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Chapter Fourteen

Percy slowly began to loop around the high school, making his way ever so slowly across the field of the school. The bell had already rung and Percy knew that he was going to be at least ten to fifteen minutes late to his first class but he didn't care. Having one tardy on his spotless record won't kill him...but Annabeth and Travis's relationship did.

Annabeth Chase.

The one girl that caught Percy's attention ever since he stepped foot in Goode High School for the first time. The girl that smiled and hugged him whenever he won all of his heats, even if he was chlorine covered and dripping wet. The girl that screamed and cheered for him even if he lost his heat.

His Wise Girl.

The girl that he cared for. The girl that he would do anything for. The girl that he would take a bullet for. The girl he would go through thick and thin for. The girl that he would die for.

Percy knew that he would be Annabeth's best friend. Her protector. Her brother. Anything that she needed him for. He prefers a thousand needles to his legs rather than watch someone hurt Annabeth. If Mark ever gave Annabeth any problems, Percy would be there to throw the first punch. If Rachel ever taunted or teased Annabeth, he would the first shoulder offered to Annabeth.

No one would ever hurt her. Percy wouldn't let anything happen to her. He would be Annabeth's human shield.

Nothing could hurt his Wise Girl.

He loved her.

He did...and he knew it. And he couldn't stand the thought of letting his friend date her. Percy couldn't fathom the thought of Annabeth kissing Travis, or even holding hands with Travis. When he saw Annabeth and Travis together at their lockers, he wanted nothing more than to rip Annabeth away from Travis and tell her how he really feels.

But Percy knew that Annabeth cares about him and putting Annabeth through the internal dilemma of choosing between Percy and Travis would hurt her so much. Running away from her was worse enough...and seeing the pain in her eyes as she slowly walked away from him caused a huge black hole to erupt in his chest.

Percy never wanted to hurt Annabeth but he couldn't stand seeing them together.

He loved her...

SCENE CHANGE

When Percy finally made his way to first period, he was already fifteen minutes late.

"Mr. Jackson," his English teacher, Mr. Carson said. Percy lingered at the hallway, waiting for his teacher to give Percy a long speech in front of the class. "Thank you for joining us...fifteen minutes late for class. What were you doing that was so important to make you this late?"

He tried not to make eye contact with Annabeth, Katie or Connor but he could feel their penetrating eyes on his face.

Percy shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant when he answered. "Just stuff."

He didn't bother to start heading toward his desk because he knew he would just have to face Annabeth sooner than he wanted to.

"Stuff? Like what?" Mr. Carson said in his usual condescending, patronizing tone.

Percy shrugged again. His stomach began to twist and contort as he slowly lifted up his face to look at Mr. Carson. In the background, he saw Annabeth staring at him with sad eyes. No, no, no! He thought to himself. Please don't be sad!

"Is it as important as getting to class on time?"

"Well-."

"Was a family emergency? Was a personal emergency worthy of an excused tardy?"

Percy sighed. "That's a good question," he mumbled around his breath. He felt his cheeks redden and his ears burn up. Percy could feel Annabeth's gray, stormy, starry eyes on his own.

"What was that, Mr. Jackson?"

"No, sir," Percy croaked. "Just count me tardy...," Percy muttered, trailing off. He began to make his way toward his desk, slowly and relunctantly.

Why did he have to sit by her? Out of all people?

Percy didn't make eye contact with Annabeth, not even taking the initiation to acknowledge her existence. "Go on," he mumbled, meekly. Percy slowly took out his English spiral and waited for Mr. Carson to continue. "I'm listening."

"What should I do?" Annabeth asked.

Travis sighed. He grabbed his lunch bag outside of his locker. "Annabeth," Travis put his hand on Annabeth's shoulder, flashing her a crooked smile. "I think you need to understand something about my plan. There will always, always be bad before good." Travis slammed his locker shut before walking off down the hallway full of bustling teenagers. "For example, whenever I prank Katie, I'm telling you, I always have problems. Like the time that I glued down everything on her desk in her bedroom with this special formula glue that Connor and I created. We ended up getting my hand stuck to the desk. But no need to fear, we got it off...," Travis sighed, "In about half an hour. But either way, there will always be bad before good. Clearly in this situation, your relationship with Percy will be strained but when my plan slowly starts to unfold, he will admit his love for you and you two can skip across a field while the sun is setting just like every cheesy romance movie. Don't worry Annabeth, this is supposed to happen."

Annabeth tightened her grip on her paper sack.

"Are you sure, Travis? You're not always right."

Travis snickered. "Come on, Chase." Travis slyly glided his arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "You know for a fact that when it comes to mischievous plans like this one, I'm always right. There's no denying it!"

Annabeth sighed. "I'm not so sure about that."

"You need to lighten up. Like way up!"

"Why are you so annoying?"

"Why are you so controlling?"

"Wow," Annabeth over-enunciated, "Travis Stoll actually came up with a decent-ish comeback. So surprising."

Travis rolled his eyes. "Your stupid."

"Funny coming from the guy that failed algebra in the eighth grade."

"Okay, you know that my teacher sucked!" Travis snapped. "Besides, your not that good in math, either.

