Annabeth burst into the backstage ten minutes late, causing all eyes to turn to her.
"Uh," she started. "I got the part?"
Silence.
Then, all at once, people started talking.
"I told you you'd get it! Nico, you owe me ten bucks." Thalia Grace, one of Annabeth's best friends.
"Stop betting on other people's lives, Thalia. Congrats, Annie." Piper, Annabeth's other best friend. She got a slap for using that name.
"I can't deal with this bull." Percy Jackson. Not one of Annabeth's friends.
"Okay, children. We can discuss this after tonight's performance. By the looks of it, this will be the last one in this company for some of us. Let's make it count." Chiron, Annabeth's favorite stage director. He rolled over to Annabeth in his wheelchair, and she bent down to give him a hug.
"Congratulations, Annabeth. I'm proud of you." He told her. Annabeth smiled at him and took a step back. Chiron addressed the group of students before him.
"Today's casting changes. Katie Gardner is out with the flu today, so Annabeth, you'll be playing Zoe Murphy, which means Piper will be taking Annabeth's role of Cynthia. Everyone else is here, so go get ready, your half hour call in in fifteen minutes.
Annabeth held in the groan that was fighting to escape her throat. Don't get her wrong, she loved Dear Evan Hansen, and she loved playing Zoe, especially with the songs that came with the part, but she did not love who played Evan, Percy Jackson.
As you may have gathered from earlier statements, Percy hated her, and Annabeth him. Annabeth wasn't sure what started the unfriendly rivalry, but she was sure he started it.
Annabeth was snapped out of her thoughts when Piper started dragging her to the dressing rooms. That was one good thing about performing for a company; even if it's just a local youth company, they had actual dressing rooms, instead of the cleared out classrooms that you would get in a school.
Granted, they weren't the best. They were on a budget. But at least the building was actually made for musicals.
"At least this is the last night I'll ever have to see Percy Jackson," Annabeth said, trying to lift her own mood. It didn't work as well as she hoped.
"Yeah, after a night of playing his girlfriend," Piper said, smirking. For a reason only God himself knew, Piper wanted the two of them to end up together. Yeah, because that will happen.
"They're only dating for like, a fourth the time or something." Annabeth huffed.
Piper rolled her eyes.
"Still, Percy has to pretend to be completely in love with you the entire time. That's going to be hilarious to watch." She laughed. "You know, with his attitude earlier, he would make a perfect Connor. "
"Can he?" Annabeth asked jokingly. "Because then he'll be dead the entire time."
The two girls walked into the dressing room laughing. This was something Annabeth was going to miss when she left.
After a tearful last curtain call, Annabeth made her way back to the dressing room in order to change out of her costume. It wasn't really a costume, per say, but an outfit they bought at Walmart. Either way, it still belonged to the theater.
Annabeth had gotten the entire cast and tech crew to sign her playbill. Well, everyone except Percy. She was glad to finally be rid of him, she didn't need to be reminded of him.
Unfortunately, said boy decided to intercept her on her way to the dressing rooms.
"What do you want, Jackson?" Annabeth asked irritably.
"Aren't you going to ask me to sign your playbill?" He asked. "Thought you'd want to remember everyone from this company."
"Not you." She said. "I'm glad to finally be able to get rid of you. It's one of the only good things coming out of me leaving."
"If you're so sad about leaving, then why are you doing it? It's like you're asking for depression."
"If you were anyone else, I'd think you were trying to get me to stay so you could keep seeing me everyday." Annabeth said. Percy flushed, most likely from anger.
"Jokes on you, I'm leaving as well. I came here to ask if you'd sign my playbill." He said.
"Why? I thought you hated me." Annabeth didn't think, she knew, but Percy was being really confusing. Normally he wanted nothing to do with her. Earlier, before the show, he'd tried to get Chiron have Piper play Zoe for the day. It didn't work of course. Piper didn't know any of the lines.
"Please, Annabeth? I'm trying to leave us on good terms here." Percy pleaded, holding his playbill out. Okay, was he on some sort of weird new drug that Annabeth hadn't heard of?
"It's a little late for that," Annabeth grumbled, taking the paper anyway. She signed it and handed it back to him, hoping he'd leave. He didn't.
"What now?" She asked. She didn't know how much longer she could stand being near him. Performing on stage with him every night for the past couple weeks had been bad enough. Actually talking to him? No thank you.
"Aren't you going to ask me to sign your's?" Percy asked for the second time that night. Annabeth rolled her eyes and took her playbill out of her pocket, handing it to him.
"If it will make you leave faster." She said. Percy laughed and signed the paper quickly.
"See you around," he said, handing the paper back to her, and left.
"Not if I can help it!" Annabeth shouted to his retreating figure. She swore she could hear him laugh. She turned around and started walking back to the changing rooms, suddenly in the mood for some McDonald's.