August 13th

Piper rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes and groaned. She was so pissed at herself right now. This was not what she'd had in mind for her summer. And it was all her fault.

She sat in the college library, her literature textbook sprawled out in front of her, a notebook and pen cast off to one side. At the next corner of their square table sat Annabeth, Piper's roommate. Annabeth was chewing on the end of a pencil as she skimmed the same paragraph in her architecture textbook over and over, her eyes glazing over. Piper knew that look well. It was the same look she'd been fighting off for the last hour.

Piper groaned again. "I hate this. I can't concentrate. I can't focus. Why did I think this would be a good idea?"

"You've got a paper due on Milton on Friday," Annabeth reminded her. "So we agreed that studying would be the smart move."

"Not that. Although, may I just say that I hate Milton? He can take his Paradise Lost and shove it up his ass."

Annabeth's lips twitched. She'd listened to her friend complain about her English literature class, her theatre class, and her anthropology class, for the last two and a half months. Piper knew she was starting to sound like a broken record, but she couldn't help it. This was the last term before the official start of her junior year of college, and she had yet to decide what she wanted to major in. Everyone else she knew had already declared a major – hell, Annabeth had declared two majors: Architecture and business. Piper's other best friend, Jason, had decided to major in prelaw, with a goal of becoming a prosecuting attorney. She knew that even Jason's roommate, Percy, who generally had a I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude, had decided on a major – marine biology. And that left Piper, flailing around without a clue or a compass to point her in the right direction. Since Annabeth had decided to get the first few basic classes of her majors out of the way during the summer term, Piper had figured that she could stay and join her. She'd opted to take classes that had sounded interesting, but hadn't fit into her general requirements for the first two years. She enjoyed the theatre class to an extent. Her dad was an actor, and Piper had decided to see if theatre interested her at all. It did – but more as a hobby. Anthropology fascinated Piper – but she couldn't understand the biological aspects of it. And English literature bored her. She'd enjoyed lit classes in high school, but something about this course just sucked all the fun out of reading. She hated symbolism, she hated allegories, and she hated this class.

"Fine," Annabeth said, leaning back in her chair. "So you hate the summer semester. Fair enough. But you did want to explore some more options, see if there was anything that you missed while taking classes for your associate's art degree."

"And so far, I haven't missed much. And I'm no closer to figuring out what I want to major in then I was a year ago."

"Sure you are. You can now rule out English, anthropology, and theatre."

"Thanks, that's real helpful." Piper bookmarked her spot in her textbook and closed it carefully. She was hoping to resell it once this term was done. Textbooks were so expensive, and she had come to the conclusion that she could put her money to better use literally anywhere else. None of her textbooks had been particularly useful.

She yanked her laptop out of her messenger bag and booted it up. A study break was in order. She needed mindless social media, but she didn't feel like trying to scroll through Facebook or Instagram on her phone.

"Look," Annabeth leaned forward, "maybe you just need to take fall semester off. Take some time to think. Or just take one class so you can keep our apartment on campus. Take something else that interests you. What classes did you really enjoy while you were working on your AA degree?"

Piper groaned. She clicked on her preferred browser and logged into Facebook. "I don't know. I liked that history class I took. The kickboxing classes I took for my PE credits were fun. That music class was cool. I liked my social science class a lot. But I don't know. Nothing really stood out to me."

"Huh." Annabeth slumped back against her chair. She had abandoned studying for the time being as well. She sipped on her coffee and rubbed her temples. "Shit. I can't believe I'm saying this, but all this studying is giving me a headache. These are supposed to be the easy classes. And I already feel overwhelmed. How the hell am I supposed to get through the next two years like this?"

Piper shook her head as she scrolled through Facebook. Maybe she wasn't so jealous of Annabeth. After all, Annabeth had two very neurotic parents to impress. Her mother taught ancient history, art, and archaeology at freaking Yale. Her father jumped around between universities, but he was also a professor of history, and specialized in World Wars 1 and 2. He was currently teaching at Stanford while he conducted research on a scholarly paper he'd been working on for the past two years. Annabeth's parents were really putting the pressure on her, especially since Annabeth had chosen a smaller private college that wasn't as well-known. While the school she and Piper were at was still considered an excellent college, it generally wasn't compared to Stanford or Yale.

"I chose this school so that I wouldn't get too stressed or overwhelmed," Annabeth continued on.

"Also so your parents couldn't hover over your shoulder every five seconds," Piper added.

"That, too." Annabeth sighed. "I guess I did this to myself. I just thought – shit. I just thought if I majored in two really strong fields, maybe, just maybe…" She trailed off with a shake of her head. "I don't even know anymore."

