I asked a little question last chapter what will it take for Annabeth to realize that wittle crush she has on Percy. How about a red-haired girl... ;)
So here it is. Chapter 8. Enjoy!
Chapter 8: Jealous
School Tour
(Annabeth POV)
The next few days following the kissing incident were still a little awkward between Percy and I. However, for the most part, everything was back to normal. My relationship with Luke was still solid and, most importantly, my friendship with Percy was still intact. I started punching him on the arm again like I used to before (to his annoyance of course). That was always a good sign between us.
We even started a little inside joke; Percy at times would call me Beautiful Wise Girl. It was weird, admittedly flirtatious but it didn't mean that I wanted it to stop. I liked it when Percy called me that, it made my mood brighten up instantly.
One day, around early-mid November, I was called into the principal's office early morning.
"Good morning Mr. Chiron. Did you call me in?" I entered the office to come face to face with Mr. Chiron Brunner, the principal of CHB High School. He was a man of around age 50 with brown hair and brown eyes. He permanently sat in a wheelchair due to some unknown leg condition, However, from what I heard, at full height, Mr. Chiron was a very tall man. He was also an avid fan of horses. Throughout his office, one could see various items associated with horse riding. Most of all, Mr. Chiron was an extremely caring and wise person. I consider Mr. Chiron sort of like a father figure to me. I've been very close to him ever since I entered high school, coming to Mr. Chiron for advice both school and personal.
Mr. Chiron, likewise, treated me almost like I was his daughter, telling me personally I was one of his favorite and brightest students.
Mr. Chiron looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning Annabeth. How are you? Hope I'm not disturbing you with this early call in."
"No, not at all. What can I do for you?"
"Oh yes! There's a new student who has just moved into New York over the weekend. I unfortunately can't remember this person's name off the top of my head but today is their first day at CHB High School. If you can give this student a little tour of the school and make them feel welcome, that would be great Annabeth!"
"Of course, Mr. Chiron! That's what I'm great at." I exclaimed, making Mr. Chiron smile. Whenever it came to the task of greeting new students to CHB High School, Mr. Chiron usually left it up to me.
"I knew I could always count on you Annabeth. The person will be here any minute hopefully. They will come straight to the office. Again, thanks, Annabeth!" I then exited and waited outside the office. A few minutes passed by and nothing.
Suddenly, out of the corner of the hallway, a girl turned. From the looks of it, it seemed like I had never seen this girl before at school. She had bright red frizzy hair and freckles on her face. Her eyes were a sharp green. She was wearing an oversized white t-shirt with a peace sign on it and some ripped jeans which had some doodles on it.
She was quite a pretty girl. The red-haired girl then turned towards me.
"Uh, is this the school office?" she started.
"Yes, yes it is. I'm assuming you're the new student Mr. Chiron was talking about? I'm Annabeth Chase, nice to meet you." I started, extending my hand out. Instead of shaking it, however, the girl then came over to give me a big hug instead. I was stunned at first by this girl's forwardness but I eventually eased up and hugged her back.
"Hey, Annabeth! How are you? My name is Rachel Elizabeth Dare. But just call me Rachel Dare alright? I don't really like my middle name."
I chuckled. "Alright, then Rachel. Well, I guess we will start with the school tour!" I led Rachel around the school, taking her to some of the big places like the library, gym, and cafeteria. I also talked a bit about classes at high school.
However, we ended up talking about ourselves. Rachel told me her father worked as a land developer across the country. Rachel also stated she was a big fan of art, which came as a pleasant surprise to me. I then told her I was a big fan of art too. We bonded quite quickly over that.
My first impressions of Rachel: she seemed pretty cool.
I was about to take Rachel back to the office to conclude our tour. However, midway, I ran into Percy, who was headed towards the gym.
"Hey, Percy!" I called out to him.
"Hey beautiful Wise Girl how are ya?" he said, grinning. As usual, I blushed a bit at his comment.
"Oh shut up Seaweed Brain!" I exclaimed. Percy came over to give me a high five. However, Percy then noticed Rachel standing right beside.
"Oh, uh, my bad, I didn't notice you there. Are you new to the school?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, she just moved here recently. I'm just giving her a tour."
"Cool. This girl is the best in the business at doing that so I would pay very close attention." he said. I grinned and punched Percy on the shoulder.
Percy chuckled. "My name is Percy Jackson." he began, extending his hand.
"Rachel Elizabeth Dare. But just call me Rachel Dare please." she replied. However, she didn't shake Percy's hand. Rachel also came forward to hug Percy.
This girl really was a forward person.
"Whoa, alright there." Percy exclaimed, a little bit stunned by Rachel's hug gesture. Seeing Rachel hug Percy, I don't know, I started to get a bit...uncomfortable at the sight. It was just...weird.
"So, you're last name is Dare? That's pretty cool."
Rachel got defensive. "Why, got a problem with that?"
"No, no I don't! Having Dare as a last name seems pretty badass to me. Just saying." Rachel lightened up at Percy's explanation. She gave him a half-smile.
"Oh, thanks."
"So, where did you move from Rachel?" Percy then asked.
"Boston. Went to a private school up there. Just moved to New York because my dad has a new job assignment here."
"No way, you're a Boston girl? Please don't tell me you're a Red Sox fan, are you?"
