Disclaimer: Percabeth is not mine. Sorry!
Author's Note: Happy ONE-SHOT Monday. This is not my favorite story, but I still like it. I wanted to do something not so heavy.
Red Rings
Today started like a great day. I promised Annabeth to meet her in the corner just before school. We walk together to Goode High School every morning. I was just a couple of minutes late and I was running like escaping from a monster. Annabeth would definitely be mad if I don't make a hasty appearance. Just around the corner, I found her looking at her watch and moving her foot impatiently. I was a goner for sure if I didn't play my cards right.
"Hello, wise girl" I said with my brightest smile. Her anger vanished with my smile and I was saved. She pulled me closer and kissed me with a smile on her face.
"Hello, seaweed brain" said Annabeth. I took her hand and we walked to school.
"How is Olympus?" I said while we walked. Annabeth sighed exhausted as if something annoyed her.
"Ares destroyed my salad bar so I have to re-do it but at least Hermes is really pleased with his new garden" said Annabeth as we crossed the street.
"That's great. I guess" I said.
Before I noticed, we were walking into the school. Sadly, Annabeth and I didn't have all our classes together, just 3. I walked her to her first class Biology on the second floor then I went to mine Algebra. I was almost in the classroom when I saw that I didn't have my textbook. I probably left it in the locker.
On my way back to the locker, a girl walked in front of me. She was waving at my direction with a big smile. I turned to see if she was waving to someone behind, but I was alone. The girl stopped in front of me. She was pretty with black hair and light brown eyes. I waved at her nervously.
"Perseus" said the girl. I was startled. Most kids at school don't know that's my full name, less a complete stranger.
"Do I know you?" I said trying to remember her face.
"It's me, Emma Cooper… Montauk? The sailing boat? Like a decade ago?" said the girl smiling. I tried so hard to remember her.
"I…" I said so nervously that I was sweating. This girl was so pretty that was unnerving.
"Don't you remember me?" said Emma biting her bottom lip and looked at me sadly. She showed a cheap plastic red ring in her little finger hoping to make me remember her, but I was blank.
"I can't believe you forget about me" said Emma with a sad voice.
"I didn't mean to. I forgot a lot of things last year" I said scratching my head. Emma stared at me with curiosity.
"What do you mean?" she said.
"Percy" said Annabeth from behind me. She had just walked into us. I was more nervous. Annabeth can be very jealous sometimes.
"Hi. Annabeth, this is Emma. Emma, this is my girlfriend Annabeth" I said introducing them and hoping for peace. They stared at each other with hard looks and I could almost feel the air getting thicker.
"Hi, nice to meet you" said Emma with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you. How do you two meet?" said Annabeth with the same bright, even fake smile.
"Just right now. Perseus helped me with some books" said Emma and coiled her hair flirty in front of me making Annabeth glared. Nobody called me Perseus.
"Really?" said Annabeth almost snorting.
"Really, well, thank you. See you around" said Emma and walked by our side.
Then we were alone. Annabeth looked angry like this girl really got under her skin.
"Did she call you Perseus?" said Annabeth containing her anger.
"I believe she did" I said innocently.
"Mmmm" said Annabeth and threw a hard look at me. I winced scared. Annabeth was mad and I didn't do anything this time.
"What?" I said with my hands in air calling a truce. Annabeth looked at me and sighed.
"I got your book" said Annabeth with a more relaxed tone. She threw me the book and looked to the side upset. I caught the book and smiled.
"Thanks" I said.
"Come on, we are late" said Annabeth and walked to her classroom fast and faintly fuming. I sighed and I went to my class alone.
The rest of the day was slightly better, except for the fact that Emma was in 3 classes with me, sharing one with me and Annabrth. She threw me looks and winks during the classes making me nervous and blushing a couple of times. She was cute.
Days later, I found Emma waiting for me by my locker. Annabeth was gone to her debate club.
"Hi" I said nervously. She smiled so cute that I blushed.
"Hi" she said.
"Nice to see you again, Emma" I said more nervously almost stammering.
"Do you remember your promise?" said Emma with such seriousness in her face that I felt like she was talking about a prophecy.
"What promise?" I said really confused. She bit her bottom lip and looked away. She sighed sadly making me wondering why she was sad.
"You are not ready" said Emma softly and leaning to me. I felt anxious as I saw her just inches of me. She wet her lips like saying 'come on kiss me'
"I don't understand" I said taking a step back. I was blushing.
