Hope you like it!
A/N: I own nothing
Stage 1- Meeting you (Monday)
Annabeth Chase POV
"Are you guys sure about this?" I ask dubiously as I walk with my best friends Piper McLean and Thalia Grace. We push through the crowded sidewalk and slide into a quaint café. It's emptied out; only a few people, extras I guess, dot the tables.
"I'm sure," Thalia says and Piper nods alongside her. I breathe out a sigh of uncertainty. When they had come to me a couple days ago and asked me to model for them I had laughed-thinking they were joking-and agreed.
And then they came to my apartment today and cashed in my promise.
"Look," Thalia says, "All you need to do over a series of two weeks is posing and look all lovey dovey with our male model. Then I get credit in my photography class, Piper will get credit in her design class and you become a professional model." She says like it's the easiest thing in the world.
"Wait," I say and freeze, "Lovey dovey, male model? Are you high?" Piper rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, at first I didn't want another model, because I'd have to design a whole 'nother line for me. But Thalia needed something beyond just clothes so yes, unless you can do the stages of meth withdrawal, we got a male model." Piper says kind of apologetically, "All we're going to do is go though the stages of dating, starting with today. You're just going to randomly meet him here in this perfect little setting."
I breathe in. I could do this, no big deal.
"Okay, so who'd you get to be the guy?" I ask. Piper looks a little sheepish and Thalia looks down, suddenly having an affair with her studded black boots. She mumbles something.
"What? Sorry couldn't hear you over the air." I say a tad bit annoyed.
"Percy." Thalia mutters.
This. Is not. Happening to me.
"What the hell guys! What the actual hell" I explode after realizing they're being serious, "Out of all the people in the world you had to choose Percy Jackson." Thalia's head snaps up.
"Look, I know you aren't the biggest fan of Percy, and frankly I think he has a big crush on you-"
Piper cuts her off, "But you two match. It's like some weird cosmic sign. You're pale skin and grey eyes contrasts against his dark hair and green eyes. And then you hair and his skin pull it back together. And you heights match, and your curves are just right to correspond-"
"Okay, that's enough." I say cutting her off before she can get to something like the shape of my fingernails match the shape of his wrists or some BS like that.
"Please." Thalia says leading me to the roped of section of the café, were two vanity tables sit along with a rack of clothes and a Japanese folding screen. A tallish waiter stands next to one of the tables being prepped.
I stay silent, mulling it over, and then a small "okay" tumbles out of my mouth before I can stop it. Their faces light up with excitement.
"Thanks Annie Beth, I knew we could count on you!" Thalia says and Piper leads me to the rack of clothes, flicking the rope up and holding it for me.
"Thank you, so much!" Piper says rifling though clothes, the hangers clicking together. She yanks out something cream and shoves it into my arms then pushes me behind the screen.
"Change." She orders. I stumble behind the screen and examine the piece of cloth. A lacy cream dress belted with a thin peach belt. Its shorter then I'd like. "Change!" Piper snaps again and I yelp.
For some so short, she's rather scary.
I strip out of my jeans and t-shirt then slide the dress over my head. It hits mid thigh and I tug at the hem uncomfortably. This shit is way too short. But I like the way the fabric swirls around me like a cloud and the actual dress isn't unpleasant.
"Done?" I hear Piper ask. I nod, even though I know that she can't see me and creep out from behind the screen.
"Hmm," Piper says examines me up and down. She reaches over into the rack again and pulls out a tangle of gold chains and strappy red sandals. She hands them to me and I obey her silent command.
I straighten up after strapping on my shoes and Piper yanks out the elastic that pulls my crazy curls in place.
"Hey!" I say indignantly as my scalp stings but she silences me with one look.
"Come on," she says and pull out a chair on one of the vanity table, the one laden with makeup supplies and at least 12 different bottles of hair product. I groan but shuffle over to the seat and slump down in it.
"Aw, come on," Piper says grinning, "Don't pretend like you don't like it."
"I'm not pretending," I grumble and Piper yanks a brush though my hair savagely.
"Ow!" I cry out.
"Oh, don't be such a big baby." She says rolling her eyes. For the next hour I sit there while Piper pokes, prods, brushes, paints, dusts, spray and take a coffee break. Piper blabbers mindlessly which tells me just about how nervous she actually is. I watch as Thalia fiddles with her cameras industriously then gets bored and begins to watch Piper work on me. Her facial expressions change over time from amusement, humor, disgust and finally alarm when Piper picks up a bottle of pink hair spray. She bursts out laughing when a plume of shiny pink stuff clouds around my face and I cough loudly. I glare at her threateningly.
"Thalia Grace, if I Piper wasn't holding that mascara wand so evilly I would be on your ass in a second." I growl and Thalia rolls her eyes
I'm just about to snap before Piper pulls away and blows at a stray lock of hair.
"Done." She says with sense finality. I stretch out my stiff arms and glance into the mirror.
Holy shit.
Piper's gentle hand has turned my face into something soft and delicate with huge feather gray eyes and pink perfect lips. My eyes are lightly dusted with shimmer and my hair is loose and free.
I turn to Piper, "What the heck did you do?" I say horrified.
"What, you don't like it?" Piper chews her lip worriedly, "It's horrible isn't it?" She starts freaking out.
"No, no, no!" I say butting into her spaz attack. "You did amazing. I look… pretty." I say nervously trying out the word.
