Disclaimer: No one is as awesome as Uncle Rick. Including me. Characters belong to him.
Annabeth climbed over gnarled tree roots in the path, trying to navigate her way through the forest. Normally she would have found the cabin in a matter of seconds, but she was too giddy with excitement to think clearly.
They were going on a date!
She let out a loud squeal, quickly putting her hand on her mouth. And then she groaned; why did Percy do this to her? It was as if he put a spell on her and made her think like...a love-struck teenage girl.
The bright shining moon illuminated the path, leading Annabeth to her destination. More than once she made wrong turns, and more than once she thought about turning back. But she couldn't.
She had a date with Percy Jackson. Her somewhat boyfriend. Her best friend. The boy- no, the man- she'd loved for years.
Annabeth stopped walking and blinked. She realized that she was more infatuated with Percy than she thought. She hated the fact that she was at his mercy, and with a bat of an eye he could turn her into a fangirl. And yet she continued to love him.
'Why?' she'd asked herself this question for years, and to this day still had no answer. It was bizarre, the way she'd fallen for him so quickly; one minute she thought he was an ignorant idiot, and then next he was suddenly a great person in her eyes, one that truly had a good heart and could do no wrong.
That naive thirteen year old girl had had a much needed wake-up call long ago.
It was strange, how they were together all this time and he'd never asked her on a real date.
*****Flashback*****
"Don't worry, they'll just think you went shopping or something," Percy said, reaching over and grabbing her hand.
She rolled her eyes and stared out the window. "Yeah, because everyone comes home soaking wet after a day at the mall. 'Where are your bags, Annabeth?' 'Oh, I just lost them when I fell into the lake.'"
"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Percy asked.
"Why do you have to be so cretinous?" she retorted without thinking. She winced, thinking she'd gone too far. Percy was only trying to help. But when she looked over at him, Percy's eyebrows were knitted. "It means stupid, Stupid."
"Yeah, well you're so..." Annabeth rolled her eyes. Percy seriously needed a thesaurus. "Shrewd," He finally said, proudly sitting straighter in the drivers seat. Annabeth raised an eyebrow, not amused. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"
Percy sighed exasperatedly. "It's not my fault I don't swallow dictionaries. Unlike someone."
She opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again, not wanting to continue the name calling and insults. This was what they did when they were twelve, and things were innocent. Times have changed. They were no longer kids who called each other names and teased for amusement- at least, Annabeth wasn't; she couldn't say the same for Percy. Things were more complicated now.
"I understand you're trying to help, but what am I supposed to do? As soon as I step through the door, I'll be grounded for life. So on top of being grounded, I have exams to worry about, Matthew and Bobby, Yale, graduation, and what else? I don't want to add anything else on my plate. I'm already full."
"And I have-"
"-do you want to go on a date with me?" Percy asked, interrupting her. Annabeth stared at him, but his eyes were trained on the road, his face passive. She blinked, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. She didn't know what to say. If she says yes, did that mean they would start a serious relationship, unlike the fooling around they did now? Would they still have to be exclusive? Oh, how she would love to kiss Percy in front of Drew Tanaka's face.
On the other hand, if she said no, would that ruin their relationship? Would he even talk to her? It wouldn't surprise her if he totally started ignoring her out of the blue. Percy was like that; one minute he'd be all over her, the next he'd stay away from her as if she had the plague.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Annabeth forced herself to answer. "I don't know."
"It's not that hard of a question. Yes or no," Once again, his tone was apathetic, as if he didn't care what her answer was.
Her heart spoke for her. "Yes."
Percy gave the goofiest smile, looking over at her affectionately. "Percy! The road!" He quickly turned his attention back to the street, narrowly avoiding a car crash, but he never let go of her hand the whole ride back home.
**End of flashback**
She remembered like it was just yesterday. Well...it was just yesterday. But she still remembered how her heart swelled with jubilation when Percy kissed her goodnight. Sure, she got grounded for two weeks, and sure she was risking getting an even longer punishment time by sneaking out, but Percy was worth it.
