Hello! I'm back from Canadia! . . . er, Canada, I mean. Don't know why, but I like calling the country Canadia. Anyways, for those you are Canadian, let me say one thing: PARADISE! Alright, I'm exaggerating but I loved it! I went to the CN tower and visited Niagara Falls as a b-day present from my parents. And I did something I had NEVER done before. I rode a subway and a city bus (that's surprisingly clean!)! Okay, riding those two things isn't a big deal but to me it was. I mean, I'm scared of subways. Have no idea why, but I am. If I didn't have a life ( . . . what life?) here in Ct, I would've lived there!
But anyways, I'm happy that I got over ninety reviews! So far, I have 104 reviews, 53 favorites and 70 follows! Thanks to those who cared enough to review! Every review makes my life much more pleasant (again, what life?).
And thanks to *Arrow of Artemis* and *nerdygansta* for giving me a list of songs that might be able to appear in the story! Remember, give me songs, people!
Okay, on with the story! Oh, wait! Forgot. *I, Azn-Wemo, do not own PJO . . . but I do own the OCs!*
^First fifteen reviewers shall get a sneak peek of the next chapter^
Chapter 11: What the heck just happened?
I should've listen to my head, my head, my head
Should've listen to my head, my head, my head
Should've listen to my head, my head, my head
I tried to listen to my heart but instead
I should've listen to my head
~Listen to my head– Stevie Hoang
Annabeth's p.o.v
"Percy, I have to go. Laden's here," I told Percy reluctantly.
Before he could say goodbye, I hung up, not wanting to hear his voice anymore. I leaned against my living room wall, sliding down slowly while cradling the phone in my hands. It felt wrong to have a boy that wasn't Percy taking me to the dance. But I had a bet to do and that renewed my energy. Standing up, I smoothed down my dress before opening the door for Laden.
Piper and Silena had designed my dress for me weeks ago when I told them about my dilemma on the phone. Being the wonderful friend they were, Silena had traveled all the way from her boarding school (dragging Thalia along) to deliver the dress to me personally. While Thalia tackled me to the ground to forcefully attach my heels to my feet, Silena was trying to put a light shade of make up on me (though I told her thousands of times it wasn't necessary, seeing that I was only fourteen and didn't need make up.). From then on, Thalia was doing my hair (of course, Silena was giving her advice on how to do it) and after an hour of torture, I was finally released from hell.
When they were done, we exchanged goodbyes and they went off to visit their parents.
And now I was going to go to a dance with a boy who looks exactly like Percy. Well, almost. Taking a deep breath, I walked outside my house and toward Laden, who was waiting by my doorsteps.
He gave me a grin, handing me a white rose (a tradition of the winter dance). We walked to the school without exchanging words at all on the way.
"You look nice," Laden noted as we drew close to the school gates.
I took a glance at his white dress shirt (the sleeves ended above his elbows) and the black vest. He wore a pair of black trousers along with dress shoes (which he crinkled his nose at).
"You also clean up nice," I tell him.
As we stepped into the gym, I was greeted by the dimmed lights, little lanterns scattered about, fake snow drizzled everywhere and mistletoes hanging on the ceilings. I cringed at the dozens of tables strewn about. They all had a candle glowing along with a vase of flowers. This was too overdone for my taste.
Laden stopped in his steps as his eyes swept throughout the room. His mouth dropped open and I laughed at his resemblance to a fish.
"No. I think I just bought a ticket to hell," he whispered dramatically.
I giggled at his words but stopped abruptly when Destiny, the girl who I made the bet with strolled over to us with a snobby expression.
She wore a dress that ended a few inches above her knee and also showed a lot of cleavage. It was pink (should I be surprised?) and it was so sparkly that my eyes were almost blinded.
"So, I guess you got a boyfriend," she said, her eyes trained on Laden. "You are so desperate. Going out with a guy who looks kind of like your crush is sad." She sneered in my face. She studied her painted nails, one hand on her hip. "But I don't believe Laden is actually your boyfriend. It's a known fact that he's crushing on Sienna."
Laden and I froze. "What are you talking about?" I managed out.
She arched an eyebrow at us. "Please. I've been in the same class with them ever since kindergarten. I've noticed every little thing that Laden does to impress her. It doesn't make any sense that he would suddenly ditch his crush of nine years for you."
