Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO series. All rights belong to Rick Riordan, whose work we all love so much.
Annabeth heard someone clear their throat, but she didn't pay them any attention. She had a research report to study for.
"Um... excuse me?", someone asked. Annabeth really wasn't in the mood. Her report was due tomorrow, and she still had five other documents to find! Well, she actually already had ten documents, and the requirement was two, but that was beside the point. She stared at her book harder.
"Hello?", the voice repeated. Annabeth couldn't believe it. He was still talking. She sighed and looked up.
"Oh, so you can hear me! Great, that's great...," the boy with the black hair said, rubbing the back of his neck. Annabeth simply stared at him. "Oh, well, I just wanted to let you know that some girl came by and stuck like five books in your backpack, and I'm guessing you don't want a fine from the scary librarian, so..."
Annabeth cleared her throat and looked in her backpack. Sure enough, there were five large books in her backpack plus a few brochures. One of the brochures was titled, "How to Connect With Those Your Age, for Those Who Are Socially Challenged". Annabeth groaned, "Did you happen to see who did this?"
The boy looked around, nodding his head. "She was just here, but I think she's gone now. I don't know, the girl looked pretty intimidating, she was tall and had brown hair and a mean scowl on her face."
Annabeth simply sighed and stood up from the table, grabbing all the books. "Yeah, I think that was Clarisse. She has a thing for making me feel like I don't know how to socialize with other humans."
"Well, you seem to be doing fine to me," he said, smiling. He followed her to the librarian's desk where she set the books and brochures down. "You're just gonna leave those books there?"
"Sure, why not? Ms. Smith knows me, so she won't mind. By the way, what's your name?" She stared at him without breaking eye contact, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't intimidated by her. He didn't see how anyone could bully her.
"Percy Jackson, and you?"
"Annabeth Chase. Thanks for informing me about the books, otherwise I would've had a backpack that was twenty pounds heavier."
"It already looks pretty heavy to me," Percy said as Annabeth heaved her backpack onto her shoulder. He couldn't really believe she had actually just used "informed" in a casual way.
"Well, the bell's about to ring...I should probably go," She looked at her watch and then at the door of the library. She seemed anxious to leave.
"Yeah, me too...See you around?"
"Yeah, for sure. See you." Annabeth walked towards the door, and right before leaving turned her head to look at Percy. He waved with a big smile on his face at her from across the library. She shook her head and headed out the doors, possibly stifling a smile.
"Waving at her? From across the room? Really?" Grover laughed and slapped Percy on the shoulder. "Smooth moves, Perce. I'm taking notes on how to pick up girls as we speak."
"Actually, last I heard, you were the only one speaking..." Percy collapsed into the chair, lightly groaning. "Did it really look that bad? She seemed really smart, and I just made myself look like an idiot..." Percy turned towards Grover with a serious expression. "Okay, so if 10 is James Bond, and 1 is Urkel, how bad was it?"
Grover pondered the question, stroking his goatee. "I'd say maybe a solid...4? If I get to eat your lunch tomorrow?" Grover smiled hopefully and raised his eyebrows.
Percy scowled, "No way, man. Tomorrow's Taco Tuesday. I wouldn't trade that for an 11." They both jumped a little as the loud bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. Percy asked, "Remind me again why we were in here today? This is the first time I've been in the library all year."
Grover responded as he picked up his backpack, "Because Jessica Watson eats in here, that's why. And she's definitely been checking me out lately."
Percy simply smiled. "Yep, I'm sure she has." They both headed out of the library and went their separate ways to class.
Annabeth turned the corner and immediately ran into something very large- or someone very large. She looked up.
"Well, hi there, Smartypants! Fancy seeing you here!," Clarisse glowered at Annabeth, attempting to intimidate her. Annabeth simply glared back with more intensity.
"Well, it is my locker, Clarisse," Annabeth stated calmly, still not breaking her glare with Clarisse. Clarisse's cheeks seemed a little pinker than they were a moment before.
"Yeah...I mean...That's beside the point. Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here?" Clarisse stared at Annabeth, waiting for some kind of movement. Annabeth, however, didn't give her the satisfaction. Clarisse continued, "Whatever. I'm here because I saw some guy stick a note in your locker, and since I didn't want to break in, I figured I would just...ask you to tell me what it said instead."
Annabeth practically scoffed at her, replying, "Oh yeah, I'm sure you're asking me. It was probably my Physics lab partner giving me his home address," Annabeth lied, putting on a blank face. She had no idea why someone would stick a note in her locker, and yes, she actually was curious. But only a little bit.
