Indigo Eyes

Chapter 38

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway as Percy's mom drove, Percy in the front seat and Cressida stuck in the back with Annabeth and Thalia. While Cressida was the only one that Percy had seen recently, he was still too nervous to talk between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do. Except for Sally who apparently talked even more when she was nervous.

And Cressida was enjoying every second of it.

Because by the time they got to Westover Hall, Sally had told them just about every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about Percy and from the smirk on Cressida's face, Percy knew that she wasn't forgetting any of those stories any time soon.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the grey churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Sally asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

Percy seemed even more embarrassed. She couldn't imagine that many heroes had to have their moms drive them into battle.

"It's ok, Ms Jackson," Annabeth smiled reassuringly, her blonde hair tucked into a ski cap. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

"Again, a tough challenge," Cressida added as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around the seat and on Percy's shoulders, "but if little Percy can brave wetting his pants on the first day of school, this should be nothing," she teased as she pinched his cheek and Percy shoved her off him.

"I hate you."

"Liar," she retorted.

"Mom, is it too late for you to take Cressida back with you?" Percy asked even though he knew that she'd never agree to it. For some reason, she loved Cressida. She was always asking how she was and if he was keeping in touch with her. Sally had even walked into Percy's room while he was in the middle of an Iris Message with her and the two kicked him out and started talking. Sally had seen the book laying on her bed and the two started talking about books and stories and how his mother wanted to be a writer and that's what she'd gone back to NYU to study for. And she'd also promised to let Cressida be the first to read whatever she wrote.

Percy swore that their relationship was going to take a few years off his life. That car trip alone already made him lose at least a year out of sheer anticipation of what Cressida was going to do with those stories.

"Alright, dears," Sally said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms Jackson," Thalia answered. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom-"

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And the extra for Cressida? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys," Percy said and Sally looked a little hurt as her son got out of the car.

Annabeth and Thalia moved to get out as well as Cressida put a hand on Sally's shoulder. "Percy will be fine."

"Thank you, sweetheart," she returned, squeezing Cressida's hand before following the others out of the car. The wind blew through their coats like ice daggers.

Once Sally's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay," Percy admitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"