28: The Concert

Annabeth POV

The car hit a bump in the road effectively knocking all of us out of our thoughts. I looked outside to realize that we were close to our destination. It was almost a two-hour drive to come to the venue.

"Hey, Annabeth, are you nervous?" Piper asked hesitantly.

"Piper, why would I be nervous? We're only going to a concert," I said matter-of-factly.

This wasn't that big of a deal. Well, if you ignore the fact that we were attempting to recruit the help of Atlas's daughter, superstar Calypso Night.

"Yeah, but it's Percy's ex-girlfriend's concert," Piper stated.

I sighed before the car jerked again.

"Oh my god, Thalia, can you stop driving like a maniac?" I asked slyly. Thalia simply shrugged before purposefully breaking the car.

"I am an excellent driver, Annie. This road is just awful. Anyway, I've met Calypso many times, and she's very nice. Besides, Percy's and Calypso's breakup was mutual despite what the tabloids all say," Thalia explained.

I nodded in agreement. Percy mentioned that Calypso was a nice girl, and she'd be willing to help. However, Percy wanted to request her help in person because that's the kind of standup guy that he was.

"Still, it must be a little weird. Percy and Calypso are even going to be performing their old song at the concert," Piper said.

"It's fine, Piper. Let's just stay focused and have a good time," I said firmly.

"All right, girls, we're here," Thalia stated.

Piper and I both looked outside. The venue was a large field with a stage. Cars were parked all around the perimeter of the stage. It looked like a pop-rock venue, which was so different from Calypso's usual concerts.

According to the press, her label (Olympus Records) is making her perform here. She's actually in the middle of a tour, and this was an impromptu concert. They wanted Percy to perform with Calypso again, which is why they chose a nearby venue.

Thalia parked before we got out.

Music was blasting as people shuffled into the field. A band was playing on stage as a pre-performance before Calypso's concert.

The crowd was tight. There were way too many people here, and I knew why. Many of Calypso's female fans were screaming for Percy.

"Guys, we have VIP passes. Let's go backstage," Thalia shouted.

I was praying that our plan would work tonight. The goal was to delete Atlas's leverage here at the venue. He'd be here to support his daughter, and the busy commotion would allow us to get into his laptop and phone.

Meanwhile, after Percy's performance tonight, Jason and Percy would sneak off to Olympus Records to delete Zeus's photos.

We had to delete Atlas's and Zeus's pictures on the same night. That would ensure that they wouldn't realize the deletion of evidence. As such, they wouldn't take extra precautions.

According to Ms. Artemis, Atlas kept all of his dirty information on his laptop and phone. Zeus, however, had both physical pictures and digital copies.

Percy and I were so grateful for Artemis's help. She was awesome.

"Excuse me, ladies, you are not allowed back," a security guard stated. He was guarding the backstage entrance.

It was so loud outside that I could barely hear his deep voice.

"Sir, we have backstage VIP passes, and I am the daughter of Director Zeus Olympus," Thalia stated.

She quickly showed him the golden passes. He immediately stepped aside. I gotta admit that I liked having VIP treatment.

As soon as we passed through the backstage curtains, it got a lot quieter. Several tech guys and musicians were walking around frantically. A few makeshift rooms were set up along the backside of the stage.

"Guys, there's Percy's room," Piper stated while pointing.

Percy's room was on the far side of the stage. His room was right next to Calypso's room, which was labeled with a frame.

We quickly walked around the equipment and people. The rooms were in a line along the back of the backstage area. Several security guards were guarding the area. It made sense that this place was fortified since fans could potentially sneak into this area. After all, one entire side of this stage was only walled with a velvet curtain.

"No one is allowed into Mr. Jackson's or Ms. Night's rooms," a guard stated.

"Donovan, it's fine," Percy's voice resounded. He peaked out of his makeup room to tell the guard to let us in. "They're with me, but thank you."

"Of course, Mr. Jackson. Sorry for the disturbance ladies," Donovan said politely.

"It's fine. You were just doing your job," Piper said easily. We quickly walked into Percy's makeup room.

Percy sat back down on the chair in front of the mirror. A girl was applying makeup on him.

"Wow, Seaweed Brain, you're working the makeup," I said with a smile. I walked over to get a better look.

The lady smiled knowingly as Percy told her to pause. Then, Percy stood up and gave me a quick, welcome kiss. "This is a requirement, Wise Girl," he whispered.

"You both are super cute," the makeup lady smiled.

"We know Monica," Percy said slyly. I elbowed Percy in the chest despite not holding in my smile.

"Anyway, guys, we should go talk to Calypso now," Jason stated firmly. "Atlas left her room a while ago to talk to some managers."

We all nodded before deciding to visit Percy's ex-girlfriend.

***

The concert was awesome. While Calypso didn't have the most popular songs or the best voice, she did have a great stage presence. Her dancing was phenomenal and made the concert shine.

Percy and Calypso sang their hit single from two years ago at the halfway point. It was called I Know What You Did Last Summer, and it was a good song. However, according to Percy, he wrote it based on someone else's story (not his own).

After the performance, Percy and Jason texted us that they were leaving. They had their part of the plan to uphold.

Thalia, Piper, Leo, and I would stay here with Calypso. After the show, we were going to sneak into Atlas's room. Calypso would distract her father while Leo and I would delete any evidence that he may have.

"...I'll never ever, ever be the same," Calypso finished beautifully.

She was breathing heavily as she took in the cheering and applause. Her chest was rising and falling as she lowered her outstretched arms and smiled.

The stage was glowing with light as she thanked everyone for coming.

I liked Calypso. She was a genuinely nice girl, and it made sense that Percy had dated her in the past. Even in our short conversation before the show, she seemed so willing to help.

"All right, let's go," I stated firmly.