Rachel nodded her head. "Been one since I was a kid."
Percy shook his head. "I am so disappointed in you! Big Yankees fan here."
Rachel scoffed. "Oh, are you serious? How the heck can you be a Yankees fan!"
"Um, because they're awesome! Duh."
"Yeah awesome enough to blow a 3-2 series lead in a best of seven against the Astros in the ALCS."
"Hey, you guys lost too! First round in fact! Least we made it one game to the World Series."
"I'll give you that. However, starting from 2004, we have 3 rings. You all have a measly 1."
"Um, the Yankees do have the 27 World Championships versus Boston's 8 so we have that edge there." I muttered under my breath. The Yankees were my favorite team and I usually liked talking about them.
But seeing Percy and Rachel talk about it with one another made me feel..weird.
I wasn't too happy about it.
Percy put his hands up, apparently hearing what I had said. "See Rachel! Like Annabeth said. 27 vs 8. Yanks are better. Fact."
"Oh shut up Percy." Rachel finally said, giving Percy a little punch on the shoulder. I tensed up at Rachel's gesture.
Hey, that was my thing with Percy! It was our own thing!
The rest of the time they continued to chatter, some laughter mixed in the middle as I stood there, becoming more and more uncomfortable.
"Um, I should take Rachel back to Mr. Chiron's office. Our tour's going a bit over time!" I quickly interjected.
"Actually Annabeth, I was planning on meeting up with the art teacher after this to ask about their art club. But thanks so much for the tour! Hopefully, I'll see you soon." Rachel declared. She turned to Percy and smiled.
"See you later Percy guy." she said grinning at him as Rachel headed down the hallway towards the art room.
They have nicknames for each other already?
"Alright, then Rachel girl. See you later." When Rachel cleared the hallway, I took the opportunity to punch Percy on the shoulder, this time harder than before, annoyed by what he had done.
"Ow, what the hell was that for Wise Girl?" Percy yelped.
"You were flirting with her the entire time Seaweed Brain!" I snapped at him.
"No, I wasn't! I was being friendly and saying hello. That's it!"
"Oh right. The joking around, the Rachel girl nickname you gave her!" I pointed out.
"Hey, Rachel called me Percy guy first off. Plus, Annabeth, you know I suck at flirting. Why do you think I'm still single?" he asserted.
Yeah, how's a good looking guy like you still single? I shook that thought from my head. I then rolled my eyes at Percy.
"Besides, why do you care if I flirt?"
"Hey, I...I don't care Seaweed Brain! Y .. you interrupted my tour. That's all!"
"Alright, alright, point taken I guess. My bad. Never interrupt the Beautiful Wise Girl's school tour ever again." he stated grinning. "But let me just say, for the record, I did NOT flirt with Rachel, alright?"
"Ugh, you're SO annoying!" I groaned as I walked away from him, leaving Percy by himself confused. For the first time, I wasn't lightened up by the nickname.
Hey, don't get me wrong. I wasn't bothered at all with Percy's flirting. It was..it was just pretty rude of him to do that in the middle of my school tour.
Also, flirting with a girl in front of your friend was NOT cool at all.
You really shouldn't do that.
Lunch Table Invite
(Annabeth POV)
On the way to 5th-period lunch, Rachel came up beside me and called out my name.
"Hey, Annabeth!"
"Oh, hey Rachel. So, how were your first day of classes?"
"Pretty awesome! I have Science and English with that Percy guy you introduced me to so that's nice" A part of me felt a huge level of disappointment.
Hey, that is so not fair! She has more classes with Percy than I do! And in the morning?
I stopped myself. Whoa, was I...was I jealous? No, no! I was.. I was a little bit bummed, that's all! I mean, wanting to be in the same classes with your friend is normal, right?
So naturally, you would be somewhat jealous.
"Oh, that's cool." I managed to say.
"You know, this..this might be weird for me to say but Percy's kind of cute, don't you think?"
She finds him cute. What?
"Oh, um, yeah. I...I guess so." I stuttered. I really REALLY wanted this Percy talk to end immediately.
Rachel frowned at me. "Um, you two aren't dating, right? Because if you are, I'm so sorry for that comment. Totally inappropriate."
My eyes widened. "What, Percy and I, NO! No!" I said defensively. "We're not dating. We're good friends, that's it! I'm dating this guy named Luke."
"Really? He called you a nickname before. I think it was Wise Girl. RightI tried my best to hide my blushing from Rachel.
"Um, yeah, it's a little inside joke we do. I call him this nickname, Seaweed Brain, at times. We made these nicknames in seventh grade when we met each other."
Rachel gave a little laugh and smiled. "Oh, that's really cute. I can tell why you would call him that. Percy is a bit goofy and sarcastic at times from what I can tell."
"Yeah. Yeah, he is."
End this conversation now Annabeth.
"Um, I'm going to head inside for lunch. I'll see you later?"
"Okay. See you later Annabeth!" I then quickly headed in.
Rachel finds Percy cute. She finds him cute. Wait a minute, why do I care if some girl finds him cute? None of my business!
I then made my way to my lunch table. Percy sat down next to me as he kept his distance.
I looked over at him and frowned. "What?"
"No, I'm just keeping my distance in case Wise Girl decides to punch me again."
