Forgotten Paradise by Average Canadian

Chapter 4: Important Secrets

Annabeth had finally dried off. She was sitting in Ole Daisy pushing back her curly golden ringlets. Her white cotton sundress billowing from the gentle breeze. Her dazzling grey eyes shimmered with happiness. The smell of sea salt clinging to her skin. 

This afternoon had been magical. 

She didn't want to forget a single second of it. Not even a moment. So she had taken out her leather bound journal and pen and had started from the minute she woke up, detailing everything down to what her breakfast had tasted like. Meanwhile Percy swam around the drifting rowboat, exploring the shallower region of coral, diving and chasing fish. 

Annabeth was pretty sure Percy was part fish. 

She tapped her chin with her pen thoughtfully while unsure how to phrase the next sentence. Her eyes scanned the area around her hungrily drinking in the details. 

Ole Daisy had drifted rather close to the face of a rough plummeting cliff. Annabeth was caught almost between worlds. Above was the jungle looked like it was on a high rocky shelf and below was a coral dream crystal clear in the water. 

Percy sputtered up beside her and clung to the edge of the boat effectively tipping it sideways. 

Annabeth yelped as the rowboat rocked "Percy! Stop it! You're gonna make it tip!" 

"Oops, sorry." He let some of his weight back into the water while smiling sheepishly. "Hey if you lean to the left maybe I can try to get in on the right." He suggested. 

Annabeth pursed her lips in thought. 

"Well alright. But if you get my book wet I'm going to kill you." She replied, leaning to the left side of the boat so it tipped a little. Percy surged up and rolled in while the boat rocked back and forth. He let a few centimeters of the ocean in that pooled around her feet. 

His skin glistened with droplets that were just as bright as the way his eyes were lit up. 

Annabeth held her breath until the rocking dulled then she proceeded to give him a good slap upside the head. 

"Ow! what was that for?" he asked rubbing above his ear while looking at her like he was a tongue lashed seal. 

"For being an idiot" Annabeth answered.Before he could protest Annabeth put her attention back on her journal. Intent on ignoring any protests he could come up with. 

A few moments of silence eased the mood.Percy cocked his head to the side "Whatcha doing?" 

"I'm writing what happened today in my journal." 

"Why?" 

"Because I don't want to forget it."Percy crossed his thin arms over his bear wet chest and shivered. 

"Can I have my shirt back now?" he changed the subject. 

Annabeth didn't hesitate to dig through the green bucket and pass him the white cotton tee. 

"You know you're the first friend I've ever had?" he said a bit muffled while slipping the shirt over his head. 

Annabeth lifted her face "Really? Didn't you have friends where you lived before?" 

"Before?!" 

"Ya before you came here" Annabeth looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Well I was really little then, and I never met any other kids." 

"Why not? Didn't you go to school?" 

Percy cringed "Not exactly." He started. He looked like he was about to say something when he changed his mind.