Leo, Piper, Thalia, and I fought our way through the crowd and entered the backstage area. I had to admit, backstage was heavenly compared to the boisterous field outside.

Calypso met us backstage. She was dripping in sweat after her heavy performance.

A few girls were tending to her makeup, clearing her sweat, and hydrating her with water. She walked over and stopped in front of us.

"All right, guys, give me a minute," Calypso said in exacerbation.

"Take all the time that you need," Leo squealed. His eyes were widened as his gaze fixed on the pop star.

Piper nudged me slyly, and I knew that we were thinking the same thing. Our friend, Leo, had a crush on Calypso Night.

"All right, let's go. My father is in his room. He had a meeting, which should be over now. I'll make sure that when I bring him out, his phone and laptop are left behind," Calypso stated firmly.

"Thank you so much for your help," I said earnestly.

Calypso looked at me before pausing. We were standing in the middle of the backstage area. The workers and tech guys were busy taking down the venue.

"So, you're Percy's new girlfriend?" Calypso asked.

"Yes, I am. Although, it's supposed to be a secret," I stated.

"Celebrities always try to keep their relationships a secret. It doesn't work though most of the time. Regardless, I can see why Percy's fighting for you," Calypso said with a smile.

"Uh, yeah, thank you," I expressed awkwardly.

"Sorry, what did you say your name was again?" Calypso asked. "Sorry, I was only half paying attention before the show since I was getting ready."

"It's all right. My name is Annabeth Chase."

"Wait, hold on, the Annabeth Chase. OH MY GOD," Calypso exclaimed. She suddenly came forward and hugged me.

I simply froze in shock. My friends were staring at me like something crazy was happening. Technically, they weren't wrong.

"Um, Calypso, I'd like a hug too," Leo tried.

Calypso chuckled as she pulled away. She turned towards Leo and simply stared at him. She must've been used to guys being attracted to her.

"You're not my type, yet you're cute," Calypso stated with a smile.

Leo's cheeks turned red as he expressed a thank you. He was still blushing as Calypso turned back towards me.

Calypso led us into her makeup room. We'd wait in here until she lured Atlas out of his room. This plan was going to work; I was confident.

"Sorry for shocking you, Annabeth. To be honest, I really liked Percy when we were dating. A part of me still does. However, despite the public thinking that it was a mutual breakup, he actually broke up with me," Calypso said sadly.

"Percy's a really sweet guy. He said that it wasn't fair for him to be dating me when he had feelings for someone else. Percy couldn't stop his feelings, and he said that it wasn't fair for me to get led on."

My stomach churned as I listened to her words. Percy was an amazing guy, and this was so like him.

It filled me with pride that Percy would reject someone like Calypso for me.

"Yeah, that sounds like my cousin," Thalia said.

"All right, let's get this plan underway. Wait five minutes, and then sneak into my father's room. I gave Leo my dad's phone passcode. I'll make that the laptop stays on when we leave because I don't know that password," Calypso stated.

Then, she left us. The wait time was excruciating, but after a few minutes, we heard Calypso and Atlas leaving the room next door.

We quickly snuck into Atlas's room. The door said off-limits on it, but we didn't care. We had to do this.

This room was a lot more empty than Calypso's or Percy's. There was a sofa, a table, and a mirror. That's it.

The table had a laptop on it that Thalia immediately walked towards. She touched the keyboard so that it wouldn't turn off.

I grabbed the phone on the couch and punched in the password. I sighed in relief as the phone unlocked.

"Guys, we don't have much time. How do we find a few pictures in a laptop and phone filled with information and storage?" Piper asked abruptly.

"Don't worry ladies. Your hero is here," Leo said slyly.

"Listen, um, it's gonna be very difficult to trace a few pictures. However, they were all taken and stored on the same day. It'll be a lot easier and faster to delete everything from that day, which was Reyna's birthday."

"October 17th," I answered.

"Perfect."

Leo and Thalia quickly worked on the laptop and phone, respectively. Piper left the room to act as a lookout. I was communicating with Piper to make sure that we were safe.

"All right, the phone's data is erased," Thalia stated.

"Wait, Thalia, you reset his phone," I said urgently. I rushed over to take Atlas's phone, but it was completely wiped. "Thals, what the hell?"

"The asshole deserves a small punishment like this," Thalia stated easily. I nodded. I couldn't agree more.

"Leo, we're running out of time," I said quickly.

Piper suddenly rushed back into the room. "Guys, Atlas and Calypso returned to the backstage area. Calypso is trying to distract him, but it won't last much longer."

"One minute and 22 seconds left," Leo stated.

"Wait, Leo, can I see the pictures before they're permanently deleted?" I asked firmly.

"No, um, as I said, I'm deleting everything from October 17th, 2021. I didn't trace the pictures. It'll take too long," Leo said.

I sighed as I dropped Atlas's phone on the couch again. My heart was pounding as the seconds ticked away.

"Only twenty more seconds," Thalia exclaimed.

We decided that it was time to leave. We opened the door to see Atlas walking back to his room. He was still talking to Calypso, which allowed us to leave undetected.

Suddenly, a ding stopped me.

I turned back to the laptop. The data deletion was confirmed. I smiled at the affirmation.

Thalia, Piper, and Leo left the backstage area, but I had to do one more thing. I walked directly towards Calypso and Atlas.

Atlas smirked when he saw me.

"Lose the smile, asshole," I stated firmly. Then, I turned towards Calypso. "Calypso, your performance was fantastic. You're phenomenal. Thank you."

We smiled at each other before she nodded.

Atlas wasn't smiling anymore as he stared at me. He was definitely realizing that something was off, but it was too late for him. Our plan worked. Atlas had no more leverage.

Now, it was all up to Percy and Jason.