Chapter 11 - Montauk
published: Monday, 17 September 2018
"Need any help with those bags?"
"No-no, I can handle it."
"Um, sure," Annabeth paused as her gaze raked her boyfriend from head to toe. While she merely had a duffel bag on her shoulder, Percy had a rucksack on his back holding his clothes, and inflated water floats in his arms. There was a tropical-patterned chair, a crocodile and a turtle float.
He staggered forward, struggling to peer over the tail of the crocodile's float. Percy's foot caught on a crack in the pavement and he pitched forward, crashing into Annabeth.
"Just give me the turtle," she growled as she steadied herself and snatched the animal floats away from him.
In front of them, Piper and Jason were walking hand in hand. Piper was wheeling a black suitcase and Jason was carrying a backpack. She had her yellow surfboard under one arm as they made their way towards the van she had rented.
School had been stressing her out lately, so Piper's dad had insisted that she take a weekend away to the beach with some of her friends. During dinner last week, Piper had brought it up, leading to Percy's suggestion that they go to his and his mother's usual cabin in Montauk for a weekend.
Hazel and Frank traipsed beside Percy and Annabeth. Both of them travelled light, so they shared a big bag that Frank hefted onto his back. Hazel was in charge of Split - their pet dog, or, well, one of Dionysus' baby panthers who had been adopted by Percy, Jason, Frank and Leo. It was a long story.
"He keeps pulling," Hazel said in frustration, yanking the leash back with both hands. Split yelped as if to say let me go! and pulled even harder, dragging a shrieking Hazel forward.
"Oh, go help her," Calypso told Leo, grabbing his bags. She had two bags, and Leo had one. "You were supposed to be in charge of Split in the first place."
"Okay, okay, calm down, Split," Leo called as he knelt down next to the panther. "Come to papa." Leo quickly unbuckled the leash from Split's collar and spread his arm for the panther to leap into.
Unsurprisingly, Split barked happily and scampered away from Leo. He ran to Annabeth and ran circles around her feet.
"Leo!" she shouted in irritation, trying not to step on Split as she held the floats in her arms. Split had gained a liking for Annabeth since he moved into the boys' apartment and always made a break for her whenever he got the chance.
"Sorry!" Leo ran forward and clipped Split's collar to the leash again. He coaxed the panther towards them so that Split walked alongside him at a slower pace.
"So, what do you and your mum usually do at Montauk?" Hazel asked Percy.
Percy thought back. He hadn't been to Montauk in a few years. "Well, usually we have a barbecue, talk, and just have fun, in general. Last time we were there, we..."
He trailed off as he remembered their last visit to the beach. Rachel had kissed him, Blackjack and Beckendorf had landed on Paul's Prius, effectively starting the Second Titan War for Percy. "Well, it was the war, but the time before that..."
Percy stopped again as he remembered that time he'd gone to Montauk with his mother. Zeus' bolt had been stolen, Grover showed up in his form as a satyr, and the Minotaur had squeezed his mother into dust.
Hazel looked at him with an are-you-kidding-me stare. "Did you have any experiences where you didn't almost die?"
"Um, yeah, when I was, like, 5." Percy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "It doesn't matter. This time will be fun, I'm sure."
"Don't speak too soon," Piper warned him over her shoulder. "Do you not remember the last time we went to a beach?"
The eight of them stopped as they recalled the sea serpent that nearly killed them all.
"It was supposed to be extinct," Percy said defensively.
The argument continued until they were all settled into the car. Frank was driving, while Annabeth sat shotgun as the navigator. Hazel, Piper and Calypso sat in the middle row, while Leo, Percy and Jason sat in the backseat.
Since there wasn't a lot of boot space, the backseat was cluttered with floats, which meant that the three boys were stuck in awkward positions for the rest of the 2-hour drive.
"Take a turn right," Annabeth instructed Frank, her eyes on the unfolded map in her lap.
Leo reached an arm into the middle row and tapped Piper on the shoulder. "Pipes, turn on the radio, I want some music!"
"Later," Annabeth called back. "We need to get on the main road first."
"I'm bored," Leo groaned.
Calypso pressed her face against the window as she tried to push away her motion sickness. It probably wasn't the best idea to stick 6 ADHD demigods in an enclosed, moving vehicle for 2 hours.
