A/N: Thank you all so much for your support, but there's one thing that I need to get off my chest. I had a bad week last week, and most of you were very understanding but there were a select few of you that drove me absolutely insane. To the latter of you, this is a note:
Look, I'm not getting paid for this. You do not purchase a service in which I do profit from. I do not "owe" anyone anything. I am here to write a story and if you are rude enough to leave me review after review prompting me to update (one consisting of about 320 individual lines telling me to do so) you can go right ahead and stick your foot in your ass and then your mouth. Please have some tact in how you approach authors, because I can almost guarantee that if you treat me this way, that means you treat others this way. I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all. Next time if you notice I don't update, maybe you can take a moment to reflect. I am twenty-four years old. I am married. I have a full-time job. I cannot cater to perfection all the time, especially when I don't plan on having bad weeks. A kind and thoughtful message goes a long way.
I strive for quality in my work. If I can't give you what I'm proud of, I won't give it to you at all. Please understand that sometimes life interferes and I can't really do much to stop it. I hope you understand and you can accept my apology.
In other, happier news: IGAB is now available in multiple languages! Italian, Turkish, French and German are currently available due to the hard work of some very dedicated individuals. (See my Tumblr for details). This chapter is dedicated to them. Expect more languages to come and if you would like to translate the story in your own language, feel free to message me with the details.
As always, for all IGAB info, you can visit my Tumblr at flyingcrowbar or track the tag #stm au.
Tray of breakfast in hand, Annabeth met the guys over at the usual table where Frank, Leo, Nico, and Jason were already sitting. She put her tray down next to Nico and smiled at him when she took her seat beside him. He smiled back and moved his napkins so she could have room to eat.
She hadn't had anything since ice cream from the night before and she was starving. A heap of pancakes, a mountain of scrambled eggs, a cup of yogurt, more than her fair share of bacon, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate would hopefully be enough to help her get through the day.
Everyone at the table greeted her, all of them mid-way through finishing their food, and Annabeth ate while they talked. Mark's words still followed her, even though she was a whole building away from him. At the time, she didn't really think anything of it, but in hindsight his words were more menacing than she had realized. Did she seriously miss a threat when it was so obvious? He basically told her to watch her back. That was definitely worth some nervousness, right? She didn't want to think that it was anything more than just talk, but the energy coming from him didn't feel right.
She looked over her shoulder, suddenly aware that he could storm into the cafeteria at any time, but he was nowhere to be found amongst the dozens of other faces entering the cafeteria. She mentally kicked herself for getting startled over something as stupid as a conversation. Mark was just a guy… a guy who was overly competitive and jealous of Percy. She shook her head and returned to her breakfast.
"Where's Percy?" Frank asked of her from his spot on the end.
"Oh, he got kidnapped I think," Annabeth said with a shrug.
Without even looking up, Jason said, "By now they've probably stripped him down to his birthday suit and strung up his boxers on the flag pole."
At Annabeth's horrified expression, Jason added, "It's just tradition. Hardly anyone ever makes it to the 'Getting Tossed Naked Into The Pool' phase without some teacher stopping it."
The rest of the guys laughed and Annabeth tried her best not to imagine Percy naked and wet in a pool because she was blushing enough as it was. Her thoughts were snapped back into reality when Nico touched her elbow gently. He leaned in so she was the only one who could hear.
"Hey, um," he started and smiled bashfully. "I was wondering if we could talk in private after breakfast -"
Nico jumped as the lights in the room went pitch black and the cafeteria quieted to a confused silence. From somewhere in the back of the room, a siren went off. At first, Annabeth thought something was seriously wrong - a fire, an earthquake, Mark - and she half-stood in preparation to do something about it, but stage lights clunked on in the corners of the room and then the music started.
It was so loud, Annabeth actually put her hands up to her ears. Dancing through the aisles between tables and throwing handfuls of confetti into the air were a dozen guys wearing skimpy, Santa-like dresses - red leather with fake fur on the trim - complete with long wigs. They even wore little Santa hats.
One of the dancers, lip syncing along to Britney Spears' "Work Bitch," spun up to Annabeth and tossed a bunch of glitter over her head, showering her where she stood. Nico tugged on Annabeth's arm and she sat back down, hardly understanding what was going on.
