A Note From the Author:

Red here! This flash fiction is an excerpt from my book Your Chariot Awaits, which is an AU where the Heroes of Olympus characters all work at a used car dealership. Percy, the assistant manager, and Annabeth, a mechanic, got off to a rocky start. They don't like each other much, and it's starting to affect the work environment. In this excerpt, Annabeth and Percy have joined Will, a used car salesman, on one of his side quests. They're going to a car wash.

I chose this excerpt in particular because it shows that sometimes, like Will, in order to achieve your perfect found family, you might have to force it a little.

I'll link the full chapter here in the comments in case you want to read more. If you like this, it would mean so much if you would check out my book Your Chariot Awaits, which updates every Friday.

Excerpt from Chapter 13 of Your Chariot Awaits

By Red, (she/her)

Annabeth POV

"Will you two quit arguing like a bunch of children? I set this up so you would spend some time together and get to know each other!" [Will] cried. "You'd see you have a lot in common if only you'd take the time to talk!"

Percy slowed down as he turned the car into the car wash. "Sorry for shouting, Will."

"Me too," Annabeth said, "but if you think I have anything in common with him, you're dead wrong."

"Yep," Percy agreed, "but without the death threat." He leaned out the window and put a twenty-dollar bill into the machine.

"It was not a death threat," she said.

He pursed his lips. "It was a little bit implied."

"No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was."

The barrier lifted, and Percy closed the window and stepped on the gas lightly.

"Will," Annabeth said, "did you, at any moment during this drive, feel like I had a genuine intent to kill you?"

No answer.

"Will?" Annabeth asked, peering into the backseat.

The backseat was empty, save for Will's empty Cheeto bag and some orange dust they would have to clean out.

"Percy."

"What is it?" he barked.

"Would you want to know if Will completely bailed on us and was rolling around in the bushes trying to look like James Bond, but really looking like Paul Blart?"

Percy leaned forward and looked into the bushes. "Oh my gods, he does look like Paul Blart. He just needs a Segway."

"He's going to get dirt on his novelty tie."

Percy hit the brake and waited for the workers to hose down the car as if Will's ditching them in the middle of nowhere was completely normal. Seriously, they were in the middle of nowhere. Annabeth switched from counting blue cars to counting brown cows about halfway through.

"I can't believe Will," she said.

"I can," said Percy. "He's a huge romance novel junkie. I heard him telling Piper that forced proximity is his favorite trope." Color rose to his cheeks. "I mean, not that... Well, you know..."

"Sure, because the idea of anyone wanting to set me up is totally psycho," Annabeth snapped.

He rolled his eyes while the workers hosed down the car. "You know what I mean."

The carwash worker in blue curled his fingers in a come hither motion, urging Percy to inch the Volvo further.

"He's telling you to pull the car up," Annabeth said.

"I'm already so close to the one in front of us."

"I'm pretty sure the dude who works here will tell you if you're about to cause a wreck."

He huffed and let off the brakes. The worker held out the palm of his hand and Percy stopped the car without bumping into the one in front of him.

"See?" Annabeth gloated. "Have a little faith."

"Says the person who just threatened to have sex with my mom," Percy said.

There was no denying that she made that threat.

He put the car in neutral and let off the break as the track took them into the carwash.

It didn't take the car long to adjust to the dim lighting; the night lights turned on automatically, casting a soft glow over top of Percy's sharp jawline.

"How about some music?" he asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "As long as it isn't that mom music you're always-"

Her threat wasn't worth finishing. Jimmy Buffett was already serenading them with promises of tropical conditions and strong fruity drinks.

"Seriously?" she demanded. "What the hell even is this song?"

"'Margaritaville' is such a basic song," Percy explained. "I'm not basic. I'm a Parrothead."

"I don't even want to know what that means," Annabeth grumbled.

The car started to move again. They could no longer see the truck in front of them as the windshield was doused in foamy soap.

Percy hummed along to some song called "Havana Daydreamin'" while Annabeth picked at the nail on her index finger, which she'd shamefully allowed to grow longer than it had been in a long time. Damn, it sucked being single for this long. She needed to get back out there, and soon.

They shook back and forth as the Volvo teetered along the automated track, barely able to see the scrubbing machines in front of them.

Percy jumped when heavy brushes slapped against the windows like mops on the floor.

"Not used to the car wash?" Annabeth asked.

"I usually wash my car myself," he admitted.

She rolled her eyes. "I won't believe that for a second."
He scoffed. "Of course."

Annabeth couldn't help but notice that Jimmy Buffett was no longer singing about coconuts and tiki bars.

"I think your playlist ended," she said.

"No way," he said, picking up his phone. "Shit."

Annabeth faked disappointment. "Oh no, we can't listen to Jimmy Buffett in October anymore!"

"I'll have you know that Jimmy Buffett is suitable music for all times of the year."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow because no.

"I mean it," Percy said. "I happen to like his Christmas albums."

"Christmas albums? Plural?"

Instead of answering, he read something on his phone and frowned. "No signal."

Thankful for the opportunity to DJ, Annabeth whipped out her own cell phone, only to find a message from Spotify saying that because she didn't pay for a premium subscription, she wouldn't be able to stream music offline. How shitty!

"Radio it is then," she said, pushing a knob on the car's console.

Well, that's it! Are Annabeth and Percy ever going to get along? Find out in my book Your Chariot Awaits. Updated come out every Friday morning at 8 am EST. Again, the full chapter is (or will very soon be) linked in the comments.