Hi there! New Story. Recently, I've been obsessed with actresses/actors AUs, so I wanted to make my own. Hope you enjoy!
Frederick Chase shoved her out of her bed.
"Now," he said, his voice dripping with venom "Who are you?"
Annabeth stood proud, "I am Tyrena, daughter of the King, and you will not murder me in my sleep,"
Frederick raised an eyebrow, "And if I were to tell you that I loved you?"
Annabeth snorted, "Please, I will never marry,"
Frederick smiled, "Next time chose someone a bit less queen warrior. You use them too much,"
Annabeth, still in her pajamas, shrugged as she picked up her clothes, "I love that type of women,"
Frederick rolled his eyes, "Honestly, Annabeth, sometimes I wonder if you take me seriously at all,"
"You're no actor," Annabeth said, defensive, "And I'm twenty. I've got a teacher now –"
"Who loves that I help you," he said, a smile on his lips. "Now, get dressed and work. You need the money,"
Annabeth sighed, "That I do,"
Being twenty years old, in college, and living with her father, she was desperate for some cash.
When her dad had gone, she dressed. Nothing fancy. Informal, but not casual. She wanted to look elegant, but young and taken for any girl on the street. The role she was playing was the one of a teacher.
She put make up on and grabbed her bag, but before she could go, Matthew told her, "It's your turn to wash the dishes, Beth,"
She groaned, "Okay. But tell Ben I'll kill him if he doesn't help me. And don't call me that,"
Her twelve year old brother grinned, "Of course,"
She was out of the house before he could bring her another thing for her to do.
Annabeth walked slowly, with no hurry. She was a confident woman today, with a boyfriend and her own apartment and all she needed. Her name was Jane. She was going to be early for her work, and she wanted to go slowly. She daydreamed of being a beautiful mother, as her character would daydream, and she went so into her fantasy that she almost didn't look up when she heard someone call, "Annabeth?"
"Thalia?" she was surprised to see her there. The twenty one year old was happy to see her, and planted two kisses on her cheeks, smiling. Her black hair, which had been spiky in her teenage years, was now long and straight, flowing over her shoulders. Her blue eyes looked eager and awake. She was dressed in a short dress, with pants underneath, as she always wore.
"How's the acting going?" her best friend asked, smiling.
"Great. How's the feminist war going?" Thalia was studying law and history both, but her real future was as an activist for the feminist cause. She always wore dresses and pants, insisting than men could wear the same. She had a bad temper, and whenever a stupid man said that she was inferior to him, Thalia would be close to scratching his eyes out.
"Horrible. I've lost another case about a stupid abuser," Thalia sounded miserable, and, as much as Annabeth wanted to comfort her, she had problems too.
"I'm sorry, Thalia, but I've got to go. I'm earning my money," she said, apologetic.
"You have to tell me all about it," she vowed, and walked past her, talking through her phone to some girl called Phoebe.
Annabeth sighed and kept walking, bumping into someone. "Sorry," she muttered, and then stepped on someone, "So sorry," she said, her eyes on the floor.
She continued walking for a few minutes, trying to bring back out Jane, with her small problems and her easy smile, but she couldn't. Her character was lost. She sighed again, feeling more tired than ever, and was glad she had finally gotten to the library.
Everything was quiet there, just like Annabeth liked it. She had her space, silence, and books. Lots and lots and lots of books.
"Books are stories that need to be read if you ever want to act," her teacher, Mr. Chiron, had told her, "A movie is good to watch, but the beginning of stories will always come from books,"
Annabeth went to the librarian and asked for her student. The girl was a teen, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with big blue eyes and blonde hair that was badly brushed but still beautiful. She had a pimple on her nose, and she looked miserable about it. She stared at Annabeth for two seconds, then said: "I don´t know if I ought to congratulate you or give you a warning. He's hot as hell and charming, but he's thick, all right. Dumb but cute," she sighed, and Annabeth rolled her eyes after she had given her the table number. Teenagers.
She had been, by name, a teenager last year, but she had been an adult the first day she had entered college. She had grown years in days, maturing at an alarming speed, and now she knew what she wanted and what she could do.
What she wanted was money.
She sat on the chair, and took out her iPad from her bag, along with her books and old notebooks. She began to study a bit, cursing herself for not remembering to study this and that passage. Her student would need her at her best.
