Here it is! *flourishes hand*
This was my favorite chapter to write so far, and it is pretty long: eleven whole pages in Word.
Also, if you want me to do more interviews like I did last chapter, submit questions! I don't make them up, I take them from the reviews; so if you want a question answered by the characters then submit it belowww
And this whole story is set in the real world (not that PJO isn't real; well, more like the mundane world). They don't have any powers or special abilities. They're mundies. (yes, I do like that series)
Chapter Thirteen
A Bit of Friendship
Percy POV
"Surprise!"
"Guys, what are you doing here?" I leaned my forehead against the Honeymoon Suite wall and closed my eyes. The place still smelled faintly of Annabeth's perfume.
Grover ignored me, stepping in and whistling. "Is this the place you've been hooking up with Chase? Not bad, I have to say."
"I haven't been hooking up with her, G."
"So why are you sleeping in the same bed?"
"Do you not see the wall, or do I have to introduce it to your face?"
Behind me Nico snickered. "We came because we wanted to have some quality time with our favorite Olympian."
"Yeah, right." Grover laughed. "He just came because that girl is coming. Tanya, or whatever her name was."
"Thalia," Nico automatically corrected. I rolled my eyes. "Wait, Annabeth's friends are coming too?"
"Yeah. Her manager invited all of us. We're staying for a couple of weeks. Besides, I could use a break." Grover flopped down in front of the TV. "And so could you. You seem...tenser, somehow. Like something is bothering you."
Grover had always been able to easily read my emotions. I didn't know how. "Nothing is bothering me."
"He's just mad because he can't win over Annabeth like he can everyone else," Nico observed, twisting his skull ring around on his finger.
I blanked my face, refusing to let them know just how close their words had hit the mark. "Says the person who begging after a girl you barely know."
"Well, how can I get to know her if I can't see her?" Nico stood up and stretched. "There's the person with our stuff. C'mon, G." He headed for the door. "By the way, Perce, you're coming with us to that bonfire thing."
"How did you know about that?"
"I just do."
"Maybe I don't want to go."
"Too bad, you're coming anyways."
I shut the door behind them. Of course I was going. Annabeth was going to be there, after all, and maybe that place would be the best to tell her how I really felt.
No, don't freak her out. She still hates you, a voice said in the back of my head.
Doesn't always have to be that way, I argued back.
Well, you can't just spill everything and expect it to be rainbows and butterflies, the voice replied. Great, I was arguing with myself.
Have you got any better ideas? I demanded.
The voice was silent.
Annabeth POV
"ANNABETH!" The combination of two female high-pitch screams drove like pikes into my ears. "We missed you!"
Thalia came and gave me a huge hug, while Rachel hung back, bossing around the people who were handling her Prada hand luggage. "Careful with that, its designer!" I heard her say.
"Oh, leave it, Rach, it'll be fine," I said. I had missed my friends, more than I let on.
"It better be," she said, shooting the mover a dark look. Then she turned back to me and beamed. "You can tell us everything on our way to the cabin."
"There's nothing to tell," I said, evading her question.
"We're giving you a makeover before the bonfire!" Rachel sounded delighted. "You're going to knock the pants off of Percy."
"I'd rather not," I said, shuddering, but my brain presented me with a mental image of naked Percy. I beat it back forcibly.
"What about you, Thals?" I asked, deftly changing the subject as we ducked a low hanging flowering vine. "You planning to see anyone tonight?"
Her pale cheeks turned red. "Huh?"
"I know almost for sure that a certain Nico di Angelo will be eyeing you up tonight." I nudged her, and grinned when her cheeks flamed.
"He might not even be there," she mumbled.
"So, tell us about Luke!" Rachel said.
"He's really nice," I said, remembering his easy smile.
"Nice? Is that it?" She made a face. "Spill!"
"That's really it, Rachel; stop pushing me. I don't actually even know him that well." I snapped, a bit harshly; I saw her green eyes widen a little with hurt. She played it off, though, saying, "Well, someone is on her time of month today isn't she?"
I instantly regretted what I said. "I'm sorry Rach…just stressed I guess about the movie." And about what to do about a certain swimmer.
Thalia gripped my hand reassuringly. "That's alright; we won't make you go if you don't want to."
"It's fine, guys," I told them. I was just confused about Percy and taking it out on them. They didn't deserve this.
