memory (hiatus)

Chapter 14: Ice Cream, Chilling Chilling

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, Rick Riordan does. My plot is mine.

Piper's POV:

"So she didn't tell you for four years?!"

Piper winced at the volume, lowering it down a bit on the phone. "Yes, Lacy."

Even though Lacy's scarf and dress were blurry through the connection, her voice was just as exuberant.

"Wait, does that mean you guys are cousins?" Annabeth said, taking another bite of ice cream.

"I guess so," Piper said. 

Lacy tossed her long blond hair. "Well, you're probably a better cousin than Drew is."

Piper shrugged. "At least there's that." 

"Okay, I have to go now," Lacy said. Piper could recognize the archway of the school gate coming up. "I promise, I will get the notes to you for all the classes. Bye!"

Piper waved "Bye!"

Lacy hung up, and Piper relaxed into the couch. "I can't believe we have to stay at home!"

Annabeth nodded. After the party, and the second kidnapping, they'd stayed until the satyrs and police had checked everybody, eventually deciding that the perpetrator was long gone. Almost everyone was allowed to go, except all of the Olympian kids. Which included Piper now too. Only those at college were allowed to go back.

And now, apparently Aphrodite got to have Piper living in her house, which was totally unfair. How could she just walk back into her life after being out of it for so long? 

The grounding apparently was 'for their protection.' But honestly! They had to stay home from school too, and all their assignments would be sent to them. 

But for now, Piper and Annabeth were chilling in Annabeth's room, eating ice cream. 

"Can I have a bit of the banana caramel?" Piper said. 

Annabeth handed her a spoon. "Sure. Maybe we can get Argus to get us some more ice cream, because we're going to run out soon."

Piper spooned a bite of caramel goodness. "Yeah. Um, mint chip, chocolate, vanilla, peppermint,  bourbon truffle... honestly, I could write a mile long list of ice cream we need." 

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah. I mean, we should probably do more than just eat ice cream though. Our assignments won't come till tonight, so we should try to do something."

Piper shrugged. "Well.... who would want to kidnap your mom or Hera?" 

Annabeth jumped to her feet, and grabbed a piece of paper. "Um... well a lot of people. There was that lawsuit a while back, maybe Kronos and the Titans, though they should be dead.... um, anybody who just wants to be rich."

"Have they put out a ransom yet?" Piper asked, remembering all the things she'd learned from spy movies. 

Annabeth shook her head. "No contact at all. We don't know who did this, or their reasons. We don't even know if the kidnappings are connected."

Piper started to braid her hair, just because, why not? "They have to be. I mean, how can they not?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "Yeah they probably are. So, who the perpetrators could be i-"

Ding! Piper recognized the sound as the doorbell of Athena's house. Annabeth peered out of the window as they'd been instructed to do. "It's just the boys."

Ah, right. The boys were scouring all the houses for ice cream, with Hazel to babysit them, despite Hazel being the youngest one there. 

Piper finished her two braids, and they dashed down the stairs. Annabeth opened the door, letting in everybody. "What did you find?"