A second later, someone slid beside her, and Annabeth looked up.
She was surprised. According to his grades in Math and Literature, her student had been around the average C+ fifteen year old, and she had thought him to be, at the most, seventeen, but the man, for he was a man, sitting beside her was at least twenty, if not twenty one. And he was good-looking, he granted the teen that. He had jet black hair that looked badly brushed, and he was tanned, with a strong build. His face was handsome, with a permanent smile, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of sea-green. She saw some girl giggling when he sat beside her, and she just stared.
Percy Jackson looked uncomfortable, "Oh, are you not Annabeth Chase?"
She found her voice again, "Yes. Yes, sorry, I was just..."
"...expecting a younger guy?" he smiled, "It's okay. I get that a lot,"
Yes, you do, Annabeth couldn't help thinking, he must be so dumb.
But she was professional Jane now, so she smiled and said, "Okay. So, first, Percy. If you are twenty? Twenty one? Why do you need this tutoring? Don´t be shy," she said, "I want to know it because of your own good and that we may progress faster,"
Percy leaned back, a bit tense, "Well, I'm dyslexic and ADHD, as I've told you, and I have the worst luck with teachers. Even so, I passed my SAT and am now in college, but my studies have required maths and I want to read better, so that's my reason for you," he said
Annabeth nodded, "Let's get to help you,"
He was much more professional than Annabeth thought, and less proud too. If he didn't understand something, he said it right way. Annabeth thought him a nice guy, who could literally not do anything better. He tried and tried, but it was really difficult for him, so Annabeth called a break.
As they were sitting there, him writing things, she said, "So, do you have a car?"
He looked at her, seemingly confused, "What kind of question is that?"
She smiled, "I'm not that good with starting a conversation. I just say the first words that pop out of my mouth,"
He looked amused, "Well, if you must know, yes, I own a car."
Lucky bastard, she thought, bloody rich. But she smiled.
"What are you studying?" he asked, curious.
Annabeth took a long breath, "Drama,"
She waited for the "Oh, I would have thought you a scientist," and the "Really? You seem too bright to be an actress," and, of course, the, "Oh. Well, I love (this movie) and (this movie). Is there anything remarkable about them?"
They were all common, she was used to them. And many more. As she was used to being taken for stupid for being blonde. She handled it well now. She was an adult.
But he said no such thing. He just said, "I love drama." he seemed to be saying something with his tone, but Annabeth didn't wonder, "I kind of wonder how you do it though. How does it feel to be two people at once?" his tone was a bit strange again, and his eyes were gleaming with interest.
Annabeth thought about it for a moment," It's not really two people. You know how people claim to channel the dead?" he nodded, "It's like that. I'm the character's way of existing. I have to try and be the character, to have their reactions and emotions, and I cease being Annabeth me. It's really fun. I was in a hard place, though. I could have gone to architecture instead of Drama, but in the end, acting was better for me,"
Percy smiled, and said "I'm glad. I hope you're a great actress someday, and I'll say 'This girl spoke to me once'."
She laughed, and they continued tutoring. When he said goodbye and they each went off, Annabeth wondered if she had just made a friend.
But the sound of her phone ringing interrupted her musing.
"Hello?" she said, and her teacher's voice answered her:
"Annabeth. I have a great thing to tell you," Chiron said.
"Spill it!" Annabeth urged, hand gripping the phone tight.
"You've got an audition for a film. And not just any film. You know who's the director? Poseidon –freaking- Olympia."
Annabeth could have wept. She gave a small cry of satisfaction, and some guy on the street stared at her strangely.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Completely so. He knows me from old times, and he was speaking to me of his new film 'Love at Bay' and he said he was in need of a young actress for a role. When I heard about it. Oh, Annabeth, it's made for you! I immediately suggested you, of course, my young apprentice. He was delighted. He said he had heard a bit of your play last year."
Annabeth began to tear up. Poseidon Olympia, one of the biggest directors in this decade, and she had an audition for a role! She could kiss Chiron right now.
"When?" she asked, ecstatic.
Chiron sounded sheepish "Um, they're actually almost finishing the cast, so they asked for you in, I don't know, an hour..."
Annabeth's mouth dropped open "Address,"
And when he told her, she ran like hell to the nearest bus stop.
