Ok, so here is a new story I found on my computer from like three years ago! It's not the best writing I've ever published (as it was written my freshman year), but I did a lot of editing and I think it's pretty good. Obviously I couldn't change all of the writing or it wouldn't be the same story, so bear with me. So after all of that, I hope you enjoy it!
Warning: contains abuse and mild language
She knew life was over. That's what Annabeth had decided. Not only did her teacher think that it was somehow a good idea to pair high schoolers with people that they didn't know, she also thought it was a good idea to break status queue. Now as the semi-nerd made her way toward her school's starting running back, she thought of all the awful things that were going to happen to her. Not only was his girlfriend going to be pissed, he probably was too. There was no way he wanted to be with her, honestly she was probably his last choice. He had plenty of friends in this class, hell the whole school, and that meant that she was nowhere near the top of his list.
He sighed as she started walking towards him. She referring to his new partner, Annabeth. It wasn't that Percy had a problem with her, quite the opposite really, he thought she was beautiful. His girlfriend was going to freak though. She had a thing about him talking to other girls. It was annoying if you asked him, but somehow she never seemed to see it that way. Annabeth sat down in front of him, and he offered a small smile. She had to be as nervous as he was. Scratch that. No one was as nervous as he was. Percy had never been very good around new people.
She internally smiled. Percy didn't seem to pissed at her. They started going over the topics for their project and agreed on one that they both liked. The topic for the project, while easy, was time consuming. That meant that they would have to work outside of school. Annabeth knew that Percy definitely didn't want to do that, but unfortunately he was going to have to. She had to work almost full time to help support her family, she didn't tell him that of course, but she made sure he knew she worked. He did the same with football.
He frowned at the mention of them working outside of school. He was in so much trouble. There was no way his girlfriend was going to allow this. The girl was gorgeous, but no amount of gorgeous could make up for that much crazy. It was probably time that Percy mentioned that to her, but he didn't have a death wish. So he continued on making plans, but he couldn't ignore how nervous Annabeth seemed when she mentioned how often she had to work. Percy had never had to work; his family was well off. To Percy sports were the most important thing in his life, and if he was right Annabeth ran track. He wasn't sure though.
She was slammed up against her locker. Looking up from the floor Annabeth saw Percy's girlfriend standing above her. She, in all her crazy glory, looked pissed. She uttered a string of threats as her friends stared on, of course not doing anything to help the poor girl on the floor. At this point Annabeth's body hurt and she was turning red from humiliation. There was a reason that not many people knew she existed, and it was in no way an accident. Attention was not something that Annabeth wanted seek out, and this was going to be like starring in the new hit drama for her small high school. By this point the girl was still screaming at her, and no one was helping her. Annabeth never wanted to steal the Percy, but when she tried to say this she received a prompt smack to the face. There was nothing Annabeth could do other than just take it.
He heard it before he saw it; the sound of his girlfriend's screams flooded through the hall. He started to run down the hall to save whoever she was after, but as he rounded the corner he found Annabeth pinned against the lockers struggling to get free. She tried to argue but was promptly slapped by the crazy she-devil. Percy furiously pushed his way through the surrounding crowd and grabbed his girlfriend. He tried to apologize to his new partner but she just flinched and ran away from the scene. There was nothing he could do to help her now, but he made a mental note to go check on her later. The sound of the slap was giving him flash backs to his relationship with his father. No one deserved to be hit.
She could hear the couple yelling at each other from the bathroom where she had chosen to hide. It sounded an awful lot like a break up, but Annabeth wasn't sure dating wasn't really her thing. Annabeth was still flustered from the slap, and was pretty sure that she would be for the rest of the day. She really hoped that any bruising wouldn't be a problem with her job. School had ended just moments before the attack, and Annabeth was sure that she had missed her bus when she had run to hide. Both of her parents work, and even as a junior she didn't have a car. She was just going to have to walk. Annabeth stayed in the bathroom for a while longer trying to calm down (or hid from everyone) before deciding that it was time to face the world and head home.