"Well, here we are!" Rachel piped up, gesturing to a cabin. She danced inside and jumped onto one of the queen-sized beds. "Dibs on this one!"
I couldn't tell them about Percy: not yet.
Percy POV
A few hours later, I leaned against a palm tree and tried to ignore Drew, who was flitting around me like a skinny, underdressed bee. The bonfire was well underway. Flames leaped up from the massive pile of driftwood and a raucous drinking game was in session a few feet from where I was standing. It wasn't all just Message in a Bottle cast, either; some of the people staying at the resort on vacation, especially the teens, were either gyrating to the music the DJ booth pumped out, ordering shots from the bar, or were splashing in the waves, shrieking and giggling. Even Mr. D was there, which I found slightly disturbing. He was smack in the center of the chaos, dancing his beer belly off. Who knew our grouchy director had a thing for partying?
Me, I was leaning against a palm tree surrounded by girls. Grover and Nico stood beside me, Nico aloof and brooding, searching the crowd, and Grover soaking up the attention.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for me, Mr. Jackson over here would have never even made it into the Olympics," he was telling a breathless Drew-acolyte. "I'm his manager, you know. If he hadn't asked me, personally, to drop out of the Olympics I'd be up there kicking his ass with nine gold medals."
"Grover, it isn't reasonably possible to win more than eight," I said, where I'd been listening to this for over a minute, with thinly disguised amusement and annoyance. Grover didn't even swim. "And you're not my manager."
"Keep telling yourself that," he said, mostly for the girl, and she tittered. I rolled my eyes.
On my other side Drew was clinging to me, long nails digging into my arm. "How do you like the music, Percy? I requested this song myself. Wanna dance?" She pulled on my arm so hard her stilettos stuck in the sand.
"Not now, Drew," I said, and shook her off. She crossed her arms and pouted. Today Drew was wearing a sheer red micromini and a shirt over her bikini top, like most of the girls here were doing. The only difference was that most of the girls didn't have it in cropped extremely see-through white.
"Aw, c'mon. It'll be funnnn," she wheedled, swaying on her heels like a palm tree in a wind.
"Maybe later. Hey, um, could you get us a drink?" I shot her a weak smile.
"Of course." she winked flirtatiously and slunk off into the crowd. I breathed a sigh, grateful for at least a few minutes of Drew-free time.
I turned my attention to Nico. "Hey, Nico, why so moody?"
"Just thought she'd be—Thalia," he blurted, and smoothed down his black hair before shooting off into the crowd.
So much for that. Grover was still engrossed in…what he was doing… and if Thalia was here, it would mean so would Annabeth. I unhitched myself from the tree and headed off into the crowd.
Annabeth POV
We could hear the party long before we actually got near it. Light flickered over the white gravel pathway and surrounding palm trees. I followed Thalia and Rachel, hoping to avoid what would be a fatal run-in with a rock since I was wearing five-inch heels.
"I still can't believe you made me wear this," I grumbled, pulling down the pale pink denim short shorts. I gave up and buried my face in my hands.
"Don't!" Rachel slapped my hand away. "You'll ruin your makeup. And that is the perfect outfit on you."
"Your top looks great. Like a Greek goddess," Thalia added to me, smiling.
"Of course it does. I'm a genius," Rachel responded. She was wearing a strapless summery dress in pale blue. It was nipped in at the waist and stopped halfway to her knees, accentuating her figure perfectly. The bodice was white satin with a darker blue ribbon running around her chest and making her red hair stand out. I had done her hair in a messy bun, a few curls pulled out, framing her face.
"You look really pretty, Rach," Thalia told her, touching the seashell pendant I'd lent Rachel hanging around her freckled neck.
Where Rachel looked like an innocent sea goddess, Thalia was more sex-kitten-meets-rockstar. All in black, with an adorable little wire kitten headband, she wore a tight strapless top hanging in ribbons in the back, revealing her skull-and-crossbones bikini top. She had paired with tight black shorts and black flip-flops since she was already tall.
"You too, Thals. And Annabeth…"
They both turned to stare at me. I looked at them. "What is it?"
Rachel had done my hair in beachy blond waves, topped with a pair of white sunglasses with sepia lenses. The sleeveless white flowy top I was wearing over my blue bikini top was cinched in the waist with a braided silver cord. White without being see-through, sheer but not tight, it was light and floaty against my skin. Underneath I donned one Rachel's short shorts, which were the palest shade of pink and matching rosy wedges.
