Author's Note
Hi, long time no see! Anyway, I'm back at it again with another chapter. Also, not to run an ad campaign or anything, but I'd love it if you checked out my other stories and my fictionpress account. Just a reminder, you don't need an account to review! Thanks a lot!
-SOS
Chapter 10: Idiots and Ice Cream
"Luke?" Annabeth faced the boy across from her. "What…?"
"Sorry, that was random. Maybe I should start at the beginning." Luke looked sheepish. "Um, you're cute. Not cute. Sorry. Hot."
Annabeth had read it was disrespectful for a boy to call a girl 'hot'. She wanted boys to call her pretty, or beautiful, not hot like she was some kind of stove. "Um, I have to go…"
"Wait, I want to talk to you. Can you please come with me to the dance?" Luke was now looking kind of desperate. "I just wanted to… I don't know, this is coming out all wrong…"
"Sorry," said Annabeth. "I told you I have to go." She didn't know what, but there was something off about this Luke character. "See you at school tomorrow?"
"No, Annabeth," he stopped, looking at something behind Annabeth. She turned around and saw another girl (Thalia, she remembered from school) walking towards them. "Oh shoot, see you tomorrow, Annabeth." Without another word, Luke dashed off towards Thalia. Annabeth watched from a distance as Luke kissed Thalia.
"Well, good thing I didn't say yes," Annabeth said to herself. She started to walk down the street, wondering if she was close to her house. Since she barely ever explored, she didn't know whether she was lost or not. But then she saw a street sign that was the name of the street she lived on. She followed it home.
"Annabeth, home so early?" asked Tarah. "Is something the matter?"
"No, I'm fine." Annabeth smiled. "I'll be up in my room."
"Do you want a snack?"
"I'm good, thanks." Annabeth walked up the stairs, into her room. She opened her window and stared across five feet of trees to Percy's window. Secretly, she'd been watching him the whole summer, or at least listening to his conversations. He wasn't home yet, she didn't think. Annabeth laid her head on the windowsill, and stared off into the distance at the forest behind their houses.
She was so tired that she didn't even realize she was asleep until she heard someone calling her name. "Annabeth, you okay?"
"What?" she muttered groggily. "I'm awake." Then she opened her eyes. Percy was standing at the window across from hers, and he looked worried.
"You could have fallen down there! What if you got hurt?" He looked away, ashamed by his concern. "What were you thinking?"
Annabeth didn't answer. Her face turned red. She was so embarrassed at being caught asleep by Percy that she couldn't speak. She nervously twisted her rope bracelet. But Percy wasn't fazed by her silence.
"Hey, do you want to go get ice cream or something?" he asked. Annabeth's head shot up so quickly she was surprised that her neck didn't break or something.
"Okay," she said, biting her lip.
"Listen, I'm sorry about before. It wasn't my idea. I didn't know it would make you so uncomfortable," Percy said. Annabeth nodded.
"It's okay. I guess I was just a little confused at why Rachel would want us to do that," Annabeth said softly. "Anyway, ice cream?"
"Of course," Percy said. "My treat."
They met outside on the sidewalk after checking with their parents. "You know," said Percy, "it's nice to have someone my age on the street. There's mostly old people around here." Before Annabeth could say anything, they made it to the ice cream shop.
Percy counted his money. "Oops," he said. "I won't be able to buy myself an ice cream. I only brought enough for one sundae."
"We can share," Annabeth suggested softly. "I mean, if you want to."
"As long as you're okay, then sure!" Percy looked at her, and she nodded. He ordered a chocolate fudge sundae, saying, "You probably wouldn't like my blue sundae, so we can share this."
"Thanks," Annabeth said. Just as she was about to take a bite, the door to the ice cream shop opened and someone very familiar walked in. Annabeth paled, and shut her eyes to block out the sight. She bit her lip to stop the tears, and hoped Percy wouldn't notice.
But he did, and when he turned around, what he saw surprised them both.
