On a comfortable spot in a tree, Percy sits on its roots. He rests his head on the trunk, falling into such comfort, letting himself in the beautiful melancholy pace of the latter- a grassy field of greens, a clear view of the ocean hued sky, the sweet scented air reaching deep into his lungs having him recently high on its addicting scent. It's a perfect place to let his mind wander on most things. To make pace on every little thing that lets his being ruin him. But he just wonders if this haven is really in Manhattan. This exquisite place is nonetheless never could be found in such vicinity. But he guessed that the world is really a hard place to figure everything out.
THUNK.
"Ow." He sluggishly muttered.
Percy looked over onto what has dropped. He was surprised, it's a rare thing that apples fall. He always thought that it's somewhat one of those tree stones that's recently losing its gravity and lets the thing fall into him, waking him up in his deep slumber. It's always ruining his perfect pace ever since. But then, in simplicity, there's something that could always change, no matter what.
"Kiss it and make a wish." A beautiful voice told him.
He lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at the apple, examining it. "What?"
"Do I really need to say everything twice?" She sighed hastily.
"You know-" He was cut off. Just the sight of her, makes time seemingly stop in its tracks.
And there she was, beautiful and all. Standing beside him is a blond girl- wildly debonair and surely unkempt. Perfect. Her blond curls are in a messy pony, blown by the wind, her attractive grey eyes glistening while looking at him. Her cunning and witty attitude makes the boys at school look up to her, falling to their knees. Not literally though, but guys at school fall for her. It matches how she acts and perceives herself. Wonderful. Just plain wonderful and nothing more.
Given the doubtful look on his face, the girl just smiled at her best friend.
"You heard me Seaweed Brain."
"And why would I do that?"
"I'll tell you," Percy starts to open his mouth but he was cut off by Annabeth's endearing words. "after, you kiss that apple and wish something."
"Fine." He said bluntly, clearly uninterested.
And he did it. He obeyed Annabeth. By kissing the apple's soft red skin, it gives warmth to Percy's lips. Inhaling the apple's sweet scent, he just realized that the thing mixes well with the cloying scent of the air. Percy pushes the apple three good inches away from his lips then, he closes his eyes. He opens them after he makes it.
Five seconds of dead silence after he spat his desires to the apple, Annabeth shifts from foot to foot making Percy a little bit uncomfortable.
"You couldn't just stand there all day could you?" Percy finally said.
Annabeth rolls her eyes at his dumbfounded question. "Of course not."
Percy taps his side, beckoning Annabeth to sit beside him. She slowly moves over and sits at his left.
"So, what's with the kiss, apple and the wish?" Percy asks her, now interested.
"Nice rhyme Seaweed Brain." Annabeth replied. Percy didn't know if she's just avoiding it or what. But he's still going to get his answer.
"Oh come 'on, you're avoiding questions again." Percy mocked in a child's playful voice and pouted. And that just made her laugh.
"No I am not. You couldn't just accept compliments better because you're thinking and taking things seriously too much." She explained gleefully.
Percy's eyes widened and he looked at Annabeth. "You mean, everything's a joke?"
"No."
"Then what?"
She looks at him and says, this time, taking things seriously. "You know, its first gift that's always the hardest to pay back. "She paused for a moment, letting Percy take it all in.
"Like that apple. It's the first time this has ever happened to you right?" Annabeth explained. Not waiting for an answer, she just continued.
"Well, this would always be your first fallen apple in the head. But are you sure there's a second, a third and a last one? You could always have a first. Still, you're not that sure if you could have another in your stead, right?" She talks wittily, throwing facts out at him. And Percy knows that she's always right for he accepted that truth long ago.
"So if you'll have a first, do everything you could do with it, because you're not that even sure if a second one will come next."Annabeth said, smiling while watching the grassy horizon lying out before them.
"Let me guess, just like what you did to your first apple?" Percy asked.
"Yeah." She replied. Percy felt a little bit down. He can't help it. He didn't know this part of her life until now, about her first apple and such. Yet he's been her best friend ever since first grade; when Annabeth moved in Manhattan, when she tried to help him stand up because he was beaten up by those jocks, when he first saw her at the infirmary because he's badly hurt, and when he first described her as a pretty girl with blond curls like a princesses.
