Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Annabeth's pov:
I get out of my house at the sound of Percy's Prius. I feel calm today. The sun is out and shining, a gentle breeze blowing my golden curls. His old, beat-up, but still running blue Prius pulls into my driveway. I quickly slide into passenger seat and we go on our way to Goode High School. He's been picking me up for school for years now. This 'he' is Percy Jackson, the heart-throb thousands of schoolgirls want to date, and my best friend since 9 years- The reason why I get envious glares from the female population of my school.
"Morning wise girl" he says flashing me his famous lopsided grin which often has girls drooling.
"You waiting for me after school?" he asks returning his attention back to the road.
It's Friday today. The day Thalia, Jason, Piper, Percy and me hang out under the old pine tree in Central park. We've been doing this for years and it has become sort of a tradition now. I wait for him at the bleachers till his swim practice gets over and we head over to the tree together.
"Yep. As always." I reply looking over at him. Wait a second. Are those...?
"Are those blue cookies I smell?" I exclaim my eyes lighting up. I turn around and sure enough there's a box of delicious warm cookies on the backseat.
"I wondered how long it would take you to discover them" he says chuckling as I devour the blue goodies. You see, Percy and his mom Sally believe that there is a thing such as blue food. To prove this Sally goes out of her way to cook blue food- blue birthday cakes, blue tortilla chips, blue candies, blue cookies. You get used to it after some time though because you simply cannot resist Sally's cookies.
"Yeah? So how long exactly?" I ask him quirking an eyebrow.
"5 minutes 36 seconds. Exactly. You're getting slower wise girl" he says in fake disappointment.
I laugh and reach out for the last cookie only to find the box empty and my seaweed brain of a best friend munching something. He grins at my gaping expression quickly pecking my forehead as an apology. I just shake my head at his antics.
We finally pull into the school parking lot and make our way towards our lockers. I've gotten used to the stares and whispers following us now. Girls throwing glares my way while simultaneously trying to catch the swim team captain's attention. Trying to break down Perseus Jackson's walls and make their way into his heart. Its understandable actually. He has windswept black hair and mesmerizing sea green eyes. A lean muscular build with six pack abs which can partially be seen through his t-shirt. The worst and best thing about him though? He's oblivious to all this attention. He doesn't notice the lust filled looks thrown his way, the flirtatious winks and smiles he gets, the envious glares the guys give him, or the thousands of hearts he breaks when he politely declines the girls' offers. Or maybe he just chooses not to. This innocence, obliviousness and often stupid but sweet behaviour of his make me wonder if his brain is filled with seaweed hence his nickname seaweed brain. He tells me I'm his wise girl. Reason? Because I'm wise. Yep that's Percy Jackson for you.
But I wouldn't call them his flaws. No. He has been there with me since we were 9. He was there when my mother died. He was there when I cried at her funeral, his hand clutching mine. He was there when I fell off my skates scraping my knee and cried like a baby. Sure, he laughed and teased me about it afterwards- he still does. He was there when my dad remarried and I got two stepbrothers- who I felt were a total nuisance at that time. I still think they are sometimes though. He was there with me when I got B in a subject and cried for it and he was there when I had my first crush on this guy Luke. I'm over him now though. We attended our first party together. We had our first drink together. I've seen him cry over his torn panda pillow set. I've seen him win his first swim competition. I was there when he was announced the swim team captain. I've seen him sad because of a competition he lost. I've seen him be a mama's boy. I was there when he first moved to New York from Greece at 9 years of age, leaving his father behind. His parents are not divorced though and they are like a happy family- just living in different parts of the world but loving each other all the same. His dad travels a lot because of work and he doesn't see much of him. So it wouldn't make any difference if he moved to New York because he still goes to visit him during the vacations.
And I love him for all this- love him as a best friend. I've heard rumours of us dating, I've seen bets being made on when we are going to become a couple. I know about boys being scared of asking Percy Jackson's girl out. Rumours and misconceptions. That's what they are. I love him- true. But I love him as a best friend. I love him for always being there for me. I love him for sharing my sadness and his happiness. I love him for making me laugh when times are tough. I love him for being him. And I know that he loves for all this too.
So I ignore the judgemental looks around me, I ignore the girls who think I'm foolish for being just best friends with Percy Jackson, I ignore the girls who think I'm stupid for passing up the opportunity of touching him, the opportunity of feeling his lips against mine, the opportunity of being the only girl able to makes her way into his heart and yet not being anything more than just best friends with him, not making a move on him. I ignore them as I've been doing now for years, and make my way towards my locker with Percy's arm around my shoulder, my head held high. Towards the people who love me for what I am and who do not judge me and who tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. Towards the people I care about the most in the world- except Percy and my dad- towards my friends.