chapter twenty-three

─── the way to my heart? popcorn, music and stars

          𝔖chool was so incredibly, mind-numbingly boring that I often wondered to myself, why didn't I stay at Camp Half-Blood and train for the rest of the year like any sane person would? But, coming home to my mum, who looked increasingly more and more happy at how her writing course was going was the exact reason why.

"How was school?" I leant over the back of her chair, kissing her cheek as she typed away at her computer. "Did you learn a lot?"

"Stop it." My mum laughed, patting my cheek and pushing me off her. "How was school?"

"As boring as usual. But, got to think about colleges and if I want to apply." 

"Have you got a degree in mind?"

"Maybe something marine biology, biology esque." I grabbed a cookie from the jar, sitting opposite her as I talked. "Something to do with animals and the sea would be fun."

"You'd enjoy that." My mum nodded. "What did school say?"

"Don't disturb your inner energy, Andromeda." I waved my arms in front of me in a somewhat accurate representation of my teacher, as my mother laughed. 

"He didn't."

"I swear he did." I grinned. "Course, it might have been; don't push yourself too hard, Andromeda."

"You're just using that as an excuse to not do work."

"Absolutely." I winked, walking to my room before pausing as I checked my phone again. "Also, I'm...uh...out tonight."

"You're out? With who?" My mum questioned, turning her full attention onto me as I turned back to face her.

"A friend from camp."

"Oh, what's her name?"

"Luke." I nodded slowly, as my mother's grin turned teasing.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What are you two doing?"

"Good question." I nodded, before finally breaking at her stare and spilling everything. "I won't lie to you, mum, I'm going on a date with Luke from camp who went on the quest with me. He's picking me up at 6pm, I won't be back until late. We good?"

"We're good." My mum laughed. "Just wanted to see how long it took you to break."

"That's cruel." I slammed the door, before letting out a nervous breath as I ran my hands through my hair. I needed to shower, do my makeup, change my clothes and then not stress whilst I waited for Luke to pick me up. We'd already done the most nerve wracking part, confess, but somehow, this felt worse.

I showered, washed my hair, dried my hair, cursed at a new spot that appeared, applied my makeup, then taken it off because I messed up my eyeliner, reapplied it, picked out my jewellery and then stood in front of my wardrobe, questioning what I could wear.

I was stumped.

"Mum." There was no reply. "Mum! Mum, I need help!"

"What?"

"Come here!" I called back, before my mum walked into my room. "I don't know what to wear."

"You're having trouble with that?"

"Yes." I nodded, before my mum turned to my closet. 

"Alright, jeans, because it's October. That nice top I got you for your birthday, that cardigan, take a coat and your white trainers. Sorted." She then walked out my room, leaving me gaping at her retreating form.

"How are you so good at this?" She didn't answer.

I followed her advice, before nervously slumping on the couch, drumming my fingers as I waited for Luke to ring the doorbell. My mum watched it all from the kitchen, shaking her head and laughing.

Finally, the clock hit six and the doorbell rang. 

"You gonna get it?" My mum questioned, as I took a final deep breath and opened the door. Luke was dressed in a similar outfit to me, a smile on his face.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah." I nodded, grabbing onto Luke's hand as he waved inside.

"Hi Ms. Jackson." My mum waved. "I'll have her back at 11."

"Have her back whenever." Luke laughed and nodded, tugging me out of the house. As soon as we were out of sight of the front door, he pulled me fully into his arms, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "Hi, Sleeping Beauty."

"Hi you," I grinned, standing on my tip toes to kiss him again. "What's the plan for tonight?"

"Picnic, near the sea." Luke replied, as I turned to him.

"In October?"

"Yep." Luke held the door open for me before nudging me towards a car. "Come on. Thirty minutes drive there, thirty minutes drive back."

"I like the sound of it." I replied, grinning as we took off from New York.

The drive was quiet, as Luke and I listened to the songs on the radio, watching the scenery fly past in a mixture of neon lights, flashing cars and quiet roads. Finally, Luke pulled into a car park, as we both jumped out. 

It was cold, the wind biting, but Luke had a blanket in the back of the car that we took, heading for the sandy beach. 

