"What do you think?" I asked as I turned around, showing every single side of the dress I was wearing.
Silena tapped a finger under her chin before nodding, looking as if she was proud of her masterpiece. "Beautiful as always" she commented.
Honestly, I didn't disagree with her. I did feel beautiful, even though I know perfectly well that I wasn't. It was just a simple dress the color of my boyfriend's eyes with a deep v-neck that ended on a lace just under my breasts. It was tight in the upper body but a little loose once it reached the waist down. The length was to my knees, matched with black flats that go perfectly with the black purse she handed me. I wonder what Percy's reaction would be once he sees me in this. I bet he would be just as surprised as Thalia and Clarisse are right now. "Annabeth's finally growing up!" my best friend said playfully but she looked happy, almost adoring me with her eyes.
"Shut up, Thals" I muttered, moving back to the dressing room.
Okay, so maybe she did get a little too carried away. I mean, I couldn't even afford this dress, even if you add all of my savings since I was three. Silena, she suggested that she would just pay for it, knowing that she has enough money to buy ten of these. Not to mention the fact that her mother is one of this store's best customers. "Swear to me that you're going to wear this on your birthday"
I smiled and nodded, handing it back to her as I stepped out. "Come on, the boys are waiting for us at the food court" Thalia said suddenly. Coincidentally on her turn…
The could-be daughter of Aphrodite made a tsking sound and grabbed my best friend's hand before she could even plan on leaving. "Thalia, Thalia, Thalia, you didn't think you can escape me just like that, now did you?"
Silena handed her something black before pushing her inside the place I just exited, knowing perfectly well that she would never run away when my friend was watching her intently. "You don't expect me to come out of here, now do you?"
"Yes I do"
I heard groaning as Thalia showed herself to us. She was beautiful, I've always found her that way and I was glad that she finally let herself go. "Nico would be proud" I heard Katie say beside me. She rolled her eyes before facing the mirror, surprising herself with how pretty she really is.
And let's just say that maybe being friends with Silena Beauregard isn't that bad after all.
The guys greeted us with hugs and kisses once they saw us. Since the food was already on the table, mine a cheeseburger and fries, we ate happily. I had to tell my boyfriend how I prefer jumping off a building is much better than shopping with her. But I know that he knew that I was kinda happy that I did so. "You really didn't believe me when I told you that you were beautiful, did you?"
"Thank you" was the only thing I said.
Well, since us girls were done, Silena had to supervise the guys as they picked what they were going to wear. It was easier since they don't have much to worry about, especially when they can wear practically everything that is suited for their gender. "Why do we have to do this again?" Percy asked me, looking at himself in the mirror.
"I dunno" I answered, reading my book even though I sneak a couple of glances at him. "Ask Silena"
"Well, she isn't here so I can't." he answered, pulling the shirt over his head and throwing it to my face. I was pretty disappointed because of what he did but I know I could ask for it later on…
He tried another one on, then another, then another. I never thought a guy could ever be as picky as a girl is in terms of clothing but his only reason was that if he's being forced to go shopping, he has to do it right. "What do you think of this one?" he asked. I looked up from my book and I couldn't really help that smile that has crossed my face.
It was perfect.
I wouldn't go in the details but it's honestly better than what I wore just an hour ago. The sleeves were tight around his arms, just to show off how muscular he really is. He really is the only person who could distract me like this, especially when my focus was all on the book I was reading. "Better than the last one" I told him, acting as if I never cared. But I was actually drooling over him.
"Don't be like that, Wise Girl" he teased, "You know that you love me"
He was right but I wasn't going to give up that easily. I'm not letting myself lose to someone as stupid as Percy. "Mm-hmm…" I muttered as he kissed me lightly. "Maybe you're right." I hate it when my lips have a mind of its own, especially when I set my mind into something I know perfectly well I was against.
"Um, guys, could you go out here for a second?" Piper asked, a little scared.
I raised an eyebrow and tossed Percy his shirt back. He wore it gratefully and kissed me again, as if it was the last time we were going to be like this. Especially with my friends just butting in other people's business. He stepped out of the dressing room, holding my hand tightly in his, just to be face to face with one of nature's greatest disappointments.
Standing there, in the sluttiest attire I have ever seen was Rachel Elizabeth Dare and at least three of her minions.
If it wasn't for the fact that my boyfriend was holding my hand, I would have killed her right then and there. How dare she interfere with my spending time with my friends. She has no right to just go here and do what she does best. What the hell? "What are you doing here?" I asked, giving her my best death glare. Trust me, it is much more terrifying than Nico's would ever be.
