Part 3

The ship landed next to the mall and Leo let down the stairs. “Alright let’s go! Pairs of two!” Percy shouted. He walked up to Sally. “Mom you come with me, Annabeth, and uh…” he looked at Nico. “I forgot to ask your name…”

Hazel walked up to Frank. “You clean up nice.”

Frank blushed. “Thanks.” he said leading Hazel down the steps into the parking lot.

Nico sulked and flipped Percy off.

“His name is Nico.” Annabeth said.

“Well Nico’s a little rude…” Percy said.

Jason walked up to Piper. “You wanna come with me?”

“I guess…” Piper replied.

Jason led her into the parking lot.

“He’s really sweet…” Annabeth said. “He just hasn’t really been the same since-“

Nico shot her a glare.

“Well…” Annabeth trailed off and stopped talking.

“Mhm…” Percy said. He looked to Nico. “I won’t push you to talk about it… but could you at least talk once in a while?”

Nico glared at Percy.

Calypso and Leo went down the stairs followed by Percy and the rest.

Percy led them into the mall and they gathered in the food court. “We’ll meet back here in an hour alright?”

Annabeth grabbed Percy’s arm.

He blushed. “What are you doing?”

“S-spider…” she said in a shaky voice.

“Huh?”

Annabeth clutched his arm tighter and backed away from the wall. There was a small black spider on the wall.

Percy looked at it. “It’s just a spider. It’s not hurting anyone.”

Annabeth whimpered and pulled back.

Percy sighed and took Leo’s shoe.

“Hey!” Leo complained.

Percy squished the spider and handed the shoe back to Leo.

Leo took his shoe. “Gross…”

Annabeth swallowed. “Thanks…”

“Mhm… Like I said before. Meet back here in an hour. Capish?” Percy repeated.

“Yes sir.” said Leo, Jason, and Frank as they led the girls into the mall.

Sally looked to Nico. “You’re going with Percy?”

“Unfortunately…” Nico replied.

Annabeth looked at Nico sadly.

Sally smiled at Percy. “I think I’ll take this young man off your hands.”

Percy gave her a confused look. “You sure Mom?”

“I’m sure.”

Percy leaned in close. “She hates me.” he whispered.

“You’d be surprised.” Sally whispered as she led Nico in the other direction.

Percy led Annabeth into the mall. “So… where you wanna go?”

“Somewhere…” she replied with a shrug.

“Well what kind of clothes do you like?”

“Vintage.”

“Okay so pick an old fashioned store…”

Annabeth looked around and walked into one excitedly.

Percy followed her.

She grabbed a bunch of dresses and ran into the changing room.

Percy checked his watch and sighed. “We’re gonna be here a long time aren’t we?”

Annabeth came out wearing a pretty red dress. “No. I like this one.”

Percy nodded. “You look nice.”

Annabeth blushed. “Thanks.”

Percy blushed and turned away hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Annabeth grinned. “You’re blushing…”

Percy blushed more. “No I’m not!”

She stepped closer to him. “I’m not trying to mock you… You are…”

Percy stepped away. “Let’s just pay for the dress…”

Annabeth frowned.

Percy paid the cashier and quickly walked out of the store.

Annabeth followed him. “What’s wrong?”

He checked his watch. “We were only in there fifteen minutes?!” It was obvious he was ignoring her.

“Don’t ignore me.”

Percy sighed and sat down on a bench. “I don’t know… I feel… weird…”

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know… I feel sick to my stomach…”

“That’s not bad…” She sat next to him. “It’s normal actually.”

“…My mom’s been trying to talk me out of this since I became a pirate and now… I’m starting to have second thoughts…” His eyes were a little glassy. “I’m just so confused…” he said burying his face in his hands.

Annabeth hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. “…I-If you stay with it…I’d stay…”

Percy took a shaky breath and sat up again. “I don’t know what I wanna do anymore…” He quickly wiped away a tear hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Annabeth hugged him.

