Chapter IV: Complicated Training Partner

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,400+

Beta Reader: ForeverAGallagherGirl135—thank you, because you also helped me with your ideas!

A/N: Yay! Inspiration came back! Alright, beautiful people of the internet, here's an update for you! Thank you, really, to every single reviewer that gave me ideas of what can happen next. I'll have in mind every suggestion in mind in case writers block comes back or it fits the story. I hope you like this chapter—things will start getting tense. It's all I can say. Thank you for reading!


The house has been very silent for hours. Last night, when dinner ended and the Jacksons left, my parents and I were left alone in our own world full of tension. The way back home was really uncomfortable. Dad is very angry at me and doesn't dare to look me in the eyes after telling him the truth. Mom, unlike him, doesn't seem angry at all. She doesn't ignore me, but now she talks too little. Her responses to my questions so far have been really short sentences.

When I woke up about an hour ago, a question started bothering me. It's still in my mind: did I do the right thing? I mean, dad didn't deserve to hear what I said last night―at least not in that way. Maybe everything wouldn't be so tense between us if I had said things in a better way. Now it's too late. What happened yesterday is done. I have to believe that what Percy said will happen and dad will understand what he's doing wrong.

Mom and I eat our respective breakfast. The delicious flavor of pancakes and bacon makes my stomach growl hungry, asking for a third ration. Let me tell you that everything was so tense during dinner that I couldn't eat at all. No one stopped staring at me, and I knew it had been my fault that everything was so awkward.

"I'm done," I say, standing up to take the dirty plate to the kitchen. Rita doesn't let me walk farther from the dining room. As soon as I'm near the kitchen's door, she appears out of nowhere and snatches the plate from my hands.

"You shouldn't be doing this, Miss," she says, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Why not? I have legs and arms, why shouldn't I?"

"Because that's my job, and I don't mind helping you at all, Miss. I do it happily."

Arguing with Rita isn't recommendable. If there's one thing she loves is her job, and she will never resign to see someone part of the family doing something of her work.

"Alright, thank you, Rita," I say, smiling and removing a lock of hair from my face.

"It's not a problem, Miss." She disappears from the room, walking inside the kitchen.

I'm left alone with mom, who is eating fruit salad as dessert. One of her hands holds Gone with the Wind while the other grabs a fork and takes pieces of fruit covered with yogurt to her mouth. Maybe she's ignoring me, because she doesn't stare back at me. Her eyes are lost in her book.

"Well, I'm leaving." I pass my fingers through my hair and start towards the entrance.

When my hand reaches to grab the knob, a voice coming from behind stops me.

"Annabeth," says mom.

"Yes?" I ask curious.

When I turn around I expect her to scold me for what happened last night. Who knows? Maybe she waited for dad to be far from the house to tell me that I did wrong. But "I would like to talk to you," is all she says.

"Talk to me? About what?"

This is really surprising. From what I've seen, wanting to talk with your daughter seriously is something that a normal mother―or at least one that cares―does. I don't hesitate to do so and walk back to my seat.

"What do you want to talk about?" I drag the chair on which I was sitting a few moments ago, about to sit again, but mom lifts her hand and motions for me to stop.

"Let's have a walk through the garden." She stands up from her place and hands Gone with the Wind to Rita, who appears out of nowhere and starts cleaning the breakfast's leftovers.

We walk through the green garden, which has a soothing scent of freshly trimmed grass combined with chlorine from the pool. This is the smell of a typical summer morning for me—at least here, in the house. It always smells like this here.

Mom and I arrive to her special part of the garden, where she likes to take care of her flowers. That's depressing too. Plants get even more attention from my mother than me. There's a bench made of stone beside the little island in the greenhouse. That's the place where mom likes to sit, read and admire her flowers―even when they don't bloom. Gardening isn't her thing. Yet, she does it since that's what other wealthy women do.

"Let's take a seat," she says while sitting on the bench, "and talk about…our situation?"

Our situation? Alright, she'll talk about what happened last night. It shouldn't surprise me since it's something predictable. Yet, I can't help getting nervous. The palms of my hands start sweating and the taste in my mouth is like copper.

