"Let the meeting begin!" Mr. Brown announced, throwing his hands into the air. He was the principal at Middlebrook Elementary School, where teachers Ms. Annabeth Chase and Mr. Percy Jackson both worked. They were at a meeting involving a certain student who had been misbehaving.
"So, Mr. Jackson, I understand you have the said student, Heather, in your everyday class," Mr. Brown began,watching the two teachers. They seemed to act awkward around each other. He remembered from their applications that they used to be best friends as children.
"Yes sir, I do." Percy's voice jolted the old man out of his thoughts. "She has caused quite a few interruptions throughout the classes."
"And you, Ms. Chase? She is in your art class, correct?" Mr. Brown prided himself on getting his facts right.
"Correct. She has been a disturbance to my class almost everyday." Annabeth shook her head, remembering the crazy things Heather had done.
"Well, thank you, both of you. You can wait outside while I talk to the parents." Mr. Brown opened his office door and escorted them out. The parents shuffled reluctantly inside.
"Do you want to come with me to my classroom?" Percy asked. "I have to get a cup of coffee."
"Only if I get one, too," Annabeth teased. But Percy agreed to her conditions.
They walked down the empty hallway together. When they reached. The classroom, Percy paused at the door.
"It might be kind of messy," Percy explained. "My kids were making a craft on the life cycle of a frog. There's glue, scissors, and paper scraps everywhere."
"That's alright. You should see the art room after five minutes if the kindergarteners are in there." Annabeth laughed as Percy almost tripped over his shoe while trying to reach the door key.
"Um, well, um. There's a question I've been wanting to ask you." Percy said nervously, unlocking the door.
"Go ahead," Annabeth agreed. "I don't bite."
They entered the room, weaving their way through the desks to reach the back of the room where the coffee was.
"Why don't you ever come to the teacher parties outside of school?" Percy blurted out suddenly.
"I...Well, I just feel like I don't belong with all of them. And I don't really like socializing." Annabeth's excuses had to be the worst ones ever.
"If you say so..." Percy didn't sound convinced.
He started to pour them both coffee.
"Do you want anything in it?" Percy asked, but Annabeth didn't answer. She was too busy staring at a picture on his desk.
It was of a twelve-year-old Percy, Annabeth, and another boy who had curly hair and wore long pants, even though it looked like summer.
Annabeth turned toward Percy slowly.
He shrank away from her stony gaze.
"You kept this?!" She finally exploded. "This is a memory from our childhood, a moment not to be remembered because it turned out like this!"
"Like what? You mean you basically ignoring me in the halls everyday? You mean you never talking to me since...that happened? You mean us not being friends?" Percy's face was a mixture of emotions.
"I mean us not being more than friends," Annabeth replied softly.
Percy's eyes widened. He didn't say a word.
"Do you remember the time when we were sixteen? I liked you. You liked me. Remember?" Annabeth wouldn't look into Percy's eyes.
He nodded. "Yeah. But we got over that, right?"
"You did. I didn't. It was more than just a crush, Percy. I loved you." Annabeth looked like she was going to say more, but she didn't.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea." Percy's face fell. "I don't want to be the cause of all this."
"It's okay, Percy. After today you may never see me again. I'm handing in my resignation notice tomorrow." Annabeth didn't look too pleased about what she was saying.
"What if I do this? Then will you stay?" Percy took a deep breath.
He leaned in, put his arms around her and kissed her. She soon relaxed into the kiss.
When they pulled apart, Annabeth frowned.
"What did you do that for?" she asked.
"Because." He smiled simply. "It was more than just a crush for me, too."
"What do you mean?" Annabeth questioned. She already knew; she just wanted to hear him say it.
" I loved you, Annabeth. I still do. That's why I took a job here. To be with you. Now you're leaving. Please don't break my heart again." Percy was desperate.
When had she broken his heart before? It was always him running away from her. But she kept her mouth shut.
"Fine, I'll stay," Annabeth gave in reluctantly.
"Yes!" Percy cheered. "But we have a lot of stuff to catch up on."
And they headed back down the hallway, arm in arm, laughing and talking to each other.
The old feelings were back. And this time, like every other time, it was more than just a crush.