphone from my pocket and checked the caller ID. It showed Wise Girl. I pressed answer and held it to my ear. "Hey, you should be here by now."

"I know," Annabeth answered from the other line. "But Ares found out about what Apollo did and destroyed three of his statues. Now I'm working on blueprints for the Parthenon and those stupid statues and Lord Zeus just told me to create a copy of the Pantheon which is stupid since it was for the Romans –"

"Oh. Hey, uh – "

" – and now I won't be able to go back to camp today." Oh. Bummer. "I'm sorry, Percy. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I promise."

"Hey, wait!" I yelled, but the line was already cut. "Happy fourth-month anniversary to you, too."

I tossed the rose on the top of the table and walked back to my cabin. Along the way, Will and John caught up to me. "Hey, man. Where's Annabeth?" asked Will.

"She won't be able to make it," I grumbled. "She was too busy in Olympus."

"Oh. That's a bummer."

"Yeah," I said, opening the door of my cabin.

"What about the table?"

"I'll take care of it tomorrow." I have to admit, I was feeling totally down. All my preparations had gone to waste. "See you tomorrow." I stepped inside without waiting for his reply.

Without even eating dinner, I settled for the night. I completely understood why Annabeth had to stay in Olympus but that didn't make me feel better. I spent half the day preparing for that dinner and she didn't even show up. Her reason was valid but that didn't stop me from feeling a little down. All right, a whole lot down.

And she didn't even greet me for our fourth-month anniversary.

I knew she had a lot on her mind but still . . .


[Ouch.]