Chapter 25: Girl's Night (Annabeth)

Wednesdays we usually don't have practice. Today was no exception. I was walking home from school. I usually get a ride home from Thals, or I could've asked Percy, but I kind of felt like walking, which probably wasn't my best idea since by the time I got to the driveway of my mother's house it was raining. I pulled my hood up, grabbed the mail, and ran inside before I could get soaked.

Mom wasn't home and neither was Malcolm although he wasn't half the time. But he didn't have a very good relationship with his dad and had a tendency to show up randomly so I forgot when he was actually supposed to be home and when he wasn't.

I left my boots in the foyer and hung my coat in the closet before looking through the mail while listening to the answering machine. Most of the messages were for Mom and work related except for one for me from Didi at the bookstore wondering if I could fill in for Jane on Saturday. And of course a majority of the mail was also for Mom besides a Harvard college brochure for Malc-

Me? What?

I nearly missed it. It was last in the pile and usually it was the sort of thing Malcolm would get, not me because after all, I was only a junior.

I flipped through the brochure as I headed up the stairs to my room. It was your basic college pamphlet, giving information about college, people who've gone there, etc. I skimmed through it mostly like it was no big deal, but something caught my eye.

I stared at the words architecture program as I sat down on my bed. Harvard had the best architecture program in the country, better than the other Ivy League schools and every other university. And they sent me a brochure? What did that even mean? Was is supposed to apply? Was that why they sent the brochure, to hint at me? And if I did apply, would I even get in?

I probably stared at that brochure for a good three minutes before my phone buzzed and I shoved the pamphlet under my mattress like I was guilty of something. I grabbed my phone and smiled when I read the message.

From: PERCY JACKSON

Hey wanna hang out?

Sorry cant

I had nearly forgot. Thalia, Silena, Bianca, Reyna, a few other girls from the cast and crew, and I were going to the JV basketball game tonight. Apparently Silena thought we needed a "girl's night" which was probably code for drooling over the basketball team and talking about guys.

A second later my phone vibrated again.

Sick of me already Wise Girl? :(

Annabeth:

Not yet ;) It's girls night. We're going to the jv game

Percy:

:D can I come?

Annabeth:

that kind of defeats the purpose of of girls night Seaweed Brain

Percy:

You know you want me to ;)

Percy:

Please O_O

Annabeth:

Sorry

Percy:

Fine I guess I'll just have to stay home all alone reading The Fault in Our Stars trying to get in touch with my feminine side so you'll wanna hang out with me

Annabeth:

Have fun with that Seaweed Brain

Percy:

believe me I will mom made cookies ;) have fun Wise Girl

Annabeth:

Talk to you later

I smiled and set the phone down just as it buzzed again.

From: Thals

B at ur house n 7

And in exactly seven minutes, a silver mini van showed up in front of my house. I hopped in shotgun, glad the rain had stopped so I hadn't gotten soaked. "What's with the van?" I asked Thals as she drove away after saying hi to everyone, Thalia, Silena, Bianca, Reyna, and Piper. Hazel, Calypso, Lacy, and Katie would be meeting us at the school since we would've had to rent us a bus to get us all there in one vehicle.

Thalia made a face. "Hera insisted. She overheard me talking to Dad and said it wasn't safe to take everyone in my Jeep." She rolled her eyes although her stepmother was probably right. Thalia's Jeep could only seat five people, well, five people legally.

"On to other news," Silena said, "guess who got a date with a certain blond co-director slash basketball player!" She elbowed her sister, whose face was bright red although she was practically grinning ear to ear.

I smiled at her over my shoulder, and she grinned back. I was glad Piper had found somebody. I had felt kind of guilty after I found out I was the reason she and Percy had broken up. Besides, as Silena was saying at the moment, Piper and Jason would make a cute couple.

"Ugh," Thals said, "did you really have to choose my brother of all people, Piper?" She made a gagging sound but when we passed under a street light I could see that she was smiling.

The gym was mostly full once we got there but luckily, Katie, Hazel, Lacy, and Calypso had saved us seats. It surprising that so many people had showed up for a JV game, but it made sense once I found out who the other team was. The Andromeda High Titans, our biggest rival along with the Giants.

"That guy's huge," Lacy mumbled as we watched them warm up, staring wide eyed at hairy guy from the other team that would easily dwarf her.

"Look at that guy!" Bianca said, practically throwing popcorn at the people in front of us as she pointed him out. "He's so hot!" He wasn't even facing us at the moment though.

"Isn't he on the other team?" Hazel asked, confused. Earlier she had admitted that she had never even been to a basketball game so she didn't exactly understand what was going on.

"So?" Bianca asked, leaning forward as she stared at the guy. "He's gorgeous! Just look at that hair!" Then he turned around and we all flinched. "Okay, so maybe not so much." Lacy started laughing and soon we were all cracking up.

Katie elbowed Piper. "Look! There's lover boy." Katie motioned to Jason who were sitting in the stands behind the JV team along with the rest of the varsity team. He turned and saw us all looking at him. He smiled and winked before turning back, and Piper's face turned pink.

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Katie. How's Travis?"

Silena's eyes lit up, and she grinned. "Tratie!"

Now Katie turned pink. "He's fine," she said calmly.

"Of course you think so," Calypso teased, and we all started laughing while Katie turned bright red and hid behind her hair.

"Well what about Leo?" Katie retorted and both Calypso and Lacy looked at her.

"What about Leo?" Calypso responded calmly, smoothing her skirt and looking away.

"You like him," Bianca said, turning around in her seat to look at her, raising an eyebrow.

Calypso glanced at Lacy before looking away. "He's not into me. He just flirts with every girl he sees." Obviously, that wasn't true according to Lacy's telling of how her date with Leo went, but something in Calypso's tone told us not to press it.

