PJO Magazine Issue #14 - December 2016

05 | One Shot (jungle321jungle) 'Secret Santa'

Percy folded and unfolded the slip of paper in his pocket. He looked around the store until he found a clock and frowned at the time. He had two hours before the party started and no gift to bring.

He sighed and took out the slip of paper and stared at Calypso's name on it. Why had he gotten her of all people for secret Santa? The girl who nursed him back to health and then broke her heart, and the girl who had cursed him and Annabeth (though she had apologized and been forgiven). What could he buy (that was under twenty bucks) for her?

Percy stuffed the paper back in his possible and began walking around the store once more. Finding nothing he sighed and exited the store and paused considering where else in the mall he could go. What did she even like? He wondered walking by stores. He couldn't buy her clothes. He wandered confused looking for stores that he knew would have things besides clothes. Which was hard in itself with all the other last minute shoppers shoving their way by.

At least an hour had passed when Percy found himself wandering around a bookstore for something- anything which could catch his eye.

And finally something did.

It was a spiral bound book with a picture on the world on it and random pictures. He picked up and flipped through surprised to find it was a scrapbook. A travel scrapbook. Perfect. Calypso wanted to travel the world and explore and now she could record it. He smiled thumbing through the travel scrapbook as he walked to the checkout line. He glanced upward at the clock and saw he would be late to the party, but at least he had a gift now.

~~~~

Percy exited the subway and headed down the street hurriedly in the cold. He held the book tightly in his hands wishing that the stupid plastic bag hadn't broken.

He crossed a street heading home when someone crashed into him. Percy was sent to the snowy covered ground and the book flying from his grasp. He looked up to see the person who had run into him yell a quick "Sorry!" as the ran for a bus.

Percy cursed and stood his eyes looking frantically for where Calypso's present had gone. Finally he spotted it lying open in the middle street. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked around quickly before moving to grab it- but the bus got to it first.

When Percy finally got it and went back to the sidewalk he stared open mouth at the large tire marks and broken binding. Pages were ripped and the book itself was now wet. Furious Percy gripped the book tightly and marched back toward his apartment.

When he got inside he slammed the door shut and walked into the kitchen where he dumped the book in the trash.

"Problem?" His mother Sally questioned from where she stood at the stove.

"He's a teenage demigod," his stepfather Paul put in from where he sat at the kitchen table flipping through a book. "There's always a problem."

Percy ignored him. "I finally bought Calypso the perfect Secret Santa gift but some idiot ran into me and it went into a street then a bus ran over it! And I'm already late! Blackjack is probably already waiting for me on the roof, I don't have time to go back to the mall! Now what? I can't be the one person to not get their person a gift."

Sally hummed in thought before she opened some cabinets and grabbed something then headed down the hall. Percy meanwhile sunk into a chair deciding what to do. Finally, she returned and held something out to Percy which he slowly took.

"The Moonlace?" He asked her surprised.

Sally nodded. "While I'm sure she's happy to be off her island I am also sure she'd also like something familiar."

"Thanks mom! I got to go!" Percy shouted running for the door.

"Just don't drop it in a street!" Paul advised as Percy left the apartment.

~~~~

When Percy finally arrived at Camp he hurried to Bunker Nine. The door was open and he walked in carrying the Moonlace behind his back.

"You're late!" Leo shouted when he noticed Percy. "We we're gonna open gifts without you!"

Percy shrugged. "I'm here now."

Everyone grabbed the present they bought and began handing them to one another.

"Merry Christmas Percy," Frank told him drawing his attention.

Percy reached in the bag she held to pull out a plush dolphin which looked a bit crazy.

"Since I apparently turn into crazed dolphins," Frank explained.

Percy laughed. "Thanks Frank."

Frank smiled and glanced at the plant still behind Percy's back.

"You do know that you could've at least put it in a bag right?"

"I was already late," Percy shrugged. He then took a deep breath and took a few steps toward Calypso and held out the flower to her. "Merry Christmas."

Calypso's mouth dropped open. "M-my Moonlace... you still have it after all this time?"

"Well my mom took care of it, but yes."

Calypso pulled him in a quick hug. "Thank you." She smiled at the plant in her hands and gently touched its petals, and as he watched her Percy made the mental note to thank his mother a million times when he got home.