A/N: This chapter is a Percabeth oneshot, and is in Percy's POV. It ignores Heroes of Olympus.
"You will have exactly 45 minutes to complete the exam. Be sure to put your name on the front of the booklet," the teacher announced after passing out all of the exam booklets to the class. This was the last exam of my high school career; I pass this exam and I'm done with high school.
Annabeth had come over nearly every night this past week to help me study and prep for this exam, and I was feeling quite confident that I would get a passing grade. I was incredibly thankful for Annabeth helping me study – I'd never admit it out loud, but she was definitely smarter than me.
I carefully print my name on the front of the booklet as instructed, and then flip the cover uncovering the pages of question awaiting answers. I make sure to read over the questions at least twice to make sure I've deciphered the words correctly. Exams are bad enough, but taking an exam when you have dyslexia is about a million times worse. If the exams were given in Ancient Greek, then it'd be a different story. Sadly, mostly schools in New York only give exams, tests, quizzes, and most other school-related things in English.
I take my time answering the questions, filling in the little circles, and making sure, everything looks right. I eventually reach the final question. I glance up at the clock in the front of the room and notice I have a few spare minutes, so I decide to go over the questions and my answers one last time. Everything looks good to me, and the only thing left to do is hope that I didn't fail.
"Okay, everyone, pencils down!" Mr. Horner exclaims. "The allotted exam time is now up. Please make sure your name is printed on the front, and then pass your booklet forward." The only sound for a solid minute or two is papers brushing against each other as they're passed to the front of the class.
Finally, they reach Mr. Horner, and once he has made sure he's collected all of the exams, he tells us we may leave. I quickly gather all of my things. After making sure everything is in order, I grab my book bag and head out the door. Now all that's left to do is wait for my results.
I walk out of Goode High School and into the warm May sun. I begin my trek home, enjoying the sun and perfectly clear blue skies. I approach my apartment building and take one last breath of the "fresh" New York air. I'm in such high spirits that I decide to take the stairs instead of the elevator (this seldom happens) up to our apartment on the sixth floor. I'm a little winded when I reach the door, but compared to fighting monsters, it's nothing.
I dig my key out of my book bag and open the door. "Mom, are you home?" I yell out as I wonder into the kitchen. I hear no reply, so she must be out. I see a plate of my favorite blue chocolate chip cookies on the table, and beside them is a note that reads:
"Percy,
I went out to run a few errands, and then I'm meeting Paul for dinner. I left money for pizza – it should be on the counter by the fridge, so feel free to order in. I hope your final exam went well!
Love,
Mom"
I pour a glass of milk from the fridge and begin munching down on some cookies. I should probably call Annabeth, or send an Iris Message to let her know I'm done with my final exam, but I decide to wait – she's probably busy right now.
I lie on the couch and turn the TV on and an old western movie is on. I vaguely remember seeing this particular one before with my mom, but I can't remember the name of it. My eyelids feel like they weigh a thousand pounds, and I begin to realize just how exhausted I am. I allow myself to fall asleep; I probably need the rest.
"Percy, wake up." I hear a faint voice call out to me. "Come on, Seaweed Brain!" I register the voice now – it's Annabeth; she's the only one who calls me 'Seaweed Brain'.
"Wha-what's going on?" I sit straight up, and quickly take in my surroundings. I'm in the living room on the couch, and then I remember I fell asleep watching a movie. I look out the window to see a shining sun. I wonder how long I was asleep.
Annabeth smiles softly, "you've got a little drool on your chin, Seaweed Brain." I wipe my chin, mouth, and all other surrounding areas. "Now come on and eat. The sooner you get finish the sooner we can look up your exam results on the school website." I drag myself off the couch and trudge sleepily into the kitchen.
"Well thank you for finally coming back from dreamland, sleepy head," my mom teases when I enter the room. "I tried waking you up last night when Paul and I got home, but you didn't move a muscle. That exam must've really worn you out."
I grab a seat at the table next to Annabeth, and grab a slice of pizza from a box. "The exam results should be on the website in about 10 minutes," Annabeth states while I begin eating my second slice of pizza. I nod in response.
We finish eating the pizza, and Annabeth grabs her laptop out of her bag and sets it on the table. She pulls up my school's website and logs on using my student ID to see the results of my exam. I start feeling a little nervous while the page loads, and grab her hand. She gives a small reassuring squeeze, and I try to convince myself that I did fine. The page eventually finishes loading, and her eyes dart back-and-forth across the screen. She doesn't say anything for a long moment, and then a smile begins to creep across her face.
"Perseus Jackson, 94," she reads, and I nearly jump out of my seat. "Percy, you did it! You passed!" She jumps up and I'm jump up with her. She pulls me into a hug with a huge smile on her face. I can't help but smile too. "You passed your final exam! You're officially done with high school now!"
My mom hugs me next, and then Paul claps me on the shoulder. "We're so proud of you, Percy! I think this definitely calls for a celebration!"
"What? Nah, it's no big deal. I mean it was easy with Annabeth's help." I know Annabeth hates it when I redirect attention from me onto her, but it's the truth. If it hadn't been for her help I would have never passed. She shoots me a look that is definitely screaming "shut up" but I don't care.
"Oh, come on! We can just do something simple, like go see a movie," my mom insists. My mom and Annabeth have something in common; when they set their minds to something, you can't change it.
We decide to just walk to the theater; it's not too far from our apartment building. Annabeth and I decide to lag behind my mom and Paul a little. We haven't had much time to ourselves that doesn't involve studying. We walk hand-in-hand, and don't say much for a while.
Eventually, she breaks the silence. "Your mom is right, Percy. You passing this exam is a reason to celebrate, no matter what you think." She pauses. "I'm incredibly proud of you, I hope you know that."
I feel a slight blush rise on my cheeks. "Thanks. But I'm serious; I couldn't have passed if it weren't for you." I squeeze her hand. She's blushing now, and I can't help but think about how cute she looks when she's embarrassed.
"Shut up, Seaweed Brain, me helping you study was nothing." I slow us down to a stop, and turn to face her.
"Don't be so modest all the time. It was something." She hesitantly meets my eyes. I grab her other hand, and lean in to kiss her.
She pulls away, and moves her lips to my ear. "Let's go celebrate, Kelp Head," she whispers, and we take off walking again, her hand never leaving mine.
