Take Me Home
by Amy's Mischievous Little Owl
Disclaimer : All rights belong to their respective owners.
Budding
Annabeth felt good when she power-walked out of the door. It gave her that sense of power she had been losing since the news had aired. She had been receiving sneers and taunting glances every since she arrived on school property. Annabeth knew that the people were starting to believe Drew more and more considering that there was no other reason for the existence of her fangs. A lot of those bastards probably thought the story of her practicing cannibalism was also true. Annabeth didn't need anything else to add on to her nerves. First her colour-changing eyes, then the bad news and now, she was partnered up with Percy effing Jackson. All the problems was making her antsy. The only colour her eyes had changed to was black and Annabeth would hate to think about the possibility of them turning red like in the terrible vampire ripoff, Twilight. Annabeth wanted to get home as soon as possible. She feared that if she lingered around school she might murder one of those guffawing tyrants. She didn't need another bad reputation. Then again, she already had a bad reputation so maybe the idea didn't seem so repulsive. Annabeth shook her head slightly, ridding her of the thoughts.
Annabeth decided to walk home instead of boarding the bus. After all, a walk could be the remedy she needed to keep a sane mind. The thought of draining people made her jaw ache and she willed her fangs to stay inside. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans and walked down the road, keeping her gaze on the pavement. She noticed the small cracks the pavement had and also the line of ants disappearing into them. She wished that she was as small as the ants, able to disappear from the world and do what God made ants for. As she was walking, Annabeth didn't realize that the school bus was heading her way. The fact that the school bus was practically a marching band on its own proved just how deep in thought Annabeth was. She heard the laughter of the passengers before she saw them. Annabeth made the mistake of looking up as one of the irresponsible occupants of the bus threw a half-full soda can at her. The metal can hit her head and the contents spilled onto her sweater. Annabeth looked at the mess in horror and the bus rolled off with the passengers, howling with laughter. Annabeth looked at the bus with hatred as it disappeared from her line of view. Her fangs had appeared and she didn't even realize it. Half her mind told her to chase after the bus and scare those dreadful beings but she decided to speed home.
Annabeth stormed into her house, not bothering to keep the door slamming down. The sudden noise knocked down her father's pyramid of cards he had arranged. Frederick looked up to see his fuming daughter peeling off her sweater and dumping it into the laundry bin. He raised an eyebrow, "Rough day, huh?" Annabeth groaned. "You don't know the half of it!" she almost shouted as she bounded up the stairs. Frederick sighed as he realized that the whole reveal will pressure his daughter more. Annabeth threw her bag across the room, not caring that she knocked down a lamp. In return, the lamp knocked down a frame and Annabeth's eyes widened as she realized that it was the frame with the photograph of her mother. Annabeth hurried over, turning the frame. The glass had broke and that meant Annabeth had to buy a new one. Annabeth didn't care about accidentally pricking her fingers on the sharp shards of glass. She had super healing abilities. Annabeth stared at the photograph of her mother. She was the exact replica of her mother. Annabeth traced her finger over her mother's smile. She sniffed as a bloody tear escaped her right eye. The blonde girl wiped her eyes, smearing blood over her cheeks in the process. Annabeth set the photograph daintily back on the shelf. She went to the bathroom to clean up and changed into a pair of baggy pants and a grey t-shirt. Looking at her mother's photograph made Annabeth feel more at peace.
The young blonde walked downstairs to grab a snack before going upstairs for homework. She heard laughter coming from the kitchen and was surprised to see Susan sitting on the barstool in front of Frederick. Annabeth waved hello and grabbed leftover lasagna and reheated it. After that, she went upstairs without another word to either of them. The lasagna tasted so good even after two days in the refrigerator. She scrawled messily over her Algebra homework, doing the equations and deciding to write them neatly later. After finishing her food, Annabeth set the plate on her vanity desk and looked at the calendar. Her recent bloodlust had ended a day before Percy showed up at school. So that meant she was good for another three weeks. A few hours later, Annabeth had finished her homework and heard the low rumble of a car as it roared into life. That meant Susan was going home. Annabeth picked up her plate and walked downstairs. She deposited it into the sink as her father picked up two empty glasses and threw away an empty bottle of wine.
"Dad, tomorrow a classmate is gonna be here for a project," Annabeth said, washing her plate. Frederick smiled.
"So, you finally made friends?" he teased. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"We were partnered for this history assignment," Annabeth defended herself. "Percy isn't really my friend." Frederick frowned.
"Percy?" his lips set into a thin line. "Never heard of him."
