Happy New Year! :)
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Mr. Rick Riordan.Update 20/03/16: This story is now edited.
Beta reader: theartnerd333 (my amazing friend who writes amazing stories btw)
~oOo~~oOo~~oOo~
Annabeth's POV:
Only after two days a new year would begin. I was spending my holidays alone. Mom's in California, Dad's in Florida; both were busy with work. Typical. I'd spent lonely holidays before.
I was in my apartment in NYC. As I got into the college I applied for in New York, I began living alone in a rented apartment. Most of my neighbors had gone in different places as the vacation started. I thought I was alone until I heard it.
"How in the world do you make blue chocolate chip cookies, Mom?! I'm trying but it's not getting blue!", shouted Percy, my next-door neighbor and friend. I heard a knock at my door.
I opened the door. Percy was standing in front and still talking in the phone.
I'd known him for almost a year. We didn't talk much at first as we were both busy settling down in the new place.
I thought I had better stay away from him as he always wore dark clothes and looked pretty intimidating.
But one day he helped me to carry my groceries. Other day I got a chance to help him to get him to his college as his car was malfunctioning. We kept on helping each other whenever we got any chance. We went to the same coffee shop in our free time. So we became friends helping each other and spending our free times in the same coffee shop.
Once I got to know him I realized he's actually so friendly and polite. He just liked to choose his friends carefully. And he got a bunch of amazing good friends because of that.
I learned a lesson that it's not right to judge a person by seeing his outside, instead I realized that we should look deeper in the inside of an individual.
Percy's a college student too, worked in an aquarium shop in his free times, he's fish loving, water loving and liked to wear dark colored clothes. He loved his mom a lot. (Oh! And he's incredibly handsome. Not going to say it out loud!)
I got so much ill one day. High fever. He came to help me. I was feeling so much miserable that I was almost going to cry. Seeing this he gave me a big hug. I was shocked but also felt good.
When I got well he became sick. I told that so much nice moron that he'd get my fever too but he didn't listen to me. I told him to stay away but he said,"What are friends for?"
Who in this world does that? And we had known each other only for three months then.
I kind of got a big crush on him since then.
Though I thought he deserved someone way better than me. Because all I was to anyone was a smart nerd that people could rather ask to complete a project. That was all I meant to boys. And knowing that he was my friend...it meant a lot but I thought for sure that...I couldn't mean so much. Because that was all I was.
"Okay, okay, I'm asking for help, now. Don't worry too much and enjoy the vacation please. Love ya, mom!" He put down the phone and smiled looking at me.
I realized I was totally lost in my thought and staring at him the whole time he was talking in the phone.
"Hi, Annabeth!"
"Hi! I thought I was the only one living in the whole building now."
"Mom and Paul have gone Paris for the vacation. I have to spend rest of my holidays here. They wanted to take me but I guess they need some alone enjoyable time." He said with a shrug.
"That's very nice of you. So, do you need any help?"
"Um… well you know I can cook but I am not so organized person. I wanted to cook a lot of things and bought a lot of things and now it's a mess … so… would you like to just help me a bit. Only if you're free and… um…" he sighed, "Please."
How polite… "Okay, I am feeling bored so I don't mind doing some cooking."
He smiled big. "You don't really have to cook. I just need some help with organizing and… discipline. And I'll cook for both of us, if you don't mind having dinner with me."
"That'd be great actually." We walked toward his apartment.
~oOo~
The kitchen was a mess. I got to do a lot of work here.
So I began to organize and Percy began to cook. He was saying what ingredient was needed, I was giving him. That was fun. We're also joking about different things and making each other smile.
Good times…
~oOo~ ~oOo~
"So what are you doing tomorrow? It's the last day of the year!" Percy asked while having dinner.
"Nothing." I was actually ready to spend the new year alone.
"That's good!" He said excitedly.
"Huh?!" I was confused.
"Let's go on an adventure!" He was so excited that he almost fell out of the chair.
"I'll go but what kind of adventure?" I asked though an 'adventure' sounded interesting.
"You'll see." He said mysteriously.
~oOo~oOo~oOo~
In the morning he came to my apartment. He looked ready to go as he was dressed with heavy warm clothes.
"Ready to go?" He asked while drinking the hot chocolate I gave him.
I got dressed but I was wondering where we were going. "Where are you taking me?"