Piper's scrolling through Facebook was interrupted by a sponsored ad: Paradise Journey – A semester abroad! Perfect for college students! Group discounts! Europe! South America! Asia! Book Today!

Out of curiosity, Piper clicked on the link to Paradise Journey's Facebook page. It looked pretty standard. There were posts about the deals they had going on, pictures of college students hanging out on a beach in Greece or hiking through mountains in Peru. She saw posts from ecstatic college students, raving about their experiences and their travels. "So easy!" "They arrange everything for you, so there's no worry! The traveling was simple!" "You can't beat the price – or the experiences!" "I took a semester off just to travel, and I'm so glad I did. Paradise Journey really helped me find myself and figure out what I want to do."

That last review grabbed Piper's attention. That sounded exactly what she needed.

She knew these reviews were probably falsified – the people who worked for Paradise Journey had probably posted them – but at the same time, Piper felt as if she had just struck a perfect chord. Annabeth was right. She did need to take a semester off. She needed to travel, to explore.

Her dad was a famous actor and her mother was a supermodel-turned-owner of the woman's magazine, Aphrodite – named after her mother, of course. Piper should, by rights, have been well-traveled by now. But she'd spent most of her childhood in LA or Malibu, hiding out from the paparazzi and trying to keep herself out of trouble. She'd been to New York City, where her mother's magazine headquarters were located, but that was about it. While her father had filmed numerous movies abroad, Piper had always had school. But she'd always itched to travel. She'd wanted to see the world, and she'd even contemplated taking a year off after graduating high school so she could. But neither of her parents had loved the idea, and in the end Piper had decided that it would be smarter and more responsible to just start college right on schedule.

But now she was regretting it.

She had no plan. No map. No nothing. A semester off from school would be good, especially if she was traveling and – what was the term? Oh yeah. Finding herself.

She got onto their official website and checked out their different traveling options. There were choices for South America, Asia, and Europe, as their ad had boasted. Piper selected Europe, and saw a dropdown box that asked her to choose the length of trip she wanted: 3-5 days, 1-2 weeks, 2 weeks-1 month,-1 month-and-longer. She clicked on the last option.

There were a few choices, but she opted for the longest one – it lasted from September 2nd until January 2nd. Four months. Four months would be perfect. And this particular trip was named Tour the World – it spanned from South America to Europe to Asia. That would be amazing.

From there, she checked the reviews, making sure that it was a real, legitimate company, and not just a scam for gullible college students braindead from final exams. She read through several reviews and articles about it, making sure that they were sources she trusted, and came to the conclusion that this was, in fact, legitimate. They seemed to specialize in traveling for college students, and tried to keep the costs relatively minimal. They were essentially a tour group through whatever country or continent that was chosen – you would travel with a group of people along with a couple of tour guides, going from city to city. It was well-structured, but there were several outings for each city, and you could choose which one or just do your own thing. You just had to stay in the same hotel with your tour group, and catch the same plane or train or boat as them. And Paradise Journey took care of booking all the transportation and hotels. All she had to do was pay.

But even as her excitement piqued, she felt a bubble of anxiety began to spread through her stomach. She wanted to do this. She wanted to do this so damn bad. But she didn't want to do it alone.

She glanced at Annabeth, who was still muttering darkly to herself. An idea began to form in her head. It was crazy and there was no way in hell it would work out, but as she clicked on the link for the group discounts, she knew she had to try.

"You're right," she said to Annabeth. "I do need to take a semester off. But maybe you do, too."

"What?" Annabeth looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it." Piper leaned towards her. "You're just as stressed as I am. You're already overwhelmed with classes. Clearly you need to take some time off, too. And I've got the perfect thing." She turned her laptop towards Annabeth. "A four-month trip around the world."

Annabeth laughed. "You can't be serious. That's practically a whole semester. I can't take that time off from college. My whole plan will be pushed back – "

"One semester. That's – what – six months? If that? So you'll graduate six months later than you planned. But at least you'll have had the time off from school to clear your head. You'll have these experiences under your belt. And it might even put things into perspective for you. I mean, clearly you've got some issues with your parents and with your majors. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to step away from everything. And what better way to do that then traveling around the world for four months?"

"You're crazy," Annabeth decided. "You're fucking nuts. If you think I'm going to – "

"You're stressed and overwhelmed. And you're already burnt out from double majoring, and it's only the first semester. You need a break. You said yourself, you spent high school working to get perfect grades, and you've done the same the last two years. Have you ever just taken time for yourself?"

"Have you?" Annabeth shot back.

Piper grinned. "No. And that's why I want to do this. If I don't know what I want to do with my life, then clearly I don't know myself very well. And I should get to know myself better. Don't you think?"

