{BOOK 2} Percy Jackson's Sister

Grover Wins the World Cup

The rumbling of the train was soothing to me and made me realize how tired I really was.

As Zoë and Bianca climbed into a Lexus, Thalia motioned me over. She was crouched down in front of a Mercedes with the hood open. Before she even said, I knew what she was trying to do.

"Help me?" She asked.

She took out a lighter as i helped her cut and rewire the car in order to turn it on. It roared to life and Thalia smiled.

"Thanks," she said. "I just wanted the music."

I nodded and left her alone because she didn't seem in the mood to talk. Her wish wasn't granted, though. Percy walked to her car and knocked on the window, asking for permission to join her. He was probably attracted to the radio, it was playing one of the songs he liked.

I climbed into Lamborghini Grover was playing race car in. He made revving noises with his mouth and jerked the wheel left and right.

I cleared my throat and did my best imitation of a sports announcer. "And Underwood has only two laps to overpower his enemy and win first place. Will he make it?"

He shoved the shift stick in random directions.

"Clearly, this is his first race, considering his car would've stopped dead in its tracks by now," I mocked still in my announcer voice.

He stopped making his race car noise and gave me a look that said Just go with it.

I sighed and went with it.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I continued. "Boys and girls, folks and flies, it's the last lap and Underwood is inches away from his opponent. He's got to make a record breaking speed in order to win this one!"

He made a show of going slow motion and waving past the car. I gave him a couple seconds to cross the finish line.

I imitated the sound of cheering and clapping. "He did it! Goat boy has won the race and broken the world record! What'll you do now?"

I held up a fake mic to his mouth and he said "I'm going to DisneyWorld!"

We laughed for a while after that, enjoying the little time we got to live as normal kids.

As our laughter died down I decided to share my doubts.

"We'll find Annabeth, right?" I asked him.

He refused to meet my gaze. "We won't stop looking until we do."

"Then why does it feel like we're failing?" I asked. "Two of us are gonna die, there's no way around that."

Grover stayed silent.

"Grover, you're a protector, right?"

"Yes?"

"So if two demigods need your help, but you can only save one of them, what do you do?"

He thought for a moment. "I do what I think is right."

I nodded.

"Cas," Grover sat up straight. "I know what you're thinking."

I crossed my arms. "No, you don't."

"Yes I do."

"Grover, if it comes down to it-"

"No, Cassidy."

"Please-"

"No."

I knew he wouldn't budge and I couldn't make him promise anything. But if it came down to saving either me or Percy, I wanted Grover to choose Percy. I needed Grover to choose Percy, because I couldn't live with myself if he died because of me. If any of them died because of me. I know Zoë and I weren't exactly friends, but we were both on this quest, both trying to rescue someone we cared about. It was our job to stick together.