Chapter Five: Dinner
Percy poked at Annabeth’s pasta with his fork and she smacked his hand away, smiling. “Eat your burger, Seaweed Brain.”
“Are you sure that’s noodles and not brains? It looks kind of like brains.”
She rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time since they’d ordered and teasingly glared at Percy. “Well you didn’t order it—I did.”
Percy picked up his cheeseburger again and bit into it lavishly. Annabeth sighed, shaking her head. Katie laughed, picking at her salad.
“Hey, I’m a growing boy. And being invulnerable makes me hungry,” he said around a mouthful of cow. “Not to mention running away from a girl with a paintball gun who doesn’t know the meaning of ‘Game Over.” He gave Annabeth a pointed look.
Travis, who had also ordered a cheeseburger, smiled, swallowing.
“What’s your excuse then?” Annabeth asked Travis.
He wiped barbeque sauce from the side of his mouth. “I’m a boy. I’m hungry.”
Annabeth smiled, taking a bite of her fettuccini. Percy watched, entranced, as she licked sauce off her bottom lip. She looked up. “What?” she whispered.
“Nothing,” he said too quickly, looking back at his burger.
Katie sipped at her iced tea and said, “Let’s play Truth. Except different. Everyone has to answer the same question and then we move on. Who was your first kiss and did you like it?”
They went in a circle, beginning with Annabeth. She didn’t even flinch or blush as she said, “Percy. And…yeah.”
Percy said, “Annabeth. And of course.”
Katie squirmed slightly. “Dean. From the Apollo cabin. And…I guess?”
Travis looked slightly taken aback. “Wait. The dude with the Mohawk?”
“Yeah.”
“You kissed Mohawk Man?”
“Well, more like he kissed me. I was kind of confused.”
Annabeth smiled. “I know. Trust me.”
“What about you, Travis?” Percy asked.
A month ago, Travis would have boasted about kissing Stephanie Carlisle—but he still thought it might have been her twin, yes twin, sister, Daphne—from the Aphrodite cabin, but now…he wasn’t so sure if that was a good idea.
“Stephanie Carlisle.” He shrugged. “And I guess. I don’t really remember.”
“Best scar,” Percy said, eating a fry.
“Hellhound,” Travis said quickly, pointing to his chest. “I’d take off my shirt and show you, but the girls might end up drooling in their dinner.”
Katie rolled her eyes; Annabeth laughed; and Percy shook his head before grabbing the little bunch of hair that was tinted grey. “No one can beat this.”
“Except for me, of course,” Annabeth said, obviously referring to her own streak of grey.
“Empousai last year. Took a chunk out of my upper leg. It’s really gross.” Katie fingered her shorts self consciously.
“Boxers or briefs?” Annabeth asked, looking at Percy.
With his arm already around the back of her chair, he simply moved it a little to wrap around her middle before pulling her close and whispering something in her ear. She blushed and smacked his shoulder before staring down at her dinner. Both Percy and Katie looked at Travis.
“Boxers,” he said, taking a sip of his Coke.
“Percy?”
“Same.”
“Well, you two are boring.”
Percy smirked. “Hey—I’ve never seen your uniform.”
“Sure you have.”
“No—you’ve always changed by the time you come over.”
Annabeth shrugged. “It’s a skirt, a shirt, stockings, a tie, and embarrassingly boring shoes. Not really that exciting.”
“I don’t know. I think it might be pretty hot. How short’s the skirt?”
Annabeth rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up,” she said when Travis laughed. “It’s boring!”
“Sure, sure.”
“Guilty pleasure,” Annabeth said, stopping the conversation before it got even more embarrassing.
“Salt and vinegar chips,” Travis said. “So good.”
Katie blushed slightly. “Um, chick flicks.”
Percy smiled and leaned into Annabeth, whispering, “You,” into her hair. Annabeth’s cheeks went red and she glanced up at him, nearly forgetting that Travis and Katie were across the table. She didn’t even think about them as Percy kissed her lightly.
“Okay,” Katie muttered, averting her eyes. “I don’t really need to see my cousin making out with his girlfriend. I get enough of it at camp.”
Travis just laughed and took the last bite of his burger. He put his free arm across the back of Katie’s chair and leaned in. “How long do you think it will take for them to remember we’re here?”
“I’d say we have a good five minutes.”
Travis glanced around. “Wanna stick them with the check?”
Grinning, Katie grabbed Travis’s hand and he yanked her up, the two of them practically sprinting out the door.