\Chapter 3
Annabeth POV:
I feel the need to explain how much the waffles place means to Percy and I. It's right around the corner, and because of that, as soon as we were allowed to go out of the house by ourselves , we discovered this place and claimed it as ours. And we've been coming to this place for 7 years now. This is basically mine and Percy's second home.
There's always indie rock and emo music playing and there are these cool disfigured paintings hung up everywhere. And it's run by this really cool punk couple, Reyna and Thalia, with this adorable five year old named Elyse . We suggested the name and the whole family are basically family to us. Thalia and Reyna know about my huge crush on Percy and they've told me to go for it multiple times and hinted that they know something I don't but I don't believe them on that.
We sat down on the counter and Thalia came to us. 'Let me guess. Percy, apple pie waffle with vanilla ice cream and Annabeth, candy floss waffle with no ice cream.'
'Wow no mistakes, almost as if we've been coming here for seven years. Oh wait…' Percy replied snarkily. 'Shut up Kelp Head, and it'll take 10 minutes, so you guys can talk about how obviously in love you two are while we make them.'
Ugh Thalia. She always fucking does this. I couldn't help but go red. I noticed Percy had gone red too and was shaking his head at Thalia slightly as if he'd been betrayed. Wait, what?
I rolled my eyes. 'Anyway, Seaweed Brain. So I was thinking, this weekend, we hit the old track. We haven't raced in so long, and then we can have a picnic under our tree.'
'This weekend? Um Saturday or Sunday?' he asked nervously. What the fuck? Why did it matter? 'Saturday, why?' I asked cautiously. 'Oh shit! Sorry, Wise Girl, I can't make Saturday.'
Okay again, what the fuck? Not that I'm mad, it's just weird because I always know if he has plans and him being busy on Saturday was not brought up in any conversation we've had this past week. Which is saying a lot, because there was a five day vacation from the school so we've spent the whole time together.
'I really don't want to be intrusive, but can you maybe tell me why?' I asked very cautiously because I didn't want him to get defensive. 'Ihaveadate,' he mumbled. 'Pardon?' 'I have a date.'
Excuse me? What? He had a date? And just like that, any hope I had that he was in love with me too was shattered. I tried to put on a grin for him but it probably looked forced as fuck. 'With whom? Also, how dare you don't fucking tell me, you asshat?' I said, trying to play it off as a joke but I'm pretty sure some hurt slipped in. 'Rachel Dare, you know her?' he said casually. Oh fuck no. He meant the girl who bullied me throughout middle school, the girl I thought I had finally cut out my life? That girl was the girl he was going on a date on. 'And as to why I didn't tell you, uh, I guess it never came up.'
And just like that, my eyes started stinging.