Indigo Eyes

Chapter 69

(A/N: Thank you guys for 5000 reads! And this is the first chapter of the Battle of the Labyrinth. Hope you enjoy. XxD)

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"Whoa! Someone's eager to see me if you're out early," Cressida laughed as Percy ran into her on East 81st Street, near the school where Percy was having his orientation. It was the first day of summer break and Percy had promised Cressida a whole day of normal teenage things after his orientation at his mom's boyfriend's school. "Watch where you're going, Fish Face."

And for a second, she was happy and in a good mood and it was all because she saw him. She was in casual clothes for once which was interesting because a camp t-shirt was her uniform unless she was on a quest. She was dressed in dark purple leggings with black combat boots and a cropped t-shirt with a band stamped on it - Green Day, a gift from Thalia to the only person with musical taste. Her raven hair was out and flowing in the wind, her grey streaked hair on display along with her clay bead camp necklace and her charm bracelet. Her indigo eyes were his favourite though, the way they sparkled with excitement in the sunlight. She looked amazing. Despite the photos she sent him constantly, she looked even better in person as he saw the changes in her from last year.

And then Rachel Elizabeth Dare came charging out of the alley, covered in monster dust as she yelled, "Percy, wait up!"

And as fast as Cressida's smile was there, it vanished. First, it was because of all the reasons her brain came up with why Percy was in that alley with that girl, but then she saw the burning school, only now registering the black smoke and the ringing fire alarms.

She seemed frustrated as she put her hands on her hips and fixed her eyes on him. "Really, Barnacle Butt? Today of all days?! What the hell did you do now? And who in Hades is this?"

"Oh, Rachel - Cressida. Cressida - Rachel. Um, she's a friend. I guess."

Percy wasn't sure what else to call Rachel - a girl he barely knew, but apparently, it was the wrong answer because he saw Cressida's eyes darken but her face remained blank.

"Hi," Rachel said before she turned to Percy. "You are in so much trouble. And you still ow me an explanation!"

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive as Cressida crossed her hands over her chest.

"Oh, he's going to be in trouble alright."

"I want to know more about half-bloods," Rachel insisted. "And monsters. And this stuff about the gods," the redhead insisted before she grabbed Percy's hand and wrote a series of numbers on his palm with a permanent marker. "You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."

"But -"

"'I'll make up some story,' Rachel said. "I'll tell them it wasn't your fault. Just go!"

She ran back towards the school, leaving Cressida and Percy in the street. And the daughter of Dionysus just stared at her friend for a second before she whirled and took off.

"Hey!" Percy called as he jogged after her. "There were these two empousai," he tried to explain. "They were cheerleaders, see, and they said camp was going to burn, and –"

"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?!" she spat as they walked, Percy trying to keep up with her hurried pace.

"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters before I did."

"So you told her the truth."

"She recognized me from Hoover Dam, so –"

"What?!"