She ran ahead, incapable of holding her excitement any longer.
Almost running into the lake, Annabeth stopped, remembering to turn left. As she walked along the shore, she watched the moonlight glitter and bounce off the dark water.
Looking up from the water, a grin broke out on her face. A light in the small cabin was on.
When she finally got there, Annabeth pushed open the door, not sure what she should expect. A candle lit dinner along with Percy in a tux holding out a rose? She laughed quietly. Like that was going to happen. Percy holding two mugs of hot chocolate sitting by a fire? It was summer.
Annabeth was sure she hadn't turned on the 'teenage fantasizer' switch in her brain. When and why had she thought up these scenarios in her head?
What she really saw was nothing like what she had hoped.
The fireplace was unlit and there were no signs of hot chocolate. There was no romantic dinner or flowers; the dim source of light came from the oil lamp they had left on. And worst of all, there was no sign of Percy.
She tried not to freak out. "He might be running late," She reasoned to herself, hoping that was the case.
She sat outside of the door on the wooden steps, staring out at the lake. The wind whipped through her hair, making her feel like she was in some sort of cliché romance movie.
And hour passed
Two hours.
She sniffed, her eyes burning. 'Don't do it, Annabeth,' she thought sternly. 'You will not cry. You're not going to cry over Percy Jackson. You always knew he was going to break you're heart, so why cry now? It's no surprise; he's a jerk. DO. NOT. CRY.' And so she didn't. The voice was right. She'd always semi-expected something disappointing with Percy, so there was no point shedding tears over the bastard. Instead of allowing the tears, anger quickly pushed aside disappointment.
Looking around, a glint of metal caught her eye. She turned and stood up, walking to where she saw it.
Kneeling down, Annabeth picked up the object. Studying it in her hands, she saw it was a blue pendent. Squinting, she realized it was sapphire and not plastic, waves etched into the background, a pink chunk of coral embedded in the center. It made the necklace look bizarre and exotically beautiful at the same time. There was a postit stuck to it.
Ripping off the blue piece of paper, Annabeth read it. In scrawled writing, "I tried and I can't" was in the center, along with a frowny face. She crumpled the note, her face flushing in anger.
A tear slipped down her face as she looked down. She promised herself she wouldn't cry. 'Well, it's just one of the many broken promises with Percy Jackson, right?' she thought.
She didn't know how she had possibly missed it before, but Annabeth found herself standing in the middle of a giant heart drawn in the sand, "I'm sorry" written into it.
"Ms Annabeth Chase, Valedictorian!"
Smoothing out the white and golden graduation robe, Annabeth stood up and walked up the stage to the podium, stumbling in her heels. She smiled at Mr. Blofis. And no, it wasn't "Blowfish". She'd asked.
She accepted the award. After her short speech, she sat on one of the chairs on the side of the stage, as rehearsed. Annabeth listened as everyone's name got called up to the stage. It seemed like Annabeth and her brother Malcolm were the only ones getting a full scholarship.
When Percy was called to the stage, he merely glanced at Annabeth and scowled, returning his focus to the crowd. Unlike hers, his speech got a standing ovation, along with wolf whistles and roses. Okay, that might've been an exaggeration, but the crowd actually responded to his speech instead of clapping in union like they did hers.
Percy sat next to Annabeth, still beaming at the rest of the auditorium.
Glancing down at the massive check in his hands, Annabeth smiled."Congratulations, Percy." He stopped smiling and gave her a look of disdain, then looked away without answering.
Taken aback, Annabeth forced herself to stay quiet. What was his problem? She should be mad, not him. He had ditched her at the cabin and ignored her the rest of the week. In school he would pretend he didn't even know her.
