C is for Care
Summary: He never planned to spend his summer doing community service, but he also never planned to fall for a blonde haired, grey eyed girl. He never planned to care. But maybe just maybe, things didn't go as planned that one, hot summer. Maybe. Percabeth. One shot.
Word Count: 4,800+
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, guys, nor do I own the movie Pay It Forward.
AN: Well, here we go again. I just want to, not dedicate it, but have this revised version be in the memory of those who so unfortunately died in the Newtown tragedy. 26 RAK – 26 Random Acts of Kindness in their memory, I think we can all do that. …
xx
C is for Care
Care (verb) – to be concerned: to feel affection and concern or to tend for someone or something;
i care about you
~.~
"Yeah, so you're all probably wondering why a kid like me is standing here in front of you guys as the President of Pay It Forward, a community service club. Well, I'd be thinking the same thing," he grins which causes the rest of his peers in front of him to laugh. He isn't used to giving speeches, but it always eased things when people would laugh. "Well, if you're here just for the free food, then get out because there won't always be free food at the meetings." He pauses, waiting to see if any are brave enough to leave, yet none are, "If you're here just to see me or have a place to hang out after school once month, then get out right with the kids that just want food." The dark haired boy takes a deep breath, calming his nerves as talking in front of a large group of people was never easy for him, "If you're here to see me... Well, I don't even know why you're here." This time, it's only the girls who laugh while there are whispers going on saying how 'hot' he is yet sadly he has a girlfriend. Another shaky breath, "And if you're here because you need community service for your college application... Well, you can stay because that's a pretty good, though selfish, reason, I guess. Look, the point is, I started out doing community service for the wrong reasons. I was forced to do it, but that all changed this summer. And you know what, maybe it can change for you too."
His eyes pass over all the faces, some bored, others captivated, some whispering to the person next to them. He's certain that they had all heard his story before, or at least some aspect of it, however he wasn't, isn't, all that they say; he's that and more. His English teacher had told him many times that if he wanted to change something, to change how someone else looked at things, it would need to start with him first. None of those faces would believe some baloney story about how he was a changed kid, how doing service made him feel good. No, they would just scoff at it as fake because a story like that would have been fake. To change their viewpoint on service, even if it was just one person out of the two hundred-some sitting in front of him, he would have to tell his story.
The boy takes a deep breath and begins simply, "You all probably know me as Percy Jackson, the kid who gets kicked out of schools. Yeah well, it was being kicked out of schools that brought me here... Well, uh, that and a really pretty girl," the snickers and 'oohs' erupt as Percy grins goofily at the memory of that girl. "So, I guess you could call this my 'story'..."
…
Three Months Earlier
~ . ~
Percy Jackson sat back against the fold-up chair, wiping the sweat off his brow. He had been working under the hot, scorching sun for over two hours and was thankful for the short break he, and the rest of the group, was given. Percy wasn't the only kid there who was finally given a much needed break. In fact, there were at least ten other kids relaxing at that moment and others who had taken earlier shifts waiting to leave. At that very second, Percy desperately wished that he had the option of choosing his shifts, but sadly for him, he had to work his schedule around the shifts instead of the shifts working around his schedule. The community's needed service waited for no one nor anything, not even the blazing heat.
As Percy inhaled the humid air, a girl who he had often seen at his recent community service outings took the seat next to him. She turned to him, "Is this seat taken?"
Percy took in her soft grey eyes and the limited freckles that were scattered across her face. He shook his head 'no' because when he opened his mouth to talk, nothing came out. The girl smiled politely, lifting her blonde curls off her neck to cool down. From all of the services that they had done together, he had always noticed her from afar, but Percy had never been able to see her that close up. Watching her from the corner of his eye, Percy noticed that she was definitely prettier up close versus afar. Or, maybe she was just that pretty from afar, but it was simply harder to tell. He wasn't exactly sure which it was.
He wanted to talk to her, but he feared that he might screw that up; Percy Jackson had never talked to a girl as beautiful as the girl who was now sitting next to him. He internally shrugged, knowing that the worse he could do was make a fool of himself, "Hey."
The girl turned towards him seemingly surprised, "Hi." Nevertheless, she smiled at the dark haired boy with sea-green eyes who remained next to her. She paused, examining his face, "I'm Annabeth." In the end, her grey eyes rested on Percy's green, knowing that she had never seen eyes the color of his before where the sun's rays reflected off the blue and green speckles in waves.
"I'm Percy," he grinned goofily at Annabeth, not sure how to start a conversation with a girl like her. He was certain that a girl as pretty as her wouldn't entertain any conversation that he was interested in having; in fact, he was uncertain as to what kind of conversation one would enter into with a girl like her.
