When We Were 'Us'

Just Want To Calm Down A Bit- Percy POV

I heard footsteps on the wooden dock behind me. Without looking up, I kicked my foot out and sent a spray of water up, arcing away from me farther into the lake.

"What do you want?"

"Hey Comet." 

I paused, glancing over my shoulder. "Oh hey, Rachel...."

She sat down next to me, carefully sliding off her tennis shoes and socks.

"Annabeth is pretty pissed."

"I don't care."

Rachel sighed and leaned against my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her.

"Did she tell you about tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"What do you think?" Rachel asked hesitantly.

"About Annabeth or about the fact that we have to argue with immortal beings to be able to be together?"

She shrugged, kicking her feet lightly. "Both? Anything else? I don't know, Perc- I can call you Percy, right?"

"You can call me whatever you want, Rach, I don't care... although I did like Comet."

Rachel giggled and nudged me with her shoulder. "I do too. Comet it is."

"Now I can dress up like a reindeer for Halloween. And Christmas."

She snorted and looked at me for a moment. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"It's mostly just a lot of screaming, you really don't want to hear that." I shrugged, making a little wave roll towards us and splash on our feet. Rachel laughed and kicked her feet again.

"Do you ever think about what might have happened if the two of us never met?"

I paused, tilting my head. "No, not really. I try not to think about the alternatives to the life I have, it usually makes me mad. I think that scenario would be more saddening than anything, you've been one of my best friends for a really long time."

I looked up at the sky, noticing that it was starting to get dark. "Are you coming to campfire tonight?"

Rachel shrugged. "I don't usually go. I don't know the songs and I feel out of place as the only mortal."

"Aw come on, Rach, you'd fit in there fantastically." I turned to look at her, taking one of her hands. "Come with tonight? I'll teach you one or two of the songs."

She began to grin after a moment, squeezing my hand. "Are you asking me on a date before Olympus says we can?"

"I try not to listen to directions that come from Olympus, they just put me in danger." I got to my feet carefully and offered her a hand up.

"And is not going on a date with me going to put you in danger?"

"In danger of heartbreak." I joked weakly. Rachel smiled a little, but I could tell she heard the underlying pain. "So?"

She laughed. "I'll come with you to campfire, you dork. But you'd better walk me back to my cave afterward like a proper gentleman."

"Oh of course." I ignored the little flicker of a blush on my face. Walking each other back to cabins was kind of a couple thing too, something that had started after Annabeth and I were well on our way to being the Aphrodite cabin's favorite couple. 

We'd done it once in a while but for several months we'd both avoided the campfires in general. 

People were just starting to gather in the campfire area. Will waved to me as he and some of his siblings did sound checks and got their instruments ready.

"Haley, there you are!"

I looked up, seeing Freddie coming over. CJ trailed behind him, looking generally annoyed. He was hunched in, arms crossed tight.

"Hi Freddie." Rachel smiled.

"Heya Red! Didn't know if I'd be seeing you."

She shrugged. "Well I am sort of the reason that Percy-sorry, Haley, is here."

"Rach even if you call me Percy they know who you're talking about." I ruffled her curls.

"If you're trying to mess that up I've gotta break it to ya, Comet, my hair's always a problem. A little extra wildness won't kill me."

"Sounds like Haley's hair." Freddie laughed. 

"Yeah I'm a mess." I shrugged. "Good thing Rachel likes messes, right?"

She snorted.

"Hey I've seen your cave. Paint, paper, notebooks, all sorts of art supplies, everywhere." I grinned at her. "Always a mess, just like me."

"You're not a mess, you're a troublemaker. There's a huge difference." She shook her head.

"I can attest to that." CJ grunted.

Freddie started to say something, but suddenly something else started glowing. I squinted at CJ as a glowing sign hovered above his head.

"No wonder he hates Camp Jupiter so much..." The dots connected. "CJ, you're not Roman."

He looked up at the glowing symbol. "Who's that?"

"Eris. Looks like you're a troublemaker at heart."