Chapter 1

If there's anything in the world that Percy hates most, it's absolutely, without a seed of doubt, air travel.

His stomach gurgles treacherously and he peeks out of the cabin window in an attempt to distract himself; the view is nothing but rolling green pastures against a cloudless, blue horizon. The sun seems brighter here, although he knows that's probably impossible. A woman sitting close by eyes him warily, like she's worried he'll lose the contents of his stomach into her pressed pencil skirt.

Percy suppresses the urge to think about the ogre that put him on this plane. Despite his somewhat weak efforts, memories of his stepfather invade his mind. His last image of home in New York is Gabe's greasy, smiling face, mocking him as he boarded the taxi that would take him to the airport, subsequently leading him out of his old life and into his new one. At least until the end of summer vacation. The focus of his memory changed and his mother stood behind the overweight man, her eyes rheumy and cheeks sunken. Watching her only son pack his belongings into the trunk of a taxi cab had only made her seem more ill.

Letting out a sigh, he forgets the sick bubbling in his gut. He'll miss his mom; in all this confusion, that much is unquestionable.

It isn't long before turbulence raises awareness to the fact that they have nearly arrived. Uneasy isn't a big enough word to describe the trepidation and anxiety that he's feeling; it's been years since he's seen Aunt Beryl and his cousins, Thalia and Jason. They used to play games and swim together when they were kids, but a lot has changed since then. The last time he and his mom visited the state of Georgia was five years ago—before Uncle Zeus died.

Percy is sixteen now, not the eleven-year-old boy they last knew. He's into skateboarding and video games and uses foul language on occasion. These people are virtually strangers, but he's going to be living under the same roof as them.

He berates himself for being so ridiculous. His first and only concern isn't whether he and his family will get along, or whether the awkwardness will ever fade from the situation. It's that he's able to pass the summer by as quickly as possible and get home before he's expected back for his final year of high school.

Once the plane lands safely, he gives a silent prayer of thanks and is one of the first passengers waiting to be released. He navigates the terminal and it isn't long before he finds just the person he was expecting to be waiting for him at the gate. Aunt Beryl hasn't changed drastically. Her blonde hair still looks cotton soft, although crows feet now hang delicately at the edges of her eyes. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been taller than him. Now, he has about four inches on her.

She pulls him into a firm hug, and the scent of whiskey hangs in her clothes like smoke. He recognizes the familiar smell of his stepfather. After an attempt at patting down his unruly black hair, Aunt Beryl stands back, looking at his face like she was trying to match each feature to the ones of the boy she remembered. He averts his eyes uncomfortably, feeling awkward under her gaze. Her once bright eyes are tired, but she looks nostalgic.

"Why, look how you've grown," she chokes, still holding his shoulders, squeezing lightly before dropping them.

A cool breeze from the airport A/C makes his knees quiver, but it's a relieving feeling after the hours of travel sickness. He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's good to see you, Aunt Beryl."

They don't waste time at the airport catching up, and Percy is thankful for that. Riding home with Aunt Beryl is fine. He prefers her baby blue pick-up truck to an airplane any day, although this truck happens to lack a properly working A/C system, which feels kind of like a joke, considering the sweltering weather. Rolling down the windows provides a small relief.

It's hours before the rolling green expanses of land give way to tall mountains and even taller trees. The landscape blurs in a way that seems cinematic as they drive fast along the winding roads. Smatterings of greens, browns and blues mingle seamlessly together outside the truck's open windows. They roll past a tall corn field, and soon, Percy spots "Grace's Grove," fast approaching in view.

Aunt Beryl's family has passed down their prized peach farm for generations. She has no siblings or cousins, which makes her the sole inheritor to the acres of lush grove. It will belong to her kids once she retires.

It's pretty small, and fenced in by a wooden gate. There's a narrow dirt path that leads to a little barn, painted pastel blue. The only two employees are part-time, so Aunt Beryl has her work cut out for her. Percy remembers the farm is not too far from the house, so they must be getting closer. A wave of anxiety rolls over him, manifesting in a slight shiver, despite the hot, wet air.

