𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗘! 𝙥. 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 ¹

Impromptu Swim Courtesy of Yours Truly

CHAPTER TWO: LYDIA

"He's not my real brother!" Percy protested whenever Tyson wasn't around. "He's more like a half-brother on the monstrous side of the family. Like ... a half-brother twice removed, or something."

Nobody bought it.

Lydia felt bad for Percy, she really did but she couldn't do much but keep him company and feed into his delusions.

Annabeth tried to make him feel better. She suggested they team up for the chariot race. This didn't go over well with Lydia.

"What, so you're going to leave me to team up with Nick?!" Lydia said, crossing her arms. Her glare pierced right through them.

"What's wrong with Nick?" Annabeth asked, taking a seat on the ground and pulling out her tattered notebook.

"He sucks at everything!" Lydia complained.

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Percy added, sitting down as well. "You're just being dramatic."

Lydia scoffed. "Me? Dramatic?"

Percy scratched his head. Did he say something wrong?

"I'm gonna get smote." Lydia pouted. "Smited?"

"Ooh, who taught you that word?" Annabeth whistled. She hadn't looked up from her notebook. "It's smote, by the way. You were right the first time."

"The good news is that you two can finally try to get along."

"We get along just fine," Annabeth replied, still engrossed in her illegible notes. "Don't we, Percy?"

Percy made a face. "Uh huh."

Lydia snorted, prompting Annabeth to look up.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." Percy grinned, looking at Lydia.

Interactions like this were common. Just Percy and Lydia in their own world, while Annabeth did her own thing. At first it bothered her, it felt like she had to fight for their attention. But it didn't feel that way anymore, they were a trio and she knew Percy and Lydia cared about her more than they'd like to admit.

"Well, I have practice. Let's meet up later." Annabeth said, interrupting their debate about whether or not pineapples should be allowed on pizza.

And with that the three demigods went their separate ways.

⊹₊｡ꕤ°₊⊹

The next morning, Lydia invited herself to sit with Annabeth and Percy on the pier while they sketched chariot designs—she promised she wouldn't plagiarize their design—when some jokers from Aphrodite's cabin walked by and asked Percy if he needed to borrow some eyeliner for his eye..."Oh sorry, eyes."

As they walked away, laughing, Lydia said, "Should I go beat them up for you, Percy? I'll make sure they can't wear any eyeliner for the next few weeks."

"Uh," Percy pulled her back down as she was getting up. She was pounding her fist into her palm. "That's okay. Thanks."

Annabeth grumbled, "Just ignore them, Percy. It isn't your fault you have a monster for a brother."

Lydia shrugged and sat back down. She laid on her back again when Percy had refused her generous offer. She'd closed her eyes, basking in the sun, when Percy and Annabeth's quiet murmuring turned into a full-blown argument.

"He's not my brother!" Percy snapped. "And he's not a monster, either!"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Hey, don't get mad at me! And technically, he is a monster."