"What's the story, Wise Girl?" Percy whispered to Annabeth as they sat through their first class of the day, Biology. Annabeth, who was taking down notes, tensed at the question. Percy took this as a confirmation of his suspicions, "Nightmares, huh?"
Annabeth nodded, if a little ashamed.
"Annabeth, hey," Percy tugged softly at her curls. "Hey, look at me. There's nothing to be ashamed about. Look at me, the son of the sea god became a panda. Dad must be so proud," He joked. We'll get through this, okay?"
A small smile curled on her lips but then Mrs. Wazowski interrupted them, "Mr. Jackson and Miss…?"
"Chase," Annabeth answered.
"Alright. Mr. Jackson and Ms. Chase, name all six of the animal kingdoms."
Annabeth promptly answered, "Animalia, Archaea, Bacteria, Fungi, Plantae, and-"
"Protista," Percy finished.
An eyebrow raised up on Mrs. Wazowski's wrinkly forehead, "Very good." She looked around the class on who to call next, "Mr. Williams, what are then the..."
Percy tuned out Mrs. Wazowski and turned to Annabeth once again, "Where are you staying?"
"My step-mom is still looking for an apartment. We're staying at a hotel for now."
"Your step-mom's here?" Percy was surprised but remembered to keep his voice low.
"I know. I'm surprised too." Annabeth smiled, but there was a hint of sadness to it, "They've actually been very supportive, in their own way..." She trailed off but Percy knew the but in her words, I wish we could've been a family sooner."
Percy tugged at her hair again to bring Annabeth out of her musings and smiled innocently when she glared accusingly at him.
The rest of their morning passed by peacefully; Annabeth and Percy catching up and getting to know new friends while teachers reprimanded them for being noisy. Annabeth has attended school before but she doesn't remember ever feeling as content as she did that morning and she had to wonder if it had something to do with Percy being there. And maybe it does. They said home is where the heart is and her heart belongs to Percy.
Lunchtime came and the dreaded part of every new student comes with it - where to sit. Annabeth felt like the previous week in her old school had all been a hazy dream. She lacked sleep too much to function properly and she couldn't care less where she sat back then but if she's staying at Goode permanently then she wants to live as normal of a life as possible and that means not attracting attention. To do that, as guided by those tv shows Percy likes to watch: 1) don't act like you're new, always have a purpose to what you're doing, 2) don't sit at the wrong table, 3) don't do anything potentially embarrassing at all.
"Annabeth, you have to try the burgers! Heavenly, oily goodness." Red enthused as he led the way to the front of the cafeteria line.
"You're going to die before you're sixty if you keep that up, Red." Red blushed and turned around to face the source of the new voice. Annabeth could understand why. The new girl looked like she just stepped off of a fashion magazine. She had long dark hair, a beautiful face, a curvy-esque body, and basically, an aura that screams effortless beauty even if she was just wearing a baseball shirt and jeans. Standing beside her is another striking female figure with ginger hair and wide honey brown eyes, giving off the same aura. Annabeth had no doubts that the two were popular girls in the school because apart from their looks, they were both empousa and had the power to manipulate people.
Annabeth had to say goodbye to her normal life of high school then because empousa were not easy enemies. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Percy hasn't gotten rid of them yet. Her hackles were raised, ready for a confrontation at any moment when Percy placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"Annabeth, this is Victoria and Jana," Percy introduced the dark-haired girl and the ginger-haired girl respectively. "Vic, Jana, this is Annabeth, my girlfriend."
Victoria offered her hand for Annabeth to shake, "Nice to meet you. Heard so much about you." Percy nudged Annabeth before she took the proffered hand. Jana just gave a wave in greeting, "Yoh."
"Percy, Annabeth, you're next in line," Chester called from in front of them after getting his own tray.
Percy guided Annabeth from the rest of the group to order their food and whispered, "I'll tell you later. Things have been a bit weird before you got here."
Things were weird, Annabeth discovered, as lunch break continued, but at the high school side of life instead of the demigod side.
Victoria and Jana were popular, as Annabeth thought, and they sat at a table of males and females who all looked like they belong to the Aphrodite cabin. But what surprised Annabeth was when they all greeted Percy as friends and by all subsequent tables they have passed until they reached an empty one. It seemed like everyone knew Percy.
"Okay, what gives, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Percy raised his eyebrow in mock return, "What, Wise Girl?"
"Since when are you Mr. Congeniality?"
"Percy's the star of the swim team, didn't you know?" Chester interjected.
"Swim team?" Annabeth snorted and Percy raised his hands up in a defensive stance, "I knew you were gonna think that so I haven't told you."
"What? What? Think what?" Nicole asked, eager to be in on the secret but Percy and Annabeth looked at each other and said, "Sorry. Inside joke."