In order to get to the beach in the least time possible, Annabeth had only scheduled one rest stop, after the first hour. They stopped at a Stop & Shop for lunch and a chance to stretch their legs.
Everyone got a sandwich and a breath of fresh air, but Calypso nearly teared up when she was forced to get back into the stuffy car.
"Now, the radio!" Leo pleaded as he climbed into the backseat.
"Fine, fine, fine." Annabeth turned the knob up on the volume as Frank revved up the engine.
"She got her head in the clouds, and she's not backing down."
Frank promptly released the wheel and shut the radio off.
"THIS GIRL IS ON-" Leo paused his screaming. "Wait, Frank!"
"Not a chance," Frank warned him.
"But I'm bored."
"Do something else." Annabeth peered around her seat and glared at him.
"Okay, I have a riddle!" Percy announced. "What goes up but never comes down?"
The car fell silent except for the thrum of the engine as they cruised down the road.
"The number of mistakes you make on a daily basis?" Annabeth guessed.
Percy glared at her, but then hummed thoughtfully. "I was going to say age, but that works too."
"See, we can't even do riddles like normal people," Leo pointed out. "We're so weird we can't even have fun with normal games."
"We can play mortal games," Piper defended. "What about 20 questions? That can't be too difficult."
Jason shrugged. "I'll start. Would you rather be alone for the rest of your life or always be surrounded by annoying people?"
"Annoying people," Leo chose immediately.
Hazel nodded. "Same. I wouldn't want to be alone."
Annabeth crossed her arms. "Seeing as I'm already always surrounded by annoying people, I'll go with the second one."
"I take offense to that!" Percy's voice came from the back.
"Okay, okay, I have a good one. Are big animals or small animals scarier?"
"Small animals!" Piper said confidently. "They're more vicious because their anger is bottled up in a smaller space."
"No way!" Frank snorted. "Give me one example."
"Spiders," Annabeth said automatically.
"Wasps," Jason said. "If you're allergic to them you can die from one sting."
"That hardly ever happens," Hazel objected. "Scorpions are much worse."
"I'd like to vote for Nico," Percy said, as if it was the obvious answer.
Leo pointed at Percy. "I agree with him."
"Nico isn't an animal," Hazel protested. "And c'mon, he's not that scary."
Even Frank gave her an incredulous look in the mirror.
"Nico is pretty cool," Leo allowed. "But if you don't admit that, at one point or another, he has scared you so much that you almost peed in your pants, then you are a big fat liar."
Murmurs of agreement went around the car.
"Fine, fine. Okay, I've always wondered this," Hazel started. "Annabeth, what's the difference between 'wisdom' and 'knowledge'?"
"'Knowledge' is knowing that tomato is a fruit, 'wisdom' is not putting it in a fruit salad," Annabeth explained.
Piper's eyebrows shot skyward. "That was deep."
"'Philosophy' is wondering whether that means that ketchup is a smoothie," Leo mused.
Jason made a noise in the back of his throat. "That was deeper."
"'Common sense' is knowing that ketchup isn't a dam smoothie," Percy sighed exasperatedly as he slapped a palm to his forehead.
"Wait, wait, I have a good one!" Hazel piped up. "Would you shoot your best friend in the leg for 10 million dollars?"
"Of course not!" Calypso gasped.
"Depends on who it is," Annabeth murmured, sending Percy a side glance.
"Is there an emergency exit here?" Percy muttered to Jason as he caught Annabeth's look.
"You shoot me," Piper told Leo. "And when my leg gets better, we can buy a mansion and a few sports cars."
"You can shoot me too," Leo offered with a grin. "Then we can have 20 million."
Piper snorted. "Good thinking, screw the system."
The two of them shared a high-five to seal the deal.
Frank sighed from the driver's seat. "That wasn't the point of the question-"
"Let's play 'I Spy'!" Leo interrupted.
"Wait, wait, we're pulling up here," Annabeth called out, as Frank pressed on the brakes and the stopped at the side of the road.
"What are we doing here?" Leo asked in confusion.
"We're picking up Nico and Will," Annabeth reminded him with an eye-roll. "They went to visit Will's Mum, remember? They're coming with us to Montauk."
"We can't fit anyone else," Leo protested. "They'll just have to sit on the roof!"