Whenever she went up to confront him, he would be obnoxious and rude. Probably because they were in front of his 'friends' and he wanted to act like he didn't know her. More than once she'd ask him if he was embarrassed by her and more than once he'd swear he wasn't. He said he was keeping their relationship a secret because he was 'trying to protect her'. Like she hasn't heard that crap before.
"You too," He finally said, smiling at her rather forcefully.
The principal got on stage and gave an hour long speech. Annabeth could barely contain her excitement. They were graduating! She was going to Yale! She was finally following her dream of becoming an architect.
Percy Jackson's attitude was not going to ruin her big day.
During the slide show, Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him behind the curtains. "What," He snapped, yanking his hand from her.
She willed herself not to look hurt. "Stop." Percy said. Annabeth stared at him.
"What?" She asked, dumbfounded. He shrugged, hands in pockets. "Stop. Stop staring at me like I ran over your puppy." She punched his arm the hardest she could. "Don't tell me to stop! I have a reason to be hurt! You're the one who stood me up."
He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable."I'm sorry, but I know what I want now," he answered plainly, looking down.
She gaped at him. "What?" How would he think that's an acceptable answer for standing someone up? "I waited for three hours! I thought that you-" He reached out and pointed to her neck.
A faint smile was displayed on his face. "You actually wore it."
She blinked. What? Absentmindedly, her hand went to her neck and she pulled the necklace from beneath her dress. She started fiddling with it, biting her lip. "I ,uh...yeah. I never take it off. It helps clear my mind."
He smiled.
She shook her head. "What am I doing," she muttered. Annabeth poked his chest. "I am supposed to be mad at you! And, no, I do not accept your apology, whatever it's for." Percy's smile faded.
"You don't have to accept it. I've already made my decision, whether you like it or not." Pushing past her, Percy made his way back to his seat.
Annabeth was taken aback by his cold tone. He'd never spoken to her like that, even in arguments.
It was just proof Percy was changing.
"And, as I am sad to announce," The principal gestured to the group of students on the stage. They all stood up, like practiced. "Here are the graduating student body of Goode High." A collective cheer rang throughout the hoard of students.
Enthralled, Annabeth jumped up and hugged her brother tightly. Her brother was one of her only friends. She only had one other friend in the school, Grover Underwood, but he was best friends with Percy. Actually, she hasn't spoken to him since last year. Annabeth was at the very bottom of social class, but that didn't really bother her. In fact, she was proud to not be one of those petty cheerleaders who spent ever moment on their phones or sleeping around to be popular.
Percy and Annabeth's eyes locked. His eyes, like the other day, were remorseful and distant. "I'm sorry." he mouthed. She shook her head. He finally looked away, to the group of cheerleaders and jocks surrounding him. Almost as if it were a button in his head, Annabeth saw Percy change his demeanor from apologetic to flamboyant and flirtatious. She never under stood why, but Percy always acted a certain way around her, and then a completely different way around everyone else.
Recently, Annabeth found out that Percy had many faces, and his close friends and herself only got to see who he really was.
Annabeth felt her blood boil as she watched Drew, cheerleader captain, run her fingers along Percy's arm, seductively pushing her chest onto him. He leaned down and whispered into her ear and she giggled loudly. Annabeth forced herself to look away.
"Annabeth, where are you going?" She hadn't realized she was walking away until a hand was placed on her shoulder. "I just need to clear my head. I'll be home in few hours, Malcolm."
Before he could protest, she pushed out of the metal doors and into the chilly night. It was drizzling, dark, and freezing. She wore nothing but a grey off the shoulder day dress and a thin gown of the school's colors. Yes, she was cold, but she needed to think.
Okay, quick recap: Percy's a douche and ruined one of the greatest days of her life. What new? It was always like this recently; they'd get close, then Percy starts pushing her away. And then he comes running back, acting like he's in love with her, and then...he acts like a douche again. And so the cycle continues.
Every time she told herself she wouldn't do this again and every time the same thing happens. She always gets hurt in the end.
