Annabeth Chase and the Sea of Monsters

Chapter 10 - The Chariot of Owls

Not for the first time, I was glad that I wasn't a child of Poseidon. They always seemed to have bad luck, but a monster for a half-brother, that was the worst luck of all.

Percy was moody in the days leading up to the chariot races, snapping at people when they mentioned Tyson and seeming to shy away from his half-brother as much as possible. I didn't blame him. Just walking past that monster gave me shivers.

To make him feel better, I offered for us to team up for the chariot races. Admittedly, it wasn't just because Percy needed something to cheer him up. My competitive streak couldn't help itself. His father had created horses and my mother had invented the chariot. Together our parents had devised the sport, therefore it seemed impossible that together we would lose.

In theory, it was a soundproof idea. But in practice, not so much.

Athena and Poseidon had never really got along, and although Percy and I had, for the better part, managed to get over that and become close friends, there were still moments when we couldn't stand each other. Like when we were designing the chariot for the race.

We were sitting by the canoe lake as that was one of the only places that seemed to relax Percy. Being ADHD, he was naturally hyperactive, like me, but water always calmed him down. We usually went there when we wanted to talk about something serious without Percy twitching and losing concentration.

Anyway, we were sketching chariot designs, so practically me working out the actual structure of the chariot and Percy trying to add fancy designs, like a wave rolling over an owl, to paint on the sides. We were going pretty well when some Aphrodite kids strolled past casually, commenting on the advantages of having a single eye over two. They did so loudly that it was impossible to not hear them, or work out where their comments were aimed.

Percy gritted his teeth and looked ready to whip out Riptide, but I laid my hand on his forearm to restrain him.

"Just ignore them, Percy," I told him as they laughed and walked away. "It isn't your fault that you have a monster for a brother."

"He's not my brother!" Percy snapped, his sea-green eyes burning angrily. "And he's not a monster, either!"

I raised my eyebrows, wondering why he was keeping himself in denial. Admittedly, I probably would too though. "Hey, don't get mad at me! And technically, he is a monster."

"Well, you gave him permission to enter the camp."

"Because it was the only way to save your life!" I exclaimed, incredulous. Surely he wasn't blaming me for that? "I mean . . . I'm sorry, Percy. I didn't expect Poseidon to claim him. Cyclopes are the most deceitful, treacherous -"

"He is not! What have you got against Cyclopes, anyway?"

A memory flashed through my brain, a cave lit up by a torches and a massive figure standing over me, gloating. I pushed it away, feeling my ears burn from the pain of the memory.

"Just forget it," I muttered, wanting to forget. "Now, the axle for this chariot -"

"You're treating him like he's this horrible thing," Percy interrupted, unwilling to let it go. "He saved my life."

I snapped.

"Then maybe you should design a chariot with him!" I yelled, throwing down my pencil and standing up.

"Maybe I should," Percy snapped back, lifting his chin at me defiantly, a challenge in his eyes.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

I stormed off, leaving Percy behind.

We didn't talk for a few days after that, preferring to avoid each other. I saw him of course, the camp being not big enough for us to completely avoid each other, but we both went to extremes to stay out of the others way.