A/N I like this story and I hope you do too. Just something I wrote
*Disclaimer* sniff I want to say sniff I own this stuff sniff but I don't! Love you guys!
Annabeth POV
I looked at Percy sadly. He didn't know that I'd be leaving him soon. I looked away before he could see the sadness in my expression.
My name is Annabeth Chase, and I live at Camp Half Blood most of the time. Percy and I had been going out for more than a year, and I didn't want to leave. My mother, Athena, wanted me to help her with a huge project. This project had been kept a secret though, and I can't say what it is.
I glanced up at Percy again, meeting his gaze. His eyebrows scrunched together. Oh, I was going to miss that! He looked so cute. I stared at the ground so I wouldn't cry.
"Annabeth," Percy said. I choked. "Are you okay?"
I shook my head sadly. He wouldn't understand. Before he could stop me, I was up and running towards the Athena cabin. I knew he was confused, but I couldn't help him. I burst through the door right into Nicole. She held me out to steady me, and then she studied me.
"Do you need to talk?" She asked. I nodded, holding back tears. She knew about the project, and that I was invited. She was also invited to help. She was my best friend.
We walked out of the cabin. When we started heading towards the beach, the tears trickled down my face. Nicole looked at me.
"Oh. Is this about Percy? Should we go somewhere else?" She started turning around. I shook my head. We sat down at a deserted spot by the water.
"So what happened?" She asked, putting her arm around me. I took a deep breath.
"I have to let Percy know I'm leaving…" I replied.
"How is that so bad?"
"I don't want to and I don't know how," I confided, fresh tears came.
"Oh…poor Annie!" Nicole said, her mouth pulling down at the corners.
I stood up, shaking. I'd cried for over an hour. While I'd cried, I'd thought about what to say to Percy. I knew now.
"You okay now?" Nicole asked. I nodded, afraid to say anything. This was going to be hard enough.
My face must have been steady enough because she looked at me and nodded. Then she ran off.
Percy POV
Annabeth looked at the water. I stared at her, wondering why she was so quiet. She glanced at me. I couldn't understand the grief in her expression. I felt my eyebrows pull together. She looked back down.
"Annabeth," I said. She choked and I patted her on the back. "Are you okay?" I meant that emotionally and physically.
She shook her head. Without a warning, she stood up and sprinted to her cabin. I stared after her. I watched as she opened the door into her friend Nicole. I also saw them talking, and then walking slowly down to the beach. Away from me. I thought I saw her cheeks glistening wetly, but I must have imagined that.
I stood up, planning on seeing Nico. He would help.
I walked to Hades' cabin slowly. I knocked on my best friend's door and opened it. Nico was sitting on the bed reading a book.
"Hey Nico," I said, sitting on the black chair in the room. Being a son of the god of the dead, mostly everything was black.
"Hey," he said, putting down the book. "'Sup."
I must've looked upset, because he looked concerned.
"You okay?" He asked. I shrugged.
"Annabeth's acting kind of strange," I said. I explained the incident on the beach, then her meeting with Nicole. He frowned.
"That doesn't sound like the Annabeth I know." I nodded.
"I get this feeling that we're not going to be together soon. I don't know why." I stood up, I had planning to do. "I have to go."
Nico nodded. I walked out the door and to my cabin. As I sat on the bed, I thought. I had the weirdest feeling I couldn't shake that Annabeth and I wouldn't be together soon. We would do something special. Just the two of us.
I walked back over to Nico's an hour later and explained my plan. He nodded.
"Sounds good. I'll be here. Let me know how it goes," he said. I walked out the door in time to see Annabeth knock on my cabin door. She waited.
"Annabeth!" I called. She turned and I saw that she had changed into a blue skirt with a yellow tank top. My mouth nearly dropped open. She was wearing her hair straight down her back.
"Umm, hey seaweed brain. Can I talk to you?" She asked when I reached her.
"Yeah, I was just going to talk to you." I replied, taking her hand. She looked uncomfortable and wiggled out of my grasp. I was confused. She smiled sadly.
"I was wondering if you were free tonight," I said slowly. She almost looked… relieved. She took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yeah. That's fine. Okay then. Just come and pick me up, I guess."
"Okay, if you can be ready in ten minutes, then we can go," I said. She nodded and walked away.
Annabeth POV
I'd thought about my plan and now I had to go through with it. I changed out of my shorts and t-shirt into a blue skirt and yellow cami. Nicole straightened my hair patiently. She checked me out before I left.
"One more thing," she said, disappearing into her dresser. She came back with a plain blue necklace. "For luck." She kissed me on the cheek as I walked out the door.
I knocked on the door to Percy's cabin and waited. I heard my name and I turned. Percy was jogging towards me. He looked surprised.
"Umm, hey seaweed brain," I said. "Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah, I was just going to talk to you," he said, taking my hand. I didn't want to cry so I slid my hand out of his grasp. His eyebrows pulled together. I smiled, wondering how long I'd be gone.
"I was wondering if you were free tonight," he said, holding my gaze. I felt my face relax a tiny bit. I breathed slowly and nodded.
"Yeah. That's fine. Okay then. Just, uh, come and pick me up… I guess."
"Okay, if you can be ready in ten minutes, then we can go," he said. I looked down and nodded. As I walked away, I felt his eyes on my back. I willed myself not to look back. I'm sure it would cause me to cry again.