"You will, sea boy" said Emma with a smile and walked to the other direction. I was perplexed.
"What did you call me?" I said as I understood her words. Who was this girl?
"I gotta go. Bye" said Emma hailing her hand without turning her head back to see me. I looked at her turning in the corner and disappeared of my sight.
"What was that?" I said and I kicked the floor in frustration.
For the rest of the month, Emma kept making subtle and not so subtle flirts at me. When we got class together, she was funny, relaxed and interesting to talk to. I really liked her like a friend. When Annabeth was around, she was extra sweet trying to make Annabeth jealous and getting me in trouble, which happened every time. I really had to talk with her but I didn't know how.
One afternoon, I was walking alone back home. Annabeth had to stay in her debate club, nothing unusual these days. As I turned the corner in front of my building, a hellhound appeared. I uncapped my favorite sword ready to fight when the hellhound disappeared in cloud of dust. Someone attacked it from behind.
As the dust started to settle, I saw Emma with a Japanese sword. We stared at each other confused.
"Percy, Emma" we said together. She walked to me looking at my sword as I looked at hers.
"Are you a demigod?" we said together. She nodded. I wondered if I did see her in Camp Jupiter and I just didn't remember her.
"How didn't I see in any of the Camps?" I said.
"I have been living in Japan until two months ago" said Emma and putting her sword away as she pushed a bottom turning the sword in bracelet. That was really cool. She placed the bracelet in her wrist again. Emma placed a string of hair behind her ear and looked at me.
"But you are demigod. You should train in Camp" I said.
"I was trained by a legacy. He was my master, Hiroshi-sensei" said Emma shrugging. Well, that explained a lot.
"Are you Roman or Greek?" I said. She smiled and made me blushed. She was really pretty.
"Emma, daughter of Bellona" said Emma and shook my hand like if we just met.
"Percy, son of Poseidon" I said.
"Well, that explains a lot when we were little, sea boy… Come on. I take you for some coffee" said Emma and took my arm. We walked to a coffee shop and I got a big blueberry muffin.
We chatted for the rest of the afternoon. She told me about her life in Japan, her master, and I told her about the Camps. She smiled a lot making me blush and I doubt a little about my feelings for Annabeth.
That weekend, my mom made me clean my closet. As I looked in old boxes of old toys. I found a red ring just like hers. Inside the ring, there was something written in black marker: Emma. I wondered if her ring said my name and the promise she claims I made when we were younger.
Sadly, I couldn't remember her at all, so I was even more confused about her. I needed some answers, so I walked to the kitchen where my mom was making me lasagna.
"Mom. I'm trying to remember something. Do you have the pictures of our vacations in Montauk?" I said casually.
"Which ones? We went almost every year" said my mom thinking where I was going.
"When I was 8?" I said shrugging.
"Let me look. Chop the lettuce" said my mom and walked to her room. I chopped the lettuce and she returned a couple of minutes later with a shoebox full of photos.
We sat on the table and looked at the pictures. I was smiling in all the pictures and I looked very happy. Finally, I found one picture with a girl wearing a red straw hat. She looked just like Emma. We were waving at the camera and we were wearing the rings. My mom looked over my shoulder and saw the picture.
"Yeah, you looked so cute with that girl… gosh! I don't remember her name" she said taking the picture of my hand.
"Emma" I said.
"That's right… You two were so cute, hanging out and wearing matching rings like a married couple, ahhh" she said.
"We were? Why?" I said nervously.
"Well, you told me it was about a promise" said my mom and I was really confused.
"About what?" I said. I needed a straight answer.
"You never told me. You were a cute couple though" said mom shrugging and kept chopping stuff.
Later that night, I have a dream of the beach with Emma. We were just in front of the beach house in Montauk. She was wearing the same red straw hat I saw in the picture.
"Hi" said Emma
"Hi" I said. She was sad almost crying.
"I'm going now. Will you keep your promise?" said Emma and she showed me her little finger.
"I do" I said and we made a pinky promise.
I woke up the following day remembering that part of the dream and I sat in bed wondering a lot of things but one in particular. 'What did I promise?'
I had the feeling that the rings were important in the promise as she still used her in her little finger. I thought and I thought, then I remembered reading something Chinese or Japanese about a red string. I tried to find the book in my room but I didn't have any luck. I thought on asking Annabeth, but that would make her suspicions. I didn't want to upset her. So, I called my only friend who might have an answer by IM
"What's up, Percy?" said Frank.