"Hey, guys!" Will pulled the door to the minivan open. He had a pair of sunglasses on his head and a suitcase in one hand.
The others chorused greetings of 'Hi' and 'What's up?'.
Will had to stoop down so he could climb into the car. "Gods, there's no space here." He slid in next to Calypso so he was by the window. "Nico, I don't think you can fit in. The guys are too squeezed in the back." Will slid his suitcase on the car floor and hoisted Nico's suitcase in as well.
"The roof idea still stands," Leo suggested.
"You can sit in the front with me," Annabeth said. "Nico's small so we can squeeze."
Will shut the door behind him, and Nico walked around the car and opened the door to shotgun.
"What is that?" Hazel couldn't help herself.
Leo buried his face into Percy's shoulder so he could stifle the laughter bubbling out of him.
Nico glared at them. "Not a word." He had a huge sun hat on his head, the part that spanned out from his head nearly half a metre long.
He squeezed beside Annabeth so they each had one buttock on the seat. Nico leaned down and patted Split, who was curled up at Annabeth's feet, on the head.
"I didn't think hats were your type," Percy said as he shoved Leo away.
"GET OVER IT, PERCY!"
"Shut up, and play 'I Spy' before I land us in a ditch!" Annabeth shouted, balling up and throwing a wad of tissue paper into the backseat.
"Yes, mother," Leo emphasised, earning him another tissue paper attack.
"I spy with my little eye, something that starts with the letter 's'," Percy announced with a sly grin.
"Snake," Nico guessed automatically.
"Snakes? What? Where?" Piper yelped, whipping her head around wildly. She had never been the same around them after the incident with the snaky Athenians.
"Sky?" Hazel asked.
"Snow?"
"Yes, Leo, it's 40 degrees outside and there's snow," Percy deadpanned.
"Soil," Will tried, glancing outside at the greenery.
Calypso spotted yellow specks on the road. "Sand!"
"No."
Jason looked at Will, then looked at Nico. The two of them were staring and smiling at each other. "...Sexual tension."
"Bingo!" Percy cheered.
Nico instantly flushed a dark red and looked like he wanted to jump out through the window.
After another half an hour, they finally arrived at the beach. Percy whooped happily as he recognised the familiar roof of the cabin and was engulfed in the smell of the beach.
Annabeth let out a sigh of happiness. She leaned her head on Percy's shoulder. "We need to come here more often."
"Um, wait, Percy," Frank called.
Percy glanced back. "Yeah?"
"Is that the cabin?" Frank asked, pointing to the wooden box-like structure behind them.
Percy nodded enthusiastically, but slowed as he realised Frank's train of thought.
"Can we all fit in there?" Nico asked. The cabin was small, and it looked like there were only two rooms - one on the first floor, and on the second floor.
"Okay, funny story." Percy let out a nervous laugh.
Annabeth withdrew from their hug and arched an eyebrow accusingly.
Percy scratched the back of his neck. "I may or may not have forgotten that the cabin only houses 4 people."
Calypso took a deep breath to control her nerves. "You've got to be kidding me. How can you forget something so important?"
"I was really excited."
"It's okay, it's okay. We can change sleeping arrangements so we'll all fit," Annabeth suggested. "I'm sure there are extra blankets we can share. There's a grocery store fifteen minutes away, so we can get food later on. It's not the end of the world."
Piper shrugged. "There's a beach. What's not to like?"
Despite the slight setback, the ten of them shuffled into the cabin with all their things.
There wasn't much space for their things, so the floats were left outside. Annabeth released Split once they stepped inside the cabin so that he could run around.
There was a small kitchen in the corner of the first floor, a couch in the back, and a round table in the middle. The floor was made from wooden boards, and dried-up patches of sand were everywhere.
Beside the kitchen, a small spiral staircase led up to the second floor, where there was one bedroom and one bathroom.
"Okay, um." Even Annabeth was at a loss for words.
The room wasn't small, but it certainly wasn't big enough for ten demigods.
"If we just squeeze a little, we might be able to fit," Hazel tried.
They slowly separated the room into spaces. There were sheets and blankets in the closet, so they laid those out along the wooden floor.
"Who gets the bed?" Leo asked, already preparing to make a break for it.
