Chapter 1
Annabeth POV
I sighed in happiness. Today had been perfect; absolutely perfect. No other explanation. Percy’s arm was around my shoulders, as we laid by the lake. We were back at camp, and it was amazing. It was long after the day’s training, and we were relaxing together. I closed my eyes, and for a moment, I could almost forget…….. I drifted off.
I dreamt that Percy and I were back in New York, at the time of the first war. I was about to be stabbed in the shoulder, but instead of me, Percy jumped in front of me, and was stabbed. I looked on in horror, as he died in front of me. I couldn’t save him. Tears fell down my cheeks as I wept.
I woke up screaming, tears pouring down my face. I shuddered, and leaned into Percy’s shoulder. He hugged me, and stroked my hair gently. He leaned down, and kissed me softly. It calmed me down immediately. I sighed, and looked at him, his eyes twinkling at me.
“You ok, Beth?” He asked.
“Not really.” I answered shakily.
“What did you dream about?”
I didn’t answer right away. I didn’t want to tell him, or him to find out. But I had too; I would kill myself if I didn’t.
“Annabeth? You know you can tell me, right? I love you. I’ll always be here for you.”
“I know that Seaweed Brain.”
“Are you going to tell me then, or do I have to tickle it out of you?”
“If you even think about tickling me, I will not kiss you for a week! Or snuggle with you.”
“Fine, but you have to tell me.”
So, I told him everything. It made me want to cry, but I’m glad I got it off my chest. When I was done, Percy had tears in his eyes too. We hugged, and cuddled for a few more hours. Around midnight, Chiron called us to the Big House. We trudged over there, annoyed that we couldn’t have any more time together.
“What is it, Chiron?” Percy asked.
“Mr. D and I have decided that you need to live normal lives. You will be going back to school in two days.” He said.
“WHAT???” We exclaimed.
“All the details are worked out. Sally is coming to take you home tomorrow, at 2, so be ready.”
“Wait, where will I stay?” I asked worriedly.
“Sally has offered to let you stay with her and Percy for the school year. Your parents are fine with it. You will be going to Goode High School.”
“Are the rest of the Seven coming?”
“Yes, including Thalia, and Nico.”
“Great, Pinecone Face and Nico are going. What could possibly go wrong?” Percy said sarcastically.
“Ok, that prank they pulled wasn’t THAT bad, Perce.”
“I had flour in my clothes for three weeks!”
“If we are done talking about the beauty of pranks, can we proceed?”
They nodded.
“Good. Make sure to be ready to leave by 2:00. Sally and Paul will be waiting.”
“Is there another reason why we’re going back to school, besides education?” Percy asked.
“Yes-“
“Is it a new demi-god? Or a Hell-hound? Or any monster?”
“That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard you say, Seaweed Brain.”
“Thanks, I try. So am I right?”
“Yes. There are two girls that are new students at Goode that we are keeping an eye on.”
“Why?”
“They give off an aura that makes us think they could be demi-gods, but we aren’t sure. That’s one of the reasons why we’re sending you back to school. You have to figure out what is going on.”
“We will, Chiron; don’t worry. I can’t wait to go back.” I said.
The old centaur smiled softly at me.
“I can tell, Annabeth. I wish you both luck. Now go to bed. Big day tomorrow.”
“Night, Chiron.”
Percy POV
I groaned inside. School? Really? I know Annabeth loved school, but I hated it. I’m ADHD and Dyslexic; I don’t learn well. Plus, it meant getting up early. But, I was determined to see this through. As long I was with Wise Girl, I would do anything.
We walked back to our cabins, and went to bed. Sleep didn’t come easily. I woke up around 2:15, to find Annabeth climbing into my bed. I gazed blearily at her.
“What’s up, ‘Beth?”
“I had a nightmare. Couldn’t sleep.”
“Me either. Go to sleep, Wise Girl.”
We snuggled together, and fell asleep together. The next morning, I woke up to sunlight streaming in through the window. I sat up, and started playing with Annabeth’s hair. She was so beautiful. She knew me so well, and I couldn’t hide anything from her. Small price to pay for the best girlfriend ever.
I got out of bed quietly, and snuck to the bathroom, where I took a short shower. When I came out, I wore a gray shirt with green waves, jeans, a black hoodie, and black converse. Annabeth still wasn’t awake, so I let her sleep. I hadn’t packed yet. Darn. I had to hurry; it was around noon. I tiptoed about, picking stuff up, and shoving it in my duffel bag.
I looked at Annabeth, and grinned mischievously. I hid under the bed, and made water slap her in the face. Since I was hidden, she didn’t see me when I barely controlled my laughter. She jumped up, and started searching for me. If she found me, I would be a dead man.
“PERSEUS JACKSON!!! YOU BETTER COME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW, OR YOU’RE DEAD!!!!” She screamed.
I started moving farther under the bed. I also had a blanket, so I hid behind it. Hopefully, she wouldn’t find me, but I couldn’t stay hidden forever. I crept behind her, spun her around, and kissed her. We both melted into the kiss, and I wanted to stay like that forever. When we pulled apart, she glared.
“Don’t think a kiss will get you out of this, Perseus Jackson. I’m still mad at you.”
“Aww, come on!”
“Percy, shut up.”
I glared playfully at her, and we hugged.
“You know we have to get ready to go, right?” She asked.
“I’m ready.”
“What? Really? Well, I guess I’d better get ready now.”
She started packing, with me helping. We were ready to go fast. She looked at me thoughtfully.
“You know what we forgot? Breakfast.” She said.
My stomach grumbled. She laughed.
“Let’s go, Seaweed Brain.”
We walked hand in hand to the Dining Hall, where everyone was eating lunch. Snickers were heard as we walked in. Just then, Chiron tapped his hoof on the ground.
“Campers! We will be having our annual Capture the Flag tomorrow! Also, we will be wishing Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Frank, hazel, Thalia, and Nico good luck, because they are returning to school tomorrow. Wish them luck.”
Everyone whispered good luck to them, then silently filed out of the Dining Hall.
Just then, Sally pulled up at the bottom of Half-blood Hill in her Camaro. She smiled, before walking up to where she could stand near the entrance. Annabeth and I ran to her, and hugged her tightly.
“Hi, Percy, honey. Annabeth! My, how you’ve grown up! You’re a young lady now!”
Annabeth blushed a light crimson, and I nearly laughed.
“Thank you, Sally.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie. Ready to go?”
We piled in, and chatted the whole way to Manhattan. As soon as we arrived at my apartment, we lugged our stuff into our rooms. Annabeth, of course, started to unpack immediately. I, on the other hand, tossed it in my room, and went to help Wise Girl. I walked in, to see ‘Beth sitting on the bed, staring at a picture, with tears in her eyes.
“’Beth, you ok?” I asked softly.
“Yeah, Percy, I’m fine. I just miss my family.”
“It’s ok, Wise Girl. They’re happy for you, you know? They want you to be happy.”
“I know.”
I sat down next to her, and hugged her. We sat like that for a while. I sighed. I really wasn’t ready for tomorrow. The rest of the day was a flurry of getting ready for school, and catching up with mom.
