Annabeth's POV
I closed the zipper of my leather jacket, slung my schoolbag over my shoulder and left the warm school building. Immediately, cold winter air made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and my cheeks sting. Oh, how I regretted not taking a warm scarf or a hat. That day I had gotten my first, unfortunately not last, detention ever. I swear it was nothing big, just threw a marker at the teacher. It wasn't my fault either! I was just sitting in class listening to the teachers rambling on World War II, trying to ignore the two chatting it girls behind me, but there's the thing with my history teacher. He despises talking in class and when someone's talking in his classes, he throws something at them. Keys, chalk, erasers, markers… So he threw a marker, but with his terrible sight he hit me instead, so I glared and threw it back. At first it was just one day detention, but after I got sent to the principal's office and called our history teacher an old fart with terrible aim, it became one week.
So here I was walking home at eight p.m., in the cold and all alone. Although it was cold as shit, I made no effort to come home fast, because once my father sees me… I'm dead meat. It was dark already, but New York's city lights made it look like it was somewhere past 2p.m.
Wrapping my arms around my body to save as much warmth as possible, I walked passed a dark alley, only to be grabbed and pulled inside by a dark figure. They covered my mouth before I could scream for help and only let go when they had me pinned to the wall. There were two drunken men and out of the corner of my eye I saw a third one throwing up in a trashcan. Oh, shit it was a dead end. "Hello, beautiful!" the one pinning me to the wall slurred "Let's play beauty and the beast. I'll be the beast and you'll be the beauty!" It kind of reminded me of my twin-brothers' favorite show Mother Goose Club. Oh how much I hated the video for Pop goes the Weasel. They'd watch it all day long and on days I had to look after them we'd play it with me being the weasel. Sadly I know the lyrics too… 'Tap, tap, tap, POW!' Giggling. 'Tap, tap, tap, BUM!' Giggling. 'Tap, tap, tap, POP! Goes the weasel! I'll be the monkey, an-' my train of thoughts got interrupted by the man squeezing my… backside…
"How about no!" I retorted with uneasiness evident in my voice. Were they going to rape me? Or beat me up? I got my answer as they laughed and the one that was barfing just seconds ago stated "Feisty… I like that…" They threw me to the ground, pushing me deeper into the dark alley and I was frozen in place when one of them unzipped my jacket. Immediately I snapped out of it and started to struggle, but two held me down by my arms as the third started to unzip his jeans. My heart was beating so fast I felt like I was going to have a heart attack and the next thing I know, he rips my shirt in the middle leaving me in my bra only. If my grandma was there, she'd scold me for not wearing a singlet underneath my shirt.
The guy sat down on my waist, crushing me under his weight, and kissed me on the lips all but gently. Turning my head to avoid his lips, I felt tears streaming down my face. He growled in anger "Stop it!" so I spat in his face. His smile faded and he growled, wiped it away and punched me in the face. I hit my head on the concrete and a sharp pain exploded in my head and I let out a barely audible groan as black dots covered my vision and I had to blink them away. With one "Stupid girl…" he started to kiss down my neck and I let out a helpless cry, I did not want it to happen. I felt a small pain on my neck where he started to suck on my skin and let more tears fall. "Hel-!" I tried desperately before one of the two holding me down covered my mouth.
Suddenly I heard loud footsteps and the guys looked up before the one on top of me got punched to the ground. The two holding me down got into a fighting stance, while the one that was previously on top of me got up pulling his pants back up and growling in rage "What do you want, boy?" Shakily I got up as well, with my eyes wide and hope filling me once again. "Leave her alone!" The person, my hero, growled and punched the drunk in the eye. I felt a migraine coming on as I roundhouse kicked one of the men that was holding me down just seconds ago in the head.
The third one was about to attack my savior, but I kicked him between the legs from behind and he fell to the ground clutching his balls, crawling out of the alley and running off. Just as I was about to thank my savior and find out who it is, the one that was trying to rape me swiped my legs from underneath me and I fell backwards only to get caught by the one I roundhouse kicked. "Annabeth!" How did my savior know my name? Well, his voice did sound familiar.
Another wave of panic and despair washed over me as the rapist got up and yanked off my leather jacket and my shirt that was torn apart anyways. "I am going to do her right her and right now" he yelled angrily "and you are going to watch!" My savior took a surprised step back, which was enough for the streetlamp's light to hit his face and for me to recognize him. "Percy!" I sobbed. And suddenly his surprised look changed to fury and when the rapist pushed me to the ground, he threw himself at him and his partner. I watched in fear as he beat them till they've had enough and ran. Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to let them run, but right then we didn't care about them.