Wise Girl. I was remembering back to what Rachel had told me.
You guys have nicknames for each other?
That's not weird is it? I've been calling him Seaweed Brain for gods knows how long. Again, it's...it's a thing we do. All friends do that, right?
Eventually, clearing my head, I smirked at him. "You know I can still nudge you on the shoulder from here Seaweed Brain!" as I nudged Percy on the shoulder. I noticed though I was a bit more hesitant than usual to use that nickname.
Percy sighed. "Oh, of course, you can." he flatly muttered as I laughed. However, we then both noticed Rachel walking past us. She gave a little wave to both Percy and I as she sat at an empty lunch table nearby.
The gang also took note of the new girl.
"Who's that?" Jason asked.
"Rachel Dare. She's the new girl. It's her first day here." I told him.
"Ooo, she's not that bad looking. Kind of cute." Leo commented.
"Leo! I thought you were into Calypso still! " Piper exclaimed.
"Yeah I still am! But this girl's not bad. Also, let's be honest, she would definitely fall for Leo's charm. You know that Pipes!" Leo replied, grinning.
"Guys are so freaking weird." Piper expressed, shaking her head at Leo.
"Hey, why is she sitting there all alone?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, I kind of feel bad for her." Frank added.
"I mean, it's her first day. She doesn't know that many people. Maybe I should go over to Rachel to sit with her for a while. Make her feel less lonely," Percy proposed, getting up, grabbing his lunch tray.
"No!" I suddenly cried out loud instinctively. The whole gang looked at me, confused.
I then realized what I had done.
Oh, shoot.
Trying to explain myself, I continued. "I mean, no, Percy shouldn't go there all alone! That's...that's way too kind of him to do."
"Hey, it's alright. Just want to make Rachel feel welcome, that's all."
"Yeah, but that's..that's too cumbersome having to sit there by yourself Percy. You barely know her!"
"Really Annabeth, it's okay, I'll be fine."
Ugh! Percy was acting so nice it was annoying. Wait, why am I annoyed by his actions? He just wants to sit near Rachel to be friendly. That's all.
Yeah, but Percy sat here next to me! That's the way it was!
Annabeth, stop acting childish the rational part of me stated.
"Um...it's just.." I then said, trying to come up with an excuse.
"I think Rachel should sit with us," I managed. I think I might have been gritting my teeth a bit.
"Oh, well, why didn't you say that Wise Girl?" Percy told me, grinning. Everyone else also started laughing and grinning, giving me some shoves on the shoulder. I gave them a half-smile. However, the whole time, I was watching Percy go up to Rachel, who asked her to join us. There was a smile growing on her face and a frown growing on mine.
"Hey guys, meet Rachel here, the new girl!" Percy declared as she brought Rachel over.
"What's up guys?" Rachel started, smiling at everyone. My friends greeted her warmly and amiably.
"Hey Rachel! How are you. Why don't you sit down with us?" Silena offered, patting to the empty seat right next to her.
"Oh, that's alright. I'll just sit between my good friends Annabeth and Percy. But thanks for the offer." I think I almost spit my drink out when Rachel said that.
Sit next to Percy and I? Why?
"Hey, that's alright Rachel. Unless of course, Annabeth is uncomfortable with that." Percy said.
"Um, yeah, I...I don't mind," I tersely replied.
No, you do mind! You do mind!
However, I scooted over and gave some space to Rachel. She then sat down.
Rachel turned over to Percy and smiled at him. "Hey Stankees guy." she teased, grinning at Percy.
"Blosox girl." Ugh, they were still talking about baseball?
Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Percy I don't even know if I want to be science partners with you anymore. You're so aggravating."
Wait, they are partners in science. You HAVE to be kidding me...
Percy smiled. "Really, it's just the first day! You hate me already?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."
"Gee thanks." The two broke out into laughter, all to my annoyance and disappointment. The rest of lunch period Rachel and Percy continued to talk to one another. I ended up fiddling around with my straw throughout, occasionally looking up at the clock to see if it was already time to leave.
30 minutes left. 20 minutes. 10 minutes.
Initially, I was supposed to go to the library today but ended up changing my plans so I could hang out with Percy.
I was really regretting my decision.
Afterwards, the lunch bell rang. I felt relieved. I never heard a better sound in my life at that moment. Rachel got up from the table. Turning back to us, she asked.
"Um, you guys don't mind if I sit here again tomorrow, right?"
"No, not at all." Percy said. "Annabeth, you cool with it right?"
I stared at the both of them. Just say no Annabeth. Just say that and you can go back to talking with Percy.
However, I was too nice to say that. That would be mean. Forcing a smile, I managed. "Yeah, totally, I'm cool with it."
Rachel gave both of us a high five. "You guys are awesome!" she exclaimed as Rachel exited the cafeteria.
Percy turned to me. "Rachel's pretty cool Annabeth, huh?"
"Yeah, she definitely is." I muttered dryly. Percy stared at me for a bit, sensing something wrong. However, noticing, I then broke into a half smile, not wanting to show my uneasiness with Rachel.
"Uh, she's really into art like me you know?"
Percy grinned. "Oh, that's great. Hopefully, you two will get along."
Yeah, like you get along with Rachel and keep flirting with her nonstop!
However, I suppressed that thought.
