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Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series Rick Riordon does.
Annabeth's POV
"What do you mean, you're still his guide?" Luke asks outraged as I cower at my corner in fear. His icy blue eyes were burning with anger and he looked ready to kill.
I felt tears prick my eyes and tried my best to blink them away. It was lunch time now and we were back in 'the corner' after Luke angrily texted me to meet him there fourth period. My fourth period teacher almost sent me to the nurse because my face was so pale.
I didn't have time to answer, as his palm came down on my face. It painfully connected with my right cheek and my head reeled from the slap. I cupped my cheek as the tears began to fall. Something cracked inside of me. The self control I once had started to slip and I burst into loud sobs in front of him.
"Just get it over with!" I cried keeping the right side of my face still towards him in submission. I was going to die and I knew it. He was going to kill me, he said he would. The worst part is that I'll never get to tell anybody the truth. I'll never say goodbye to my parents.
My breath quickened and I started to hyperventilate. I sank to the ground as I seemed unable to catch my breath between sobs. I knew it was the sign of another panic attack, but I didn't care. What harm is a panic attack when I'm going to die? I was going to die.
Luke stooped down to the ground grabbing my arms. I screamed with all my might. I don't know if it was out of fear or if I was finally asking for help, but neither did me any good. I tried to breathe but I couldn't seem to catch my breath again. It felt like my throat was closing up as I lived through my greatest nightmare.
My vision faded in and out, my panic attack reaching it's peak. After what felt like an eternity darkness finally entered my vision and thankfully stayed there.
Time Skip
I squeezed my eyes shut as a blinding light seeped its way through my eyelids. The soft murmur of sounds started to increase in volume until they weren't murmurs anymore. Slowly I felt myself come back from whatever realm I was in, my senses increasing.
My feet weren't on the ground as I felt no pressure of the floor or my body weight. I could tell that I was laying on my back as my legs and arms laid still on whatever I was on. Rolling my stiff neck around I finally open my eyes.
I wince at the brightness, closing my eyes again for a quick second. When I reopened them it took a while for me to realize where I was. The murmurs in the room stopped.
My grey eyes took in my surroundings and with a start I noticed all the eyes peering at me.
"It's okay Annabeth. Calm down." A women cooed as I tried to slow down my racing heart. She was the nurse who gave me the ice pack in the morning. Unlike earlier the annoying look of adoration was far from her face much to my pleasure. My mind raced as I racked through my brain trying to remember everything else. Why am I hear? What happened?
"Do you remember what happened Annabeth?" The nurse asks and I stare at her blankly as the memories start to rush back to me.
"What time is it?" My voice cracks as I sit up. She checks her wrist watch before answering.
"It's two forty five. The school day's almost over hon."
I ignore her sweet term of endearment. My cheek was still throbbing from the slap, but the rest of my face still felt the pain from this morning's abuse. Where is he?
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Luke strolled into the office at a leisure pace before his eyes fell on me. His blue eyes met my broken grey ones before I expectantly looked away. The sound of his heavy footsteps nearing made every muscle in my body tense.
"Annabeth!" He breathed and I closed my eyes, wishing to go back to the peaceful darkness that once enclosed me.
I felt him gently rest his hand on top of mine. I didn't want to look at him, but knew I'd have to face the consequences soon. I had freaked out again. I had showed more weakness and Luke hates weakness. I forced myself to open my eyes, but couldn't find it within me to look at him.
"She just woke up." The nurse commented and I wished both her and Luke would just disappear.
"Can we talk for a few minutes?" Luke asks in that polite gentle manner he always seems to have in store.
My heart thumped loudly inside my chest. His eyes were trained on me and I wish I had the will to stare him down. Look back at him and make him feel how he's made me feel. Show him what it's like to feel powerless.
The nurse left without question and Luke squeezed my hand. On instinct I cowered back, before I realized his touch was different. It didn't hurt.
His gesture was gentle and when I felt his hand tip my chin up to look at him, his eyes didn't hold the anger I had expected. They held guilt and remorse. His once cold blue eyes seemed more humane and looking at them was too much. I cast my eyes down again.
"I'm sorry Annabeth." Luke started, but I didn't believe him. I couldn't believe him. "God, I'm so sorry! I-I just lost control baby."
Hearing him plead makes me feel even more broken than I already am. It makes me think about the old him. The easiness in how he spoke and his unconfrontational tone reminded me of how we used to be. When we were practically brother and sister. When I felt safe.
