002

                                    

                                          


Nothing caps off the perfect morning like a long taxi ride with Percy Jackson.
Percy had tried to talk to me, but I didn't know how to respond. I didn't even know how to feel. A swirl of emotions rose up inside me—jealousy, insecurity, and that gnawing doubt I hated so much. Why does it bother me so much?  I told myself it shouldn't matter, that Percy was just Rachel's friend, but seeing him so comfortable with her made me feel like I was suddenly on the outside looking in. I hated how it made me feel vulnerable, like maybe I wasn't as special to him as I wanted to be. Maybe I was wrong about us.
"Any word on Luke?" He asked, probably trying to start conversation.
I shook my head. Over the summer, Percy and I had only exchanged a handful of Iris messages—quick, rushed conversations that never seemed long enough. I tried not to let it bother me, but now, seeing him in person again, I couldn't help but notice how much he'd changed. Percy had grown taller, his features sharper, more confident. His sea-green eyes still sparkled mischievously, and the way his hair fell messily across his forehead only made him more handsome. And that smirk—he flashed it at me like he knew exactly what he was doing. It was making it incredibly hard to stay mad at him, no matter how much I wanted to hold onto my frustration.
"Annabeth said Mount Tam is still overrun with monsters," I said. "She didn't dare go close, but I don't think Luke is up there. She said that she would know if he was."
Over the break, Annabeth and I had grown closer, even though we only communicated through Iris messages. What started as quick updates about camp and quests evolved into longer, late-night conversations where we confided in each other about boys, girls, hopes, dreams, you name it. 
Percy sighed. "What about Grover?"
"He's at camp," I said. "We'll see him today."
"Did he have any luck? I mean, with the search for Pan?"
"We'll see," I said. 

As we headed through Brooklyn, we made some calls. Off of the secret phone my mother had gifted me, we both called our parents to explain the situation.  Half-bloods try not to use cell phones if we can avoid it, because broadcasting our voices is like sending up a flare to the monsters: Here I am! Please eat me now! But we figured these calls were important. I told my dad I was fine, he shouldn't worry, but we were going to stay at camp until things cooled down. I told Annabeth that we were coming- she had arrived a few days prior.
We rode in silence after that. The city melted away until we were off the expressway and rolling through the countryside of northern Long Island, past orchards and wineries and fresh produce stands.
I stared at the phone number Rachel Elizabeth Dare had scrawled on Percy's hand. I knew it was crazy, but I got a tug in my gut just looking at it. The way she grabbed his arm? You don't have to be a kid of Aphrodite to know that friends don't do that. 
The taxi exited on Route 25A. We headed through the woods along the North Shore until a low ridge of hills appeared on our left. Percy told the driver to pull over on Farm Road 3.141, at the base of Half-Blood Hill.
The driver frowned. "There ain't nothing here, sir. You sure you want out?"
"Yes, please," Percy handed him a roll of mortal cash, and the driver decided not to argue.
The son of Poseidon and I hiked to the crest of the hill. The young guardian dragon was dozing, coiled around the pine tree, but he lifted his coppery head as we approached and let Percy scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out his nostrils like from a teakettle, and he went cross-eyed with pleasure.