"Yeah, maybe we will."
"Well, I'll see you later in creative writing class Wise Girl."
"Later Seaweed Brain." I kept staring at Percy until he exited the cafeteria. Luke then came up to me.
"Hey Annabeth." he said, giving me a quick kiss.
"Oh, hey." I replied flatly. My mind was still on Percy and Rachel.
"Um, who's that new girl, the redhead?"
"Rachel Dare. She just moved here from Boston. This is her first day at school."
"Oh, that's nice. You know I have to say Annabeth, she's kind of cute, don't you think?"
I looked up at Luke in absolute shock and disappointment. "Oh, are you kidding me, Luke!"
"Hey, Annabeth! I was just complimenting her! You know me! I mean, Rachel is cute. Even you and I have to admit that!"
I scoffed. "Ugh, you are so infuriating at times Luke!" I murmured as I stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving Luke by himself.
Ugh, first Percy is flirting with Rachel during my tour! Then Rachel sits between Percy and me in lunch. Then Luke, freaking Luke, HAD to say she looked cute.
Never mind the fact that Rachel and Percy are getting along really well...
I was starting to like this Rachel girl less and less.
Auditorium Meeting
(Annabeth POV)
The next day, we had our weekly auditorium meeting for all juniors.
Now, usually, I HATE these meetings for one very good reason. They're led by Mr. Dionysus a.k.a Mr. I-hate-my-job-so-much-that-I-will-intentionally-make-life-miserable-for-all-my-students. I had him, along with Percy and my friends, for 9th-grade Ancient Greek class. He absolutely sucked as a teacher and was extremely cranky to all his students. Honestly, he was the first teacher I ever was cool with making fun of.
However, recently, Percy and I started sitting together during these meetings. Like me, Percy absolutely hated these meetings. It ended up being pretty fun. Percy and I would always be near the back chatting and laughing.
I actually began looking forward to these things.
Before entering, I took my phone out and texted him.
Me: Hey Seaweed Brain =). Where are you planning on sitting?
Percy: Oh hey Wise Girl. I'm so sorry. I forgot to tell you. I'm sitting with Rachel today. I looked at my phone in utter disbelief. My mood shifted from happy to sullen.
Me: Uh, what?
Percy: Sorry, it's just..this was Rachel's first meeting here and she didn't know anyone else in the auditorium. So she asked if I could sit with her. Of course, I had to say yes.
Me: We...we always sit together. I told him. It was true. That was the only reason I could stay somewhat awake the entire time.
Percy: Yeah, I know that. I'm so sorry Annabeth. Hey, I'll make it up to you after school! Cheeseburgers on me?
For some reason, I felt some anger rising inside. However, I held it in and forced myself to reply to his text.
Me: Yeah, okay, no problem Percy! I quickly turned my phone off and put it in my pocket. I had a weird urge to scream out loud in frustration. I then looked around in the auditorium, trying to find someone I knew who I could sit next to. Unfortunately, the gang were already in their seats. I then tried to find Luke. However, he had also already sat down, next to some of his teammates as well as Drew (ugh).
I groaned to myself.
I guess I have to sit by myself.
I went to the back to the far right side, along the wall. Sitting down, I thought of a way to be able to pass some time. Some Scrabble with Friends should do. However, suddenly, I saw Percy and Rachel headed in. They sat down around 2 rows in front of me, also along the wall. I could see them from here.
I didn't want to but I began overhearing their conversation.
"So what are these meetings about?" Rachel asked Percy.
"Just a bunch of upcoming announcements for the week. Also some 'school spirit' stuff. Honestly, I never pay attention. They're so boring. Mr. D, the teacher who leads it, is an absolute ass. Usually, I'm with Annabeth in the back chatting or something." I frowned and sighed at the mention of my name.
Yeah, and I like that.
Rachel laughed and smiled. "Well, I'm glad I have someone to talk to for the next few minutes." I sighed again to myself.
I wish I could say the same.
The rest of the meeting went by as expected, absolutely boring. I think I might have completed 4 Scrabble games altogether. Midway, Rachel began to get pretty bored. She started yawning a bit, her eyes drooping more and more as time went by. Eventually, she fell asleep. Rachel's head started drooping to the left.
It so happened to be that Percy's shoulder was there.
Rachel ended up resting her head on Percy as she went to sleep.
She looked really content. Percy, though, looked uncomfortable. He began fidgeting around a bit, trying to readjust his shoulder. He tried as hard as he could to stay still as Rachel rested on him.
As I continued to watch from behind, I felt some envy rise inside. Luke rarely let me sleep on his shoulder when I was with him. He said that it was "corny" and "weird". I constantly teased him for it.
Seeing Rachel sleep on Percy made me envy why I couldn't do that with Luke.
No, the word is jealous. I was jealous that Rachel was sleeping on Percy. I remembered back to the time in the museum where I had rested my head on Percy's shoulder during the Space Show movie. I remember feeling happy and relaxed at that moment.
Kind of like how Rachel is feeling maybe. A part of me cried out I wanted to be the one resting my head on Percy's shoulder right now, not Rachel!
Why was I thinking these thoughts? Rachel fell asleep by accident on his shoulder that's all! Besides, it's a just a friend sleeping on another friend by accident, just like Percy and I.
That friend happens to be another girl, though.