The rest of the student body was very into it. They were catcalling and whistling, and the dancers were just riling them up even more by blowing kisses and tossing their hair.
Lee Fletcher, student council president, was in the center of the cafeteria, responsible for the siren coming from the megaphone in his hand. He was barely recognizable in his outfit, dramatic makeup, and fake boobs, but he was rocking it. In six-inch heels, he marched on top of one of the tables in the middle of the room and stood like a pop diva in front of adoring fans.
The mix of the song quieted just enough for Lee's voice to carry through the megaphone while his helpers continued frolicking through the aisles.
"Good morning, fellas! With his holiday season approaching, that can only mean one thing! This Saturday, The Bolt Girls are coming to town."
Lee paused for more catcalls and whistles. He smirked, playing it up.
"For those lucky few who don't know," he continued, "this is going to be the night you don't want to miss. Tickets are five dollars. Each audience member will be given five Bolt Bucks."
Lee held up an orange slip of paper that looked like fake money.
"You 'tip' your favorite performer by handing a Buck to them on stage. Remember, you can tip more than one Bolt Buck for a particularly amazing performance. The duo with the most will be our first prize winners! Invite your friends, invite your family, invite your girlfriends because we all know everyone wants to come to the show. Refreshments and baked goods will also be available for sale. Every single real dollar spent that night will go to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Don't forget to sign up on the sheet right out those doors. And remember, you gotta work, bitches!"
The music cranked up again and the dancers paraded around, dancing to the beat and ruffling boys' hair as they went. And just as suddenly as they came, they were gone and the lights came back on. Annabeth felt like she'd been bonked over the head. Her ears were still ringing from the music.
"You guys weren't kidding when you said this was going to be a big deal," she said.
"That's right!" Leo said, a gleam of mischief in his eye. "You better bring it! Frank and I are going to DOM-IN-ATE." They high-fived, even though Frank looked somewhat less enthusiastic. He didn't seem like the type who did well in front of crowds, especially on stage.
"Hey guys!" Percy said, appearing seemingly from nowhere and plopping down in the empty seat across from Annabeth. He looked tousled, his hair messier than usual, and his tie was cinched lopsided and loose around his neck. His cheeks were flushed, like he had run there. And he probably had. She smiled at him, remembering last night, and her blush tried creeping up the back of her neck.
"Yo, Perce, how did you escape the ritual?" Leo asked.
"I'm scrappy. You know, the thing that people really forget about is how useful elbows can be." His eyes fell on Annabeth's plate and his hand slid out to steal some of her bacon. She didn't stop him. "By the looks of things, I definitely missed Fletcher's announcement. Got some glitter there." He reached out and pulled some from one of her curls.
Jason stiffened and cleared his throat.
It just felt so normal for Percy to do that for her, she hadn't even realized what it might look like to the other guys.
Annabeth nudged Percy's hand out of the way and put her fingers in her hair. She hadn't realized she had been glitter bombed so bad until shook her head and more glitter tumbled out, like she was made of fairy dust. She turned toward the aisle and shook her head like a dog so the rest fell on the floor.
"Ah yes, the herpes of craft supplies," Percy said with a laugh. "Look. Even Nico's rocking some glitter."
It was Nico's turn to shake like a dog. Granted, the sparkles did sort of take away his 'brooding teenager' aesthetic. He got dizzy and nearly toppled right into Annabeth, who caught him and giggled when she righted him up. Nico looked up at her and then looked away, hiding a smile of his own.
"Are you and Andy ready to be Bolt Girls, then?" Leo asked of Percy.
Annabeth scooped out some glitter from her yogurt and tried to salvage what was left. She still hadn't totally decided. While it looked like a lot of fun, it would take a lot of work, and she didn't want to have to make people think she looked too much like a girl. Percy watched her, she could see out of the corner of her eye, and she wondered if he would be disappointed if she didn't want to participate.
"Uh, no," Percy said. "I think we're going to pass this year."
She looked up at him under her brows and he gave her a knowing nod.
"Aw man," Leo whined. "I wanted to see Posh Percy again this year."
"Posh?" Annabeth asked of Percy.
"Yeah, last year I was a Spice Girl."
