Percy Jackson - Christmas 8

First, I couldn't move. I was frozen on my cabin's door looking at Annabeth while thinking it was not possible for to the Romans to manage to travel from California to New York in a day. Somehow, even after I had that dream of Jason saying he was coming to Camp Half-Blood, I had hoped this moment would never arrive.
    – Percy? – Annabeth asked frowning. – Are you okay?
    – Yes – I answered. – Come on, he have to welcome our guests.
    I took her hand and pulled her with me to the Half-Blood Hill. I thought I'd see at least thirty demigods there, for what I saw in my dream, but apparently or the majority left for the holidays like in our camp, or many didn't come. The point is there were only about ten, twelve. Jason was in from of everybody, and they all kept distance from Pelos, who was now completely awake and looked at them suspicious.
    – Hey, Percy – Jason said when Annabeth and I reached them. – Well, we're having some problems on our camp...
    – You were attacked by monsters – I completed.
    – Yeah... sort of. The point is that we can't stay there, so I thought of...
    – Us – I completed again.
    – Yeah. I thought maybe we could stay here for a couple of days until things cool down. Of course, if you have place to us.
    Jason smiled innocently, just like the others. I recognized most of them for the time I stayed at Camp SPQR. Reyna was there, beautiful as usual, and she was smiling more than Jason. Dakota and Bobby were there as well. Everyone was staring at me, even Annabeth, waiting for my answer.
    It was like I owned the camp. The right thing to do was calling Chiron or Mr. D and let them decide if the Romans could stay or not. But somehow I knew what would happen. Mr. D would say something like Yeah, yeah, the Roman chits are back. They must be tired because of the long journey and must be hoping we house them. As you young people say today, whatever. Chiron would say... well, actually I don't know what Chiron would say. But something was bothering me, like the burden of the decisions was on me.
    Chiron had called me when the Hunters arrived, and Artemis had looked at me when she asked if they could stay. Chiron was aside, more like a witness, like his decision was not big deal.
    Own the camp, I thought. Take important decisions. Everybody waiting for your answer. Center of the attention.
    Stop it! I replied to myself.
    I looked again at the Romans. They weren't our "enemies", there was no reason to be rude with them. They were as cool as we Greeks, with a small difference of ascendancy and a BIG difference of fighting style, but in general we weren't different. Still demigods. Still with a hard life escaping from monsters. And they had crossed the country.
    I looked at Jason. He and Thalia were very alike – not physically, because the only thing they had in common in their appearance was the blue eyes. I liked him when he wasn't shouting at me or when we weren't fighting and trying to kill each other. He passed through the same things I did, all the pressure on you to take the right decision and not to put everybody's lives in danger.
    I looked at Reyna. Don't get me wrong, I love Annabeth and only have eyes for her, but no one can deny Reyna was beautiful and that I did have a crush on her. When I appeared at the Roman camp she was depressed because Jason was vanished, and she took a long time to get over Jason going out with Piper after everything. I think she still felt something for him, just did her best not to show it. Mainly up there on the Half-Blood Hill, because she was right next to him.
    I looked at Dakota and Bobby. They, with me, Gwendolyn, Jason, Piper and Leo, went to Greece to fight the giants. We had thousands of arguments, but in the end I found out they were very cool. And not only them. All the Romans who were there were cool.
    I sighed and tried to get over one thing: I wouldn't be able to spend a week alone with Annabeth. After so many things that happened – my mom, the Romans, the Hunters, Piper, and now the Romans again – I had a feeling it wasn't just a coincidence. When you're a demigod, you don't live of coincidences. Some god was playing with me, and I had the feeling it was Athena; so it would be useless for me to try to isolate myself with Annabeth, because there'd always be another thing on my way.
    And, after all, it was Christmas Eve. I couldn't leave them there to freeze. That's not the Christmas spirit, or whatever they call that sudden desire of being generous and humble that show up this time of the year.
    I looked at Annabeth, and she only smiled at me. I was going to spend a week with her. That Athena couldn't take away from me. I wouldn't give her this taste. I wouldn't let some contretemps make me angry or screw up what could be the perfect week. I turned to Jason and smiled:
    – Well, it got a big full since the Hunters arrived, but I think I can fit you guys.
    Everyone smiled and looked relieved, but Jason's expression changed from Please, can we stay to a surprise expression.
    – The Hunters are here? – he asked.
    – Artemis left them here in the morning – I answered, and then I turned to everyone. – Alright, follow me. And Annabeth...
    – I'll tell Chiron – she smiled. – I catch up you guys – she kissed my cheek and went toward the Big House.