"Hi, I need you opinion on something. I apparently made a promise to girl. She wears a red ring in her little finger and I have the feeling it has to do with it" I said. Frank looked up and down scratching his chin and thinking hard.
"Well, there is a legend in Asia about the red string of fate" said Frank.
"What's that?" I said.
"It is said that soul mates are connected by a red string. The string can stretch and bed but never broken" I said not really understanding his words.
"So, what that's mean?" I said. Frank looked at me and sighed.
"Think about it… I have to go, bye" said Frank waiving.
I spent my weekend thinking about the ring and the promise. I wondered if that made us soul mates. If it were, what about Annabeth?
On Monday, I was determined to get a straight answer of Emma. I waited for her outside of our first class together. She walked at me with a beautiful bright smile making me blush. That smile had that effect on me.
"What's up, Percy? Have a good weekend?" said Emma really happy.
"I had a dream last night" I said. Emma leaned to me so close that I smelled her perfume.
"And?" said Emma with dreamy flirty eyes.
"Yeah, I remember a really annoying girl who followed me around with a red straw hat…" I said with a goofy smile and I took a step back.
She pushed me by the shoulder and put her hands on her waist with a goofy smile too.
"I wasn't annoying…" said Emma.
"And I found this" I said showing the red ring from my pocket.
"You know, let's talk about this after class, Ok?" said Emma. I nodded and we entered into the classroom.
After class, I waited for her. Annabeth told me she would stay to tutor some junior kid for one hour after class. Emma walked out the school and met me by the fence.
"Hi" said Emma and touched my arm. Her touch made me nervously like I was doing something that I shouldn't.
"What did I promise?" I said. Emma sighed and looked at me with sad eyes.
"This" said Emma. She placed her hand on my neck and pulled me to her. She kissed me. I was so surprised to kiss back. I pulled away quickly and I stared at her flabbergasted.
"You promised me a life together. You are I forever" said Emma and hugged me. I brushed her off immediately. I was confused and angry at her. She had just kissed me.
"I have a girlfriend" I said angrily. Emma huffed crossing her arms.
"An Athena's girl? Come on! How unfitting for you! She is the daughter of your father's enemy. Even I know that" said Emma with a sarcastic smile.
"I love her and she loves me" I said softly.
"I don't think she does anymore" snorted Emma pointing to the school entrance. I turned to see Annabeth full of tears and looking at us. She saw us. She ran to the park just behind the school.
"Wait, Annabeth!" I ran behind her.
My brain wasn't thinking. I needed to reach her and talked to her. I was almost in the middle of the park when I caught her wrist. I made her turned and face me. Her face was red flushing for the run and her tears. She slapped me hard. I felt my world swirled with that hit.
"You kissed her!" said Annabeth and started hitting me with her fists on my chest.
"She kissed me. She said I promised her to be together" I said and Annabeth stopped. She slapped me again.
"Did you swear it over the Styx River?" said Annabeth pointing her finger to my chest.
"I don't know. I was 8. I barely remember her" I said shrugging.
"You! I hate you!" said Annabeth and ran to the park again.
"Wait, Annabeth!" I yelled as I was running behind her. I grabbed her by the shoulder and held her in my arms. Annabeth was really upset right now.
"I don't care if I promise her the moon and the stars. That was before you. I love you and only you" I said and she looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"But…" said Annabeth.
"I hate so much to be wrong, you know? I thought you liked me" said Emma just behind us. She caught up with us and she had her Japanese sword on her hand. She pointed at us.
"So do I" said Annabeth pulling away from my arms.
"I challenge you for him. Winner gets the sea boy" said Emma and Annabeth took my pen from my pocket.
"I agree" said Annabeth uncapping my magical pen. They stared at each other with angry eyes ready to draw blood.
"Wait! I'm not a lady for you two fight for" I said standing between them.
"Shut up" yelled both girls.
"Move, seaweed brain" said Annabeth without taking her eyes of Emma.
"Move, sea boy. This little Graceus girlfriend of yours is going down. I will show her place in the Roman ranks" said Emma with a wicked smile on her face.
"I…" I said and Emma rushed at us. Annabeth pushed me to the side to meet her swing.