"It was a spiritual experience," Jason said.
Annabeth vaguely recalled Percy telling her that he had performed to a Spice Girls song, but that must have been when she was sick.
"It was not," Percy said. "But I did feel strangely more confident."
"I think it was the stilettos," Frank said.
"And the catsuit," Leo added.
"Mostly the catsuit," Frank agreed.
Jason had been thumbing through his phone and handed it over to Annabeth and Nico leaned into to take a peek. What they saw sent them both into a fit of giggles.
He and - who Annabeth could only assume was his old roommate - Grover were making kissy faces and flashing peace symbols. That particular shade of lipstick complimented Percy's eyes quite well. The most important thing, though, was that Percy seemed to be having a lot of fun.
"I'm sort of sad I missed it," Annabeth admitted. "Wish I could have been there."
Percy was smiling, close-lipped, and his cheeks were a little red, and his eyes twinkled before he turned them downward as he took another slice of bacon from her plate.
"Blackmail fodder," Leo noted as Annabeth handed Jason's phone back.
"Are we just not going to talk about Leo as Shakira last year, then?" Jason smirked and gave him the side-eye.
"I was hot as hell. Don't deny it," Leo said, then he added, as an afterthought, "I think I discovered a new fetish though."
Everyone laughed.
"Leo, you're like a cockatiel - falling in love with your own reflection. And we love you for it," Frank said, wrapping his arm over Leo's shoulders.
"So, Leo, is Caly going to make an appearance?" Percy asked.
"Ah, no. She's working. Apparently her boss is a real hardass. She says she feels like a prisoner on a deserted island, trapped for eternity."
"Where does she work?" Annabeth asked. Not because she didn't believe him, but because she was genuinely interested.
"Retail."
Annabeth nodded, understanding Caly's metaphor perfectly. She had spent a whole summer working at the Gap and felt like she was pushing a boulder up a mountain over and over again forever.
"I see," Percy said, his voice sliding. "So your totally real and totally-not-fake long-distance girlfriend is - of course - busy and goshdarn it, isn't that just bad luck?"
"Ha ha. You're a funny guy, Jackson," Leo said with a straight face. "Like you're one to talk. It's so obvious. You're seeing someone."
Percy's smirk fell and he cracked a weak smile. He was an awful liar. "Now who's the funny one?"
Leo's eyes blazed as he locked onto the truth. "Look at you. It's all over your face! You're giving me shit and here you are, sitting in front of us with a juicy secret and pretending to be all high and mighty and yet you won't even tell us her name."
Jason looked back and forth between Annabeth and Percy, his eyes wide, his lips slightly parted. Nico glanced up at Annabeth for half a second before he looked back down at his plate, forked his eggs, and shuffled them around.
"I don't have a girlfriend," Percy said, the heat blooming on his ears.
"Liar, liar! Pants on fire!" Leo sang like a preschooler. He turned to Annabeth. "Andy, you're his roommate. Fess up. What's she look like?"
Annabeth shrugged her shoulder. "This is the first I'm hearing of it." It was surprisingly easy to lie. It was actually sort of fun. Her heart fluttered just thinking about dating in secret - the hidden kisses behind closed doors, the brush of his fingers against hers during class, the glances across a cafeteria table. The fantasy alone was enough to fill her stomach with helium.
"Fine," Percy said, huffing. "You got me."
Leo grabbed onto the front of Frank's shirt, like he might fall over. Never did he think Percy would cave, and neither did Annabeth. She watched him, cautiously.
Percy leaned in, his voice low. "It's impossible to describe her, really, except that she's got these eyes that just look right through you, making your blood steam and your insides melt. She's got this voice that makes you hang on every word as it carries you across an infinity of possibilities. Her hair, oh, her hair is a wheat field on a summer day, swaying in the breeze when she shakes it and tells me everything I want to hear."
Leo's expression softened as Percy described this dream girl - a girl Annabeth didn't think she was, but for some reason she believed in all honesty that Percy was talking about her. She managed her blush by taking a sip of her hot chocolate and pretending to find a conversation on the other side of the room to be way more interesting.
"Wow, Percy," Frank said, barely above the din of the cafeteria. "Have you been reading poetry or something?"