I give Laden a looks, silently asking him what we're going to do. Laden however, had his bright blue eyes locked with Destiny's.
"You're wrong," he quietly said, pulling me close to him until our sides were touching, "Annabeth and I are dating. I stopped crushing on Sienna in the sixth grade – not that you would know. And why are you butting in my business, anyways?"
Destiny took a step closer to us, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "I still don't believe you. Do you honestly think I'm stupid?"
Yes.
I was really tempted to slap her right then and there. She was getting on my nerves and it wasn't like me to be short-tempered with people.
"Look, honestly, I don't give a damn what you think. Annabeth and I are dating. End of story." Laden said shortly, wrapping an arm around my waist. "And if you excuse us, we have a night to enjoy."
And we left a stunned Destiny by the doors. Laden guided me to a table near the corner of the gym, giving us enough privacy to talk without anyone eavesdropping in on our conversation.
We sat across from each other, the vase of flowers and candle in front of us.
"You're a great actor." I complimented him.
His cheeks had a faint shade of red. "Oh," he said. "You don't think I over did it or anything, right?" He asked me worriedly.
I shook my head. "No, you didn't. You did great."
Laden grinned at me under the dim lights, his bright smile giving off a happy glow. "Good." He tilted his head in deep thought. "Since we're both not in a mood to dance, would you like some dessert?" He asked, standing up.
I gave him a yes and he walked away to the refreshment table to get our food. Propping my arm so my elbow could rest on the table, I put my cheek in my hand, staring off into the distance. I sighed. It was rather boring without Percy rambling on about sea animals or other things that made him so endearing. My mouth formed a smile as my mind flashed back to the time when Percy and I were stuck in an elevator a year back.
"We're stuck," Percy told me, shock covering his features. He slumped against the elevator's wall.
I frowned. We were going to be late.
Our parents had been invited to a dinner party that a couple of people famous in the marketing business were hosting. Percy and I decided to come in together, seeing that we lived closed to each other. But as we rode the elevator up to the floor where the party was taking place, the elevator was stuck. The doors wouldn't open.
So now we're stuck . . . for God knows how long.
The lights in the elevator flickered on and off and my heart sped up. No one besides Percy knew this but I'm afraid of the dark.
It started when I was seven and both of my parents were away that night. I was in my bedroom when the lights turned off all of a sudden and a strange man was trying to kidnap me for ransom. I crawled under my bed as he walked into my bedroom, taunting me. There was a storm brewing outside and when he found me, lightning flashed and his mutated face was engraved into my memory.
Somehow, I managed to knock him unconscious using some dental floss, a Yankees hat that my birth mother gave me for my birthday the day before and a pair of slippers. But I couldn't forget how scared of the dark I was.
"You okay?" Percy asked me from across the elevator.
I gave him a curt nod. It would be embarrassing to have him to try to comfort me. Being scared of the dark was something I thought was weak. I decided to stay strong. Seeking comfort in Percy was something I don't do often and this situation wasn't going to make me crawl over to Percy so he could hold –
The lights flashed off.
I sat frozen in the corner, my body instantly trying to curl into a ball like it did when I was seven. I tried fighting off the urge and kept chanting to myself that nothing bad was about to happen. But then, all my thoughts disappeared instantly when I felt something with long legs crawl slowly up my bare leg (I was forced to wear a black and white dress for this occasion).
"Ah!" I screamed, feeling the spider.
"Annabeth?" Percy asked me worriedly. "What's going on?"
"S-s-sp-SPIDER!" I stuttered before shouting out.
"Annabeth, calm down. Just follow the direction of my voice. I'll take the spider off of you," Percy said in a gentle tone.
Shaking, I crawled over to the direction of his voice. When I felt his shoulders bump mine, I stopped. Percy's hand hovered above mine's, his breath fanning over my shoulder.
"Where is it," he asked softly into my ear.
I grabbed his hand on placed it on top of the spider. I could see him smiling before taking the thing off me and squishing it between his fingers.
"All better?" He asked me.
I nodded.
Through the darkness, I could see Percy dimly if we were inches away from each other. That thought comforted me.
