Aquaphobia (Percy Jackson Fic)

Beware the Cab Driver

A/N: So, this is going to be a long one, but hey, Aria is going to make it to Camp Half-blood in this chapter. So far, I have seven reads, and I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson franchise *sigh*. I only own any characters I create and most of the plot line.

Annabeth explained to me that she was in San Francisco to visit her dad, a professor at one of the local universities. She tells me about her mum being Athena, and how her hat was a gift from her. She tells me about the different gods, and about Camp Half-blood. I am excited to maybe gain some siblings. She tells me about her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, and their adventures together. Being with Annabeth is calming. Like gaining an older sister.

We decide to stop by my house to get my stuff. I stop at the door, preparing myself to go in. I walk in slowly, seeing the ruined living room. I grab my dance and school bags from where I had dropped them at the door and rush to my room. Refusing to look at anything else. I don't go into the bathroom, I can't. I want to remember my mum as how she was when she was alive. Not dead in the bathroom. I quickly dump out my textbooks and school supplies from my bag, figuring I won't need them, and fill my backpack with clothes and my few prised possessions. I fill my dance bags with dance shoes and clothes, fully intending to continue dancing. Once I finish I slowly leave the apartment. I once again avoid looking around, but I stop at the door to my mum's room. I slowly push it open, staring at the lifeless room. On her bedside table I see a necklace. She always wore it. She claimed to hate it, saying it was the last thing my father gave her, but she never took it off. Only when she slept. I grab the necklace and slip it on, feeling the weight of it against my chest. I look around the room once more before, grabbing my passport, and leaving.

I exit the apartment building to see Annabeth waiting outside. "You good?" she asks. I nod. No, no I am not good, but this is how it is going to be.

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Before long we reach the airport, and Annabeth goes to the desk to buy me a ticket. How she has the money I will never know. When I ask she just winked at me and told me that a little birdy told her she may need it. Apparently, the Oracle mentioned a new arrival to camp with the owl's daughter, and low-and-behold here I am. After getting a ticket for the next flight to Long island, me and Annabeth head to a café to get some food. I am dreading getting on the plane. Me and my mum never travelled, we always stayed right where we were in our little apartment. Oh my god, mum. What about her body? Who will find it? I feel my eyes start to burn with tears, but I hold them in. There will be time to grieve on my own.

"We should probably head to our flight" says Annabeth, "Demigods don't like to fly often, but it is a long way to Long Island, and the two of us will attract more monsters if we go by land," she explains as we walk. Soon enough we get to our gate, and begin to board. We get on the plane and head to our seats, delighted to find that no one was sitting in the middle. I buckle my seat belt, and look out the window, quickly turning away when I catch a glimpse of the ocean. Annabeth looks at me oddly, but doesn't say anything. The plane begins to move and I begin to panic. Should the engine be rumbling this much? What if we don't make it off the runway? What if one of the wings gets ripped off? I begin to spiral in my thoughts, jabbing my nails into my palms for some sort of distraction. I feel Annabeth pry my hands open, and wince as her finger runs across the crescent shaped cuts. She doesn't say anything, but grips my hand until we are up in the sky

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The first part of the flight goes by smoothly, with no turbulence, but about half way through the plane starts to shake. I immediately tense. Annabeth, noticing my discomfort, begins to talk to me. "I like your hair; did you dye it yourself?" Normally I would say yes and leave it at that. The real story being very odd. Instead I give her a nearly full truth. "Actually, it is natural. I was taking a bath when I was three, and when I got out, my hair was blue." Annabeth looks at me briefly before a look of realization crosses her face. She doesn't tell me what she is thinking, but I can tell it is something that is good based off of the smirk playing on her lips. She asks me more about my old life before she asks a question that makes me freeze. "Are you a swimmer?" she looks at me like she expects me to be excited at the question. Instead I freeze. "No" I reply shakily, "I, umm, I'm actually scared of water, so I don't swim at all." She frowns at that, but once again doesn't push.