After the whole thing with Grover I haven’t been in the best mood. I keep more of a distance from Percy too, actually the only time I talk to him really is when I teach him Ancient Greek every morning. Even then, I would just listen to him read and watch him write and when we were done I'd just walk away One thing that I knew was, he was getting on my nerves. He had a major quest coming up for him and he’s not even making a plan. What’s he going to do, wing it? Not with me coming he’s not. So, I-being the nice person I am- plan every night for this thing, and I write everything I think of down. But what’s Percy doing? A whole lot of nothing. One morning while teaching him Ancient Greek I was in a bad mood more than over because my half sister Lauren kept me all night with her boy troubles. Finally at four in the morning I told her to ask an Aphrodite girl and shut out the lights. Anyway, Percy was reading, and stuttering, and reading, and stuttering and I was glaring and huffing and puffing, and glaring and huffing and puffing. I almost told him that I just couldn’t take it and that he needed a new teacher, but then it was time to get the Athena cabin to line up for lunch. Saved by the bell, kid, I thought to myself.
“Quest… Poseidon?... Dirty rotten… Got to make a plan.” I walked away muttering, and thinking about how I am teaching him Greek, and making a plan for him, and how he was lucky to have me go on this quest, but what does he do for me in return? Nada. Zip. Zero. I know, that’s probably selfish sounding, but I can get mad once in a while, couldn’t I?
That night I was sitting on my bed, listening to Secrets by OneRepublic because music equals motivation, and there was a knock at the door. I got up and walked over to open it because I was there alone. I opened the door and there was Luke standing there.
“Hey, Annabeth. Uh, I have a few questions.” I smiled hesitantly and walked out onto the porch.
“Ask away.” I told him.
“You’re going on the quest right?”
“Well, Chiron said I could-.”
“So you are?”
“Yes.”
“You probably want to know this then.”
“What? What is it?” I asked him, wanting him to get to the point.
“Clarisse showed me a newspaper article that she was about to give to Percy, as some cruel revenge or something, but anyway… uh… It’s about him. And apparently everyone in New York thinks Percy’s a crazy kid who caused his mother disappearance, or death, and I want you to be careful. Stay as far away as New York as you can, and don’t trust anyone. Cops are very tricky and can lore you into many traps to get information. So anyway… just be careful out there.”
I looked up at him who was looking at me playing with my shoes. I blushed, Luke cared about my safety.
“Thanks for the warning Luke, I- I will.” I managed. He smiled.
“And keep Percy on a short leash that kid doesn’t know of the word limitations. He’ll do anything and everything to get what he truly wants.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Thanks again Luke.” He nodded and turned back walking towards the Hermes cabin. I thought about what Luke told me. He’ll do anything and everything to get what he truly wants… What did he mean by that?
I went to bed that night, thinking about that night of capture the flag. Everybody thought Clarisse summoned the hell-hound, but why would she bother going to beat him up if she did? Well, we are talking about Clarisse here… she’s pretty stupid, I thought. But I think I was just trying to convince myself it was her, because I didn’t want to know the truth.
I was in a rush in the morning because I woke up pretty late. Grover came and woke me up saying Percy was being told about the quest in a few hours and that I should be there. First of all, I thought Percy already knew about that quest, and second of all, I fell back asleep and slept two more hours. It was 10:00 as I rushed and threw on a pair of jean shorts, a plain white tank top, my Adidas. Of course my hair was a rat’s nest so it took about ten minutes to comb that thing out, and I had to brush my teeth. I wanted to be there when he went up to consult the Oracle.
I got out the door just in time to see Chiron standing in front of the big house looking up at the attic window.
“Hello Chiron.” I said taking off my Yankees cap and smiling.
“Hello, my dear.” He said never taking his eyes off the window.
“He’s up there.”
“Yes, and I am very worried. The Oracle always has two meanings, and campers who confront the Oracle always think of the worst. I just hope he’s different.”
“So, can I still go on the quest? I’ve been planning and everything.”
“Even though, I would rather you not, I said you could, and I’m not going to take that away.”
“Thank you again, so much Chiron. This means the world to me.”
“You’re very welcome again Annabeth. You deserve this, more than anybody.” He told me, still keeping his gaze on the attic window.
I started pacing because Percy was taking a pretty long time. After about another ten minutes I ask Chiron a question.