"Shouldn't the princess kiss her knight in shining armor for killing the dragon?" Percy asked jokingly.
I rolled my eyes. "It's a known fact that the princess is actually a warrior who doesn't need some guy in tinfoil to save her."
Percy laughed. "Only you, Annabeth."
Looking up at him, I grinned. But then it disappeared when I remembered that we were stuck in an elevator with no lights.
Percy saw me frown and drew me closer to him until I sat between his legs, my back resting on his chest. His arms were wrapped around me as if he was shielding me from the darkness.
"All better?" He asked me, his chin resting on my shoulder.
"Yeah," I reply softly, snuggling in his chest for warmth.
"It's getting cold," he said, worried.
"Of course. You see, when it's winter, it gets cold and –" I started but was broken off by Percy.
"I know that. That's why I'm worried. You're going to freeze to death in here," Percy said through gritted teeth.
"Percy," I said, "we're not going to freeze in here. It's not possible."
Percy exhaled loudly, still resting his head on my shoulder. He hugged me tighter and I closed my eyes at the embrace. My heart was pounding at this point, still beating for Percy ever since the fifth grade.
"Did you know? Dolphins sleep with one half of the time and one eye open?" Percy asked me rhetorically to get my mind off of the dark.
"And oysters can change from one gender to another and back again, depending on which is best for mating. I think that's pretty cool. Not to mention, Great White sharks can last for three months without eating anything. What's really creepy is that sponges have no head, mouth, feelers, bones, heart, lungs or brain but yet they're still living things. And this what makes every girl swoon and aww at. I don't think you're an exception. Seahorses mate for life. Every morning, they come together, dance, change their color, twirl around with linked tails and then separate for the rest of the day," Percy prattled on until I had fallen asleep, forgetting the darkness and had his gentle voice following me in my dreams along with the seahorse fact.
"Hey, you okay?" Laden asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I straightened up in my seat and my eyes landed on the four plates with a slice of cake, baked cookies, some fruit and other kinds of food. My eyes widened and Laden laughed.
"I bought everything since I didn't know what you like," he answered my confused face.
Touched by his gesture of kindness, I took a bite of a cookie and we were soon engaged in an interesting conversation.
As we took our last bite of cake, Laden asked me something that took me off guard.
"Want to dance?" He asked, sweeping his arm to the large circle of dancing couples.
Seeing my surprised face, he continued. "Destiny isn't convinced so that means we have to do something that every other couple does."
Taking my silence as a yes, he took my hand and we started dancing smoothly together in the middle of the dance floor. Unfortunately for us, a slow dance came on. We started blushing but gradually grew into a comfortable dance. Throughout the next five songs, we continued our conversations but stopped when Laden froze, his face growing pale.
My gray eyes followed his and we looked up to the ceiling to see a mistletoe hanging above us tauntingly. Leveling our eyes with each other, we stared in shock. Laden's eyes darted to the right before meeting mine again.
"Destiny's staring," he whispered softly enough for me to hear. "Let's kick it up a notch, shall we," he asked me, mischeviously.
"Let's give her something to watch." I agreed.
But as those words left my mouth, I felt someone watching me. I was about to turn around, the hopeful part of me thinking that Percy might be here but then my thoughts dissolved as Laden crashed his lips into mine.
I felt Laden smirk and I did the same, hoping that Destiny would accept our lie. Seconds passed and we slowly separated. Laden's hands were still on my waist and I still had mine on his shoulders. We blushed at each other but smiled at our accomplishment.
"You're a good kisser," he told me teasingly.
"You too," I told him.
Laden chuckled. "Of course I am," he said, puffing out his chest.
I was about to ruffle his hair to lower his ego when Sienna (why is she here? Better yet, why in a tank top and flannel pants?) stalked toward us angrily with a furious expression on her face.
"Sienna? What are you doing –" Laden asked but his sentence was cut off as she dragged us to our table.
She pushed us apart roughly, her wavy hair hanging down in tangles. Her green eyes glared at us darkly, her chest heaving for air.
"How dare you do that?" She hissed lowly at us. "How dare you guys kiss right in front of him!" She demanded, her voice growing to a shout.
"Who?" Laden and I asked.
