Percy Jackson - Christmas 2

Okay, now you think, But haven't you just said you don't like Jason? Well, it's true, I don't like him very much, but still, having the Roman camp attacked was something serious and I needed to warn someone. That camp was better protected than Camp Half-Blood. If an army of monsters, even a little one, had infiltrated there, we had a problem. Chiron needed to know it.
    I got up and looked in my drawer searching for a dracma. I looked under my bed, in my coat's pockets, but I didn't find any. How could I not have a dracma? I always kept one for emergencies. I looked at the clock: it was almost midnight. I couldn't just go rummaging through the house, because it would wake up my mom and Paul, and I would have to explain why I needed to talk with Chiron, and it would let her worried and they wouldn't travel anymore. And I didn't want to mess up their vacation.
    I sat down in bed trying to think, but I wasn't good with it. I thought about Annabeth and about calling her, but this I couldn't do either. The coordinator of her boarding school would squeal me by the phone for calling so late at night. Great. I hate not being able to do anything.
    I tried to go back to sleep, but of course I couldn't. I got up at seven o'clock and went to eat breakfast. I found Paul in the kitchen.
    – Your mom is still sleeping – he said as he passed me the milk.
    I wasn't paying much attention. I wasn't exactly fan of the Romans, but I couldn't ignore what happened – or was happening. And without any dracma at home, I couldn't warn the camp.
    – Percy – Paul said worried –, are you okay? Your face is horrible.
    – What? – I said. – Oh. No, no. It's... it's nothing.
    He should have noticed I wasn't okay, because he didn't ask me anything for a while. He just opened his mouth after five minutes.
    – You're not angry with us for travel, are you?
    – No – I said with sincerity. – I'm not angry or anything. It's just that, you know, I could stay home...
    He laughed a little.
    – I don't think your mom would let you and Annabeth stay alone here for a week. She's a bit... protective.
    I felt my face burn. I pretended to be interested in my cereal.
    – Anyway – Paul said –, she doesn't want both of you to be alone either – I looked at him with a glare like, What you mean? What does she think we're gonna do? He soon added – No, no; not in that way. She feels guilty for leaving you here and she doesn't want you to be alone, so she wants to send you to the camp – he stopped for a while, thinking, and finally said – I think you'd better go. It would take a load of her back.
    I finished eating my cereal silently while thinking. Of course, spending Christmas at camp should be cool and everything, but... it wasn't exactly what I wanted. I wanted to prove that I could spend a week "alone" at home without destroying it and that I was able to... Okay, I'll tell the truth.
    I didn't want to prove anything. Truly, I staying at home and inviting Annabeth to keep me company had only one objective: spend more time with her. Even though she was in New York, still supervising the Olympus's rebuilt, we didn't see each other with the often I'd like to. She was always filled with homework and had to spend much of the weekend doing it. Beyond that, she had to visit Olympus weekly to check if everything was alright. With all this, it almost didn't remain time for us to go out.
    Not that she left me behind. On the contrary, she called me every single day, and despite it becoming a bit annoying, I loved being able to hear her voice. Sometimes she sent Iris messages, but it only made me miss her even more. Her voice and her image didn't compensate her presence, being able to touch and hug her. It had been almost three weeks since we didn't meet – I know, she's on holiday, but she spent two weeks at her dad's house in San Francisco and spent the last week in Olympus; she had just come back two days before and the coordinator didn't let her go out – and I was going crazy.
    I know that at camp we'd be able to spend lot of time together, but it's not the same thing. I wanted to spend some time with her, but alone. And I knew that at camp I would have no peace, mainly after I said everything about the Roman camp. Or it would be Chiron sending me to California to help them, or he'd be pestering me about what it could be, or the seahorses wouldn't leave me alone and I'd spend more time under water than out of it, or... well, you got it.
    Here in New York no one would be bothering us. We'd have one whole week just for us e she could even stay for New Year. It'd be great. But my mom had to insist and take Annabeth and me to the camp on Wednesday.
    – Take care – she said while she was hugging Annabeth.
    – We'll be okay, Mrs. Jackson – Annabeth said.
    Her expression relieved. It always happens when Annabeth says something like this, because mom thinks when it goes out of her mouth, it's more reliable.
    She hugged me tight and said:
    – Bye Percy. Don't do anything stupid.
    – I won't – I said.
    – Sure you'll be okay?
    – Mom, really, it's okay. Nothing will happen.
    She nodded and went back to the car, but before she could go in I called her.
    – Mom? – she turned. – Merry Christmas.
    She smiled.
    – Merry Christmas, honey – and she got in the car.
    Paul waved from inside the car and accelerated.
    Annabeth rested her head on my shoulder and I hugged her. Then I couldn't stand it anymore. I hadn't seen her for three weeks, which looked like an eternity. I turned her to me while I put one hand on her waist.
    – So – she said as she hugged my neck –, did you miss me, Seaweed Brain?
    I smiled.
    – You've no idea how much. Why did you have to stay in Olympus last week?
    She took a deep breath.
    – Some Aphrodite statues broke and, well, she wasn't very happy about it. I had to stay there to supervise and make sure no other statue would be broken. Sorry.
    – I was going crazy. I don't care if Aphrodite stays with minus two or three statues, but this was right after you got back from San Francisco and...
    – I know – she interrupted me. – I'm sorry. I couldn't do much if my father wanted me to stay there with him.
    – I spent three weeks without seeing you.
    She giggled and came closer to me.
    – It's not fun – I said. – I missed you.
    – I missed you too, Seaweed Brain – she said and kissed me.
    I could have stayed there forever, but demigods also need air. We stopped kissing, but remained hugged; and I wouldn't let go her for a long time, but I heard someone going down the hill running and I turned.
    It was Piper. She went down hurried and I was afraid she'd fall at any time, but fortunately she reached us without rolling downhill.
    – Hi! – she said. – Good you arrived. Chiron wants to talk to you.
    – It's like... urgent? It has to be now? – I asked, and I saw in her eyes the answer before she opened her mouth.
    – Ah... yes.
    Annabeth looked at me worried, but I didn't move.
    – It has something... – I began. – Does it have something to do with the Romans?
    Piper looked at me impressed.
    – H-how did you know?
    – Guess – I said while grabbing my bag and Annabeth's and running uphill.