Annabeth...
Still, I couldn't help but feel some anger within me as I continued to watch the two for the next minutes. The bell then rang. Rachel woke up, rubbing her eyes. Noticing she had accidentally fallen asleep on Percy, she turned to him, a little red on her face.
"Oh, Percy, uh, sorry for that."
"No..no, it's alright! You..you slept well at least?" Percy sheepishly asked.
Rachel gave a little grin. "Sort of. You move around a bit too much Percy."
Weird, I didn't feel Percy move at all when I slept on him. Rachel exited the auditorium. I, too, began to exit. I was still angry. Afterward, Percy caught up to me.
"Annabeth, wait up!" Percy called out.
"Nice to see that you're enjoying your time with your girlfriend right there." I briskly declared. I meant that to be a joke. However, the tone that I used was harsher than I wanted it to be.
"Girlfriend? What are you talking about! Rachel fell asleep on me by accident!"
"I would say she seemed to like it a lot." I muttered.
"Annabeth, what are you talking about! Are..are you okay? You've been acting weird the past two days!"
"Weird? Whoa, okay there Seaweed Brain, hold on! Why are you assuming all these things all of a sudden? You have a problem?" I sharply asked. Percy had a puzzled look on his face, surprised by the harshness and abrasiveness of the girl he was talking to. I was surprised as well.
"Annabeth, please, if there's a problem, just let me know, ok?" he finally said. Percy then proceeded down the hallway to head to class.
What problem? There was no problem! What the heck was Seaweed Brain complaining about? I was fine!
Um, a Rachel problem. You might have a Rachel problem Annabeth.
Oh, stop it!
Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping
(Percy POV)
Was it just me or was Annabeth acting a little weird the past week?
Of course, she kept denying it. But I knew Wise Girl well enough. I knew what normal looked like. And she wasn't that. Annabeth was acting moodier, a little colder, and more abrasive than usual.
Especially around Rachel.
Rachel.
Now, personally, I thought Rachel was pretty cool and fun to hang out with. However, don't get me wrong, I wasn't attracted to her. Even though she was cute admittedly, I still had deep feelings for Annabeth.
I really didn't know how Annabeth viewed Rachel. Maybe it was something the two had talked about in private that made her act a little coldly around her. Rachel was a big Red Sox fan. And I know how Annabeth can be quite passionate about the Yankees.
Maybe that's why Wise Girl is acting this way.
On Wednesday, a little more than a week removed from Thanksgiving, Annabeth and I decided to go to Union Square to check out their Greenmarket. Usually, during Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there would be an open food market at Union Square. There were people selling things like organic vegetables, ice cream, and organic meat. Since Thanksgiving was approaching, we both decided to see what was up.
Annabeth was in a really good mood today. And, of course, she looked great as well. We were strolling through Union Square Park when we came across a vendor that was selling olives.
Of course, Annabeth had to stop and check it out.
"Ooo, organic olives!" Annabeth exclaimed as she approached the vendor. "Do you serve free samples, sir?" she asked the man.
"Yes, definitely!" he said as he handed Annabeth an olive with a toothpick in it. "Try it out, young lady." Annabeth took a bite. Her eyes lit up.
"Wow, these are delicious! I definitely need to have some."
"Well, a single jar would be about $10 ma'am if you're interested in buying. Sorry, it's expensive but it's chemical free and organic." Annabeth began rummaging around her purse. She then cursed to herself.
"Shoot, I don't think I have enough money! I'm so sorry sir. But thanks for the sample!"
"Um, I have some money if you want." I told Annabeth.
"No, Percy, that's too kind of you! You don't need to do that."
"Hey, that's alright. Consider it a Thanksgiving gift sort of."
Annabeth smiled. "There's no such thing as a Thanksgiving gift Seaweed Brain."
"Well, this is the first one then my Beautiful Wise Girl." I told her as I handed the man the money and gave her the jar. Her eyes lit up. Annabeth proceeded to give me a big hug.
"You are so freaking awesome!" she exclaimed, which made me smile widely. Gods, I love seeing Annabeth happy. We then sat down at the nearby bench, Annabeth eating some of the olives.
In the middle, I asked her something. "Annabeth, I...I have to ask this. Have..have you talked to your dad yet? You know, about upcoming Thanksgiving?" Annabeth's mood dampened significantly at the mention of her dad. I didn't want her to feel down but considering a big holiday was coming up, I was eager to know whether her father would be coming.
"No." she tersely replied.
"Annabeth, really, it's almost Thanksgiving! You don't want to see your dad?"
"Percy, I don't want to see him, no! He's an asshole! He doesn't care about me. You know what happened before!"
"Annabeth, I know that. But you can't keep holding a grudge against him!"
"Percy, the last thing I want for Thanksgiving is to be reminded of how unthankful I am to have such a terrible dad."
"You can't hate your dad that much." I mentioned.
"Oh yes I do." Annabeth bitterly told me, her face clearly sad and angered. I didn't want to continue to push this topic. However, I had to add one thing.
"Annabeth, at least write your dad a letter, email or something. Ask him how he is. Invite him over for Thanksgiving." Annabeth looked at me for a while. Eventually, she sighed.
"I'll..I'll think about it." Annabeth murmured. I nodded my head slowly. Annabeth suddenly got up from the bench.