When he took in my submissive state he started to beg. "Please Anna. Just say something. Anything! I -I promise I won't do anything."
He squeezed my hand and tears pricked my eyes as I forced my mouth to speak.
"I don't know what to say." I admitted blinking back my tears to push away any signs of weakness.
"Anything you want to say." He said lifting his hand and stroking my hair. I closed my eyes tightly for a second wishing he'd stop, before opening them again. This entire situation made me want to throw up.
"I don't like Percy." I whispered after a moment of silence. Luke took a deep breath in before slowly exhaling. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to prompt myself up a little.
"I'm only being his guide for extra credit and…I w-wish you'd let m-me explain b-before-" I try to continue but struggle to keep it together. My lip started to quiver as the memories from this morning came back fresh like my wounds.
"Don't cry." Luke cooed kissing my forehead as a traitor tear slipped down my cheek. His actions only caused more tears to gather.
"What excuse are we going to use?" I ask changing the subject. Making my face passive, I ignored the few tears that fell.
Luke dropped his voice significantly lower.
"You passed out because you didn't eat or drink anything since your panic attack yesterday…I'm so sorry baby."
I don't say anything. There was an indescribable pain in my heart at hearing him say those words. I'm so sorry…
"I went too far." He apologized again stroking his thumb softly across my knuckles. "And you're right, I should've let you explain."
The bell rang signaling that the school day was officially over. I didn't even want to think about the numerous classes I missed today, but just wanted to go home and lock my door.
Luke suddenly leaned back and grabbed a black plastic bag to the side. He held it out to me and I flinch violently, causing Luke to jump. It's an awkward, uncomfortable moment between us that lasts for less than three seconds, before he continues to place the bag down on my lap.
"It's your favorite." He said as I opened the bag to see a hero sandwich encased in white paper. I unwrap it from it's paper my fingers along with the rest of my body, numb.
"Thank you." I say quietly and he gives me a small remorseful smile.
"I should've let you have the bagel. You must be starving." He says as I break apart a piece of the sandwich. I push the piece in my mouth and try to eat with as much decency in Luke's presence. The feeling of the sandwich sliding down my throat and into my empty stomach was like heaven on earth. My broken body rejoiced and I felt the tears coming again.
I was so happy to eat, so happy. Yet so numb at the same time. This is what I've come to. My only happiness in life comes from my boyfriend allowing me to eat again. Luke was right about one thing whether he wants to admit it at the moment or not. I was pathetic.
"Feel better?" He asks after I finish the sandwich and for once I'm grateful when the nurse walks in.
"Feel better?" She asks in an annoyingly chirper spirit. I lean my head back against the bed holding in that sigh of exhaustion threatening to escape me. Instead I settle for a smile. A small, fake, broken, smile.
"Much better."
Time Skip
"I promise it won't take long." Luke tried to reassure me as he walked me to the middle row of the bleachers. "Tryouts will be over soon and then I'll take you home."
I almost wished that I had staying at the nurse's office as my body rocked uncontrollably. The smell of chlorine filled the air as the sound of water swishing back and forth in the pool.
"C'mon Luke!" A guy shouts and Luke gives me a quick kiss on the forehead before jogging over to his teammate. My adrenaline dies down as his back faces me and I watch as he does that weird man hug with his teammate before Luke calls over the rest of the team. I almost flinch at his loud voice booming across the arena.
A huge weight seems to lift from off my shoulders, especially the bad one. I leaned against the bleacher behind me, my back resting on the cool silver metal. I desperately wanted to close my eyes, but knew that wasn't an option. Instead I forced myself to remain awake struggling for my eyes not to close.
"First up," Luke boomed his terrifying voice bouncing on the walls. "Archie Lewis and Geovanni Tore."
A few teammates clapped for the two boys. A slightly scrawny boy who emerged from the crowd of people nervously fiddled with his hands. The poor kid looked like he wanted to disappear behind his blonde curls, similar to me. It was the jock from a couple of days ago that greeted me when I got out of Luke's car. He had a better build than the scrawny boy and had an eased smile on his lips, but I saw right through it. I could tell by the way that he constantly shifted his weight onto his feet, that he was intimidated by all the stares. He pushed his slightly long brown hair from his face and set himself at the edge of the pool.
Uninterested at this point I settle for letting my eyes drift shut. I focused on the dark space between my eyelids as the two boys splashed into the pool. I could hear the water swish back and forth as soft chatter filled the air.
