Me: The reviews were great as always guys.

To Musicismyblood: Challenge accepted.

I seem to have a weird talent with turning morbid chapter titles into something non-depressing and vise versa with happy titles... (unless you count Dying. Which I consider a masterpiece after see the seriously strong emotions I keep hearing that it caused)

This is: Starvation

I don't own PJO.

Drew, Percy

Summary preview: Before the spin-off...

Traveling half-way across the country (mostly by myself) was something I was highly uncomfortable doing.

I mean honestly. Monster attacks, lack of food, and horrible money-planning was not helping matters any. And then the stupid goat had die and leave me by myself with only directions to 'find the strawberry patch in Long Island'. I mean, WTF goat-man.

And now I am suffering from starvation, dehydration, and overall irritation in the middle of freaking Manhattan, broke, lost, and maybe a little scared.

So what if I come from Arizona? That doesn't mean I haven't heard about the huge crime rate in the Big Apple, nor does it mean that I am used to the unusually cool summer.

I suppose that if I really wanted to, I could always just 'ask' someone to help me find it, but using that particular gift was always a draining experience, and usually not worth it.

I sat down off to the side of a condemned-looking (looking at the sever water stains, I would image it was done by a hurricane) apartment building in utter despair when a guy sat down beside me, holding a sword.

One of those 'demigod' guys the goat-man was talking about? Time to find out.

"Are you a demigod?" I asked fairly bluntly. The guy didn't even blink, but kind of half-smiled as he looked over at me.

"You know, asking a random guy off the street that in this part of the neighborhood is a good way to get yourself killed."

He flicked his black hair out of his almost-but-not-quite intense sea green eyes, amusing making them dance.

"Says the guy holding a sword, sitting in front of an ugly apartment building like a creeper, alone." I countered.

"You make a decent point." he conceded before adding, "Although you have to be pretty stupid to start a conversation with said creeper-sword welding-guy."

I huffed. "First, you sat by me. Second, you're avoiding the subject. Are you a demigod or not?"

The guy shrugged and suddenly I realized that he was fairly hot. And I was pretty good at flirting my way into knowledge. Time to use the gift.

"You kn-"

"Don't go all charm-speaker on me. Figures that I would find a daughter of Aphrodite here."

"So you are a demigod!" I said and grinned victoriously. "Good to know, cutie."

"So I am. And thanks. My girlfriend thinks so too."

Well at least it was a kind way to reject me and hint to back off. But now I had someone who knew what the heck was going on with my life, and who knew? Maybe it would be fun to see just how far he would go before getting annoyed with my flirting.

"Interesting. So what is a guy like you - who from what the go- satyr- told me is suppose to be at a camp at this time of year- doing all the way out here in front of this building?"

The guy- I seriously needed to learn his name- raised an eyebrow. "Am I not allowed to? This is America, you know. Free nation and all that. But if you must know, I was visiting some memories of my past. This place just helps me remember who I am sometimes."

"And that was a fairly deep answer."

A snort. "It was. No worries- I'm not usually that way. My name is Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. For the rest of the day, I will be your guide to Camp Half-Blood." Percy told me, capped the sword (was that a ballpoint pen?) and held an arm out to me.

I took it and gave him my best smile that even my haggard appearance couldn't damper. "Drew. Now hurry up, cutie. I know there is a strawberry patch around here somewhere, and I seriously need a shower and nail polish."

Percy laughed and rolled his eyes, but walked us downtown and explained things along the way, sometimes in a teasing manner, sometimes in a deadly serious way.

While walking downtown I realized I could live with having to stay at a camp for the summers if it meant I could have a small chance to insert myself into this epic person's life. Even if it was only friend zone.

I had a feeling Percy wouldn't hinder that in any way as he caught us a cab, and gave instructions to the driver to take us somewhere in Long Island.

Maybe I could start over as a better person at Camp Half-Blood.

Me: Thoughts?

Next Chapter: Words

~ Anna/ Booklover98