"He's the new kid," Annabeth explained. "The one who tried to talk to me yesterday." Frederick had a 'hmmm' look on his face as if he found the piece of news as interesting.
"That is interesting. I'll have to meet him tomorrow," Frederick said, absent-mindedly. Annabeth's lips curved upwards into a smile.
"Don't scare him off, dad," she warned him. Frederick chuckled.
"That was your job, sweetie," he retorted. "I'm not the one with the fangs here." Frederick tapped his fingers against the kitchen as he contemplated his words. "What happened at school today that got you all riled up?" he dared to ask. Annabeth sat down on one of the barstools, breathing in and out. She rubbed her temples and her dad sat across her.
"You know about the news this morning?" she asked, eyes closed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Frederick nodded but then realized that his daughter couldn't see him do so. "Yes," he answered. Annabeth sighed, propping a hand under her head. She told the story from the beginning to the end and Frederick listened intently. He frowned a couple of times, sad that his daughter had to go through all that though she didn't deserve it. After Annabeth finished, he ruffled her hair and told her to get some sleep and that they would just each take out tomorrow. Annabeth smiled, adoringly at her father. She climbed up the stairs to her room and plopped onto the bed. She felt as if her energy was drained and slept like a log.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains the next morning. Annabeth's eyes fluttered open when the intensity was unbearable. She groaned as she stretched her joints like a cat. She lazily rubbed a hand over her eyes and sighed. She was about to roll over in the bed for some more sleep when her dad yelled, "Annabeth, your boyfriend is here!" Annabeth jolted up as if she had been electrocuted. It was Saturday and she had plans. Annabeth cursed herself for being so forgetful. After shouting a quick reply, Annabeth hurried to the bathroom and took a quick shower. She slipped on a green blouse and a dark brown skirt. She slipped into some slippers and ran outside of her room without drying her hair. I forgot my notebook and pencils, Annabeth cursed at herself and ran back to her room. Along with her notebook and stationery, Annabeth dried her hair rather hastily and didn't bother to comb it. When she reached the top of the stairs, she composed herself and walked down the stairs, gracefully.
When she reached the living room, Percy and her father were joyously talking and laughing like they were best mates. Annabeth was taken aback by the whole scene but she cleared her throat. Two heads swiveled in her direction. Frederick stood up.
"Well," he said. "I'll be off in my study. Nice meeting you, Percy." Percy nodded politely and smiled.
"You too, Mr Chase," he answered. Annabeth set her things on the coffee table and took the couch across from Percy.
"You came early," she said, kicking herself mentally at the lame conversation starter. Percy shrugged.
"You told me to," he answered. "You just didn't tell me what time so I came at the time where I thought most people would be awake." Annabeth felt embarrassed because she normally would have woken up at the crack of dawn but the events from yesterday were the ones to blame. Annabeth looked at something other than Percy.
"Would you like something to drink?" she asked, hospitably. "Coffee, tea or diet coke, maybe?"
"Diet coke," Percy answered. Annabeth moved to stand up and walk to the kitchen. It wasn't that far from the living room. From the spot Percy was sitting at, if he turned around then he could directly look into the kitchen through the open door. Annabeth was halfway there when Percy stopped her. "And Annabeth-" Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him, coaxing him to continue. "Your blouse is on backwards." Annabeth looked down to see the inner stitching of her blouse and felt her cheeks redden from embarrassment. She hurried to the kitchen after grumbling a "Don't peek!" at Percy. Once in the kitchen, she kicked the door to close it. She didn't notice that the door didn't close fully and anyone could still see what was going on in the kitchen. Annabeth bit her lip as she pulled her shirt off and wore it the right way. Then, she grabbed two diet cokes and walked out.
Annabeth handed one of the diet cokes to Percy and he accepted it. Annabeth noticed that the raven-haired boy had a flustered look on his face and she frowned at it but decided to stay silent.
~.~
The two started off by deciding on what historical event that they wanted to use for their project. Percy had suggested the Trojan Horse and Annabeth babbled on about how she loved the whole mythological story. Turns out, Percy shared the same feelings towards the mythology and the two got off on a good start. They started listing the materials needed and what they would do for the presentation. After that, Annabeth and Percy left for the hardware store. They took Frederick's car as Annabeth had a license and Frederick gave them his permission. The duo soon arrived and Annabeth parked the car just outside of the grocery store. The heat of the sun was unbearable but the two managed to make it into the store where the air conditioning was heavenly. Annabeth gave Percy the task of finding glue and nails while she went to talk to the owner about the wood needed.