"He's in love, that's what," Jason said. His eyes met Annabeth's for just a moment.
"Every guy in love thinks he's a poet," Nico said. It sounded like it came from experience.
"So what's her name then?" Leo asked Percy.
"Her name?" Percy sighed. "Her name is one for goddesses and queens. Her name is timeless and -"
"Oh will you shut up and just tell me already?"
Percy leaned it farther and beckoned Leo forward. He cupped his hand to his mouth and stage-whispered, "Her name is...YOU WISH."
The whole table exploded into laughter just before the bell rang, as if rescuing Percy from any more questions. Everyone stood and headed toward their class. Percy and Annabeth got to their feet in unison, but Annabeth hesitated and sat back down. Nico - who was still sitting at the table - stared at her.
"Andy, you coming to class?" Percy asked.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. Meet you there."
Percy nodded and disappeared into the mass of students. Annabeth absently chewed on the rest of her bacon as she thought about what Jason had said - that Percy was in love. It was still too early to call, but Annabeth felt a swell of hope in her chest. Love was a pretty big four-letter word. A good four-letter word though, and one she didn't get to use often. But they were just kids. What were they supposed to know about love? And their circumstance was anything but ordinary.
Guy meets girl. Guy thinks girl is boy. Guy and girl are roommates. Guy and girl become an item. What a story to tell their future children.
Annabeth didn't want to fall too far down that rabbit hole, but she did have to admit that she liked the idea of spending a long time with Percy. This was probably what they called 'the Honeymoon phase' of relationships. Annabeth hoped it would never end.
Nico cleared his throat after finishing his breakfast and stood just as the last students filtered out of the cafeteria. The movement snapped Annabeth back into reality.
"Oh, Nico. You wanted to ask me something earlier?"
"Uh," he said, glancing around. There was no one else nearby, but he looked nervous. He shifted from foot to foot, traced his thumb around the edge of the breakfast tray, and his dark eyes would never meet hers for long.
"Are you feeling okay?" she asked.
His eyes finally did land on hers, and she could see something simmering just below the surface, but it was hard for him to grab onto. "It can wait," he said, a little forcefully, like it took effort. "I'll see you later."
Nico dumped his scraps in the trash and practically threw his tray on top of the rest and ran out of the cafeteria.
Annabeth held the script in front of her as Piper paced back and forth in Annabeth's room. She had been helping Piper memorize her lines for the better part of the night and her voice was paying the price. She cleared her throat as Piper waved her on.
Annabeth flipped the page as she read Galinda's lines from Wicked, Piper's end-of-year musical. She was getting a clearer picture of the story as it went on. Piper's show was going to be amazing, Annabeth could just feel it, though Annabeth was proving to be a terrible actor. Her line reading was flat at best. "'Oh I know!'" she read aloud. "'Let's tell each other something we've never told anyone... I'll go first: Fiyero and I are going to be married. Squeals.' Whoops, sorry. I think that's supposed to mean the character squeals there."
Piper, like a pro stayed in character the whole time, and looked at Annabeth with furrowed brows. "'Really? He's asked you already?' "
"'No, he doesn't know yet…' " Annabeth would have laughed if she hadn't yawned at that exact moment. She had only slept about two hours the previous night, courtesy of Percy and Annabeth's make out marathon. "Sorry. 'Now, you tell me a secret.' "
Piper slapped her hands on her thighs and pulled herself out of the scene. "Annabeth, seriously, I don't want to keep you up. You look exhausted."
"Really, it's no problem."
"I feel like a diva. I don't want to make you do anything."
"You're not! You are the opposite of a diva."
"Come on, let's call it a night." Piper took the script out of Annabeth's hand and closed it. "Besides, I don't want to spoil the show."
Annabeth tried to hide another yawn but it only made Piper fuss more.
"Were you studying too late last night? I'm telling you, eventually this is all going to catch up with you one day, and you're gonna snap like this one girl in my stage combat class." By the look on Annabeth's face, Piper added, "Oh, no one got hurt. They don't give us real swords. But she just started laughing in the middle of rehearsal one day and no one could stop her. That girl might be you!"
"No, I wasn't studying…" Annabeth said.
Piper's ears perked up and she sat down next to her. "You rascal," she teased. "So then what were you doing?"