“Do you think he’s had enough training?” I asked, looking down afraid of the answer I was going to receive. He finally looked down for the first time in about 15 minutes and shook his head.
“It’s not the training I’m afraid of. It’s the reason I think he’s going on this quest for that I’m worried about.”
“What do you mean? He’s going to help his father and prove his innocence.”
“No, I think he’s going to retrieve his mother.” My eyes bulged; Percy really couldn’t get his hopes up like that. She was dead, and even if she wasn’t, bargaining with Hades was next to impossible.
“He can’t me that naïve.” I told Chiron.
“His mother could still possibly be alive-.”
“But he can’t bargain with Hades. That’s not even a possibility.”
“I know, but impossible isn’t in the vocabulary of Perseus Jackson.” Chiron said looking back up at the window. I knew that he was right; I just didn’t want Percy getting high hopes about this.
Percy finally came down, but I didn’t want him to think I was stalking him or anything so I took my Yankees cap out of my pocket and put it on quickly. He looked like a zombie coming out of the Big house, and he kept muttering something about friends. What did he mean? I have no clue. Percy collapsed into the chair by the pinochle table and sighed.
“Well?” Chiron asked Percy. Grover stuffed a few cans in his mouths and said.
“That’s great!” Chiron didn’t look impressed.
“What did the Oracle say exactly? This is important.” Percy shook his head like he was trying to erase a bad memory.
“She… she said I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned.”
“I knew it,” Grover said, stuffing more cans into his mouth. Chiron was still looking for more. “Anything else?” Percy just shook his head and stared at Chiron like he didn’t know what to say. He should know what to say, he was the one up there.
“No,” He finally said. “That’s about it.” I could see the doubt showing on his face, but that might just be from confronting the Oracle, which was a pretty nerve racking thing.
“Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle’s words often have double meanings. Don’t dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass.” I could tell Chiron knew Percy was holding something back that happened up in that attic, and I hated not knowing every detail.
Chiron looked over to where I was staring and met eye contact with me; I don’t know how because I was invisible, but his face told me I should go away for a while. I decided I’d go plan a bit more and come back in a few minutes. I didn’t want to miss anything.
I ran back to my cabin and took off my cap while opening the door. The smell of lavender and vanilla hit me; the way the Athena cabin always smelled, and I went to slump onto my bed and I sighed. I didn’t like to admit it, so don’t tell anyone about this, but I am a little bit nervous about this quest. I mean, the gods would probably be watching over us the whole time, and Athena seeing me with seaweed brain… probably wouldn’t be a very good thing. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from going on this quest, no way in Hades, but it is a little scary when you know gods are probably watching every step you take. And they’re probably one step ahead of you too.
“Quest… Poseidon?... Dirty rotten… Got to make a plan.” I walked away muttering, and thinking about how I am teaching him Greek, and making a plan for him, and how he was lucky to have me go on this quest, but what does he do for me in return? Nada. Zip. Zero. I know, that’s probably selfish sounding, but I can get mad once in a while, couldn’t I?
That night I was sitting on my bed, listening to Secrets by OneRepublic because music equals motivation, and there was a knock at the door. I got up and walked over to open it because I was there alone. I opened the door and there was Luke standing there.
“Hey, Annabeth. Uh, I have a few questions.” I smiled hesitantly and walked out onto the porch.
“Ask away.” I told him.
“You’re going on the quest right?”
“Well, Chiron said I could-.”
“So you are?”
“Yes.”
“You probably want to know this then.”
“What? What is it?” I asked him, wanting him to get to the point.
“Clarisse showed me a newspaper article that she was about to give to Percy, as some cruel revenge or something, but anyway… uh… It’s about him. And apparently everyone in New York thinks Percy’s a crazy kid who caused his mother disappearance, or death, and I want you to be careful. Stay as far away as New York as you can, and don’t trust anyone. Cops are very tricky and can lore you into many traps to get information. So anyway… just be careful out there.”
I looked up at him who was looking at me playing with my shoes. I blushed, Luke cared about my safety.
“Thanks for the warning Luke, I- I will.” I managed. He smiled.
“And keep Percy on a short leash that kid doesn’t know of the word limitations. He’ll do anything and everything to get what he truly wants.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Thanks again Luke.” He nodded and turned back walking towards the Hermes cabin. I thought about what Luke told me. He’ll do anything and everything to get what he truly wants… What did he mean by that?
