PIPER

Leo, Jason, and I were waiting outside the Athena Cabin. We had only been back from our quest for a couple weeks and since we had left right after we got here, we were still getting used to it. The one thing we couldn't get over was Percy. He was a larger-than-life figure, something beyond our (half) mortal imaginations. So no one can blame us for being curious.

We saw Annabeth walking across the center of the cabin circle and prepared to intercept her. Hardly anyone was around because everyone was at Capture the Flag. Annabeth never participated in those and we were taking a day off to talk to her.

But then we noticed something, she wasn't headed in our direction. She was headed towards cabin three.

"Percy's Cabin." Jason realized. We watched her as she rushed to the cabin before shutting herself in there. She hadn't even noticed us

It was obvious we had to follow her, at least it was obvious to me. Leo thought that we should just leave her alone. Eventually I won the argument.

I knocked on the door to his cabin softly. When no reply came from inside, I opened the door and whispered, "Annabeth."

We found her sitting on Percy's bunk; she sniffled a little before standing up and wiping her eyes.

"Oh, hey guys, didn't see you there." I knew she was trying to hide the fact that she missed him but I wasn't going to let her hold it all in anymore.

"Annabeth, why don't you talk to us, I'm sure you'll feel a little better after you tell us why you're so upset." I looked at the guys for support, they nodded quickly, I could tell the sight of a crying girl, especially Annabeth, made them panic.

Annabeth sat back down on the bunk in defeat. "It's just… Percy. I can't stand not having him around. Ughh this is all that damn Hera's fault."

"Maybe you could tell us about him?" I know right now seemed like a bad time to ask, but I could tell Annabeth wanted to talk about him, but her pride wasn't letting her do so.

"In fact, Jason and Leo have to go do something anyway." Leo nodded again. He looked about ready to get the hell out of the room with the crying girl in it; Jason on the other hand looked a little more hesitant, but I told him it will be okay.

As soon as the door shut she immediately started talking, "Percy was, un." She made a declining noise. "Percy is that amazing kind of person that seems too great to be real. He's brave, strong, and kind. So much that loyalty is his fatal flaw. He would do anything to protect the people he loved. He wasn't too quick on things, but that's one of my favorite parts about him." I noticed the difference in Annabeth now. Usually her gray eyes were dull and lifeless, but they had suddenly been brought back into the world, they were still brimming with sadness, but for the first time in as long as I had known her, she looked alive.

"Percy's obtuseness is what makes him so… Percy. It's how he can jump into a battle unprepared; how he can stand up for everyone, because he doesn't take a moment to think about the consequences."

She smiled sadly. I took out some of the chocolate I kept in my purse. I had to keep it with me because the Aphrodite cabin had no boundaries and a no-sugar rule. Anyway I broke off a cube and gave it to her.

"Everything is going to be fine. I'm sure wherever Percy is he's fine. He is a Hero after all."

"No, Percy is not a just a Hero, he is something much, much better." I knew that was my queue to leave. I hugged her tight before leaving and closing the door quietly behind me.

Ω

After dinner I decided to opt out of Capture the Flag again. But instead of working on my blueprints, I found my path veering towards the third cabin. When I walked in without Percy, I half expected Poseidon to turn me into a pile of kelp. But either he pitied me, or he didn't give a crap about me in the first place. I couldn't care less either way.

I was surprised when Jason, Leo, and Piper showed up. I was even more that I was able to open up so easily to Piper; it was almost like with him. But I was most surprised at how much it made me feel better.

I lay on Percy's bed for a moment, looking at the hippocampi hanging from the ceiling. I know it was ridiculous, but just being here made me feel closer to him: the pictures of us, the smell of the sea, the sound of rushing water. "I felt the tears fall from my eyes.

"I miss you," I whispered. In here I felt like I could talk to him.

I remembered the days we had wasted here at the end of the summer. Just sitting here: talking, kissing, and being together, and I knew I was right.

Perseus Jackson wasn't just a Hero. He was Percy. He was, wherever he was, he was thinking of her and she knew it. Because Percy Jackson was not the Son of Poseidon, Destroyer of the Labrinth, Savior of Olympus, and Defeater of the Minotaur. He was Percy, Annabeth's boyfriend.

I was going to use the salt-water tears thing… But I already used it. Anyway that's only three days left. Excuse me while I fangirl….EEEEEEEEH. Apparently fangirl is not a word (noun or verb) so I'm wondering who I need to send a letter to, to get that fixed. Anyway this is exciting because I'm going to pull an all-nighter to read it and then post a review on fanfiction. So that's it for today.