Chapter 14 Road Trip

A red truck can be seen driving through the road with 4 people crammed inside. The truck looked to be made for only 3 people, so they were pretty squished. Grover was diving with Percy sitting next to to them, then it was Annabeth and me sitting next to the door.

"So what's our next location?" Asked Grover while focusing on the road. "Parthenon Nashville?" Said Percy looking at the map. "Nashville?! Great, home of my least favorite music...YEHAWW!" Grover said getting us to laugh at his antics. He turned on the radio and turned it to a station that was playing country music.

I rolled down the window so that the cool breeze from the outside can hit us. I leaned my head on my arm that was being supported by the window. Watching the scenery pass by is something I found rather relaxing.

I gradually tuned out the voices of Grover and Percy as they told each other knock knock jokes. "Are you ok?" I was brought out from my stupor by Annabeths voice. "Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm ok." I replied. "Do you miss her? Your mother I mean." Annabeth asked.

Lucian looked at Annabeth while his head still rested on his arm. "What do you think about your mother? Do you blame her for leaving you?" Lucian changed the topic and asked Annabeth. Annabeth not expecting such a question was momentarily for a loss of words.

"I don't know, I mean I never met her. I understand her circumstances, with her being a god and all. But sometimes...I do wish I could have those mother and daughter moments, the moments that other girls my age have experienced." Annabeth paused for a moment. "Lucian can I ask you something?" Lucian nodded.

"Back there, when you were calming down your mother. What did you mean about not being blamed for your father's crimes?" Annabeth asked, driving the attention of Percy and Grover. Lucian knew he messed up with letting that slip, but he honestly wanted to tell them. He thought that with their situation, they would be able to understand the most. "My father...is a demigod." The three were a little shocked, since they assumed that his father was a normal person and his mother was a god. "So your mother was a human?" Asked Grover. Lucian shook his head.

"My mother is Aphrodite." Grover let the car swerve a little untill he straightened again. "Aphrodite?!" Grover exclaimed. "So your more than just an ordinary demigod." Said Annabeth. "Then who's your dad?" This time it was Percy to ask.

"My fathers name is...Kratos, The God Of War." Lucian said causing the three's mind to practically explode. Grover couldn't keep driving anymore and pulled up at the side. """WHAT?!""" They all screamed at the same time. Lucian wasn't surprised since he knew that this is the way they were going to act. "Wait, so your the boy that Zeus wants dead?!" Annabeth asked trying to grasp the situation. I nodded making them all have cold sweat. They couldn't imagine what it was like to be hunted down by the king of the gods.

They were all silent as they thought about the situation. Percy ended up being the first to speak. "It doesn't matter, a fathers sins should not be passed down to their child. I still think of you as the same friend I met in the hall of my apartment building."

Lucian smiled at Percy. He looked at Grover and Annabeth who looked to be having a harder time swallowing this pill. "*Sigh*... Percy's right. Your my friend no matter what Lucian." Grover was the next to accept the circumstance. Lucian looked to Annabeth with clear eyes. He would not blame her if she did not want anything to do with him anymore. He has already told himself that if even one of them had a problem with it, he would leave on his own immediately.

Annabeth was having a struggle in her head. On one hand she wants to be like the others and continue being friends with Lucian, but on the other she remembers the stories she heard from the kids in the camp. The way they explained the stories of the god slayer, and how much Zeus hated him. It couldn't help but make her hesitate on her decision.

"I...I think we should stop for the night." Annabeth said avoiding the stares the best she could. Grover nodded and looked for a motel to stay at. Nobody said a word about the awkward atmosphere between Annabeth and Lucian.

Lucian was honestly very disappointed for some reason. For some reason he wanted Annabeth to be the first to understand, to be the first to say it didn't matter. But Lucian did not blame her, far from it. He was happy she was staying true to her thoughts and emotions and not just going with the flow of Grover and Percy's decision.

Grover found a motel and immediately got two rooms. They unloaded their things and went to their rooms. Annabeth got her own room and the boys shared another. Annabeth went into her room without saying anything. Percy sighed and went to the pool after changing, there was a lot that happened and he needed to think. Grover stayed and watched TV in the room while Lucian took a shower and went to the roof of the hotel after changing. Lucian liked to look at the stars, and more specifically the constellations.

Lucian let the night breeze hit his face as it moved his hair. He looked down and saw Annabeth come out of her room and go down to the pool where Percy was at. Lucian wanted to go down but thought that Annabeth might need more time to think. He watched as Annabeth and Percy talked at the pool side, seemingly having a moment. Lucian wanted to go down there and talk with Annabeth, but he has seen the way Percy looked at Annabeth. The sudden glances that would be too hard to catch if it wasn't him. Lucian smiled bitterly as he climbed off the roof and walked back to his room, leaving the two alone.

He walked into his room and saw Grover looking at the TV. Lucian saw that it was the news channel and that it was about Percy. Grover quickly went out the room to call Percy, as I sat on the bed and watched. Soon they all come into the room and I made eye contact with Annabeth, but she immediately looked away and ignored me. I sigh and look at the TV.

What we saw was Percy's stepfather Mr. Piggy talk about how Percy ran away and kidnapped his mother after attacking him. He said that Percy was a drug/alcohol addict and that him and Grover attacked him. Grover seemed to be pissed and was eating an aluminum can like it was a snack. Honestly, this Gabe was a real piece of work.

Grover turned off the TV and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. I look at Annabeth who was talking to Percy about something that seemed to be funny since they were laughing. Annabeth glanced at me and our eyes met again, making her look away and give an excuse for her to escape Into her room.

Lucian sighed and also brushed his teeth to get ready for bed.