She caught one only by luck, and she hung on tight to her seat, practically bouncing up and down with exciting. She left a message for her dad, telling him not to wait for her to have lunch, and opened her email on her phone, already having received the four page script of the audition she had to have. She memorized as quick as she could, and she found herself enjoying the story enormously. It was only four pages, but Bethany was one of the most interesting characters she'd ever played. She was a seventeen year old who was obsessed with things like boys and wealth, yet she was deep and meaningful, and she had the easy talk of a writer. She was trying to hide her real tastes, Annabeth sensed, because she wanted to be a completely different person. And the way she spoke to Mary...Annabeth sensed that Bethany was depressed.
"Greener Street," called the bus driver.
She was out of the door in a flash.
She ran as fast as she could, apologizing without breath if she bumped into anyone. Faces blurred into one another. She couldn't have said if she was seeing strangers or her family. All in her mind was the audition. She needed this role. More than she had ever needed anything. If she could get a major part in this movie, a big, flashy movie, then she would be one step away from being famous.
When she saw the building, she ran, her curls jumping up and down.
She saw the man in front of her before she bumped into him.
"Hello," she said, breathless.
He was tall. Really tall. And he was much older than her, with blond hair and charming blue eyes. He had a beautiful smile, and dressed comfortably.
"Hello, in a hurry?" he asked, jokingly.
"Yes. Is this where I can find Poseidon Olympia?" she asked.
The guy's eyes widened, "You're here for a role?" he shook his head, "Sure. Follow me. I'm Luke, assistant director."
Annabeth followed.
He guided her through white corridors with paintings of sea animals on the walls. They were beautiful, and Annabeth stared at them.
"You like it?" Luke asked, smiling.
"Yes. A lot."
"You'll be meeting the guy and the girl who drew them later. He's in for the film." He opened a black door, "Good luck," he said.
"Thank you," and the door was closed.
She turned…
…to find the (probably) most attractive middle aged man in the world.
His hair was jet black, and looked as stylish as hair can get. He looked like a movie star. His skin was tanned. He was amazingly tall, his nose was just the right size, and his lips were almost invisible but seductive at the same time. His eyes were…gosh, his eyes were a wonderful shade of sea-green.
Annabeth was a bit nervous, but she said, "Poseidon Olympia?"
He nodded and gave her a charming smile. He was dressed in a suit, but he looked uncomfortable with it, like he'd rather wear jeans. There was something really familiar about him, but Annabeth couldn't really say what.
"I understand you're Chiron's girl, Annabeth Chase,"
Annabeth nodded, and he gestured at her to sit down in one chair. The room was completely black, darker than the night, and a single light illuminated a silver table and two white chairs. Poseidon shone.
"Annabeth, I know you're wondering how you, a girl still studying, is here, while other famous actresses haven't gotten the chance to audition,"
Annabeth nodded again, "I'm really grateful,"
Poseidon smiled, "I trust Chiron with my life. I hope you don't disappoint me. Rachel, come in!"
A girl entered the room by another door. She had red curls, beautifully brushed. She looked a bit older than Annabeth, with big, pink lips and emerald green eyes. She was wearing a simple black dress that melted into the room. Her eyes seemed made of light.
It was all very dramatic. Just like Annabeth liked it.
In real life? Gosh, she hated people who made a drama out of everything, but the grace, style and beauty that Poseidon had put into staging this, that she loved. Because it was art, and she was an actress.
"Annabeth, this is our Mary. She is fantastic. Like you, she's also studying, but she's twenty two. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, meet Annabeth Chase, your possible Bethany,"
Annabeth stood and shook hands with the girl, who seemed a bit surprised by the gesture, and they sat down.
Poseidon retreated into the darkness, and whispered, "Act."
And they did.
Suddenly, Rachel wasn't Rachel. She wasn't the cute, smiling girl who'd come out of the darkness. She was Mary, with her horrible taste in clothes, who looked at herself and closed her eyes, who couldn't gather enough strength to say she wanted something.
Annabeth loved her already.
She became Bethany too.
She was now Beth, cool and unsmiling Bethany on the outside, sad and completely depressed Bethany in the inside. She looked everywhere but Mary (because she wasn't Rachel now), and bit her lip.
Finally, after what seemed years, Bethany said, "So…do you want a drink or are you just going to stay there all afternoon?"
