Calling Him Home
"Hello?" -PERCY
"Oh! Uh – hi." - ANNABETH
"Hi."
"It's uh...Percy, by the way."
"Yeah, I know."
"You do?"
"Well, yeah. I recognize your voice. And we have Caller ID, so..."
"Oh. Oh, right."
"So, you got my call."
"What? Oh, yeah, I did. That's kind of what I was calling about. You know, your call."
"Yeah. I guessed."
"Uh...Radical. Good, I mean. So, I was going to...well, take you up on your offer."
"Radical?"
"Never mind."
"What on earth is radical?"
"It's...just, forget it. I'm saying yes."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah. It sounded...fun. It'd be nice to see you, I guess. Not nice. Well, yes, nice, but better than nice. Maybe."
"Sorry, you lost me. Is that a yes?"
"Yeah, it is. A yes, I mean."
"You're kind of all over the place."
"Yeah, sounds about right."
"Great. Okay, well, should I be at your apartment for about...hmm, about eleven?"
"At night?"
"No! In the morning!"
"Oh, right. Of course."
"So, that's okay? We're all set for then? You sure that...well, you sure?"
"I'm sure that what?"
"You weren't supposed to hear that. That was supposed to be ignored."
"It wasn't. Ignored, I mean."
"Yeah, I got that. I just...well, you're sure that she won't mind?"
"My...mom?"
"No! The other she."
"Oh. Oh, no. I don't think so. It wouldn't really matter – I mean, no, I don't think she'd mind."
"Okay, then. If you're sure."
"I am."
"If you say so. So, your place, around eleven?"
"It's a date."
"No, it's not."
"No! I didn't mean like that! I meant, it was noted. On the...calendar."
"Ah. I see."
"Not like a date, like a date. Like a date. If you know what I mean."
"Do I ever?"
"Hmm. Probably not."
"Okay, then. I'll see you March 18th."
"Yes."
"Great. Good. Okay, I've got to go. We'll talk when I see you, okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that'd be good."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye – actually, hang on –"
"What is it?"
"It's just...Well, it's just good to hear from you."
"I...yeah. Actually, it's good to hear from you too."
"See you, then."
"Yeah, see you."
"Bye –"
"Actually, hold it."
"Yeah?"
"I – you know, it doesn't matter. It's just...really good to hear from you. I kind of missed you."
"I kind of missed you too."
"Such a Seaweed Brain."
"Annabeth?"
"Yeah?"
"Actually, nothing. Just...yeah. Thanks for calling. I'm just really glad you called. Really glad."
"Yeah. Me too. Glad I called, I mean...God, we're such emotional retards."
"Excuse me?"
"I was joking!"
"If you say so."
"Goodbye Seaweed Brain."
"Bye."
"You sure this time? Or you could just, you know, stay on the line. We could...talk, maybe."
"You know what? I'd like that."
"Me too. Like that –"
"You'd like that. I got it."
"Good. Great, I mean."
"Radical, perhaps?"
"Oh, ha – ha. Very funny."
And then he leans over, raising his hand with the phone pressed to his shoulder, pressing firmly on the button on the holster before he hears a satisfied beep.
"First message erased."
"What was that?"
"You know what? It doesn't matter." He smiles to himself and he nods. He's too happy to hear her voice in his ear once more to even care, anymore. "It really, really doesn't matter."
A/N: Take that, Prachel.