Annabeth cocked her head to the side, "Where do you go to school?" Since Percy hadn't exactly started the conversation, – though technically he had by saying hi however not a conversation of substance – it was up to her to do so.
"Uh, Goode High School," he shrugged, knowing how close he was to being kicked out of that very school. It was hard for him to escape trouble as it always seemed to follow him, and it was probably only his mother's boyfriend, Paul Blofis, that kept him at that school for so long. For that, he was thankful because he was starting to see that maybe he might want to stick around at that school. "Er... What about you?"
She sighed, "It's an all girls school. I doubt that you know it." Percy raised his eyebrows to which Annabeth continued, "You know, since it's an all girls school..." She chuckled lightly, not sure why she felt the need to explain her reasoning for her assumption. Annabeth felt off balance around Percy, like she never had before, teetering on the edge of a cliff yet enjoying the rush of air that curled over her shoulders from being so close to danger. Normally, she was fine around guys, but something about Percy kept her on her toes, kept her wanting to feel that rush.
He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you guessed right. I haven't been to that school yet," his lips curved slightly into a small smile which Annabeth's mouth soon echoed. It was no secret to most that Percy had frequented the many school systems of New York. It wasn't very often that he lasted a year at one, and Goode was the only exception thus far.
"Oh, so you move a lot?" Annabeth asked, genuinely wanting to know more about this dark haired boy. It wasn't often that Annabeth was truly interested in learning more about a person, but there was something different, something captivating, about Percy to her; truly, it was more the former than the latter—something different, maybe even something perplexing, in an odd sort of way.
He chuckled, "Yeah... Something like that." It wasn't that he wanted to mislead Annabeth, however he wasn't ready to tell her how he was so often kicked out of schools. Truly, Percy wasn't trouble, but he doubted Annabeth would want to hang out with him if she knew his track record. That was something he did not want to risk; he wanted to hang out with Annabeth, even if he had just officially met her five minutes ago.
"Alright, break over," a man called, rousing the many teenagers who were just enjoying the small amount of shade they had. While it was still hot in the veiled area, it was better than being out, under the beating sun.
Annabeth stood, glancing over at Percy, "Well, I'll see you around?" She played with her fingers, uncertain of how to go about such things. Sure, she had talked to guys and had her fair share of crushes, but she definitely wasn't used to talking to a guy like him, a guy like Percy.
He grinned, "Yeah... Definitely." If there was one thing Percy Jackson was going to make sure of, he was going to see Annabeth again.
…
Present
~ . ~
Percy pauses from his story, watching the different expressions that pass over the different faces—boredom, surprise, uncertainty, skepticism, impatience, not a single one captivated. As soon as he pauses, different statements are passed around such as: I bet that's the girl… Who is she? Does she even go to our school? Is that his girlfriend? Oh man, I bet she was really hot to get Jackson's attention,and I still can't believe Percy spent his summer doing community service. The one Percy keeps hearing is I bet that's the girl. He sighs, wondering how long it will take him to get through the story at this rate, "Yeah... Annabeth's the girl." He scratches the back of his head, wondering what she's doing that very second. Since she still attends the all girls' school, she isn't in attendance at the Pay It Forward meeting no matter how strongly Percy desired for her appearance. It pointless for him to wish for such a thing; her parents would never send her to a public school anyways, he knew.
Percy clears his throat, "So, uh, yeah, now we skip some time forward..."
…
Two Months Earlier
~ . ~
Annabeth pressed the side of her head against the dew covered window of a school bus that was meant to bring her to the lake cleanup. It was her tenth community service since she had first talked to Percy Jackson a month ago. Yes, she had been keeping track, but she couldn't help it. The numbers just sort of added themselves up in her head, aligning in a neat procession that automatically added the next number, calculated the amount of time. She had been hoping to see Percy again, yet she wasn't exactly sure why that was. They had done eight out of those ten service opportunities together, clocking in more than sixteen hours spent with one another over the shortening summer. In those sixteen hours, they had come to know each other, become comfortable with each other. They even shared a few jokes, while Percy laughed at Annabeth's more than she laughed at his; than she complimented him; than she was caught staring at him. It always seemed to work that way, but neither of them seemed to mind it or maybe they merely were not aware of it. And maybe, just maybe, their feelings for each other had grown to be more than friends. Maybe.
