𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

But don't worry, his mom wrote: I'm done with sculpture. I've disposed of that box of tools you left me. It's time for me to turn to writing.

You could imagine how much Aurora laughed once Percy had shown her the letter, she was nearly in tears.

At the bottom, she wrote a P.S.: Percy, I've found a good private school here in the city. I've put a deposit down to hold you a spot, in case you want to enroll for seventh grade. You could live at home. But if you want to go year-round at Half-Blood Hill, I'll understand.

On the Fourth of July, the whole Camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by Cabin Nine. Being Hephaestus' kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles.

According to Aurora and Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of thirty-meter-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, and then explode into a million colors.

As Aurora, Annabeth, and Percy were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell them goodbye.

He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and trainers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had got thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown a few centimeters at least, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

"I'm off," Grover said. "I just came to say... well, you know."

Percy tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying goodbye. Percy had only known Grover a year, yet he was his oldest friend.

Aurora and Annabeth bounded towards him to give him a hug. Annabeth told him to keep his fake feet on. Aurora looked like she was about to cry. While Percy asked him where he was going to search first.

"Kind of a secret," Grover said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."

"We understand," Annabeth said.

"Just come back to us," Aurora said with no room for discussion, it was not a question, it was a request, "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"

"Yeah."

"And you remembered your reed pipes?" Annabeth checked.

"Jeez, you two," he grumbled. "You're like old mama goats." But he didn't really sound annoyed.

Grover gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway – nothing like the little runty boy Percy used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.

"Well," Grover said, "wish me luck." He gave Aurora and Annabeth another hug. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

"Hey, Grover," Percy called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

"Wherever you're going – I hope they make good enchiladas."

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.