Annabeth toyed with her lip. She flashed a smile and looked at Piper out of the corner of her eye. She didn't even need to say anything. Piper had it all figured out in record time.
"Oh shit!" she shrieked, slapping Annabeth's arm. "You hooked up with Percy!"
"By hooked up, we'll call it made out but… yeah." Annabeth was smiling so wide, it started to ache.
"I KNEW IT!" Piper bellowed, holding the note. "I so knew it!"
"How? Who told you?"
"No one! I just have a sense about these things."
Annabeth ran her hand over her forehead. "Am I that transparent?"
"No! I just saw the signs. It was only a matter of time."
"Yeah, well… I'm really happy."
"Oh, Annabeth! I'm so happy for you! This is beyond exciting."
"Exciting and kind of scary," Annabeth said.
"How come?"
"I've never had a boyfriend before. And this sort of complicates things."
"That's alright. Jason was my first serious boyfriend too. It's scary, but that's what makes it fun."
"You're kind of weird," Annabeth said, smiling.
"No! I'm serious! That rush you get when he looks at you? Like you could just explode?"
Annabeth knew the feeling well by now. She wished Percy wasn't at swimming practice so she could feel it again with him here. Just the mere memory of him made her whole body feel electrified. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours and already she missed his lips. The moment he got back, Annabeth would be ready.
Piper sighed. "I wish I could go back and relive those days. There's just something about the beginnings of a relationship… Now we're totally in love, but before it was like… nothing could keep us down. We were just caught up in each other and it was all we could think about. We were invincible."
"Were you an actress when you met Jason?"
"Oh yeah. Dragged him to all my shows. Never a peep out of him if he hated it. Always brought me flowers and told me I was amazing, even if I had the role of Tree Number Three."
"A very important role. What would Trees One and Two do without you?"
Piper giggled. "He knows this is what I want to do with my life. So when he sees me up there being happy, that's what makes him happy."
"Other than shows, what do you and Jason do for fun? Do you guys go out a lot? Go on dates?"
"All the time! Movies, dinner, Dodgers games - you name it. We're going to a Lakers game next weekend too."
"That's so cute, you guys going on real actual dates," Annabeth said, leaving Piper to figure out what she meant.
"You and Percy can still go on 'real actual dates' too."
"Not like you and Jason can." She imagined being at a Dodgers game with Percy, their faces pulled up on the Kiss Cam on the JumboTron, and not knowing what to do. Everyone would be watching, everyone would be judging, everyone would know. She'd rather stay on the sidelines than be front and center.
"I think you guys need to do a proper date at least once. Go somewhere nice. I know he loves the aquarium and there's a little Italian restaurant nearby that has the best ravioli. You should take him out, spend some time together outside of these walls."
"What if someone saw me? Andy Chase on a date with Percy Jackson?"
Piper's eyes sparkled. "Or…"
She hopped to her feet and scrambled to her backpack that was lying near the door. She opened it up and pulled out a paper box wrapped with a red ribbon. "I wasn't planning on giving this to you until later tonight, but here." She she held it out for Annabeth to take. "Merry Christmas."
Annabeth went wide-eyed. "Oh Piper…" She had a feeling about what it was. But before she opened it, she got to her feet and fetched Piper's present from her desk, the one she had wrapped the night that Percy had found her journal. It wasn't as big as Piper's nor was it probably as expensive, but she hoped she would like it. It was about the size of a book, which didn't seem like it'd be much of a surprise when Piper would open it. "Merry Christmas to you too."
Piper hugged her before taking the gift and squeezed tight. "Annabeth, you are so sweet. How did I get so lucky being your friend?"
Annabeth could say the same. If Piper wasn't in her life, Annabeth doubted she would have gotten this far without a helpful shoulder to lean on.
"Come on," Annabeth said before she had a chance to tear up. Piper pulled back and her eyes were shining. "We'll open together."
After the count of three, Piper tore off the wrapping paper and gasped when she saw the cover. "No way! No way! No way!"