She was smart; shouldnt she be able to tell that her and Percy are opposites? There are obviously reasons why their personalities clash. And when opposites collide, in the bad way, people tended to get hurt.
She could almost see her mother shaking her head disdainfully at her girlish thoughts. She was raised to be smart; not to spend her every waking moment thinking about boys.
"Hey Wise Girl," Percy fell into step with her. She ignored him, deep in her thoughts.
"So you're going to Stanford, huh?" He tried striking conversation. "I'm happy for you, Beth. I really am. I'm glad you get to-"
"What the hell is your problem?" She demanded, whirling to him. "I have the time of my life with you at the beach, then you completely bail on me?! Weeks later, you're still not talking to me and you're mad? For what reason? Tell me!" He opened his mouth to speak but she interrupted. "Shut up! And how dare you come up out of nowhere and strike up a conversation like we're friends?!" She shrieked.
"Whoa. Relax, Wise-"
"Don't you dare call me Wise Girl and don't you dare tell me to relax! That's what a friend would do. You lost your privilege when you left me at the lake!"
He grabbed her hands, but that didn't stop her from getting good punches thrown at him. She started yelling unnecessary curses at him.
"I HATE YOU PERCY JACKSON! I WISH YOU WOULD GO TO HELL!"
"No you don't," He said softly. "Yes, I do! I hate you! I hate you! I fucking hat-" He mashed his lips on hers. She pushed him away and stared at him, glaring. "You think you can just show up out of thin air after rejecting me and then kiss me, as if this fixes everything?" Annabeth demanded.
Percy seemed truly surprised at her reaction. "You think you can kiss me, and magically I'm no longer mad? Well, believe me Percy Jackson, I am beyond pissed right now."
"At least you didn't say you hated me," He smiled weakly. Slowly, as if asking for permission, he pulled her close and kissed her again, but she remained still, showing no emotion. He might as well have been kissing a stone wall.
But after a bit of coaxing, she reluctantly kissed him back, running her hand through his silky hair. He wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. They broke the kiss to take a breath, she automatically felt like slapping herself for what she let slip out of her mouth.
"I love you." Percy stared at her. He pulled away, a pained look on his face. Annabeth was absolutely drenched now, the rain chilling her bones. She shuddered, hugging herself, watching Percy carefully. His eyes kept darting around nervously, as if just now realizing they were making out in public.
She was cold, miserable, and angry. Her hair stuck to her face, rain pounded on her, ghost cold chills ran through her body, and she could barely see, but it felt like her world stopped. It all depended on what Percy said next.
"Percy?" Annabeth asked, fear seeping into her tone. "Say something."
"I'm sorry, Wise girl, but I can't say the same. I can't- I don't love you. I never have." He gently put a hand on her arm. She jerked out of his grip.
"No! Don't touch me!" She wanted to hit herself for the tears spilling out of her eyes. She didn't want to look weak in front of Percy. She didn't want him to see how much he had hurt her.
She forced herself to stop crying, her tone eerily calm. "Sorry doesn't cut it this time. You've officially forever fucked up whatever this was between us. You know what? I'm glad. Because I wouldn't want to have a relationship where we only meet in some stupid cabin. I'm no longer your whore, nor am I your secret," she laughed humorlessly. "I'm imbecilic for believing you actually might have loved me," she clapped. "It was a great act, really. That's what you should be; an actor. It's the only thing you're good at, besides hurting people."
He bit his lip and took a deep breath. There it was again- that blank look. He straightened up and nodded. "Okay." He said, his voice almost cracking. But ANnabeth was too worked up to notice how her words had affected him.
She watched Percy walk back into the building, not even sparing a glance behind him. It was pouring now. Annabeth finally let it all out, her sobs inaudible in the rain.
A/N:
Hello viewers. I know it took me a while to update, but I kept remaking this chapter and deleting it because I'm unsatisfied. Even if it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, I thought I might as well update and see how you like it.
Review!
~greekfreak302
