Hi guys! So this is my new one shot. This is the first time that I have written in first person, so stick with me. I hope you enjoy!
It all started when I was 6. A bright orange moving truck rolled into the driveway two doors down from us. My brother, Malcolm, and I pushed our chubby kid faces against the window trying to get a better look at our new neighbors, but were quickly scolded by our mother for dirtying the windows. Plus she said that it was rude to stare at people that we didn't know.
That didn't stop us from looking though. Malcolm and I decided that we wanted to "play" outside shortly after our scolding, and while our mother was not oblivious to what we were doing, she didn't stop us from going outside. It got us out of her hair anyways. She never did like watching us. I'd heard her telling Dad that we were a nuisance to her work environment, but I wasn't really sure what that meant.
Once we were outside we decided that basketball was going to be the most inconspicuous. The only problem was that we forgot that I was terrible at basketball, so after playing for a short while I decided that sidewalk chalk was a better option for me. So I sat down and drew what I thought were beautiful pieces of art all over our driveway until there was only one place that I hadn't drawn, right under the basketball hoop.
I wasn't very observant as a 6 year old, so I crawled right under the hoop. I wanted to make sure that part of the driveway felt as pretty as all of the other parts of the driveway because, you know, driveways have feelings. Malcolm wasn't very observant either at 7, so he didn't stop shooting, and I'm sure everyone knows where this is going. Yep, basketball right to the head.
So there I sat under the hoop screaming in 6 year old pain, and Malcolm was next to me trying to quiet me so Mom didn't come. Interrupting her was only going to make her angry, but I didn't care. I wanted attention, and I was gonna be damned if I didn't get it. That's when we heard a new voice. "Mom look! That little girl is hurt!" It sounded like it was from the new house, but I wasn't so sure. I hadn't seen a little kid.
Sure enough a dark haired boy came running over to check on us. I could faintly hear a woman's voice yelling "Percy!" but I was more fascinated with this new boy in front of me. He looked older than me, but not by much. Maybe he was Malcolm's age. He was also incredibly broad for a boy his age, not that it made his any less cute. And just like that I had my first crush.
"Are you okay?" the boy asked me as I stared at him. All I could do was kinda nod. This boy wasn't a mommy, and that meant that he didn't know anything about boo-boos. But ask and you shall receive, because the boys mom followed him over.
"Hi sweetheart, did you hit your head?" she asked me. It was kind and gentle, not the way that my mother handled boo-boos. She normally told me to suck it up. I nodded and pointed to the basketball. "Is that what you hit?" she asked. Again I nodded. "Well how dare that silly basketball hurt such a cute little girl like you?" the woman asked while reaching out to tickle me. I normally didn't like being tickled, but she made it seem loving.
"I was shooting around, and I didn't see her under the basket," my brother said toeing the ground. He was embarrassed. Malcolm didn't like to get in trouble, and this had trouble written all over it.
"Oh I wouldn't worry about it, we are going to blame the ball anyway," the kind lady said to him winking. Malcolm's face lit up. We'd never thought of blaming it on the ball. "Is your mommy home? We should probably talk to her," we both stiffened. Neither of us wanting to bring our mother into it.
"Oh, um, she is, but we don't need to get her," Malcolm said quickly. "Right Annabeth? You're feeling better right?" he asked me hurrilied. Suddenly all bouts for attention were gone. This woman was nice, and we didn't want our mother to scare her away.
"Yeah, I'm all better now!" I shouted while trying to stand up quickly, only to fall over again. The boy grabbed me, but I didn't miss the look he and his mom shared at our sudden change in attitude.
"Okay well if you're sure you're fine," she said sending me a skeptical look, "then I guess we can head home. I'm Sally by the way, and this is my son Percy," she said gesturing to the boy. Percy waved at us with a bright smile. Two of his teeth were missing.
"I'm seven," he declared proudly.
"So am I!" Malcolm shouted, and in that a friendship was born.
Percy and Malcolm became inseparable after that day. They played together every day for the rest of that summer, and pretty much every day for the rest of their lives. I also came to be a staple in the Jackson household. Sally always told me that she had always wanted a daughter but never had one, so I was her fill in. She would bake for me and braid my hair before school. Sometimes she even took me shopping.
