Yeah... I have to excuses
Annabeth's POV
"No, this place can't be real it's just too cool," Percy grinned. I took Percy down to an arcade off of 124th street. It was the best place to play old time video games that even someone like me can appreciate.
"Oh it's true, me and Thalia come here all the time, they have the best games." I looked at his awed expression and laughed.
"What? Places like this don't exist everywhere, they are a rare breed and should be treated as such," He had a deadly serious expression on his face.
"Annabeth, how did you even find this place?"
"Eh me and Thalia were bored so we were walking around and then we found this place, now we come here every once and awhile."
"Once in a while, why don't you come here once a day, and why were you two wandering around outside alone."
"Geez Percy we are both grown women we can walk around without supervision."
"Oh yeah right," Percy opened the door and held it for me to walk through. The arcade wasn't very noisy. Only five or six people were in here. Percy looked around as if he couldn't get enough of everything. I laughed and pulled him over to my favorite game.
"Pac-man, really Annabeth?"
"Yup," I replied popping the p, "but look at the high score table,"
"Who is pinecone face?"
"Oh that one's Thalia, last time we played she beat me for the number one slot," Percy laughed.
"Why is she called Pinecone face?"
"Oh when we were little she tried to eat a pine cone, now thats her nick name." Percy fell to the floor laughing.
"I really want to meet Thalia," he gasped between laughs.
"Funny she said the same about you," I replied.
Percy put two quarters to the machine. He grabbed the controllers and put on a serious face. Percy feverishly flicked the controls and jabbed his finger accusingly at the flashing screen. The words "game over" flashed across the monitor and he growled angrily. I decided to leave him to his own devices for the time being.
I made my way over to the skeeball machine. I put in a quarter and fired up the machine. The balls all fell into the glass holding box and I grabbed one up. I threw the ball with as much accuracy I could muster, but it still fell into the hole with a zero marked on it.
"I may not be able to beat you at pac-man, but I can sure kick your butt in skeeball." Percy ginned cockily and picked up one of the white balls and threw it up the ramp. The ball flew into the five hundred point slot. He grinned and picked up another one.
"I think that was just beginners luck," I picked up one and threw it. The ball fell into the zero cup with a sad clunk.
"Well if it was beginners luck then could I do this," He put one hand over his eyes and then splayed his fingers open so that he could still look through. He grinned at me them closed his hand so that it covered his eyes fully. He then proceeded to turn his back to the game and throw the ball at it. The ball steadily rolled its way up the ramp. It fell into the slot marked with a big fat zero and I laughed.
"Well it seems as if you did have beginners luck," I laughed. Percy turned back around and looked at the score.
"I meant to do that; if I did really awesome at this and you sucked then you would feel bad."
"Excuse me; I am not terrible at this game,"
"Prove it," he dared.
"Fine I will, and you'll eat your words about me being terrible at this,"
"Why don't we up the ante?" he proposed. I considered this.
"What would be the bet? And it has to be good or I won't agree," I smirked.
"Hmm how about the loser has to... watch four hours of chick flicks straight with no breaks," He grinned evilly.
"Fine, but you better get your popcorn ready because I don't plan on loosing," Annabeth Chase does not back down from a challenge.
"Oh don't be so cocky Chase," he put more quarters in and restarted the machine.
"Ladies first," he handed me the ball and I grinned at him. I threw the first one and it landed in the five hundred. I smiled, this was going to be easy.
Page Break
Over two hours later Percy finally won.
"Don't worry Annabeth, I'll come by your place later and drop off some of my mother's finest chick flicks. And I may even throw in some microwave popcorn."
"Ha ha, you're so funny," I would be angrier, but I'm too hungry to care at this point in time. "
Let's go get some food." I pulled Percy out the door before he could convince me to challenge him to any more games.
"Where is the best place to get food around here?" Percy questioned. I shrugged.
"I don't know, you choose and you better make it good."
"Come on, I know a place near my apartment that makes a burger big enough for even guys like me to feel full." I followed him three blocks to a home-style cooking diner. Percy opened the door for me and we both walked inside. The smell hit me first, it smelled like fries burgers and milkshakes all at once. I could understand why Percy liked to come here so much. The diner was free seating so Percy and I chose a booth towards the window.
"So what are you doing tomorrow?" Percy asked me.
"Eh, probably just studying, it's Sunday so we don't have any classes. Why do you ask?"
"Well seeing as you lost our epic bet, I think that I'm gonna bring you over some movies," he laughed at my expression.
I groaned, "Kill me now,"
"Hello I'm Calypso and I'll be your waitress," a girl walked over to us and she handed us our menus. Her eyes raked over Percy's form. I wrinkled my nose slightly, could she be more obvious? She was a tall brunette girl with warm chocolate eyes. She was really pretty so I had to hate her anyway. She walked away from the table. My eyes flickered down to the menu.
"What do you usually get when you come here?" I questioned.
"I usually get the triple layer burger."
"Well I don't think that I can pack all of that away, I think that I'll just get a single stacked."