"We'll decide later," Annabeth told him. "I don't want the Hunger Games breaking out in our cabin."
They took some time to unpack their clothes, toiletries and other things.
Percy was sleeping next to Frank, and as Frank unpacked, his eyes caught on something that fell out of his bag.
It was a small, velvet black box, smaller than his fist, and it was just the right size to fit a ring.
"Oh my gods, Frank," Percy hissed, his eyes widening. "What is that?"
"Um, uh," Frank stammered as he fumbled for the box and shoved it into his bag. "Nothing."
Percy gasped. "You're gonna propose to Hazel, aren't you?"
"Battle plans to you take ages to understand, but for this you catch on immediately," Frank muttered to himself.
"I'm so happy for you, man," Percy whispered back.
"What's going on?" Jason asked.
Percy and Frank shushed him.
"Why are we whispering?" Jason hissed.
"Frank is gonna propose to Hazel," Percy blurted out excitedly.
Frank slapped a palm to his forehead.
Jason's jaw dropped. "No way! That's so great!"
"Guys, don't tell anyone," Frank pleaded. "I haven't even asked Nico yet, and I don't want to propose until I'm sure he's okay with it."
"Okay, okay," Jason promised. "I won't tell anyone."
"Tell us when you're ready, we'll help you set it up," Percy told him.
"Thanks, guys," Frank said gratefully, before stuffing the ring box into the deepest part of his bag.
Percy and Jason exchanged looks of 'OH MY GODS' before hurrying out of the room so they could discuss it in isolation.
"They're going to get married, can you believe it?" Jason asked.
Percy shrugged. "Honestly, they're so good together, and he makes her so happy, so, yeah, I approve."
Jason scratched the back of his neck. "But she's, like, 19, and he's 21. Isn't that too young?"
"Bro," Percy said as he patted Jason on the back. "We're demigods, y'know. We die young, so we need to make the most of whatever time we have."
Jason didn't reply. He was too deep in thought, so Percy left him just standing there and went to find Annabeth.
She's just changed into her swimsuit and was walking out of the bathroom. Piper and her were making their way to the beach, where Calypso had put out blankets and umbrellas.
"Annabeth, can I talk to you for a second?" Percy called.
Piper grinned and pushed her away before heading to talk to Calypso.
"What's up, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth teased.
"Frank's going to propose to Hazel," Percy rushed, unable to keep the grin from his face.
Annabeth clapped a hand over her mouth. "Are you serious?"
Percy nodded furiously.
"That's amazing!" Annabeth whisper-shouted, casting a side glance to Hazel, who was walking out of the cabin. "We need to go tell Piper!"
"No!" Percy said in alarm, pulling her back. "It's supposed to be a secret! Jason and I accidentally found out, but Frank told us not to tell anyone."
Annabeth folded her arms across her chest. "But you told me."
"Well, yeah. But I tell you everything," Percy said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Frank wants to ask for Nico's blessing first before he proposes. So don't tell anyone."
Annabeth nodded in agreement and made a zipping motion across her mouth.
Just a few feet across from them, Jason was sitting next to Piper on one of the beach mats.
"Isn't today a wonderful day?" Jason asked nervously. Even though the secret of Frank's proposal wasn't even related to Piper, he was still afraid that he would reveal the secret right away. "The sun, the sea, and the clouds. Wow, I really like clouds."
Piper tilted her head towards him and arched an eyebrow. "You're hiding something."
Jason cursed mentally. "Uh, no."
"You are," Piper said in astonishment. "Tell me, tell me."
Jason shook his head frantically. "It's a secret."
Piper frowned. "Fine."
"A really good secret," Jason murmured.
Piper threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, c'mon! Now I really want to know."
"Can't tell you," Jason repeated.
"Tell me, please?" Piper asked, charging the last syllable with a bit of charmspeak.
"Frank's proposing to Hazel," Jason said immediately.
Piper let out a sharp gasp. "What?"
Jason frowned. "You charmspeaked me!"
"Only a little bit," she said dismissively before turning back to the bigger thing. "Frank's proposing to Hazel! Oh my gods, that's incredible! I mean, they're basically a married couple already, but it's great to seal the deal."
"Yeah, but Frank asked to-"
"Cal, Cal," Piper whispered, turning onto her left side.