It wasn't like my mother really cared where we were. She probably saw Sally as free day care. See, Sally was a teacher, so she had the same schedule as us. Even though she watched Percy all by herself. His father never made an appearance, but Mom told me it was rude to ask.
When I was 8 I started spending the night at the Jacksons'. Mom and Dad had taken up fighting as their favorite hobby, and I scared me. So one night when they were fighting Malcolm had brought me along to a pre-planned sleepover. He held my hand all the way to the door, reassuring me that they wouldn't mind that he had brought me along. Sally hadn't been able to hide her shock when she saw both of us at the door, but she had welcomed me in just the same.
The great thing about Sally Jackson was that she never asked questions. It was like she already knew what was going on before I even had to say anything. That night she set up the couch in the living room for me and told me to wake her if I needed anything. That was the night that Sally Jackson became my mom for all intensive purposes.
I spent the night there whenever I needed to, sometimes even without Malcolm. If he was at a sleepover with another friend, Percy would still open the door and let me right in. percy became my family too. He watched out for me the same way that Malcolm did, sometimes he was even more protective.
When I had my first boyfriend in seventh grade, Percy was the one that threatened him. Even though I'm pretty sure my brother would have to if he wasn't away at soccer camp. That relationship was short lived, as were any I had thereafter, and I didn't think it was because of me. I was about 99% sure that Percy and Malcolm were scaring them off, but I didn't have any proof and no one would confess. Whenever I told Sally about it she would just smile and laugh, telling me it would all sort itself out in good time.
The summer before freshman year Percy became a lot busier. He was a fantastic swimmer, but I guess the high school coach wanted him to train harder and not rely on his natural talent as much. So off the the pool Percy went. Malcolm didn't want to hang out with me as much because I was "in junior high, and it's not cool for high schoolers to hang out with junior high kids." That was a lonely summer. Percy was still willing to hang out with me, but he was always busy or with my brother, so I spent most of my time with Sally.
Her advice was to make some new friends. She said I was at an age where I needed to make girl friends and socialize more with my peers, but I didn't really want to do that. Percy and Malcolm had always been enough, plus the other kids liked to make fun of me for reading all the time. I decided I was better off on my own.
Percy and Sally became the only constant things in my life. Malcolm was there and he loved me, but we dealt with pain differently, and when the fighting got worse Malcolm turned to girls. It seemed like he had a new one every week, and that new one replaced me as his main concern. He often went out on bad nights and stayed with his "friend" until morning, while I still found my safehaven in the jackson residence.
Percy was the one that held me when I was crying. The one that fixed the cuts I got when I accidently got in the crossfire one time. Apparently vases can give some some pretty nasty cuts when they explode right behind you. I had been trying to make it out the door, but well, shit happens.
I'd never seen Percy more mad than he was that night. He was fuming the whole time he cleaned up the cuts on my arms and hands. Occasionally swearing when I flinched because the peroxide burned. It took both me and his mother to hold him back from going over to my house and giving them a piece of his mind, and holding back and 16 year old Percy was not small feat. He had grown to about 6 foot 4 and had a swimmers build. We were lucky he didn't blow right through us.
He only stopped once I started crying again. Sally was yelling things that I couldn't quite make out, but it sounded a lot "bleeding again" and "scaring her." We had to retreat some of the cuts due to the fact that they had started bleeding again, so that was probably what Sally was saying. Percy slept on the floor under the couch that night. He claimed it was because he wanted to be able to check on the cuts, but none of them were very serious. I hadn't even needed stitches. I was pretty sure it was so that he wouldn't go over there after I fell asleep. He held my hand while he slept that night as a reminder.
The worst night of my life happened the summer between sophomore and junior year. My parents were fighting again, but after the vase incident I knew not to go down while they were fighting in the foyer. I had called Malcolm close to 50 times, but he was away at soccer camp, and judging by the fact that he had told Percy there was also a gymnastics camp going on, I could guess what he was doing. So I sat there and I listened. This fight had a different tone to it though. It sounded final.