He was looking for her. Percy felt awful that his girlfriend, well ex-girlfriend, had treated Annabeth that poorly. He wanted to apologize to her for what had happened, but there was no way for him to check the whole school for her. Annabeth could have easily slipped past him in a different part of the school, but he decided that he owed it to her to at least look for her a little while longer. Percy walked around for a while longer before he saw a quick flash of blonde hair. She had just turned the corner, and Percy was quick to race after her. He pulled up beside her and she promptly flinched away from him. It her his feelings a little that she was afraid of him. It wasn't like he had been that one that went after her in the first place, not to mention he had never even hurt a fly. He couldn't even play defense in football because he was too afraid to hurt someone.
She didn't even let him speak before she just told him she would finish the project alone. There was no way Annabeth was going to go through that every day just to avoid a little bit of work. She could do it all without that much extra trouble and just add his name to the top. It seemed like a win-win situation to her. Percy looked down at her with sad eyes. He made sure to tell her how sorry he was about what had happened with his girlfriend, and that he had no idea that she would do that. Percy also made sure that Annabeth knew that it would never happen again; they had broken up.
He offered her a ride home. Annabeth tried to decline, but Percy had already taken her backpack and was headed to his car. He had a nice car. Well at seventeen anything is a nice car, but this was nicer than what most of his friends drove. It was a large blue pick-up with only one row of bench seats. Annabeth stopped to apricate the car, these were her favorite kind, but she didn't say anything about it. Annabeth quietly gave Percy directions without ever making eye contact with him. Percy knew that there was nothing he could do, but he still wished that she'd just look at him.
She was ashamed as he came to her house. Annabeth knew that he was well off, and she was nowhere near even middle class. Her house was small and on the wrong side of town, Annabeth doubted Percy had ever been over to this side of town. If she had thought that she had been embarrassed before it was nothing compared to now. Annabeth let out a soft thanks before darting into the house. Percy watched her and sighed, she as nervous about him judging her even though there had been nothing to judge. Percy smiled as he drove past his best friend's house on the way out of the neighborhood.
He cowered as his father loomed over him. Percy knew that the blow was going to come soon. This is what he got for skipping football practice to take Annabeth home. He had no idea how his father had found out, but at this point Percy wanted to strangle whoever told him. Percy crouched there wishing that he had been given a different life, one that had less pain and more love, but not everyone got dealt good cards in life. He just had to learn how to live with the cards he had been dealt, and that was the way it was.
There was no hiding the bruises from this beating, it had been bad. He always told his team they were from when he was hit on the field. There was no way they bought it, but no one ever asked any questions too afraid of what the real answer may be. Tonight was one of the worst nights because tonight there was a reason. Usually it was only because he dropped a pass or because he hadn't gotten enough plays, but this was different. It was entirely his fault. He fell to the ground and let out a cry praying for it to end.
She walked into school with her head down. Annabeth had tried to stay home, but her mother wouldn't allow it. Annabeth saw Percy with his friends, but something was off. He looked pained. It wasn't all that noticeable, but she saw the way he stood, and it wasn't the same as usual. His best friend, Grover, kept sending him nervous glances as if they were in on some joke that no one got, but the joke wasn't funny. Annabeth knew what had happened before she even made it to her locker. It was the same way her mother stood after her father had beaten her.
He sighed as the day continued. No one could see the markings, but Percy felt like he had a sign on his head advertising his entire story. His last class was the class he had with Annabeth. When she walked in she looked at him and the nervous feeling came back. It was like she saw right through him, and he was pretty sure that she did. The class was basically them talking about the project they had yet to start. They didn't get much done during that time either, but at the end Annabeth gave him a look. She told him she knew what happened and of he needed anything to tell her. Percy told her he had no clue what she was talking about, but neither of them believed it. Annabeth gave him one last look and reminded him that not everyone was as simple as they seemed, even her.
She smiled as she walked to her bus that day. She had been confident, but not vicious. To Annabeth it was a very fine line; a line she had seen both ends of. The look on Percy's face as she walked out was priceless. She wondered how often he went through what he did, but there was no way for her to find out. They weren't friends. As the bus pulled out she saw him walk out for football. She briefly wondered how he was going to practice before brushing it off and putting in her head phones. Bruises were only temporary. It was the memories that never faded.
He had nowhere to go. His best friend was out of town and no one else knew. Percy briefly considered telling someone else before deciding against it. He thought that he had been driving aimlessly when he arrived at her house, but he knew that wasn't true. He wanted to see her, plus she was the only other person that knew. He rang the doorbell and a little boy around four opened the door. He was worried that he had the wrong house, but then Annabeth quickly scurried up to the door with a shocked expression.