Calypso removed her sunglasses and turned to Piper. "Yeah?"
"Did you hear that? Frank's going to propose to Hazel!"
Calypso gasped, "Oh my, wow! I don't know what marriage means for mortals, but for gods, marriage is a pact for forever!"
"It's the same for us," Piper told her.
"I mean, I haven't known them that long, but they seem so great together," Calypso said.
Piper nodded.
"Guys, it's supposed to be a secret," Jason hissed. "Frank hasn't asked Nico if he's okay with it yet, so he doesn't want to propose until he does that."
"I need to tell Leo." Calypso started scrambling to her feet.
Jason pulled her down in alarm. "No, no! You can't tell Leo! Didn't you hear me? It's supposed to be a secret!"
"Both of us know," Piper reminded him.
"That wasn't meant to happen," Jason muttered.
"Who else knows?" Piper asked.
"Me, Percy and you two," Jason said.
"Percy will tell Annabeth," Piper told Jason. She glanced at the two of them standing by the cabin and conversing in hushed voices. "See? He's doing it now! What's the harm in telling one more person?"
"It's Leo," Jason deadpanned. "Telling Leo is basically standing in the pavilion and shouting it to everyone."
"He won't tell," Calypso promised. "I'll make sure he keeps it a secret."
Jason looked at her warily. "You'll do it even if I say no."
Calypso high-fived Piper and ran off to find Leo.
"Hey, guys," Percy said as he and Annabeth strolled up to them.
"Frank's gonna propose to Hazel!" Piper burst out.
Annabeth even jumped a little in her happiness. "Yes!"
"Was that a giggle?" Percy asked.
Annabeth blushed and glared at him. "Don't ever speak of it again."
When the others came down to the beach, the six demigods kept sending each other knowing glances, but fortunately, Hazel was too distracted to notice.
"So, you kick your legs like this," Percy instructed, and then demonstrated the motion. "Then, kind of paddle your arms like this."
Calypso and Hazel tried their best to follow, but Hazel just accomplished turning over.
"This is impossible!"
"You need to be positive," Percy reminded her. "You need to say 'yes' to any challenge!"
"Right now, I think all I'm capable of is 'no'," Hazel groaned.
"Maybe that's enough swimming for now," Frank said hurriedly as he rushed her out of the water.
The demigods has a barbecue as the sun set on the beach. Will and Leo were in charge of the grill, while the others roasted s'mores over a fire.
"One veggie burger for the lady," Leo announced as he whirled it in for Piper on a paper plate. "Uncle Leo's manning the grill!"
Percy passed around a container of his mother's famous blue cookies that he'd packed at Annabeth's insistence that he share.
"But they're my blue cookies," he grumbled.
As it reached the end of the golden hour, Percy sat his camera on its stand and set the timer on ten seconds and multiple pictures.
He quickly scrambled back to his friends. "Quick, picture!"
The others instantly started arguing as they tried to lose right for the camera.
"That's my foot, Valdez!"
"MY COOKIE!"
"Wait, don't touch my marshmallows!"
When they were still trying to get into position, the camera went off.
"No, wait that was a bad one, let's take another-" Leo was cut off as the camera clicked a second time, capturing the moment again.
"We only have five seconds to the next one," Percy called out. "Quick, quick!"
The third click went off, earning groans from the unprepared demigods.
"Last one, just smile, everyone!" Annabeth shouted.
Everyone smiled, even in their awkward positions and random spots, for one last picture as the camera click went off.
Percy hurried to the camera. He flicked through the four pictures - three out of four which were just candids of them arguing. The last one was the best.
Leo was grinning maniacally with one arm around Jason and his head tilted back with a marshmallow at his mouth. Percy was sitting on the ground at their feet - Jason had him in headlock - and eating one of Jason's hot dogs. Annabeth sat on Leo's other side with her legs draped across his lap and her back against Nico's side. Nico was smiling kind of awkwardly, with Will lying on the floor in the middle of a laugh. Hazel say between Calypso and Piper, the three of them beside Will. Frank was at the end, leaning down and grinning, but his eyes were fixed on Hazel.
It was perfect.
"I think it's time for our traditional campfire sing-along," Leo whooped. They all sat around the fire, chewing on marshmallows, grilled corn cobs and other barbecued food.
