Slowly, the dinner crowd trickled away. Some went to the campfire for a sing-along. Others went to bed. I sat at the Poseidon table by myself and watched the moonlight on Long Island Sound. I could see Grover and Juniper at the beach, holding hands and talking. It was peaceful.
"Hey." Annabeth slid next to me on the bench. "Happy birthday."
She was holding a huge misshapen cupcake with blue icing.
I stared at her. "What?"
"It's August 18th," she said. "Your birthday, right?"
I was stunned. It hadn't even occurred to me, but she was right. I had
turned sixteen this morning-the same morning I'd made the choice to
give Luke the knife. The prophecy had come true right on schedule,
and I hadn't even thought about the fact that it was my birthday.
"Make a wish," she said.
"Did you bake this yourself?" I asked.
"Tyson helped."
"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," I said. "With extra blue cement."
Annabeth laughed.
I thought for a second, then blew out the candle. We cut it in half and shared, eating with our fingers. Annabeth sat next to me, and we watched the ocean. Crickets and monsters were making noise in the woods, but otherwise it was quiet.
"You saved the world," she said.
"We saved the world."
"And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody."
"You don't sound disappointed," I noticed.
Annabeth shrugged. "Oh, I don't care."
"Uh-huh."
She raised an eyebrow. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"
"You'd probably kick my butt."
"You know I'd kick your butt."
I brushed the cake off my hands. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable . . .Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."
Annabeth kept her eyes on the horizon. "Yeah?"
"Then up on Olympus," I said, "when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking-"
"Oh, you so wanted to."
"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought-I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking . . ." My throat felt really dry.
"Anyone in particular?" Annabeth asked, her voice soft.
I looked over and saw that she was trying not to smile.
"You're laughing at me," I complained.
"I am not!"
"You are so not making this easy."
Then she laughed for real, and she put her hands around my neck. "I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."
When she kissed me, I had the feeling my brain was melting right through my body. I could've stayed that way forever, except a voice behind us growled," Well, it's about time!"
Suddenly the pavilion was filled with torchlight and campers.
Clarisse led the way as the eavesdroppers charged and hoisted us both onto their shoulders.
"Oh, come on!" I complained. "Is there no privacy?"
"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.
"The canoe lake!" Connor Stoll shouted.
With a huge cheer, they carried us down the hill, but they kept us close enough to hold hands. Annabeth was laughing, and I couldn't help laughing too, even though my face was completely held hands right up to the moment they dumped us in the water.
Afterward, I had the last laugh. I made an air bubble at the bottom of the lake. Our friends kept waiting for us to come up, but hey-when you're the son of Poseidon, you don't have to hurry.
And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.
Annabeth's POVI came back from kitchen without Tyson, but with a big blue chocolate cupcake. Sure, it looked gross, but hey, we tried. The campers had cleared away, but I saw one lone, brooding figure sitting at the Poseidon table watching the moonlight reflect off the Long Island sound. I smiled. Things were perfect, for once.
"Hey." I slid next to him on the bench, holding out the cake. "Happy birthday."
Percy stared at me. "What?"
"It's August 18th," I said. "Your birthday, right?"
I rolled my eyes. He didn't really forget, did he? Seaweed Brain…
"Make a wish," I said.
"Did you bake this yourself?" he asked, suspicious.
"Tyson helped."
"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," he said. "With extra blue cement."
I laughed.
He thought for a second, then blew out the candle, staring intently. I wondered what he wished for. We cut it in half and shared, eating with our fingers. I sat next to him, and we watched the ocean for who knows how long. The blue light reflected off his black hair, casting a lowlight glow on his face.
"You saved the world," I said.
"We saved the world."
"And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody," I said smugly. I admit, it felt good saying that.
"You don't sound disappointed," he noticed.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I don't care."
"Uh-huh," he smiled knowingly.
I raised an eyebrow. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"
"You'd probably kick my butt."
"You know I'd kick your butt."
He brushed the cake off my hands. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable . . .Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal." My heart thudded in anticipation. He was finally stepping up to the plate.
I tried to keep my eyes off his face. "Yeah?"
"Then up on Olympus," he said, "when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking-"
"Oh, you so wanted to." I smiled. The war was over now. I could tease and joke with him like a normal friend instead of a battle buddy.
"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought-I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking . . ." he stumbled and stalled painfully.
"Anyone in particular?" I asked quietly, encouraging him gently. I had to smile though. He was still awkward, like the boy I knew five years ago.
He glanced at me.
"You're laughing at me," he complained.
"I am not!"
"You are so not making this easy."
I let out my laughter. Then I looked straight at his eyes, falling in. I laid one hand on his shoulder, and then wrapped the other one around neck. Our faces were close now. It felt so right.
"I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."
I kissed him.
I could've stayed that way forever, except a voice behind us growled," Well, it's about time!"
Suddenly the pavilion was filled with torchlight and campers.
Clarisse led the way as the eavesdroppers charged and hoisted us both onto their shoulders.
"Oh, come on!" he complained. "Is there no privacy?"
"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.
"The canoe lake!" Connor Stoll shouted.
With a huge cheer, they carried us down the hill, but they kept us close enough to hold hands. I started laughing, and he couldn't help laughing too, even though his face was tomato-red. We held hands right up to the moment they dumped us in the water.
I choked up water, and it wasn't the least bit romantic. Until Percy made an air bubble at the bottom of the lake. For a guy who took so long to say so few words, he certainly knew exactly the right thing to do.
And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.