Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝔽uzzy socks and closet calamities

The distant noise of campers reached across the Omega of cabins, penetrating its way into the Hecate cabin. Most campers had left the campfire alongside Annabeth and Nicki, leaving the new romantic couples alone at the fire to make use of their remaining free time.

"All I'm saying," Annabeth began, tossing clothes onto Nicki's bed from her closet, "is I think we're about ready to hit early retirement."

Nicki laughed, the sound distorted from her being upside down, hanging off her bed. "I don't know how you did this for 6 years more than me, I'm exhausted!"

Shrugging, Annabeth continued looking through Nicki's closet. "Luke helped a lot... he was my big brother and I looked up to him so I worked so hard to impress him."

Nicki hummed. "He talked about you all the damn time."

"Really?" For a second, Annabeth's eyes shone like a little kid's.

"Of course! I could probably tell you more about your childhood than my own!"

Annabeth giggled. Her cheeks tinted rosy in her happiness. "No, he didn't."

"Yeah, he did! It was so annoying listening to stories of you all the time, like that time you went to the zoo with him, and cried the whole way through the spider exhibit so Luke would carry you."

"That wasn't just so he would carry me, I was actually terrified."

Nicki grinned. "One time we went to the beach, and he made a huge owl sandcastle for you."

"That reminds me of Percy, while you were gone he collected anything that was purple and kept them in a box under his bed at home that he thinks no one knows about."

Letting a sad sigh slip through her lips, Nicki frowned. "I miss him... both of them."

"I miss Percy. He's my best friend."

"He loved you." Nicki propped herself up on her elbows. "Luke did."

Annabeth bit her lip. She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. He was a terrible person."

"A wise person once told me that just because he wasn't a good person doesn't mean he wasn't a good person to you. You miss who he was with you, not who he was to everyone else. It doesn't excuse what he did but it's okay to miss him."

A small silence fell across Nicki's cabin as Annabeth digested Nicki's words. The blonde wiped her eyes hastily to avoid any tears falling. "I can't believe Ethan can be emotional."

"How did you know it was Ethan?" Nicki shot Annabeth an aghast look.

"You have no other friends."

"I should be offended," Nicki began, flopping back to her original position, "but you're not really wrong."

As if on cue, heavy footfalls sounded just outside the Hecate cabin door. Forgoing the polite practice of knocking, Ethan barrelled his way into Nicki's cosy cabin.

Peering over the side of the loft, Annabeth's eyes seemed to brighten when they linked with Ethan's dark ones. "Well, isn't that a sight for sore eyes," Ethan whispered, kicking off his shoes into a heap by the door.

"Where were you?" Annabeth asked, resting her chin on her hand. "I thought you got thrown into the fire."

Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Not yet, still trying. However, I was cornered by the Aphrodite cabin, so I've just been talking with Drew."

"Oh." Annabeth stood up straight. "Anything interesting?"

Shaking his head, the black-haired boy began his ascent up the wooden staircase. "Nope." He hesitated. "Well, she actually asked if I'd like to hang out tomorrow."