"Okay, then let's find out, Chase," Clarisse replied with an expectant stare. Annabeth begrudgingly opened her locker and found the note, knowing Clarisse wouldn't leave her alone without knowing what it said. She figured she might as well tell the truth. Annabeth opened the note and found that it said:
Hey Annabeth, it's me Percy. The guy from yesterday in the library who told you about the books...yeah...Anyway, I was wondering if maybe you could help me some time with my math or Physics (or both!) homework because you seem really smart and I would really like to get to know you better. I usually sit at the lunch tables at lunch (surprising, I know) so if you'd like to help me just come by and let me know, or shoot me a text. My number is XXX-XXX-XXX. Hope to hear from you soon, Percy.
Clarisse read the note over her shoulder, and smiled. "Wow, looks like Annie's finally making friends! Too bad it's only because she's decent in math! Maybe next time ask your boyfriend to write less." Clarisse then sauntered off with a laugh and a final glare back at Annabeth.
Annabeth sighed, putting the note in her pocket. As the bell for fourth period rang, she headed off towards ASB. While it may seem lame, Annabeth was only in ASB so she could be president to boost her college apps. She walked into the room, dreading another day discussing a dance she didn't really feel like attending.
After ASB, where Mrs. Crum insisted Annabeth go to Homecoming, Annabeth searched for her friends at the lunch tables. She didn't sit with them all the time because she would occasionally (or often) study in the library. But today she wasn't quite up to studying, plus she had to talk to Percy. She sat down at the table with Hazel, Piper, and Reyna. "Hey guys," she greeted her friends.
"Hey! Look who's still alive!" Piper replied with a grin. "I'm glad you're here today, Annabeth, because we have some very important things to discuss."
Annabeth sighed, knowing whatever tyrant Piper was about to go on would be a long one. "Is that so?" she replied. "What's so very important?"
Piper rubbed her hands together in excitement and elaborated. "Homecoming is approaching, and it's girls ask guys, and I think I might ask Jason. Thoughts?"
Annabeth grinned, nodding her head yes. "Jason Grace? I think he's in my history class. But, yes! Do it! You guys would be great together."
Piper's eyebrows furrowed, and she seemed concerned. "Are you sure? Because I'm not so sure..."
Annabeth, Hazel, and Reyna all disagreed with her immediately, prompting her to ask Jason to the dance. Finally, Piper realized they were right. "Alright, I'll do it this week. Maybe. I'm not sure."
Annabeth nodded and stood up, saying, "Excuse me, guys, but I'll be right back. I just need to go talk to someone briefly." The girls nodded and went back to their conversations. Annabeth looked around the lunch tables, trying to find the same head of black hair she had met in the library. She spotted him a few tables away and started walking.
As she approached the table, Percy turned around and smiled. "Hey, Annabeth. I'm guessing you got my note?" He said uncertainly. He seemed a little pink.
Annabeth nodded and pulled it out of her pocket, replying, "Yeah, I did. I can definitely tutor you, I'm free Wednesdays after school, if that's ok? Also, could we do it at your house? Mine's not...it's just not. So?"
Percy eagerly nodded. "Yeah, Wednesdays sound great. Starting tomorrow?" Annabeth nodded. Percy smiled, "Alright. If you text me then I'll respond with my home address."
Annabeth smirked, saying, "Wow, you must really want my number. That's the second time you've asked." Percy's neck immediately started turning red and his eyes opened more. Annabeth stifled her laughter, figuring it would be rude.
Percy mumbled, "Uh. Um... Yeah...Wait-no! Well..." Percy stared at Grover with a desperate and silent plea for help. Grover smirked back.
Annabeth stared at Percy with amusement in her eyes, replying, "Woah there, Percy, relax. It was a joke. I'll text you later today, I try not to use my phone at school. See you later. " Annabeth walked back to her table, leaving Percy with Grover again.
Once again, Percy groaned. Grover chuckled, "Hey, at least this time you didn't wave at her. But you're gonna have to work on that blushing situation."
Percy glared at Grover and put his head on the table. "Did you hear what she said? She doesn't use her phone at school. That's so cute. She's gonna be the death of me...".
When Annabeth got home, she pulled Percy's note out of her pocket and dug her phone out of her backpack. Opening the messaging app, she typed in Percy's number and typed out a quick message, before she could hesitate.
A: Hey Percy, it's Annabeth. Can I have your address for tomorrow?
Annabeth felt her phone vibrate a few minutes later. She wasn't used to someone replying so quickly, mainly because she tried to avoid texting anyone.
P: for sure, it's 4837 olive lane. does right after school sound good?
A: Yes, that sounds great. I'll see you then.
Annabeth got her textbooks out of her backpack, deciding to study some before getting wrapped up in one of her favorite novels. If she was being honest, she was a little excited for tomorrow. It's just tutoring the rational side of her said, but she still felt like it would be somewhat enjoyable. Percy was very... different than most of her friends. Mainly because he wasn't a girl or a bookworm, but in other ways too. With that thought, Annabeth continued to study her Chemistry textbook and go over her notes again.