A sickeningly feeling came upon me and the answer appeared in my head. "No," I whispered.
Laden gave me a confused look. "Who?" Laden asked Sienna.
Before I could stop her, she lifted up her hand and slapped Laden across the face. He stumbled back and his body froze; his head not moving. Shocked, he held a shaking hand to his flaming cheek. His inky locks clung to his cheek and forehead, making the red mark stand out.
"You insensitive jerk," she spat out. Sienna turned to me, her fiery green eyes turning a charcoal black. "And you," she hissed, "I can't believe you would do such a thing. Usually I wouldn't defend a guy but –" she shook her head, "this is messed up."
She met my eyes. "I'm not going to forgive you for what you done to him. Percy and I may have just met but we're becoming friends. And since I'm his friend, I won't tolerate what just happened. You just broke the guy's heart. And to think that he was so happy to declare his feelings for you," she finished.
My heart plummeted to my stomach. He has feelings for me? I shut my eyes. I saw me kiss Laden. He thinks that I truly like him. I open my eyes and was about to ask Sienna where is he when she turns around on her heels and runs out the gym without a glance.
Feeling empty inside, I slowly sat down in my seat as Laden watched Sienna run away from him with a heartbroken expression.
That kiss just ruined everything.
Percy's p.o.v.
I sat there in the rain, kneeling on the sidewalk with the snow around me and the rain pouring. My clothes were getting wet and clung to my body but I didn't care. Holding my head in my hands, I shivered from the cold but made no move to leave.
My ears pricked nervously, sensing a danger when an engine pulls up beside me. Someone crouched in front of me, a shadow casting over my body like a shield.
"Hey, Jackson. Get out the rain. You stupid?"
My head lifts up and my eyes slightly goes wide as I looked at the person in front of me.
I shook my head at the question. I wasn't stupid. I just didn't feel like moving.
Sienna draped my leather coat that I forgot at her house, our eyes still locked together. Her hair was getting wet from the rain and I felt guilty that she was going to get sick because of me.
"I saw what happened," she said gently. Her green eyes softened when she saw my shivering body. "You idiot," she said, wrapping her arms around me to help me stand up.
I was cold. Too cold. My legs felt like jelly and I leaned against her body for support. Since she was too short for her age, her head was pressed against my chest as I almost toppled over her. Good thing she was a tough, little athlete or she would've been a pancake because of me.
"Come on, big guy. You're lucky that we haven't eaten the food at my house yet. I'll whip up some hot chocolate for you," she said softly, patting a helmet on my head.
My stomach growled at that and she laughed. I didn't. Instead, I just stared off into the distance blankly.
Sienna noticed this and grabbed my chin to force me to look at her. "Look," she started, "I know that you're hurt but really? We're fourteen! We don't know anything about love. For all you know, she might not be the one."
"Percy, she's not worth it if she's going to hurt you," she whispered to me.
I wanted to shout at her that Annabeth was the one but her words struck me. She's right. I don't know anything about love. Annabeth might not be the one for me. But just as those words crossed my mind, my heart tightened as if it was warning me.
Looking into her concerned eyes, I answered her. "Don't worry, Sienna. I'll be fine."
Giving me a look, she helped me and my jelly legs onto her moped. As she sat in front of me, she revved the engine.
"Hold on tight," she warned.
My arms found their way around her waist and then we were off. And I was soon being taken away from Annabeth, from Laden, from the school and from the sidewalk. And as Sienna's blonde hair whipped me in the face as I held on tighter to her, I couldn't help but think back to the time when I was the one doing the comforting and that I was the one who comforted one person and one person only.
Resting my head on Sienna's shoulder, I slowly began to descend into deep sleep. My mind was filled with the memory of me comforting Annabeth when we were in the elevator when we were thirteen. When she fell asleep, I had whispered to her that I would always stay by her side, no matter what. And my last thought before going to sleep?
I don't think I can keep that promise.
And here's your chapter! Anyways, for the people who didn't know already, if you answer my question at the end of each chapter, you'll also get a sneak peek! I think that's a pretty good deal, don't you agree?
Here's your question:
What's your favorite Percabeth moment in the series?
Answer it and you'll get a sneak peek! (I know, I'm so desperate for reviews.)
Well, until next time!