It's a lot bigger than he remembers. The driveway is long and gravelly—like the trip from the airport. He stands before a pale yellow farmhouse with a turret at the front, and a wrap-around porch that spans the perimeter of the house. There's a little bench swing to one side of the porch, and a great, big maple tree out front.

The white paint of the porch railings is chipped and cracked. Muddy boots sit outside the screen door, which is propped open by a small red cooler. Aunt Beryl lets them in and Percy watches her push open the door without pulling out the keys to unlock it. It had been left open. "This town's safer than most," Aunt Beryl explains, seeing his expression.

As he considers that, she leads him upstairs to the space he'd be staying in. It's a tiny room at the end of a hall that creaks with each step upon the beat, wooden planks. His memories of this house are hazy at best, but he's pretty sure it had been an office, or a craft room at one point. A twin bed is shoved into the corner of the room, and opposite that, a desk sat cluttered with papers, boxes and pictures. No chair.

"It's a bit cramped," she sighs, the heat of the room pressing into her. "The guest room is unavailable right now. And we figured you might want to keep the desk—to write your mom, of course."

Grateful, he nods. He doesn't own a cell phone, so it might be nice to send her letters. Setting his luggage down, he clears the sweat from his brow. Aunt Beryl hits the switch on a remote fan that sits atop the dresser.

"Thanks," Percy says earnestly, glad to be finished travelling. He kicks his skateboard under the bed to make some floor space. The smell of something amazing wafts into the room on a draft, and he guesses she's been preparing a meal for the occasion. "Everything's great."

Aunt Beryl looks around the room with disdain, as if she wished she had something better to offer. "This house has felt pretty empty since your uncle passed. It's nice to have company." Her eyes meet his soundly. "There's always room here for you and Sally."

When she smiles at him, Percy squints and pretends for a small moment that she's his mom, standing in his room in their apartment back home. The stolen moment is fleeting, but worth it.

"How is Sally, by the way?" The concern in her eyes betrays her forced casualness.

Percy swallows the feeling that wells up in his chest. "She's okay mostly." He doesn't say more than that. Sometimes it's tough to talk about, and he isn't in the mood to try. Aunt Beryl understands grief better than most anyway.

"She's strong, that Sally. Gotta hand it to her." Her expressive eyes continue to say what her mouth doesn't. "Dinner will be ready by six. Be washed and hungry by then." Gently closing his door, she leaves him alone.

The bed springs groan under his weight as he falls into the striped sheets. They smell like fabric softener. He hopes feeling sorry for him and his dying mother doesn't become a theme around here, because he's not sure he could handle that on top of everything else. Closing his eyes, he imagines the summer laid out before him. He'll spend the remainder of vacation cooped up here, hundreds of miles away from his mom and friends. Not that he has many—just Grover and Rachel. One of his biggest fears is that they'll realize how unimpressive he actually is in his absence, but he couldn't admit that to either of them.

Leaning back, he winds up the blinds beside him, wishing he could see his familiar skyline from the window. Behind the glass, the front yard and the lone maple tree sits just before him. Further beyond, mountains and hills are littered with tall pine trees and forest cover. The sky above is so bright and blue, it hurts his eyes. It isn't such a bad view, he supposes, but it definitely isn't New York. It definitely isn't home.

After a quick shower, Percy feels like he has washed away the grime and discomfort of travelling. He shoves his belongings into the dresser provided to him, and it's a quick task. He doesn't bother combing his hair; it rarely seems to cooperate anyway. By the time he's finished, Aunt Beryl is calling him down to dinner. He sighs, runs a cursory hand through his hair one last time, and heads downstairs.

The smell is extraordinary. Laid out on the dining room table is a remarkable spread of glazed pot roast, mashed potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, green peas, warm biscuits and a giant boat of gravy. "Wow," he says, suddenly famished. Aunt Beryl carries in a sweaty pitcher of brown liquid with chunks of ice and chopped peaches floating in it. Sweet tea.

Grinning, she says, "I figured we'd give you a warm welcome, and that begins with supper. Sit anywhere you'd like."

