Just a Tourist

By: NotUrAverageMusician

"What's the emergency?" I called as I let Jason and myself in through the door. We always do that when we go into each other's houses. I don't even remember the last time I knocked on one of my friends' doors.

Jason followed me into the living room of the house. It looked like Mrs. Jackson had left for the restaurant so it was just us kids.

Percy, Leo, and Annabeth were scattered on chairs and couches. Annabeth perked up when she saw me.

"Oh good," she said, "You're here."

I saw Jason out of the corner of my eye make his way to sit with Leo on the couch. Percy was leaned against the wall, eating potatoes chips.

"Yeah, what's the, and I quote, 'massive emergency'?" I asked.

Annabeth smirked, and held up a file, "I've been doing a little cleaning in my mom's classroom. I found a bunch of folders like these in her filing cabinet, one for all her classmates."

Leo groaned from where he was flopped on the overstuffed blue couch. "Seriously, Annabeth? That's your emergency? I was just going to head to the skate park."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "This is really important guys."

I raised an eyebrow. Jason caught my eye and my confused look and mirrored on his face.

"Teachers just keep stuff like that in their classrooms with like the phone numbers and like allergies of the kids in her class." Jason tried to explain, "What's the big deal about this one?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and focused her attention on me, the only one who really cared what she had to say at this point.

"Anyways, I decided to do a little snooping in the cabinets. You know, to see if there was any good stuff in there."

Leo laughed, "Oh no, she found my secret!" he teased, "I'm allergic to walnuts. Darnit."

Annabeth shot him a glare, "So I ended up looking at Luke's file and that's what I have with me right now." She waved around the manila hanging file folder in her hand.

"What's so important that's in there?" I asked, confused to why she'd make such a fuss.

"Read it for yourself." She handed me a piece of paper from inside the folder.

I read it outloud.

"Luke Anthony Castellan.

Born in Las Angeles, California.

Has ADHD and dyslexia.

Birthday is August 25th.

Lives at 30 Narmer Road, Somer's Point, New Jersey!"

Percy dropped the chip he was about to put in his mouth. Leo was so shocked he fell off the couch. Jason just looked more confused.

"Wait, I don't get it!" Jason insisted, "What are you all so shocked about?"

Percy explained, "Luke lives in Somer's Point."

"That's the town that you go into after you drive off the bridge." Annabeth added, looking smug that we all appreciated her discovery.

"And that means," Leo concluded, "That Luke doesn't live in Ocean City."

"Woah." Jason said eyes wide, "So that means he's just as much a tourist as I am."

I nodded. I couldn't believe the writing on the paper I was holding, but there it was in plain black and white.

"That must be why Luke is so mean to tourists." I thought aloud, "He wants to make sure that no one finds out that he's not a local so he acts really viciously toward all the tourists to make up for it."

"That's why he never tried out for the surf team!" Percy exclaimed, "You have to live here to join."

"And he always throws his parties on the beach," Annabeth said, "Never at his own house on the island."

"It's like putting the final puzzle piece together." Leo said in awe, "Well, the Super Awesome Mystery Kids have done it again!"

We all stared at him, unblinking.

"Okay, that wasn't my best," Leo admitted, "But think of the awesome stuff we could do with this."

Percy laughed, "We could tell the whole class!"

Annabeth agreed, "We could put it on Twitter!"

"We could pin up a bunch of copies of the proof all over the island!" Leo exclaimed.

Everyone was so excited with this new information that they were talking all at once, with the volume level rising.

I didn't even recognize my friends anymore. This was something Luke would do with our secrets, not us. Were we really going to act this way? It just didn't seem fair.
"Guys, wait!" I called over their chatter; after it was silent I began to talk. "Maybe we shouldn't do that."

"What?" Percy asked, shocked.

"You've got to be kidding me." Annabeth insisted.

I shook my head, "No, I'm really not. I'm just saying that it's his secret and he obviously wants to keep it that way. I don't think it's our right to make it public."

My friends looked stunned.

"C'mon guys," I sat down next to Annabeth, "It's not cool of us to do something like that. It's stooping to his level."

"Are you serious?" Leo exclaimed as he readjusted the beanie on his head, "He's been nothing but a jerk to us since the first day we met- especially to you, Piper."

"I know, I know." I muttered, "But we can't tell his secret- not like this at least." My friends were giving me blank stares, "Listen, I know he's done some bad things and I know he's been a real jerk to all of us, but I just don't think it's right."

"So what if it's 'not right'" Annabeth interrupted, "What matters is that we get revenge for all the things he's done to us over the years." My other friends nodded in agreement, even Jason who had been here for hardly two weeks seemed eager to tell the whole island about Luke's secret.

"Percy." I said, "What if I told the whole school about how you are still petrified to go on the big rollercoaster at Funland at the end of the Boards?"

Percy just about fumed, "You wouldn't."

"And Leo." I turned to my friend, "You don't want everyone to know that Blake is your foster dad, do you?"

Leo looked down at his shoes.

"And Annabeth." I looked back to the blonde, "How would you like it if I told everyone about that video on YouTube of you dancing in your Dora bathing suit as a kid."

"Ohmygod." Annabeth's cheeks burned bright red.

"See you guys?" I said to all my friends, "We all have secrets that we want to keep. I know you'd pretty much die if anyone told one of those. The same goes for Luke with his."

"But what if he does something really, really bad?" Percy asked, "Like purely evil. Then could we say?"

My friends all looked at me to give in with hopeful eyes, I sighed, "Only if he does something so bad that telling the secret is the only way."