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CHAPTER FOUR : I SUCK AT SKATEBOARDING

"Percy, you better not let go!" Easton was gripping the man's hand with all of the strength she possessed. Percy, the little shit that he was, just laughed as he dragged her forward. Easton wobbled on his skateboard, her grip tightening as they went over the small bump in the skate park's course. They were able to do another shaky lap before Percy did let go, sending Easton forward, in which she screamed and found herself hitting the edge of the cement path and tumbling forward, arms windmilling as she tried to catch herself.

Percy ran after her, laughing, his face bright as Easton glared up at him. The boy had wormed his way into Easton's life, inviting her to weekend excursions to the arcade, the library, and the skatepark. Not that Easton really minded, it got her out of studying more than she usually would, considering she doesn't have any other friends than Percy.

Percy, who looked intimidating until he smiled with a ring of chocolate pudding around his mouth because he forgot a spoon at home. Percy, who was asking for her notes to copy nine times out of ten. Percy, who's mom packed him blue food and he didn't like talking about why but it clearly made him happy. Percy, who stood up to bullies, even though he had nothing to do with the situation in the first place. Percy, who Easton realized, was a lot freer in the school year than at camp, not being weighed down by the responsibility piled on top of his shoulders.

Percy, who Easton now regrets becoming friends with.

"You're supposed to turn, you know that?" Percy told her, reaching out a hand to help her up. Easton grabs it, still glaring, as she's pulled to her feet. He's taller than her, slowly making his way to six feet, maybe taller, but she will not be intimidated by his stature.

"How?" She yells at him, waving her hands around. Percy is very clearly trying not to laugh again, and Easton finds herself giving him the bird before stomping over towards Rachel, who was taking up a spot on the grass, painting.

The two girls were friends, after the seemingly customary bathroom chat, though it still seemed a little fragile. Percy usually invited them both out and Easton couldn't say no when she wanted to get out of the house. Plus, after ranting to Ares about this so-called friendship, he had looked her straight in the eye through the Iris message and told her to never let your enemies see you weak. It had been shocking, especially seeing the fire burning in his eyes, and she had wanted to stutter out that Rachel wasn't an enemy, but she couldn't. Not with how intense Ares had said it, like her life depended on it. She was glad when her mother had called her for dinner, it gave her a reason to end the staring contest the god and her had gotten into.

Easton plopped down beside Rachel on the tattered, old blanket the redhead had brought to sit upon. Her sketchbook was open, and she was staring at some lines and shapes Easton didn't understand as she did something on the canvas she had brought. Easton kinda wanted to peek at whatever she was painting, but knew that art can be really personal and didn't want to invade it if Racehl didn't want to. Especially since Rachel had unknowingly opened a can of worms after spotting Easton's burn scar. That had also been the hang out that Easton found out Rachel could see through the mist.

Easton had made the redhead promise not to tell Percy the former as she shoved her shirt back down to cover the scar. He had been oblivious so far, and she wanted to drag that out as much as she could.

Percy rode over to the two of them, the epitome of perfect balance on top of that stupid piece of wood, and Easton hmph'd and turned away when he stopped in front of them. He was smiling widely from atop the board as he did a slow line back and forth. His hand was reaching out towards Easton, as Rachel said she had to get her painting done and then refused to get on the skateboard. Easton, to avoid Percy's very persuasive eyes and smile, was staring at Rachel and the way she worked. Her curly hair wawa tied into a messy, high ponytail, and she had somehow gotten paint on her neck, though Easton's not quite sure how.

Her green eyes meet Easton's amber ones over the canvas, before glancing over at Percy, then back at their previous mark on Easton's face. Easton knew Rachel had a crush on the boy, it was kinda obvious. She's pretty sure Percy knew too, he just wasn't acknowledging it.

"Easton, c'mon!" Their staring contest was broken by Percy, a slight whine in his voice. Easton couldn't stop herself from looking over at him again. He was pouting, or as much of a pout as someone like Percy Jackson could do, holding his hand out to her still. Easton couldn't help but notice two things. How free he looks, because she knows he would never act like this at camp. Not now, at least. And how Easton was very sure that she could never say no to those eyes, not when they were glistening with playful mischief. "I promise I won't let go this time."

Easton huffed as she stood up, brushing the grass and dirt from her previous fall off her jeans, avoiding Percy's hand, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Jackson."

He laughed, a delighted thing, and Easton found herself wanting to immortalize the sound in some type of ballad of whatever. Then she caught herself, wondered what the actual fuck she was thinking, and distracted herself by shoving Percy off of his board towards the grass and darting away. Their laughter was a harmony as they play-fought, Percy demanding she learn how to skateboard as they avoided the others in the park.

The three of them had seemed like a trio these past few weeks, since Percy took Easton to the arcade. Now, it was a regular thing for them to hang, Easton making an excuse that it was a study group. It was a white lie for the sake of her mom, who was a little too strict when it came to how much study time Easton needed to pack into the week. And Easton was having fun. Probably the most fun she had ever had outside of camp. Beckendorf was insufferable with the knowledge that she was enjoying herself. Percy, the little snitch, had told him about their frequent hang outs. Considering it seems like more than not, the two of them were finding something to do after school, Rachel tagging along when she was able. She had a lot of her art stuff and then whatever she didn't want to mention with her family.