Thalia snorts from her spot behind the camera, "You always look gorgeous, and this is a different kind of gorgeous. Like a fairy." She muses.
"Thanks." I say, not sure if I sound sarcastic or sincere.
Thalia rolls her eyes, "Denial, tragic huh?"
Sarcastic.
We're suddenly interrupted as the door to the café bangs open and a loud voice filter though.
"Someone called for a good looking guy!" Percy Jackson says as he saunters in. This is why I can't stand him.
"Yeah, he isn't here yet," I snap. Percy stops and turns to me. I can feel his eyes trace up and down my body. I can feel heat crawl up my back but I stare back at him.
He grins at me lazily.
"Aw, come on you know that isn't true." He says and plops down into the chair next to me. "Hey Piper, Thalia." They great each other and I fume.
He's right, of course. Percy Jackson, with his dark hair, sea green eyes, tan skin and jaw just beginning to stubble, is so annoying attractive that it's no surprise he's so full of himself.
"I'm going to ignore that comment," I say annoyed that he looks good just wearing his washed out jeans and hoodie.
"Because you know it's true." Percy sings.
Piper squeals, "You two are perfect." She says with a little jump. I arch an eyebrow at her and before I know it my cheeks are flushing. Percy notices it and the idiot smirks at me then winks.
Piper breaths in and pretends to faint.
I rub my temples and groan.
Piper hands Percy a pair of dark jeans and pressed button down shirt. He changes quickly and all Piper does is run her hands through his hair and un-tuck his shirt. She then hands him a pair of black converse.
"That's it?" I ask incredulously, "Aren't you going to, like, pluck his eyebrows"
Percy snorts, "I don't need anything to look hot."
"I'm choking on his ego." I say. Piper rolls her eyes and yanks both of us into a simple table, meant for two, with a vase holding a couple wildflowers.
"This first shoot is all about 'meeting'. Annabeth, you're shy artsy student and Percy, you put the play in playboy." Piper explains.
"So pretty much our lives," I mutter. Percy chuckles and Piper sits me down in one of the seats.
"You're sitting here, with your sketch book, drinking coffee and drawing the flowers. Percy walks in, everybody looks up except you. He's intrigued and introduces himself. You have coffee together and he walks away with your number." Thalia says taking off from were Piper stopped. She fiddles with something on the camera and I watch as Piper hustles Percy out the door, only pausing to tell him something.
"Are you sure you want me to do this?" I ask again fidgeting in my seat and Thalia lets out a sigh of impatience.
"Yes, if we wanted someone else. They would be here." She huffs and I smooth a hand on the table nervously.
The waiter sets a cup of coffee in front of me and I pull out my sketchbook out.
"Okay?" Thalia raises her voice and everyone around me nods. Piper joins Thalia behind the ropes and then the camera starts clicking.
I pick out a drawing pencil and try out some primary sketches of the flowers in front of me. I hear the door of the café open and the voices around me fall silent. I continue my sketching, pausing to take a drink from the mug in front of me.
Thalia talks me though the movements, telling me to smile to myself, erase something and check my phone.
"Hey," I hear a voice say and I look up to see Percy standing next to the chair, looking down at me.
"Hi?" I say uncertainly.
"Perfect Annabeth, keep it up!" Thalia says and a shoot a quick glare at her. Percy looks amused before sliding into the open seat in front of me.
"Mind if I join you?"He asks theatrically. I raise an eyebrow at him.
"It doesn't look like you're asking." I say snarky.
"Annabeth!" Piper snaps from behind Thalia, "Play the part!"
"Geez," I say flustered, "Okay sure." I turn to him in time to see him grinning at me.
"What?" I ask spinning my pencil around in my fingers.
"Nothing," he says quickly, "Hey, my names Percy Jackson."
"Annabeth Chase," I say shyly, trying to act my part. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Piper nod approvingly. Percy notices my sketchbook and turns it towards him.
"You're really good," he notes.
"Thanks," I say and he waves a hand for the waiter. "Um, can I ask why you're here?" I say.
"What, I can't just see someone as pretty as you and introduce myself?" He asks charmingly. I blush then glare at him angrily. "Would you like me to leave?" he says starting to stand.
"Yes please," I mutter under my breath then arrange my face show momentary alarm. "No! Er, stay. And you can tell me all the other lines you use and work on women."
Percy's mouth tips up, "Okay, I'll stay." He settles back in his seat. Over the next half hour Percy flirts with me and while my cheeks warm at everything he says.
He leans closer to me and motions with a finger for me to do the same. The camera's shutter clicks uncontrollably.
"You wanna get out of here?" he asks, his voice reaching seductive tones. I jerk back then, against my will, laugh.
"Here, I'll give you my number," I say and scribble something down on a napkin then slide it over the table to him then drop a five dollar bill on the table to pay for the coffee and gather my things. "Call me." I say. He grins cockily.
"Definitely," he says and I wave goodbye then start towards the door. I can feel his gaze follow me out though the door. Piper calls 'cut' and I walk back in though the doors.
"Amazing!" she sings, "You two were meant to be together!"
A/N: Hey guys!
I really hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, it's my first Percabeth story so I'm really excited! Be sure to give me tons of advice in your reviews and let's try and reach 10 :)
Thanks for reading,
LivGirl16