Although she winced at the sight (and I am very proud of myself for the reaction), she still acted like how she usually does. "You should know by now that this is my favorite boutique. I'm always here" I face palmed. How could I forget that? She always brings Percy here when they were dating, just for him to see her try out the clothes and show off her perfect (not so much) body. "Anyways, I should be asking you the same thing"
"We're just shopping for the guys" Katie answered sweetly, giving us her if-you-ever-go-start-fighting-again-don't-do-it-here look. "You know, the usual"
One of her friends twitched her nose in disgust the moment she saw me. I bit the inside of my cheek just not to pounce on her. "How long have you been here?" the girl asked, directing the question to me mostly.
"An hour" I replied matter-of-factly.
Since the guys noticed that my tone changed from calm and collected to how a volcano might feel before it would blow up, they pulled me at least three steps backward from where I was standing before. "Now, Wise Girl, we don't want a fight now, do we?" Percy whispered to my ear, saying that this wasn't the best time to get kicked out of the mall.
"I guess not" I muttered, growling at Drew.
"Look, why don't we just go. We can find a better shirt somewhere else." He tugged at my arm and I nodded before following him out of the door. Honestly, I think he exaggerated about what he said. That shirt was perfect for him! And they just have to go ruin that.
"Oh my god!" Silena suddenly said after at least fifty minutes of silence. "I just remembered!"
She dragged us to the nearest bookstore. Okay, so maybe I should be the least bit grateful for the fact that she just brought me to one of my most favorite places in the mall but there was still that nagging thought in my brain that was practically saying that Rachel will do everything to separate Percy and me. "What are we doing here?" my best friend asked, bored.
"I need something to read." She said simply, pulling out one of Nicholas Spark's novels entitled Dear John. I wasn't really surprised by her book choice since she adores romances. I mean, she was the one who forced me to read The Notebook. "I don't focus on my looks all the time"
"Pretty hard to believe" Clarisse mumbled under her breath. I almost laughed at it until I noticed that my boyfriend was holding a children's story book that has a lot of fairytales inside.
I approached him quietly before placing a hand on his shoulder, making him smile. "My mom used to read this to me" he explained, putting it back to where it belonged. "I've always liked the story of The Little Mermaid. I don't know why." Percy turned to look at me and he kissed me gently.
Once we pulled away for air, I handed him something from behind me. It was just a compilation of every single fact known in the sea. Every single fish and coral and marine animal both living and extinct. I don't know what emotions crossed his face but it was something between amusement and excitement.
He decided to buy it. Since he wanted to be just as good a marine biologist as his father, he has to start a little young. I mean, sure, his dad's been telling him stuff about the ocean ever since he was a year old and he grew up loving the water but maybe adding a little more to his knowledge was better.
Thankfully, we got to buy the shirt I wanted for him since Rachel and her cronies went away looking for our group. And we got to give most of the other guys a new style to work on. I never thought I would ever be happy when I go to the place where I would usually be tortured. Maybe the mall isn't as bad as I thought it to be, especially when you have someone like your beloved boyfriend to help you spend your time wisely.
As I sat shotgun on the car my boyfriend was driving, fingering his free hand, I noticed that he was pretty out of it. Of course Percy gets distracted pretty easily, but this seemed a little different from the usual. "What is it?" I asked, worried.
He glanced at me and smiled reassuringly. "Nothing. I'm just thinking"
I guess it wasn't the best time to tease him. I mean, when you see him this serious about something, you know that there's something wrong. At least, wrong for him. "About what?"
"Just about your mother. She's probably thinking of how to permanently separate us even though she doesn't know anything about this relationship. She practically has a really long list of the different ways she could kill me"
Mother. God, she's been behind my back in everything. And now that I have something really good that finally happened to me, she's against it as always. She never understood. She only acted like my mom whenever I got an award in a certain subject like Algebra. Percy may be right when it came to the fact that she's already hatching a plan to just permanently pull us apart but whatever happens, I wouldn't ever let him go. I'm selfish that way. But now that I have him, I'm keeping him.
"Whatever happens" I answered, pressing his fingertips gently on my lips, mimicking his gesture. "I will never ever leave you"
"I'm just scared that maybe I'd lose you"
I shook my head, smiling as tears streamed down my eyes. Ever since we started dating, I always got so emotional in all those little actions that he does. "Don't worry. It won't"
"I know it won't" he muttered with a smile. "I trust you"
That's the bad thing about him. He trusts people so easily. But there is that fact that we've known each other for four long years and I'm probably the only person he can really turn to when he has a problem. It felt nice, how a person could rely on you for an answer you don't even know if you have. But there has always been that lingering fact that it felt sort of like a responsibility. I'm not saying that its wrong, it just scary how he just goes to you for everything and whenever you get it wrong, you're not even sure if that person would ever talk to you again.