"You look amazing," Rachel said finally. She paused. "Ready to break some hearts?"
I rolled my eyes but slipped my arm through hers at that, reminded briefly of that disastrous cast party. It seemed like ages ago.
"Ready."
No sooner had we stepped into the glare of the strobe lights did a boy materialize next to Thalia. I hid a smile at his eagerness. Thalia, on the other hand, had gone pale, but then flushed and smiled at him.
"Hey, Thalia, um, remember me?" He ran a hand through his unruly black hair, glancing hopefully up at my best friend through his lashes.
"Nico! Its—nice to—I mean, hi," Thalia stuttered. Rachel gave her a tiny push in Nico's direction.
"Go have some fun," she whispered, so low that only me and Thalia could hear. Then louder, she added, "Come on, Annabeth, let's go get some drinks." She tugged me away, and I glanced back once over my shoulder to see Thalia taking Nico's hand.
I grinned and followed my other best friend through the crowd. We reached the bar, and Rachel plopped down on a barstool. I looked over and saw a boy holding a glass of some pale gold liquid that looked good. I pointed to the glass. "I'll have what he's having, thanks."
The bartender nodded and turned to a dispenser behind him. The boy holding the drink turned, and I recognized the model features and blond hair. "Luke! Hey!"
"Hey, Annabeth." He smiled. Beside me, Rachel snapped to attention like a hunting dog on point. "And who's your friend?"
"This is Rachel. Rachel, this is Luke Castellan." I introduced them, and saw Rachel's eyes spark briefly. "Nice to meet you. Annabeth's told me lots about you." Her gaze darted to me, and she winked.
"Only good things, I hope," Luke toyed with the now-empty glass in his hands as he leaned against the bar.
"Of course." Our drinks came, and I took a sip. It tasted good, citrusy with a deep, rich aftertaste.
"So, would you ladies like to dance?" Luke flawlessly asked both of us to dance, setting his glass down.
"Sure." I marveled at his confidence.
Three songs later, Rachel was who-knows-where with some random guy, as usual, and Luke had excused himself to grab some more drinks. I was actually enjoying myself. Luke was nice, but it was just like dancing with any other guy. There wasn't anything—no spark. I tucked back a lock of hair and heard a squeal.
"Annabeth! You look amazing!"
"Silena!" I turned and hugged her, feeling her pin-straight black hair tickle my cheek. She smelled of Chanel No. 5 again. No matter what she had done, I didn't think now was the time to confront her about Percy. Not tonight. "You too!"
Silena smiled. She had on a printed orange sundress, with thin gold-beaded straps, a loose flowing skirt that reached right below her thighs, and gold heels. She'd wrapped a skinny gold necklace twice around her neck, typical Silena-style. It was a far cry from her usual power suits and blazers.
I heard a deep male cough behind me, and Silena's eyes widened. I turned and saw Luke, holding two red cups. "If I'd known I would've gotten more," he said, and his eyes were fixed on Silena.
"Thanks," I said, taking the cup he handed me.
"No, it's okay," Silena shot her trademark smile at him. "I'm Silena, Annabeth's manager. And you are—"
"Luke. Luke Castellan."
I hid a smile and excused myself, heading around the bar, trying to find my friends. Halfway to the waterline I found my way blocked, ironically, by a black-haired figure.
"Annabeth!" Percy sounded half-drunk, his dark hair wet and sticking to his forehead. His shirt was wet too, plastered on his torso. I ignored the little flip my heart did at how his shirt stuck to his body. When did that start to happen? "I haven't seen you."
"I've been…busy," I said, peering around him. It couldn't hurt to at least start a conversation, right? "Why are you wet?"
"I made the mistake of joining an intense water fight," he answered, raking his hands through his wet hair, making it stick up. "Listen, Annabeth, about—"
I stiffened. He was going to bring up the shooting we'd done earlier. "I don't want to talk about it, Percy," I said, making my voice frosty. I spotted Rachel with relief. "I see Rachel," I said quickly. "Gotta go."
I ducked around him and crossed the dance floor to where Rachel was hiding in the sheltered cluster of palm trees. She wasn't the only one there. Apparently, a bunch of other hormonal teens had had the same idea about the privacy under the leaves.
