Tiffany Hanson, A Percy Jackson Fan Fiction

Chapter 17

The next morning was June 14, only a week before the solstice, was when we rolled into Denver. We were all pretty hungry, so i was in a hurry to find some food.

"Let's try to contact Chiron." said Annabeth when we got off the train. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

"We can't use phones, right?" Percy asked.

"I'm not talking about phones." she said.

We wandered around downtown for a while, looking for a car wash, or gas station, or whatever we   could find. It took about half an hour to finally find a do-it-yourself carwash. Considering we were three seemingly underage kids hanging around a car wash without a car, we found a staff as far from the road as we could. I stayed near the entrance to the stall, to make sure no one would come to disturb us.

When they were going to do was use a spray nozzle to IM Half-Blood Hill. By IM, I mean they were going to Iris-message, not instant message. Iris was the goddess of Rainbows, and the other messenger god. To use her services, you need to make a rainbow, and have a drachma.

"Luke!" I heard Percy yell from inside the stall. I wished he would quiet down. If any mortals saw us yelling into a fountain of water in a car wash, there would be awkward questions.

I saw a car drive into the next stall, or, I heard a car drive into the next stall. It was blaring hip-hop music at top volume. I was about to go tell my companions (though I didn't think there was a need) when I saw Annabeth running out of our stall, Grover following close on her heels. I looked at him questioningly.

"We're going to get the guy in the next stall to turn down the music." he shouted. "It's interfering with the signal."

I nodded and followed after them. When I got into the next stall, Annabeth was already busy yelling at the guy. I glanced at the car doors. The one on the passenger side was open, and the guy was standing on the drivers side. The idea flew through my mind of climbing though the passenger side. I decided it wasn't worth it.

"There, happy now?" The man said, crawling back out of hid car. He had turned the music down, but Annabeth was still looking livid.

"Finally..." she muttered, and turned around.

"So why did you drag me here?" I asked Grover. He shrugged.

I heard a scoff behind me and the music cranked back up to full volume. Annabeth looked like she was about to crack, so I stalked forwards.

"Dude, stop seriously." I said to the man. He smirked.

"Make me." he started washing his car. I sighed and closed my eyes. I could tell Grover was watching me as I pulled out the black stick that was my knife and it moulded itself into the blade of celestial bronze I knew so well.

I opened my eyes and pointed it at the guy. "Alright. I'm making you." I said calmly. he screamed, dropped the hose, and locked himself in the car, turning the music off and he squealed out of the stall.

"There we go." I said, satisfied.

"What did you do?" Annabeth asked.

"Some persuading." I said, slipping the black stick back into my pocket. Grover started laughing as Annabeth looked from my pocket to him, and back again. Then Annabeth and I started laughing. I don't really know what was funny though, that seemed to be the best part.

We turned the corner to find Percy standing morosely with the hose. Water was dripping lazily from it, like it had just shut off.

"What happened, Percy?" Annabeth asked, her smile disappearing. "What did Luke say?"