I join mom and sit on the bench, waiting for her to talk. First, she admires our surroundings, noticing how dead her plants are. All of them are black as if they've been growing in hell. Then, she stares at me, her gray eyes full of an emotion that isn't anger.

"Annabeth," she starts, interlacing her fingers, "I want to tell you that…"

Seconds pass and she doesn't say anything more. It's like if she's thinking really hard what she should say.

"That…?" I ask, pressing her.

"I want to tell you that," she starts again, lifting her stare from her fingers to my eyes, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? About what?"

"Last night, you were right when you said that you're a forgotten daughter by her parents. I realized that I've never been there for you."

Alright, that makes my chin fall to the floor. "I thought you were angry at me―even when you didn't demonstrate it."

"I was angry at first. Then, I realized that I don't have the right to be angry at you when everything you said it's completely true. It took me the entire night to understand this. And now I want to do the things right."

A smile starts spreading on my face, and I can't help the appearance of it. "How?"

"First, I want you to forgive me for never being the mother you need. I'm so sorry for not being there with you."

"I have nothing to forgive, mom."

It's true. She's realizing that she's never been here for me when I need her, and that's enough. I don't need to forgive her. You wise bastard, I think while imagining Percy's appearance last night. He said that this would happen. Well, he was talking about dad, but it applies here also.

"Really, Annabeth?" she asks, her eyes blazing with joy.

"Of course, mom," I say, smiling.

"Thank you." Her hands reach to grab mine, like friends do when they're happy―or when they're gossiping, whichever happens first. "Now, I want to tell you that I'll be here for you whenever you want. It'll take me some time to change my habits, but you are more important than anything."

She's perfect. Yesterday I thought that mom would be perfect if she didn't have a rotten attitude. Now that she's changing of overnight―literally―she can be called perfect.

Tears of happiness start forming in my eyes. "Thank you, mom," I say, smiling. "You don't know how happy this makes me feel."

"I'm glad you're happy," she says, "because from now on things will be different." Her expression hardens all of a sudden, as if she's about to tell me something bad. "And, I also would like to tell you something."

"Say it, whatever it is."

"I want to ask you for time."

"I know you need time, you already said it."

"Not for me. Your father needs time."

"Dad?"

"Yes, he needs time to understand that he's wrong just like I am. He's really angry at you, Annabeth. That's why he needs time. He needs time to understand that we've never been for you when you have to be our main importance. It'll take him a while―you know how we adults are. We think that whatever we say is right and what a younger person says is wrong."

That's true, too. I know that dad will keep on thinking that he's right. That what he's doing is for us, and that I'm doing wrong by complaining him for his absence. Dad will need some time before he realizes what he's doing wrong.

"I'll give him the time he needs," I say, giving a faint smile.

She gives me a smile back. "Now, I would like us to talk."

"Talk? Aren't we talking already?"

"Yes, but I want to know about you. I want you to tell me what I don't know. I want you to tell me what I've missed―which I think is everything."

It seems that for the first time I'll not have to wait for my training hour outside the house. For the first time home is the best place in the world.

. . .

"You should've seen her, Thalia," I say while pulling my hair to a ponytail. She's watching me from behind thanks to the mirror in front of me. "She was so…different. She was no longer the fine and delicate woman who I saw yesterday morning."

"I'm really happy for you, Annabeth," she says, giving me a smile. "It's good to know that your situation is changing in only one night. And everything's happening just when I came back. Something's telling me that I give luck."

"You wish. Not everything's fixed yet. Dad's still angry at me, and mom will need time to get used to everything. It must be hard to get used to know that you've a daughter."

"I think we should change the subject. It's affecting you."

"Affecting me how?"

"How was dinner with my little cousin?" she asks, completely ignoring my question.

"So you knew I was having dinner with him?" I ask, turning around to stare at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know at first."

"Then when did you realize it?"

"After you left. Everyone was watching you. You looked really astonishing. Then, in the middle of the silence, he asked me, 'Do you think she'll be surprised when she sees me at dinner?' That's when I knew he was going. Were you surprised to see him?"

