The Thrill Ride of Love

"There is no way in Hades I'm going on the "Thrill Ride of Love" with him." Annabeth protested indignantly.

Percy groaned. "And why not?"

"Because… you and I… we're not… because I mean it's a gross idea."

"It's just a ride."

"CALLED THE THRILL RIDE OF LOVE." She exclaimed.

"So? I'm lovable." Percy cracked a grin.

She felt her face turning a shade of pink. "No."

"Yes I am."

"Gods no. You're a little fish. You remind me of fish."

"Just because you want to gut me out like a fish doesn't make me one." He winced.

"That does sound appealing." She muttered. "But I know my mom will not approve of a daughter of Athena going on Aphrodite's love ride with a son of Poseidon."

"What about you? Do you approve?" Grover teased.

"Of course not." She said feeling her cheeks reddening.

"She'd rather go with Luke." Percy shrugged. "He's her LOVE!" he said in a mocking voice.

"Percy Jackson you shut your fish lips before I take you up on gutting out fish."

"Come on, Annabeth. You might even get to kiss his fish lips…" Grover teased.

Annabeth's jaw dropped and Percy's face was a bright pink. "EW." They both said simultaneously then looked at each other in exasperation.

"SHUT-UP!" they both said.

They both rolled their eyes.

"Good Gods." Percy muttered.

"Unbelievable." She muttered.

Grover sighed. "What's more believable, Annabeth?"

"You two going on it together." She grumbled with her arms crossed.

Grover ran a hand through his curly brown hair. "Come on, Annabeth. You know I can't swim."

"I'd just as soon kiss a Cyclops as I would go on "The Thrill Ride of Love" with him." She pointed at Percy.

"HEY!" He said indignantly.

"Hi." She said sarcastically. "Grover I can't… I mean what if someone sees me."

"Don't complain. Look what I've got!" Percy complained and her jaw dropped.

"Please. Going on this ride with me would probably be the most love related thing you've ever done with a girl."

Percy was about to say something in his own defense, the problem was… she was right. She was always right.

"Hey at least I don't have some weird crush on a dude 6 years older than me."

"Well I would hope you wouldn't have a crush on a "dude" 6 years older than you." She retorted.

"Why do you always have to get the last word?" he protested.

"I don't have to, it just happens because you can't win."

"You're so stubborn."

"And you're so annoying."

"You think I want to go on this thing? I hate water parks."

"Funny. The son of POSEIDON hates water parks. If that's not twisted than I'm obviously not a daughter of Athena."

Percy paused. "Wait… what?"

"Was that too much for you?" she faked sympathy.

"No it's just whenever you talk all I hear is BLAH BLAH BLAH!" he was pretty satisfied with that comeback until she merely rolled her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure you hear that when any intelligent individual talks, otherwise you'd probably be a lot smarter."

He groaned. "That's it I'm going alone."

"No, you'll be killed." Grover said.

Annabeth sighed. "Come on, Seaweed Brain. Let's get this over with."

"Wait does that mean you're coming?" Percy asked as she lead the way.

"No, I'm just walking to the ride's entrance for exercise." She replied sarcastically.

He smiled smugly. "You know, I think deep down, you wanted to go on this ride with me."

"The Seaweed in your head must be leaking through your ears, because I clearly stated that I'd rather kiss a Cyclops."

"Guess we should find us a cyclops then." He muttered.

"Do that and you'll become a Cyclops." She retorted as they walked through the line.

"You can't do that! They're a totally different species." He said smiling at his knowledge of Cyclops.

"All I'd have to do is poke your eye out." She said it so nonchalantly that he barely took it harshly until he realized what it meant.

"I'm kind of scared of you sometimes."

"That's good. That means you respect me." She said as they climbed in the ride.

"Do you respect me?" he asked.

She looked at him briefly then laughed. "Yeah I do. But if you even think that gives you the right to touch me in any way while we're on this thing…"

"Don't worry." He thought about the Cyclops threat and the gutting of fish. "I won't." he swallowed.

Annabeth nodded as the bar came down.

The ride had absolutely nothing to do with love. It was extremely fast and Percy felt like the life was being sucked out of him.

"I can't feel my lips." He announced. He struggled to look over at a completely calm Annabeth who had her arms crossed. She looked bored and like this wasn't a ride to make even a stunt man queasy.

"Lame right?" she asked and looked at his face and started laughing. "Seriously?"

He turned away with anger. How could he be the wimp? Easy. Annabeth was not a wimp.

Suddenly the ride slammed the breaks and he felt his stomach slam against the bar.

"Ow." He muttered in pain.

She looked fine still, but she looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good." He said. "You know I have to give you props on handling that ride. I thought I was going to-"

"AHHH!" Annabeth screamed and leaped on Percy's lap.

"What? What?" Percy asked scared, feeling riptide at his side.

"Spider…" she said in a high voice and Percy suddenly became aware that she was on his lap and grew very nervous.

"I… um… er…"

"Kill it!" she shouted.

"Okay, Okay." He said quickly and he used his water powers to splash some water on the spider as it fell to water, dead.

Annabeth exhaled. "Thanks." She said.

Percy nodded uneasily. "Yep."

Annabeth looked where she was and realized her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was on his lap. Suddenly, she began to feel extremely embarrassed.

"We don't mention this to anyone. Not even Grover. Agreed?" She said.

"Agreed." He said swallowing hard. She didn't get off right away. It was weird how safe she felt. She didn't like it of course, but why'd she do it?

They walked off the ride together when both of their faces lost the redness it possessed.

"That wasn't terrible was it?" Percy asked regaining some of his confidence.

Annabeth for once, wasn't in the mood to argue. "Not intoxicating or anything."

They both realized it was kind of intoxicating. Neither could breathe, and both were speechless. In the awkward way of course.

"So… how was it?" Grover asked.

"Fine." Both answered at the same time.

"Fine?" he asked.

Percy shrugged. "It was lame. Plus uh… she wouldn't stop teasing me the whole time."

Annabeth also shrugged. "You're an easy target. Can't help that."

Grover nodded slowly. "Oh-kay?"