¹On This Spring Day, percy jackson & the olympians

015.

ON THIS SPRING DAY
━━━━━ chapter fifteen

━━━━━ ANNABETH DIDN'T LIKE the idea of AJ joining the quest, he could tell. But he could also tell she wasn't putting her entire attention to him as he tried to talk to her. A half-hearted glare from her as she fussed over scrolls; Annabeth only shook her head as AJ explained; "Chiron would never allow it," she argued.

               "Why wouldn't he?" AJ countered. "With you, Percy, and me going—that's three going to start this part of the quest."

               "Maybe it's because we already have three quest members out there." Annabeth waved her hand.

               "Then that's six—three and three." AJ shrugged. "I may have only gone to school until fifth grade, but I can still do that kind of math."

               Annabeth didn't find his joke very funny. "I don't want you going."

               "Well, I'm going," he countered.

               "Why?" She snapped a new notebook closed. "Why do you want to go so bad?"

               The explanation got caught in AJ's throat as he watched Annabeth. "I, well, Violet. 'Cause there's something going on, and I want to know she's okay."

               The daughter of Athena gave him a cautious look. "Violet also wouldn't want you getting yourself in danger."

               AJ only rolled his eyes. "That's rich of Violet to want considering how much danger she gets herself in."

               Annabeth shrugged as a small smile quirked on her lips. "I can tell Chiron you're going," she offered, grabbing some scrolls and her notebook. "Besides, I need to tell him some things."

               Before she could Cabin Six, AJ reached out. "You haven't said anything about Violet to him, have you?"

               Annabeth sighed like this was a question she was mulling over herself. "Chiron knows something's up with Violet, especially now that Percy's back and she isn't. But ... I don't know if he knows what we know."

               "Your idea that she found the Labyrinth, and this gut feeling Violet had all last winter." AJ nodded. "Is it possible that he does know? That Violet was telling him all this so they could try and find some answers together?"

               "I doubt it." The daughter of Athena shook her head. "Chiron would've said something to me, especially if he thinks it has something to do with this quest."

               AJ crossed his arms and looked at all the scrolls Annabeth had pulled down. "I'm going with you," he insisted.

               Annabeth nodded. "But you know what happens in the Labyrinth," she warned him.

               "Yeah," he agreed. "But if I can shove it to Luke and help Violet, I'll deal with it."

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The next morning, which came much too soon, AJ met Annabeth and Argus past the crest of Half-Blood Hill and on the road. He didn't say Good morning, it would feel ... weird. Weird because they were about to descend into the Labyrinth. Percy arrived not too long after, and they started their trek into New York City.

               AJ, Annabeth, and Percy didn't talk much in the van. Argus never spoke, probably because he had eyes all over his body, including—so AJ has heard—at the tip of his tongue, and he didn't like to show that off.