La Vie en Rose // Percy Jackson

ii. percy doesn't get wet

Percy must've woken up several times, but the discussions he heard seemed to make no sense to him. I spoonfed him pudding. The girl with curly blond hair hovered over him, smirking as she scraped drips off his chin with the spoon.

I frowned at my friend. "Stow it."

When I saw his eyes open, I asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"

Percy managed to croak, "What?"

Annabeth and I looked around, as if afraid someone would over-hear and Annabeth asked, "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"

"I'm sorry," Percy mumbled, "I don't..."

Somebody knocked on the door, and I quickly filled Percy's mouth with pudding.

Annabeth and I left, probably leaving the poor boy pretty confused.

---

At the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. Annabeth and me, who'd spoon-fed Percy popcorn-flavored pudding, were leaning on the porch rail next to them.

"Mr. Brunner!" Percy cried.

The Latin teacher turned and smiled at him. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers B.

"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

He offered Percy a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at him with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"Uh, thanks." Percy scooted a little farther away from him because, if there was one thing he had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice.

I frowned as I studied Percy's expression. He hid it well, but there was a hint of fear behind his eyes.

"Annabeth? Annie?" Mr. Brunner called.

We came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "These young ladies nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, Annie, my dears, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

Annabeth and I said, "Sure, Chiron."

Percy studied Annabeth. With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what he thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image. They were startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take him down in a fight. His gaze turned to me and a nervous look crossed his face and I swore he felt butterflies the second his gaze locked with mine. My light brown hair perfectly surrounded my face, not a hair out of place. A gift of my mother. My eyes were a warm brown that made always seemed to make people, Percy included, feel at home. He quickly looked away and his expression morphed to normalcy as opposed to awe.

I glanced at the minotaur horn in Percy's hands, then back at him. I could imagine what he thought I was going to say, You killed a minotaur! or Wow, you're so awesome! or something like that.

Instead I said, "You drool when you sleep."

There was something about this boy that made me feel incredibly nervous and shy.

Then I sprinted off down the lawn, my brunette hair flying behind me. Annabeth ran after me.

Annabeth glanced at me. "What was that?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea. I got shy."

"That never happens."

"Well this time it did."