"I'm leaving!" I heard my mother shout from the bottom of the stairs. "I'm leaving this God forsaken town, and everyone in it! I'm done with you! I'm done with kids! And I'm sure as hell done with all the bullshit this family brings!" She stomped up the stairs when I could hear her opening and closing draws. My father was also in their room trying to reason with her. Telling her just to stay until I graduate. Telling her we needed her, her kids needed her. "I don't give a rat's ass about those damn kids! I only had them because you wanted them!"
The dam broke. I was sobbing. I couldn't control it. I couldn't breathe. It felt like the world was ending. Her not caring about us wasn't something new to me, but it hurt on a whole different level hearing her say it. Something about my mother straight up confessing that she didn't love me killed me inside, and I wasn't sure how to cope. I wanted sally, but she was on a trip with her new boyfriend, leaving Percy home alone. That meant that he was probably out at a party or with a girl. So I was alone.
I sat on my bed and cried for a while longer. At some point I'm pretty sure that my dad tried to come in the room, but the door was locked and there was no way I was going to let him in. So the knocking stopped and the world was silent again. By this point I had stopped sobbing, but the sniffling never seemed to end.
It sounded like thunder. That was the only way I could describe in. The sound of Percy coming up the stairs of my home was nothing like I had ever heard before. They were loud and had some much force I was surprised the stairs didn't crack. He also must have been taking them at least two at a time because there weren't enough bangs for him to have hit every step. Then the banging started. "Annabeth!" he shouted at me while jamming his fist on the door. It was like the storm was getting closer. The thunder was so much louder now. "Annabeth open this door right now or so help me God I will knock it down!" he shouted, and I had no doubt that he would.
So I got up and headed for the door. At least if I let him in I could close the door again and keep my parents away. Percy was still yelling when I got the the door and cracked it open. He froze the second I cracked it. His fist was still up and his mouth was still open, if I wasn't so numb I probably would have made a joke about how he looked like a robot.
"Annabeth," he started, softer this time. "Open the door and let me in. I won't let either of your parents in and we can lock it right after I come in okay?" he asked. I didn't really feel like talking so I nodded and opened the door just enough for him to scoot in. I could see my dad waiting at the top the the stairs. He was crying too, but I didn't have it in me to talk to him.
Once he was fully through the door Percy turned around closed it and locked it again. Normally I tried to look at least half way like a human around Percy, seeing as that little 6 year old crush had never faded, but at the moment no part of me could bother to care how I looked. And I was sure I was a mess.
"Oh Annabeth," he cooed as he opened his arms and made his way toward me, but he didn't have to. I was already flying at. Percy caught me in his arm, a but surprised, but held me while I broke down again anyway. He was whispering things that I couldn't hear, but just the sound of his voice was comforting. It also didn't hurt that he was doing this thing with my hair that really soothed me. He had figured that one out a few months ago.
At some point Percy moved us over to the bed and laid down on it. It should have been comical seeing as I had a twin bed, and Percy couldn't have fit on it if he tried. He didn't say anything about it though as he continued to smooth my hair and whisper to me. Eventually I stopped crying and we just laid there in silence, neither one knowing what to say. In the end it was me that broke the silence.
"Did Dad come get you?" I asked into his chest where my head was resting. I was so much small than him at 5 foot 4 it was the only way I fit.
"Yeah, he said that something had happened and you wouldn't come out of your room. He was worried," Percy sighed into my hair.
"Did he tell you what happened?" this was the moment of truth. This determined if I had to explain, which was something that I didn't want to do.
"Yeah he did, but I figured you didn't want to talk about it so I didn't bring it up," his hand never stopped passing over my hair. It was nice. We didn't talk for a while longer, but it wasn't me that broke the silence this time. "Why didn't you come over? You always come over when they are fighting?" I couldn't telling if I sensed some hurt in his voice.
"I knew Sally was out of town, so I figured you were out at a party or something," I mumbled. I felt him stiffen under me.
"Annabeth I would never go out when I knew you might need me. I'm the only one home right now, and you needed someone to count on. Trust me when I say that you are my priority over anything else like partying. I know Malcolm can be unreliable, but I'm not," I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I just snuggled deeper into his chest. Percy leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "Annabeth I know you feel like you don't matter to anyone right now, but I want you to know that's not true. My mom loves you. Malcolm loves you. I love you," he said the last part so fiercely I could feel it through his chest. I placed a small peck on the center of his chest, and that effectively ended all conversation. Sometime after I fell asleep.