She led him inside as he explained that he didn't have anywhere else to go. Annabeth smiled quietly before ushering Percy to the bathroom so that she could fix him up. Annabeth shooed all of her siblings away before pulling ice and a first aid kit into the bathroom. She shut the door to the tiny bathroom, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was weird how normal this felt, but Annabeth remembered doing the same thing for her mom. This bathroom was her safe haven even to this day. It was the one place that she felt safe.
He took off his shirt and heard her gasp. Percy knew that it was probably all black and blue, and he barely heard her quickly leave the bathroom saying something about not having enough disinfectant and band-aids. Percy turned to look in the mirror and was surprised to see blood. There was usually just bruising, but it seemed that this time he had managed to break the skin. Percy wondered how hard he would have to be hit for that to happen, then quickly decided he didn't want to know. Annabeth entered the bathroom again came back in and gently ran her hands over his back and then turned him around to look at his chest.
She was surprised how bad it was. Percy was tall at least six four, so he towered over her tiny five foot two frame. There wasn't much room to move and he seemed to be leaning over her in the limited space. Annabeth turned to the sink and grabbed a wash cloth, wetting it, and started to wipe the blood from his chest. Percy hissed and grabbed at her waist for support. Annabeth stopped momentarily and looked up at him, and he sent her an apologetic glance before she returned to what she was doing. Percy never let go of her waist. Well at least not until he had to turn so she could do his back.
He ended up staying late that night. Annabeth had offered for him stay the night, but he turned it down knowing that it would just cause more problems. His dad had to know that he was gone, and he didn't think that he could take another beating. Percy told her he would see her at the game though. He had laughed when her younger brother started screaming that he wanted to go too. That had been on Thursday. They had won their football game that Friday. Annabeth had come. Percy knew that it was the first one she had ever come to; he scored three times as she and her four siblings watched.
She walked into school Monday with way too many eyes on her. Annabeth had no clue what could have happened over the weekend, but she had a feeling she didn't want to know. Her friends ran to her quickly and started firing off questions. They thought that she had slept with him. That was what everyone thought. That was why he broke it off with his girlfriend. She told them that of course it wasn't true, but she knew no one was going to believe her.
He heard a few words shot at him, but he was used to it. Percy had never been friends with everyone, so this was nothing new to him. However, he was not used to Grover storming up to him telling him he better get a handle on what was happening. He had slept with her. At least that's what the entire school thought. Percy looked across the hall at her and caught her eye. She looked miserable. He spent the rest of the day trying to fix it, but the damage was already done. No one believed him when he denied it.
She tried not to cry as yet another note slipped out of her locker. Annabeth had been getting them for a month now. All anyone wanted to do was call her a slut and act like she had been sleeping with everyone. She knew that it wasn't true, but every note seemed to drive the idea home a little more. Annabeth was a virgin, there was no way she was a slut, but even if she wasn't who was anyone else to judge? Annabeth had kept every note. Reading them seemed to be almost robotic at this point. She looked at the familiar words before folding them up and added it to the growing pile. This was so not worth it.
He knew that she was getting hell. Percy had found out one day when he was at her house. She was watching her siblings like she so often did, and he had managed to wander into her room. There, sitting in a pile on her desk, was a pile of notes. None of them were even remotely nice. Percy remembered how angry he had been. He was mad at her for not telling him. He was mad at the stupid notes themselves for existing. He was even more mad at the authors. Who thought that it was okay to abuse someone like that?
She had watched him fume for a solid forty minutes before she asked what was wrong. Percy had been fine just before he had gone to the bathroom, and Annabeth seriously doubted anything in that small bathroom had set him off. Soon though, Annabeth learned that he has taken a detour to her room, and when he mentioned the noted she quickly hushed him. Her family didn't know. Annabeth's mom was busy enough as it was, she didn't need to deal with her problems too. The noted weren't a big deal anyway. She was fine. Percy wanted to call bullshit, but he let it slide.