"Alright, you know what? I'm still a little hungry. You up for some Joe's Pizza? I have enough money so it's on me now."
"Hey, you don't need to do that. I still have some money left Annabeth."
"Seaweed Brain, just shut up and accept my favor, ok?" she demanded.
I smiled at Annabeth. "Alright then." We headed across the street to go to Joe's. Annabeth's mood seemed to be brightening up, which was great. We were about halfway there.
However, all of a sudden, I saw Rachel appear from one of the Union Square's subway exits.
"Rachel?" I called out. Rachel looked at me, a surprised look on her face. Her bright red hair was in a tangled mess. She was also carrying a bunch of signs. One of them read The climate is changing! Why aren't we?
"Percy. Annabeth." Rachel started. "What are you doing here?"
"I would say the same to you."
"Well, I asked you first."
"Oh ok, I see how it is then." I responded as Rachel laughed. I glanced over at Annabeth. Her mood dampened again. She had an annoyed, disappointed look on her face as I was talking to Rachel.
"Annabeth and I were just looking around at the market here at Union Square. We were about to head to Joe's."
"Yeah, we were." Annabeth mumbled. I noticed she put more emphasis on the word were. "What are you doing here Rachel?" she asked dryly.
"There's an environmental protest that I'm going to. We're speaking out against the inaction of the government against climate change. It starts in around 15 minutes so I got some time left."
"Oh, that's cool. Um, you..you want to join us for some pizza?" I asked, trying to be polite to Rachel. However, Annabeth looked annoyed. I heard a little groan coming from her, not audible enough for Rachel to hear but audible enough for me to notice.
"Yeah, join us. Why not?" Annabeth huffed, a little coldness and sarcasm present.
Gods, why did Annabeth dislike this girl so much?
"Really, oh you guys are awesome!" Rachel exclaimed, not noticing Annabeth's tone. The three of us then headed into Joe's. Annabeth and I ordered the regular cheese slice while Rachel decided to order one of their white pie slice.
We sat on the stools near the window. Rachel had decided to sit between Annabeth and I. Annabeth had a grimace the entire time on her face as Rachel sat down.
Rachel turned to me. "So, you excited for Thanksgiving Percy?"
"Um, yeah, sort of. I'm not really planning on doing anything. Maybe dinner with the family. That's all."
"Oh, that's nice. How about you Annabeth?"
"Huh?" Annabeth asked, taken aback by Rachel's question. Clearly, she was zoned out of the conversation. "Yeah, I'm..I'm doing things."
"Cool." Rachel and I continued to talk for the next minutes. The entire time I noticed that Annabeth kept playing with the straw of her drink, taking little half-hearted nibbles of her pizza. Occasionally, she would give us some discrete side looks and grumble to herself, giving some eye rolls as Rachel laughed.
I learned something today. When Annabeth plays with the straw of her drink, it's a tell that she's annoyed by something.
Eventually, Rachel looked up at the clock. "Oh, I have to go guys. But thanks so much for inviting me for pizza. I really appreciate it!"
"Yeah, it was nice hanging out with you Rachel."
"Yeah, same." Annabeth half-heartedly muttered. Rachel both gave us hugs. As she left, Annabeth still had an annoyed look on her face. Eventually, I confronted her about it.
"Alright Annabeth, just spill it. You're annoyed by something."
Annabeth then looked at me, some shock on her face. "Percy. What? No! What are you talking about?"
"I know you! You're eyes get all scrunched up whenever you're disappointed or perturbed by something. You have a little scowl on your lips."
"Hey, I don't do that!"
"Um, yes you do. And I want to know what's bothering you."
Annabeth punched me on the shoulder "Ugh Percy, now it's you that's annoying me!"
"Annabeth, you said now. Do..do you have a problem with Rachel?" She tensed up a bit when I mentioned Rachel's name. Her scowl returned.
"No..no I don't! What the heck are you talking about?" she quickly replied.
"Annabeth, don't lie to me."
"I don't have a problem with Rachel!"
"Annabeth..."
"Percy, look, I'm cool with Rachel! I'm cool with her, alright! " she cried out. She was shouting almost. Some people inside Joe's began giving us some looks.
Annabeth quickly collected herself. "Look, I know you like spending time with her Percy. That's fine with me! I don't care. Any friend of Percy is automatically a friend of mine."
"Hey, that's not true." I responded. I liked spending time with Annabeth. Surely, she should know that!
"Look. It's okay. I don't have a problem with Rachel! Now, let's go. I have to head home soon." she tersely declared, effectively ending the conversation. Annabeth walked outside, not looking at me, headed towards the subway.
I shook my head. My goodness, what is up with Annabeth? It was like.. she's acting jealous that I was spending time with Rachel.
However, I quickly shook that thought.
Why would Annabeth be jealous? She's dating Luke! I'm the one that should be jealous for goodness sake. I still have to deal with the pain of seeing her with him! And I STILL have that freaking kiss in mind!
However, I bottled up these feelings as I caught up to Annabeth.
Favor
(Annabeth POV)
Problem with Rachel! What the heck is Percy talking about? I didn't have an issue with her!
I was thinking about that lunch the next day while watching Percy and Rachel chat. Rachel had consistently been eating lunch with us at our table. Our friends were currently laughing at one of Rachel's jokes. Percy was looking at me the whole time though, sensing some easiness within me.