"Nice." I heard Luke comment, but I could tell he wasn't impressed. I could see him now, from behind my eyelids. He would have that nice, polite half smile on his face and would look at them individually, as he nodded his head tilting it to the right the slightest bit.
I peeked open my eyes and saw that I was right. The two boys, who were now soaking wet, tried to cover their relief and obvious excitement. I almost felt bad for them, yet they were living the good life. They could swim and walk right now. I couldn't.
Half an hour later there were only about ten people left. I'd found myself dousing off a couple of times, before the sound of Luke's whistle snapped me back to reality. In an attempt to keep myself awake, I tried to keep my mind busy. I played a game with myself where I would count how long each player took to swim the one hundred meters and see how close I would get to the time keepers.
"One minute and seventeen." The boy called out to Luke. I was three seconds off. Luke nodded his head as the boys came out of the pool, before glancing up at me. He was doing that a lot and each time he looked at me a wave of pain washed over me. Usually it would only be for less a second, but this time was different.
"Percy Jackson and Howard Gray." He called out, his eyes still glued one me. From the small distance between us, I watched as Percy walked out of the cluster of boys. I can feel his confidence from my seat and it makes me naucious. I forced myself to exhale silent breaths as Luke's guilty look intensifies.
Both guys take their mark at the beginning of the pool. Percy doesn't seem to know I'm in the room let alone watching. He had a relaxed air about him that made me anxious. Every hair on my body seemed to stand. He took several deep breaths, but I don't think it was to calm his nerves. It looked like he was preparing himself for a nice stroll on the beach rather than being timed and tested.
The other guy kept nervously glancing at Percy. He was definitely the least confident of the two, with his constant bouncing around. It was like he was trying to physically shake the nervousness out of his body, but was failing drastically. I know he's a freshman, the younger brother of one of Luke's teammates.
Just as they were about to start said teammate came up to Luke. I couldn't make out what was being said, but Luke suddenly turned away from the pool and looked at the guys behind Percy and his opponent. With his back towards me, Luke said something to them that made the guy next to Percy freeze. Percy turned his head to look at the guy. He took in the kid's terrified expression, before he shrugged his shoulders. Percy nodded his head with a small smile on his face. He looks back at Luke and there's a momentary pause before Percy once again shrugs and nods his head, but with more persistence this time.
Luke turns back around and when he does, the kid looks like he wants to bow down and worship Percy. His shoulders sag with relief and he dramatically clutches his chest. Percy shoots him a smile giving him a manly hit to the shoulder. The kid scurries back to the group of boys awaiting their turns, leaving Percy at the edge of the pool all by himself.
"Okay, ready?" Luke asks and he gives him a confident nod in return. I watch as Luke does the countdown before Percy goes diving into the water. I start my time.
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much from any of the guys trying out today. Though Luke hates to admit it, swimming wasn't most people's number one sport. The main reason most of the people came was because he's the captain and once you're good with Luke you're good with everyone. So you can imagine my surprise when Percy reached the half way mark at twenty three seconds, that most had reached at forty.
His body glided through the water at an incredible speed. A speed that I've never seen in a single one of Luke's meets. It was almost mesmerizing to watch as his legs and arms moved in complete sync with each other. All the talking in the arena had halted as everyone watched in amazement. He reached his starting place and emerged from the water with a smile on his face. I've only known him for a short amount of time, but I could see that this one was different. He seemed genuinely happy and carefree, not guarded. He seemed fully open and it was now that I realized he wasn't before.
"Fifty two seconds." The time keeper called out, trying to mask his shock, but failing. That was the fastest time of the day, by far. In fact he was the fastest one I've seen in all of Luke's meets that I've attended. I vaguely remember Luke getting excited after one of his meets when his time was fifty nine seconds in the same event. Or maybe it was fifty eight. He got really mad at me that day and things get a little fuzzy whenever I try to think of events before that particular beating.
Luke along with the other guys clapped as Percy raised himself out of the pool. I watched Luke carefully as he wrote down his time on his clip board. I could feel his silent anger brewing, even when he smiled at Percy with an impressed smile. I knew that it would be only a matter of time before he took that anger out on me...
Ohhhh! This was an intense chapter, I know. But abuse is an intense topic. Now the question is: Can Luke really change? Is it possible? Let me know? Don't to follow, fav, and review. PERCABETH IS AMAZING!
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