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Annabeth’s been working at the waterpark for twelve years.
Okay, so maybe it’s more like a year and a half. Whatever. It feels like twelve years. Every day is full of all the excitement in the world (i.e. Kid #1 pees in wave pool, Kids #2-50 promptly run out screaming once someone notices, Parents #1-30 continue their peaceful reading or decide it’s time to go home, Teenagers #1-10 give vicious glares to any water that touches their precious body, and Annabeth watches it all happen).
Needless to say, her job sucks. But, as a lifeguard, she gets a few cents more than the average employee, so she’s stayed with it. And anything’s better than having to babysit, god forbid, so she takes what she gets.
It’s not necessarily that working at the waterpark is boring, but she’s been more exciting places. For example, her bed. Where she sleeps. And doesn’t have to wake up at 8:00 A.M. for a long shift surrounded by screaming children, pissed off teens, and remorseful adults.
She almost misses working at the overpriced cafe that had this awful condescending atmosphere twenty-four-seven. At least she got $8 an hour there. But, apparently her dad can’t stay in one place for more than two years, so Annabeth’s stuck being tugged around on a leash to any job that hires seventeen year olds.
(And sure, maybe she gets a little buzz off of being someone who guards lives. In reality, she’s never seen anyone vaguely close to drowning, but hey. It’s a waterpark. The water’s practically too shallow to drown, anyways.)
On this blessed (not blessed) Saturday morning (it might be Tuesday, Annabeth doesn’t even know anymore), she’s given the task of telling the kids when to go down a slide. Real, life-saving stuff.
It’s nearing noon when she spots someone walking up the stairs who is by no means under ten. In fact, he looks closer to twenty. Her age, maybe. It’s a relief to say the least, but she’s starting to dread the moment where she’ll have to explain how he’s much too big to go down the slide.
She’s opened her mouth in preparation to let him down easy, but then a little girl comes into view. More specifically, a little girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to the man whose hand she’s holding. Of course he’s a parent, Annabeth thinks, almost wanting to slap herself. A few hours around these kids and she’s adopted the knowledge of them.
"Hi," Annabeth greets, which she usually doesn’t do, but. The man’s closer now, and Annabeth’s not blind. He’s probably one of the most attractive people she’s seen, ever, and Annabeth’s lived in 28 of the 50 states. She even lived in France one summer.
"Hi," he says back with a sunny smile. He nudges the girl with his knee, and she looks up at him with big green eyes. "Go on," he tells her.
She narrows her eyes and looks at Annabeth. “Can I go?”
Annabeth nods firmly. “Whenever you’re ready.”
"I believe in you!" He calls as the little girl readies herself. She offers him a sweet smile before sliding. "She made me walk all the way up here, she better have enjoyed that."
"I’m sure she did." Annabeth grins after her; she sees a lot of kids in passing, but the girl was one of the cuter ones. "She’s adorable."
"Thanks." The man coughs and flushes red. "I mean. I don’t know why I said that. She’s my niece, not, you know, mine.” Annabeth silently raises an eyebrow. “I’m, like, eighteen.”
"You’re like eighteen?” Something in her is getting some satisfaction out of his embarrassment. “Or actually eighteen?”
"The second one," he answers, rocking back on his heels. "Right, so I better…"
"Go?" Annabeth suggests, laughing.
"That," he agrees. "That is what I should… I’m Percy."
He holds out a hand, oddly formal, and Annabeth laughs again as she shakes it. “I’m Annabeth.”
"Cool," the man—-guy—-says. “Okay. I’m really going now.”
"Okay," Annabeth says, smiling stupidly at him. "Have fun."
"We’re at Water Fun Land, we better." He shifts his shoulders, looking at her with an undeniable genuity. "It was nice to meet you."
He walks off before Annabeth can repeat the phrase, and if she watches his back as he stumbles down the stairs, she can’t quite be blamed.
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