Maybe she should've remembered him. She's seen him or bumped into him enough times. But somehow, they never really pieced together.
2 Years ago
Annabeth drove up to the apartment complex, parking in her spot before walking up the stairs. Her stuff was already in there, not unpacked yet, spare a few boxes of clothing and some kitchen utensils. She looked around at the bare walls, the little closet, the beige carpet and thought, Home Sweet Home. She would be living here for another four years, going to the nearby university NYU and studying architecture.
Percy woke up from his nap-no, he was living by himself now. It was not a "nap", it was...beauty sleep. Percy woke up from his beauty sleep, hearing a car park at the spot reserved for the room next door, which had been for sale for a while now. He looked at the clock, and suddenly realized he was going to be late for work at the New York Aquarium, which wasn't very close to his apartment.
Percy would've gone to college-if he could afford it. But sadly, he couldn't, and the closest university(NYU) that wouldn't make him have to move(as he can't afford moving) had tons of amazing students and he didn't earn a scholarship. He wasn't smart enough anyways, always getting into trouble in school and getting low grades due to his ADHD and dyslexia. The only thing he was ever good at was Marine Biology. Eventually it paid off. The manager of the New York Aquarium had been impressed when he went to ask for a job and had handled a baby dolphin perfectly after passing a test by their most knowledgeable employee, so he gave Percy a job despite his lack of experience, a kind of paid internship. It was enough for Percy to pay his rent and start saving up for college.
The Next Day
A few more boxes had come in, sent last minute by Annabeth's dad. She was pretty strong so she had little trouble, but there was one medium sized box that she just couldn't lift.
"Need a little help?"
Annabeth turned to see a tall, dark-haired young man about her age. He looked strong too, and nice enough to be genuinely offering help.
"Yeah, thanks. I can't lift this one, could you..."
"No prob. Which apartment?"
"2B."
"Hey! I live in 2A! You must be the new neigbor."
Annabeth rolled her eyes "Obviously." The man just grinned.
They stood in the elevator in silence, each holding one of Annabeth's last two boxes, then walked through the door of Annabeth's apartment and stood in the bare room.
"Well...this is it. You can just put it down there."
"'Kay." he replied, shaking his arms once he put the box down. "Dang, what was in there?"
"I have no idea," Annabeth replied, and opened up the box to find...all of her baby picture albums. "Oh, gods, dad!"
"Are those...?" Percy asked, grinning.
"My baby pictures? Yup. Well, thanks for getting the box for me, nice to meet you," She said as she practically pushed him out the door, blushing as he laughed.
"No problem. If you need any more help, don't hesitate to ask." He replied,"Oh, and, you were an adorable baby by the way." He laughed as he ran back into his own apartment, leaving Annabeth red-faced and vaguely wondering what his name was.
Five months Later
Annabeth was working at a large architecture firm on an internship while still in college. Usually they didn't hire college students, but Annabeth had always been talented, and a quick learner, despite her dyslexia and ADHD. They had quickly recognized her talent and had hired her.
As she went about her daily routine, she realized she had never talked to any of her neighbors. Well, she had talked to that one boy the second day here, but she didn't even catch his name. Oh, well. She had to hurry. She always had only 20 minutes to get between her college class and her job, and there was always a little bit of traffic. It is New York, after all.
Percy was late. Again. He'd gotten promoted-again-and he was expected to always be "punctual", whatever that meant. He literally ran out of the apartment in his work outfit and...promptly crashed into another body.
Who did he think he was? Annabeth had walked out of the apartment, took a step, and someone crashed into her, making her stumble. He caught her arm as she fell-she could tell it was a he by his strong grip-and steadied her.
"I'm so sorry...I'm running late and I was rushing...I really got to go, bye!" And he ran off.
No wonder why I hadn't met my neighbors before, Annabeth thought.