Seeing me, Rachel straightened and pushed her guy away. I stepped away from him as he staggered back toward the party.
"So, how are you doing? Fun, isn't it?" Rachel tucked a loose curl of hair back behind her ear. Her hair had come out of its messy bun (not on its own, I suspected) and hung past her shoulders in a tangled red curtain. She linked her arm with mine and wiggled her coppery eyebrows suggestively. "I saw you flirting with Mr. Sexy Jackson over there," she prodded, grinning.
"Really? You mean you actually looked up from what you were doing to look?" I teased.
"Oh, shut up," she slapped my arm playfully. "Speaking of what we were doing, where's Thalia?"
"I don't know. Still with Nico, I'd guess." The idea of interrupting some special moment of theirs wasn't appealing.
The voice of the DJ boomed out over the crowd. "Let's get some waves!"
With a collective cry, almost the entire crowd stripped off to their swimwear and charged the ocean.
I ducked several crop tops and shimmied out of my clothes, laying them carefully under a palm tree. Rachel was already in her green strapless bikini, hopping impatiently and waiting for me to finish. I grabbed her hand and jumped into the waves, thankful that I'd had the sense to put on waterproof makeup so I wouldn't look like a raccoon.
Rachel whooped and splashed me. The coolness of the water woke me up and I found myself paddling out, floating on my back and watching the stars. Around me, water splashed up into the air. Several of the girls were seated on another guy's shoulders, throwing handfuls of saltwater at each other. I saw Drew, seated on the shoulders of some toned guy, and my stomach involuntarily clenched.
Then the guy turned. He was blond, not dark-haired. I could've mentally slapped myself for caring.
I spotted Thalia and Nico. Thalia was laughing, running away in the shallow water near the shore, splashing up water. Nico chased after her, also laughing, and caught her in his arms. She touched her lips to his gently. A pang something like longing went through me, leaving me bewildered. I had everything I wanted. Why was I longing for something?
An extremely drunken voice spoke behind me. I turned. "Hey Luke," I said, noting with alarm how he was swaying and how the cup he held in his hand looked like it had been refilled more than once. "Are you—"
"I'm fine," he said, staggering a few steps as he waded toward me. "I just feel—dizzy—"
He slipped. I darted toward him and held him up, muscles screaming. "Can you walk?"
"I think so—" he wobbled. I draped his arm around my shoulders and gently eased the cup of liquor from his grip. The party was beginning to filter away. I sighed and helped him to shore. "I'll take you to your cabin," I said. "Where is it?"
"Sandcastle I," he murmured, like he was sleepy.
"Let me just get my stuff," I said, hurrying over to my clothes and pulling them on. He had his cabin key tucked into the wet pocket of his jeans. He swayed sleepily and I inwardly groaned.
"Here," I said, guiding him out of the clearing. "Just out of curiosity, how much did you drink tonight?"
"I—don't remember—" we were halfway there now. "Silena is—really nice—though," he finished.
"I'm glad you like her."
"You're—really nice—too," he continued, wobbling even more. I saw Sandcastle I and helped—well more like hauled—him up the steps. He focused on me. "You're a—really—good friend," he said, and leaned forward, planting a drunken, messy kiss on my lips. I was almost too stunned to move. Then he collapsed.
"Oh, god. Luke!" he stirred, and I slipped his cabin key into the slot. The lock clicked and I dragged him inside, laying him down on the bed. From the look of him, it seemed he wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. I hoped. I liked Luke, but only as a friend—he wasn't exactly my type. Judging from the kiss, though, I didn't think he had meant it either.
"This is why you don't drink a lot," I muttered, setting the keys down on his nightstand and heading out.
Percy POV
~a few hours before~
I shook the water from my hair impatiently, scanning the crowd for Annabeth. Water still trickled down my neck, but instead of finding it annoying it refreshed me. Water did that.
"Annabeth!" I said, stepping hastily in front of her. She looked up at me, a little surprised but not, as I'd thought, with hatred. "I haven't seen you."
"I've been…busy," she said, craning her neck to look around me. She was wearing a white top and pale pink shorts, cute but not revealing like Drew's outfit. I couldn't help but think that I liked Annabeth's much better.
"Why are you wet?" she asked, glancing up at me. Her gray eyes were the exact color of fog rising off Brooklyn Bridge.