Jerking his head up, that's when he suddenly took in, moving his stupid and selfish thoughts away, that Annabeth was his first. He also wanted her to be his last. He has cherished her, has done everything fun with her. He's always enjoying every possible little thing with Annabeth. Because since the beginning, he wasn't that sure if she would be his last. That's a reason why he's cherishing every moment with her.
Percy grinned while he let his thoughts wander on how his entity is always complete with her.
"You're grinning like the idiot you are, Percy." Annabeth smiled at him.
"Yeah, I know." Percy said, while throwing the apple mid-air and catching it, still grinning.
Annabeth snapped her head towards him. He usually takes comments like this offensively. She's flabbergasted at his sudden change of attitude. Unconsciously, she lifted up her hand and touched his forehead, not knowing what to do, she blurted out, "Are you sick?"
Before Percy could even answer, she blocked, "What happened to you?" Percy tried to cut off again but apparently, he failed. "What did you do to Percy?"
Now, he's taken aback. "Should I take that as a compliment or as an insult?"
Annabeth bursted out laughing. She didn't know this side of Percy. But she guessed that something really has changed. She stands up and catches Percy's apple in mid-air.
"Hey." Percy said exasperated.
"You look cute when you're annoyed." She said laughing, while walking backwards away from Percy. "Your eyebrows get all scrunched up together."
"Give that back!" He shouted. He swaggered to stand up, tripping a little bit.
She bit the apple and ate it. This made Percy a little bit furious. He stared at her, open mouthed.
"You better shut your mouth before you could eat flies!" Annabeth shouted back at him, laughing.
"This means war." Percy said in gritted teeth.
"Oh, I know." She smirked, daring him to come closer.
That's when they started running, laughing and saying 'some' words at each other. Threatening the other with something and cautiously tripping at some stones. The sun hasn't changed and the sky's still blue, they're glad the weather's not that dull. They're enjoying this part of their life, hoping that this would last.
At last, the running has stopped. Annabeth ended up in a branch of the apple tree. Percy still is standing down at its roots, looking up at Annabeth.
"Come down here!" Percy shouted at her, warned, maybe.
"Make me!" Annabeth shouted back, cracking up, threatening him to come after her.
"You'll be really sorry if I got up there!"
"Ha! As if!" Annabeth retorted.
Percy, finally giving up, starts to climb the tree. Taking a careful step at each place where he lands his foot on. He saw Annabeth climbed that tree swiftly and gracefully, so why not try? He positions his hands comfortably on each branch he could grab and lay his hands on. And finally, after minutes of climbing, he reaches Annabeth. She was just a head taller than him in their position. Percy's right hand is holding the branch Annabeth's sitting on for support so he wouldn't fall. His left was holding the tree's trunk. Annabeth's left hand was just beside Percy's, and her right was holding his already bitten apple.
Annabeth leans down five good inches near his face and said, "I win."
"I don't think so." was Percy's reply.
And by that, Percy leans forward and kisses her softly on the lips. It has a kind of galvanizing effect of them- a fluttering sensation that matches their hearts, a gentle comforting sweet kiss that Percy has given Annabeth.
They broke apart, blushing. It was an awkward moment between them. Because of that, Percy decided, he'd make the first move. He swaggered and sits beside Annabeth. After a good 3 minutes of dead silence which, really feels like about an hour he says,
"Told you." He smiled over the view up.
"I regret nothing." Annabeth's wise answer probably gives out everything.
Percy was flabbergasted. He didn't know how to respond. What came out of his stupid mouth was, "What?"
She turned to him and said, "Do I really need to say everything twice, Seaweed Brain?" She said. A hint of bliss in her voice.
"No." Percy's voice cracked. He still has his eyes widened while looking at her lovely grey ones.
After a moment of silence, Annabeth decided she should be the next one to make a move. Hoping that she wouldn't regret what she was about to say.
"So, could you tell me your wish?" She said, turning to him.
Percy looked at her and smiled- the famous smile that he was known for, the smile that every girl in the campus craves for him to do it. It's that smile that makes Annabeth's heart skip a beat. He smiles like that just for her- Only for her, no one else.
"It just came true."