A year later
Annabeth was in the middle of her sophomore year in high school. She was not as busy this year, she had a new teacher who was pretty fun and easy and didn't give as much homework. She even had time to get a boyfriend for a while-Luke-but she broke up with him a few weeks ago and now she was at a starbucks. A lonely starbucks lover, someone would've said a while ago, when the song was extremely popular but no one really knew the lyrics.
Percy was free. Well, not really. But now, after the beginner stage of the job was over, Percy had gotten the hang of things, and he didn't have to worry so much anymore. Not to mention his paycheck increased,making him nearly three quarters of the way there to being able to pay for college-if he went to a small one, that is. If he wanted to go to NYU, he'd have to get a scholarship, and financial aid, but then he'd be a fifth of the way there, too.
He plopped down in a crowded starbucks, ordering only an ice water(hey, five dollar drinks are expensive). He looked across from him and was surprised to see a pretty blonde with grey eyes staring across the table at him. She looked sort of familiar, but he couldn't exactly place it. She was drinking an iced caramel macchiato. Yep. He was a barista for a while in high school, he knew all the drinks.
"Umm, hi,"He said, trying to make conversation.
"Hi," the girl replied
"I'm Percy, what's your name?"
"Annabeth. I-oh shoot, I'm late. Gotta go, bye!" And with that, "Annabeth" left.
Percy kind of felt like she just made an excuse to leave.
Annabeth felt kind of bad, she thought it sounded kind of rude in hindsight, but it was too late now, and she really did have to go.
1 month later
Percy grinned as he walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, a beautiful lady with long brown hair opened the door and smiled her big smile that Percy loved. Yup. Percy was visiting his mom.
"Percy! You're back!" He enveloped her in a huge hug.
"I'm back, mom! And are those...blue cookies?"
"Yup! I baked them just for you. Oh, Percy, come in!"
10 cookies and an entire afternoon later, Percy had to leave.
"Wait, Percy. I can't finish all of these cookies! Here, take them home." Percy smiled.
"Really? Thanks Mommy!"
"You're welcome, sweetie."
Annabeth came home crying. She and Luke had gotten back together for a while, but he broke up with her today for another beautiful and really nice girl that Luke had liked for a while now. She silently berated herself. What did she expect? Tall, handsome, senior Luke staying with plain old sophomore Annabeth over that senior girl named Drew or something? The tall and toned Asian one that looked amazing in whatever she wore? The one that was almost perfection in every guy's eyes with her looks(albeit more than a little rude)? She pushed past someone on the way out of the elevator as she slammed the door, still crying.
Percy watched the pretty girl run into apartment, sobbing. Hey, wasn't that the girl from starbucks a while ago? He suddenly felt bad for her-his mom had always told him to be nice to everyone when he was little, and he had taken that to heart. He was even holding his mother's cookies in his hands! He stared at her door for a while, before dashing inside his own apartment.
Annabeth heard the doorbell ring. Who the hell would be here now? What if it was Luke? She panicked, wiping the tears off her face and breathing in and out to at least look normal.
Fixing her clothes, she opened the door and was slightly disappointed to find no Luke there. In fact, there was nobody in the door, which left Annabeth feeling more than a little annoyed until she saw the box laying at her feet with a piece of paper attached. She brought it inside and gently closed the door behind her.
Dear girl next door,
Hey, I don't know what's going on, but I think you need these more than I do. They're good, trust me, my mom made them.
Love, your next door neighbor, Percy
Annabeth opened up the box and smiled as she saw a ton of blue chocolate chip cookies piled in there. Slightly apprehensive about them(they were blue!), she raised one up and examined it. It didn't seem...poisonous, so she took a bite and-mmmmmm...Percy was right. They are delicious. She wrote a short note back saying thanks and left it on his door to find the next day.
3 weeks later.
Annabeth hears a noise. A very quiet noise, but a noise. She stands up from the chair in the small living room and slowly follows the sound into her bedroom and presses her ear against the wall and-oh. The walls are thinner than she thought.