A comfortable breeze drifts in from the open windows, making the sheer curtains dance gently. The sun now sat behind the tall trees and the sound of crickets chirping announced the coming of evening. The amount of food in front of him reminded him that he'd yet to see his cousins. "Where are Thalia and Jason?"

"They'll be here soon," Aunt Beryl assures. "We have supper around the same time everyday." She brings her palms together in prayer and Percy isn't sure if he's supposed to do the same. He appreciates when she goes on without waiting for him to choose.

As if summoned, the sound of relaxed laughter floats in from outside. Someone kicks aside the red cooler, and the screen door swings closed with a thwack. They remove their shoes in the front hallway and the soft raps of socked feet echo into the dining room. Aunt Beryl is finishing her prayer when they finally make their appearance.

It's been years since he's seen them, but somehow, they're completely recognizable. Even Thalia, who once had blonde hair like her mother, now rocks crazy black locks similar to his own. Her ears and face are pierced with an assortment of silver rings, and when she grins, he sees her tongue is too. "What's up, cuz," she drawls, clearly getting a rise out of his shock, and he stands up for a quick, uncomfortable hug.

"Thalia, hey," he says, breathless. Jason is taller—possibly taller than Percy—and certainly more muscular. He reaches in for a hug too. "Jason," Percy half-smiles, trying not to betray his composure with how out of place he feels. He's never visited without his mother, he realizes now. It would have been nice to have someone's leg to hide behind at a moment like this.

"So you finally lost all of the baby fat," Jason is joking, hopefully, and it helps to loosen the knot in Percy's stomach that hasn't seemed to budge since getting off the plane.

Once everyone is sitting comfortably around the table, Aunt Beryl looks curiously at her children. "Is Annabeth missing supper tonight?"

Thalia sighs long and loud, like it's a conversation she's been having all day. "Yes. I tried to change her mind, but she was pretty adamant about sitting out."

Percy feels awkward, thinking that he must have hindered something. He wonders who Annabeth is, if she's a dog, and what makes her a regular to dinner at the Grace household.

"Well, shoot," Aunt Beryl remarks, frowning. "She should know by now that she's always welcome. I've made so much food—we can hardly eat it all ourselves."

"I don't know about that," Jason voices around a biscuit drowned with gravy and peas.

Dinner is as delicious as it smells, and Percy's so full he can hardly utter words of thanks after he's finished. When dinner is put away to be tomorrow's leftovers, he helps gather the dishes. There's no dishwasher; they rinse each dish by hand. He does what he can to help clean up, but again, feels quite out of place. His mother usually handles the cleaning back home, he admits to himself sheepishly.

After the chores are finished, they turn in early. Aunt Beryl has to make up for lost time at the farm, since she had to take a half day to meet Percy at the airport. Seemingly lost without their maybe-dog Annabeth, Jason and Thalia return to their respective rooms.

As he falls into bed that night, Percy can't help but wonder what he'd be doing if he was back home. The fan is on high power, and he hopes it'll keep the room cool enough for him to get a couple hours of shut-eye, along with the added benefit of white noise to drown out the silence. The moonlight casts a comfortable gray light on the walls, but he struggles to find sleep as his mind rages endlessly.

Morning brings a steady stream of pale light into Percy's room. His back aches and his eyes are uncomfortably itchy. Sleep had evaded him for most of the night; he couldn't seem to find comfort in any position he slept in. The air was hot and wet, and the house was silent. He's used to sleeping amidst the sounds of the city.

Despite his weariness, the morning light beckoned his attention. He abandons the idea of rest; after a sleepless night, the bed feels more like a prison than anything else. The clock on his dresser indicates that it's just past eight in the morning—not as early as he'd thought. Aunt Beryl must have already left for work at the farm; it's just a couple miles down the road from their property. Most days, Aunt Beryl bikes to work so Thalia and Jason have access to their only vehicle.

Percy can taste the morning breath on his tongue and quickly makes way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Once they're clean and his mouth is fresh, he walks to the toilet and flips up the lid, the regular morning urge in his bladder making itself desperately known. He glances out of the small window beside him, concealed with a dingy, lace curtain. The sun is high and bright as ever.