Annabeth and the owner agreed over the price and type of wood after a few heated discussions. While he went to fetch them, Annabeth decided to find Percy who may or may not have gotten lost in the store as he was new to it. Just as she was about to move, the door flew open and Drew Tanaka walked in along with one of her best friends, Nancy Bobofit. The two were busy chattering and laughing as they talked about their new designer outfits. Nancy shared the same animosity towards Annabeth and was much like Drew. The feeling was mutual as Annabeth disliked both of them. Not wanting a headache for the day, Annabeth pulled the hood of her white sweater up (she managed to grab it before they left) and hid behind shelves of paint. She pretended to be a normal customer and breathed a sigh of relief when the she-devils walked away from her.
"Drew-bear, I'm just gonna grab a can of paint so that our project will be dazzling," Annabeth grimaced when she heard Nancy's footsteps coming her way. The blonde backed away and bumped into Percy. Percy, who had a surprised look on his face almost dropped the box of nails and the glue he had found but thanks to Annabeth's vampire reflexes; she grabbed them before they hit the ground. Annabeth dumped them into Percy's open arms and dragged him behind racks of hammers. "What-" Annabeth clamped a hand over Percy's mouth. She put a finger in front of her lips and turned to see if the devil duo had gone. They were currently arguing about which colour to buy. The owner walked out with the stack of woods that Annabeth ordered. The blonde frowned. Looks like she'll have to reveal herself anyway. She grabbed Percy's hand and they made a beeline for the counter where the owner was waiting.
Annabeth hoped that the argument between Nancy and Drew would buy her some time as she paid for the things; much to Percy's dismay because he thought it was gentlemanly of him to pay. Annabeth was busy counting out the change she had when, "Hey, which colour is better; forest green or pink?" Annabeth kept her back towards them as the owner replied unenthusiastically. Percy was carrying the wood, his face hidden. Annabeth grabbed the plastic with the nails and glue in it and pushed Percy out the door. The taller boy grumbled in discomfort and was thrown off by the fact that Annabeth had the strength to push him. Annabeth unlocked the car, threw the stuff in and helped Percy put the wood into the car trunk. Then, she started up the truck and drove like a mad woman as soon as Percy had buckled in.
The duo arrived home in record speed. When they burst through the door, Frederick's new house of cards almost fell over but he saved them. The blond breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, Annabeth dumped the stuff on the table and the cards went all over the place. "Sorry," Annabeth said as soon as she realized what happened. Frederick sighed. "Never mind... It wasn't productive anyway."
Percy made himself comfortable and sat on one of the barstools while Annabeth grabbed diet coke for the both of them. Then, she sat next to him and handed a can to him. Percy took it and popped it open. Frederick noticed the decreased distance between the two teenagers but he stayed quiet, fearing that they would move away if he pointed it out to them. "Why the hurry into the house?" he asked instead. Annabeth took a sip of her coke.
"Drew and Nancy were at the store and I did not want another massive headache," Annabeth said, frowning. Frederick nodded understandingly.
"Was that what this was all about?" Percy asked, shocked. Frederick raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" he asked, interested.
"Well, Annabeth bumped into me after I found some things we needed. Then she dragged me behind some hammers and then she dragged me to the counter, put the pile of wood in my hands and paid. After that, she pushed me outside, shoved the things into the car including me and drove away like some crazy person," Percy explained. Frederick felt laughter bubbling up in his chest. He stifled the laughter and Percy looked like he was doing the same. Annabeth's face was red as she mumbled," I did not drive like a crazy person."
"Yes, you did," Percy insisted, nudging Annabeth with his elbow. A part of his brain cautioned him because he still didn't know much of Annabeth. The only information he gathered today was that she loved Greek Mythology. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"No, I didn't!" She nudged Percy back. They nudged back and forth while Frederick watched them with amusement. When the nudging turned to shoving, Percy fell onto the ground after Annabeth shoved him. His coke spilled all over him. Annabeth gasped and went to help him up. Their hands joined and Percy felt the same spark brush up again but she was too busy to care.
"I am so sorry!" she apologized profusely. Frederick stood up.
"I'll go get you one of my shirts," he said and went upstairs to his bedroom. Annabeth showed Percy the way to the bathroom so that he could clean himself up. Annabeth waited patiently outside the door. Her dad passed and handed her one of his old shirts. Then, Frederick went to his study. The bathroom door opened and Percy walked out, shirtless. He was holding his shirt in one hand and was running the other hand through his hair. Annabeth handed her father's shirt as she looked down, blushing at the sight of Percy's abs. He was lean with a few muscles here and there but he definitely had a six pack and Annabeth was confused that she was so flustered over a guy. Percy put on the shirt right in front of her. Annabeth caught the flexes of his muscled when she sneaked a peek at him and blushed harder.
