After Walker Scobell was announced as our Percy, I decided to drop everything, reread TLT, and wrote this idea I created on the spot. I wanted a TLT idea solely for this.

Story #36: The Gods Rerun A Classic Summer Special

"Attention, Campers," Mr. D announces from The Big House.

All activities on the field stop. Demeter's girls and Mr. D's twins look up from the strawberry fields, Ares' cabin grunted when they had to stop their sparring and drop their weapons and each other from chokeholds, and Aphrodite's kids had to stop their gossiping (still keeping the hairstyling going because they'd only be half-listening anyways). Apollo's cabin had to stop playing their instruments but didn't do so until the end of the chorus. One of them had to fetch Hermes' and Hephaestus' cabins from who knows where.

It took five minutes for everyone to silence. Five minutes too long. Mr. D already drank through a 6-pack of Diet Coke before enough of the campers were looking at him. Not like he would do a headcount.

"All activities for the rest of the night will be cancelled-" Mr. D pauses, swirling his new can around as if it was a wine glass. He made room for the campers to either cheer or complain about the news. "Instead, there will be a special screening in the amphitheatre in 10 minutes."

Some cabins had to put away their things and regroup before heading to the theatre. Mr. D tossed Grover his can with the others he finished in the span of his announcement.

-o-

Campers slowly straggle into the amphitheatre, sitting by cabin groups as if they were having dinner or calling it a night. Percy and Grover sit in front of Athena's cabin since they are stuck with Annabeth.

Percy looks around at the other campers, hearing them guess on the show. He hears a lot of titles the gods would watch on Olympus. Aphrodite's Next Top Model, Untold Stories From Half-Blood's ER, "You're Not the God Parent" (a recap of half-bloods being claimed and the live reaction of the gods betting on whose child that is based on appearance and mortal parent).

Percy would've loved to watch his episode and see who guessed one of the Big Three as his god parent. He knows Annabeth had her hunch before he got a glowing trident over his head.

"Is this gonna be that orientation film?" Percy asks. He remembers when he first arrived, Chiron said not to show him the orientation film since it would overwhelm him.

"I don't think anyone's actually watched it," Grover admits, looking at Annabeth for clarification since she's been here the longest.

"I haven't." Annabeth shrugs. "I don't think anyone would want to anyways. I heard Apollo made it so we're better off."

The half-bloods quiet when the amphitheatre's screen lowers, anticipation grows as the lights dim. Athena's cabin shushes Grover who tries to crunch cans in peace.

Percy tenses when he sees that familiar abandoned water park on-screen in better than the best picture. Then he sees the bright carnival ride in sight: The Tunnel of Love. It's the side quest a few weeks ago.

Grover's already laughing along with Aphrodite's cabin's cheers. Percy turns around to face Annabeth who's hiding her face in her shirt, her knees are up to her chin as she sinks into her seat. She probably left her invisibility cap in her cabin or else she would be wearing it.

Percy looks back to the screen, knowing that this is definitely a rerun since the Gods already watched in on Olympus. Annabeth was embarrassed to be riding it with Percy despite the park being abandoned except for them and Grover.

It's almost like they went through the tunnel yesterday as he watches it play out on the screen. This time, Percy gets the chance to watch his facial reactions and Annabeth's, even Grover's awkward flying. He even catches more features of the ride. All the angles of the encapsulating mirrors and the cameras gave them no opportunity to escape the sight of them in the tunnel together.

Stupid Hephaestus trap. His cabin roars with every contraption revealed. Percy wouldn't be surprised if they start workshopping something better to use at Camp.

Percy jumps at Athena's cabin screeching behind him. He looks back at the screen just as the robotic spiders fall from the walls and crawl onto the canoe. Percy tries to reach for Annabeth to reassure her, as he did in the canoe, but the cheers from Aphrodite's cabin at the sight of Cupid firing arrows send shivers down his spine.

He can only imagine the reaction on Olympus was more lively than this group of half-bloods.

Percy watches as he, on-screen, yelled at a chaotically flying Grover to open the main water source. Once the floods broke loose, Percy grabbed Annabeth as the credits rolled.

What a heroic movie.

-o-

Annabeth hated every minute of that.

Actually, that's a lie. She liked seeing that specific moment again. Her heart fluttered and a smile crawled onto her face, but everyone's reactions made her want to disappear. Gods, she left her cap in her bunk. It was her first quest and that moment, out of all of them, had to be broadcast. It was bad enough the gods got to watch but the half-bloods?

Looking back, the photo at Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium doesn't seem so bad. She'd make for a cool statue here at Camp Half-Blood.

It's just a photo, Annabeth, what's the harm? Nothing, Percy, she would've said, this broadcast is way worse.

She's out. When the spiders appeared on screen, she popped her head out to grab Percy and disappear out to the lake but she froze when he was already looking at her.

Oh, how badly she wanted to be his friend. But she couldn't. Their god parents have a rivalry and he's a Big Three kid. She can't. It won't work.

But then he's looking at her like that. As he did in the tunnel because he wants to help her, to be friends … she thinks.

When the show ends, Percy climbs over his head and sits next to her. Annabeth figures that whoever was sitting there in her cabin bolted when the spiders appeared. She has chills just thinking about it.

"You think the Gods will compensate us in drachmas?" Percy asks her. "I could use some royalties to help pay for private school."

Annabeth cracks a smile, a laugh rumbling in her ribs. "Don't make me laugh, it hurts."

"A refrigerator spends nearly 10% of the total electricity in a common household."

Annabeth's brows wrinkle. "What?"

"Something Gabe always said when I would accidentally leave the fridge open while getting him something he asked for. He'd get mad at me if I even tried to use 10.1% of the electricity."

"Again, what?"

"You said laughing makes you hurt so I gave you something boring to not laugh at."

Annabeth smiles a little. This. This is the boy she wants to be friends with. "Yes. More of that."

Percy opens his arms. "I'm here all summer!"

She laughs until Clarisse walks their way as everyone else starts filing out of the amphitheatre.

"You two deserve that for helping my dad with something he could've done himself," Clarisse says, sitting beside Annabeth on the other side. She slouches back, kicking her feet up onto the row in front of them, nearly kicking off Grover's head.

"It's really rude to eavesdrop," Annabeth tells her.

"It's not eavesdropping if you're talking so loud that everyone can hear," Clarisse responds.

"I couldn't hear them…" Grover mutters from in front of them. Clarisse glares his way and pulls her leg back as if she would actaully kick his head off.

"You really didn't need to come here," Percy tells her.

Clarisse rolls her eyes. "If reincarnation is real, then you'd better stay away from me in my next life. I don't even like you in this one. Snitches get stitches."

Percy grins, nodding. "Hit me and you'll get some too."

Clarisse snarls and Annabeth hides her smile from Percy. That. That right there is the boy she wants as her best friend.

I have another chapter in mind for when our Annabeth casting is revealed. Fingers-crossed I can write it by then.