The waves crashed against the shore as I grinned, sitting on the blanket that Luke had set up as he wrapped the other, thicker, blanket around both of us. I shuffled closer, as we began to eat the food, talking about anything and everything since I had left camp. 

Of course, we already spoke every day or so, but it was nice to have him here in person so that we could talk. 

He laughed at something I had said, shaking his head as I grinned.

"Told you it was funny."

"He really waves his hand like the dancing cactus toy?" Luke chuckled. "I don't believe you!"

"He does!" I cried back indignantly. "He literally speaks and waves his hands like this..."

I demonstrated as Luke laughed even harder.

"...and that's why my entire school calls him Mr. Cactus."

Luke flopped onto the sand, bringing me with him as the pair continued to laugh. When I opened my eyes, I began to grin at the sight of the stars far above us.

"They're pretty tonight." I muttered.

"Do you know the constellations?"

"Nope." I shook my head at Luke's question. "Do you?"

"Yeah. Stars are used for travel, so as a child of the traveller god, I know them." Luke grinned, before pulling me closer and pointing up. "Those three stars? That's Orion, the Hunter, holding his bow."

"I see it." I grinned.

"The four in a sort of rectangle? That's Canis Major." Luke explained. "The really bright star is Sirius. Canis Major is one of Orion's hunting dogs, the larger one. Just above that is Canis Minor."

"Let me guess, the smaller of the hunting dogs?" I asked, as Luke nodded with a grin. "So, we're really seeing Orion and his hunting dogs tonight?"

"Absolutely." Luke grinned. "It depends on the season and where we are, but there are thousands of constellation."

"I know the pan one."

"The Big Dipper?"

"Yeah, that one. You can see it in Montauk." I replied. "We don't really see all that many stars in New York though, cause of light pollution and everything in."

"I used to see the stars a lot at home." Luke replied. "We lived on a hill, so we were above the noise and the traffic and the light. I could always see the stars. They used to guide me when I ran away and met Annabeth, so that's what I would use to navigate us."

I leant into his side, not sure what to say as I pressed a kiss to his jaw, curling around him.

"You cold?"

"A little." I replied, before tightening my grip on him as he traced circles onto my back. "I like stargazing with you."

"I like it too." Luke muttered in response. We fell silent, before I looked up at him. "What?"

"If I asked you out, how many people am I gonna piss off?" Luke choked, as I grinned. "What? I'm pretty sure I should have a list of all the people who like you so I know who to avoid at camp."

"Andi."

"No.1 would be Annabeth..."

"Andi, no..." Luke whined.

"No.2 would be Will Solace. That boy looks at you like you're a god..." I exposed him with a grin as Luke continued to whine and groan.

"Andi!"

"Oh wait, sorry, no.1 should be me, no.2 Annabeth, no.3 Will and no.4 every single nymph and dryad."

"Have you been stalking me?"

"Then I should add most of the Aphrodite cabin has told me various times that you're incredibly hot." Luke was bright red. "Then, I should also add that I ended up having a conversation with some of the other kids in Hermes, not your siblings don't worry, and we all decided that you were the best looking. It's a long list, Luke."

I shot him a look.

"I'm gonna have to be really careful not to gloat." Luke shot me an unamused glare as I grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Back to asking you out, after this date has gone pretty successfully, do you think I would be able to call you my boyfriend?"

I held a pretend microphone to his face as he blinked a few times.

"You are so lucky I like you as much as I do that I don't mind you teasing me about this." Luke shook his head. "You better not have an actual list though."

"I'll burn it when I get home." I grinned again.

"You're so lucky that I like you." Luke repeated, before he pulled me on top of him, kissing me quickly as I laughed louder, "and I can't believe you beat me to it. I was going to ask you out when we finished the date."

"I'm just better than you." I grinned, my hands in his hair as he kissed me again. 

"I brought you popcorn."

"Let's pretend I never asked you out, you can do it at the end of the date, where's the popcorn?" I turned immediately, as Luke pulled me back into his arms, kissing me once more. "Luke!"

"No, I want to kiss my girlfriend. She can get popcorn later."

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

So, the bonus chapter for this act is Luke and Andi's first date, and I can't help but laugh at them and also, Sally (who just likes to bully her daughter).

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx