Chapter 11

Blue is the best color

Annabeth

"But why are they blue?"

She was sitting cross-legged at Percy's bed holding a blue cookie questioningly in front of her face. Percy raised his head from his Algebra book, his hair sticking out in odd angles. He rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and yawned, relaxing back to his chair.

"If I tell you, do I get a half-hour break?" He asked her grabbing a cookie and shoving it whole in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully.

"A fifteen-minute break, if the story is interesting" Annabeth replied, eyeing him expectantly. Percy sighed and climbed the bed, sitting next to her. His expression had turned serious. The usual light sea green of his eyes had darkened.

"When we lived with my stepfather" Percy begun hesitantly. "Gabe and my mum got in a huge fight. It was my fifth birthday and I asked my mum to make me a blue birthday cake, cause as you know it's my favorite color. Gabe told me that there is no blue food and my mum argued heavily with him. I can't ever remember her so angry before" He glanced briefly at her, as if afraid of her reaction. "Ever since, she is trying to make everything blue, like blue birthday cakes, cookies…" Percy stopped abruptly, his face bright red. "It's kinda stupid, I know" He said, smiling thinly.

"No, no it's not stupid at all" Annabeth said quickly, placing a hand to his shoulder. Percy looked at her, seeming relieved that she hadn't laughed at him. "I think that was pretty brave of your mum. It takes a lot to stand up to such a man." She continued calmly, tracing her finger through his back soothingly.

Percy stiffened for a moment and then nodded, not looking at her in the eye. He began playing with the seam of his sweater. Annabeth didn't press him for more. She could count on the fingers of her right hand the times Percy had mentioned his stepfather. Annabeth knew that he and Sally had divorced a couple of years ago and that he was abusive to both her and Percy. She suspected that this was the main reason her boyfriend had trust issues.

"Well, I think you deserve your thirty-minute break" She said casually, trying to lighten his mood. Percy shot his eyebrows surprised at her and then, smiled mischievously. He wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her quite thoroughly. Annabeth smiled against his lips as Percy threaded his hands in her hair. She sighed, relaxing in his embrace. She could feel his heart beating in time with her own.

Studying with Percy had become a routine after they became a couple. At first, they had tried studying in the school library after their swim practice but Percy complained that he couldn't concentrate in front of their other classmates who were constantly staring at them. So, he suggested they study at his place. Annabeth didn't mind in the least; it was the perfect excuse for seeing Percy outside of school and spending time with him. Plus, she loved his house. It had that "homey" atmosphere hers lacked.

"I wanted to ask you something" Annabeth said against his neck. Percy hummed, placing kisses to her neck. She closed her eyes for the moment, savoring the feeling and continued "There…there is a gala my mum's company is organizing on Saturday and she wants me to go"

"So?"

"So I wondered if you could come with me. You know, like a date" She said, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

Percy scrunched his brow. "Are you sure? Cause I don't think it's a very good idea" He run his hand over his recently cut hair. He had dyed a streak of it a bright green, which gave him some of his old look. "I don't think your appreciate it very much if you showed up with me"

"Oh, who cares Percy? I stopped bothering with what pleased my parents a long time ago. Better that way" Annabeth said firmly with a bitter edge in her voice. Percy raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"But we'd agreed to go to Grover's to play board games this Saturday" Percy whined, burying his face in the crook of her neck once more. He groaned loudly, but Annabeth smirked, knowing that he would eventually give in.

"Well, if you don't come" She started teasingly "I would be forced to hang out with Luke all night" Percy sat up quickly at the sound of the name, glaring at her.

"What the heck would he be doing there?" Percy asked angrily, tightening his grip to her waist.

"His dad is the Public Relation manager. He always attends such events and Luke accompanies him" Annabeth said, tightening her lips, as if she had tasted something bitter. "He probably wants to take his dad's place when he grows ups so I will have to put up with him forever"

"But then we have to go!" Percy proclaimed, a slightly triumphant look in his eyes. "I can't miss my chance to show off my gorgeous girlfriend on such an elite company" He continued with a sarcastic edge in his voice.

Annabeth laughed, hitting him in the shoulder. "It's good to know you only want me for my stunning looks" She said seriously.

"Hey, watch it Chase" Percy grabbed by the waist and threw her on the other side of the bed, straddling her waist. He gave her his usual troublemaker smile that made her knees go weak; she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face by kissing him. Instead, she placed her hands on his chest, planting a kiss on his wave tattoo there. She felt him inhaling deeply, leaning unconsciously against her.

"You don't know the best part yet" She whispered.

"Which is?" He murmured, his eyes closed.

"You get to wear a tux"

Percy's eyes opened wide in horror. "Oh, come on Annabeth! You know I don't do tuxes"

"It will be fun, Seaweed Brain!" She said, seeing him flich at the sound of the nickname. "We can go and buy one together if you'd like. It's gonna be fun"

Percy collapsed on top of her with an oof, suffocating her with his weight. "That's the exact definition of fun"

Annabeth gave him a hard shove that caused him to land hard on the floor. Percy laughed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her on top of him. "One condition" He whispered in her ear, making her shiver "The piercings are staying on" He pointed to the various ones in his eyebrow, but he still hadn't replaced his lip ring. Annabeth kind of missed the feel of it when they kissed. He made a move to kiss her but she placed her finger on his lips.

"Break's over, Seaweed Brain"

Percy

The tuxedo was so not his thing.