"I mean, yeah. Of course."

"But wouldn't taking some time away from school and stress and your parents benefit you, too? Just taking a breather for a few months? And you'd still be learning. Here, read this blurb for the trip I'm looking at." Piper pushed her laptop towards Annabeth, who dutifully read through the trip description and itinerary. "I mean, you could learn how to make pasta in Italy, Annabeth. You could walk through Rome, and see all the architecture in Greece that you love so much. You'd actually be experiencing what your mom teaches. Think about it."

Piper knew from the way Annabeth slowly exhaled that she was in. Annabeth reread the itinerary, and slowly nodded. "I hate when you make good points. They always fuck with my plans."

Piper grinned. "That's what I'm here for. You need someone like me. You're so balanced and organized. And I'm neither."

"Okay, but this whole thing is still expensive. I know my parents have money, and God knows your parents do, but this is still pricey."

"Yeah, but we could get a group discount. With four people or more, we get twenty-five percent off the whole trip." Piper pulled out her phone to do the calculations, before telling Annabeth how much they would owe if they used the group discount. "That's a pretty big difference."

"It is," Annabeth agreed. "But who else is going on this trip with us?"

Piper grinned again. "I might be able to get Jason to come along."

"Jason?" Annabeth cracked up. "Piper, I know Jason's your best friend, but no offense, he's even more straight-laced than I am. He's got a major stick up his ass."

"Yes, but that's why we're best friends. I'm the free spirit. He keeps me in check, and I make sure he has fun once in awhile. And he's definitely been stressed the last couple of semesters. And I might even be able to get Percy, Jason's roommate to come with us."

"Percy?" Annabeth furrowed her brow. "I don't know him, do I?"

"I don't think so. I've really only seen him when I watch their swim practices or meets. He's cool. He's got some authority issues, but he's a nice guy."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "And you think Percy will want to come with us?"

Piper shrugged as she scooted her chair back and stood up. "It doesn't hurt to ask, right?"

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? Jason and Percy should be finishing swim practice soon, and I've got to ambush them while I've got the chance."

"But – "

"Keep an eye on my laptop and bag for me, would you?"

Piper strolled down the rolling green hill towards the pool. It was located just a street over from the football and soccer fields, and it was a short walk from the library. The southern California day was bright and sunny, and Piper turned her face up to soak in the sun.

What would it be like to actually leave southern California for longer than a week? What would the weather be like in Europe? What would the scenery be like in South America? Would the beaches in Asia be even more amazing than the beaches here?

Piper had so many questions, and she intended to get answers to them. But first, she had to get Jason and Percy to agree to her plan. And that was going to be even harder than getting Annabeth to go along with it. Jason and Percy were both on the swim team. While Jason, like Annabeth and Piper, had opted to take classes this summer – he'd been of the same mindset as Annabeth, going into the summer term with the intention of knocking out some of the more basic classes for his major – Percy had gone home to New York City for a couple months, until he'd been due back a week ago so the swim team could begin training again. It was mid-August now, and the summer semester would be wrapping up in a couple weeks. This meant that the boys would have to let their coach and team captain know they would be dropping out for the semester fast. And even then that was iffy. Percy was on a swim scholarship. Piper wasn't sure his scholarship would hold out if he missed a semester. Plus, he might not be able to afford the trip. By contrast, Jason's mom was a good friend of Piper's dad. Beryl Grace was nearly as famous as Tristan McLean, and Jason had grown up trying to avoid the spotlight like Piper. They had met on set for a rom-com Tristan and Beryl had shot together, and had ended up going to the same schools. They had even lived in the same neighborhood for a time. As a result, they were practically inseparable.

Piper pushed into the pool's lobby and made her way through the door that led to the pool. She perched on one of the bleachers. She shivered slightly. It felt as if the pool's AC was on full blast, and she wore destroyed denim shorts and an olive green tank top. Her dark brown hair was braided down one side, and she wore an ancient pair of flip-flops that she was pretty sure she'd gotten from Old Navy. She crossed her legs and arms, hoping to warm up.

Out in the pool, the team was just finishing up laps. Piper spotted Jason's blond hair flashing against the water. His arms seemed to slice through the water like it was nothing, towing his body along. She loved watching him swim. It was the only time he ever really seemed to be at peace. He loved the competition of the sport, but ultimately he just enjoyed swimming. And Piper suspected it was the same with Percy. It was why Jason and Percy got along so well.

And sure enough, in the next lane there was Percy, a little ahead of Jason. He reached the wall first and surfaced, shaking water out of his face. He glanced up at the bleachers and spotted Piper. "Yo, McLean! What brings you here?" He offered her a friendly grin, and Piper smiled back.

