Salt and Celestial Bronze

Chapter One

"Annabeth, come on."

I gave my boyfriend a long sigh, "I don't want to be on guard duty, Percy."

"It'll be fun," he responded, tugging my hand up Half-Blood hill.

"It doesn't feel very fun." I muttered, persistent on staying grumpy. He rolled his eyes and continued to tug. Finally, we reached the top. It was a beautiful night in late July, the strawberry's in full bloom, kids playing around camp and the ever blue ocean humming in the distance. Home, I thought with a sigh. The summer was my home, this camp my bedroom. It had been eleven years since I had first arrived. Eleven years since the week seven-year-old girl tumbled into this camp, a cyclops on her heels. Now here I was, a month and a half from starting college.

"Now can you tell me why you told Bella and Will that they could take a break and that we would be doing guard duty tonight?" I asked, my back scratching against the bark of Thalia's tree. I leaned into it and took a moment to breath in the crisp pine aroma that surrounded the branches and trunk.

"So we could have some alone time." Percy responded calmly. It was smooth, nice and loving and- thankfully- not vulgar at all. Percy wasn't suggesting anything, he just generally wanted to spend time with me. It was what I loved about him.

I slid down the tree and rested on the ground. He followed suit and soon my head was in his lap, our bodies facing away from the camp.

"I can't believe we're going to be in college soon." He told me quietly, as if telling a secret. His hands fiddled with a string of my blonde hair as I looked up into his big, sea green eyes. Magnificent.

"We're going to be fine." I reassured him, "Better than fine. Percy, college is going to be perfect."
"I still can't believe I'm even going to college." He said, a smile alight on his beautiful pink lips.

A let out a small chuckle, "I still can't believe we're going to college together."

Percy smiled, "And I still can't believe they made me take the SAT's. I mean, I saved the world! What else could they want from me?"

"Actually," I chided, "We saved the world. Your nose bleed started the apocalypse."

"I'm never going to be able to let that go, am I?" He smirked and gave me a small kiss on the forehead.

"A few more weeks," I murmured. "And we'll be moving to California."

"These New Yorkers are moving to San Francisco!" Percy shouted playfully, "Watch out westcoast! Here we come."

"Gods, you are annoying." I said, sitting up.

"That's why you love me!" He responded with a small peck on my cheek.

"What gave it away?" I asked, leaning into the crook of his neck. Than something caught my eye. "Percy?" I said, glaring at the car.

"Hm?" He asked, not paying attention.

"Percy, is that car coming up the hill?"

"What- hey, what are they doing?" He said, jumping up. We watched as the car drove up the familiar hill. Percy and I shared a look as the car pulled to a stop.

Standing in ten feet in front of us was a black 1967 Chevy Impala.