Since I just remembered that we have an audience behind us, watching us as if we were a tragic love story that Silena oh so loves, I decided to trace out the letters spelling how I really feel about him. I… love… you…
He turned to me after and mouthed his reply.
There was silence for a while until he drove up the curb and parked his car right up the driveway. Beck and Travis followed suit afterwards and we all entered the house in silence, eventually getting a much unexpected surprise in the middle of the living room.
"Mother?" I asked in surprise, managing a very noticeable gulp. "What are you doing here?"
Instead of answering, she pulled me by the arm to her side, very far away from Percy. "You are going home right now, Annabeth" she ordered, "And I don't want you seeing any of them ever again" She started dragging me towards the door but my boyfriend grabbed my hand before I was fully out of sight.
"She's not going anywhere" he was forceful and if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation, I would have kissed him right then and there. "She belongs here, with us"
Athena's eyes flashed dangerously as she took a step forward, slapping him directly on the face. "Mom!" I screamed but Jason pulled me back because this wasn't my fight anymore.
"You can hit me as much as you want but I am never going to let you take her away from me." He spat at her face, growling deeply. His hands were in fists at his side and I would almost consider him physically assaulting my mother when he loses control. And trust me, you don't want to see that when that happens. "She's sixteen years old. She's old enough and smart enough to do whatever she wants."
I didn't know what happened next. Everything was a blur the moment Percy finished his sentence. I just saw a flash of blue and gray until I realized that he wasn't really fighting back. He was taking every single blow my mother was giving him and I know that it is all just for me. "Mother, please" I begged, "I'll come with you. Just stop"
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bella crying silently as she watched her older brother getting beat up by that monster of a woman. "Annabeth, no" Thalia said firmly. "Percy, he has a plan. He knows what to do. Don't put all of this to waste. Stay here"
I bit my lip, unable to speak as I watched him wipe his mouth that was gushing with blood. "Mom" it was a whisper. "I love him"
She looked at me as if I was crazy but I gave her my look of absolute sincerity, running to my boyfriend's side and tending to his face. I didn't know my mother could be so good at self defense. Then again, she is named after the goddess of battle so she has to know these things if she's ever going to live up to her name. "Chris, bring Bella up to her room and make sure she stays there. Travis, you get an ice pack. And Connor, call Sally and Poseidon." They all nodded before doing what I told them to do.
I may be exaggerating when I tell you that I washed away all the blood and sweat with my tears but it was partly true. I didn't care if my mother was watching us. I just wanted to show Percy that I'd be willing to do everything just to keep him safe. And two conflicting ideas would start a very brutal war in my head until that idea would win over. "I'm going to be fine" he reassured, kissing the top of my head lightly. "Go to my room and don't come out no matter what you hear" I agreed hesitantly before running up the stairs and into the place that hosted so many of our little secrets.
Since he ordered Piper, Silena, Katie, and Thalia to be with me because this was something only the guys should do (plus Clarisse), I had company. It didn't help much since I was worried to death about how something like this would just turn out badly. "Annabeth, everything's going to be fine. Percy has Jason and Nico with him. Not to mention Clarisse. He's going to be fine" Silena tried but I shook my head, tears streaming down my eyes.
"Why can't she just leave me alone?" I asked no one in particular. "She should know that I love him and hurting him means hurting me. She never deserved to go inside this house in the first place"
"They'll handle everything. Your dad's on your side so everything would be fine. He can talk to your mother and maybe Bobby and Matthew could help too. They practically adore Percy ever since they laid eyes on him" Thalia tried.
It did help, as wrong as it sounded. But my heart felt a lot heavier than it should be. It was as if there was a large brick right on top of the entire thing. "Annabeth, Percy's been through worse beatings. You should know that"
Yeah, she was right. And all of those he survived. But this is different because he doesn't fight back like he knew that it wouldn't do any good if he did so. Whatever this is about, I would be more than happy to tell my boyfriend that it would be fine if he would throw a few punches back at my mother.
"You do know that she would never come with you, right" It sounded like Nico and I guess he was helping out too.