"You guys almost done?"

"Just about." Percy pulled himself out of the water and grabbed his towel. "Just waiting for the others to finish."

A big guy with a serious face but kind eyes passed Percy with a nod. "Nice work out there, Jackson."

"Thanks, Beckendorf," Percy replied with a grin. "Our captain," he added for Piper's benefit. "He's cool. He's one of the best swimmers I've ever seen."

At that moment, Jason hauled himself out of the pool, shaking the water out of his blond hair. As Piper looked down at him, she found herself tracing the smooth lines of his muscles with her gaze. He had a really nice body, she noticed. Not so muscular that he looked beefy, but he certainly wasn't the scrawny little boy he'd been in middle school. Her heart seemed to ping and she bit her lip as she watched him grab his towel to dry off. And then he glanced up at her, and she quickly remembered who she was ogling. This was Jason Grace, her best friend since she was 10. God, what was wrong with her?

"Pipes!" Jason cried, face breaking out into a huge grin. "What're you doing here? I thought you were going to spend the day in the library with Annabeth."

"I was. And then I had a brilliant idea." Piper got to her feet and made her way carefully down the bleachers until she stood in front of the boys. "So, you know how I've been struggling to come up with a major?"

"Of course," Jason nodded. He had spent more than a couple nights staying up with Piper, trying to come up with a possible major for her.

"Well, Annabeth suggested I take a semester off to really think about what I want. And I've decided to take her advice. And I talked her into taking it, too."

Jason furrowed his brow. "Pardon?"

"Okay, have you ever heard of Paradise Journey?"

"I have," Percy spoke up. "They offer tours abroad for college kids, right?"

Piper nodded. "Exactly. So, they have a world tour. Well, sort of. It goes from South America to Europe to Asia, and back to Europe. It goes for four months. I think the first few weeks you're in South America, and then you travel to Europe for a couple months. Then you spend a month in Asia, and then it's back to France for Christmas and New Years."

"Sounds fun," Jason commented. "And you and Annabeth are going?" He still sounded skeptical.

"And you and Percy, if you guys want a break from school." Piper supposed she sounded overly hopeful. But she loved the idea of traveling the world with Jason at her side. And Percy would probably be fun to have along for the ride. He'd probably even get along with Annabeth. They'd balance each other out the way she and Jason did.

Jason stared at Piper like she'd just announced she'd decided to swim the Atlantic in January. "I can't take a break from school! I'm prelaw. There's no way I can take a semester off. That would put me behind by – "

"Maybe six months at most," Piper said patiently. "Honestly, you sound just like Annabeth. And you're every bit as overwhelmed and burned out and drained as she is. Taking a semester off to go and travel the world would do you some good. Probably you, too," she added to Percy.

Percy shrugged. "I'm down."

"We can't – you can't – we have the swim team!" Jason blustered out.

"So? We can take a semester off from that," Percy replied. "We're not the only ones who've done that. Beckendorf will understand. He did it last year. We've got a strong swim team. And we don't even have any major meets until spring. This would be the perfect time to go."

"But what about your scholarship?"

"The school will hold my scholarship until spring semester. And Paradise Journey offers a discount if you've got a 3.6 GPA or higher. And I've got a 3.7," Percy added with a grin. "It's the first time I've ever had such a good GPA, but there you go."

"There's also a twenty-five percent discount if you've got a group of four or more," Piper said eagerly.

"See?" Percy said to Jason. "It's perfect. We should totally do this."

"But – "

"You were just whining last night that you're so tired and so steamrolled. Piper's right. You need to take some time off from school."

"How's your mom going to react when you tell her you're taking a semester off to go travel the fucking world?" Jason demanded of Percy.

"She wanted me to do that when I was 18, like she did," Percy shrugged. "You know her, she's a writer. A free spirit. But we didn't have enough money for me to do that. Well, now we do. She's got a couple of books published, and one of them is being turned into a TV show on HBO. Yeah, we're not rich or anything yet, but she's not going to freak out if I tell her I'm using my savings to take some time for myself."

"But – "

"Jason, I've been working since I was 12, delivering newspapers, working in restaurants, any place that would give me a job. I could use a break, too. I think we all could. So, let's do it. We're only young once, right?"

"But – but – " Jason looked like he wanted to argue more, but couldn't come up with anything else.

"Jason," Piper said softly, taking a step closer to him, "is this something you want to do?"

Caught off guard, he nodded.

"Good. Then let's do it. The four of us. Let's have the time of our life."

I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! I have a bunch of things planned for this story, and I'm so excited for it :)