The next morning was awkward. We were both woken up by a very disgruntled Malcolm banging his way through the door, and he was not pleased. I mean it's not like I blamed him, he just walked through a door to find his best friend and little sister in bed together, even if it wasn't like that. I was snuggled tightly into Percy's chest, and Percy had both of his arms wrapped around me protectively.
"What the hell?" Malcolm asked as if he couldn't believe his eyes. I had woken up to the door banging (he used his key), but Percy was a heavier sleeper. He needed to hear Malcolm's voice.
So a very tired Percy woke up, still holding me, to face a flustered Malcolm.
"Oh hey man, when did you get back?" Percy's voice was rough with sleep, but honestly it only made him more attractive.
"Right now. Why the hell are you in bed with my sister?" that seemed to catch Percy's attention, and it was like he realized where he was for the first time. He sat up and unwrapped one arm from around me, but he still kept one around my back.
"Because she needed help last night and I came over. We must have fallen asleep or something, it's not a big deal," Percy shrugged it off. For some reason that stung a little, but I brushed it aside. I knew he was just acting like a brother in the first place, it was silly to think that it was something else.
"She needed help in her bed?" Malcolm wasn't going to let it go.
"Yeah she needed help and comfort, and I'm guessing she called you about 50 times but you didn't answer because you were off with some girl. So instead of getting on my ass maybe you should thank me for looking our for her while you weren't able to," Percy all but growled. These two never fought, so this was not something I wanted to witness. I must have shrunk back into Percy because it seemed like he got the message.
With one last squeeze of my side, Percy threw the covers off and made his way past Malcolm, bumping his shoulder as he passed. "Annabeth, if you need me just text me all right?" he asked and I nodded. Just like that he was gone, so I turned my attention to Malcolm.
"That was really uncalled for you know. He's right I did call you a bunch of times, and you didn't answer. You never answer. He was filling in for what you weren't doing and you went after him. We were both clothed, and I'm sure I look a mess. You owe him an apology," I said crossing my arms. Malcolm wasn't going to get away with treating Percy like that.
"I know," Malcolm said dropping his head. "I shouldn't have said that. It just looked bad, but you were both right. He did the right thing. I'll apologize later." I nodded at him. "I also need to apologize to you Annabeth. I wasn't there for you, and I haven't been. I'm gonna try to do better," Malcolm couldn't look at me. I had a flashback to that 7 year old toeing the ground.
"Malcolm, I'm not going to say that it's okay because it's not, but you have one hell of a best friend. Don't throw that away," with that he left and I was left to my thoughts, and they all lead back to one thing. I really liked Percy Jackson.
My mom had followed through on her threat to leave, so it was just Malcolm, Dad, and I after that. At first it was nice because the fighting stopped, but it didn't stay perfect forever. When Mom left so did her income, and that caused a serious problem. Dad had to pick up more hours and work and travel more to cover it. So I started to spend a lot of time home alone.
Malcolm had cut back on his nights out, but that wasn't saying much. He still went out at least three times a week, and on the days both my father and him were gone I found myself afraid to be alone in the dark. It was silly, and I knew that, but being alone at night never sat right with me. I had almost never been alone before now, and I still wasn't quite sure how to adjust. It turned into my alone nights being at the Jacksons' instead of the fighting nights.
Percy and Malcolm made up, but things never seemed fully right again after that. Even though they both said they were good and Malcolm still came over, they seemed strained sometimes. I'd heard them arguing once when they thought I wasn't there. Percy was mad that Malcolm had been out so many times that week. Malcolm knew that being home alone scared me, yet he still went out all the time, and Percy was going after him for it. Malcolm made some snide comment about how Percy was always sure to look after me, and that seemed to end it.
Malcolm was right though. Percy did look after me, almost too much sometimes. I wasn't a baby and I didn't need to be looked after all the time. Sure I didn't like sleeping alone at home, but that just meant that I wanted to crash on their couch, not that I needed him to be on me all the time. I normally liked being around Percy, but he was becoming overbearing. He was making me feel like I was weak and needed to be looked after every turn, and that just wasn't true.