The rest of the hardened bus seat sunk down from the weight of a person who decided that sitting next to Annabeth would be a good idea; Annabeth certainly did not hold the same sentiment as the unknown entity that held a presence next to her. She sighed, turning her head to meet the profile of a certain dark haired boy, and in that second, her stomach seemed to flip and her lips seemed to twitch. Nonetheless, Annabeth didn't talk nor did Percy. They simply sat together as the bus's engine revved and brought them closer to the lake. They simply enjoyed each other's presence—how their extremities occasionally grazed as the bus jostled them from side to side; how their breaths mingled together with the noise of murmured voices and turning tires; how each their hearts seemed to pound against their rib cage, emitting a quickened rhythm; how each of their thoughts somehow became entranced with images and memories of the other as the smooth, snug silence waged ever onward. It would be Percy who broke that silence first.
"I'm Percy Jackson," he grinned, stretching his hand out towards Annabeth. In the one month that they had known each other, he had gained a small ounce, at the most, of confidence in himself that he had been lacking before. It wasn't that he was more comfortable, in situations with pretty girls, than before, but he was aware of the fact that Annabeth seemed to be someone who he could get along with... and well… Of course, that was if you dispelled the arguments that occasionally, well, truly daily, occurred.
She smiled slightly, originally trying to hold it back, "I think I remember you from somewhere." Annabeth extended her hand, and they shook hands for just a few seconds longer than necessary. But, it was those few seconds that meant more than the simple act of shaking hands. "I'm Annabeth."
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Annabeth No-Last-Name," Percy grinned, reluctantly releasing Annabeth's hand from his grasp. There was something about that girl that Percy quite simply liked, whether it be the blonde curls, reluctant smile, or calculating eyes. While he normally barely made it through his community service outings, he had come to look forward to them ever since having met Annabeth back in the extreme heat. There was something tugging him back each time, and that something was a girl with golden hair spun in curls accompanied with a hesitant lift of the lips, not matching the cunning grey eyes. So maybe, that something sounded a lot like Annabeth. Maybe.
Annabeth chuckled, "I'm still not telling you my last name, Percy." It was something that had always defined Annabeth to everyone who knew her father, and to Percy, she was just Annabeth. She wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. It was refreshing to her to simply be her own person for once instead of having her father's shadow cast over her.
Though Percy, he never truly understood why her last name was such a secret because Annabeth never explained it. "Come on, what's so wrong with your last name? It's not gonna change the way I look at you." He was certain that there was nothing that could change the way he saw Annabeth nor the way he felt about her – even if he still wasn't sure to what extent he cared about her.
"It probably could..." She mumbled, knowing full well how people viewed her differently and expected her to be like her father and live up to his reputation. Sure, she was able to exceed their expectations, but she would have preferred to not even have them set in the first place. It was the fact that Percy viewed her without expectations that made her so weary of disclosing her last name.
"Try me," Percy whispered, bending his head down to be closer to her ear. Without her knowing, he breathed in the soft scent of lemon that was emitted from her tresses, never having smelt a better scent before. It relaxed him, being that close to her, yet also sped up his heart beat, making him wonder if she could hear it too, keeping beat against his chest.
She blew out a breath, knowing that she didn't want to keep her last name from Percy, "Chase... Yes, my father is the ex-pilot now professor." And then, Annabeth waited for the way he looked at her to change, to see the expectations he had for her glaze over his eyes. Not wanting to see it, she avoided his gaze altogether, focusing on the blurring scenes that passed outside the bus window. Somehow, it relaxed her by seeing how things were always changing and never constant—she could escape the gaze of Percy or blur the expectations that would certainly fill his orbs by moving faster, by seeing less.
Percy laughed, not meaning to make Annabeth feel bad, "That's it?" He was expecting her to say her parents were fugitives or something worse like that. It was no big deal to him that her father was somewhat of a big shot around town because it made no difference to him. Heck, he had only heard about Professor Chase from some conversation his mother and Paul were having. To him, she was still Annabeth, and that would never change.
Annabeth glanced up to meet his gaze, seeing that the reassuring, sea-green eyes never changed. They still expressed the endearment and care that she had become so accustomed to over the days and hours that they had spent together. "Yes," she stated, biting her lip to hold back a smile. Percy always seemed to be able to make her smile no matter what the situation was, no matter how reluctant she was to let the corners of her lips curve upwards.
"Well, Annabeth Chase, nothing's changed on my side," he smirked, wanting to see Annabeth finally smile. He got his wish as Annabeth could no longer bite back that smile. It was the same one that made Percy's smirk become a grin. "Now come on, Wise Girl, we've got another community service job to do."