His eyes widened and he sat in shock for a moment before awkwardly hugging back. “…The only one who’s ever hugged me is my mom…”

“That, I think is worse than anything…”

A few tears fell down Percy’s face. He pulled away and wiped them. “Thanks…”

Annabeth smiled and kissed his cheek. “To be honest, you’re not the rude pirate they think you are.”

“… Can you keep a secret?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I try to act tough… try to be rude and nasty… but it’s an act… I use it to hide how I’m feeling inside… I just don’t know what to do anymore…” He looked in her eyes sadly. “I’m lost…”

Annabeth held his hand. “Don’t try to hide it.”

Percy shook his head. “I don’t know how else to act… This is all I know…”

“You could do good with that ship… Save people…”

“What good can I do? I’m a demigod… We’re outlaws whether we’re good or not…”

“Prove that you’re more than that! You can change what people think!”

Percy took a deep breath. “… I’ll try…” he said with a small smile.

_

After dinner they went back to Sally’s apartment.

“It was nice seeing you again Mom. Same time next month?” Percy said.

Sally smiled and hugged him. “Sure hon.”

Percy kissed her cheek and got back on the ship. He waved to her as they sailed into the air.

Sally winked at Annabeth.

Annabeth smiled at her. She turned around and her smile fell when she saw Percy and the others tying the girls and Nico to the mast again. “Percy…”

Percy led her to the mast and tied her with the others.

The ropes were only tight enough to be secure, but not uncomfortable. Annabeth could barely feel them.

Percy walked away and stared at the sunset.

Jason picked up the gag and walked toward Piper sadly.

Piper frowned.

Jason tried to put it in her mouth, but she moved her head away.

“No!” she shouted.

Percy looked over his shoulder. “Jason put the rag down…”

Jason gave Percy a confused look. “Sir?”

“You heard me. Put the stupid rag away…”

Jason nodded and tossed it over his shoulder.

Annabeth sadly stared at Percy.

Frank finished tying everyone. “Sorry guys…”

“It… it’s okay.” Annabeth said.

“It’s fine Frank.” Hazel said with a small smile.

Calypso sighed.

“We’re pulling into the next town. Leo get ready to dock.” Percy said without looking at anyone. He kept staring at the sunset.

“Gotcha.” Leo said running to the controls.

Annabeth angrily looked away from Percy.

Frank walked up to her. “He’s really a nice guy if you get to know him…” he whispered.

“I’ve already tried…” she said sadly.

The ship docked at the harbor and the boys ran into the town. They came back about an hour later carrying two bags of loot. An angry mob ran after them and shouted insults from the dock as the ship lifted into the sky. Percy smirked and ran to the edge of the ship peering down at the town. He raised a massive wave and allowed it to loom over the town for a moment. Then his facial expression changed to one of realization and shock. He sighed and slowly brought the water down into the ocean again without spilling a drop on the town.

“Captain Percy?” Jason said.

“You okay?” Frank said.

Annabeth quietly let loose a shaky sigh.

“… I’m fine… I just… need to think…” Percy said walking toward his room.

“Can’t you at least untie us?!” Annabeth shouted angrily.

Percy kept walking as he rubbed his head.

Jason ran up to him. “Captain Percy-“

“I DON’T CARE! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT!” Percy snapped.

Jason ran away from him and didn’t say another word.

Percy walked into his room and slammed the door.

Jason gulped and walked to the mast. He untied them. “Sorry about that guys… I’m not sure what’s up with him…”

_

Hazel walked over to Frank.

“Hi…” he said.

“Hey…” Hazel replied.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

Frank rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. “Um…”

“You?”

“Um… Not too much. Just y’know… Pirate stuff…”

“Cool.”

“Mm…” Frank said blushing.

Hazel giggled. “You look like a tomato…”

He blushed redder. “Do not!”

“You do.”

Frank turned away red-faced.

Hazel smiled.

_

Jason went over to Piper. “You alright?”

“Peachy.” she said.