I went to bed that night, thinking about that night of capture the flag. Everybody thought Clarisse summoned the hell-hound, but why would she bother going to beat him up if she did? Well, we are talking about Clarisse here… she’s pretty stupid, I thought. But I think I was just trying to convince myself it was her, because I didn’t want to know the truth.
I was in a rush in the morning because I woke up pretty late. Grover came and woke me up saying Percy was being told about the quest in a few hours and that I should be there. First of all, I thought Percy already knew about that quest, and second of all, I fell back asleep and slept two more hours. It was 10:00 as I rushed and threw on a pair of jean shorts, a plain white tank top, my Adidas. Of course my hair was a rat’s nest so it took about ten minutes to comb that thing out, and I had to brush my teeth. I wanted to be there when he went up to consult the Oracle.
I got out the door just in time to see Chiron standing in front of the big house looking up at the attic window.
“Hello Chiron.” I said taking off my Yankees cap and smiling.
“Hello, my dear.” He said never taking his eyes off the window.
“He’s up there.”
“Yes, and I am very worried. The Oracle always has two meanings, and campers who confront the Oracle always think of the worst. I just hope he’s different.”
“So, can I still go on the quest? I’ve been planning and everything.”
“Even though, I would rather you not, I said you could, and I’m not going to take that away.”
“Thank you again, so much Chiron. This means the world to me.”
“You’re very welcome again Annabeth. You deserve this, more than anybody.” He told me, still keeping his gaze on the attic window.
I started pacing because Percy was taking a pretty long time. After about another ten minutes I ask Chiron a question.
“Do you think he’s had enough training?” I asked, looking down afraid of the answer I was going to receive. He finally looked down for the first time in about 15 minutes and shook his head.
“It’s not the training I’m afraid of. It’s the reason I think he’s going on this quest for that I’m worried about.”
“What do you mean? He’s going to help his father and prove his innocence.”
“No, I think he’s going to retrieve his mother.” My eyes bulged; Percy really couldn’t get his hopes up like that. She was dead, and even if she wasn’t, bargaining with Hades was next to impossible.
“He can’t me that naïve.” I told Chiron.
“His mother could still possibly be alive-.”
“But he can’t bargain with Hades. That’s not even a possibility.”
“I know, but impossible isn’t in the vocabulary of Perseus Jackson.” Chiron said looking back up at the window. I knew that he was right; I just didn’t want Percy getting high hopes about this.
Percy finally came down, but I didn’t want him to think I was stalking him or anything so I took my Yankees cap out of my pocket and put it on quickly. He looked like a zombie coming out of the Big house, and he kept muttering something about friends. What did he mean? I have no clue. Percy collapsed into the chair by the pinochle table and sighed.
“Well?” Chiron asked Percy. Grover stuffed a few cans in his mouths and said.
“That’s great!” Chiron didn’t look impressed.
“What did the Oracle say exactly? This is important.” Percy shook his head like he was trying to erase a bad memory.
“She… she said I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned.”
“I knew it,” Grover said, stuffing more cans into his mouth. Chiron was still looking for more. “Anything else?” Percy just shook his head and stared at Chiron like he didn’t know what to say. He should know what to say, he was the one up there.
“No,” He finally said. “That’s about it.” I could see the doubt showing on his face, but that might just be from confronting the Oracle, which was a pretty nerve racking thing.
“Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle’s words often have double meanings. Don’t dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass.” I could tell Chiron knew Percy was holding something back that happened up in that attic, and I hated not knowing every detail.
Chiron looked over to where I was staring and met eye contact with me; I don’t know how because I was invisible, but his face told me I should go away for a while. I decided I’d go plan a bit more and come back in a few minutes. I didn’t want to miss anything.
I ran back to my cabin and took off my cap while opening the door. The smell of lavender and vanilla hit me; the way the Athena cabin always smelled, and I went to slump onto my bed and I sighed. I didn’t like to admit it, so don’t tell anyone about this, but I am a little bit nervous about this quest. I mean, the gods would probably be watching over us the whole time, and Athena seeing me with seaweed brain… probably wouldn’t be a very good thing. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from going on this quest, no way in Hades, but it is a little scary when you know gods are probably watching every step you take. And they’re probably one step ahead of you too.
