Back Together- Jesse McCartney

Percy

An alarm beep. It's loud, and repetitive, and goes on until your mind is going to explode. It's your worst enemy and your best friend. It's a personalized monster.

It didn't go off.

I jumped out of bed, mentally going through everything I could cut from my routine to get out of the door before I was definitely too late. It was 9:43. I had a meeting at 10:00. My phone was ringing, so I took care of that. I dove across my apartment to my kitchen counter, reading the name on the IPhone and groaning.

"Grover, where were you two hours ago?"

He laughed. "So you're pretty hung over?"

I scoffed as I poured a cup of coffee into a god awful Disney mug my mom had sent me for Christmas as a joke. "More than a little."

"Well I'm about to make your day. The meeting's been pushed 'till 10:30."

My body fell against the counter, immediately relaxing. "Thank god."

"The rep from Hermes shipment had a delayed flight, and so we're set."

"That's great, man. Thanks again."

"I know. Be here, okay?"

"Yeah, just give me twenty minutes."

"I can't run this company for you. There's a reason you're the CEO."

With a smile, I hung up the phone. Jackson Surf Co. was booming.

I just had to get down to the office and do my job: Running it.

XXXXXXXX

Annabeth

XXXXXXX

"God, I hate running." Hazel groaned.

I laughed and looked at her. She was sweating and pouting, her long brown hair falling out of her high bun.

"What happened?" I said in short breaths. "You used to be so much more athletic than me."

"I got a job." She said. "I started working 40 hours a week, plus I have night school. That's what happened."

"Hey, I have a job." She looked at me with a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me expression. "Okay, I have a part time job. But I'm in school full time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She went on. "School is for losers. You're too old for school anyways."

"I'm twenty four."

"Practically a dinosaur." She blurt out, stopping suddenly and letting out a loud groan. "We're walking the rest of the way." She gasped out. "This is ridiculous."

I nodded and smiled, letting her catch up to me before slowly walking down the street. "It's so gorgeous outside." I said.

The San Francisco air was crisp with fall approaching. Hazel agreed and continued to groan down the block.

"So what's up with architecture school?" She asked. "Are you still looking at that internship?"

"The one in New York?"

"Is there any other? You've been talking about it for months."

I shrugged. "My professor sent in some applications a few weeks ago, but didn't tell us whose he sent. I doubt I'd go anyway."

"Why?" Hazel stopped and grabbed my arm.

"Because… It's New York. It's Manhattan."

"So?"

"So… You're not there. Frank and Jason aren't there. I don't have my family down there, and Kennedy-"

"Kennedy is a four year old." Hazel said quickly. "She can settle at a new preschool, Annabeth."

"I know, but who would take care of her when I'm not there? There's just too much-"

"Annabeth, we both know this isn't about you or your daughter." She said. "This is about him. About Percy."

I rubbed my forehead with the backside of my hand. "I just don't think I could tell him."

"It's Manhattan, Annabeth. You'd probably never even see him."

"But what if I did? What would I even say?"

"That you're babysitting a kid."

"Lie? About his kid?"

She touched my arm. "Annabeth, you made the decision a long time ago to not tell Percy about Kennedy. It's affected your life in every way possible."

I looked down before she tapped my chin, making me look her in the eyes again.

"It's about time you did something good for yourself."

A/N

Hey! This is a new story I'm trying out… Tell me what you think!

-Icy