AN: Ah the Consper feels. SQUEE!!!

On with the story...

Sammy's POV

"Hey Sammy, wanna play a game?"

I looked up from the menu. "What game, huh?" I grinned, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans.

"Let's see how much you know about me, seeing as you like me and all." she teased.

"What? I don't like you! I mean I---ugh!" I groaned inwardly. Gods, why are girls so hard to talk to? Especially when you're talking to ones you like?

Great, now she had a hurt expression on her face.

"Look, Sammy, if this isn't a date, I'm sorry for giving you the wrong impression and all." Zoë said awkwardly, getting up. "Maybe I should just---"

"No! Don't leave! I actually...I really like you, Zoë." I confessed. "I have since we were twelve. Well, you were twelve, I was eleven..." I trailed off just as awkwardly. Ugh! Why was this so fucking hard?

Thankfully she blushed. "I-I like you too, Sammy. You're so cute and stuff, but I---"

"Yeah?" I said anxiously.

"Maybe we could like, take things slow and stuff." Zoë said, spreading her hands. She was so cute when she did that.

"But why?" I asked, hurt. Was I not good enough?

"I don't wanna end up like one of those couples who only focus on...um, sex, and drift apart slowly because the sex isn't good enough, and break up." she said. I breathed out, relieved.

"Sure." I smiled, then tried to make an attempt at a joke. "You know, I actually thought you were rejecting me just then!"

"Are you kidding? No way!" she laughed.

After that, the tension in the room totally cleared up. We got drinks, me a latte, her a hot chocolate with whipped cream.

"Seriously? It's summer!" I said. She hit me gently.

"Hey, no one tells Zoë Jackson what to do!" she laughed. I loved her laugh. It was like tinkling bells.

"I love you. You know that, right?" I said to her as I walked her back to her house.

She was leaning on my shoulder. It felt kinda nice, to be honest. Though I was a year younger than her, I was much taller, thanks to Dad.

"Uh, duh! If you don't, I'd be surprised. Everybody loves Zoë Jackso---hey! I---hahahahaha! Stop---hahaha---it!"

I tickled her till she wriggled away. We rolled over, laughing, on the front lawn of the Jacksons.

"Well, that was fun." Zoë smiled up at me. "By the way," she began shyly, and I looked at her curiously. Zoë's rarely quiet like that. When she is, it's usually something important. "I have something to show you."

We walked to her house, her guiding me along. For some reason, she stopped on the front steps, and I did too.

"What---" I began, but she pulled me down and kissed me.

We fell on the ground again, this time on the hard stone of the steps, but I didn't care. Because Zoë Jackson, the love of my life, was kissing me.

I didn't know what I was doing, because I'd never had a girlfriend before, much less kissed a girl, but somehow my hands found their way up her soft cheek into her raven black curls. She was holding me close, and I savored every moment because I never wanted it to end---

"Zoë? Sammy?"

We broke apart, breathing heavily.

Standing there, in the lead, was Luke. Behind him were the rest of the Jacksons: Silena, Uncle Percy and Aunt Annabeth.

Silena giggled. "Ohmygods!" she yelped. "I've been waiting for this moment for years! Even when I was six!"

"Silena!" Uncle Percy scolded her gently, then turned to us. "Well congratulations, lovebirds!" he said dryly, grinning.

"Seaweed Brain!" Aunt Annabeth chided.

"Uh, thanks?" I said, blushing, then turned to Luke, expecting some form of congrats too, or at least a tease from my best friend.

But he didn't say anything. All he had was the heartbroken expression on his face.

AN: And...oop. Poor Luke. Draaaaamaaaaa! 😝

See what you did to my baby, you guys? He's heartbroken!

Then again, Zoë would've been too if we had Saluke, so I suppose I can't blame y'all.

As my sorry to Luke, the next chapter's in his POV.