It's only but a second of relief before the bathroom door unexpectedly swings open. His stream halts in fright and his shocked gaze whips over to meet wide, gray eyes. The perpetrator yelps, jumping backward out of the bathroom. "OH—Sorry! The door wasn't locked!"

Stunned, Percy tucks himself back into his pajama shorts, red hot embarrassment rising on his cheeks as the door slams shut. He yells after them, "Did you consider knocking?"

He doesn't hear their response over the blood pounding in his ears. Carefully, Percy latches the lock and finishes his business, wishing he could flush the ruddy color out of his cheeks as well. He is determined to forfeit this memory to the deep recesses of his mind, but it won't stop playing over and over again like a movie reel behind his eyelids.

He'd been so shocked at the invasion, he didn't realize until now that it hadn't been one of his cousins who'd walked in. Who is that girl anyway? He wonders if it's such a stretch to believe Jason has a girlfriend.

In a few minutes, he's dressed and downstairs for breakfast. The creaky wooden stairs alert his presence to the kitchen, which goes silent in response. Taking a deep breath, he enters and scans the room.

Jason and Thalia are standing at the counter, making up their respective breakfasts. A girl sits on a stool against the counter top, but she doesn't meet his eyes, which he's thankful for.

A bowl of Captain Crunch comes sailing across the counter from Thalia's direction, and Percy barely catches it before it plunges to its death. He stares wide-eyed at his grinning cousin. "Morning, Percy. I see you met our friend Annabeth."

Jason elbows her when she wiggles her eyebrows at him devilishly. Percy swallows. If seeing parts of his body that had gone previously unseen up until that point constitutes a meeting, then yeah, he definitely met Annabeth. He doesn't have the courage to look at her and determine whether she's as embarrassed as he is.

Breakfast is uneventful compared to the bathroom fiasco, thankfully. He deduces that Annabeth is definitely not a dog, but he still hasn't quite placed her from the details gathered by staring at the side of her head as she pointedly ignored him. She's got honey blonde hair and a deep tan, most likely from time spent in the sun, rather than a natural bronze like Percy himself. Being Mediterranean, his tan is all-season. Despite her clear discomfort at the situation, her voice remains breezy when she speaks among the siblings. If she wasn't potentially one of their girlfriends, he might admit to himself that she's kind of pretty.

"What'll it be today?" she asks, eyes bouncing from Jason to Thalia, missing Percy completely.

Jason blows a raspberry. "Well, we were thinking of showing our cousin around town a bit." His eyes flick to Percy. "What do you think, Perce?"

Percy's brows shoot up; he's surprised to be included. It's probably the best, if not the only offer of entertainment he'll be met with today. He shrugs. "Sounds like fun."

After the dishes are rinsed and put away, they convene outside, but not before Percy has a chance to slip upstairs and grab his skateboard.

"The bench only fits three," Jason says, jerking his thumb behind him to indicate that he means the baby blue truck. "The girls'll ride in the bed."

Percy's forehead crinkles. "Is that safe? Or legal?"

A laugh bursts easily from Jason. "No, but we do it all the time."

Once they're neatly packed into the truck, he drops his skateboard at his feet and Thalia props open the rear window. Her black tank top is full of holes and tied in a knot at her waist. He remembers when Aunt Beryl used to dress her up in pink frills and lace.

When they pass the peach grove, Jason honks a couple times. Whether it be a show of support or a way of letting Aunt Beryl know they're headed out, Percy isn't sure.

The center of town is charming. Just a small collection of restaurants, shops, and a grassy community park, all within a walkable distance. Jason parallel parks on one of the narrow streets, ignoring the meter beside him.

Percy clears his throat. "Uh, I can get that." He pulls his wallet out of his pocket.

Thalia laughs. "I'm pretty sure they haven't collected from these things since before I was born."

Looking at her oddly, he tucks away his wallet. That doesn't sound right. Parking enforcement was tough in New York. Thalia and Annabeth walk ahead, pointing out a couple places they want to stop by. Somehow the sun is more intense than it had been yesterday, although he hadn't quite considered it possible. The air is so thick with moisture, Percy feels like he's wading more than walking.

