A few curse words in this chapter, just a heads up. More Than This: One Direction
More Than This
Percy's POV
Okay, I'll admit, something bad did happen last week. It's been nagging at me since then, I can't even go to sleep peacefully without it popping up in my head!
Health was over I had no idea where to go for my next class. I roamed around the halls, but for the first time I couldn't find one teacher patrolling them. Of course that's just how lucky I am.
I checked my schedule again, I was supposed to go to Math now. The pamphlet that Principle Chiron gave me was completely screwed up. The map on the inside said that grade 6 Math was in Building B. The school was only in one building! How can my math class be in a building that doesn't even exist?
"What's up kiddo?" That blonde kid Luke walked up to out of nowhere.
"Ahh! Where did you come from?"
"Nevermind that. Do you need help finding your classroom?" I nodded. "I'm kind of busy right now, but…Oh hey!" Luke turned around to reveal two of the biggest guys I had never seen. "Can you take my friend Percy here to his next class? Thanks!" And with that Luke left me with the two giant body builders.
"Um…Hello?" The smaller one pinned me to the wall and the bigger threw punches at me. If the double underpants weggy wasn't enough, the next part was worse.
"Percy? Are you okay?" Annabeth's voice rang throughout the hallway. "Get out of here!" She said to the two big guys. They ran away down the hall they came from.
I wasn't mad at Luke, he was nice to me. How would he know that those guys would do that?
I wasn't sure if I could even believe myself, and I knew it was a stupid idea to still go to Luke's party, but from what I heard from Grover and some other friends they said the Luke's beginning of the year party was the second biggest of the year (next to Annabeth's end of the year party). If I was invited, I couldn't miss it.
I slipped on a pair of basketball shorts, high top Nikes, and a plain white t-shirt. My doorbell rang and I knew it wasn't Grover because he said that he would just meet me there. I ran to the front door of our little apartment. With one last wistful look in the mirror I attempted to comb my hair back with my fingers. It didn't work.
"Hi Percy! Are you ready?" Annabeth asked. She wore a short purple skirt with matching spaghetti strap top and brown flip flops. Her long blonde hair was down and prettier than ever. In other words, she looked hot.
"Dang." I mumbled.
"What did you say?" Her eyes told me that she knew exactly what I said.
"Nothing."
"That's what I thought." I opened the door a little wider so she could come inside. "Where is your mom?"
"She's at work. She should be home soon." The awkwardness in the air was overwhelming. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"
"Do you have any soda?" She sat herself on our couch and turned the T.V. on American Idol. My mom was watching it before she left for her afternoon shift at the candy store across the street.
"I've got Coke, Root Beer, Dr Pepper, Fanta…Just about everything." I reminded myself to start cooling it with the sugar or I'm going to get diabetes.
"I'll take a Coke." She was completely zoned out in the television. "Did you know that this is the final round until next session?" She didn't look at me as she talked. I watched her lips move without any words coming out and that they were in sync with the singers on the T.V.
I laughed. "My mom does that too. Sing with the contestants I mean." I poured us two cups of Coke before sitting next to her on the couch.
Mom walked in through the front door with a relieved look on her face. "Percy is this the friend you were talking about?" She bent down over my ear. "She is very pretty!" She whispered only loud enough so I could hear.
"Hi, I'm Annabeth Chase." She shook hands with my mom, pausing American Idol. "So Percy talks about me, huh?" She smirked.
"Oh all the time! He talks about how you are really fun, smart, and extremely pretty,–"
"Mom!" I felt my face heat up like crazy. "Can you go get the keys so we can go? I don't want to be too late."
"Oh okay Percy. I'll leave you two alone." She winked at me then scurried out of the room. Once she left I turned to Annabeth who was even redder than I was if that were possible.
She paused for a moment then turned American Idol back on. "You think I'm pretty?" She asked as if she wasn't called that by tons of guys. I knew she was though.
"Yeah I do." Why did I just say that? I'm acting ridiculous, I scolded myself.
She blushed furiously and shook her head like she was trying to clear her head or something. She didn't say anything.
"Who's ready to party?" My mom walked back out with her car keys in hand.
