DemiGoode's at Highschool

Chapter Ten - Getaway in a Postal Van

Quick reminder: this is my first attempt at first person! Comment below, tell me what you think and if i should continue it?

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happy reading :)

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ANNABETH

As I sat next to Percy's hospital bed, listening to his BPM beeping at a below average yet steady pace, I could feel my breath unconsciously syncopating to the beeping. I tried to calm down my nerves but it was impossible. After all we had been through, Percy might not make it out alive?

I dismissed the thought abruptly and concentrated on Percy's breathing. It was light and fragile; nothing like his usual gallavanting self.

"Holy flaming Valdez!"

Leo's roar from outside and bought me back to reality. Immediately I stood up and ran out the glass doors, quickly skipping over the doorframe. I caught my toe but ignored the throbbing pain that climbed up my foot- Percy was priority now. And...whatever mess Leo had got himself into.

"What have you..."

My sentence dropped short as I saw what Leo had conjured up. Hazel and Frank stood in amused silence, Frank holding back sniggers. Hazel compressed a small smile.

The balconette stood amidst a mess of engineering shenanigans; boiling pipes, car radiators and oil tanks littered the small terraced garden. On the parking lot adjacant to the garden, Hermes' van was parked. As much as I resented Luke's dad, I had to be grateful. Anyway, Luke was the past.

The postal van had two extra pipes jutting out the rear of the car, as well as a new paintjob. Huge grills laced around the edges of the van, as well as hot plates. Pimp my Postal van had taken place in the parking lot.

I was amazed; the amount of work Leo had completed in under seven minutes was astounding. I stood for a moment and let the sun beat down on my face. I breathed in and took in the feeling of warmth and hope.

Then I remembered; Hazel and Frank, as well as Piper, had been surpressing laughs. What was so funny about Leo's van?

And that's when I saw it. Out of the corner of my eye- something flying. And Leo was ... Aattatched to it?

I ran forwards to get a better view of what was happening.

Whilst trying to shield the sun from my eyes, I looked up into the bright light and made out two dark objects. One of them was Leo, dangling precarioisly, his trouser brace attatched to the flying cat. Yeah, a flying cat. Welcome to the life of a demigod.

The cat didn't have wings or anthing, but there was a big black pipe stuck onto its tail, making the cat look more like a vaccum cleaner. The black pipe was emitting a blue flame, which bounced off Leo's flameproof hair. The cat looked bewildered but otherwise fine.

"Leo," I sighed impatiently, tapping my foot. "Really, we don't have time for this. Our forty minutes start as soon as we step in the ...van." I said, choosing my words carefully. Was the makeshift monster truck still a van? It looked more like the mystery machine.

"We're referring to the van as the OAMM. Over accessorised mystery machine." Frank supplied.

"Sorry, Annabeth," Leo yelled down from above, "I didn't choose for the cat to turn into a flying hoover and suck me into it!"

"Alright, alright, guys, quit it. Just..,Frank, catch Leo, would you?" Hazel pleaded for seize-fire.

Frank rolled his eyes and Leo wriggled uncomfortably. Then, in one swift movement, Leo unlatched his trouser brace and fell, surprisingly elegantly, into Frank's arms. Frank let out a huff, and was carrying Leo bridal style.

"I love you man," Leo said gooeliy, fluttering his eyelashes at Frank.

I laughed out loud and Zeus, it felt good. Then Frank sighed and dropped Leo on his butt.

"Okay. So, erm, how will we get Percy into the van with all that stuff attached?" Piper spoke up. I was surprised to hear her uncharacteristic, mousey voice. I knew what had happened and although I doubted that Jason would've cheated on her, I could relate. I used to always feel some better-looking, smarter and funnier and all round better girl would snatch Percy out from under my nose.

"We'll take it all off. That's the risky part. Then, the forty minutes begins." I answered slowly. I preferred the planning to the actual carrying out of the mission.

Hazel winced. Frank readied himself. Leo dusted off his thighs. Piper fiddled with her plait. I straightened my back.

"Okay. So. Me, Piper and Hazel will deal with the medical stuff. Leo, you slide open the doors to the OAMM. And Frank, be ready to receive Percy." I breathed carefully as my friends nodded. Leo walked past me with Frank and gave me a squeeze.

"It'll be fine. He's gonna be fine. You'll see." Leo looked me in the eye as Frank nodded. I smiled appreciatively and stepped inside with the girls.

"I don't want to be awkward," Hazel said tentatively, "But where are Jason and Nico?"

Piper's fiddling increased. My breathing rattled with fear as I looked at Percy's weak, fragile face. His cheekbones looked like they would cut his papery skin at any moment.

"Jason's going to join us when we get there. Nico will shadow travel ahead to talk to Chiron about our, erm...situation." Piper almost whispered.

Hazel nodded, relief flooding her face.

Then us, all three of us, gathered around Percy's bed. I couldn't help but assume he'd open his beautiful, confusing, treacherous eyes and look up at me. Then he'd crack a grin with those pearly teeth and bing me into a hug and I'd sob into his strong, loving chest and he'd hold my hair .... Okay, stop Annabeth. This is weird. I have to save him, not collapse into him.

"On the count of three?" Piper suggested.

"Whatever," I replied nervously, "Let's just do it."

And then we each began pulling never ending wires from Percy. His arms were pumping assorted coloured wires; blue for morphine, clear for iodine, red for blood, and green for god knows what. I carefully peeled away plasters and quickly slapped them onto the jab wounds. Hazel concentrated and with her mind she pulled away a dozen wires. Piper unplugged the electric heart pacer.

Then it was a blur. We wheeled him out the door silently, the wheels stubbing the door frame. Frank grabbed the bed and heaved it into the van. Leo clicked the doors shut and revved up the fire powered engine. I hopped into the back with Hazel whilst Piper, Leo and Frank shimmied into the front.

I checked my watch. It had been thirty seconds, and i breathed a sigh of relief. It could've gone so wrong.

Leo pulled out of the car park with extreme speed. I didn't notice the trees beginning to blur past until we hit the main road, and the bumps stopped. I just clasped Percy's hand with all my might and prayed, prayed so hard that he'd open his beautiful eyes.

I don't know why, but this single quote kept flitting through my mind. 'Hardships often prepare ordinary people for extraordinary things', they say. But then, Percy never was ordinary. And what was happening to him was definitely not extraordinary.

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A bjt short, sorry guys!

So what do you think of first person? Yay or nay? Carry it on or not?

Please, please vooooottteee and comment!!!! Really helps me out :-)