Noticing, I quickly forced a smile and gave a half-hearted laugh at Rachel's joke.
I mean, come on Percy if I did have an issue with Rachel, surely I would have told her to leave the lunch table! Yet, she's sitting next to me!
Isn't that proof?
The bell then rang. The gang then got up from the table to leave. Percy, however, stayed a while longer, continuing to give glances at me, trying to see if I was okay. I gave a smile to Percy, trying to lessen any worries he had.
Wait there are no worries. What am I talking about? Eventually, Percy left.
"Um, Annabeth." I suddenly turned to see Rachel.
"Oh, hey Rachel." I said. Some tenseness came back.
"Uh, I know this is really weird for me to ask you this. And, like, I'm TOTALLY cool if you don't want to do this. I'll understand. I..I was wondering whether or not you could ask Percy if, um..he was, like, interested in me?" she stated nervously.
I looked at Rachel for a while. "You..you mean, like, dating-wise?"
"Yes, dating! I...I like Percy. He's funny. Sweet. Also, he's..he's pretty cute." Rachel said, blushing. I felt myself tense up some more. "It's .. I don't know how to ask him out or if he's interested in me as well. And I know you two are really good friends. So, I thought that you could ask him for me, as a favor. " she said, some optimism in her voice
I continued to look at Rachel for a while, still stunned at what she was getting at. A slight part of me was saying oh, that's great, a girl that's into Percy.
However, mostly, I felt some defensiveness. I was saying no, don't date Percy! He's not interested! I don't know why. Maybe it was because I was Percy's close friend and felt protective of him.
I honestly didn't know what to say to Rachel. I started off by stating. "Um, I should let you know Rachel, Percy hasn't dated in quite a while actually." That was true. It had been nearly a year since Percy last dated.
"Oh, really?" she said. I sensed the optimism in Rachel's voice dampen a little
"Uh, yeah. He's been single for around a year."
"That's kind of hard to believe," Rachel mentioned.
"Yeah, it is." I suddenly started remembering the conversation I had with Percy at Emmett's earlier in the school year. I had asked him why he was still single. Percy told me he hadn't found the right girl yet, which was pretty hard to believe. Percy mentioned, though, about a girl that meant a lot to him that he knew from a young age and had feelings for.
To this day, I constantly tease Percy at times to tell me who this girl was but he wouldn't let up. It was the only thing Percy didn't want to reveal to me.
So, in all, I wasn't really sure if Percy would want to date Rachel.
"I..I don't know if he would be interested Rachel." I finally said after a while of musing.
"Oh, okay." she uttered, clearly disappointed. Rachel's smile started to fade. Her green eyes began to darken. "Well, um, sorry to bother you Annabeth. I..I should go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Rachel finally said, getting up from the lunch table.
I was about to leave it at that. However, seeing Rachel sad made me stop and reflect for a bit.
Annabeth, what are you doing? You don't even know whether or not Percy would reject Rachel! Don't try to dampen her spirits!
Also, truthfully, I was acting harsh towards Rachel the past few days. Rachel wasn't a bad person. Maybe doing this favor for Rachel would be good for her and Percy as well.
"Hey Rachel, sorry! I shouldn't have said that. It was just..I may be a little defensive of my friend. I care for him. I'll..I'll ask Percy later in creative writing class whether or not he's interested you."
Rachel's frown immediately faded, replaced with a big smile. She went up and gave me a big hug. "Oh, you would? Oh my gods, thanks, Annabeth! You're the absolute best! " she exclaimed. I gave Rachel a little smile and hugged her back.
I should've been happy. I was doing a favor for a friend.
And for Percy.
Yet I was feeling so tense and uneasy. Why?
Maybe I'm being WAY too protective of my best friend.
Mixed Signals
(Annabeth POV)
Entering creative writing class, I still felt some uneasiness within me as I approached Percy.
"Hey Beautiful Wise Girl." Percy started, grinning, as I sat down. I gave a small smile at Percy as I approached him.
I really like that nickname.
It's probably going to stop, though, when he's dating Rachel.
I didn't want it to though.
"Hey Seaweed Brain." I replied as I sat down. I then looked at Percy.I had no idea how to start. I mean, telling someone hey, so like, this girl is really into you and stuff, to let you know was weird no matter how you put it.
"Percy, I need to tell you something." I began. "Rachel is interested in you." Percy's smile faded. It was replaced with confusion.
"Uh, what.."
"She's really interested in you. She was wondering whether..whether or not you're interested in her. And would like to, um, date her."
(Percy POV)
"She was wondering whether or not you would be interested in dating her?" Annabeth had told me.
I looked at Annabeth with wide puzzlement. "Rachel... Rachel wants to date me?" I responded, not believing Annabeth.
"Yeah, she seemed pretty eager about it. Of course, I..I didn't know what to say. I just told her, you know, I'll ask Percy. Then she said thanks."
I kept looking at Annabeth and thinking about it.
Rachel wants to date me.
I had no other interest in any girl other than Annabeth in all honest. Especially, after that kiss. Especially since I told her that I thought she was the most beautiful girl I've ever met after seeing her in that dress.
Of course, Annabeth still considers what I told her "extreme hyperbole" and flattery.