"I made the mistake of joining an intense water fight," I told her, running my hands through my hair. It was either now or never. "Listen, Annabeth, about—"
Her body tensed and she looked up coldly, her demeanor snapping from…tolerable...to stiff.
"I don't want to talk about it, Percy," she said, her voice suddenly icy. "I see Rachel," she added hurriedly, and disappeared.
Rachel? "Annabeth!" I called. I tried to follow, but Drew materialized in front of me, smiling. "Let's dance!" she cried, yanking me onto the dance floor. I craned my neck to see over the pulsing crowd. She was hurrying to the cluster of palm trees that everyone referred to as "the Make-Out Jungle". My stomach clenched. I hoped she wasn't heading over there to lock lips with some dude.
Drew was wrapping herself around me, running her fingers across my still-damp chest. "What happened, Percy?" Her voice was low and seductive. "Why are you wet? Or, should I say, who got you wet?"
"Some guy," I answered it literally. I almost cracked up at the look on her face, which quickly smoothed back into sexy seductress.
"Well, I'd prefer it to be m—"
"Perce!" Grover ran up to me, and Drew whipped around, annoyed at being interrupted. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
I took the opportunity to disengage myself from Drew. "I got to talk to Grover for a second," I said, trying to sound apologetic. She flipped her extensions haughtily and stalked away.
"Thanks, man," I said, walking off the dance floor.
"If you hate her so much, dude, why not just tell her?"
"I'm pretty sure I have. Several times. Drew's just not the kind of person to take no for an answer." I stared up at the sky.
"Why would you say no, anyway? Drew's pretty hot." Grover took a sip of his drink.
"I like someone else," I answered without thinking, and clamped my mouth shut instantly.
Too late. Grover was on the scent, like he was when he smelled enchiladas. "Who?"
"Nobody."
"Nobody Jackson. Sounds like it would be a cool name when you get married."
I groaned and faced him. "It's no one, okay? I'm not sure she even likes me. Wait no—she hates me." That sounded about right.
"Like that's ever stopped you? C'mon, man, where's the old Percy? The one who wouldn't take no for an answer? Come to think of it, you're like Drew."
"Ever heard of the phrase, 'Opposites attract'?"
Grover held his hands up. "Fair enough. Just…try to win her over? You're the ladies' man. If anyone could, it would be you."
"Annabeth isn't like that," I snapped at him. His eyes widened. Then I realized exactly what it was that I'd said and, literally slapped myself. I actually raised my hand and hit myself across the face. I am so stupid.
"Annabeth, huh?"
"Yeah." I looked at the ground, sure that he would be pissing himself laughing that this girl was the first one I could never charm, that I had been rejected. But when I looked up, his eyes were gentle.
"You should just tell her how you feel."
"I can't. I tried, just now. She bolted like I was sewage." Just talking about it hurt. I'd never felt like this before. And Annabeth? Of all people…
"She did?" Grover looked confused. "Well, look at it like this. Maybe she isn't dating you, but she isn't dating anyone else, is she? Just tell her, and how she deals…she deals."
"Oh, that was great. Beautiful advice. Right there." I said sarcastically.
"I'm serious, Percy. At least you'll know where you stand with her." Grover shrugged. A deep voice rang out over the crowd. "Let's get some waves!"
The whole crowd fled toward the water. Grover pulled off his shirt and said, "Come on, Perce. Sulking won't get you anywhere."
I sighed, but followed him into the water. The waves were thick with shrieking girls, shirtless boys, and flying water. Grover almost immediately disappeared with some bikini-clad girl, leaving me alone in the waves. Where was Annabeth?
The party began breaking up. I climbed out of the water and dodged Drew, who was dripping wet in about one square inch combined of clothing as usual, and saw her blond head disappearing up the path. I pushed through the crowd and followed, wondering where the hell she was going. Royal Palm was the other way.
When she walked into the light of a cabin, I froze. Leaning on her shoulder was a guy I think was named Luke. She led him up the stairs and turned to him. Was he really inviting her to stay the night? My body clenched. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. My blood turned to ice as her hand came up to his shoulder. That was around the time I turned away, feeling my heart crack into icy shards.
Aww, Percy! THALICO KISS! Bet you didn't expect that.
Also, I'm making up an official celebrity cast for this story, which I'll be posting in the next chapter. I've mostly finished, but I still am missing a few celebrities for the characters. If you have suggestions comment them below :)
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