Soon commitment day rolled around, and both Malcolm and Percy were signing, but with different schools. Malcolm was going to Rockhurst University for soccer. It was division two, but it was still good. Plus it was free. Percy was going to NYU for swimming, and honestly I couldn't have been more jealous. NYU had been my dream school since I was a child, and I was prepared to take out the loans to go next year. Percy had promised me I could visit and stay with him though, and there was no way I was letting him out of that offer.
Percy became even more clingy as the year went on. Part of me didn't mind, but part of me just wanted some space. Whenever I was over he would be right up on me. Finally I had it, "Percy, I am capable of reaching the plates myself, you don't have to follow me everywhere," I snapped at him. His dropped down sheepishly and part of me felt bad.
"Sorry," he mumbled, not looking up.
"Percy what is this about? You've been on me for months now."
"I don't know," he said quietly. "I guess I've just been thinking that I leave soon, and I'm gonna miss you," his head came up to look at me, "I'm trying to get in as much time as I have now."
I was speechless. I had never thought about the fact that he might miss me he left. He was moving on to bigger and better things, and I figured I would be left in the past. "Percy, I'm not going away because you are going to college. You'll only be an hour from here. Plus you told me I could visit, and trust me I will," I said with a smirk. Something in his face lit up.
"Really? You promise you'll visit," I nodded and he smiled pulling me into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you wise girl, and don't you forget it."
Graduation sucked. I was losing two of the most important people of my life in a few months, and I was not prepared. One of them leaving would be terrible, but both of them leaving was unbearable. I cried the whole time. I was practically inconsolable by the time they both got called to the stage. At the end the three of us met up and Sally asked to take a picture of the three of us. She later put in on the mantle in a frame that read "my babies."
"Percy!" I screamed into the phone as soon as he picked up. "Percy! Percy! GUESS WHAT!" I yelled into my cell. The poor boy probably had no idea what was going on.
"Dear God Annabeth, I don't know. Did you get that dog you wanted?" I rolled my eyes. I swore his brain was water logged sometimes.
"Percy you seaweed brain, do you know what today is?"
"Um, the 15th?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.
"Percy I swear you don't retain anything. It's January 15th, the day NYU decisions come out." I waited for the realization to dawn on him.
"ANNABETH," he shouted. The paused waiting for my answer.
"PERCY I GOT IN!" There was screaming from both ends of the phone.
Once we finally calmed down Percy said, "Annabeth that's great! I'm so proud of you wise girl. Why don't you come visit this weekend? I have a swim meet, but you could watch me swim Saturday and we could hang out Sunday." Nothing sounded better than seeing Percy right now. Malcolm hadn't been calling me much, and I was missing the attention I used to get.
"I'm so down," I practically yelled into the receiver. "Do you want me to come in Saturday for your meet, or do you want me to come in Friday after school? Either way I'm good, but I need to know what to tell my dad," internally I was hoping he would say Friday, but I knew that it didn't really make sense. He needed rest before his meet.
"I can make either work, but it would probably be easier for you to come Saturday. The pool we are swimming at is right by the train station, but if you want I can take a taxi and come get you friday," and there it was. I was going to have to go Saturday if I didn't want to inconvenience him. Percy would never tell me that he didn't want me there or that I was going to be a problem for him, but it was easy to tell through his tone he was hoping that I would pick Saturday.
"Okay I'll just head in Saturday morning and watch you swim. That seems like the easiest option. Am I staying with you or your friend like I did last time?" Last time I came to visit Percy had me stay with this bitchy girl that glared at me all night. Something about his roommate not being comfortable with me being in the room. Either way I was going, but I needed time to mentally prepare myself for the wrath of the she-witch. It wasn't my fault Percy wasn't into her.
"Let me ask," I could hear talking in the background between who I assumed was Percy and his roommate. "Okay good news, my roommate is going home this weekend, so you can stay with me," I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I loved visiting, but my hosts never seemed to like me.
"Okay sounds good. I'll see you Saturday!"
"Bye Beth, be good till then," he said in warning.
"Please seaweed brain, I always am," I said rolling my eyes and hanging up.