Nicole slumped back on her chair and pouted but still said, "Okay. Cool. Whatever."
Annabeth leaned in on Percy's ear, though, and whispered, "Cheater." Before she started laughing.
As revenge, Percy decided to tickle Annabeth on the side which made her burst out laughing even more and in between breaths she said, "Percy, stop it!"
When they stopped, Chester asked, leaning over, "So, Annabeth, what clubs are you thinking of joining? Clubs are accepting until the end of the month." He pushed his glasses up, "If you haven't decided, might I suggest-"
"Percy, looks like someone's making a move on your girlfriend," a girl with striking blue eyes teased, taking a seat on their table with a boy as well-built as Percy and around two inches taller.
"I was not!" Chester replied, indignant but slightly blushing.
"How do you do that?" Percy jokingly exasperated.
The girl laughed, "This one was easy. Nicole texted me the news." She turned towards Annabeth and held out her hand across the table, "Hi, everyone calls me George."
"George?" Annabeth wondered as she shook George's hand.
George smiled as if she just remembered a joke, "Yeah. Short for Georgina."
"Oh. That's kinda cool. I'm Annabeth." Annabeth smiled back. George had platinum blonde hair to go with her already bright eyes. She had a preppy look about her with an orange short-sleeved button down blouse and khaki shorts.
George laughed lightly. "Yeah, I know. Percy talks about you a lot. And by that, I mean A LOT."
"Oh? What do you say about me, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth turned to Percy with a mischievous smile, "Hmm?"
"All good things, dear, all good things," Percy pacified.
"Dear?" Annabeth laughed.
Percy pretended to cough to steer the conversation, "And this is Ian." Percy gestured to the man who sat with George. He had the same preppy look about him with a side sweep haircut on his ash blonde hair, plain polo shirt, and navy blue pants.
"Oh no, don't stop on my account, by all means, go on." Ian laughed, gesturing for Annabeth to continue teasing Percy. Annabeth had a feeling that George and Ian were as popular as Percy. Annabeth wonders to herself if maybe the status quo isn't as strict in Goode or maybe she has just been watching too much shows.
"Oh, you were talking about clubs?" George confirmed then turned to Annabeth, "That's great. Goode has extra-curricular activities as one of its priorities so there are a lot of clubs to join and a lot of budget as well. What were you thinking of?"
"If you need to know anything about Goode, George is the person to ask. She's like you, Wise Girl. She knows everything with what's going on around here. She's the resident teacher's pet, a part of the student council, and a bunch of other committees and clubs I've forgotten." Percy said.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Percy," George replied dryly.
"As I was saying." Chester cleared his throat, "Annabeth, why don't you join the-"
"Done!" Red suddenly exclaimed, having swallowed the last bite of his third and last burger while the rest of the occupants of the table were still halfway through their meal of one or two burgers. He then turned to Annabeth and pointed a finger at her, "Join the Goode Musicians' Group," before eyeing the other's plates.
"Isn't anyone going to let me finish?" Chester complained.
"No. Because you're a doopy head." Nicole said out of nowhere.
"That doesn't even make sense!" Chester whined again. "At least I'm trying to participate in the conversation. You're just browsing BuzzFeed and Vogue on your phone again."
"That." Nicole looked up, suddenly serious. "Is a very lame comeback."
"So is doopy head." Chester sulked.
The rest of the table laughed. Annabeth turned to Percy and grinned, "Feels just like home."
"With all the crazy monsters and even crazier family." Percy agreed.
Annabeth, George, Ian, and Nicole were all heading to AP English Literature and Composition. The others already went to their own classes.
"We weren't able to talk about it much earlier. Would you like me to show you around campus to talk about the clubs after school?" George volunteered.
"That'd be great." Annabeth agreed. "Thanks."
They reached their class and George stopped Annabeth from taking a seat before Nicole and Ian, "Trust me, you don't want to seat besides Nicole. I love her but she's a complete chatterbox. You wouldn't be able to hear the teacher say anything if you're seated beside her."
Nicole took a seat at the window seat of the second row and Ian sat besides her. George took a seat and then Annabeth ended up on a seat somewhat in the middle.
"What about Ian then?" Annabeth wondered.
George giggled to herself, "Nicole doesn't usually talk to Ian all that much. I think she has a little crush on him. Who can blame her? He's hot. And she hasn't even seen what's under his clothes." George wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Too blunt? I'm frank by nature. Just say the word and I'll tone it down."
Annabeth smirked, "I think we're going to get along just fine."
George smiled back, showing some of her white teeth, "And I know for a fact that Percy's hot too." She teased. "Too bad you have to share that eye candy with the rest of the student body everytime he has swim practice." She shook her head sadly, as if lamenting on a waste.