Annabeth snickered. "You're talking to girl that's in college math."

"Yeah, yeah, ye-." Travis stumbled forward, nearly spilling the contents of his lunch bag. "Hey!" He shouted in irritation. "What the...?!" Travis and Annabeth spun around to stare at the person that fell into the Travis but they came to a slow stop, appalled at who it was.

"Percy...," Annabeth whispered. She uncomfortably composed herself and smiled at Percy.

All she got in return was a cold stare. Quickly, her green-eyed Seaweed Brain stalked off toward the cafeteria. She watched him with disappointment as he joined up with his swim mates, who she assumed he was going to sit with today.

"Damn," Travis said. "Percy is really taking this seriously."

"Yeah...," Annabeth whispered, tears brimming her eyes. "I know."

"I wonder why Katie is reacting like Percy is. Maybe we should take our relationship to the next level."

Annabeth turned to glare at Travis, swallowing back her tears. "No. Way. In. Hell. Percy is taking this a lot more seriously than I thought he would and I can't risk hurting him anymore. I can't bare seeing pain in his eyes." Annabeth sighed. She began to pick her paper lunch bag. "Poor Seaweed Brain."

"Annabeth," Travis said. She felt him wrap his arm around her waist and expected him to pull her into a loving embrace, "You're pyscho. You know that?"

Annabeth scowled. She tore Travis's arm away from her. "I hate you Stoll. I hate you."

Travis grinned. "Nah. You love me."

"No...just no."

They made their way slowly to the cafeteria. Annabeth had reluctantly allowed Travis to hold her hand, careful to make sure that Percy never saw them. When they reached their table, she noticed that Percy didn't save a seat for Annabeth. In fact, he wasn't even sitting there. Instead, Percy was located with his swim mates at the jock table, which was at the very end of the cafeteria, far away from where Annabeth sits.

She sighed and sat down in the two remaining spots that Thalia had saved for her and Travis.

"You're welcome," Thalia said, smugly.

"Thanks, Thals." Travis replied, winking at her. "Come on, my love, let's sit." Travis grabbed Annabeth by her wrist and eased her down beside him. He kept his hand intertwined with hers as he began to open up his lunch bag.

Connor, Katie and Grover stared with her mouths dropped at Travis. Even Annabeth was a little surprised. He was really laying this on thick.

"What are you? Pretending I'm Katie?" Annabeth muttered low enough so that no one could hear him.

"I'm trying to make Katie jealous. The plan is already working for you...but not for me."

"Did you ever think that maybe it's just because Katie doesn't actually like you?"

Travis slowly pulled his ham sandwich away from his mouth and stared at Annabeth with pure but exaggerated shock. "Come on, Annabeth! You know for a fact that Katie likes me. She's just quite good at hiding her emotions."

"Whatever. Just don't come running to me when Katie doesn't go for you."

"Trust me, Annabeth," Travis grinned, "Katie will like me."

SCENE CHANGE

Annabeth was walking down the high school stairs when Travis had started to call her name. He was running down the cement stairs, racing to keep up with Annabeth's brisk pace.

"Annabeth! Annabeth!" He yelled as he ran down the stairs.

Annabeth sighed. She turned around, clutching the strap of her backpack and smiled. "Yes, Travis?"

Travis grinned, his white teeth sparkling in the sunlight. "Do you wanna go down the park with me?"

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "The park?"

"Yeah, you know the place with the swing sets and the children running around, giggling like there isn't a care in the world."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Why would you want to go there?"

"Doesn't my girlfriend want to go to the park with me?" Travis smirked. "Come on, we need to make this relationship a little bit more believable. How else could you explain why Katie isn't taking this as seriously as Percy?"

"How do you know it's not because she doesn't like you?"

Travis laughed. "Annie, everyone knows that Katie likes me. So will you come with me, or what?"

Annabeth sighed. "Sure. Why not?"

"Yes!" Travis cheered. He grabbed Annabeth's book-free hand and started to run, dragging her along.

Neither of them had a car and so they were walking the whole way. Somehow Travis was in better shape than Annabeth and so he effortlessly led the way to the park that Annabeth used to go to with her two twin brothers, Bobby and Matthew. Children were already there, running along, bounding across the park. They were playing tag games, giggling and screaming as they tried to escape the tagger. Some children were commanding their mother to push them on the swings while others were too busy squealing as they rode down the slide.

Travis grinned as he dodged a group of screaming kids. "Don't you love this place?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I haven't gone here in so long." She looked off at the woods lining the edge of the playground. She remembered going on walks with Bobby and Matthew when she was just about thirteen. "Last time I was here was four years ago."

Travis laughed. "Why so long?"

"I moved away from my step mom," Annabeth mumbled.

She looked up to see Travis's smile fade. "Oh. You went here with Bobby and Matthew."

It wasn't question. "Yeah...but then I moved away." Annabeth felt the wave of tears in her eyes and she began to bite down on her bottom lip, an old trick she used to do to prevent herself from crying.

Travis sighed. "You wanna go for a walk?" He asked and for once, his tone sounded more understanding and compassionate.

"What?"