He had been seeing her multiple times a week. They didn't just work on the project anymore either. They had become real friends that cared for each other and wanted what was best for one another. Annabeth took care of him when his father acted out, and Percy didn't think that he had ever been more grateful for a human being than he was for her. Annabeth was everything that he wanted in a person. She was loving, caring, she loved her family, and most of all he could trust her. That to him was all he needed.
She fell more in love with him every time they saw each other. Percy was so compassionate. He was always able to make her smile, even when she was so down she was sure that the dirt was happier than she was. It was easy to be around him. For someone who had been so afraid to date for so long he was a God send. Annabeth had learned to trust him, and to become part of his family. Percy didn't have much of a family though, so it wasn't a huge accomplishment. To Annabeth all she needed was someone that truly cared about her, and that he did.
He went to her house right after football. Percy knew all the things people had been saying about her, and it was all his ex's doing. She wanted to get back at him and what better way that to go after an innocent girl that had never caused her any harm? Percy knocked on the door and a tired woman in her mid-forties answered. He knew this had to be Annabeth's mother. He asked for Annabeth, but she wasn't home. However, when offered he decided to stick around and wait for her. Soon Percy was completely emerged in the life of an eldest child.
She entered her house and heard the normal screaming of the kids, her mother laughing, and a voice that sounded distinctly male. That was weird for them because her mother never had guys over. For a brief moment Annabeth wondered if her mother had a boyfriend, but she quickly decided against the idea. She wasn't ready for that. As Annabeth walked into the kitchen she saw Percy there with her youngest brother on his shoulders and her sister on his hip. It was quite a sight for sure, but she couldn't help but smile.
He turned to her and his smile grew if possible. Sure her family was crazy, but Percy loved them already. They all seemed so in sync. It was like nothing he had ever seen before. Annabeth mouthed asking if he was ok, and Percy nodded. He set both of the kids down and made his way over toward her. As he came up to her he placed his hand on the small of her back and asked if they could talk. Annabeth nodded and started to lead him to her room. Her mother gave her a look, but she just shook her head. He wondered if that was some form of unspoken communication. Maybe it was a girl thing.
She turned red as he looked at her room. It looked the same as it had when she was five. The pictures were different, but everything else was the same. Annabeth's room was small, maybe ten by ten if she was being generous, but it was hers and that was all that mattered. Annabeth sat down on the bed, and Percy came over to sit next to her. He looked at her before speaking. There was a lot to take in about her. She was almost always happy, but anyone that knew her well enough could see it in her eyes that the façade wasn't the truth. There was so much more going on behind her walls, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
He pulled her into a hug. Annabeth's head rested against his chest, and she heard his sharp intake of breath. Annabeth pulled back sharply giving him a look. Percy shook his head trying to tell her not ask, but it was no use. Annabeth pulled up on his shirt sharply bring it up high enough for her to see his abs. New bruises and cuts were obvious against his pale skin. She moved to get a better view, but he tried to brush her off. His attempt was futile however, because Annabeth quickly brought her leg around his waist so that Percy couldn't move her.
She realized too late what an awkward position this put them in. Annabeth was straddling his waist with his shirt half way off. Being as smooth as she was, Annabeth leaned back a bit and almost fell off the bed. Percy reached out and grabbed onto her hips to steady her quickly. He looked at her for a moment before allowing her to pull his shirt fully off. Annabeth looked down over his chest and stomach as his hands went back to rest on her waist. She looked up at him and it seemed to click just how close they were. Annabeth was sure she grew redder than she already was if possible.
He seemed to lean forward almost against his will. As Percy came closer so did she. It happened like a snow fall. It was innocent and sudden, but they knew that it would have serious repercussions the next day. Neither of them seemed to care though. It never got passed the innocent stage that night, but both of them knew that something important had just started. There was no way to tell if it was going to work, or if it even made sense. At that point in time though neither seemed to care.
She knew that people were going to talk about them, and maybe there was never going to be anything close to a perfect relationship for them. Percy just knew that he loved the way Annabeth's grey eyes lit up every time she talked about her family. Annabeth knew that she loved the way Percy trusted her. It was never going to be just black and white for them, but they loved all the shades of gray in between.
Ok so that's it. I know the ending was a little abrupt, but like I said I wrote it three years ago. All included I think it was pretty good. Did anyone notice that pattern through out the story? Let me know what you think (review) or DM if you have questions or comments! Thanks for reading!
Emily