Percy Jackson One Shots and Short Stories

#11 - Montauk

Chapter 11 - Montauk
published: Monday, 17 September 2018

"Need any help with those bags?"

"No-no, I can handle it."

"Um, sure," Annabeth paused as her gaze raked her boyfriend from head to toe. While she merely had a duffel bag on her shoulder, Percy had a rucksack on his back holding his clothes, and inflated water floats in his arms. There was a tropical-patterned chair, a crocodile and a turtle float.

He staggered forward, struggling to peer over the tail of the crocodile's float. Percy's foot caught on a crack in the pavement and he pitched forward, crashing into Annabeth.

"Just give me the turtle," she growled as she steadied herself and snatched the animal floats away from him.

In front of them, Piper and Jason were walking hand in hand. Piper was wheeling a black suitcase and Jason was carrying a backpack. She had her yellow surfboard under one arm as they made their way towards the van she had rented.

School had been stressing her out lately, so Piper's dad had insisted that she take a weekend away to the beach with some of her friends. During dinner last week, Piper had brought it up, leading to Percy's suggestion that they go to his and his mother's usual cabin in Montauk for a weekend.

Hazel and Frank traipsed beside Percy and Annabeth. Both of them travelled light, so they shared a big bag that Frank hefted onto his back. Hazel was in charge of Split - their pet dog, or, well, one of Dionysus' baby panthers who had been adopted by Percy, Jason, Frank and Leo. It was a long story.

"He keeps pulling," Hazel said in frustration, yanking the leash back with both hands. Split yelped as if to say let me go! and pulled even harder, dragging a shrieking Hazel forward.

"Oh, go help her," Calypso told Leo, grabbing his bags. She had two bags, and Leo had one. "You were supposed to be in charge of Split in the first place."

"Okay, okay, calm down, Split," Leo called as he knelt down next to the panther. "Come to papa." Leo quickly unbuckled the leash from Split's collar and spread his arm for the panther to leap into.

Unsurprisingly, Split barked happily and scampered away from Leo. He ran to Annabeth and ran circles around her feet.

"Leo!" she shouted in irritation, trying not to step on Split as she held the floats in her arms. Split had gained a liking for Annabeth since he moved into the boys' apartment and always made a break for her whenever he got the chance.

"Sorry!" Leo ran forward and clipped Split's collar to the leash again. He coaxed the panther towards them so that Split walked alongside him at a slower pace.

"So, what do you and your mum usually do at Montauk?" Hazel asked Percy.

Percy thought back. He hadn't been to Montauk in a few years. "Well, usually we have a barbecue, talk, and just have fun, in general. Last time we were there, we..."

He trailed off as he remembered their last visit to the beach. Rachel had kissed him, Blackjack and Beckendorf had landed on Paul's Prius, effectively starting the Second Titan War for Percy. "Well, it was the war, but the time before that..."

Percy stopped again as he remembered that time he'd gone to Montauk with his mother. Zeus' bolt had been stolen, Grover showed up in his form as a satyr, and the Minotaur had squeezed his mother into dust.