Boundary Lines

Percy was in the living room playing Uncharted on his PS4 like always. He was in the middle of sneaking into an ancient temple and trying to dodge the armed guards.

"PERCY!" Percy jumped and dropped the controller as his little brother Tyson ran into the room screaming his name. He picked it up again and paused the game before turning to face his brother and his little red-haired friend, Ella. The 7-year-old's big, cow brown eyes were teary.

"What's wrong Tyson?" It took him a few moments to manage to stutter out the story, he was a very sensitive child.

"We-we-we were playing ball in the backyard and I was throwing it to Ella. But it got lost!" Ella looked defeated.

"Ella missed the ball. Ella is sorry for Tyson. Losing balls is bad for friends."

"It's okay guys, we'll find it," he reassured the two kids. "Come on, why don't you take me outside and show me where you lost it?" Tyson stopped crying as his and Ella's faces lit up.

"You're the best big brother ever!" Percy smiled and ruffled Tyson's hair. He followed the two children outside to the backyard. Poseidon and Sally Jackson's home was on a very large piece of property. There were woods in the back, Sally's large flower and vegetable garden to the right and closer to the house and the neighbor's yards on either side. The Jackson kids had the complete free run of the giant backyard (as long as they didn't mess up Sally's garden) which included the trampoline, treehouse, swings, pool, and hot tub.

There was only one part of the yard they weren't supposed to go near. Poseidon was in the middle of a property dispute with their neighbor to the left. Athena Wise was a lawyer with a teenaged son who was only a bit younger than Percy, Malcolm. She'd recently planted a grove of olive trees that Poseidon insisted was on his property and was where he apparently had been planning on building a new fountain. He'd immediately launched a lawsuit against her. Athena had retaliated by building a fence and bitterly fighting the lawsuit. Poseidon was furious and often came home from the various legal meetings seething and muttering angrily under his breath. In an attempt to not worsen an already bad situation, Sally encouraged Percy and Tyson to avoid the part of the yard close to Athena's fence.

"Now where did you guys lose it?"

"It bounced over there after Tyson-friend threw it." Ella pointed and Percy groaned. Of course, the ball would have bounced over the fence into Athena's yard.

"Tyson please tell me you weren't playing by the fence, you know mom told you to stay away from there."

"We were! It just started bouncing and then- Whoosh!" Percy nodded. He knew that Tyson wouldn't lie to him.

"Tyson-friend throws very hard," Ella defended. That was an understatement. Ever since he was a baby Tyson hadn't known his own strength. Percy groaned. Now he had two options in front of him. He could knock on the door and try to explain to the already hostile Athena or her son that his little brother's ball was in their backyard. Or…

"Tyson never tell mom this happened, or dad." Tyson saluted Percy as the older boy climbed over the fence and into the yard of his father's enemy. Once again the 18-year-old boy questioned his life decisions. He looked around at the backyard. While Poseidon and Sally Jackson had basically built their yard to be fun for their kids, Athena's yard seemed to be professionally landscaped. Perfectly pruned trees and shrubs were dotted around the immaculately manicured lawn amid statues of what looked like Greek gods and goddesses. There were also mosaic benches strategically placed in the shade. The whole appearance of the yard screamed beauty over fun. Unfortunately, there was also no sign of the ball and a lot of ground to cover to find it. This was going to take awhile and he needed to make sure that he didn't get caught over here.

"Okay, if I was a ball where would I be?" Someone coughed behind him. Percy froze, he didn't know which was going to be worse having Malcolm find him or Athena. He whipped around and stared in shock. Neither Malcolm or Athena was the one standing there glaring at him with their hands on their hips. Instead, this was a person Percy had never seen before and he sincerely wished he had because this was probably the hottest girl he'd ever seen in his life. She looked like the classic California surfer girl with her tanned skin and beautiful blonde princess curls that were pulled into a ponytail sticking out from underneath her Yankees hat. Her long athletic legs looked amazing in her jean cutoffs. But the hottest thing about her had to be her stormy grey eyes… that were currently glaring at him. Shit!

"What are you doing over here?"

"I-uh-I…"

"Get talking!" Why did she have to be so hot when she was pissed?

"Look, I live next door and my little brother lost his ball and said it bounced over here. I swear I'm just looking for his ball but please, I'm begging you! Don't tell Malcolm or Athena!" She looked at him skeptically. That was when Percy realized something, she was probably Malcolm's girlfriend. "My dad is suing Athena over some weird property dispute and now it's turned into an all-out feud between them. I don't need her holding this against him and saying that I was trespassing or something. I swear, I just want to get the ball back for my little brother."

"It's cool." She smiled at him. "Need some help?"

"Really!" Percy perked up.

"Yeah. You'll get out of here faster if I help so Malcolm and Athena don't catch you."

"Thanks, I'm Percy."

"Annabeth. Come on, I think I heard something over in the olive grove while I was reading earlier."

"I don't see why I have to come with you guys to court. I could just stay home with Tyson so you don't have to hire a babysitter," Percy groaned. Sally ignored him and continued to straighten his blue tie. It was the final court date for Poseidon and Athena's legal battle and Percy was being dragged to court along with him and Sally.

