The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

41. Dancing In The Middle Of A Military School

Y/N hadn't realized it until the very end of last summer, but since Chiron had adopted him, he was a permanent camper. Since September, he went to the same school as Percy in New York. Each morning Argus drove him there—same thing the other way round once class ended. It was very strange not to be at Champlain anymore.

But all of this didn't matter this Friday before winter break.

At the end of the day, it wasn't Argus that picked up Y/N, but Percy's mom. She was very nice. She had already invited him over a couple of times, and he always left with lots of cookies—all blue, the way she always did; weird but super tasty.

She had packed Y/N and Percy overnight bags and a few deadly weapons. They picked up Annabeth and Thalia on the way.

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Y/N and Percy hadn't seen Annabeth and Thalia in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what they were about to do, they were too nervous to talk much. Except for Percy's mom. By the time they finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Y/N (sitting at the front with her) every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about Percy—like, how cute he looked in the bathtub when he was three years old.

Thalia wiped the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking a big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Ms. Jackson asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

Honestly, it was funny to see Percy's embarrassment. Y/N understood him—you wouldn't think a hero would depend on his mom to drive him to his battles.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Y/N smiled. "But I think it'll take us quite some time. Better if you head back to New York now, or you'll never be there by tomorrow."

Ms. Jackson tugged his cheek. "Y/N, I already told you to call me Sally."

"Er . . . yes, Ms.—I mean, Sally."

"Don't worry," Annabeth told Ms. Jackson. "We'll keep them out of trouble."

Ms. Jackson seemed to relax. She thought Annabeth was the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She was sure Annabeth often kept her son and Y/N from getting killed. Maybe she was right.

"All right, dears," Ms. Jackson said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom—" Percy grumbled.

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

"Goodbye, Ms—um, Sally." Y/N got out of the car.

The wind blew straight through his coat like ice daggers.

Once Percy's mom's car was out of sight, Thalia said, "Your mom is so cool, Percy."

"She's pretty okay," Percy admitted.

"Real talent for blue cookies." Y/N bit one. "And telling baby Percy's stories." Percy reddened, which would have made him laugh any moment if they weren't facing that evil castle.