When Sun Meets the Sea ~ PJO 1

~08~

        ~Annabeth's POV

        Annabeth was glad to stretch her legs before going on the bus. Argus had dropped them off at the bus stop and sped back to camp a while ago and now Annabeth, Andie, Percy, and Grover were waiting for said bus. It was pouring while they waited, and Annabeth found herself growing impatient. 

        "Want to play so Hacky Sack?" She asked and Andie grew her infamous sly grin that Annabeth knew all too well. 

        "Is that even a question?" Andie replied before grabbing hold of Grover who yelped but allowed her to dig through his bag. Andie brought her hand out with a singular apple and shrugged while she tossed it in the air and caught it again. "This will work."

        Annabeth and Andie played Hacky Sack every day, so the two of them were much better than Percy and Grover but Percy wasn't too bad. Annabeth bounced the apple off her knee to Andie who bounced it off her elbow to Percy who bounced it off his shoulder to Grover but sadly the game ended at that because the apple got a little too close to Grover's mouth and in one large bite, the Hacky Sack disappeared completely. 

        The kids froze for a moment and Grover began to apologize before he was interrupted by Annabeth, Andie, and Percy all bursting out laughing. Andie held her face in her hands as her body convulsed which only made Annabeth and Percy laugh harder. 

        Shortly after their laughing fits had come to a close, the bus finally came. Annabeth was in the front of their group as they waited in line, she noticed that Grover had been sniffing the air and she heard Percy and him mumbling to each other about something, but she shrugged it off. She felt like something was off, but she needed to stay vigilant and think of a plan. Just like a daughter of Athena would do. 

         Annabeth was relieved when they finally got on board and found their seats together in the back of the bus. Andie and Grover sat in the window seats and Annabeth and Percy sat in the aisle seats, and Annabeth rested her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh as the bus took off. 

        "Hero's quests are world-defining events. They have made and broken empires...altered the course of human civilization...changed the balance of power on Olympus. A quest is a sacred thing. And to be charged with one is to be in conversation with the gods themselves." Grover explained a little while later and right after that a toilet flushed and the man that used it, coughed loudly before exiting and going back to his seat. 

        "There is no way this is what sacred smells like," Percy said with a disgusted look on his face that made Annabeth roll her eyes. 

        "We're soldiers on a mission. It's not a vacation." Annabeth replied. 

        "It's a stinky mission," Andie muttered and Annabeth elbowed her. "I'm just saying!"

        "Look, if this is so important, why didn't Chiron spring for plane tickets? This seems kind of low priority, doesn't it?" Percy asked and the other three looked at him like he was an idiot. Which he was. 

        Finally, Grover spoke up. "Sorry, I assumed someone had told you." 

        "Tell me what?" 

        "Percy, it isn't just the monsters who are going to be trying to stop us. You're a forbidden child. Zeus might decide to take a shot at you himself." Grover said and Annabeth nodded along. "The sky is his domain. We'd be serving you up on a silver platter to try to travel through it."

        "Yeah, no one mentioned that," Percy said as the bus pulled into a gas station and stopped so that people could use the bathroom, get snacks, etc. 

        "Okay, I'm going to go get us some snacks." Annabeth said, standing up in her seat. 

        "I'll come with you." Percy said as he tried to stand but Annabeth pushed him back into his seat. 

        "No, you'll stay right there." 

        "Why? It smells terrible back here." 

        "Monsters can't smell you through that, so that's where I want you." Annabeth said sternly before turning to Andie who had stood up also. "You too, sit." 

        "Aw, man." Andie pouted as she sat back down, crossing her arms like a child. 

        "I want to vote." Percy demanded and Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Who thinks that we should all go get to breathe fresh air and buy our own snacks?" 

        Percy raised his hand but when he looked to Grover, he shook his head and when he looked to Andie, she was avoiding his gaze by pretending to read her travel guide, but Annabeth knew she was faking because it was upside down. 

        "There's no voting. Chips and sodas okay for you guys?" Annabeth asked. 

        "And gummy bears." Andie pipped up and Annabeth smile at her with a nod, but Percy was still upset with the 'no voting'. 

        "I don't think you should just get to decide we don't vote." He complained. 

        "I'm sorry to hear that." Annabeth spoke, even though she wasn't really sorry she just wanted Percy to stop having a temper tantrum and let her go get their snacks. 

        "Okay. I want to vote on whether you get to decide we don't vote." Percy countered. 

        "Oh, for the mother of-

        "Oh, golly, the road's gettin' bumpy 'cause I got me some friends who just can't get along." Grover cut Andie off as he began to sing, and Annabeth stared at him with disbelief. "Oh, dear! When the team's gettin' grumpy the trick to gettin' through it is singin' this song." 

        "Dude, what are you doing?" Percy asked, very confused. 

        "It's the consensus song." Grover said simply. "Verse two encourages us to say nice things about each other. You get a few rounds in, and you'd be amazed at how disagreements just kind of...fade away." 

        Annabeth stared at Grover unamused which caused him to bow his head, but she could hear Andie murmuring the consensus song to herself in her seat as she wrote in her notebook. 

        "Chips and sodas okay for you guys?" Annabeth asked again. 

        "Whatever."

        "Yes, please."

        "Gummy bears too." 

        "Okay." Annabeth nodded at all of them before making her way off of the bus and into the gas station. 

        She went around the store, grabbing all the snacks that she wanted, and she found herself grabbing a bit too much, but she didn't really care. She made her way to the cash register and the cashier gave her an odd look but began scanning everything. Annabeth waited patiently as she scanned everything and everything was good until Annabeth felt a presence behind her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing an old woman but she knew immediately what she was. 

        A fury. Alecto to be exact.