Percy had come to call her Wise Girl after the many times that he noticed just how smart she was; to Percy, she was the smartest Percy he had ever met, besides him mom of course. Sure, it made more sense to him after knowing that her father was a pilot and professor, but she would still be one of the smartest people much less girls that he knew.
Annabeth's smile only got larger; secretly, she cherished every time that Percy called her that nickname, "Don't make it sound so bad, Seaweed Brain." And well, the nickname Seaweed Brain simply came in tow.
…
Present
~ . ~
"Seaweed Brain?" A good number of people laugh, having heard the nickname that Annabeth had given Percy. It definitely is not the best nickname to share with two hundred-some people that you will have to see everyday at school for another two years, but it is all just a part of the story.
Percy rolls his eyes, realizing that he must have picked that up from Annabeth. "Yeah, that's the nickname, and she's the only one who can call me that, got it?" Still, a couple of smiles are emitted, but no one dares to call Percy that nickname again. It probably helps that he's captain of the swim team even though he's only a junior, and he has been sought after for the wrestling as well as football team many times over. Nonetheless, Percy never actually tried out for the teams as swimming truly was and is his niche.
"So, why does this Annabeth girl get to call you that?" One of the underclassmen guys calls out to Percy. A couple more of that guy's friends gain a small amount of guts and echo what the first guy said.
Percy chuckles, shaking his head, "If a hot girl called you that enough times, I bet you would just accept the nickname, too." Plus, if he was completely honest, Percy had liked that Annabeth thought enough of him to give him a nickname, though he wouldn't be telling any of them that anytime soon.
For that comment, the upperclassmen guys call out a few yeah's while someone yells "Percy just burned you." A few laughs then ensue while Percy can't help but crack a smirk. He originally thought it was a pretty dumb question anyways.
Percy quiets them down before saying, "Alright, so yeah, back to the story..."
…
40 Days Earlier
~ . ~
"You never told me why you do so much community service," Percy mumbled, resting his arm on the back of Annabeth's chair. They had been given a fifteen minute break from catering to the many stuffed people at the banquet. While it wasn't very long, it was definitely better than nothing.
Annabeth rolled her eyes, something that Percy noticed she did rather often around him, "You never told me your reason either, Percy." It was for different reasons that both of them didn't often explain why they did so much community service. For those very reasons, neither exactly wanted to disclose it to each other but knew there was no one else who they would rather to tell.
Percy shrugged, scratching the back of his head with the arm that wasn't around Annabeth's chair, "Trouble sort of follows me..." And it was true, Percy didn't purposefully cause trouble, but the trouble that was caused seem to constantly show up where he was.
Annabeth cocked her head to the side, "Okay..." She wasn't exactly sure where Percy was going with that, but she desperately hoped that he wasn't going to say he was a juvenile delinquent. It wouldn't have changed her view of him, but she doubted her father would allow her to continue her friendship with Percy much less take it any further.
"Well, uh," Percy ran a hand through his hair, "I've been to over five schools in five years, and it's not because I've moved a lot." He glanced towards Annabeth, noting that her eyes were filled with curiosity, "It's just that stuff happens around me. People think I tried to burn a school down and other stuff like that. So, I get kicked out of schools, and then I go to another for less than a year until I get kicked out. They decided that I needed some sort of punishment for all the stuff that I've done, though I never did them on purpose; so, I have to spend the entire summer doing community service. I don't pick the outings I do. They get picked for me, and I guess they've been picked out pretty well so far." Percy nervously tapped the back of Annabeth's chair, not sure what her reaction would be.
"So..." Annabeth paused, picking her words with precision, "You don't really do community service to help the people in the community?" She wasn't put off at all by Percy's story, however she secretly hoped that Percy cared as much as she did about helping the community. She had never met anyone who seemed to care as much as she did, and she knew that telling her story would only embarrass her if Percy didn't.
He cleared his throat, "It's not like that. I mean, it started out because I didn't care, but after doing them... I don't know, Annabeth." Percy didn't want to disappoint her, yet he also didn't want to tell her something that wasn't true. Yes, he enjoyed doing community service, but he wasn't exactly sure why: whether or not it was because of Annabeth or just liking helping the community.
Annabeth stood, "You know, I thought you were different, that you actually cared about other people." She shook her head, knowing that she felt more angered about the possibility that she had grown to like Percy more than he liked her. The thought kept crossing her mind that maybe, if Percy had the choice, he wouldn't have spent so much time with Annabeth over the summer helping the community. Maybe. He was becoming something more than just a friend, even if just a close friend. It took awhile for her to let people in, and now she just let Percy in, feeling more and more disappointed. "That maybe you cared about me..."