They fought like I never saw before. Annabeth was normally deathly but this was a whole new level. She was angry. Emma was just as good or even better. I meant to get in the way and separate them but I feared for my own safety. After all, they were two daughters of battle.
For 10 minutes, the fight got really intense as none of them had been able to draw blood to the other. Emma's defense was better that Annabeth, but I knew my girlfriend. She was a strategist. She was saving something for later.
I was really anxious watching them. They definitely would kill each other if I didn't do something. Both were equally good, and none would back off. So this would go on forever, unless I did something. I looked around and I saw that the park's grass was wet. So, I made Emma slide just a bit, just enough to make feel it was her fault and give Annabeth an advantage.
Annabeth threw her to the ground with her sword on her neck. Both were breathing hard and loud. They stared at each other with mean glares. Then Emma smiled sweetly like she was really glad of something.
"You won" said Emma and Annabeth slapped her right after removing my sword from her neck.
Emma stood up and looked at me with a very blinding bright smile. She was happy. I really confused.
"Percy, she is the one, right?" said Emma and patted my shoulder. Annabeth looked at her ready to pass the sword through her chest. I nodded.
"Yes. Make her happy. You keep your promise" said Emma and she laughed softly.
"But you said…" I said. She started to laugh harder and louder.
"I like to tease you. Oh my gods! You really are dense. It was so easy to make fun of when we little" said Emma with a smile.
"What was the promise?" I said.
"To be friends forever" said Emma and shook my head.
Out of nowhere, Annabeth grabbed her by the shoulder making her turn and she slapped her hard. Emma was thrown aside by the hit and it looked bad.
"Annabeth!" I said.
"Don't worry, Percy. I deserved it" said Emma looking at her. She wasn't mad or anything. She had a soft smile like nothing had happened.
"I will kill you" said Annabeth pointing my sword at Emma.
"Come on. It was a joke" said Emma raising her hands.
"And the red rings?" I said.
"The legend of the red string is not always about love. It's a promise to see each other again. We got the rings of a bubblegum machine. We pinky-swore it. We were eight, moron. Marriage at 8? Come on!" said Emma rolling her eyes.
"Why did you fight?" I said.
"I am rusty and Reyna talks wonders about Annabeth. I had to see for myself" said Emma winking at Annabeth.
"Do you know Reyna?" said Annabeth.
"Of course, I was last month in Camp before coming here" said Emma rolling her eyes.
"Everything was a lie?" said Annabeth really angry.
"Not exactly. We met growing up, the rings and a promise were true... I must say I have forgotten about you… Then I saw your picture in Camp and we thought it would be fun to mess up with you two. Right! Jason told me to give you this" said Emma handing me a note from her back pocket.
I opened the note and I said: We got you! Ha Ha Ha. Don't worry Emma is cool. With a drawing of Jason and Reyna grinning. I showed the note to Annabeth.
"It was a sick joke?" said Annabeth taking Emma of her collar.
"It's part of Percy's initiation anyway. You are not Roman, less praetor until you get prank. Nobody told you that, Percy? This prank was long overdue but you had the big prophecy to worry about. Even Frank helped me. Congratulations, Perseus, you are true Roman now" said Emma and Annabeth let her go but not without a really loud hit on her eye. Emma flew on her back and stood up a little dizzy and with difficulty.
"So, we are cool now? Or do we need another go with the swords? You are really good. Reyna wasn't exaggerating after all" said Emma rubbing her eye and giving her hand to Annabeth.
"Yes, we are, idiot. Pull another stunt like that and I will kill you" said Annabeth and shook her hand. They stared at each other smiling. Emma laughed nervously and waved us goodbye.
Annabeth dusted off and gave me my pen. She looked tired, still flushing of the fight, but she was relieved, even smiling softly. She looked at me and hugged me.
"I knew you helped me. Percy, I don't need you to fight my battles" said Annabeth in my ear.
"I had to stop the fight somehow" I said and I kissed her.
"Just don't do it again… thank you" said Annabeth and kissed me.
"I love you. I never liked her like that. Trust me. You got me for the long run, my little jealous girlfriend" I said and Annabeth at my words.
"I love you too. Come on, let's go to eat something. I know you are starving" said Annabeth. I nodded and we walked to the end of the park holding hands.
Emma became a good friend of us, after Annabeth got her back by changing her shampoo for super sticky fast drying glue. I am still laughing of it.