Mary seemed relieved, but frightened too, "A coke, please," she said, a bit too quickly.
Bethany sensed herself softening in the inside. This poor girl was just a bit anxious. But she couldn't let her guard down. Her friends were there, and she needed to seem great. Not like she really was.
"Sure, m'lady," she joked, and a tremor shook her shoulders. Not a break down here. Not in front of her friends.
Mary said nothing, but Bethany could feel her stare.
"You do know, we don't sell that here," she said, her voice a bit too loud. Mary frowned, "But –"
Bethany leaned in, and whispered, "Come to the back. Those guys are staring at you," she didn't lie, but she just couldn't bear to be there. She was going to break down any moment now.
She didn't smile reassuringly. She couldn't. Her friends would never talk to her if she smiled at this girl.
But Mary seemed delighted.
Rachel and Annabeth waited a few minutes, then retook the script. It was a really hard audition. It needed the bar, the back, the guys, the table, but Poseidon had chosen this script, and she wasn't about to complain.
"Thanks," Mary sniffed, "They laughed at me yesterday,"
"Assholes," Bethany declared.
The scene continued like that. Bethany never smiled. Not once. And Mary seemed more and more friendly, but a little scared too. It was so completely un-like the actress who had come out of the darkness, Annabeth was impressed. Bethany resembled her a bit on the being hard part. She only smiled when she was really, really, really happy, which was rarely, but on the other part, Bethany was as different from her like night and day.
When they were done, clapping started sounding in the distance.
"I like it," announced Poseidon, amused, "We'll take you,"
Annabeth stared, "Are you kidding me?"
Rachel smiled, stood, and put her hand on her shoulder, "We're not. You played it amazingly. Other people smile." She shrugged, and Annabeth admired how great of an actress she was.
"You're in, Bethany," Poseidon Olympia smiled.
The cast welcomed her as soon as she arrived at the studio, and Annabeth was amazed.
The people there were magnificent actors. There was Reyna Wertorn, with her long black hair and reputation for playing the best villains Hollywood had ever seen. Hermes, one of the best actors in this century; Bianca di Angelo, the child actor with the humble smile. And there was, of course, Aphrodite Olympia, Poseidon's cousin. The movie star kissed her on both cheeks and squealed, "I'm going to have so much fun with you!"
She was so beautiful.
She only had to meet one more person of the cast.
"He's amazing," Rachel said, her eyes shining. "He's perfect for the role. Poseidon wouldn't have normally hired him, but since you and me were casted, he decided to take a few risks,"
"Is he still in university too?" Annabeth asked, interested.
"Yeah," Rachel said, sighing with delight, "But not in drama. Poseidon urged him a hundred times, but he went to marine biology instead. That guy…he could be an Oscar winner if he even tried, but he's so good with sea animals…"she had a crush on him, alright, "Did you know he helped me paint the white wall?" she said, a glint in her eyes,
"Really?" Annabeth had loved it.
"Yes, he described to me the animals, showed me how to draw them more realistically. He's charming, Annabeth, and he doesn't even try." She sighed, "I would've tried asking him out, but he's off limits,"
"Why?"
"Because he's –Oh wait, here he comes! He was busy this morning," she explained.
And yet, Annabeth still hadn't gotten the name of the famous guy who was playing John.
"Hey! Rachel!" came a voice.
It sounds familiar, Annabeth thought, thinking, almost like…
And then she saw his face.
Without that weary face from studying, Percy Jackson looked ten times more handsome. He was dressed casually, and had a giant smile on his face when he embraced Rachel.
It can't be, she thought. She didn't want to work with him in Maths and Literature, and have to kiss him for a movie.
And when Percy Jackson's eyes fell upon her, they widened.
Annabeth opened her mouth, trying to, at least, be nice and casual about them meeting here.
'Hey, yeah, so I'm working for this guy,'
'Really? Me, too!'
She wanted him to befriend her, to have some comfort before they had to kiss each other and touch and whisper things in their ear and…
Poseidon put his hand on Percy's shoulder, "How was it?" he asked, an knowing glint in his beautiful eyes.
Eyes, Annabeth realized, so much like…
"Fine, Dad,"
Did you like it? If you did, I'll continue. Leave your thoughts, I'll be glad to read them.
Have a nice day!
-ChocolateIsMyDoom