Falling behind the pace of the girls, Jason sets a stride alongside him. "We don't normally spend a lot of time here, apart from the cinema and the grocery store. Bit of'a drive and it gets kinda old when you see the same stuff your entire life. It attracts tourists more than locals."

Percy understands. Maybe if the weather wasn't a full on assault of heat and humidity, he'd feel more inclined to explore. He just feels tired and uncomfortable. Dropping his skateboard on the ground beside him, he hops on and rolls along at a pace that is easily matched by Jason's long strides, despite his want to speed forward and let the wind wick the sweat off his skin.

The silence between them could have been left alone, but for some reason, Percy couldn't stand it. He said the first thing he could think of. "I'm sorry about that thing with Annabeth earlier. It was totally an accident. How long have you guys been dating anyway?"

Jason looks at him as if he'd grown a third head. "Me and Annabeth?" he reiterates quietly, so as not to alert the girls, and Percy nods cautiously. "Uh, no. That's not—nor ever has been—a thing. We're all like family." Embarrassed, he apologizes, and Jason grins, now speaking louder. "No worries. Annabeth's my favorite sister."

"I heard that," Thalia cuts in sharply.

Jason snorts. "I meant you to."

After observing the town hall and the local police station—which are among the oldest structures in town, according to Annabeth—they continue to meander the streets without a destination in mind. Annabeth gets a dreamy kind of look on her face when she points out her favorite places and offers whatever information she can conjure up along with it, but Percy's having trouble focusing. He suffers from ADHD, which he can normally manage well without medication, but the stifling weather and dehydration might be throwing him off. It's so incredibly hot.

The buildings are charming and slanted along the hills, especially outlined by the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Percy's thankful for the trees that offer some relief from the beating sun, but not enough to save him from feeling like he's melting. The sidewalks have steep inclines, and he feels himself running out of breath as he drags his skate board behind him, following the others up a slope toward a cluster of more shops.

There's a large park nearby and Percy spots a bird bath. The birds chirp playfully as they splash in their basin. Percy's head throbs, his throat feels like he made a habit of swallowing sand. He hardly registers Annabeth speaking about the library—which is the original building from the town's founding—when he blurts out, "I think I need a drink."

Jason laughs, and Annabeth looks taken aback. She shuts her mouth, which had been shaping the remainder of her sentence, and shoots him a look of annoyance. Percy mentally kicks himself for behaving like a caveman.

"Our resident New Yorker isn't used to the heat, guys. It's killing his brain cells," Jason remarks sarcastically. "We should stop for lunch." Annabeth doesn't say much after that. The Grace siblings redirect them a couple of streets until they arrive at a small, unassuming diner. Beyond the door, a blast of air conditioning hits him and the relief is inexplicable. They seat themselves at a booth. Thalia squishes Percy up against the window, while Jason and Annabeth claim the opposite bench. Percy's mom had sent him off with a bit of cash, so thankfully he wouldn't be bumming off of his cousins. He orders ice water and a bacon cheeseburger.

Percy's grateful for being served quick drinks and sucks down his water in only a few gulps. He can feel the sweat still clinging to the back of his neck. The server pours him another glass.

"So," Thalia drawls, and Percy already doesn't like her tone. "Mom wouldn't tell us anything. You have to tell us what happened with your step dad." The rest of the table quiets and tunes in. Good gossip in the south attracted flies like honey.

His fists clench unconsciously under the table. He wears his hesitance like a second layer of skin. "I'm not so sure about that, Thalia." He'd pretty much rather do anything else than talk about his awful stepfather.

"Oh, come on," she rouses. "You messed up so bad that you get shipped away for the summer and you're not even brave enough to tell the tale? You're a little tease."

Annabeth looks irritated; she's biting her nail and not looking at him. He thinks he might hear her mutter "lame" under her breath.

A little irked, he clears his throat. "It's not as big a deal as you're thinking. My stepdad and I got into an argument. I don't remember what it was about. He got in my face and I got in his. Now I'm here." Percy's sure to keep his version of the story as watered-down as possible. It isn't really anyone else's business why he got into a physical altercation with his stepfather; he'd been in plenty of them. The one that got Percy into this mess was the only time he had the guts to land a decent punch.