"Hey," Annabeth lightly slapped George on the arm. "That's too over the top," she laughed.
"Practice is Tuesdays and Thursdays," George continued to quip, "Before and after school. And Saturday morning. Ooo," George pretended to wince, "That's going to cut into your dating time."
Annabeth stuck out her tongue.
Paul Blofis, Percy's stepfather, came in then and the two girls turned their attention to the front of the class with a tiny smile still playing on their lips from their banter. Paul spotted Annabeth and he gave her a small smile, not wanting to show any signs of favoritism, but there was a glint in his eye that informs Annabeth that Paul was glad she was there.
"Yeah, we have an architecture club," George smiled. "Percy may have mentioned a hundred or a hundred and one times that you want to be an architect."
"More like a thousand," Nicole piped in.
Annabeth turned slightly pink and then laughed it off, "I've heard some things myself." She gave a meaningful glance towards George who only smiled innocently in return.
"Really? What did he say about me?" Nicole asked.
Annabeth started thinking, "Well, I know you, Red, and Chester were his classmates last year in shop class and you've been friends ever since. And," Annabeth looked down on Nicole's lesser height and grinned, "you have pretty violent tendencies to the point Percy was afraid to get near you when you had a saw and a hammer in your hand."
Nicole laughed, "Scaredy cat."
Annabeth continued, looking at George, "He knew you and Ian because you were in the same grade before we repeated this year but you only became friends when you saw Percy was a good swimmer during PE."
George stuck her tongue out in an expression of frustration and annoyance, "It took me months to convince that jerk to join and when he finally does he keeps disappearing!" George suddenly stopped, having thought of something, and turned on her heel to face Annabeth, "That reminds me. The swim team is in need of new student managers because there are some who have graduated already. Annabeth, would you be interested to join?"
Annabeth was hesitant but there was a sudden glint in George's eyes, "You can still join the architecture club, you should be able to handle the work. Percy tells me you're a perfectionist and you're knowledgeable about physical fitness routines and diets already. It should be easy for you. I will show you the ropes. You'll also have more time to spend with Percy and you can keep him away from trouble. Being a student manager also means you get a stipend during competition season. All student managers are also provided with academic advisors and tutors because we have a minimum grade requirement to fulfill, which I'm positive will be easy for you."
Annabeth felt like she had no choice but to say yes with George pushing her like this but what fully convinced her was when George said, "It would be terribly cliche but don't you want to experience a school romance just like in shows. But instead of the typical cheerleader, you would be the student manager. You would spend more time with Percy being his support and create new memories together. It would be a lovely but totally high school love story."
Georgina is pure evil, Annabeth decided. She knew the right buttons to hit to convince Annabeth to join - 1. Keeping Percy away from trouble and 2. Normal high school life with Percy.
Annabeth sighed, "Okay. Where do I sign up?"
George brought a piece of paper out from her shoulder bag and handed it to Annabeth, "Fill this up and give it back to me tomorrow." She smiled, "This will be great. It's Percy's first official year too, you know, if he doesn't leave school again."
"I've been wondering about that," Nicole joined in. "Percy never really said why but you know, Annabeth, don't you?"
Annabeth felt her temperature dropping in panic. She opened her mouth to lie but was interrupted by George, "We're here."
George peeked inside the room before completely pushing open the door to enter, "This is the architecture club room."
The room was twice the size of a normal classroom with twelve drafting tables lined up in three rows. On one side of the room, where the windows are, table cabinets are lined up with the necessary tools for drawings and crafting miniature models. The opposite wall, with the door leading to the hallway, is filled with blueprints of different structures with varying shapes, sizes, and purpose. Towards the back of the room is a large shelf composed of unequal sizes of rectangles, half of them filled with architectural models.
To say that Annabeth was amazed would be an understatement.
"Impressive, huh?" A girl with blue-dyed hair and glasses entered the room.
"Kayla. Hey," George greeted. "Kayla, this is Annabeth. She's interested in joining. Annabeth, this is Kayla, the president of the architecture club."
Kayla was half a head shorter, Annabeth noted as she shook her hand, "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise, so how can we turn interest to action?" Kayla asked, getting straight to the point.
Kayla gave Annabeth a brief orientation about the club and after asking a few questions they were already processing her membership.
"How's school?" Annabeth's stepmom asked when she got inside their hotel room.
Annabeth thought back to her day, her classes, all the people she met, the architecture club, and the prospect of a worry-free high school life with Percy. She smiled, "It was great."
Author's Note:
Hi! May I request for reviews? I'm the kind of writer who hates all of her works so I would appreciate it if you tell me what elements you want to see in the future, want to retain, and want to remove. Needless to say, this is my first fanfiction. Constructive criticism please and not insults. Thank you.
- LiB