Annabeth Chase and the Lightning Thief

Chapter 14 - We meet some realistic garden gnomes

The boys were in shock after the bus blew up, so much so that I had to practically drag them away. I thought they'd be more thrilled, like whoooo, we just blew up a bus, mad bro! Instead they were more like zombies. If it wasn't for me, they'd probably just sit back there, watching the bus burn and try to remember their names.

I don't even know why I wasn't in shock. Probably all my training kicking in, or my instincts or something. Or maybe because I knew we weren't out if danger yet.

Grover was moaning about Kindly Ones and Percy was stumbling over everything in his path, even if he saw it there. It didn't look like we'd get very far at this rate.

"Come on!" I yelled. "The further away we get, the better."

"All our money was back there," Percy said. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

I felt angry. It wasn't the time for self-pity!

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight -" I began but Percy cut me off.

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover commented. "But fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," I snapped.

"Tin cans," he moaned. "A perfectly good bag of tin cans."

There was an awkward silence for awhile, but the rain and the hard trek somehow managed to quench my anger. I felt bad about snapping at Percy, even more so because I know I was in the wrong. Wow, I hate admitting that.

I dropped back to walk beside Percy. He didn't comment or make any reaction. I took that as permission to speak.

"Look, I . . . I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

"We're a team, right?" He said it like it was the most simplest thing in the world.

I looked up at him. It was so dark that I could barely see him, but at least the storm had gone.

"It's just that if you died . . ." I bit my lip painfully, "aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean that the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the world."

I felt so selfish and guilty, but Percy didn't seem to be hurt.

"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" He asked.

"No . . . only short field trips. My dad -"

"The history professor."

I was kinda shocked he remembered. Maybe he did listen after all.

"Yeah," I continued. "It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home," I started rambling, my feelings pouring out of me. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

"You're pretty good with that knife," he told me.

"You think so?" I asked hopefully.

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."

I smiled to myself. It wasn't the most fashionable move, but effective. Maybe I should have it recognized so it would gain popularity.

Thinking about the Furies made me realise something. Something that I'd thought strange at the time, but hadn't had time to really dwell on it.