Annabeth can hear her neighbor-the really nice one that gave her cookies a few weeks ago-singing in the shower. And he was GOOD too. Not perfect, not pop-singer good, but it wasn't bad. Ironically, he was singing that song, Shower or something by something-G. Annabeth wasn't really up to date with the music.
She could hear faint whispers of, Laaa daa dee, laa daa daa, laa daa daaaaaaa...singing in the shower. Laa daa dee, laa daa daa, laa daa daaaa...singing in the shower... On repeat. Turns out it was the only lyrics he knew. She didn't really want to interrupt him, but his voice was distracting her and she needed to work. So she knocked on the wall and shouted,"Hey! I'm sorry, but I'm trying to work?" A few crashes were heard along with a loud "Sorry!" And Annabeth grinned to herself. For no reason at all.
6 months later
It was summer break. Also called busy season at the aquarium. They each were allowed two weeks off, but Percy couldn't afford to not be there. He was taking classes at a small community college, and it was cheap, but Percy wanted more. And so he worked.
Percy geared up in the wetsuit. Yup, he was now the person who dived in to feed the animals. He was also a trainer-in-training, but for now, all he got to do was dive in and drop fish, or whatever the animals ate.
Today was going well for Percy. The rounds were done without a hitch, all the animals were fed, he watched and helped with the animal training, and played and nursed the babies. He was soon going to participate in his very first show as an assistant, doing small things like tossing the treats as a reward while the senior trainer speaks to the audience. Percy walked to the room behind the show pools(it was the sea lion show this hour) and put on the navy blue polo t-shirt and cargo shorts the staff wore.
"Ready Percy?" Triton, the senior trainer that was running the show clapped him on the back.
"Ready." Percy put on a determined show was about to start.
Annabeth laughed at her little brother Matthew's face as he pouted. An identically pouting face was right next to Matthew's, his twin brother Bobby. She was taking them out to the aquarium on one of her rare free times with the little nine year olds.
"Come on, Annabeth, we want to sit in the front!" Bobby complained.
"Yeah! Its the splash zone!"
"We might get wet though," Annabeth points out.
"Thats the POINT!," they chorus.
Annabeth laughs again. "Fine. But you come home sopping wet and Helen or Dad asks, it wasn't me."
"OKAY!" They yell happily as they run to grab a seat in the front. Annabeth grins at their antics and follows them just as the show starts.
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Sea Lion show!" The crowd applauded.
"My name is Triton, and this is my slave, oops, i mean assistant, Percy." Everyone laughed, and Annabeth wondered why Percy looked so familiar.
Percy stuck his tongue out at Triton, naturally, and the crowd laughed again.
"Now, today, as this is the Sea Lion show, we also have to introduce my friend Shawn." Percy had disappeared into the back and came back leading a large sea lion. Bobby and Matthew cheered and clapped enthusiastically for the sea lion. Annabeth laughed enthusiastically, more at the twins than the show.
The show was almost over. Matthew and Bobby loved the tricks that the sea lion did(balancing ball on nose, clapping, waving at the audience) and it helped that Percy and Triton's banter was so funny to watch, even for the adults. She still felt something familiar about him, but once again pushed it aside.
"So today, unfortunately for those for you in the splash zone, Shawn's show doesn't splash you."
Most of the little kids booed, including the twins.
"And since we're mature adults, we have decided to...SPRAY YOU DOWN!" Percy then came out with a giant hose and a mischievous smile, turning it on and spraying the ground right in front of the splash zone, getting everyone there wet.
Annabeth shrieked as the water practically drenched her.
"THANK YOU EVERYBODY!" The audience either clapped and laughed or shrieked as they were crowd started leaving, but Bobby and Matthew insisted they stayed behind to get soaked a little longer by Percy.
