Side by Side: A Percabeth story [ON HOLD]

3 - Pizza

   "So how was canoeing?" I asked Percy when he got back, looking disgruntled and wet, which was very unusual for him.

   "Absolutely horrible," he replied, which made me do a double take. A son of Poseidon . . . saying canoeing went horribly? "The coach yelled at me for not being on time -- I was 43 seconds late -- and then I kept falling. The last time I fell, I forgot to turn on my being-dry power, and when I got out I was cold and wet and ARGH!" He punched the ground, leaving a Percy's fist-sized crater in the dirt. Let me tell you -- you did not want to trip over that hole. It was about a foot deep and six inches in diameter. Yep -- Percy's fist-sized.

   "Uh . . . how can I help you?" I was a bit scared now, since Percy was hardly ever like this unless he was fighting something or someone. When he wasn't fighting, he was usually calm, cool, and collected. Right now, he was not calm, cool, or collected. At all.

   He sighed heavily. "Sorry, Annabeth. It's not your fault. It's just annoying." Looking longingly at the mess hall, he added, "The coach said that since I was late, I don't get to have lunch."

   I was shocked to hear this. "What? Chiron would never hire someone like that! What was the coach's name? We need to report this right now!"

   "Whoa, whoa, Annabeth, calm down," he replied, patting me on the back. "It's alright. I had a big breakfast. Besides, Chiron's probably getting ready for lunch. There's no need to bother him now." Sure enough, right after he said that, the lunch bell rang and campers streamed from their cabins to get some food.

   I still wasn't reassured. "Promise you'll help me tell him later?" I demanded fiercely. "Swear it on the River Styx."

   He chuckled half-heartedly. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. I swear it on the River Styx."

   "You know those aren't promises to be made freely, right? You're bound by the Styx now."

   "Yes, I know. Goodness, Annabeth, you sound like my mom," he replied, giving me a little push toward the mess hall. "You go eat lunch. Afterward, we'll try to find Chiron in some of his free time at the Big House."

   "Okay, all right," I grumbled. "But it's gotta be soon."

   He shoved me even more in the direction of food. "Bye!"

***

   Near the end of lunch, I took a paper napkin and carefully unfolded it, placing three rolls and a bit of pizza inside. As I folded it back up, I scoured the hall for peepers, looking to see if anyone had noticed me taking extra food. Nobody was looking in my direction, so I tucked my makeshift bundle into my shirt, making it look like I had a potbelly. Sadly, it was the only way to carry the food inconspicuously.

   I approached the Poseidon cabin stealthily and quickly rapped on the door, whisper-shouting, "Let me in! We need to discuss some things," and peeking through the window, motioning grandly toward the door, eyes wide. Finally, the door opened and a hungry-looking Percy gazed out.

   "Are you here to talk about Chiron?" he asked, ruffling his unkempt hair.

   "Yeah. And, for the record, Percy? 'I had a big breakfast and I'm not hungry' doesn't really go with your appearance," I noted, giving him a reproachful look.

   He grumbled a few words that would've had him cleaning the stables for a month if Chiron had heard him. Then he apparently noticed my fat stomach. "Did you eat too much, Annabeth? You look like you have a potbelly," he replied, his eyebrows knit in confusion. "Something wrong?"

   "No, not at all, Seaweed Brain. Here," I said as I removed the parcel of mess hall scraps from under my shirt, placing it in his hands. "You obviously need food, and I brought some for you. There are three rolls and a slice of pizza in there. Eat up."

   He immediately tore into it, grabbing a roll and stuffing it into his mouth like the world was ending. In seconds, all the rolls were gone and the pizza was reduced to a doomed crust heading toward Percy's open jaws.

   "Oh gods, you're going to make yourself sick," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Even Polyphemus probably didn't eat satyrs that fast."

   His mouth stuffed full of crust, he replied, "Eh, fuh owie he uh ih uh oh wuh eetsa uz." He chewed and swallowed, correcting himself, "Sorry. Yeah, but Polyphemus didn't know what pizza was."

   "Anyway, let's go down to the Big House and talk to Chiron. He'll explain why your coach sentenced you to such a horrible fate," I replied sarcastically. "Maybe he'll give you another box of pizza, too."

   Percy nodded enthusiastically. "Annabeth, you're the best!"

   I blushed. "No time for praise. Let's go, before Chiron eats all the pizza he has."

   That got Percy sprinting at full speed toward the Big House to go confront Chiron and his pizza.