"Not at all. I expected him."

"Why? He didn't tell anyone but me."

"His father. Before dinner, I met Mr. Poseidon and Sally at my house. I realized how alike they are. I didn't know at first where had I seen those features before. Then, Mr. Jackson started talking about his son moving from Stamford to New York so he can study. That's when I knew it."

"I see. Well, he expected you to be surprised."

He expected me to be surprised. Why?

"What really surprised me was when he kissed me," I say, heading to place my shoes next to my duffel bag.

"He what?" asks Thalia with her chin almost touching the floor. I realize that I didn't say it correctly.

"On the cheek," I correct myself. "He kissed me on the cheek."

"He kissed you on the cheek?"

Alright, I didn't expect her to be surprised by that. A kiss on the cheek doesn't say anything.

"Yes," I answer, "but it was only on the cheek, so I don't know why it surprises you. It surprised me because I didn't expect it from him, being so serious and everything."

"That's why I am surprised too, Annabeth," she says, sounding shocked. "He never does that to anyone who isn't Aunt Sally. What did he tell you exactly?"

"Nothing. He just kissed me and said, 'Hello, Annabeth. It's good to see you again.' That's all. Maybe he was just being polite, though it still surprises me."

Silence fills the room while Thalia stares at me. The way she doesn't blink tells me that she's thinking about something. Then, she talks. "Have you ever considered having a relationship with your training partner?"

My mind goes back to February fourteen of the current year, when Luke gifted me a red rose and confessed his crush for me. I think that if that same thing happened again I wouldn't change my mind. So that's a no. I haven't considered having a relationship with my training partner. But now that I remember, Luke is no longer my training partner. She's talking about Percy.

"You mean something between Percy and me?" I ask.

"I'm talking about that exactly." She points a finger to me. "I mean, he kissed you, didn't he?"

"It was a kiss on the cheek."

"Whatever. I told you he doesn't even kiss girl on the cheeks. I've got two suppositions."

"Say them." I roll my eyes and start towards the entrance.

"One is that he's trying to have a good training partner relationship with you."

"And the other one?"

"The other supposition is that you really impressed him yesterday and he's considering to warm up a little with you."

I wait in silence, staring at Thalia as she starts walking to me. Then, I start laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asks.

"Your supposition. I think the first one was more reasonable."

"I don't find the funny part. You really can make any boy fall for you."

"Stop saying those things, Thalia, and let's go. We're the only ones who aren't ready and you know what Chiron thinks about getting late to his class."

Without waiting for an answer, I walk outside the room, heading to the rest of the students. Surprisingly, Chiron is also late. Neither he nor his wheelchair can be seen around the gym.

After a while I'm done warming up, but the class can't be started without the teacher, who is still nowhere to be seen. Coming out of the girls' locker room is Thalia, who I thought had come with me when I left. Instead, she comes accompanied by someone else. Mr. Bossy is just beside her.

It is strange how his presence distracts me from the world―it seems that a girly attitude exists in me after all. I do not suck a breath like the rest of the girls at sight of him, but I do give myself time to admire his being. What does he pretend by using those tight tank shirts―especially a white one, which obviously gives a faint sight of his body?

He and Thalia walk towards me, and it's strange to see a complete smile on his face. It seems that Thalia is the only person here that can make him smile. Even though the half-moon formed by his teeth disappears fast, my photographic memory has an image of it in my mind. It's strange but so perfect at the same time.

This time my subconscious doesn't scold me. Probably she discovered her girly side too.

Thalia hits me with her shoulder while passing next to me and joins with Luke. Again, I'm alone with Percy. While everything's silent I can't help staring at him, though he doesn't notice it. It comes to my mind what Thalia said. The other supposition is that you really impressed him yesterday and he's considering to warm up a little with you.

Could it be true? Of course not.

"Hello, Annabeth," he finally says, breaking the silence between us. "Again, it's good to see you."

