What's that you say? Two chapters in the same week? Don't get too excited, it's a short one.

Enchanted

Chapter 11.

Smile

Annabeth's P.O.V

"So, are we walking the whole way to North Carolina? Because that would kind of suck." Leo asks as we follow the highway to town.

"What, you don't think you can make it?" I say, feigning concern.

"He missed leg day." Jason says, giving Leo a playful shove. Leo shoves back and says,

"Have you seen my calves? They're gorgeous."

I interrupt them to answer Leo's question, "Actually I was planning on taking the Amtrak the rest of the way there, I figure a thirteen-hour trip is better than a multi-day trek. Unless you really want to walk…"

"The Amtrak sounds great, give these babies a break." Leo says, gesturing to his calves.

We get to the station without a problem and I'm surprised to see that Percy didn't slow us down, despite how tired he must be. We don't smell doughnuts when we buy our tickets, we aren't stuck in the rain while we wait for the train. It seems more and more likely that today will go by smoothly.

Strangely there aren't many people in the station so we spread ourselves out over the seats and make ourselves comfy. I'll admit, the chairs aren't that nice but at least the heating is on. We sit in near silence, in fact, I think Jason fell asleep. Again, I'm surprised Percy has stayed awake. Somewhere above us, music quietly drifts down to us, almost to faint to hear. I listen intently, trying to figure out what the song is when suddenly Percy springs up from his seat and belts out, "I'm just a poor boy nobody loves me."

Immediately, Leo joins him and sings "He's just a poor boy from a poor family." In the highest voice, I think he could have possibly used. I watch in amusement as they perform the rest of the song accompanying their cringey singing with wildly dramatic choreography. As they strike a pose with the last note, I clap sarcastically for them.

"Wow." Is all I can say.

"Don't lie to yourself, you loved it." Leo says, taking a bow.

"I'm wonderstruck." I say pouring every ounce of sarcasm I have into those words. I glance over at Percy and see that he's rubbing the back of his neck and looking everywhere except at me. They sit back down, apparently not feeling motivated to dance to the next song, but occasionally I hear humming. Somehow, Jason slept through the whole thing.

Finally, our train arrives and there are even less people boarding than who were in the station. Both Leo and Percy join Jason in the napping party, picking random booths in the car to curl up on. Jason chooses one at the front (I suspect it's because its closest to the door which means he can go back to sleep faster), Leo in the one behind him and Percy in the one behind that. I decide to sit across from Percy, intending to ask him about the whole predicting the rain thing, but the hum of the train puts him to sleep quickly.

I find myself staring at him, at the unruly mess of black hair on his head. At his eyelids, with equally dark lashes that I know are concealing unique sea green irises. At his pink tinted lips, his collar bone, visible from the neck of his shirt. At his arms, folded across his chest. Without realizing it, I revisit every feature of his face, taking it all in, enjoying the quiet. His expression is calm, and it makes me feel calm. Before I know it, I'm falling asleep too.

I wake up to the sound of singing, it's not very loud and I almost think I'm imagining it. I don't remember any music playing earlier so I open my eyes to find the source. Percy is still across from me, staring at the window unaware that I woke up, and he's singing quietly under his breath.

"Spare him his life of this monstrosity."

"Still stuck in your head?" He clamps his mouth shut at the sound of my sleepy voice.

"I'll spend forever with that song stuck in my head." He laughs nervously and rubs the back of his neck.

I pause a moment before finally asking, "So, can you like… predict the weather?" This question is really bothering me more than it should, "Since you're a son of Poseidon?"

Percy stares at me with a look of utmost confusion. "Weather?" He blinks at me then suddenly, "Oh. OH. You're talking about the rain last night. I don't think it's a special ability, I could just smell it."

It's my turn to look confused, "You can smell rain?"

"Sure. Wet asphalt, dewy grass, soaked pinecones."

"All of those examples are of after it rains though."

"Yeah, but it's a similar scent before it rains, I don't know how else to describe it."

"Okay, that's totally a Poseidon thing."

"It's not! Tons of people can do it."

"Mm hmm, sure."

"All I can say is it smelled like rain."

"A brain full of seaweed and a nose full of meteorologists."

"Okay wise girl," Percy throws his arms up in exasperation, "You win this one."

He returns to looking out the window and I feel another smile on my face.