Saturday had not come fast enough. I drove myself to the train station at some ungodly hour in the morning to make the meet, but there was no way I was going to miss it. I even sent Percy some corny text about swimming fast, not to mention the dumb fish emoji I added to the end. Someone please help me. I was going insane. I was going to be seeing Percy in a speedo today, and I'm sure he's only gotten more attractive since I last saw him. God help me.
The train didn't take too long, but finding the damn pool did. I was afraid that I was going to miss his races, but I made it just in time. I hadn't seen Percy swim in a while, I was never able to go in high school because the meets were too early in the morning for me to ever want to be awake, but my fish emoji may not have been too far off. Percy won both of his races by at least a body length, and from the way his team celebrated I'm guess he did really well.
The celebration was short lived though. Percy walked off the pool deck and didn't come back out for the rest of the meet. The only reason I knew he was still there was because of a text I'd received telling me I needed to ride the fan bus back to campus. It made sense, but I guess I had thought that he and I were going to spend the day together. It was rapidly approaching two, and I had yet to even speak to him. I had sent him a quick acknowledgement, but that was all. Plus who even knew where the fan bus was?
It turned out it picked up at some weird ass side door. I learned this after almost missing it, but the driver stopped when he saw me trying to flag him down. The ride was horrible. The bus was full of girls that were saying obscene things about most of the swimmers, Percy included. If not to make it worse, I swore some guy was sending me weird looks from across the bus, but I busied myself in my phone hoping he wouldn't approach me.
The bus finally stopped and everyone got off, so I did too. The only problem was I had no idea where I was. This wasn't a part of campus Percy had shown me, and he wasn't there to pick me up. Perfect. I sat on the bus bench for a while and tried calling Percy a few times, but he never answered. Now I was mad. I hauled my ass all the way out to see him, at his request none the less, and he couldn't even answer my calls. The thunder was what tipped me off that it was time to find a building.
So me and my overnight bag started to wonder around campus looking for anything that looked remotely familiar. I tried to remember the name of Percy's dorm, but it just wasn't coming to me. After an hour of hearing nothing I decided I was done. I was a lot of things, but dependent wasn't one of them. I wasn't going to stand around and let Percy treat me like shit. I had better things to do than sit around a strange place all by myself.
I quickly made my way to the curb and hailed a taxi. As much as I wanted to, I was not going to cry in public. I wasn't going to let him win like that. Seeing as I was in New York it didn't take too long to get a taxi. I told the driver where to go and he nodded and I was off. Sally was going to be surprised when she saw my car in the driveway, but I didn't have it in me to think of an excuse to feed her.
I got out at the station a short time later and checked the train schedule. I was going to have to wait an hour for the next train home, but I guess an hour here is better than an hour lost in the rain. Right as I was settling down on a bench my phone rang, Percy's picture coming up. I knew it was petty, but I didn't answer. Maybe he should feel how it felt to be left alone out of the loop. He probably wasn't alone though.
Percy called three more times in the next 10 minutes, followed by four texts. After that he became for frantic. Asking if I was okay and what was going on. Finally I had enough and answered a call. "What do you want Percy?" I snapped at him.
"What do I want?" he all but yelled. Wrong move. "I want to know where the hell you are! I came back to the dorm and you weren't there. No one in the hall had even seen you!"
My turn. "Damn Percy that sounds rough. Not as rough though as being put on a bus to some random ass place and having no idea where you're going! I sat at that bus terminal and called you for 30 minutes. I had to find shelter when it started storming, so I found some random building. After an hour of you not answering me I had enough," if I could be anything right now I would be a fire breathing dragon.
"Why didn't you go to the dorm?" he yelled. "I left the neighbors with a key to let you in!"
"Geez Percy that would have been nice information, but seeing as you didn't tell me the name of your dorm or that I could have gotten in, I don't know how I could have done that," I snarled. He didn't get to play the victim. I was the one lost.
"God damn it!" Percy shouted into the phone. There was a cracking noise that I assumed was Percy kicking something. "Annabeth I'm sorry. I thought that I told you to head to the dorms. I meant to text you on the way home, but we were all celebrating." So he forgot about me. Classy. I should have known really. He was a big college guy now, and I was little hometown girl he left behind. "Annabeth where are you? I'll come and get you and we can talk."
