Of Shocks and Seashells

Of Fireworks and Surprise Invitations

Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. I haven't published any books. Jeez. I don't own Green Day or their song When I Come Around, either.

Percy's Point of View

"Well? Percy, don't you have something to ask me?" says a girl flirtatiously. She's Asian, with warm brown eyes, dark hair carefully curled into ringlets that are tossed over one shoulder, and lush lips painted an intense shade of pink. Her neck, fingers, and wrists are cluttered with jewelry, and she makes the Camp Half-Blood T-shirt look like an outfit that should be on a runway. (A/N: I got all of this from the Lost Hero; yes, Drew is Asian.)

"Uhh...ask you what?" I ask stupidly, and the girl rolls her heavily mascaraed eyes.

"Duh! Aren't you going to ask me to the fireworks?" the girl says impatiently. "I mean, it's such a big honor to accompany moi to the fire-"

"I don't...I don't even know who the Hades you are!" I shout.

"You don't? Well, you should. My name's Drew. I'm a daughter of Aphrodite," Drew says.

"Oh. Um, nice to meet you...I guess..." I mutter.

"So...don't you have something to ask me?" Drew asks seductively.

"But...I don't want to ask you or go with you to the fireworks..." I say.

"Why not?" Drew pouts.

"Because...because..." I say frantically.

Thalia's Point of View

Currently, I'm leaning against my pine tree, listening to Green Day on my iPod. Bless them. I don't know how I would live without their music.

Being by my tree makes me think. About my past life. About my mom, my dad, my brother, running away with Grover, Luke, and Annabeth...it makes me think. The tree was actually my home for six years. Six years. Wow. When you think about it, that's a long time to be stuck in a tree. But the alternative was being dead. Not fun. I'd take being a tree for six years any day.

I heard you crying loud,

all the way across town

You've been searching for that someone,

and it's me out on the prowl

As you sit around feeling sorry for yourself

Well, don't get lonely now

And dry your whining eyes

I'm just roaming for the moment

Sleazin' my back yard so don't get so uptight

you been thinking about ditching me

I sing along to the song quietly, humming more then saying the words. I lean into the bark, feeling the rough edges poke through my leather jacket. The pine needles poke me slightly, but I don't really mind. I just want to relax and let go.

No time to search the world around

Cause you know where I'll be found

When I come around

"Don't you have something to ask me?"

"But...I don't want to ask you or go with you to the fireworks..."

Wait...what? Those aren't part of the song. Whatever. Probably some idiots arguing about the fireworks tonight. I'm definitely not going. I hate really big social events, and the romance part? Not really my genre.