Author's Notes- as suggested by ThereWillOnlyEverBeOneMe
Gwen had just finished setting the table up when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." She called out to the people outside the door.
The door opened, and she heard a voice she recognized to be her brother's ask, "Gwen?"
"I'm in the dining room!" Gwen shouted back to her elder brother.
Smoothing her white with pink polka dots dress down, Gwen looked up and smiled as she saw her brother Paul enter the dining room with his wife Sally, his step-son Percy, and . . . who was she? There was a young blonde that looked to be about Percy's age, standing amongst her brother's family. Gwen wondered who she was, as she had never seen her before.
Paul caught her staring and said, "Oh, this is Percy's girlfriend, Annabeth. Annabeth, this is my sister, Gwendolyn."
"You can call me Gwen." Gwen said, reaching out her hand towards Annabeth, who, to Gwen's relief, shook it.
"I'm so glad that you-all came. Steve and Marcus should be here any minute now- they left to go get some drinks." Gwen said, referring to her husband and son.
Almost as soon as she said that, Gwen heard the door open and only seconds later her husband and son came barreling into the dining room. They quickly set down the several packs of sodas that they carried down onto the table. Gwen cried out as one of the packs slid into a plate, causing it to almost fall off the edge of the table.
"Marcus!" She cried. "Be more carful."
The teenagers cheeks went a little red. "Sorry about that, mom."
"Well, you should be!" Gwen said, still slightly startled by what had almost happened.
"It's okay, hon." Steve said, trying without a doubt to reassure her. "Nobody was hurt, nothing was damaged. So, we're all okay."
"Yes, yes. I suppose so." Gwen said.
"Good." Steve said, clapping his hands together. "Now, let's get down to business and eat."
Very soon, all seven of them were seated around the table, filling up their plates with food. When she had filled hers up, Gwen looked over at Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from her next to his girlfriend.
"So, Percy," she began, "how long exactly have you and Annabeth been dating?"
Percy, who had just take a bite of his food, swallowed, and said, "A little over a year."
Gwen was startled. She had expected for him to say that they had been going out for a few weeks, not an entire year!
"A year?" Steve asked. "Well, why haven't we seen you with her before now, then?"
Percy glanced over at Annabeth briefly before saying, "We were. . . busy, to say the least."
"Busy? With what?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Family things." Annabeth said, speaking for the very first time.
"Oh, okay." Gwen said, not wanting to pry anymore deeply than she already had.
"So, Percy," Steve began, obviously wanting to change the subject. "Did you try out for any sports teams this year at your school."
Percy shrugged, taking another bite of food before saying, "I tried out for the swim team."
"Oh." Steve said, sounding slightly disappointed- Steve's favorite sport was football, and any other sport other than that he considered practically useless. "Did you get in?"
Percy nodded. "Yeah, yeah I did."
"That's nice." Steve said, then he reached over to pat Marcus on the shoulder. "Now Marcus here, he tried out for the football team- which he managed to get in, mind you- and I swear to you, ever since he's joined the team, it has been nothing but good."
"Stop it, dad." Marcus said, trying to wiggle out from underneath his father's grip. Yes, Steve, please stop, Gwen thought, silently agreeing with her son.
But Steve was just getting started. "I always knew that he would be a great football player one day." Suddenly, Steve looked over at Percy. "And I bet you would too, as soon as you get your mind off of swimming." Steve said, giving a slight shudder at the last word.
"That is what he likes to do." Annabeth said, glaring at Steve.
"That may be, but I'm sure that he would be an even better football player." Steve said.
"Trust me, I wouldn't be a good football player at all." Percy told Steve.
"Oh, I'm sure with a little training you'll be almost as good as Marcus here!" Steve said, nodding over towards Marcus.
"I'm not that good, dad." Marcus said.
"Nonsense!" Steve said, waving his hand to the side.
"Does anyone want some pie?" Gwen asked, to which all of them looked over at her in surprise.
"I, ah, made some pie for dessert. It's over in the fridge. I was just getting ready to go and get it." Gwen said quietly.
"Some pie would be nice, Gwen." Sally said kindly.
As quickly as she could, Gwen leapt up from the table and went to go and get the pies that she had made. When she got back to the dining room, she saw to her surprise Annabeth now standing up from the table.
Having heard Gwen come into the room, Annabeth said, " I'm really sorry Gwen, but me and Percy have to be going now."
"Go? Why?" Gwen asked, surprised.
"I have a . . .job, that I have to get to. And I cannot be late for it." Annabeth said.
"Can't you just stay for just a little while longer and eat some pie?" Gwen asked, holding the pies out to her.
"Yeah, Annabeth, why can't we stay for a little while and have some pie. They look delicious." Percy said, eyeing the pies almost longingly, which were now sitting down on the table.
"Well, you can stay. I don't even know why I was going to bring you with me, anyway." Annabeth said.
"Because, I'm an extremely lovable person to be around." Percy said, grinning.
"And extremely annoying." Annabeth said, smiling over at her boyfriend. Then she looked down at her wristwatch. "Oh, my! I really must be going. Percy? Are you coming with me?"
"Yeah, I'm coming, just let me get some pie first." Percy said, standing up and walking over to Gwen.
"Percy! You can't eat pie in O- in the place where I work!" Annabeth said.
"Relax." Percy said as Gwen reached him a piece of chocolate pie. "I'll eat it on the way over there."
"You'd better." Annabeth said, then she looked over at Gwen, Steve, and Marcus. "It was nice meeting you-all, really."
Then, with a quick smile at Sally and Paul, Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand and together they walked out of the dining room.
Gwen stared at the place where the two teenagers had left for a few minutes before she came to her senses and sat back down at the table.
"So, who wants pie?" Gwen asked again.
Author's notes- I feel . . . meh about this one. I'm not really sure if I like the way it turned out, to be honest. Oh, well.
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