"Well, about that… I don't know if you'll like that place or not. But as you said you got nothing to do so, I'm going to take you with me at a place where I enjoy to be."
Well it's better than to be home alone. So I locked the apartment door and stepped outside for the unknown adventure..
~oOo~
Percy kept driving and driving.
Meanwhile we played twenty questions, twice. Old and new songs were playing in the radio.
The environment outside was really cheerful because it was a holiday. I saw children with their parents having fun.
That reminded me of my childhood holidays. Most of them were the memory of my parent's quarreling and me being alone.
The car stopped in front of a big mansion. There was a nameplate saying 'Home Sweet Home', interesting.
It got more interesting when a big bunch of little children came running toward us. They were shouting, "Yay!", "Percy's here!", "Percy, Percy!", "Percy brought his girlfriend!" - wait…what?
A girl and two boys, all of my age, came running too and told the children to calm down a bit. Percy was telling the same thing. And I was totally amazed.
When the kids calm down Percy laughed out loud.
"Look at you guys, you've all grown a lot bigger than the last time I saw you." Some of them giggled.
"Grover, would you please bring the big bag that's in my car. It's full with candies!" Percy said to one of the boys and the children started another round of shouting.
Percy started to introduced, "So this is Jason, my cousin," he pointed at the blonde haired boy. "And this is Piper, his fiancée," he pointed at the pretty girl with braided hair. Then he pointed at me, "And this is Annabeth my neighbor and a really great friend." We shook hands and greeted each other.
We went inside as the children were enjoying candies outside and playing around.
~oOo~
I was silently observing the interior of the mansion. After a while Percy spoke up, "This is an orphanage. It's old and the previous owner wanted to sell the place and close it down. But me and my cousins bought it with all of our saved money and our parents helped a little bit too. So… it's ours now."
"That's an amazing thing what you've done!" I said with amusement.
Jason smiled and joined in the conversation, "When the vacation starts we take care of it personally but the other times there are a lot of caretakers and maids. This is more like a home than an organization to us."
"And we all love the children in here!", Piper said excitedly.
Percy said smiling at me, "You'll see, this is going to seem like an adventure staying with these twenty-seven kids the whole day."
~oOo~
And, gosh, that was an adventure! The little kids played around and there was an amazing cheerfulness which felt like magic.
We had fun while looking after them as they were having fun too.
Though life took away a great treasure like the love of parents from them, it also gave another treasure back to them in a form of happiness.
I was thinking about those kids, suddenly some girls circled around me and started to question like detectives .
A little girl of six or seven years old came closer to me and whispered, "So are you just Percy's friend, nothing more?"
I blushed and thought, "Do I seem like something more than his friend?"
"Yeah… I mean no…Nope! " I muttered.
Another girl of same age said, "Percy sure does think you as something more. Just see the look he's giving you."
I looked at Percy who was talking with Piper and blushing and looking at me. As soon as I caught him staring at me he looked at other way.
Strange…
~oOo~
The whole day was so much fun. Soon it was night.
Bianca, one of Percy's cousin owned a restaurant, lunch and dinner were sent from there.
First the kids had dinner. We served and helped the little kids to eat. After having dinner all the kids went to the play room.
After our dinner I went to the play room to check the kids. The girls were bickering with the boys. It's kind of looking like there's a war between them.
Percy came behind me and saw the children, "Hey, guys! What are you doing? It's looking like you're in a battle-field!"
A little boy whose name was Beck, acting like the leader replied," Yeah, we're in a battle-field! Girls kingdom vs Boys kingdom!"
That could get dangerous so I requested, "Please, don't battle. Aren't you all friends?"
"Well, there's only one way to stop this battle", a little girl named Silena said slyly.
Percy asked before I could, "What's that?"
"Prince Percy of the Boys kingdom and Princess Annabeth of the Girls kingdom have to get married to stop the battle between two kingdoms," Silena said like she's the queen.
"Ahhh…um…" Percy looked like he got an electric shock, I wasn't looking better than that.
"Well, looks like they agreed so let's start the marriage ceremony !"Beck shouted excitedly.
~oOo~
The girls grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a big closet.
Piper came in and asked me, "What's going on?". Silena whispered something to her. Piper laughed out loud and excitedly shouted, "Let's do this!"
What? I whispered to Piper, "What are you saying?! Help me out of this, Piper! Please!"