"Annabeth I'm disappointed in you, I don't think that I can call you my friend if you can't eat that burger," he grinned.
"Too bad, guess we can't be friends," I joked. Percy smiled. Just then our waitress came back.
"What can I get you to drink?" She asked Percy, even though I sat right across from him.
"I'll have a mountain dew," Percy said.
"And I'll have a dr pepper," I replied. She looked and me as if she just realized i was there, I gave her my sweetest smile.
"I'll bring that right over," she replied just as sweet. Percy looked at me. I raised my eyebrows wondering if he realized what that waitress was trying to do.
"I was wondering if you knew any of the girls from Columbia?" he asked.
"The ones that were killed? I don't know it's a big campus and only three girls died."
"Well there actually were nine girls." My eyebrows raised in surprise. Nine?
"Nine girls? The news only said that three were killed and they didn't give any names or anything."
"Yeah well I think that the news is going to find out soon. The government thought at first that if we told the public that they would be unnecessarily worried or scared. But they can't hide it any longer, with nine murders the public should be worried," Percy looked anxious.
"Who were the-"
"Here's your drinks," the Calypso said setting down two glasses. Percy smiled his thanks and she smiled back.
"Do you know what you want to eat?" she asked.
"Yeah, we'll both have the triple layer burger," Percy replied. I gave him a glare and he smiled right back at me. Calypso took down our orders. She asked if we wanted anything else and Percy said no.
"So who were the girls?" I asked not really wanting to know in case I knew one of them.
"Well the first girl was Piper Mclean she-"
"I knew Piper, the teachers and advisors told us she had to leave for some family issues, we weren't particularly close. She was so nice to everyone though. She used to always volunteer at the local animal shelter. Why didn't the police tell us anything? I think if the girls are all from Columbia then shouldn't we deserve to know, at least so we can keep our eyes open. "
"Look I agree with you every one at that college needs to know because anyone could be the next target." Anyone. That could mean Thalia, no she would put up one heck of a fight but then again wouldn't Piper have put up a fight.
"Do you know if the girls had any other connections?"
"We've been checking expenses to see if they shop at any of the same places so far all we've turned up is a workout facility and a used textbook store. They don't live in the same dorm, heck some of them even live in apartments. Virtually nothing connects them." Percy was beginning to become agitated.
"Have you ever considered it may be a student, because not many adults go to the college text book store. And the gym that Piper used to go to was a student exclusive gym, if you paid extra in the tuition then you could be in that gyms sports fitness club."
"No we searched the records and they said that gym was open to the public,"
"Do you have any idea who it could be?" I ask.
"Well we have a few suspects, but people have been trailing them and they haven't done a thing. We know it's a young male. They had to have been at least somewhat strong to abduct the girls. Unless there is a really strong woman it has to be a man. "
"Okay you know what, let's get off of this topic because it's freaking me out, besides are you even allowed to tell me this stuff?" I questioned skeptically.
"Um, well it isn't advised," I gave him a look, "okay I'm not supposed to tell you, but I would feel responsible if on the slim chance that something does happen to you that I didn't warn you before." Percy confesses.
"I'll take that as a no," I responded raising my eyebrows. Calypso came back with both of our orders. She set them in front of both or out plates. My eyes widened at how much food was on the plate.
"Really Percy? Where do you put all of this?" I asked incredulously.
"Right here," he pats his stomach and smiles. I roll my eyes at his childishness.
"And I have to eat all of this?"
"Every last bite because if you don't try we can't be friends," he keeps a straight face for two seconds and then a smile begins to form on his face.
"Well if I have to eat all of it then it's going to take me an hour," by now were both laughing.
After I had finished my burger, and Percy declared me worthy to be his friend we left the restaurant. We began to walk back to my dorm room.
"You don't have to walk me home I'm perfectly safe on my own." I assured him.
"No it's cool, besides I know you'd be fine on your own. I'd do this for any of my friends," he responded. We reached the outside of my dorm. I slid my keycard into the pass lock by the side of the door. The arrows lit up green and I pulled open the door. I turned to Percy.
"I'll see you tomorrow, goodnight Percy," I say.
"Night." he replies and I walk back through the door. I walk up the flight of stairs and reach 54b. I pull out my key card and slide it through the lock outside of our door. It clicks open. I pull open the door. Inside Thalia is fast asleep with Oreo all over her face. She ate them all. This deserves payback.
"Thalia wake up the plane is crashing were falling out of the sky." It's cruel, but funny. And it does the trick.
"GET ME OUTTA HERE!" Thalia screamed at me. I burst out laughing and fell back into my swivel chair. Thalia kept on screaming bloody murder while I just laughed.
"I'm going to get ready for bed." I open my drawer and pull out a pair of shorts and a loose t shirt. Suddenly I feel like someone is watching me. I close the blinds more tightly and then step into my closet to change. I close the door behind me and change into my pajamas. Once I'm done I open the door and climb the ladder up to my loft bed.
"Goodnight Thalia," I mumble before I fall into a deep sleep.
Yeah so I was trying to make the chapter longer but then I realized that it was taking too long... but at least chapter 5 is started.
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