Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rick Riordan. Storyline is mine.
Chapter 49
Percy
It's incredibly hard for me to give Annabeth the space that she wants but I know it's something that I must do if I even want a chance at getting back to where we were. It's terrible of me but every time a girl tries to approach me and she is around, I make it a point to look directly at Annabeth and catch her gaze as I brush the other girl off. We have enough issues and I don't want to add her getting the wrong idea about me and other girls to be added to the long list.
On the reverse side, the only thing that helps me keep my calm is her doing the same thing, not even giving other guys the time of day.
It goes on for about two weeks until finally one day, it's like little things start changing.
She flashes me a smile.
She sits with the dance team girls right next to the table where me and the basketball players sit.
At one point, I feel her squeeze my hand as we walk by each other in the hallway between classes.
Frankly, it confuses me, but nothing confuses me more than the envelope I find in my mailbox, containing a ticket for the final performance of The Nutcracker.
That's how I end up where I am right now, another bouquet of roses sitting on my lap. Roses that will hopefully find their way into Annabeth's arms by the end of the night, even if that means I beg someone to deliver them for me. I look through the program again, still amazed at how many performances she has done in the past few weeks. Sugar Plum Fairy in each show.
Right as the final bells are ringing to indicate the start of the show, a woman rushes up to the front row and sits stiffly in the chair beside me.
There is absolutely no mistaking who she is. Her hair, eyes, and nose are identical to Annabeth's. She looks over and must catch me staring because she gives me a cautious smile. The audience begins to quiet and I spare one more glance over before focusing on stage. My muscles start to feel sore because of how fidgety I am and I try my hardest to relax.
Athena begins to flip through the program and stops on the page with her daughter's picture on it before smiling fondly and running her finger over the small image and the biography next to it.
The first act moves by in agony as I attempt to decide how to approach her. Is it weird to just introduce myself? What would I even introduce myself as? Annabeth still won't fully acknowledge my presence.
As soon as the house lights turn on, I swivel and hold my hand out. "Hello, I'm Percy Jackson."
She looks taken aback as she takes my hand in her firm shake. "Athena Chase."
Before I can make myself look dumb she starts the conversation. She must see the sheer panic in my eyes. "What is a young man like you doing at the ballet?"
"A friend of mine is in the cast," I explain. She eyes the roses and lifts and eyebrow. "Must be a pretty lucky friend to be receiving a bouquet of red roses."
I laugh nervously and change the subject before she asks me who I am here for specifically. "How about you? What brings you here tonight?" Blech. I don't even sound normal.
She smiles and opens the program to the dog-eared page, almost as if she was waiting for a chance to brag about her daughter. Too bad she doesn't act the same way to her daughter's face. She's got the whole two-faced routine down. "My daughter is the Sugar Plum Fairy."
I nod and smile. "My mom told me to watch out for her, she says the girl they cast this year is spectacular."
Her eyes harden a bit and she stiffy nods. "She certainly works hard at it."
I have to stop myself from saying something sharp back to her. Annabeth has never told me exactly what goes down between them but if the way she acted the night I took her home is any indication, Athena rules over her daughter with an iron fist.
Thankfully, the lights begin to dim as the second act starts. The anticipation of seeing Annabeth dance once last time in her dream role on this stage makes it go quick. Before I know it, she's running on stage and taking her starting position. I look over at Athena and try to read her expression, but it's guarded, under lock and key. No emotion slips through, even after Annabeth finishes and the audience applauds her. She goes on to finish her last of what she calls 'variations' and the curtain closes. It opens again as each group goes up to do their curtain call and I'm on my feet clapping. It takes Athena a while to rise and she seems less than enthusiastic to be applauding the dancers in the first place. When it's finally Annabeth's turn, I whistle loudly and her head snaps over. The looks in her eyes as she registers I'm here gives me something I haven't had in months.
Hope that nothing has been lost yet.
Her eyes move over to her mother who continues to golf-clap. Will presents Annabeth forward one last time and I throw a rose on stage. Athena narrows her eyes at me, starting to connect the dots.
The girl who plays the little girl hands Annabeth a bouquet and I can see her eyes begin to get shiny. She bows one last time for the audience before the curtains close for good.
I stay standing and I can feel Athena staring daggers at me and she is about to open her mouth to interrogate me no doubt when I see Annabeth slip through the curtain, tutu and all, and run down the stairs to the audience. She stops in front of her mother and hugs her before turning to me and grabbing the back of my neck.
She pulls me down for a kiss, keeping it short but making it clear we are far from done as she pulls away. My arm slips around her waist and I give her the flowers. She smiles brightly and takes a breath before turning to her mother.
"Mom, this is Percy. My boyfriend of seven months."
A/N: I'll be honest. I was very confused with this story, wondering how to fix what I created but never finding something that made me truly satisfied. Sorry it took so long. Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