Travis gestured toward the forest. "Do you wanna go for a walk? Plus, you're apartment is on the other side of the forest. Two birds in one if you ask me."

Annabeth laughed. "Sure."

They made their way to the forest, laughing as little kids giggled and tripped on the playground, their parents desperately trying to make sure that they stay safe.

"I can picture that happening to Thalia and Luke," Travis said as they made their way through the forest.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"You know: having two out of control kids when their only twenty five and not even being able to keep up with them."

Annabeth laughed. "I think it'll be twenty two."

Travis snickered. "That makes sense."

They finally made their way to the forest. The trees loomed above them, but the canopy wasn't very thick and so the light from the sun bled through the leaves, brightening the place up. Bark and dead leaves cracked under Annabeth and Travis's footsteps.

"It's pretty here," Travis said, smiling. He readjusted his backpack on his shoulders and began to slow down, allowing himself to take in the scenery.

"I used to walk in this forest all the time with Bobby and Matthew." Annabeth pointed toward a tree that had an owl perched on it. "We would see animals all the time. Bobby and Matthew always entertained themselves by trying to name the little creatures. I remember they even tried to catch a bird. Didn't work out too well."

Travis looked at his fake girlfriend as she smiled, observing the critters and animals in the forest. He could see the sparkle in her eyes. "You know Annabeth, if you weren't yourself and instead were Katie, I would kiss you right now."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "What the...?"

Travis laughed.

For the rest of the way, they continued walking in silence. They slowly made their way through the forest, observing the gorgeous, dewy leaves that sparkled off of the sunlight. Annabeth felt safe here, as if the forest was a place to escape the real world. The real world of pain...and love...and confusion. She wished Percy could things easier on her. She wished that she could just tell Percy how she feels.

She wished that Percy was here right now, instead of Travis.

"Well, here we are," Travis said as he and Annabeth walked out of the forest. "Do you need me to walk you home?"

Annabeth laughed. "I think I can take it from here."

Travis sighed. He held out his arms. "Well, don't I get my goodbye hug?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes but she returned Travis's embrace. "Fine, whatever." After about a second, they broke apart. "Well," Annabeth smiled, "See you."

Travis grinned. "See you Bethie." And Travis quickly ran off back into the forest.

Annabeth snickered. "Dumb ol' Travis." She began walking down the sidewalk, toward her apartment complex. She rounded the corner, glowing from her most recent trip from the forest. When she turned the corner, she nearly screamed. "Percy?!" She gasped.

Percy Jackson was leaning against the wall. He had a vacant and distant expression on his eyes but his body language read otherwise. He was stiff, uncomfortable and angry.

"Annabeth," Percy mumbled.

"Um...where were you at lunch? I...we all wanted you there." Annabeth felt her cheeks flush a red that was brighter than Taylor Swift's signature lipstick.

Percy shrugged. "No room."

Annabeth sighed. Yeah, sure.

"Well, maybe tomorrow."

Percy shrugged. "I don't know, Annabeth."

Annabeth groaned. "Why not?"

Percy glared at Annabeth, his gorgeous eyes scorching with burning anger. "It's not likely you'll care if I sit with you! You'll be too focused on Travis!"

Annabeth gasped, stunned. "Well, you know what?! At least Travis has the ability to say how he feels instead of being a coward."

Percy laughed malevolently. "What the hell are you talking about? Being a coward?!"

"Obviously Travis is more of a man than you! He can actually say what's on his mind. Your too much of a baby to say anything. You just hide behind your little swimming friends."

"What are you getting at?!"

"I'm trying to say that, unlike you, Travis isn't a coward! And you are! You're too chicken to tell anyone how you feel."

"Well, what am I supposed say?" Percy demanded.

"Tell me how you feel about Travis and I."

Percy sighed. He's voice softened, "I think you know how I feel." He looked up at Annabeth in the eyes - green on gray. She could see the pain lingering in his eyes. She could see how devastated he really was. She finally understood how torturous this was for him and how terrible she was making him feel.

"I...I have to go," Percy mumbled and he quickly turned on his heels and began to stomp away.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted loud enough for him to hear.

But he just continued to walk away.

Annabeth clutched her stomach, the pain tearing at the insides of her chest. "Percy," she whispered. Her legs gave out on her and she clasped against the wall, clutching her stomach. Tears flowed down her cheeks, smearing her mascara. "What have I done?" She whispered to herself.

Annabeth let herself cry for a couple more minutes before forcing herself to stand up and began walking to her apartment complex. As she made her way there, she pulled out her cell phone and began to call Travis.

"Yes, my love?" Travis joked.

"Travis!" Annabeth choked through a sob.

"Annabeth? What's wrong?"

"I can't do it anymore. I can't take the fact that Percy –."

But Annabeth was cut by two beefy hands. One hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to whoever it was and the second was pressed firmly against her mouth. In shock, she dropped herphone and begun to tug at the stiff hand at her mouth. Annabeth's assailant began dragging her farther away from her phone, into the depths of the dark alley way.

Travis's muffled voice carried through the silent alley way.

"Annabeth? Annabeth?!"

OHHHHHHHHHH! CLIFFIE!

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