Annabeth at Goode

Chapter 10

~Cassie~

"And then I woke up in the infirmary here." I finished my story, shocked looks on everyone's faces.

I was sitting in a tight-knit circle with my brother and his friends, reliving my most painful memory on the grass in front of the Big House.

"Wait, so, what happened to your family?" Annabeth asked.

"That's what I need to find out."

"And how do you think you're going to do that?" Percy asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think I can stay at camp to do it," I looked down at my aqua canvas encrusted ankle. "I mean, what can I get done here? No one even knew my family and I'm hurt. I can't do anything."

"Well, spring break ends in a couple days, and we're all going back to school. I'd you wanted you could join us." Percy slipped his arm around Annabeth's shoulders and grinned.

"Ooh yeah! You can go to school with us and we can hang out all the time and do homework and be buddies!" A tanned boy with insanely curly hair came up behind me. "Hi, I'm Leo. But you can call me Mr. Right." He shot me a toothy grin.

Oh god. Not this again.

"Uh, I'm Cassie. It's nice to meet you." I gave him a small wave.

"Please, the pleasure is all mine." The arrogant boy then flexed his almost nonexistent muscles and smirked.

"Leo stop flirting with my sister and go away." Percy interjected.

"Ouch, harsh much?" Leo faked mock hurt. "Your a Poseidon kid? Wow, I haven't met one besides Percy and a few minor giants during the war. If I may ask, what's it like breathing underwater?" He took a seat next to me.

"Uh, excuse me?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah. I haven't told you all the perks of being a 'Poseidon kid'," Percy smirked before standing up and saying, "C'mon it's about time you learned."

"Ooh yay! Can I come too?" Leo bounced in excitement on the grass.

Percy, looking somewhat disturbed by his friend's outburst, agreed and opened the invitation to anyone else who was willing.

And it took only about ten seconds for Leo to say something completely out of context.

"Did you know that narwhals live in the Sound?"

"Have you ever tried Italian cheese? It's like heaven from a cow."

"Hey, is it possible to get warts from scratching your-" I cut him off.

"Leo! Shut. Up." I turned and forcefully out his hands on his shoulders, stunning him momentarily before smiling, "Sweetie, we need to get something straight here. Narwhals don't live in the Sound, I've never eaten European cheese, and I've never cared about warts a day in my life. So, with that said, please stop being a complete imbecile and stop talking before I take the nearest double bladed sword and shove it up your ass so hard you won't be able to hold down food for a month." And then I slapped him, on both cheeks, hard.

"Ow! Gods, woman! Ever heard of just telling a guy off?"

"Yeah, no. That doesn't work so well in Portland."

"How is it any different?" Thalia made her way to my side.

"That's a story for another time," I looked down, "besides, I don't think I'm in the right condition to dig back into my past." I gestured to my wonderful injury and then to the scene around me.