"So, what's going on with you and Percy?" Silena asked, breaking the silence and turning to me.

So now it was my turn to blush and hide behind my hair. "Um," was all I said.

"Are you guys together?" Lacy asked, grinning.

My face heated up more. "He asked me to be his girlfriend."

"And?!" Silena asked me, wide eyed, looking about ready to burst.

"I said yes."

Silena shrieked and most of the gym looked at us, and we all blushed and/or looked away awkwardly while she fangirled, embarrassed. "Omigod. Omigod. Oh my God!" She grinned and hugged me. "You guys are so adorable!"

I felt like I was being strangled and was kind of wishing that I hadn't told her despite that she's one of my closest friends. "Can't. Breathe."

"Right!" she said, pulling away. "This is just great!" She was grinning like a madman when she jumped to her feet. "Let's celebrate! Candy and soda on me. C'mon Annabeth! You, too, Pipes! Percabeth and Jasper!" she said, giddily, and started down the steps to the court without turning to see if we were following. I looked at Piper and she shrugged before we followed her.

"Hi!" Silena said, bubbly as ever, approaching the nerdy guy working at the concessions, staring at her like she was a goddess. "I need four Skittles, five M&Ms, a Twizzlers..." She continued on with her long order while Piper and I stood off to the side.

"I think we made her day," Piper said, watching as her sister ordered, grinning. "Jasper and Percabeth." She rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Yeah." I smiled too, but it disappeared after a minute. "Hey, Piper?"

She turned to me. "Yeah?"

"About Percy and I, we... I didn't...I didn't mean to..." I bit my lip, trying to think of the right words, but I couldn't find them. I wanted to apologize, about me and Percy. I was part of the reason they broke up and despite that she didn't seem to blame me or really be bothered by her breakup, I felt like I owed her something.

Piper looked confused for a moment, then once it seemed to dawn on her, she shook her head. "I don't blame you, Annabeth. It just didn't work out. It's fine. We're still friends, and I think we're both happier with our new relationships." She smiled. "Don't you dare even try to apologize."

I relaxed. "Thank God. I was worried that maybe you hated me or something."

Piper laughed. "Of course not. We're friends, right?"

I nodded. "Right."

"Guys," Silena called. We turned to her to see her motion to enough soda, candy, and popcorn to make us as hyper as Leo.

"Oh boy." Piper and I rushed to help Silena out. "I think you got a little carried away, sis."

"How much was this?" I asked as we started to walk away.

"Only ten dollars!" I glanced back at the guy at the concessions who was staring after us, wistfully, with his chin in his hand, leaning forward. I wondered how much it really cost.

"Hey ladies," a familiar voice said and I turned to see Luke jogging up to us. "Let me help you," he said, taking a few things from each of us so our arm fulls were limited to only a few things.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," he said and slung an arm across my shoulders. "What are friends for?" We all gave him a grateful smile. He smiled back, and when Piper and Silena weren't paying attention, Luke dropped his arm and nudged me slightly. "So how's Thalia?" he asked awkwardly.

I was conflicted here, so at first I didn't answer. I mean, Luke was a nice guy and all, and I think he really did like Thalia, but she practically despised him because he's "perfect and charming and not her type." But it was a mostly innocent question. I shrugged. "She's alright. We're having girls' night so she's in the gym with some of the other girls from the cast and crew."

He nodded. "She doesn't like me, does she?"

I smiled. "That might be an understatement, but yeah, pretty much."

"I try to get her to like me, but..."

"She's stubborn. Try the opposite of whatever you're doing," I advised him. "It might work a little better."

"She's not like most girls," he said thoughtfully.

I nodded. "She's Thalia."

He smiled, and we headed into the gym. "So, you and Percy?" he asked, with a sly smile.

I blushed and nodded. "Yeah. We're together."

He grinned. "Mr. Brunner picked a good Romeo and Juliet then, didn't he?"

"Yeah," I said. "I guess he did."

We stopped once we got to the other girls, who looked surprised to see him. "Hey ladies," he said. He tossed a smile in Thalia's direction, but otherwise completely ignored her while she scowled at him. He handed out his armful of food and drinks. "Enjoy the game," he told us. He started to head down the steps before he smiled over his shoulder and said, "Try not to scowl, Thalia. We're winning." He winked and walked away, and Thalia blushed, actually speechless.

Silena smirked, eating popcorn and watching them, like they were some kind of movie. "What was that about?"

Thalia gave her a Look, telling her not to press it.

"Luke likes you!" Silena said.

"Please," Thalia dismissed her. "He's just flirting with me until he wins me over or whatever like every other girl in school." Silena answered by raising an eyebrow. "I don't like him," Thalia told her. "He's not even my type."

"Uh huh," Silena said, not believing her. "And who do you like?"

"Nico," Thalia blurted out, and gave her a look like, 'See! I can't like Luke then.' "Not Luke."

Silena rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Bianca started laughing, and when we all looked at her, she started laughing harder. "Sorry," she said between laughs, "it's... just..." She shook her head and continued laughing.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"Nothing."

"Out with it," Thalia pressed.

Bianca bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "It's just... Nico's... batting for the other team you could say, Thals."

None of us really got what she meant but I think Thalia figured it out first. Her eyes widened. Nothing like finding out your crush is gay. "You aren't serious."

Bianca shrugged, not laughing anymore. "Sorry, but yeah. He's my brother. I think I'd know."

Silena blinked. "Well that was unexpected. There goes Thalico I guess..."

Thalia glanced at Luke quickly. "You're sure?"

Bianca nodded, sort of grimly, probably feeling sorry for her.

She sighed. "Damn." The she cast another look at Luke for some reason.

"Reconsidering?" Silena teased, catching her.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Of course not, I just..."

"Riiiight," I said.