By the time the last bell of the school day rang, Annabeth was ready to go home and scream into her pillow until summer finally graced her with its presence. Not only had she been unsure on her Chemistry quiz, but Clarisse had taken it upon herself to taunt Annabeth every time she raised her hand in class. Considering Annabeth was the star student in all her classes, and she shared all her classes with Clarisse, there was a lot of taunting. And to top it all off, it was incredibly hot and humid in the lovely state of New York. And humidity meant tons of frizz for Annabeth's hair, which she normally wouldn't mind, but she was feeling especially hateful towards the world today. So yes, Annabeth hadn't had the best day. But at least she got to go home.
Wait, no she didn't.
Percy, Annabeth thought. She wasn't mad. She definitely wasn't mad. Well, maybe a little. But not at Percy because that definitely wasn't fair to him. Annabeth took a deep breath and got into her car. After wrestling with her hair for a few minutes and forcing it into a ponytail, Annabeth started driving to Percy's house. It was now twenty minutes after the bell rang, and she hoped she wasn't too late. She pulled over next to what she thought was the right house and walked up to the door. She knocked confidently.
The door swung open almost immediately, revealing a smiling Percy. "Hey! I'm glad you came, I was worried you weren't gonna come, or you forgot or something... Anyway, come on in!"
Annabeth stepped inside, looking around. It wasn't a very large house, but it felt very homey and warm. She noted with interest that almost all of the furniture was blue. Briefly, she wondered if that was Percy's idea or his parents'. Percy led the way into a small dining room with white walls and a white table. But, once again, the chairs were blue. Percy turned around and gestured to the table. "You can put your stuff down on the ground or wherever you like. " He regarded her with interest and his brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You haven't said much... You don't have to help me, you know."
Annabeth turned away from the frames and met his eyes evenly. She didn't want him to be affected by her sour mood, so she forced a smile and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just looking around. You know, you have a lot of blue furniture." Percy looked a little less troubled, but not much.
"Ah, yes. That would be Percy's decision, It's only his absolute favorite color." Percy's mom walked into the room, extending her hand with a smile. "Hi, Annabeth, I'm Sally Jackson, Percy's mom. Please call me Sally."
Annabeth shook her hand and smiled back. "It's nice to meet you, Sally." Percy looked delighted that his mom had entered the room, which was not the typical reaction from a teenage boy.
Sally looked at the two of them and cleared her throat. "Well, I'll be upstairs if you need me. There's cookies in the microwave. Good luck studying!" And with that, Sally disappeared upstairs. Percy sat down at the table and started getting his books and binder out, causing Annabeth to do the same.
Percy gawked at the number of books Annabeth pulled out of her backpack with a laugh. "Do you always carry that many books? How do all those fit into your bag? You must be a witch like Hermione..."
Annabeth shrugged, not thinking her amount of books was ridiculous at all. "Yeah, I always have these. And I might be a witch, you'll never know." She opened her Physics book and asked, "So what chapter is your Physics class on? We can start with that."
Percy looked at his notes, replying, "Chapter 4, I think. Yeah. Chapter 4." Annabeth stared at him pointedly, raising an eyebrow. "Definitely Chapter 4," Percy restated.
Annabeth smirked and started going through the main points of the chapter. She preferred Physics to Chemistry, mainly because of her teacher. In all actuality, she shouldn't have been taking both, but Annabeth made it her mission to take as many classes as possible, even if that meant mixing classes from separate years. Annabeth quizzed Percy on vocab and important concepts, and soon an hour and a half had passed. Once they got through the chapter, they both closed their books with relief.
Percy sighed. "I don't think I've studied that hard since the third grade spelling bee."
Annabeth laughed and replied, "Well, hopefully it won't be that long until you study like that again." She was surprised at how easy conversation was with Percy. She didn't have to force herself to be pleasant as much as normal. And she was in a bad mood today. Or, at least, she was before she got to Percy's.
"So," Percy prompted, "are you going to tell me why you seemed a little off when you got here?" He leaned forward onto his elbows with an expectant look on his face.
Annabeth sighed, resolving to make a better effort of hiding her emotions next time he was around. "Well, I think I missed one or two questions on my Chem quiz, and Clarisse was being her normal annoying self, plus this humidity is killing my hair and me. But other than that, it was just another day."
Percy regarded her with interest, replying, "What did Clarisse do? And the humidity? How does that affect anything?" He looked genuinely confused.
Annabeth filled him in on Clarisse's taunting and how the humidity tended to make her hair go crazy.
Percy quickly replied, "Well, I think that your hair looks great." Annabeth could feel her neck heating up as she took in the compliment. She was taken aback at how... nice Percy's comment make her feel.
She cleared her throat, running a hand through her hair. "Thank you..." she replied.
Percy beamed at her, and his cheeks seemed a little pink. "So how about those cookies?" he asked.
Annabeth returned his smile, nodding at his suggestion.