As soon as they were gone I let it all out. I was crying like I've never cried in my life before. I was trembling and not only from the cold, but from the sobbing and fear as well. I felt worthless, dirty and weak… But Percy was there for me. He held me, he comforted me, he was there. Once I brought the tears under control he gave me his shirt and hoodie, leaving him in only his windbreaker, and I put on my jacket, which was the only thing they hadn't ruined. As soon as I was dressed, he took my bag, slung it over his shoulder and picked me up bridal style, while I cried into his chest.
I did not care where he was taking me, because I knew he meant no harm. Only did I look up once he entered a building and warm air surrounded us. It wasn't my apartment building, which meant we were at his house. I looked up at his face and saw a small tear run down his cheek as he opened the door and pulled me to his chest tighter. "Percy, where have you been, do you know how worried I- Who is this? What is going on?" I gripped Percy's windbreaker as a beautiful woman with long brown hair with a few streaks of grey in it and blue eyes that looked just like Percy entered the room "Oh my god! You're bleeding!" She ushered us into the living room and went to get a first aid kit.
Percy put me on the couch gently and crouched down on the ground in front of me, wiping away the tears that were still rolling down my cheeks "It's okay, don't worry. They're gone, you're safe, I'm here and I'm not leaving." I nodded and he pulled me into a tight hug. If it weren't for him I would have been raped. I would have been raped… Oh my god, they would have raped me! I started to hyperventilate, but noticed only as I realized Percy was holding my face between his hands, more tears streaming down his cheeks and telling me it was going to be okay. At that moment I thought it wasn't. It seemed all but okay.
His mother rushed into the room and helped him calm me down, but then she had to calm him down as well, as he was panicking because of the situation we were in. When she got everything under control, she sent Percy to get a shirt and fixed a cut on my forehead I didn't even know was there. She was gentle and kind, something my parents never were. My mother left after I was born leaving me at my father's door and my father was all about rules and discipline. I knew Percy's dad got lost at sea, but his mother was the nicest person in the whole universe.
"I'm sorry for what happened, Annabeth, but with Percy by your side you have nothing to worry about…" and with one last kind look she left the room. Percy lead me to his room saying I could sleep there for as long as I wanted. I really didn't want to go home alone and I didn't want to get yelled at by my dad, so I didn't really argue. I sat down on Percy's bed, looking at a spot on the floor, while he tried to clean up the mess he had there, not that I cared.
"Percy…" Immediately he stopped and ran to my side with a worried look "Percy, you've saved me. You've saved me… I… thank you, Percy. I don't know what I'd have done without you there. I-" I got interrupted by a sob. "Annabeth…" he whispered pulling me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held him like my life depended on it. To me it did. Two hours ago I couldn't even imagine something like this. Getting attacked by rapists, getting saved by the most popular guy in your school you've had a crush on since he helped you pick up your books when you dropped them on the first day of elementary school and now hugging him like your life depended on it. If there wasn't the part with the rapists it would have been a dream come true, but at that moment I wished for it to be just a bad dream, a nightmare with a good-looking guy added to make it seem less horrible.
He pulled away and wiped away the tear that escaped my eye "Don't cry, please. I can't stand to see you like this…" he whispered and only then, when I felt his hot, minty breath on my face, did I notice how close we were. If I would stand on my tiptoes, we'd be kissing.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but I saw his eyes flicker don to my lips for just a second, but the next thing I know my eyes are closed and me Annabeth Chase is kissing the one and only Perseus Jackson. He made the images of the rapist kissing me go away and I was more than thankful. I played with his messy black hair, while he cupped my face and deepened the kiss. At that moment I realized he wasn't a crush or someone I liked to look at, no, he was the guy I fell in love with eleven years ago when we were six. I felt my heartbeat go faster, this time not from fear and pulled away trying to catch my breath.
He leaned his forehead against mine and I opened my eyes to see tears rolling down his cheeks. "Please, don't ever scare me like that again. Never again!" he whispered and opened his eyes to kiss the tip of my nose. I shook my head and after we pulled away from our hug I went to take a quick shower to wash the smell of alcohol and the feeling of the guy touching me off my body. Percy gave me his sweatpants and an old baggy t-shirt as PJs and kissed me goodnight, when I grabbed his wrist "Please don't leave me…" He kissed my forehead soothingly and slid into his bed next to me, wrapping his arms around me in a protective and much-appreciated manner.
For a while we just lay there staring into each other's eyes, before he leaned down and kissed me. A small kiss that meant more than a make-out session to me. "Annabeth Chase, I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I've loved you since day one and I'll love you till I take my last breath and even after that! Will you be my girlfriend?" I smiled at him and gave him a kiss "You said what I've been thinking…"
That night I forgot all about the previous events, I forgot all about calling or at least texting my father where I was, I forgot all about the screaming and maybe one small slap out of worry that I'd surely get the next day, I forgot all about the world. That night, the only thing that mattered was the boy next to me. The boy that saved me, the boy that made life worth living, the boy I knew I'd spent my future with.
"And that kids, is how I met your father…"