Ten minutes later, Percy knocked on my door. I answered it. He took my arm and led me to his car. I got in the passenger side while he started the car.
The ride was quiet; I was silent so I wouldn't have to be hurt by this memory. I could tell he was trying not to upset me. I wanted to cry.
He pulled into a parking space at a restaurant. The place looked deserted, except for the people inside. Finally, I couldn't hold the tears in. They trickled down my face steadily. Percy looked at me, startled.
"Are you okay?" He asked, putting his arm around me. I shook my head, letting him hold me. I leaned against his chest. "We're going to my mom's apartment."
We walked into Mrs. Jackson's apartment, and she wasn't there. Percy half held me as he led me to the couch. He sat me down and waited for me to calm down. When I did, he got up. I wrapped my arms around his waist, shocked that he was leaving. He stared at me, then grabbed my hand and walked me to the kitchen.
I watched as he made hot chocolate. It was summer, but the air conditioning was on. I was glad he was making hot chocolate. We waited for it to heat and Percy came to stand by me. He held me while I leaned against him. He stroked my hair gently. I was pretty content.
When the hot chocolate was done, I curled up on Percy's lap back on the couch. He rubbed my back soothingly.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Percy asked. I pushed myself off his lap and sipped my hot chocolate. Where to start… I sighed.
"Well, Athena wanted me to help her on this huge project, and I wouldn't be able to see you for who-knows-how-long. I didn't know how to tell you, and I didn't want to leave you, but this is supposed to be a really huge project. Nicole was invited to help, and she said yes. I wanted to help and stuff, but I didn't want to leave. Athena and Nicole both told me to follow my heart. Well, actually Athena kind of disapproved because of the Poseidon/Athena rivalry, but she said she's working on that relationship. Anyway, I know I'm probably making this sound like something that's not big enough to cry over, but to me, not seeing you is like… well, the Underworld." I blushed and looked down.
When he didn't say anything, I glanced up. He looked dumbstruck. Then he looked at me.
"Is that what this is all about?" He asked.
"Yes."
"And do you really want to work on this project?" I blushed deeper.
"Yes."
"Well, I won't stop you." My jaw dropped.
"But Percy –" He interrupted me.
"No 'buts.' You can go if you want to… I wish I could come, but Athena probably wouldn't want me messing everything up."
"Oh seaweed brain!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around his neck. "You would do this for me. I can't believe this."
Percy POV
I knocked on Annabeth's door, waiting nervously. She answered it, looking amazing. I took her arm and led her to my beat up blue car. I started it as she got inside.
I didn't really notice the car ride because I didn't want to flare Annabeth's depressed mood.
I pulled into a parking space in the deserted parking lot, but I didn't think about that too much because Annabeth started sobbing. Tears dripped down her face steadily. I stared at her.
"Are you okay?" I asked wrapping my arm around her. I hoped she wouldn't push it away the way she did with my hand earlier. Luckily she didn't. She just continued sobbing. She shook her head against my chest. I knew my mom was gone tonight, so I decided that was a good place to let Annabeth calm down. "We're going to my mom's apartment."
Later, we walked into my mom's apartment. Annabeth leaned on me, but not in a heavy sort of way. We both sat on the couch while I waited for her to stop crying. When she did, I got up, planning to make some hot cocoa. She grabbed my waist in a surprised sort of way. I looked down and held her gaze. She looked desperate and confused. I took her hand and led her into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, I pulled out all of the ingredients to make hot chocolate. While we waited for it to heat, I came to stand by Annabeth. I held her until the hot cocoa was done. When it was, we walked back to the couch. I let her sit on my lap as I rubbed her back.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked cautiously. To my surprise, she pushed herself off my lap and sipped her hot cocoa. I wanted her back on my lap, but I refrained. I didn't want to upset her. She sighed.
"Well, Athena wanted me to help her on this huge project, and I wouldn't be able to see you for who-knows-how-long. I didn't know how to tell you, and I didn't want to leave you, but this is supposed to be a really huge project. Nicole was invited to help, and she said yes. I wanted to help and stuff, but I didn't want to leave. Athena and Nicole both told me to follow my heart. Well, actually Athena kind of disapproved because of the Poseidon/Athena rivalry, but she said she's working on that relationship. Anyway, I know I'm probably making this sound like something that's not big enough to cry over, but to me, not seeing you is like… well, the Underworld."
When she was finished, Annabeth looked down, blushing. She was so cute. I thought about if she was going to leave for this project. I realized that was why she looked so fragile on the beach, why she was talking with Nicole, why she was avoiding me. She didn't want to have the painful memories. I looked at her.
"Is that what this is all about?" I asked.
"Yes."
"And do you really want to work on this project?" She blushed again.
"Yes."
"Well, I won't stop you." I watched as her jaw dropped.
"But Percy –" I didn't want to back out and start begging that she'd stay, so I stopped her.
"No 'buts.' You can go if you want to… I wish I could come, but Athena probably wouldn't want me messing everything up." It was hard for me to say this.
"Oh seaweed brain!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around my neck. "You would do this for me. I can't believe this."
I hugged her back, happy to be close to her.
"I think I'll stay, now that I know what it's like with you. Really with you," she whispered in my ear. I kissed her, hoping this moment would last forever.
"Thanks, but you really don't have to do that," I lied. Please stay. Please stay.
"Athena can wait. Right now I'm okay with that," she said, kissing my cheek.
"Okay then. I love you wise girl."
"Right back at ya seaweed brain."