"Wait, I need the bathroom," Hazel said, standing up. "Give me a second."
Once she was out of hearing, Leo cheered again. "Congratulations to my Chinese Canadian Baby Man on finally getting the guts to propose to Hazel!"
Everyone else froze in silence as Frank slowly turned to face Leo. "You know?"
"Uh," Leo stammered. "Calypso told me."
"Piper told me," Calypso said instantly.
"Jason told me," Piper blurted out.
"You wheedled it out of me," Jason protested indignantly.
"You told them!" Frank groaned. "How could you?"
"Percy told Annabeth!" Jason said suddenly. "Hah!"
"Tattletale," Percy muttered. He looked at Frank's irritated look. "I tell her everything."
"Hold up, hold up, Frank is what?" Nico asked.
Silence fell upon them again.
"Technically, I'm not going to yet," Frank said nervously. "It was supposed to be a secret, but Percy and Jason found out and told everyone. I didn't want to ask Hazel anything before I was sure that you were okay with it."
"Me?" Nico echoed.
"Um, yeah. I know it's kind of old-fashioned, but I mean, you're her brother, and you guys are really close, and I never knew if you were okay with us dating," Frank said awkwardly.
"Frank," Nico started. "I've never seen Hazel any happier than when she's with you. I know that you'll take care of her, and you love her, I can see that. So, if you really need an answer, then yes, of course I approve of you and Hazel dating. And, I'm just glad she didn't end up with Leo."
"Hey!"
Nico ignored him. "You have my blessing and support to propose to her."
Cheers went up again from the demigods.
"You're getting married!" Will congratulated, raising his cup of water. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!" everyone echoed.
"She might say 'no'," Frank said nervously.
"She won't," Jason assured him.
"Hey, hey, who's your best man going to be?" Leo urged him, pointing not-so-discreetly at himself.
"And the ring, can I see the ring?" Calypso asked.
"Hold on, hold on!" Frank made the gesture for time-out. "Let me propose first before we start planning the wedding."
He pulled the ring box out of his back pocket and opened it for the rest to see.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Piper breathed. She didn't usually get emotional over jewellery, but this was so sweet.
"Where did you get it?" Will asked.
"It was my grandmother's engagement ring," Frank explained. "She wanted my mother to have it, but since she never got married, I got it."
"It's perfect," Annabeth promised.
"Quick, she's coming," Nico hissed, noticing Hazel's figure traipsing down to the beach.
"We need to plan it out, Frank," Percy told him.
"We can arrange that tomorrow," Annabeth said.
"Thank you," Frank said gratefully.
"Hi, Hazel!" Leo made an effort to say it loudly so that the others would know she was here.
Frank resisted the urge to sigh again.
"Um, hello?" Hazel looked confused as to why they'd missed her so much.
"So, corn cobs, anyone?" Leo asked weakly.
The next day, Annabeth assigned jobs to everyone. Piper had already come up with a great proposal idea, and Annabeth was in charge of the organisation.
Everyone would take turns throughout the day to distract Hazel so her suspicions wouldn't be raised.
First up was Calypso and Percy. He continued their swimming lessons, in hopes that it would distract Hazel from noticing her missing friends.
Before lunch, Calypso switched out with Annabeth and Piper, so that they could surf on the waves and Hazel could see them.
Everyone else joined them for lunch, including Frank, who was so nervous he couldn't speak to Hazel without stuttering. She just laughed and kissed him on the cheek.
After lunch, the final jobs were done, and everything was in line. A ruse was set that Nico had been throwing up all day, and Hazel had to head into the cabin for a check-up with Will in case she'd caught the bug.
"This is it," Percy whispered to Frank. He patted him on the back comfortingly. "You got this, man. Just remember that you love her, and she loves you."
Frank nodded nervously as Percy creeped away to join the rest of their friends behind a couple of bushes. They were out of hearing, but they could take pictures and see the execution of the proposal.
Piper crossed her fingers. "I've prayed to my mother for the best of luck, but there's only so much she can do."
"He'll do fine," Nico said confidently.
<<<>>>
"Will?" Hazel called. She was supposed to get some kind of check-up to make sure she didn't get the stomach bug from Nico. "Will?"
She traipsed down the stairs, calling out for her brothers boyfriend. "That's weird," Hazel murmured to herself. The cabin was completely silent.