"Let me put this in the washer," she said, grabbing the dirty shirt and running to the laundry room not even caring if Percy saw her use supernatural powers. Percy made his way to the kitchen and Annabeth appeared in front of the sink, wetting a cloth for the spilled coke. He blinked a couple of times, making sure that she wasn't an illusion.
"Okay, how did you get here so fast?" He asked. Annabeth shrugged as she wiped the floor. Percy advanced towards her, "No shrugs. First the fangs. Then reflexes and now this fast thingy. What?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him. "You clearly have something I do not know. Out with it!" Annabeth dumped the cloth into the sink and washed her hands.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," she said. Annabeth was using a power that vampires naturally had but the Mind Children were pros at it. It was the power of glamouring. As funny as it sounds, vampires can use it to erase memories and put in fake ones. "We did not have this conversation."
Percy frowned," Do not try to turn this around, Annabeth." Annbeth blinked, surprised that her glamouring hadn't worked. She had tried glamouring on a couple of animals and a few tourists that somehow wound up to her neighbourhood by mistake but they all managed to be glamoured.
"Did you feel something poking in your mind?" she asked as she tried to probe his brain. She wanted to see what he was thinking but she found nothing.
"Um, no," Percy answered, uncertain. " I did feel a tingly feeling, though. I don't even know what this has to do with our conversation." The tingly feeling was the glamouring Annabeth had tried and seemed to fail. Annabeth pondered for a minute. Percy didn't get glamoured and she couldn't read his mind. This was extraordinary. Either Annabeth had lost her touch or Percy was something else. She would have to consult with her mother's book. For now, Annabeth had to think of a way to get Percy off her back. Then again, he probably wouldn't believe her if she told him about the whole vampire thing. Annabeth looked at the clock and realized that it was late in the evening. She grabbed Percy's hand, ignoring the sparks and dragged him to the door.
"You know what?" Annabeth yanked the door open. "I'll tell you tomorrow." It'll give her some time to think of a fake story. Percy looked unconvinced. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I promise! You can come back tomorrow and after we finish our work, I'll tell you." Percy seemed satisfied enough with her words. He also looked a little suspicious. Probably because Annabeth seemed so willing to share. Annabeth laughed internally.
"Okay then, I'll see ya," Grabbing his bag, Percy walked out and Annabeth slammed the door shut.
"What about my shirt?" Percy yelled through the door, his voice slightly muffled.
"Get it tomorrow!" Annabeth answered. Annabeth sped up to her room and pulled out a large book from her drawer. She set it carefully on her bad and flipped it open. The book was quite old, its pages yellow and a few tears here and there. As she flipped for information on creatures that couldn't be glamoured (werewolves could be glamoured so no. Percy was not a werewolf), she came across a rather thick page. Annabeth hadn't realized the existence of the page before so she thumbed it carefully. Then, she searched for a knife in her room. Annabeth ran the knife through the page from bottom to top. Turns out, it was a secret page. What aroused her attention was a gold necklace lying in the middle of the page. Annabeth picked it up and noticed that it looked familiar.
The blonde had an idea to where it came from. She grabbed the picture of her mother and looked. Her mother was wearing a golden necklace in the picture and it looked exactly like the one Annabeth was holding. Excited, Annabeth decided to wear it. Unfortunately, that was a bad idea. As soon as Annabeth clasped it around her neck, she felt something disturb her mind as if a thousand tiny needles were poking her brain. The pain was so immense, so unbearable that Annabeth clutched her head. The pain spread to all over her body. She kicked her legs on the bed and the book fell down. Then, she fell off her bed, still holding her head as the pain increased tenfold. She tried to get up, grabbing onto the edges of her vanity desk. She managed to knock over a few things but was able to get up. Her legs felt wobbly and she unclasped the necklace and threw it across the room. Annabeth looked at her reflection in the mirror and noticed that her irises were black again and she glanced at the necklace that was lying sprawled over her bag.
Feeling dizzy, Annabeth grabbed the necklace and the book and then stashed them back into the bottom drawer. Annabeth was in no condition to read and decided that a nap would sooth her brain. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
A/N:
Hello!
I'll be focusing on this little story because I have figured the storyline out completely.
Drop me a review on your thoughts of this chapter. I really enjoy feedback!
Thanks for giving me chance all this time. Love you guys in the most friendly way.
Annabeth and Percy got a view of each other shirtless though Annabeth had a probably bra on... Sorta amusing, huh?
Anyway, review and I'll try to update ASAP.
Love,
Amy.
