Ka-thunk-Ka-thunk-Ka-thunk.
Annabeth's heart stamped in her chest, screaming and working furiously to pump blood through her tense body. A bead of sweat worked its way down the small of her back, and a vein stood prominently on her left temple. Her hands shook like never before; the webbing of veins clear through her pale, clammy skin.
Ka-thunk-Ka-thunk-Ka-thunk.
Suddenly, strong, tan arms wrapped around her waist, a face pushed against her cheek and a light, loving kiss planted with it.
"Hey." He said into her hair. "Packing?"
"Yup. Just…packing." She replied.
"You know, I was thinking about getting a webcam, so that we can talk over the computer when we go away." He stated. "You have one of those?"
"No, like the majority of computer owners, I have one built in to my laptop!" She giggled, poking him in the side.
"Well, I have never!" He exclaimed, in mock alarm, earning more giggles from her. "I don't see the need to get a new computer when my old one works just fine! Besides, even if you're gonna be rude about it, we can still see each other when we're on separate coasts this way."
"I—I've been meaning to talk to you about that." She stammered out nervously.
"About what? Webcams, miss Harvard girl?" He teased.
"No…about…about the long-distance thing." She whispered.
"Look, I know it's gonna be difficult, with the different schools on different coasts thing, but we can make it work! I know we can!"
"Percy…. Please, hear me out!" She begged, tears tracing their way down her cheeks. "I—I'm going through something right now…I need to leave you behind so that you can go through with your dreams. I am not dragging you down with me and holding you back!"
"How could you even say something like that?" He exploded, his voice cracking with emotion. "You could never hold me back! Annabeth! Please… please…I—I thought you said you loved me!" Tears had formed in his eyes, shocking Annabeth. Until now, she had never truly seen him cry. He reached out for her, but she pulled her arm out of reach, jumping up.
"Percy, I can't! I'm doing this because I love you!" She stared helplessly at him. " 'If you love someone, let them go.' " She muttered to herself.
"So what? You're ending it?" He asked, with the tiniest ounce of hope in his eyes.
She paused before answering. "Yes, Percy. I-I'm ending this." And with that, the last glimmer of hope died.
He jumped up from the couch, bounding to the door, his body rigid and his hands in clenched fists. For a moment, just before he exited, he turned back, and she was afraid he might demand to know more. She held her breath, but, just before taking a step into the brisk autumn air, all he did was shoot her a tear-filled look of betrayal. One that screamed "Et tu Brute?", as if she had just stabbed him in the heart.
Alone, she sank to the floor, tears flowing freely, her hands jammed into the pockets of her oversized sweatshirt. She remained this way for what seemed like days, but, in all the clutter in her mind at the moment, her common sense told her it couldn't have been more than an hour or so. She wiped at the tears on her face with the backs of her hands, staring at the cracked hardwood floor with red, bloodshot eyes. Suddenly, the door flew open again, and her eyes jumped to the doorway, hoping for it to be him, though she knew it couldn't have been. Thalia stomped her way in, eyes wild and fists crackling with energy.
"What it Hades have you done to him?" She demanded, screaming at full volume. Her lean body shook with anger.
"I…broke it off." Annabeth whispered back slowly.
"I can see that." Thalia snorted. "But what everyone wants to know is why? The whole camp saw him book it out of here with all his stuff! He was shaking for gods' sake!"
"Crap." Came the softly whispered response.
"I'll say." Thalia snorted again. "And you know what he said when I demanded to know what was wrong with him?" She didn't even pause for a response, instead rambling on. "He said to go ask you. So I'm asking you, what in Hades you did!" Fired crackled in her bright eyes, and electricity jumped between her fingers madly. "You guys were finally together! What possessed you to go and break it off? Do you want to be miserable for the rest of your life?"
Silently, Annabeth removed something from her pocket, briefly looking down at it. She gave a short, empty laugh before sliding it across the ground to where Thalia stood. With a small scraping sound, it clunked across her steel-toed boot, and she looked down at it. A smooth, white, plastic stick.
"Tell me this isn't what I think it is." A curt, close-eyed nod came in reply. Bending down, Thalia flipped over the stick, glaring down at the small window. And what else should she find staring back up at her but two, parallel, baby pink lines.
"Shit." She muttered. Annabeth could only nod.