It was an antique copy of Twelfth Night; or, What You Will, a comedy by William Shakespeare. It told the story about a girl who dressed up like her twin brother and all of the hijinx that ensued. Annabeth remembered that when she had told Piper about her secretly being a girl, Piper exclaimed it was just like Shakespeare. After some research, Annabeth figured out which story she was referring to. By the grin on Piper's face, Annabeth thought she did well.
"This is my favorite Shakespeare play!" Piper said, her voice cracking.
"Fought some anonymous bidders on eBay over that thing. Would have been a gladiatorial bloodbath if it was a real auction."
"Annabeth!" Piper cried, tears welling up.
"Sniff it! It's got that amazing old-book smell."
Piper held the yellowed-pages up to her nose and inhaled deeply. "It does!" She was crying by this point. Annabeth was doing her best not to. "This means so much to me! This was when we first started being friends! This is the beginning of our story, Annabeth." Piper wrapped her arms around Annabeth's shoulders again and hugged her so tight, the air was pressed from her lungs. Annabeth laughed as Piper cried.
"Okay," Piper said, pulling away and wiping her nose on the back of her wrist. "We were supposed to open at the same time. Open yours."
"Alright, alright."
As Annabeth pulled off the bow, Piper continued, "You already know what it is so it's not like I'm being too original here, but…"
Inside the box was the lacey pink dress that Annabeth had picked out from the magazine months ago. She lifted it into the air and dropped the box on the floor and held the dress up to her body. It was perfect. "Piper!" she sighed, holding back the burn in her eyes. "You really didn't have to!"
"You'll make the best Bolt Girl."
Annabeth's smile fell. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sitting out on that one."
"Really? But Percy -" Piper cut herself off and her eyes widened. "Ah, I think I get it."
"Will you be there? Want me to save you a seat?"
"Yeah! Yeah," Piper said, wiping her eyes as the tears had finally run their course. "Well, how about you wear it on your date with Percy? You can be Annabeth Chase all night."
Annabeth spun and the skirt twirled out. "I love it. So much."
"It looks way better on you than it did in the magazine."
They hugged again and this time Annabeth didn't want to let go. All because of Piper, this had been the best Christmas present ever. "Thank you," she said.
"Now put it away before Percy walks in and sees it," Piper said, sniffling. "Make it a surprise."
Annabeth stashed the dress away in the closet, buried deep amongst the rest of her boy clothes on the rack and totally hidden from view. Piper stepped up beside her and squeezed her shoulder.
"You would have made the best Bolt Girl," she said.
"Well, I'd like to hope so," Annabeth said with a smile.
Piper giggled and embraced Annabeth one more time.
Right then, Percy walked in, his practice bag swinging from his shoulder, his hair still damp. He saw the redness of Annabeth's eyes, the stream of snot running from Piper's nose, their seemingly never-ending hug and he closed the door behind him.
"What happened? Who hurt you? Who do I need to punch?" Percy demanded.
Piper and Annabeth laughed together.
"Hey, just give us a minute, okay?" Annabeth asked, still smiling.
"Sure," he said, softening. He turned to Piper, "Jason home?"
"Yeah, he's playing CoD with Nico."
"Cool," Percy said and he left.
Once the door shut, Piper took Annabeth hands and said, "Let me be the first to know if that boy ever breaks your heart, because I want to be first in line to kick his ass."
Annabeth snorted.
"I'm serious. Everyone thinks I'm so dainty. I've got a surprising backhand."
"Piper, really. Things are… perfect. And I don't use that word often."
"Perfect, huh?" Piper's smile spread. By the looks of it, she could have rivaled Annabeth's own happiness levels. "Okay, I'm just glad you found each other… But the offer still stands. Seriously - backhand." Piper held up her arm for emphasis.
"I get it, I get it," Annabeth said. "You'll be the first to know."
"Alright," Piper said, gathering her things. "I'll let you two lovebirds go at it. I don't want to keep you apart much longer. See you tomorrow!"
Piper left and a minute later Percy came in. He looked bewildered and jutted his thumb over his shoulder. "Piper just gave me the stink eye and said she has a killer backhand. Is there something I need to be worried about?"
Annabeth snapped the door shut behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smelled like chlorine and Annabeth's insides did a twirl. She could never smell chlorine again and not be reminded of him. "Nah," she said in a mischievous tone. "You should be just fine." And she kissed him.