Percy texted me the address of the mystery place I was to meet him at a few minutes after seven. I shrugged and got in my car and headed towards the mystery location, which he'd made me promise not to look up.

"This is the nice place?!" I exclaimed as I exited my car, slamming the door besides me. I peered up at a small, reclusive bowling alley that looked like it was from the eighties. "I thought you told me to dress nice!"

Percy, who was waiting outside the bowling alley leaned up against the wall, grinned and waved at me. "I did say that, and you clearly delivered."

My face went red, but I hoped the darkness would cover it up. Then I looked Percy up and down and realized he was wearing a nice suit and tie, which caused me to laugh. "Well, you're dressed up, too. You sure that you didn't just forget to make us a reservation somewhere and this is where you picked?"

Percy shook his head before readjusting his tie. "No way, wise girl. And I dunno, maybe I told you to dress nice to constrict your from. If I'm remembering correctly, I have yet to win a bowling match against you, so maybe today is my day."

Percy was correct. A common date spot for us was a bowling alley, or anywhere competitive, really. And he was also correct that he had yet to beat me in bowling.

"Yeah, right. Dress or not, I can still kick your ass," I replied with a smirk before he offered me his arm and walked me inside.

A bored looking bowling alley attendant sat right in the entryway, and their eyes quickly widened when they saw us in our formal attire.

"Uh, good evening?" they asked as they blinked several times as if they were unsure if we were really there or just a figment of their imagination. "This is a bowling alley, you know that, right?"

Percy nodded and grinned widely. "Oh, yes, we sure do. Now, your finest lane please!"

The attendant nodded stiffly before showing us to any plain old chipped bowling lane. Then they left as quickly as they could, leaving me and Percy alone.

The lanes looked completely empty, which was strange for a Friday night. The bowling alley was lit up by several flickering lights which nearly gave me a headache.

"Is Percy too boring?" Percy asked with a frown. He was bent over the tiny computer-like bowling screen and was typing and erasing several different names, each one being more unique than the last.

"I think it's a little too late to change your name now," I replied. "You know, you'd have to do so much paperwork."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Haha, very funny. I'm serious, though. This has to be perfect. And...there we go, done! Look, I named you, too!"

My eyes widened as I turned to the screen. "What did you name me—oh. Wise girl?"

Percy grinned before pointing at his name on the screen. "Seaweed brain, in honor of you."

Back in high school our nicknames for each other, wise girl and seaweed brain, had emerged and stuck around the longer we knew each other. Wise girl originated from when I used to help Percy with his homework, and seaweed brain was what I called Percy when he was on the swim team.

"Well, I think they're perfect," I commented before grabbing the nearest bowling ball my size in sight. "Wait, why are you picking a size six?"

Percy looked up at me and furrowed his eyebrows, clearly confused. "That's my size, Chase. A six pound bowling ball."

I laughed, causing Percy to frown. "A six?! That's practically the same size Alice bowls with! Are you being serious right now?"

"Hey, it fits!" he protested as he picked up the bowling ball for me to see. It was bright blue and glittery. "It's even blue, my favorite color. I think children just must have huge hands these days, as I've been bowling with a size six since high school."

"That must be it," I teased, choking back my laughter. "Now enough chit-chat, I think I have to beat you in bowling."

"Oh, is that it?" Percy asked and shook his head. "No, I think it's the other way around. I think I am going to win."

"Well, let's see."

Percy was wrong. Very wrong. After several games of bowling, Percy was unsuccessful at beating me, causing my lifelong streak of never losing a game of bowling to go up by a few games.

"There's no way you've never lost!" Percy protested as we made our way to the table near our bowling lane. "No way. Someone has had to beat you at least once!"

I shrugged. "Nope, never happened. Oh, don't look at me like that, I swear it's true. Ask anyone, even Thalia! They'll all tell you the truth."

Percy narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't believe it. Even your first time bowling? That impossible!"

"Yeah, won by at least fifty points," I responded arrogantly with a grin. "Not my best game as I usually win by at least one hundred points nowadays."

"All hail Annabeth Chase, the bowling queen!" Percy declared loudly. All the bowling attendants glared at us before returning to their work, causing us both to blush. "Well, it's true!"

I laughed weakly. "Oh, be quiet."

Several minutes of banter later we were both flustered and near exhaustion, clearly ready to leave the bowling alley.

"Home now?" he asked as he rubbed his shoulder. "God, I think I pulled a muscle."

I stood up and rolled my eyes. "Try bowling in a dress next time, dude. Way harder. Now let's get you home, grandpa."

"Now that was cold."