Sign of the Times

That's Just the Way Things Go

The rest of the cab ride was filled with awkward silence. Percy and I were banned from talking to each other because Annie and Nick couldn't handle any more screaming or failed physical abuse. 

"So, any word on Luke?" Percy asked, breaking the silence. 

Annabeth immediately cringed and Nick and I gave each other a look that said "Are you dumb, Jackson???"

"No," she replied. "Mount Tam is still crazy overrun by monsters, but I don't think that Luke is up there. I would know."

I reached across Annabeth and grabbed her hand. I don't like Luke, and I know she doesn't want to like Luke, but she does and him being Enemy #1 is like stabbing her in the heart with a sword over and over again. 

"It's okay, Annie. We'll find him," I said. She gave me a sad smile and squeezed my hand back. However, for her sake I hope we don't. Who knows what they'll do to him when we do find him...

"What about Grover?" Percy asked. "I haven't heard from him in a while."

"We'll see him today at camp," Nick said. 

"Did he have any luck with the whole Pan thing?" 

Annie, Nick, and I shared an awkward look, trying to find the proper words for Grover's predicament. 

"You'll see," I finally said. 

The rest of the car ride was silent besides Percy using Annabeth's phone to call his mom and explain why Goode Academy was blown up and how he wasn't coming home for dinner.  I kept catching Percy looking at the number Rachel scribbled on his hand and was tempted to make a joke, but a little pit kept forming inside of my stomach each time I caught him looking and decided that was a sign to just leave it be for now.

We finally got to our stop and Annabeth handed him the money. He kept asking if we were in the right spot because he didn't want to be responsible for the disappearance of four teenagers. He only left when Annabeth gave him another ten. 

We walked to the top of the hill, saying hi to the dragon around Thalia's previous place of rest and the golden fleece. As we looked down at camp it looked the same as always, but it hadn't felt the same as the first time I came here in a while. With the war gaining momentum, and consistent monster sightings around the border to remind everyone of it, no one was too excited to be a half-blood.

I have been coming here more and more often ever since I got a call from Annabeth a few months ago. I had been on a ship to Europe when I got the call that she needed my help. My presence at camp has brought up mixed feelings, but mostly everyone was okay with it. One person that surprised me was Clarisse. We have been working together for the last couple of months and she isn't as much of an ass as I thought. Don't get me wrong, she has her moments, but she also has others that are enjoyable to be around her. 

"I need to talk to Clarisse," I said. "I forgot to update her about the latest quest. Annie, can you let Chiron know that I need to talk to him as soon as possible?"

"Clarisse?" Percy said and looked at me as if I told him I needed to talk to Kronos. "Why do you need to tell her about your quest?"

I glanced at Annabeth who shook her head at me. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Wait, Emelia, the hearing," Annabeth said. 

"Crap, uh, I'll update her quick. She'll already be upset I waited so long."

"What hearing?" Percy asked.

Nick frowned at him. "You've been gone a while, Percy. Things have changed."

Hurt flashed across Percy's face as he gave Annabeth one last desperate look. She merely looked away, not giving him anything more. 

I walked to the amphitheater and found Clarisse hacking away at some dummy (it was not a human dummy, I promise).