Annabeth's POV
So far the party was like any other I had been to. Make outs, lip syncing, dancing. Percy had left a while ago to go talk to Grover. He thought I was pretty? I was used to be called stuff like that, but it was never sincere like how that was. Maybe it was all in my head so ignored the feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when his mom said that Percy talks about me often.
I grinned as I heard the song Blow by Ke$ha play on the stereo. "Come on Annabeth! You acting like buzz kill." Juniper and Drew pulled on my arm smiling widely.
"Back door cracked we don't need a key
We get in for free no VIP sleaze.
Drink that Koolaid follow my lead
Now you're one of us you're coming with me"
The three of us sang along with the lyrics. I knew every word to the song, it was one of my favorites. We danced in the middle of the floor and on one of those rare occasions I was actually having fun with them. Juniper was okay most of the time, but it was solemn that Drew wasn't acting like a complete pain.
I skimmed my eyes over the kids around us when I locked eyes with Percy. He was over by the punch bowl with Grover who was talking to him, but Percy was too busy boring his eyes into me. Why did he look so angry?
"Annabeth?" Juniper pulled on my shoulder a little to turn back to the DJ (who was Leo from my grade). I tried to make my face emotionless, but I guess my sadness was see-through because she gave me a sympathetic look. "Annabeth what's wrong?"
I frowned. "I don't know." I turned back to Percy who was still glaring daggers at me. "Sorry I have to go. I'll be back in a little."
I ran over to where Percy was. He saw me coming and quickly turned to the pinkish purple punch bowl. Grover whistled tunelessly and getting the message, walked over to the kitchen. "Percy what the heck was that about?" I have only known him for about a week, but it felt like much, much longer. It troubled me when he was upset. In a friend way of course…
"Nothing." But it was not nothing. I could tell in those sea green eyes of his. He sighed, "You don't want to be friends with me I get it. I'm not cool or popular or whatever, but you don't have to feel sorry for me. I would be perfectly fine if you weren't my friend."
"What in the world are you talking about?" Percy was the closest thing I had to a real friend in a long time, and no matter how much I didn't want to admit it, I didn't want to lose him.
"Nevermind." He stormed off to who knows where. I didn't bother following him. Whatever it was that he was upset about I left him on his own to figure it all out.
I continued sitting by the drinks for some more minutes until my curiosity got the best of me. I walked all around Luke's house then finally found Percy on the balcony. I was about to say something when I heard him on the phone talking to someone on the other line.
"I know, I know, you don't have to remind me again, trust me." Percy smiled to himself. He sighed, "She is just a friend I promise, it's nothing else." Percy paused, listening to the person on the other line. "Okay maybe a little, I guess. She is the first friend I had that's a girl so it is only natural, right?"
Was he talking about me? Of course he is! That little voice in the back of my head said. What other friend does he have that is a girl?
Percy broke my thoughts. "Look I got to go apologize. I was sort of acting like a jerk to her earlier. See you later Dad." Percy hung up the phone. I watched him stare at it blankly for a couple minutes before he said. "Yeah right. The next time I see you it will be years from now."
I ran back to the dance floor before Percy could see me. I still didn't know why he was angry with me, but I figured I would find out soon.
"Annabeth." Percy's voice came out of nowhere. "I need to talk to you." He reached for my hand and took it in his then led me to a random room upstairs. It looked to be a little kid's room. I knew that Luke had siblings and the blue dinosaur wallpaper told me that it was one of his brothers' rooms. Percy let go of my hand. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk."
"Wow. Clear and to the point." I sat on the bed and glared at him. "Why were you angry with me in the first place?"
Percy sighed and sat down next to me. "I don't know." I waited for more. When he didn't say anything I got up to leave.
"Whatever." I stood up and he yanked on the end of my tank top. His eyes were pleading me to stay. I slowly pulled away from him. "Good night Percy."
I left Luke's party early. I had enough for one day and went straight to bed once I got home, deciphering Percy's phone call with his dad.
'Okay maybe a little, I guess. She is the first friend I had that's a girl so it is only natural, right?'
Don't I wish, Percy.
