Chapter 7:

STILL ANGELINA POV

I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks. I try to act innocent at her teasing grin. "Wh-what are you talking about?" I knew that she saw right through me though, because her teasing smile only grew.

I sighed, I had hoped that this wouldn't happen but of course… My luck was not particularly the best.

"Yeah, Cody." I look at my toes, trying to get my blush under control. "How do you know?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Percy. He's already being very… overprotective about it." Annabeth said, taking a seat next to me on the bed.

"What?" I asked incredulous.

"Yeah, apparently he saw the two of you hugging and he's been a bad mood since then."

I groaned loudly, "You've got to be kidding me."

"Sorry, Angie." She said, squeezing my shoulders.

"Can you go anything about it?" I asked desperately.

She shrugged noncommittally. "I doubt it. He usually listens to me, but he seemed pretty firm about this."

I heaved a huge sigh. Of course.

"Should I talk to him?" I whisper.

Her eyebrows rise. "What do you think?"

I sigh again. "Yeah."

"Then go, I think he wants to talk to you too."

"Thanks Annabeth." I say, hugging her.

"Not a problem. It'll be kind of cool to give a girl advice and be able to talk to someone who isn't Seaweed Brain for a bit." She said, winking at me.

Laughing, I walk down the stairs to find my brother.

"Percy? Percy?" I call a few times until I get a response.

"Angel?" He called back from the kitchen. I should have known.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask, suddenly shy.

He nods tightly. "What about?"

"Cody." I say, carefully gauging his reaction.

His muscles tense but he sits down at the table and motions for me to do the same.

"Okay. And… why do you want to talk about Cody?" He asked.

"Because I don't want you to freak out about something that you don't need to freak out about." I say, giving him an accusing look, which he has the decency to blush at.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, not looking me in the eye.

"I know that you freaked out when you saw me hugging Cody. Annabeth told me." I say, giving him another look.

"What?" He said, his voice going high-pitched as he tried to sound innocent.

I rolled my eyes. Oh Percy. "I'm just telling you, calm down. I only met him today." I tell him.

He sighs. "Okay. But I promise you, if he-"

I cut him off. "Uh-uh. I don't want to hear it right now. I promise that nothing happened because we only met today."

"Fine." He said, sounding like a whiny toddler. "But I just don't want my baby sister growing up too fast."

I blush at his comment. "I won't." I promise, throwing my arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"I love you Angel." He whispered.

"I love you too big brother." I say, my voice muffled into his chest.

I hear a click sound, and immediately turn around. Annabeth is standing with a camera.

"I finally got my picture of the two of you!" She said, excited.

Percy POV

I have to admit, I was kind of worried when I saw Angel and… him hugging, but she promised me that nothing was happening, and I trust her.

Not him. But I trust her.

I trust her enough to hope that if she does start liking a boy she would tell me, or at least Annabeth, who would hopefully then tell me.

After we had our 'heart-to-heart' and after Annabeth's picture, we all relaxed until dinner, and oh yeah, Annabeth helped Angelina with her homework, because I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to help.

We ate dinner (BLUE PASTA) and after saying a quick goodnight to my mom and Paul, I pull Angel into a hug and kiss her forehead.

Annabeth and I fall into a deep sleep with no nightmares, which was really, really nice.

I did, however, wake up to a scream that made my blood chill.

It was Angelina's.

Angelina POV

I woke up screaming and sobbing in the middle of the night because of a nightmare.

I had dreamt that Percy had disappeared without a trace. Then, his body appeared in front of me, bloody and mangled. He was dead.

Suddenly, the lights flipped on and I felt arms wrap around my waist. A soothing voice was whispering in my ear, telling me to calm down.

Percy.

I sobbed into his chest, while he rubbed my back gently.

When my cries died down, he looked at me. "What happened Angel?" He asked, tucking a strand of hair that had come loose from my mess of a ponytail back behind my ear.

I hiccupped. "I had a dream, that you… That you disappeared, and then your… yo-your body appeared right in front of me, and you were… you we-were dead." I say, and his arms tighten around me.

"Look Angel. Look at me." I do as he says, and he holds my chin in his hand so I can't look away. "I love you. And I'm here."

"I love you too Percy." I say, and he kisses my cheek gently.

He holds me for a bit longer, and then goes to get up, but I grab his wrist instinctively.

"Cou-could you stay?" I whispered, feeling foolish for being so vulnerable.

He smiled. "Of course, let me just check on Annabeth to make sure she's okay, and then I'll come right back, okay?" I nod, though I don't really want him to go, I know that Annabeth tends to have nightmares without him with her, so he was worried about her as well.

A minute or so later, he came back into my room and laid down next to me, and pulled me close to him. "You're the best little sister, you know. And I love you, and I promise I'll always protect you." He whispered into my hair, but I barely heard him.

"IlovyotooPrcy." I mumbled, half asleep.

He chuckled and kissed my head again, and drifted off as well.

I have the best big brother ever.