Jason wrinkled his brow. "Seems like an overreaction."

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But Jason doesn't know the whole story.

The waitress brought over their food then, and Percy hopes it will suspend the conversation. His greasy burger is dripping with cheesy goodness, and the smoky scent of bacon wafts up divinely to entrance his senses. He can't wait to dig in, but the three teenagers surrounding him are watching closely. Percy sighs.

"My stepdad and I have never gotten along. He's been waiting for a chance to kick me out since I was a kid." Percy stuffs a few french fries into his mouth. "I was looking at juvenile detention if he pressed charges. My mom convinced him that a summer away was longer than an arbitrary three-week juvie sentence anyway."

The table was quiet for a few seconds, before Thalia clicked her tongue. "That sucks, Perce. At least you'll have some distance for a little while." It's nice to be hundreds of miles away from Gabe, but Percy still worries about his mom and her well being.

Luckily, the conversation halts as the food takes precedent. It's delicious, and Percy polishes off his plate in no time. Jason gets a box for his food and they pay their checks. It's cheaper than he's expecting, which is a plus. He makes sure to tip a little extra.

As they walk out into the hot and heady weather, Percy wishes he could just stay inside. He sighs, and feels no relief as the hot air sits wet in his lungs.

"I think we're about done here," Jason states. The girls agree.

It's only mid-afternoon. Percy figures they'll head home and get some chores done, which makes him feel kind of moody. There always seemed to be chores that needed doing around this place. By the time they head back to the truck, Thalia offers to drive and Jason and Annabeth sit in the trunk. He doesn't think to ask where they're headed—he assumes they're going home. So it surprises him when instead of turning onto their road Thalia continues driving.

"Where are we going?" Percy asks now, curious.

Thalia grins, and the little ring between her nostrils folds up. "It's a surprise."

Curiously, he watches out the window. He can hear Annabeth and Jason talking and laughing behind him. He can't remember laughing so relaxed and freely with Grover or Rachel, including every fall and face plant he'd ever witnessed at the skate park with them. What could possibly be so funny?

There's a large dirt patch that Thalia pulls off into, just ahead is a guard rail. The sound of rushing water drifts from under it. They hop out of the truck and Percy follows suit. It's parked off of a road surrounded by woods and mountains and nothing else. He isn't sure what's going on.

Jason and Thalia run quickly into the brush before any words have been spoken, caught up immediately in a sibling competition Percy couldn't begin to understand as an only child. His eyebrows shoot up. "Where are they going?"

Annabeth lets out a slow breath before answering, purposely not minding his urgency. "Follow 'em and find out," she drawls and seeks out the same path as Thalia and Jason without waiting to see if he'd follow.

The trail is severely unkempt and Percy stumbles around for footing; it's in desperate need of grooming. Thalia and Jason are too far ahead, so he watches Annabeth to keep on the right path. Luckily the stray sunlight glints off her golden locks, making her a spotlight in the heavily wooded area.

When he catches sight of his cousins, they're floating blissfully in a wide swimming hole, red-faced and heavy breathing after their race. Annabeth arrived just moments before him and is sitting against a rock as she slips off her sneakers.

"Welcome to Triphammer!" Thalia gushes, spreading her arms out wide. She's still wearing her tank top from earlier. His brow furrows. He didn't know there'd be swimming.

"Uh," he starts, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I didn't bring a suit."

Jason laughs easily. "Neither did we." Just as he says that, Percy looks beside him as Annabeth tosses her shirt off casually. His eyes whip away, and his mouth drops open. Jason and Thalia cackle obnoxiously, finding his reaction terribly funny.

"We come here almost everyday. Sometimes we don't bother stopping back home for our suits and just wear our clothes," Jason says. Percy's cheeks are hot and pink, and he mentally chides himself for being so easily embarrassed.

Once he has the nerve to look, Annabeth is in the water. Her dark blue bra covers as much as a swimsuit might, but that doesn't convince his cheeks to calm down. He now notices that Jason is only wearing a pair of boxers, and Thalia is dressed similarly under her tank top.