Easton had been able to dodge hanging out at anyone's house as of yet. Percy has invited her over a couple of times, but Easton has been able to come up with an excuse every time. It's not that she didn't want to go hang out at his house and meet his mom and almost-step-dad. It's just... she's never had that. All her other friends during the school year had been school friends and they never hung out after. Even Percy and Easton going to a coffee shop for smoothies, coffee, and baked good was unheard of for the girl.

And hanging out with Percy (and Rachel) like this made her realise how lonely she had been.

"Okay, now move your back foot forward just a little more," Percy had gotten her back on the skateboard. She was clinging to him again, like her life depended on it. Apparently, before, her stance was wrong, and that's why she couldn't turn, but Easton would eat her own foot before believing that.

Before they could start moving again, Easton made sure to look straight into Percy's oceanic eyes, "Promise me you won't let go."

With all the conviction, probably way too serious for the circumstances, Percy said back, "I promise."

"You little shit!" Easton screamed, when history repeated itself, and she was going to be sent forward into the Earth for a face full of dirt. Or so she had thought. Percy's arm went around her waist and caught her before she could, pulling her to him. Her hands pushed against his chest and they were pushed flush against each other, Easton staring back into those sea green eyes that smiled down at her. Percy's chest was hard underneath Easton's fingers, and her brain kept getting stuck on that thought, as well as how pretty Percy looked with the sun haloing his hair. Easton wasn't sure if she should curse or thank Apollo.

The corner of Percy's lip curled up, and Easton's eyes followed its movement with hyper focus. "I may have let you go," Percy said, and Easton watched his lips form the words. "But I'll always catch you."

Was Percy getting closer? Was she moving? Easton blinked, shook herself from this stupor, and found herself spinning on her toes away from Percy. She watched in real time as Percy's cheeks tinged pink as some of the other teenagers groaned and Easton was confused because what the fuck was that? She was staring at Percy and she felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. And she had been getting closer, staring at his lips and god, was that really something she had done?

Easton slapped her cheeks, just to knock the thoughts she didn't want to acknowledge out of her brain. She had a feeling that they would come back to haunt her later. Percy was rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Rachel was staring at them with her eyes narrowed, and Easton suddenly was regretting coming here. She kinda wanted to go home, and as Percy started to skate, as if to distract himself, she went to the blanket again.

"You're not going anywhere," Rachel said lowly, her brush stroking the canvas as she continued to paint. Easton stopped herself from grabbing her bag, sitting on her knees in front of Rachel. She didn't say anything, feeling guilty that she had been caught and so easy to read. "He'll blame himself for ruining a good day and he didn't, you're just scared of having intimacy and affection."

Easton reeled back, falling on her ass. She was glaring and flashing her teeth before she could stop herself. "How would you know anything?!" It was full of venom and curse. Rachel didn't even seem bothered by it as she turned her head with one eyebrow raised, giving Easton a 'really' look.

"Easton, c'mon," Rachel said, her voice understanding. "If anyone knows anything, it's me." Easton felt small, as she shrunk a little bit in herself. She glanced over at Percy, who was skating and very clearly looking like he was hating himself. Easton felt herself shrink even more. It had only been maybe a month since they had started hanging out. It seemed fast. But Percy was not some big, mean, demigod like he was around camp. He was this caring, passionate boy that deserved more than what the Fates have woven him.

Easton sank until she was laying on the blanket. She knew grass was probably getting stuck in her dark curls, but she felt terrible. Gods, she hoped she hadn't ruined this for Percy, they had been having such a good time.

To ease the guilt in her, she pursed her lips before sitting back up, calling towards the boy, "Percy!" His head whipped towards her, before he was skating over. "Did you hear anything from the swim team about tryouts?"

There was still an awkward tenseness between them as Percy plopped down, starting to talk. Slowly, as the three of them chatted, Rachel still working on her painting, it started to dissipate. They were laughing by the time Rachel checked her phone, Easton noticing the time and swearing. Rachel reprimanded her for her language as she got up, stuffing her stuff in her bag. Percy stood too, giving her the textbook she had brought. Her body acted on its own as she took it and stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

Then she was rushing off, back to her house, getting ready for the earful she was surely going to get from her mom. And she was right. Her mother had given her a forty-five minute lecture on keeping appointments and time management. It was hard not to fidget while her mom had talked with disappointment thick in her voice. Easton then helped with dinner, as much as she could, and then put the dishes in the dishwasher, as she always did. Her mom was already off, on her phone, talking to someone as she moved to her office.

Easton went to her room when done her chores, locking her door and making her way to her bathroom. Then, she jury-rigged her shower to mist and was sending an Iris Message to her grandmother. Aphrodite picked up pretty much almost immediately. She looked like Erika again, but this time her eyes were that particular shade of green that she was staring in earlier that day.

Aphrodite giggled, "You know it, hun, do I have to say it?" Easton let her head fall to the bathroom counter. She groaned, because she wondered if this is what the Fates had in mind for her. What about Rachel? What about Annabeth? Percy was the hero of this whole story and she seemed like such a terrible option to be thrown into the love interest basket. Annabeth was capable and the closest person to whatever Percy should have for a partner. Rachel was fiery and beautiful and she could see through the mist and was capable in different, but just as good, ways. Easton felt like she was a mash-up of both of them. She wasn't the best person, nor the heroine that could stand beside Percy when the end of this was near.

Still, Aphrodite had a smirk on her face, "You like him, Easton, and you know it."

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so guess who fucked up and forgot to post a chapter lmaooooo

i was lowkey wondering why it went from chapter three to chapter five im so sorry guys enjoy easton's actually realization she likes person