Since there is still some free time remaining before school starts again I can still write more often, so here is chapter 2 :3
"YOU ARE MOVING?!"
Percy was currently enjoying his cheeseburger at the cafeteria when her voice made him almost choke on it. She was standing in front of him, hands on her hips and a disbelieving look on her face.
"AT THE WEEKEND?!"
All he was able to do at the moment was stare at her, the burger in his hands, half on its way to his mouth which stood still open.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice got more upset by every word she said and every second in which he didn't.
Percy was finally able to swallow his food and thought 'Oh, shit...'
He could see the hurt in her eyes and before she could say anything more he wildly gestured her to sit down.
Percy cleared his throat and inhaled deeply before he dared to look her in the eyes which he immediately regretted. Guilt fell over him and all he wanted was to turn back time and call her when he had still had the chance to. Now she had found out herself.
"H-how do you know?" he stuttered and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Paul said us goodbye."
Oh, no... Why hadn't he thought about this earlier? His step-dad was her sports teacher and of course he would tell his students that he would leave.
"Look, Annabeth..." he began, "I actually DID want to tell you -"
"And why didn't you do it?"
"I-I... erm... it's a bit complicated, you see..."
She only raised an eyebrow at this. "Complicated, huh? YOU have something complicated going on in your mind?"
Ouch, that had been mean. He wasn't such a good student like her and normally they didn't lose a word about it, so Percy knew she was really upset now. He gulped. "Please let me explain -" he started but got interrupted when Luke showed up.
Annabeth turned to her boyfriend after he sat down. "Did you know Percy is moving tomorrow?"
Luke frowned at him. "You are what?"
Annabeth looked confused for a moment for why Luke didn't know either.
"Yeah, I'm moving to San Francisco," Percy said. "My mom got a great job there."
"Since when do you know?" Annabeth asked, her arms still crossed.
"Erm... You remember the argument I've had with my parents?" He ducked his head at the sight of her connecting the dots.
"Percy, that's two weeks ago! Why wouldn't you tell me? I thought we were friends!" Ah, there it was.
"Best friends, in fact" he said. "And would you please let me explain?"
"Go for it, Seaweedbrain." She leaned back and watched him expectantly.
Luke was still frowning at him and he wished he would just leave. How should he tell Annabeth the real reason he didn't tell her was because he wanted her to be happy because he loved her? In front of her boyfriend?! Maybe there even was another reason. Maybe when he kept the distance his feelings would go away, maybe leaving her would be the best for both of them. But how was he supposed to say this?
Percy didn't know how long they just kept sitting there staring at each other until he found the nerve to say: "I'm sorry, Annabeth, but I can't tell you." He stood up, leaving his friend (the cheeseburger) with the girl of his dreams and her boyfriend, aware of the fact that he would probably never see them again.
He didn't know how he got home. Well, by bus, obviously, but he's been in a dazed state, sort of. Right after he had left the cafeteria it had hit him. The past two weeks he had tried not to think about leaving Annabeth and that he would try to see her again very soon, somehow. But now it all came crashing down on him. Memories flipped through his head. Everywhere he went he saw younger versions of Annabeth and himself, sitting under the branches of the big willow tree, walking down the school hallways fighting over something ridiculous, watching a movie on his mom's couch, ...
They had seen each other crying, they had been through everything, they knew each others secrets and there was no other person Percy trusted more. Yet, he couldn't stop feeling this way for her.
When he came home everything he wanted was to lock himself up in his room and watch the first movie the two of them had seen together, but his mother had other plans. So his last day in New York he was packing up remaining things and heaving packing cases into a big truck.
"Did you say goodbye to your friends?" Sally Jackson asked her son after everything was done. They would sleep this night in sleeping bags and wear sweatpants next day so they only had a big bag left with things they'd need until tomorrow.
Percy nodded. His best guy friend Grover was the only one he had told about the moving, before Grover had moved himself to Canada. They were now living in some trailer park to keep connected with the nature or whatsoever.
He had sent Luke a text message in which he said goodbye and excused for not telling him, though most of it was drivel.
There was only one person left.
"Mom, I've gotta do something, erm, very important. I'll be in my room, but please do not disturb me."
Sally only lifted one eyebrow as she watched her son running up the stairs to his room.
Percy took out a writing block and a pen, sat down at the wall and started writing.
Annabeth couldn't believe it. Her best friend didn't tell her that he would leave. She just didn't understand it! She had thought they could trust each other. Why didn't he talk to her?
"Hey, are you okay?" She turned her head towards her boyfriend who was looking at her worried.
"Of course I'm okay," she snapped. "My best friend will only leave tomorrow and didn't tell me about it. I might even not see him again, oh yeah, I am very much okay!" Wow, she thought. Percy's sarcasm was sinking through.
Luke scowled. "I don't get why he didn't say a word, not even to you. I mean, aren't you guys telling each other everything?"
She shrugged. "Thought so, too..."
He hugged her and she nestled her head onto his chest. She knew he was trying to comfort her and, being her boyfriend, it must have been helping, but still... When Percy had seen her crying he would timidly pull her closer, say reassuring things (well, he was at least trying to) and sometimes even hum a lullaby until she fell asleep. He would always make her feel better. What was she supposed to do without him?
If she hadn't been with Luke that night she would have come over to Percy's to see him one last time before he left. But she didn't.
And when she got the letter the next day she wished she would have done it.