"Come on, Percy," Thalia drawls, staring up into the sky. The place is gorgeous and serene. Water pools inside a formation of craggy rocks, fed into by a small waterfall just before them. It's maybe six or seven feet tall. Tree branches fall lazily in a criss-cross formation above them, offering a small shield from the sun.

"Uh," he stutters. "I don't know." He's never swam in river water in his underwear around virtual strangers, obviously. It doesn't seem like something he'd be fond of.

"You don't have to," Thalia reminds him. "But it feels a lot nicer in here than it does out there."

She makes a good point. The river seems to be calling him. The slow cascading water sprays little droplets across his skin, and he wants desperately to submerge himself in what he knows is sweet relief.

"What are you afraid of anyway?" Annabeth asks, her tone bored. She dips under the water before he has time to answer, as if it didn't matter in the first place. Percy thinks she's kind of rude sometimes.

"Okay," he relents with a deeply uncomfortable sigh, and slips off his t-shirt and shorts. His cousins cheer.

The water is everything he needs it to be. Crisp, cool and refreshing. He could spend the rest of his life here: build a home, get married, prune up like an old man.

"Not so bad, right?" Jason asks.

"Not at all."

They spend hours at Triphammer. Thalia makes a habit of splashing everyone, which is more annoying than endearing, so Jason dunks her under the water. This quickly turns into a water wrestling match between the two siblings, which Percy finds pretty amusing.

The sun is beginning to set in an array of pinks and purples as they sit against rocks, letting the last few rays soak up the water from their clothes. Percy's skin is a wrinkled raisin and the oncoming night casts a chill against it. After they're dressed, Jason and Thalia set a much more followable pace, and in no time, they've made it back to the truck. They must have an exceptional sense of time, because Aunt Beryl is just announcing dinner as they march into the house, hungry and eager to be fed.

Annabeth joins dinner tonight, and he could tell that it was routine. She probably belongs here more than he does—a fact that doesn't exactly make sense to him. They all help clean once dinner has been eaten and Annabeth goes home after. She lives just next door in a big white house at the end of a footpath connecting the two properties through the neighboring trees.

After the chores were finished, they retire for the night. Which left Percy in front of the desk in his room. He tosses most of its contents into the surrounding boxes and shoves them under the desk. With a clear space to work, he grabs a pen out of his pocket and begins writing. The letter isn't long—his mom wouldn't expect it to be, considering Percy's dyslexia. It's difficult for him to read and write, so hopefully she would find it meaningful. He's pretty brief when he tells her about the plane trip, and how sick it made him feel. He mentions swimming and skating, and ends the letter telling her he misses her.

His mom's been sick for a while, and Gabe's never been the loving type—not the way Percy is at least. He's afraid her condition will deteriorate with only Smelly Gabe to take care of her. The thought of something bad happening to her while he was too far away to help makes him feel helpless and angry.

The whole ordeal is completely unfair, but he's trying not to let his true feelings be heard. Not when there's a chance he could go home early on good behavior. That's his hope at least. Scratching his chin, eyes itchy and wet, he signs the letter and seals it with a sticker he'd nabbed from the airplane. "I Flew With American Airlines," it said, clearly made for junior passengers. He didn't care.

"Enjoy yourself, Percy," Sally had said before he left. "Have fun and make memories. You'll be home before you know it."

He didn't know how realistic that was. If it were just a regular summer vacation, he'd be home, probably at the skate park with his friends, or destroying zombies in his pajamas at their apartment. Whether Gabe actually cared that Percy had tried to land a fist in his face or not, he knew that Percy would be home from boarding school for just under three months and that was far too long for Gabe's preference. His ultimatum: Pressed Charges or Getting as Far Away as Possible.

Juvie or Georgia.

He still isn't sure if he made the right choice.

a/n: this is the second take on a story i wrote a few years ago! i ended up hating it before i finished, which i why i decided to rewrite it. summer girl is my baby and i had not planned to release the first chapter before i wrote well into the story. i haven't done that, but i figure we're all pretty bored in this quarantine and could use a little summer love fanfiction in our lives lol

the town and the peaches are fictional but the state of georgia is not