Eventually, Percy turned the hose off. Annabeth looked down and blushed when she realized the white shirt she had worn was completely soaked through and you could see her bra through it. Percy came over, blushing and purposefully not looking at Annabeth.
"Yeah, sorry about that..." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"ARE YOU KIDDING? THAT WAS THE BEST!" The twins screamed. Percy laughed, a deep melodic laugh that made Annabeth blush even harder. Oh my gods annabeth, what are you thinking?
"It's alright. You're such a Seaweed Brain."
"Seaweed Brain?"
"Yup. Since you work at the aquarium and it seems that your brain was replaced by the seaweed here."
"You're so smart alecky, aren't you, you, um, Wise Girl." Percy grinned triumphantly.
"Wise Girl?"
"Yeah!"
"You must really be a Seaweed Brain then."
"Hey! Oh, wait a minute, be right back," Percy said, running somewhere. He came back soon after with the blue t-shirt that the staff wore.
"This is my spare shirt I bring in case I need it, but i guess you need it more..." Annabeth gratefully took the polo shirt and pulled it over her head, mentally noting that she could smell him on the shirt. It said "Percy" on the corner, but she didn't care. It was a shirt. More importantly, it was Percy's shirt. She felt attracted to him, though she didn't know why.
"Come on, Annabeth, I wanna see the sharks!"
"But the sea turtles are cooler!"
"No, the sharks are!"
"Lets just go see both,"Annabeth suggested. She turned back to Percy and waved goodbye. He waved back, still blushing, and she took one of her brothers' hands in each of hers and then lead them out.
"Ooooh, Annie, he gave you his shirtttt"
"Oh, shut up. And dont call me Annie. Anyways, he only did it because he felt bad"
"He still gave you his shirt!"
"Annie and Percy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-..." Annabeth wanted to scream.
Meanwhile, Percy was having a similar problem.
"So, Perce," Triton said, leaning against the counter, "Who was she?"
"Who?" Percy asked, oblivious.
"The girl? The one you gave your shirt to?"
"Oh. Her name was Annabeth. That's what one of the little boys called her."
"She's cute."
Percy blushed. "I don't even really know her. How could I like her?"
"Then why did you give her your shirt?"
"Because I felt bad for making her shirt wet and you could see her bra."
"This is going to be all over the Aquarium tomorrow with the staff."
"So? Nobody knows it was me."
"Percy, your shirt has your name on it."
"Shoot."
The next day, Triton's prediction came true. Even his boss Poseidon had come up to Percy and had teasingly asked about "The pretty blonde girl, you know, the one who was wearing your shirt?" Percy was blushing the entire day, telling the unbelieving staff that "I just felt bad that I got her shirt wet! I don't even really know her."
Annabeth had gone home after dropping off the twins. The next morning, she realized that she was still wearing Percy's shirt. It was surprisingly warm and comfortable. No, it was not because she liked him, she didn't even really know him, how could she like him?
The doorbell rang and Annabeth opened the door.
"Miss me?" Asked a girl with spiky black hair and electric blue eyes.
"Thalia!" Annabeth hugged the other girl tight. Thalia was her best friend ever since she was seven and Thalia was nine. They had bonded when a bully pushed Annabeth for being a nerd and Thalia had seen and yelled at the younger boy until he stopped being mean to Annabeth.
"What are you doing here?" Thalia had been working in an archery range and teaching archery in Oregon for the past two years.
"I'm just here on a little break. Plus, my cousin lives here, so I decided to visit you."
"Well, come in!" For the next few hours, Thalia and Annabeth caught up on each other's lives.
An hour later, Thalia asked,"Hey, Annabeth?"
"Hmm?"
"What is that shirt you're wearing?"
"Oh, this? I got it at the New York Aquarium."
"Why does it say Percy on it?"
"Bobby and Matthew wanted to sit in the splash zone and the sea lion show dude sprayed us, then felt bad and offered me his shirt. Why?"
"Oh my gods, Annabeth. My cousin works there. At the New York Aquarium. My cousin Percy."