"I'm at the train station going home Percy. There's nothing to talk about," I whispered into the phone. I wasn't even sure he could hear me, but I hung up right after I said it. If I stayed on with him any longer he was going to hear me cry, and I didn't want to give him that power over me. I needed to keep some of the dignity that I had lost this weekend.
He continued to call me, but I eventually just turned my phone off. It wasn't worth it to hear it ring every time. The messages were the worst. They were just repeats of his apology and him calling himself names. I couldn't bring myself to read them. Instead I closed my eyes and focused on the good things in my life. I was graduating soon and going to the school of my dreams. I probably wasn't going to have a prom date, but that was okay. I wasn't sure I wanted to go to prom anyway.
I sat there for a while, but pretty soon it was time to get on my train. I was gathering my stuff up to leave when I heard the pounding. Turning to the noise I saw a monstrous Percy shoving his way through people trying to get to the train. He hadn't seen me yet, but I wasn't fast enough to hide. His eyes connected with mine half a second after I noticed him. Shit.
He beelined right for me, and I just stood there like an idiot. I mean it's not like I could have gone anywhere. There was no way I was going to be able to outrun him with my bag. He stopped abruptly in front of me. It was almost like one of those cartoon stops. "Annabeth, oh thank God," he breathed as he reached me. He reached out to grab me, but I stepped back.
"Percy what are you doing here? I told you I was going home." I was upset and tired and lost. There was not a single part of me that wanted to deal with him right now.
"Annabeth I told you, I'm so sorry I forgot to text you. I checked my phone, I even had it typed out. I must have just missed the send button," he was exasperated, but guess what buddy so was I. "Please don't go home. Please. We can go back to my dorm room and you can beat me up if you want, but please don't leave," he reached for my hand again, but this time I wasn't fast enough to get away from him.
"Please Percy, I just want to go home," my voice cracked. God damn it.
Instantly Percy's face fell, but he didn't let go. No, instead he used my hand to pull me into a hug. He did the hair thing I like and kept whispering how sorry he was to me. Begging me not go. I was so small I fit right under his chin, just the way he liked it. He always used to tell me that I was the perfect size for him. When he held me he could keep me close to him, but still be able to see. "Please Beth, just come back with me, and if you decide you still want to leave I will personally bring you back here."
That did me in. No matter how hurt I was, I didn't want to hurt Percy. So I did my usual and just nodded, and that was the confirmation Percy needed. He quickly took my bag from me and pulled my hand toward the exit. I didn't look at him though, not yet. The cab ride back to campus was quiet, but neither of us had much to say to one another. Percy was still wallowing in guilt while I was busy watching the rain fall. Once the cabbie stopped Percy paid him and got out, grabbing my things out of the trunk. He reached out for my hand, but I didn't take it. Percy just made a small disappointed nod and motioned for me to follow.
Walking into the dorm was awkward. A few people stuck their heads out to congratulate Percy on his race, while others started to ask if he had gotten to the station in time only to stop once they saw me. Percy only nodded at the people, his party mood seemed to have died. We made it to his room at the end of the hall and he unlocked it silently, letting me in first. Always the gentleman.
I sat on the bed that I remembered was his, while he settled on the bed across from me. Percy's side of the room was very blue. From the sheets to the comforter and even the lamp he kept by his bed. I didn't miss the new photo frame though. In a (blue) frame next to Percy's bed was the picture that we had taken last time I visited. We were standing in Central Park. We had both just finished a snowball fight, that I won. Percy was hugging me from behind, and we were looking at each other laughing. It was one of my favorite pictures, so I reached out to grab it from the table.
"That's my favorite picture of us," Percy said cutting into my thoughts. He was smiling sadly at me, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the picture. We were both so happy in it. "I like it because we both look so happy. Plus you look so pretty and carefree. Most people don't get to see you like that," that caught my attention, and I turned to look at him.
"What do you mean? I smile all the time."
"Not like that," he said reaching to take the picture from me. "Here you're really smiling. You aren't worried about the other people around you, and you only do that when you are really comfortable," suddenly he was like me, not looking away from the photo.
"And how do you know that?" I snipped at him. Maybe I was being short, but he was making assumptions I didn't like.
