𝗚𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗘! 𝙥. 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 ¹

ꕤ Is This a Date?

BONUS CHAPTER NINETEEN: PERCY

Lydia was running late (as per usual). She scrambled around her room, putting on her shoes, while she tried to find her gloves. She was dressed like she was about to go spend the night in Alaska, wearing a thick jacket, a white scarf and a pair of matching gloves.

Inside the camp borders, it never snowed—it hardly ever got chilly. Most campers rocked a sweatshirt version of the orange t-shirt and jeans or something. So, Lydia had to ask Silena—probably the nicest demigod in the Aphrodite cabin, if not the entire camp—for a solid.

Silena had happily lent her a pair of gloves and a scarf to pack for the weather before she started attending school with Percy. Lydia never thought she'd have a need for any winter clothes, but she put it on her mental to-do list to invest in them with her non-existent money.

It was late January; They were back to school after winter break, and Percy had decided he needed to show Lydia Manhattan in the winter. Ever since she'd moved in with him, they hardly ever did anything except go to school and back.

He wanted to lift her spirits because she'd been spending the past few weeks since they got back from camp rotting in bed. The last prophecy they'd starred in wasn't exactly forgiving when it came to the role Lydia would play.

Percy aggressively knocked on her door. "Ding dong! The easter bunny called, and he's already hiding eggs in our backyard. Hurry up!"

"We don't even have a backyard." Lydia retorted.

She stuffed her digital camera in her bag, and rushed past Percy out the door, stopping briefly to hug Sally goodbye.

"Stay safe!" Sally nagged. "Don't talk to anyone! Don't look at anyone! Don't give anybody anything!"

Lydia laughed, nodding along to everything Sally was saying. "Okay, I promise."

"Don't worry, mom." Percy assured her. "I'll take good care of her."

Lydia blushed; the butterflies in her stomach were going wild.

Sally sighed. "Be back before ten."

"Sure." Percy shrugged.

Lydia didn't have very high hopes that this would even work out. She hadn't expected Sally to approve of their idea. But lo and behold, it seemed Sally was relieved to have the place all to herself for a few hours.

Percy extended his arm, and Lydia linked her arm with his.

"Are we going to walk?" She asked.

They left warm building and into the chilly air. Lydia shivered, pulling her scarf up to cover her nose.

"Yeah, I can't exactly fly yet."

She rolled her eyes. "Where are we even going?"

"Somewhere special." He promised. "You'll like it?"

"Okay, but where—"

"Why are you asking so many questions?" Percy retorted; he tugged her along. "Just walk!"

Although he was being insufferable, he was really glad she was speaking so much. Ever since what happened with Luke, Lydia had been a shell of herself. She hardly talked to anyone, she hardly ate, and she hardly reacted whenever Percy would tease her.

It broke his heart.

Some nights, he'd hear sniffling coming from her room, and all he'd wanted to do was just run in there and hug her until she fell asleep.

He knew how much she cared about Luke. Like almost every living, breathing demigod, Luke had been some sort of a good friend to her at some point in his miserable life.