“Good… I’m ah… Sorry about tying you up…”

“It’s fine…”

“If I were in charge I wouldn’t have anyone tied up…”

“Good for you…”

“…You know… you look beautiful in your new clothes…”

Piper blushed and smiled. “You really think so?”

“Yeah… but it doesn’t take much. You looked beautiful before that too…” he said with a smile.

She took his hand. “Oh really?”

“Yeah…”

_

Calypso was leaning on the rail at the edge of the ship and staring at the sunset.

Leo silently walked up to her.

She noticed him and sighed. “What do you want?”

“Just trying to annoy you.” he said with a grin.

“You succeed…”

He looked up. “Nice sunset huh?”

“It’s beautiful.”

Leo smiled.

“So when’s your ‘captain’ gonna take us home?”

“Dunno yet. He usually decides in mornings…”

Calypso sighed. “I don’t know why I’m even asking… I just got released from Ogygia… It’s not like I have somewhere else to go…”

“Bless you.”

“I didn’t sneeze, idiot.”

“Oh, sorry…”

“Ogygia’s the island where I was forced to live for a thousand years because my father is Atlas… I made a mistake in helping him in the first titan war and that was my sentence…”

“Oh.”

“Every once in a while the gods would send a hero to Ogygia… I fell in love with all of them, but none could stay… They finally released me last week… then you jerks came and kidnapped us…”

Leo opened his mouth to speak then closed it. “…I’m… sorry.”

“You should be.” Calypso said walking away.

Leo looked down and then ran after her. “Wait!”

She kept walking.

“Please don’t be mad at me…”

“Why shouldn’t I?! You kidnapped me just as I was trying to experience some real freedom for the first time in my life!” she shouted as a few tears fell down her face.

“I’m sorry…”

Calypso buried her face in her hands and started crying.

Leo hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. “…I’m sorry…”

She backed away. “Just leave me alone.”

_

Percy poked his head out of his room. “Time for bed. Everyone to your rooms…”

Annabeth scowled and went into Percy’s room.

He was sitting in his chair and looked as if he’d been crying. He glanced at Annabeth. “Where’s Nico? I said everyone-”

“Sulking on deck. Leave him. What were you doing Percy?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did any of that mean anything to you?!”

“Any of what?”

She shoved a pillow off the bed. “YOU KNOW WHAT!”

Percy rubbed his temples. “I told you I was confused!”

She smacked him with the pillow and let herself fall on the bed.

Percy got up and sat next to her. “Do you think that if it didn’t mean anything to me that I wouldn’t have gagged Piper? And if it didn’t mean anything to me would I have put the wave down without flooding the town?”

Annabeth didn’t respond.

“…I’m trying my best Annabeth, I really am… but like I said, I’m really confused right now… You just have to be patient with me… Can you do that?”

Annabeth took a shaky breath. “Okay…” she whispered.

Percy nodded and quickly kissed her head. “Thank you…”

She snuggled close to him.

“…Um… you want me to set course for your town? I can take all of you home and you won’t have to put up with us anymore…”

“…Nah…”

Percy gave her a confused look. “Nah?”

“Not yet. I won’t give up on you so easily.”

Percy blushed. “No one’s… ever believed in me before…”

“No?”

He shook his head. “No… It means a lot to me…”

Annabeth smiled.

Percy smiled back. He stared in her eyes and leaned in a little closer.

Annabeth put a hand behind his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

He kept a shocked expression for a moment, but slowly relaxed.

Annabeth smiled. “How was that Seaweed Brain?”

He smiled back. “Not bad Wise Girl.”

She grinned.

“You’re not gonna tell anyone we did that are you?” Percy asked still grinning.

She kissed him again. “That either?”

He giggled and kissed her. “Yeah. That one either.”

She hugged him.

He hugged back. “We should get to bed now…” He picked up the pillows from the floor and handed them to her. “I’ll be right back.” he said walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I’m getting Nico. It’s not safe to be out there alone at night.”

“Okay…”

Percy nodded and walked out to the deck.

Annabeth curled up under the covers and fell asleep.