Percy sighed, "Annabeth, it's not just that simple. I don't know why I've enjoyed doing community service... But if I had to do it over again..." Percy blew out a deep breath, meeting Annabeth's amused gaze. "You're enjoying this."
She shook her head before chuckling, "You're just really bad at expressing your feelings." Annabeth took a step forward, standing in front of Percy, looking down at him. Her grey eyes were lit up from amusement, doing her best not to outright laugh. She clasped her hand with Percy's, "I guess it's just a good thing I'm used to your ramblings."
…
26 Days Earlier
~ . ~
"So, you still haven't told me why you do community service," Percy grinned, squeezing Annabeth's hand that was clasped in his. They were both now on the bus that would bring them back to New York from another community service event. The community services hadn't been much different since they started dating, however Percy took more opportunities to hold Annabeth's hand or put his arm around her shoulder or gaze at her without needing to look away when she noticed.
Annabeth sighed, knowing that this would be coming soon. Percy had been able to tell his story to her, yet she still hadn't divulged hers. She knew that she could trust Percy with anything, however the thought of telling him still bothered her. Taking a deep breath, she began. "You see... I watched this movie, Pay It Forward, and the main character, Trevor, had this idea that well... stuck with me." She chuckled under her breath, realizing how odd it sounded saying it aloud for the first time instead of in her head, "It was that the world is, well, kinda shitty, but people can still do good things to change the world. So, I would do a big, good thing for three people. And instead of them doing something for me, I would tell them to 'pay it forward.' So, each person would have to do one big thing for three people. Then, those three people become twenty-seven. Then eighty-one. Two hundred forty-three. Seven hundred twenty-nine. I don't expect to get that far; it probably won't even make it past me, but it's nice to try I suppose. It's nice to think that there's hope for the world—that maybe, just maybe, I'm actually helping the world in some way." Maybe. Annabeth glanced quickly at Percy to see a thoughtful expression upon his face. It didn't happen often, but there were times when Percy's expression did become one of thought.
"I don't think that's it," Percy stated, rubbing his thumb over the back of Annabeth's hand. It wasn't that he doubted her story or that she was telling the truth – he was certain she was – but he knew that Annabeth was more than just that. He continued, "I don't think you started doing community service because of some movie. Sure, it might have made you want to do more, but I know you Annabeth," he turned his body towards hers, looking her directly in the eyes. "You do it because you care about helping other people, and that's more than I can say for a lot of people that are here or were at any other community service even that we did. Look, I didn't care at the beginning, then in the middle, I only liked it because I got to hang out around you. And now, well yeah, I like hanging out with my girlfriend, but I actually care about helping other people," he brought his hands to her face, bringing his closers. "And you know what, you were wrong because it has already gotten to one person out of those three," he whispered before pressing his lips against Annabeth's.
…
Present
~ . ~
"So, then I changed this club's name to Pay It Forward. I don't expect any of you guys to get it," Percy shrugs, seeing that each person's face is stern. "I didn't get it at first, but the point is that we can all change. I'm not doing community service anymore as a punishment for all the ways that I got kicked out of schools—there were a lot of ways. I could have stopped doing community service a month ago and not looked back, but the thing is, I didn't. So yeah, you can come here just for the food or to hang out with friends, or for some other reason that you might have, but each quarter, every member of this club has to do three community service outings at least. Go ahead, do more. But the thing is, that three might become twenty-seven, eighty-one. Who knows. I'm not big on math. It's not about changing the world or anything huge like that. Sure, it might change the world, but it's really just about taking the time to help a person out." Percy steps back from the podium to join the rest of the officer team. "And you know, maybe just maybe that will end up changing the world if it spreads far enough." Maybe.
What he didn't expect was the applause that he got from his peers in front of him or the hand on his shoulder as Paul whispers, "This is why you're President, Percy."
xx
AN: … and who knows, maybe those 26 will spread.
Seriously, I loved the movie Pay It Forward, and I would recommend it to anyone. If you have Amazon Prime, you can see it for free from Amazon Instant Video. (the website.) If you don't have Amazon Prime, I still recommend that you see it whether from Netflix or Blockbusters, 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime, or anything. It was such a great movie, and it gave me the inspiration to write this one shot. I realize that this isn't the most lovey-dovey Percabeth one shot, but I still like it nonetheless. Forewarning about the movie—there are some sensitive things.
Feel free to ask me any questions or give any suggestions or anything that you might have.
I hope you guys at least liked this a little,
~ Jam.
xx
Originally posted: July 2012.
Revised 1.18.12
Revised 2.1.13