"You know what your father's lawyer said. He wants us to look like a family so we appeal to the judge. Besides, we aren't hiring a babysitter. Tyson is going over to Ella's house for a playdate. Those two are too adorable." Going to court wouldn't be so bad if Sally wasn't making Percy wear a suit. He hadn't worn it since he had gone with Rachel Elizabeth Dare to Prom last year (they'd both decided to be just friends since then).

It was almost time for court to start and Percy was sitting outside the courtroom playing on his phone. His parents were meeting with their lawyer and Sally said he could wait outside if he didn't want to listen to all that boring legal talk, which he definitely did not. Right now he was on a winning streak in Candy Crush.

"Hey." Percy looked up to see Annabeth. He hadn't seen her since she'd helped him reclaim Tyson's ball from Athena's yard.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Same thing as you, probably. I'm here for the court date." Percy was disappointed a bit. This meant she was probably still with Malcolm. She was seriously the most amazing girl he'd ever met. Not only was she amazing to look at, she was probably the smartest person he'd ever met... and she was with Malcolm.

"Oh, guess you're supporting Malcolm then aren't you, " He said as she sat down next to him, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. She gave him a weird look.

"Well, yeah, but it's more like I was dragged along. I'm seriously getting tired of this whole legal battle and feud thing. It's all Athena's been talking about since I came." Percy was confused but he decided to brush it off.

"Yeah, my dad has been complaining about it a lot at home too. I can't wait for this all to be over."

"Do you honestly think it'll all be over after this?"

"Well yeah, why wouldn't it be?"

"Think about it Percy, one of them is going to end up winning this. But that also means one of them is going to lose. Do you honestly think the loser is going to be able to let it go so easily?" Percy thought. If his dad didn't win he knew that Poseidon would not let it go. And Athena had built that fence when she found out about the lawsuit. Now that he was thinking about it she probably wouldn't let it go either if she didn't win.

"Shit, you're right. They aren't gonna let this go, neither of them?"

"Yeah. We really do have some stubborn parents, don't we?"

"Yup." Wait, what! "Wait, what do you mean 'WE'?"

"My mom and your dad," Annabeth said, confused.

"Since when is Athena your mom? Aren't you dating Malcolm?"

"WHAT! Who do you think I am?"

"You're Malcolm's girlfriend… aren't you?" Annabeth shook her head. "But I've never seen you before and I've lived next door to Athena ever since she moved in 8 years ago." A look of realization dawned on Annabeth's face.

"OH! Let me explain. My dad was Athena's first marriage and they broke up about a year after I was born. Mom was traveling around a lot, even after she had Malcolm a couple years after she and Dad split up. Even after she settled down by moving into the house next to yours I still lived with my dad and my step-family in San Francisco. But I moved to live with my mom this summer because I'm going to NYU in the fall."

"Well, I feel stupid now."

"I'll bet you do Seaweed Brain," she laughed.

"You're one to talk Wise Girl." They both laughed pretty hard.

"I can't believe that you thought I was dating my brother. I have to admit, that really sucks."

"Yeah, I'd feel awkward if some thought I was dating my brother too. Then again, my brother is seven and that would be a whole new level of creepy," Percy cringed.

"No, well I mean yeah., but that wasn't what I meant." Percy being confused was beginning to feel like a trend.

"What did you mean then?"

"I kinda thought you were cute… for a Seaweed Brain. And you thought I was dating Malcolm."

"Well…" Percy scooted closer to her on the bench. "I wasn't happy about it."

"Really?" Annabeth scooted closer too.

"Yeah, I was kinda jealous."

"Were you now?"

"Yup. Who knew I had a totally hot neighbor?"

"Court's about to start. Where is Percy?" Poseidon Jackson asked.

"I'll go find him." His wife, Sally Jackson, volunteered. Honestly, she was ready for this to be over. She loved Poseidon but she was getting really tired of being supportive of his lawsuit. Sally was ready for this be over. And the sooner that Percy got back here and court started, the sooner this would finally be done. The last time she had seen her oldest son she'd given him permission to go wait outside the courtroom for the hearing to start. She walked to the back of the courtroom and opened the door.

"Percy, it's time-" she stopped abruptly as she took in the sight in front of her. Her son was currently sitting on a bench kissing a girl who looked suspiciously like Athena Wise's daughter. He stopped when he realized his mother was staring at him and the young couple looked up at her sheepishly.

"Uh… Hi mom. Have you met Annabeth?" The girl gave her a little nervous wave.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jackson."

"We were talking and apparently we're both going to NYU this fall. Crazy coincidence right?"

"Mmhm," Sally replied. "Small world." There was a long pregnant pause. "I recommend the two of you get in here. The hearing is about to start." They both stood up, still looking very uncomfortable. "Oh, and Percy."

"Yes, mom?"

"You might want to break the news that you're dating the daughter of the neighbor he's suing to your father very gently," Sally said with a wink. She couldn't wait to see the look on Poseidon's face when he heard this one. He was going to blow a gasket.