The Gift of a Best Friend

And So It Begins

Annabeth's POV

It was the last night of the summer session.

The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer bead. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

I glanced at Percy. The firelight was covering his face, but I could still tell he was blushing. He looked kind of cute when he blushed.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. My siblings steered me and Jasmine to the front so we could share in the applause.

I was still not comfortable with all this attention.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————

The next morning, I found a form letter on my bedside table from Mr. D that I get at the end of the summer session every year, telling me to inform the Big House if I'm staying at Camp Half-Blood year-round.

Jasmine and I went there together to let them know that we're not. Then we, along with Toothless, strolled through camp one last time for a while together.

"My family is coming to take me home," I said.

"I know," Jasmine said. "Are you excited?"

"No. I'm terrified."

"I know. But I'll always be just across the river if you ever need me."

"I know, and I'm grateful for that."

"Hey, what are best friends for?"

I smiled.

We gave each other a hug, then continued on.

"So," I said. "What is Will going to do?"

"He lives in Portland, Maine with his mom," Jasmine said. "He's going to go back to school there."

"How are you two going to handle a long distance relationship?"

"The same way my parents did. It technically won't be long distance since I can teleport, and I will go visit him a couple times a week. But I have to get him a phone that won't attract monsters to him."

"I bet he'll like that."

"I bet he will, too."

Toothless made an unusual noise in his throat.

"What is it, Toothless?" Jasmine asked.

He ran forward toward the woods and we saw what he was running to.

Two nymphs came into the clearing, dragging an unconscious boy behind them.

"Oh my God," Jasmine gasped. "Percy?"

We ran to him. He looked in terrible shape. He was green and turning gray.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"We don't know," one of the nymphs said. "We just found him that way."

Jasmine examined him. "He's been poisoned."

I called for help.

Chiron noticed from a distance and blew his conch horn.

Jasmine and I loaded Percy onto Toothless's back and took him to the Big House. There, Chiron treated him.