"Because you only look like this around Malcolm, my mother, and I, the people that you really trust. You don't even smile like that around your father, and I've always taken pride in being one of those people." There was a look of fierce determination in his eyes, so I stayed quiet. I knew that look meant that he was going to win, no matter what.
We sat in silence for a while longer, so I took the time to really study Percy's room. Other than the blue, I noticed that he had a lot of pictures. Some were of his mom, some were of Malcolm, but most, well most were of me. The more I looked around the more I noticed it. They ranged from us when we were really little to my senior pictures, and they were everywhere. I stood up and walked around the room looking at each of them, I could feel Percy's eyes following me, but he never said anything. "Percy, why are all of these pictures of me?" I asked turning to him.
At first I thought that he wasn't going to answer, but then he looked up. "I wondered when you were gonna notice," he smiled sadly. "This wasn't exactly how I imagined this going, see as I forgot you at a bus stop, but I guess it's what I've got."
"How you saw what going?" I asked stepping away from him. "What were you planning? Percy what's going on?"
"Calm down," he said holding his hands out and stepping toward me. "I'm not trying to kill you or anything."
I let out a breathy laugh. "Well that's good, cause Malcolm would kill you," I joked.
"Malcolm's gonna kill me anyway."
"Percy?" This was it.
"Annabeth we both know where this is going. These pictures are all of you because you are the only person that I want to look at, the person that I miss most since leaving home." My breath caught. "Beth you are the most important person in my life, and I am so sorry about today, but do you remember what I told you when your mom left?" I nodded. "Say it."
"You told me that I was always going to be your priority. That I could always count on you."
He nodded taking my hands. "I meant that wise girl, and I know that I let you down, but I promise I will never do that again," he stopped and looked me in the eye. "Annabeth, these pictures are all here because you make me happy. They are here because I love you." My world stopped.
"You love me?" I asked. "You mean like a sister?" I looked down not wanting to hear the answer.
"No Annabeth, not like a sister," I looked up at him again, checking to make sure that he wasn't messing with me. I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't. He meant it. Percy Jackson was in love with me.
"Percy, you mean," I didn't get to finish my question before he leaned down and kissed me. I swear fireworks went off in the back of my mind. The world froze, and I was happy that I had waited for this moment.
He pulled back and looked at me, smiling. "Yeah I do mean." I did something that sounded like a very unattractive pig squeal and launched myself at him. Percy was obviously taken by surprise, but he held me close to him anyway.
"Percy, I love you too," I sighed into his chest. "I never said anything because I thought that you saw me as a younger sister. I was going to say something the morning after my mom left, but you blew it off like it was nothing. So I figured it was." I was embarrassed, but it was better to get it out in the open.
"I know I made a mistake then too. I wasn't ready to face your brother yet, but I am now." I hugged him tighter if possible. "Do you know why I chose NYU?"
"Because they offered you a scholarship?"
"Yeah, well so did a lot of other schools. I chose here because I knew that this is where you were going to be. I didn't want to be away from you, so I made sure that I wasn't going to be."
I'm not an emotional person, but that had me tearing up. Percy had always been a romantic at heart, but he was really outdoing himself. "Percy, you shouldn't have given up those other offers for me,"
"I didn't give up anything, Annabeth. I get to be near you and I get to swim. Plus it's not like I suffered from it. The reason I missed you today was because I made the Olympic cut time, Beth." I couldn't breath. The Olympics were the only thing Percy had ever wanted, and I had ruined his day with my temper tantrum. He should be out partying, not trying to explain himself to me.
"Percy, I'm so sorry I ruined your day. If I had known,"
I was cut off yet again by Percy shushing me. "You didn't ruin anything. If anything this day just got a lot better. Now not only did I make my cut, but I got the girl I've been after since 15." I felt him kiss the top of my head before pulling away. "Well that is if you'll be my girlfriend."
"Of course I will you seaweed brain, but it's not me you need to worry about. You still have to tell Malcolm."
AHHHHH! So that's it! I think that this one is my personal favorite, but that's just me. What did you guys think? I may write a second part where they talk to Malcolm, but I'm not sure yet. Let me know what you guys think that I should do!
Emily