"So?" Annabeth blushed. "What does it matter that it's your cousin?"
"So? You're blushing! You're totally going to date my cousin!"
"What? No! I don't even know him!"
"That's ok, I'll introduce you! Come on, change your shirt, we're going to visit him and pretend that we're visiting to give him his shirt back."
"Pretend?"
"Yup! Because your BFF Thalia is going to hook you up with my cute cousin!"
"No way."
"Uh, huh."
"Do you even know where he lives?"
"Yeah, he gave me his address, let me find it...oh my gods"
"What now?"
"He lives next door." He must be the really nice and really handsome boy!
"I take it there's no backing out now?"
"Nope. And I can see you recognize him. You've already met, so there's no reason to not go!" I can give you a few reasons, Annabeth thought, but didn't say anything. She didn't really mind going to Percy's apartment...because...well, Percy.
Thalia dashed into Annabeth's closet and picked out a few articles of clothing, said "Wear this," and pushed Annabeth into the bathroom to change. Annabeth sighed and did as she was told. There is no denying Thalia.
She came out of the room(looking really good with her outfit and her hair tied in her signature ponytail), and Thalia immediately grabbed Percy's shirt, ushering her out the door.
"Lets go, lets go, let's go!" She exclaimed happily.
"Why are you so...excited?"
"Hey, its not every day that I get to play matchmaker with my baby Annabeth and my widdle cousin."
"Thalia...just..." But Thalia was too busy ringing the doorbell and shushed her.
Annabeth was suddenly nervous, quickly brushing through her hair and blushing while Thalia watched on smirking, like I told you that you liked him.
Percy opened the door with an adorable-no, not adorable because you don't like him, Annabeth-confused look but grinned when he saw Thalia.
"Thals!"
"Kelp Head!" Percy face-palmed.
"You had to say it in front of her? She already calls me Seaweed Brain!"
"Nice," Thalia said. She and Annabeth fist bumped.
Percy just glared, or tried to. He ended up somehow grinning instead. "Annabeth, right?" Annabeth nodded. "How do you guys even know each other anyways?"
"Thalia's my best friend and she came to visit me, and umm..." Annabeth blushed.
"Yeah?" Percy asked, totally oblivious.
"Ummm here!" Annabeth shoved his shirt in his hands and squeezed her eyes shut. Way to be cool, Annabeth. She thought she must've died of embarrassment.
"Oh, its my shirt! Thanks, Annabeth. Hey, why don't you guys come in?"
"Sure," Thalia answered for her and pushed her in.
"So yeah. She was wearing that shirt when I came and so I made her come and give it back because she didn't know where you lived." Annabeth groaned. Even more embarrassment, telling Percy she was wearing it. Thanks, Thals.
"Cool." Luckily, Percy really was a Seaweed Brain.
Thalia wanted to roll her eyes at the awkward scene. Her cousin was totally oblivious, and her best friend was red and trying not to die in front of her obvious crush. So, because she's Thalia, she decided to move things on a bit.
"Hey, Percy, you free...next Saturday?"
"Ummm, Thalia...we're..you know, cousins..." Thalia face palmed yet again.
"No, you idiot, if you're free, you and Annabeth should go get lunch or something."
"Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed. Now both of them were blushing and not looking at each other.
"What? It's my job to be helpful," she said, sarcastically mimicking the helpful Honda commercial. "So? Kelp Head?"
If Percy could lie, he would've said he didn't like Annabeth that way, but he knew he was a horrible liar. Annabeth was beautiful, smart(as far as he's seen), funny, cool. Who wouldn't like her? Percy looked down at the floor.
"Um..Annabeth...would you like to go out for lunch next Saturday?"
Annabeth looked shy and completely adorable blushing like that. "Um...yeah, I'd love to."
Percy's head shot up. "Really?" He was grinning.
Annabeth laughed. "Really."