For a moment I remain motionless, paralyzed, watching as he leans forward. I feel how his lips touch my cheek, like yesterday, only more slow and gentle. It's strange how I don't move until he straightens, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Hello," I say, not knowing what to say. He never does that to anyonewho isn't Aunt Sally.

"How were the things with your parents after we left?" he asks, turning serious again.

"Good." I smile and punch him on the shoulder. I don't know why I do it, but it feels as if there's confidence between us. It seems right. "You were right, thank you."

Again, he gives me a faint smile. I don't know if it's because he's happy for me or if it's because of the punch on the shoulder.

"I was?" he asks.

"Yes, you were," I say. "You were talking about dad, but it applies for mom too. When she heard the truth of what I think she promised to change for me."

"Well, it's good to hear it. And how's everything with your father?"

"Why did you kiss me on the cheek?" I ask, not wanting him to bring up the awkwardness I'm living at home. Also, I ask it to prove Thalia that her supposition is wrong.

Percy looks down to me, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Why? You think I'm romantically interested in you?" he asks seriously, yet mockingly from his position. As if he's ridiculing me for thinking he would ever give me a second glance.

I blush furiously, but shake my head. "No, I'm trying to prove to your idiot cousin that you're not 'romantically interested' in me."

"Hey, I'm only like, five feet away from you!" Thalia protests. I roll my eyes while Percy's lips tilt up a bit at the corners. Then, I turn around, joining Thalia and Luke. Alright, this ended more awkward than talking about dad.

Thalia seems offended, though I know it's only an act. More than angry she must be amused by my question.

"It's been only a day," I say, smiling, "but I already miss you, Luke."

"I miss you too, Annabeth," he says, giving a smile.

"You too are offending me, Luke?" Thalia asks. "I thought I was much cooler than Annabeth."

While the three of us laugh Chiron finally arrives to the gym. He notices us laughing and smiles at us. Maybe it's my imagination, but I think we three are his favorite students. If the person laughing were someone else he would've said: 'We came to train not to joke.'

. . .

"Seriously," says Thalia, having a sip of her water bottle, "there's something going on with my little cousin. I still think you impressed him yesterday and he'll hook up with you."

"I don't think it's like that," I say, shaking my head.

She leans against the wall beside the door of the lockers room, staring at me with a smile.

"I think it's like that," she says.

"I assure you it's not like that," I say.

"Why? You think you aren't capable of making someone like you? Or is it that there's something wrong with him and that's why you don't accept that he might like you?"

"There's nothing wrong with him. Well, kind of. I can't deny he's, well, attractive―"

"Chase!"

"What? You can't deny it. You said it yesterday."

"I'm sorry, continue."

"As I was saying, I can't deny he's attractive, but that's not what I care about. I think that the problem is his attitude. You said it yourself. He's bossy, kind of rude and serious. I don't have problems with his seriousness, but the other two are the ones that worry me. I think we can only be friends, and if he doesn't ruin that with his attitude. Or if I don't ruin it by overreacting about his attitude―you've seen how I react."

Thalia's expression hardens, the color draining out her face. She beckons me to turn around, and my heart starts pounding against my chest, knowing what I'll find behind me.

"So that's what you think?" asks Percy, frowning a little bit.

Again, I'm distracted of the world because of his presence―now more than ever. I can see his body because he's not wearing a shirt, using it to clean the sweat from his face. I know it's too girly to notice it, but I can't help staring at his sculptured body. I can't help staring at the way his shorts hang from his waist, revealing perfectly visible hipbones.

I feel a pit in my stomach. I didn't hear him arrive with Luke. It's awful when you discover someone talking about your flaws behind your back.

"Percy―" I say, feeling ashamed and giving a step towards him.

But when I give the step, he gives one backwards.

"Don't," he says. "I don't want to ruin anything with my presence, or I don't want you to ruin anything by overreacting with my presence."

As serious as ever―angry, though―he turns around and heads towards the boys' lockers room, cleaning the sweat from his back with the shirt.

Damn. When will my life stop being complicated? Every time something is fixed a new problem appears. First I fixed everything with mom and now I have a problem with my training partner. Perseus Jackson, to be exact.