Chapter 2: The Realization
"So, Annie …" Percy said, still smiling. "Good to, ah, speak with you again."
"I'd agree with you but then we'd both be wrong," I replied.
"Go away Jackson. She's not gonna talk to you more than what's necessary," Thalia growled.
"Oooh someone's a little…upset," Nico snickered.
"Shut up," Thalia replied with a murderous expression. Nico went mute.
"Well Thals there no need to be hostile," Grover remarked, stepping up to stand beside Percy.
"Could've fooled me," Rachel said.
"Annie, tell your friends to be quiet," Percy said.
"You first," I ordered, ignoring the incredulous expressions on my friends' faces.
Percy's smile wavered. Sure, he was easily Goode' s biggest bad boy. Girls loved him, he dumped them. Boys admired him, he recruited them. Football player, captain of the swim team, the works. If you were friends with Percy, you were popular. If you weren't, you were famous. And to add to all that, he's only 15. But the boy was now facing a problem. If he listened, it would look like I still held sway over him. If he didn't, he'd look like a hypocrite. One of my friends Piper, took my arm discreetly and squeezed, excited that we might have won, and drastically at that.
"Very well, milady," Percy said, mockingly bowing low. "Any other orders your highness?"
"Yes. Get out of my way," I replied, with a winning smile. Percy's smile, needless to say, disappeared. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me closer to him.
"I'll let it go this time, Annie," he whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck. "But just watch your back , hmmm?"
I moved back slightly and opened my mouth to retort, but made the mistake of looking him in the eyes. Jade green, like the sea. Staring intently into my own. "I… uh," I stammered like an idiot. In my defense, he wasn't adored by girls all over Goode for no reason.
His usual smile returned, and he released his grip on my wrist. "Thought so," he said, stepping away from me. "See you later Annie," he said, walking off, flanked by Nico and Grover.
Thalia can get annoying after a while. She spent the first 5 minutes of our walk home to my house muttering to herself in amazement and staring at me.
"Thalia, what I it?" I finally asked her, as we waited to cross the street.
"You were RED Annabeth! You were freakin' BLUSHING! Because of PERCY JACKSON!" she hollered.
"I was not!"
"Yes you were. You should've seen you're face. You wouldn't believe it either."
"Well, so what? What difference does it make?" I asked defensively, anxiously waiting for the light to turn green.
"What difference does it make? Annabeth, you know just as well as I do that there is a website based on you two being followed and regularly checked by the ENTIRE Goode High. And you also know that the certain little spat happened in a PUBLIC place," she said just as the light turned green.
"So, we lost an argument. Big deal," I replied, yanking her arm and dragging her across the street, ignoring the looks we were getting from drivers.
"Are you okay Annabeth? You were never this forgiving about any of the arguments," she said, studying my face. Suddenly her expression changed from a look of concern to amusement, and then horror. She shrugged off my grip on her arm and began to run.
"Thalia? Why're you running? Wait up!" I yelled after her, running to catch up. I could see she was talking to someone on her phone.
When we finally got to my house, Piper, Silena, Rachel, Hazel, Zoe, and Katie were standing outside. Piper and Silena grabbed me by the arms and dragged me right past my house, and into the one next door.
"Why are we going to Thalia's house?" I asked confused.
"Damage control," Katie replied.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Not here, upstairs," Zoe whispered. That meant Jason was home. He's Thalia's brother, and Percy's friend. That means whatever this is, is something Percy cannot know.
I dejectedly dropped my bookbag on the floor, and went upstairs. I pushed open the door to Thalia's room. Navy blue walls with white furniture and accent pieces. I plopped myself on her bed and waited for the others. They came a second later.
"We don't have time to waste," Thalia said, tossing large bag of chips in the center of the bed. "I called this emergency meeting because I came to a realization. Annabeth has a crush."
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