I really meant what I said though.
That's probably why I haven't dated any other girl for the past year. I'm in love with Annabeth.
"I..I don't know Annabeth. I'm not sure." I finally said, being honest.
(Annabeth POV)
That's it. Percy said no! That's final!
That was how I was reacting when Percy said told me he was unsure about whether or not he would want to date Rachel. I should've left it at that. I wanted to leave it at that. I was still uneasy about the prospect of the two dating for some , again, I began thinking back to the conversation we had at Emmett's. I began thinking back to all the times Percy was there for me, whether it was for my dad, the Six Flags ride, or throughout my life.
Percy was always there for me only. That's why I kissed him after the ride. I was so overwhelmed by that fact.
I realized something. All this time Percy has been caring about only one girl, me, even though I was only his friend. I didn't deserve it. I wasn't his girlfriend or anything. Throughout this whole time, I could have been hindering Percy's chances of being able to find someone he loved because of me. Because Percy cared way too much about me than he should. I had been hindering him from being able to connect and find this "girl that meant a lot to him."
Suddenly, I felt guilty. I wanted Percy to be happy.
I was stopping him from achieving that.
"Percy, are.. are you saying that because of me?" I slowly asked.
"What?" Percy expressed. He had a shocked look on his face.
"Are you saying you won't date Rachel because of me?"
Percy continued to stare at me, stunned. "Annabeth, what are you talking about? Of course not!"
"Percy. I know you care a lot about me. And I appreciate that. But I realize that all this time, I had been taking time away from you from being able to find someone. I'm not even your girlfriend Percy! I'm just a friend, that's all. I'm being selfish having you to myself when in fact, I want you to find someone you love."
"Annabeth. You're not hindering me from finding someone I love! You're not being selfish! You know that I do all that I do because I care for you."
"Yes, I know that Percy. And I care for you too. You know that as well as I do. But I want you to find someone you love also at the same time." I then took a deep breath.
"You've..you've always said to me before that there was this girl you knew from a young age that meant a lot to you. I..I don't know who this girl is but I've realized I've only been in your way of getting to that girl."
"Annabeth, no you haven't. This girl means A LOT to me yes. A LOT more than you realize. But you haven't..." Percy tried telling me but he looked pained. I understood why. He cared way too much for me and this girl at the same time.
It was way too sweet.
"Percy, listen, I don't know where this girl is now. Maybe she's moved on from your life or not. But you should give Rachel a chance. She's super nice and sweet. Maybe you'll find that she's, in fact, the girl you're looking for."
(Percy POV)
I want you to find someone you love.
That's you Annabeth! That's you! The girl that meant a lot to me from a young age that I'm talking about is you!
I wanted to say those things to her so badly but I couldn't. It will only shock her. Plus, I didn't have the guts to do it. Annabeth just saw herself as a good friend to me. That's it. That was why she said she saw herself as a hindrance to me in finding happiness. Annabeth always saw herself as an annoyance unfortunately to others.
But you're not a hinderance Annabeth! You make me happy! I was happy with you, even only as a friend.
Yet, that was just a lie. I always knew that I would only be truly happy if we were more than that.
It was clear that would not be the case.
That made me feel more pain. It made our kiss, which I had liked a lot, now feel like a cruel tease of life and reality.
We're always going to be friends, that's it. That kiss was just a blip.
It didn't mean my feelings for Annabeth would go away, no. It never will. I loved her too much. I will always have feelings for her no matter what. I could never look at her without yearning to be more than a friend.
Dating Rachel. I really wasn't interested like I said. It never entered my mind up until now. Yet, at that moment, I began to think about it more and more.
Maybe dating Rachel will help me somewhat forget Annabeth. Not completely. But just enough to mitigate the pain of not being Annabeth. Plus, Rachel seemed pretty fun to hang out with.
And she was cute.
Maybe this would work out.
(Annabeth POV)
"Ok, I'll..I'll ask her out tomorrow Annabeth, " Percy said.
I smiled. "Ok, that's great. I'll tell her." I replied.
I felt happy for Percy. I really did. I wanted him to be happy. Seeing him happy made me feel happy.
Yet, at the same time, something stirred inside me. My uneasiness returned. My tenseness came back. I felt myself breathe heavier. I felt a little crushed when he said he would date Rachel.
A little .. heartbreak.
Percy is now dating Rachel. Percy is dating Rachel.
Why am I feeling this way? I was then reminded of a few days ago, at the mall, when I admitted I have a little crush on Percy now still.
Maybe I'm sad because of that crush.
No, it couldn't be! It was just a silly one like in middle school! It didn't amount to anything real! It was just certain things I like about Percy! Plus, Percy was now dating Rachel, me Luke. I didn't want to get in the way of him finding the person he loved which may be her.
Besides, I may have done that already with the girl that meant a lot to him.
I didn't want to do it again.
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Percy's heartbreak leads him to try to date Rachel in other to forget about Annabeth. Of course, will it work? We'll have to find out. (Also, Annabeth STILL is oblivious who this "girl that means a lot to Percy" is! My goodness, it's frustrating me and I'm the one writing the story lol)
Enjoy your day everyone. And leave a follow/fav/review if you dare to do so.
Not trying to freak you out. Just saying :D