Hazel silent prayed to her father that she wasn't about to die like in the horror movies.
She decided to look for the rest of her friends out on the beach. At the cabin door, Hazel caught a glimpse of a pink seashell out of the corner of her eye.
The sunlight from the setting sun on the horizon reflected off the ground, casting a glimmer on the sand. Hazel then spotted another seashell in front of the one she'd picked up. There was a whole line of white seashells, aligned so that they led down to he beach.
Curious, Hazel abandoned her flip-flops and started treading along the sand, picking up seashells as she went.
When she was a few metres from the cabin, there was a pierce of paper on the right of the path of seashells.
Hazel knelt down to read it.
She walks in beauty, like the night.
Of cloudless climes and starry skies.
Hazel instantly recognised it as a quote from Lord Byron, a British poet from the 1800s. Sliding the card into her pocket, Hazel continued along the line of seashells.
A few steps down, there was another card.
To the world, you might just be one person, but to me, you are the world.
Hazel smiled as she kept the second card as well. Down the seashell path, Hazel picked more cards.
Just me and you;
just us two.
My lover; my friend;
until the end.
Through good and bad;
happy and sad.
Me and you...
it'll do.
You are the source of my joy and the whole of my heart, promise me, my love, that we'll never be apart.
When I say I love you, please believe it's true.
When I say forever, know I'll never leave you.
When I say goodbye, promise me you won't cry,
Because the day I'll be saying that will be the day I die.
And Hazel bent down to pick up a sixth card.
Six love poems for six years that I've known you,
six years where I've always known that I loved you.
You've tethered me to this Earth and stood your ground,
now it's my turn to confess, so turn around.
Hazel read over the last two words a second time, and slowly turned. She came face to face with the familiar smile of Frank Zhang.
"Frank," she breathed. This was all him. The seashells, the poems. It was in that moment when she knew in her heart that she would never love anyone as much as she loved Frank.
"Hazel," Frank whispered. He cleared his throat. "Um, hi, Hazel. It's, uh, it's me, Frank."
Hazel clutched the seashells in her hands as amusement flickered across her face.
Frank blushed. "But you know that." He was wearing Bermuda shorts and a blue t-shirt, and had a daisy grasped in his right hand.
"Yes."
Frank swallowed, and Hazel watched closely as his nervous expression smoothness into a calm one.
"Hazel Levesque," Frank started, tucking the daisy in Hazel's hair and behind her ear. "I know I don't say it enough, but I love you. And I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Hazel, I love you because you are sweet, kind, and probably the most amazing person I have ever met. I know that I'm not exactly what you dreamed of. I mean, I'm no Sammy, and I turn into a chameleon when I get nervous" - Hazel laughed at that - "but, just know that you are everything I've ever dreamed of, and more. And that's why I've decided..." Frank trailed off as he slowly got down on one knee and pulled out a velvet box from his pocket.
Hazel's seashells fell to the ground in a scattered pile as she clapped her hands to her mouth. Her shaky breaths were amplified by her cupped hands, and her wide eyes slowly took in the situation before her.
"I know we're young, and I know this is crazy." Frank's voice didn't waver at all as he opened the box to reveal a shiny diamond ring. "But will you do me the incredible honour of becoming my wife?"
There were a silent two seconds where it seemed like the world was standing still.
"Yes!" Hazel beamed so wide that her mouth hurt, and the tears welling up in her eyes slowly rolled down her cheeks. "Yes, Frank! I will marry you!"
She gripped his wrist and pulled him to his feet, where she leaned forward and kissed him. Frank slipped the ring onto her right hand as he smiled against her mouth.
"I love you," Hazel sobbed, furiously wiping her tears away. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Frank, you're perfect, absolutely perfect in every way. You're-you're amazhang."
Frank burst out laughing as he embraced her tightly, her tears soaking into his shirt.
"Leo is going to be so proud of me for using that," Hazel murmured, her voice still shaky from all the crying.
A loud whoop was heard, echoing across the beach.
"I can't believe you did all this for me," Hazel whispered, her arms still around his neck. Her tears dropped off at her chin, and some dried up under her eyes.
Frank held her waist and gave her a tentative. "You don't think it was too cheesy?"
Hazel smiled. "It was the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."