He could feel the tie uncomfortably tight in his neck. To be frank, everything about him made him feel uncomfortable, which meant that he probably must have looked presentable. His mum almost had a fit when she saw him in the midnight blue tux Annabeth had picked for him. Percy had to admit that he did look smart. Even for a guy like him, who found it hard to appreciate anything rather than black jeans.

The Ritz Hotel that hosted the gala was one of the most luxurious hotels in New York. Never in his life would Percy have imagined that he would be invited in an event in such a place. He did get some odd looks when he stepped in the threshold. Most people would have wondered what this handsome teenager in an expensive suit along with dyed hair and pierced eyebrows was doing there. Percy made his way to the Grand Ballroom feeling self-conscious as he got some appreciative looks from a group of girls in fancy dresses who stood outside the room. He casted them a quick glance to see if Annabeth was one of them but sadly she wasn't. He kept moving, not resisting the urge to smile at them. They started giggling but Percy didn't stop. He kept moving, thinking that his old self would have stopped to flirt.

When he entered the Grand Ballroom, Percy had a hard time keeping his mouth from hanging open. The ballroom was packed to the brim with people from the elite of New York. He spotted men he often saw on Tv, all of them wearing expensive tuxes with practiced ease, as if they did that every day. Which, of course, they probably did.

Percy grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter and drank half of it in one large gulp. Seeing all those rich businessmen and thinking that his girlfriend associated with this kind of people all her life, made him wonder what the heck he was doing there for the the thousandth time.

"You look very handsome"

Percy turned at the sound of the voice. Rachel Dare was standing behind him, wearing an elegant green dress that showed off her eyes and left her left shoulder bare. Her flaming red hair fell in waves. Percy blinked a little at the sight of her; it was the first time he saw Rachel in a dress.

"Hey" He kissed her cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"My dad made me come. You know he's… involved in this stuff" Rachel shifted uncomfortably. Percy knew her dad was one of the richest men in the world, but her had learned that after years of his friendship with her. He knew she had a rocky relationship with her father. "But, I knew you and Annabeth would be here, so I guessed it wouldn't be that bad"

"Thank you for finding my company not that bad, Miss Dare. I appreciate it very much." Percy bowed, trying to cheer her up. Rachel laughed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

"Actually, Percy, now that Annabeth's not here I wanted to talk to you about something" Rachel said anxiously, looking behind her to check if anyone was eavesdropping.

"What about?" He asked curiously.

"Do..do you remember that you told the police that you crushed your Yamaha because the brakes wouldn't work?" She started cautiously, looking at him hard in the eyes.

"Yes…"

"Stranger though, don't you think? The motorbike was in perfect condition in the morning. So when you were unconscious, I … I took the liberty and made some of my dad's men investigate it."

"Did they find anything interesting?" Percy asked, surprised that his voice sounded that calm when his heart beat that loud.

"Percy, there is no easy way to say this, but…but your bike was sabotaged. Someone had messed with the brakes" Rachel said, clasping him by the arm as if afraid he would collapse.

Percy felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He stared at her uncomprehending for a few moments. The tie was unbearable around his neck. "Rachel, do me a favor" He said firmly. "Don't tell anyone about this"

"But…"

"But no. I don't want my mum or Annabeth or anyone else to worry about me." Percy could feel the fear he originally felt subside and something her was all too familiar with creeping inside him. Anger.

"Do you have any idea who could…?"

"Yes. And a very good idea" He growled. "Who would profit more from my death?"

If Percy died before turning eighteen, his late father's inheritance would pass down to his mother and then, to whomever marry her. And without Percy in the picture, Gabe Ugliano could easily step in Sally's life once more. Percy tightened his fists until the knuckles turned white. He would never let that happen again. Never again.

"Percy?"

The anger went out of him like a gush of wind at the sound of his girlfriend voice. The sight of her was enough to make him forget anything. Annabeth was wearing a blue elegant dress that matched his, that emphasized her curves in ways Percy did not want to think about right now. Her beautiful blonde hair was styled up in a chic bun. She was wearing a pair of owl earrings her mum had given her as a gift.

Percy must have stood there gaping like an idiot for forever, but what was surprising was that Annabeth stared at him too, blinking as if not quite believing he was there.

"You look amazing" He croaked, taking her hand.

Annabeth blushed furiously. "The tux suits you"

"Well, I know it does" Percy replied, taking a snobbish pose. Annabeth grabbed him by the tie and kissed him. He could taste her strawberry lip gloss and smell her lemon shampoo.

"What's wrong Perce? What were you guys talking about?" Annabeth asked, pulling back to look him and Rachel in the eyes. They exchanged a quick glance as he shot Rachel a death glare.

"Just school. I was asking him about him returning to the swimming team" Rachel said convincingly. Annabeth didn't seem too convinced though; before she could open her mouth to ask more, Percy grabbed her by the waist and lead her to the dance floor.

"Percy, are you sure everything is okay?" She asked him when he placed his hand in her waist as a tango begun playing. Her grey eyes were searching his frantically and with so much love he was afraid he would drown in them. For a moment he was tempted to tell her everything.

"I will tell you , Annabeth, I promise but not now." He said as he twirled them around. "Now I want to enjoy a dance with my beautiful girlfriend"

A/N Sorry for the late update guys!I hope you enjoyed this! Please REVIEW and follow. And please check out my new pjo story "A pirate's life for me" which will be posted soon!