Indigo Eyes

Chapter 36

Cressida didn't know why she was so nervous as she knocked on the door.

Maybe because this was the first time she was out in the world without an escort and not on a deadly quest. Maybe because she was finally about to meet someone's mother, a mother that by all accounts was amazing and she didn't want to mess it up like the last time she dealt with a mother - her own mother.

"Hi, can I help you?" asked the gorgeous woman with dark curly hair as she opened the door.

"Hi, Mrs Jackson. I'm Percy's friend from camp. He invited me. I'm -"

"Oh, you're that pretty girl that Percy has photos of in his room. Cressida, right?" she beamed, and Cressida offered her a smile.

"That's me."

"Oh, please, come in," she invited as she held the door open, and Cressida walked in.

"Thank you."

"Percy's in his room. The cookies are almost done."

"Thanks, Mrs Jackson."

"Oh, please," she said. "Call me Sally."

And Cressida gave her a warm smile before heading for Percy's room.

Percy was sitting with his back to her on his bed as read through a card, likely from Annabeth who wasn't able to come today. She hadn't really left Thalia's side since she came back.

"Your mom said that you had photos of me in your room. I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned," she said, and Percy flinched.

"Gods, don't sneak up on a person like that!" he exclaimed before he saw who it was. "You came."

"You say that as if it's a surprise," she grinned as walked into his room, swinging a rather big bag in her hand.

"And that wouldn't happen to be a birthday present for me, would it?" he asked with a mischievous grin as she plopped down on the bed next to him.

"Why would you assume that? It could be for your mom."

"But it's not, is it?"

"Happy birthday, Fish Face."

"Gimme," he said like the child he was as he took the bag. And he pulled out a skateboard, the top black and the bottom painted with scenes from the last two summers at camp. "Whoa," he gaped.

"Forged by the sons of Hephaestus. That's a board that won't break," she explained as he ran a hand over the pictures on the back.

"Who painted these? Annabeth? Apollo cabin?"

"Me," she said as if it should've been obvious. "Gave me something to do in arts and crafts."

"Wine Vine, this is seriously cool, but did you have to include me as a guinea pig in there?"

"I'm sorry, have you met me? Of course, I had to include it. But isn't he cute?"

"You think I'm cute?" Percy asked with a raised brow, yet his heart was beating a million times a minute and his stomach was rolling.

"I think the guinea pig is cute. Never said anything about you, Fish Face."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Grape Girl," he said, and she shoved his shoulder. "But seriously how'd you know I liked skateboarding? I've never told you that."

"Annabeth mentioned she saw a skateboard with a broken wheel in your room that day she stalked you at the start of summer," she explained and Percy suddenly got even more nervous as he thought about the picture of her that Annabeth saw in his notebook and that bully who turned out to be a giant tried to steal it from him.