Somehow, You Always Knew How to Find Me
On a hospital bed, a person goes through an abundance of feelings. Pain, sickness, hurt, sadness, grief, death, regret. But ultimately, there comes a day when that hospital bed is gone and those last moments you spent there... you had never really felt that happiness surging through your blood vessels before, your heart is pumping with enthusiasm and adrenalin coursing through you.
On that hospital bed you had had your worst admittedly, but also your best days, maybe both on the same day itself.
::.
Four years ago:
A slightly fat girl lay on the hospital bed, hurt in her eyes but still remorseless. More or less emotionless, although her voice croaked with the burden unshed tears.
"I do not want to see him Thalia. Take him away where I will never be seeing him. Give him to an orphanage."
"Are you sure? You would regret this decision and once you do, it would be too late," said the spiky haired one.
"I am sure, Thals."
"We could always give him to you know..."
"He should not know. No one should know."
"But-"
"No buts Thals; after all the precautions and evading... no one must know. Please... just... do not try to change my mind. Just name him something... that I would associate... one that I would recognise anywhere in the world."
"As you wish."
Present Day:
Annabeth
For years, I had tried to evade him, but look at me now, hiding behind a mannequin just because he was just around the corner...with a bimbo slung around him arm.
"What are you doing Annabeth...that too behind a mannequin?" asked Piper, one eyebrow up with the corner of her lip in tow.
"Can't you wait for a second," I asked in a hushed tone, gesturing in his general direction.
"What?"
But of course, I had completely cut off my contact with the other world.
Piper had no idea what Percy Jackson meant to me. And what pains I had taken to make sure that he could never trace me.
Soon I realized I made a grave mistake.
When Piper turned to look in the general direction, she saw him and, "Oh my god! PERCY!OVER here! Percy!"
Apparently she knew him.
Percy turned to look at Piper and his eyes opened up a bit wider, a genuine smile riding on his lips.
"Hey Beauty Queen!
In a few seconds he would be right in front of me, and there was no way in hell that he could see me. I closed my eyes and tried to creep away. Why did she have to know him?
But Piper had other plans. She grabbed my arm and said, "I can't believe Percy's here," me too, I thought, "You need to see this guy Annabeth, he's amazing."
"Oh my God Piper, it's really nice to see you," he said, going for a hug. I noticed just how amazingly muscular and healthy he looked. Still as charming and attractive as always. I was also really pleased to note that the bimbo looked displeased at this gesture of affection.
But here all goes down.
"This is my friend Annabeth."
Big gulp on both sides.
Eyes widening at both ends.
"Hey!" he mustered up his courage and asked.
But I ... turned around and fled not caring what anyone thought of me.
Behind me Percy shouted, "This is not happening again."
::.
Even though I was a good runner, I had to top at some point, and that point happened to be a park bench. I sat on it cross legged. Percy soon came up to me running. He paused to catch his breath then came and sat down to the ground in front of me.
Soon Piper jogged up behind us and exclaimed, "You two would make a great couple."
Both Percy and I looked at her and simultaneously said, "Not a good point."
"Okay! So what's with all this running?" She looked at our faces and , "Fine, never mind. Does anyone want to tell me what s going on... C'mon guys that's rude."
"Let's go home Piper," said Annabeth, getting up.
Percy put a hand on her leg, "No you are not."
"Excuse me, you one asked your bloody opinion. I can go wherever I want."
"It's a lovely day, Annabeth. Let's us not ruin it."
"The only one ruining things is you Percy. It's not me and it has never been ME!"
"Stop shouting! I am not blaming you, but as far as I can remember, I am not the one ruining things all right," his eyes as calm as an oncoming storm.
"I don't care what you think; it's your entire fault."
"Shh! You don't really mean that, Annabeth."
Annabeth grew quite at this.
"Will somebody please tell me what is going on? You are driving me nuts," Piper said, slowing down so as to not raise any alarms.
"Piper please! Give us some privacy," asked Percy.
"NO! Stay here!" Annabeth said, challenging someone to say against her.
"We are leaving now, Piper."
"No you are not leaving this time Annabeth. Enough. Enough with this running around, playing hide-and-seek. We are not kids anymore.
"You can't stop me. You don't get to tell me what to do. Not after what you did."
"Not after what I did? You broke up with me, you broke my heart and you are telling about what I did. Tell me Annabeth, what did I do?
"You fucking got me pregnant... and you moved so far away...and you didn't pick up the phone...and you made me cry," she was shouting now. Tears dropped down in quick succession. And her nose was running, so she sniffed.
"You fucking almost killed me, Percy. I have a right to be angry," she continues after a pause, in a whisper. "You just..." she shook her head and sat back down.
"Piper can you go away for now," said Percy, with enough heaviness for a statement.
Piper looked from him to Annabeth and back again. She left without saying anything.
"Did I hear you say..." Percy trailed off.
"Yes," and Annabeth broke down crying. For more than 4 years she had kept this secret to herself.
"But-"
"Yes."
"How?"
Here, Annabeth managed a little chuckle. Leave it to Percy to ask the silliest question.
"Yeah, right," he scratched the back of his neck, nervously.
She waited. She could always count on him to say something funny, or stupid, or something. Anything and everything he said, rushed small butterflies fluttering around in her stomach; a sort of like a sweet queasy feeling.
"I apologize for making you cry, and I am really sorry for the other things too," he said, finally.
"That's it. You are not going to ask about anything else?" Secretly, she wished he didn't ask her what she had done that day.
"How are you?" said Percy, after much contemplation.
"No asking about your son or anything? I am glad I put him up in an orphanage." But honestly, she was a little glad.
Percy stayed quiet for some time. "I have known you for some time, enough to know that it is honestly a very, very tough decision for you to actually keep the baby."