    I took the Romans to the common area of the cabins, where some of our campers were gathering and looking at me understanding nothing. And for some of our campers understand: everyone left except Annabeth, Leo and Clovis. Some Hunters were there too; but I couldn't see Thalia. Suddenly, someone ran pass me so quick I couldn't distinguish who was, and hugged Jason. Then I deduced it was Piper.
    – Jason! – she screamed. – You are... you... so it means that...
    She let go him and turned to me.
    – I think I own you, ah, an apology, Percy. I...
    – It's okay – I interrupted her.
    She smiled and turned to Jason again, and hugged him until he was almost without any air left and without strength to say he was without any air left. They were almost kissing when a snowball hit their faces. We all turned to where the ball had come from and we saw Leo standing there smiling and throwing up another snowball. Behind him was Annabeth with other snowball in her hand. Leo looked directly to Jason and Piper and seemed to be having fun with the whole situation. But Annabeth looked at me and I thought maybe it was better to also have a snowball in hands.
    – You didn't really think I would waste this opportunity, of hitting both of you with a single ball, did you? – Leo said.
    Jason smiled and slowly stooped to catch some snow, but before he could throw it in someone, he and I were simultaneously hit in the back of the head. And I should say it hurt. We turned to see Thalia smiling while other Hunter was giving her two other balls.
    – Hello, little brother – she said. – I truly hoped you had a bit more of good sense than a guy with a seaweed brain, but it seems like I underestimated you. You two are so alike.
    Then I felt another snowball hitting in the back of my head and I didn't even need to turn to know who had hit me.
    – I fully agree – Annabeth said.
    Jason and I turned to each other and smiled, sudden having the same idea. Yeah, we were very alike. He quietly modeled the snow he had in hands and I imagined a snowball coming up to my hand – hey, snow is still water, isn't it? But frozen – and at the same time I felt something cold hit my right hand. I grabbed the snow and, at the same time I turned to Annabeth, Jason turned to Thalia; and together we threw our balls on them.
    Everything got messed after that, with fifty teenagers throwing snow on each other, plus the satyrs and nymphs – dryads and naiads – who showed up. One time I was being massacred by three people hitting me at once, another time I glimpsed Leo unintentionally melting the snow around his feet and making two Hunters slip and get all wet, another one I slipped and happen to fall on top of Annabeth – who was cruelly trying to hit my face, unsuccessfully.
    – Sorry – I said laughing.
    She smiled and hugged my neck. I put an arm around her waist and another on her cheek and kissed her. But we were interrupted by almost everybody throwing snowballs on us, trying to bury us.
    – Jackson – I heard Jason saying –, you won't escape that easy. You better get up before we turn you into a pile of snow.
    I got up and helped Annabeth up. Then I looked at Jason while two snowballs went up to my hands – two for each hand – and said:
    – I think you better be worried about being turned into a pile of snow.
    Before he could react, I threw the four snowballs on him and the war continued. I remember seeing Thalia throwing four or five balls at once, seeing Juniper turning into a tree when four campers wanted to attack her at once and seeing Bobby striking the tree, seeing Clovis showing up almost sleeping and seeing him really sleep in the middle of the war, seeing Annabeth and Reyna throwing balls on each other – though it didn't seem to be something very friendly, and I had thought they would become friends since both of them hate Hera –, seeing Nico appear in front of me and almost literally kill me of shock; but I just had to do something when I saw Jason and Piper kissing.
    Not thinking about what I was doing, I grabbed Leo, who was near me, and asked for some help for an especial case. I caught a bit of snow and left it floating above their heads – they didn't notice anything. Leo threw a flame above the snow. Result: the snow melted and wet them from the head to the toe. They turned to both of us and I knew I had something about five seconds to run or be electrocuted. But I couldn't miss the joke.
    – Hey, you can and I can't? – I commented. – This is my camp.
    He opened an evil smile – very alike Thalia's – to me. Right, now I had two seconds before being electrocuted. Without thinking (yes, I do a lot of things impulsively), I upped a wall of snow and dropped it on them. Then I simply ran, so when they got out of there I wouldn't be there.
    It wasn't exactly a brilliant idea to stay looking at the others throwing snow everywhere. Taking advantage of my distraction, Annabeth, Juniper, Reyna, Dakota, Miranda Gardiner and some naiads took me and threw me on the lake. But I grabbed Annabeth's wrist and took her with me – it wouldn't be fair if only I was thrown.
    I made a bobble around us and wrapped my arms around Annabeth's waist while she hugged my neck.
    – You haven't complained yet about the freezing water – I commented.
    – I'm not cold – she said getting closer to me. – You're my best coat, Seaweed Brain.
    I could have stayed for the rest of eternity in that lake kissing the woman I love, but suddenly some naiads took us and threw us out of the lake.
    – Hey! – I protested.
    – Dinnertime, half-blood – one naiad smiled.