Piper smiled slyly, "Come on! This is an opportunity to let out your true feelings toward Percy."
I was shocked. How did she know? "What…what feelings?", I stammered.
"I'm a love detector. So don't try to lie to me. Even Percy couldn't hide his feelings for you from me. "I opened my mouth to say something but she didn't give me a chance. "Okay, the 'marriage' would be really awkward to you two so I'll do something to make this less awkward."
She turned toward the closet. "So Princess Annabeth, you should get ready for the big thing. We have princess dresses as the kids like to pretend like royal families a lot and the maids have to wear beautiful dresses too," she said in her normal voice.
After half an hour they had chosen a beautiful aqua colored dress which was completely new. It's design was like the one's Disney princess wore. Piper styled my hair like a Disney Princess. I requested them not to put any makeup at least they listened to that.
One hour later a little boy entered our room and said something to Piper in low voice. Piper took all the kids outside and said something. Looked like very serious conversation.
After that conversation Piper and the children shouted, "Yes!"
Piper grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the big hall behind the mansion. It was surrounded by a garden. The garden was covered with snow but it looked so beautiful.
Jason and the little boys squad were standing there. Behind them was standing… Percy…
…
Maybe my heart was beating so much faster or it stopped beating I couldn't understand.
Percy was looking… like an actual Prince… Or maybe a lot more than that if it's possible. I was completely awestruck.
The way Percy was looking at me I guess our expressions matched. Well, Piper did say I was looking like a real princess.
Piper stood on the middle of the hall and shouted, "We cancelled the 'marriage plan' instead this is going to be a royal ball. As an act of truce Prince Percy of the Boys kingdom and Princess Annabeth of the Girls kingdom have to dance together!" All the kids clapped their hands and smiled. I let out a breath.
Piper smiled at them and continued, "And in the actual world, this is also a welcoming the new year party! Let's start!"
Piper pulled me toward Percy.
Suddenly Silena pushed me a little. I tripped on my long dress and almost fell down.
But, my knight or in this case prince in shining armor, Percy caught me.
"Nice catch!" Piper said and winked at us. Our faces were looking like ripe strawberries.
Music started. It was beautiful instrumental music. Percy smiled and took my hand. His smile had a magic. I wasn't feeling awkward anymore. He spun me in small circles. We laughed and danced.
The kids were having fun in their own ways. Jason and Piper were dancing too. Grover and his girlfriend Juniper were dancing a little besides looking after the kids.
~oOo~
"Hey! Let's go in the third floor. It's almost midnight. We can see the fireworks from there!" Grover shouted excitedly.
The children became excited. So were we.
~oOo~
"I'm sorry if you didn't enjoy today." Percy said in a low voice coming closer to me.
We're standing in a corner as everyone else started the countdown. "Fifty-eight! Fifty-seven! Fifty-six,…"
"Are you kidding me? I have a lot of fun today . I can't remember when was the last time I had this much fun. Thanks a lot, Percy. You're the best thing in my life."
The last sentence kind of slipped out from my mouth …
Percy's eyes were wide open. After a little while he took my hand and smiled, "You're the best thing in my life too. You're really an amazing person. I'm so glad that I've met you."
We both smiled and just kept on looking at each others eye, like we're saying silent 'I love you'.
"Three! Two! One!" Everyone shouted in a very high voice, "Happy New Year!"
Amazing colorful fireworks were started outside.
Percy came closer and pecked me on the lips.
…
Every part of my body froze; all I ever felt were soft, heavenly lips as I stared deeply into his sea- green eyes. For a split second, we just stood there, staring intently at one another, before a smile cracked at both of our faces. And I couldn't believe it; it almost seemed as if this was my greatest moment of my life. I felt giddy but also worried if I looked like an idiot but decided to reveal my true smile. A true smile. A smile that I couldn't wipe of my face at the current moment.
Yep, Percy's absolutely the best thing in my life. I got a feeling that I'd never have to spend a single holiday alone anymore.
~oOo~ ~oOo~ ~oOo~
I'm thinking about writing a second chapter of this story. Only if my readers want it. :) Tell me which kind of plot you want: Let me know! :) Thanks for reading! Leave a review, don't be a silent reader please. :) :) ~ Rose.
1. Percabeth proposal and marriage.
2. Percabeth life after marriage with their kids.
3. Percabeth at their 25th marriage anniversary.