Charmolypi

Chapter 40

The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time they found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy.

"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."

Some of the boys in the hall laughed, but quickly quieted down once they saw the looks most of the girls were giving them.

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Be more respectful."

"Why? I thought you hated Ares."

"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental."

"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added.

"Who is she? Echidna?" Percy joked, earning a scoff and eyeroll from Thea.

The ones who knew about the Gods rolled their eyes at Percy's behavior, not understanding how someone who's supposed to be the son of Poseidon can be so careless about the repercussions within the demigod world.

"No, Aphrodite," Grover said, a little dreamily. "Goddess of love."

"I thought she was married to somebody," Percy said. "Hephaestus."

"What's your point?" Thea asked.

"Oh." He said before he changed the subject. "So how do we get in?"

"Maia!" Grover's shoes sprouted wings. He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"

The demigods looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Annabeth smirked when she saw Thea going first, knowing they were going to get a show.

The daughter of Zeus backed away slightly, enough to give herself a slight boost. Very skillfully, she placed her feet in some of the holes in the fence. Before she reached the top, she propelled her body enough that she wouldn't touch the barbed wire on the top of the fence. The girl somehow twisted her body in a way that she landed a backflip.

She turned back to the two demigods on the other side of the fence. Percy was looking at her, a mix of shock and admiration, while Annabeth was smirking and slowly started to clap. Thea bowed mockingly, earning chuckles from the group.

"Do they take gymnastics?"

"Why is she always so flashy with what she does?"

"Her skills are just as captivating off the broom as they are when she's riding!"

Annabeth and Percy had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top.

The shadows grew long as the group walked through the park, checking out the attractions. There was Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?

They found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of-

"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."

"Yeah," Percy said. "But you can't just-"

"Watch us." Thea answered. She and Annabeth snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later they came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over Annabeth's shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.