I can't do this anymore. I have to know that he's at least alive. Or I want to spend time with at least one of the Jacksons, knowing that Sally and Poseidon need to help Percy handle the situation. "I'm going to see Bella"
The little girl ran to me the moment she saw me, unable to contain her relief and absolute happiness when she did. I pulled her tight against me and kissed the top of her head, just like Percy would whenever he sees her crying. We were in this together because we were the people most affected by this. Every single hit he's taking for me feels like a stab to the heart with a rusted dagger. I hate it when he gets hurt. It's not his fault that we were dating. It's mostly mine because I insinuated the entire thing.
But here he is, bleeding and bruised because of something I did.
"Athena!" someone screamed from downstairs. It was an older voice, probably in its mid-forties and I felt grateful that Poseidon was finally here. "How dare you enter my house, demand for my son, and just start beating him up in front of his little sister!" Okay, how did he know that? Maybe Connor told them everything that happened and when I say everything, I mean everything.
"Perseus took my daughter away from where she's supposed to be!" my so called mother shot back at him in the same tone, if possible louder.
I sobbed silently, hearing that they would even move mountains just for me. And I was just standing in Bella's room crying over it. I don't know what hit me the most, seeing my boyfriend half conscious and still trying to keep me here or hearing my boyfriend's dad having a full on shouting war with my mom. Probably both.
"Shhh" I soothed the little girl who was crying much more than I was. "Everything's fine. Everything's going to be fine." See, I didn't even sound convincing. I never even believed those five words I just said, knowing that there was still something in the world that needs to be worked on. And no one even tried to do so.
There was a muffled conversation from downstairs, probably because they brought it outside or they're just too agitated to keep on screaming at each other. I jumped a good ten feet though when Nico suddenly barged in, his face covered in sweat and blood. And I was afraid whose blood it was. "Where is he?" I asked, trying so hard to wait for the answer. "Please tell me he's still alive"
Thalia's boyfriend smiled and nodded, gesturing for us to go to the room right beside this. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. I didn't care. Percy's probably in a much worse state than I will ever be in my entire life.
And this is probably one of the many times I wish I wasn't always right. Of course, he had the decency to wipe away the red liquid gushing from his mouth just seconds ago but you could still tell that they were there. His face was bruised but not as bad as I thought. So it would probably heal by the end of the week with the proper medication. "Seaweed Brain?" I choked, hoping that this wasn't just a dream.
He gave me one of his genuine smiles that would usually brighten up my day but these were one of those moments where I could just punch him in the gut for worrying me so much. But I don't think he needed that. "Hey, Wise Girl"
I ran to his arms, ignoring the fact that all of my friends were in the same room. You don't know how good… no, that wasn't the word. How great? Yeah, that's it. You don't know how great it is to just be back where I'm supposed to, the comfort and warmth of his arms and his heartbeat beating evenly against my cheek. "Don't you ever do that to me again" I cried, kissing him hard. "Please, I'm begging you never to do that to me again"
"I promise" he muttered lightly, pressing his lips gently on my scalp, just to know that he was sincere. "I won't. Don't worry, I won't."
Then, I felt a light tug on my shirt. Looking down, I saw one of the most precious creatures, so innocent and so young to be suffering this much, staring up at me. I smiled at her and placed her gently on her brother's lap. "Percy" she mumbled, being so childlike I envied it. "Percy"
"I'm here" he whispered to her ear, audible enough for me to hear. This was only for us, only for us. "I will never let you see something like that again."
But there was something about how he acted that told me he didn't say everything to me. "Percy, is there something else? Something you didn't tell me?"
"You should go home" he refused to look me in the eye. "You should go home and start packing."
Did Athena finally found his weak spot that she forced him to tell me that I'm going to be leaving soon? What if she's going to bring me somewhere as far as Canada or San Francisco or Japan? I can't let that happen. I can't even bare the idea of him being ten feet away from me, much less thousands of miles.
Jason looked sad, together with Nico. I guess they heard it too. "You're moving, Wise Girl" he managed a weak smile before holding my hand, as if he was sharing his condolences right after I lost someone I loved. Well, maybe I did.
"Where?" That was the only thing I could ask. Although I feared the answer, I still wanted it. "Where? Tell me Percy!" I demanded, my voice shaking. If it was somewhere far away, I prefer dying by the means of suffocation.
Then he shook his head, chuckling lightly as if he couldn't really keep it in anymore. "What happened to surprising her?" my boyfriend's younger cousin asked, smiling widely. Even the man beside him finally gave in and smirked at my reaction. If this was a joke, I swear to God I would kill him for this. This was an ultimate low even for him.
"You're moving here" he answered, pulling me tight against him.
It took me a really long time to process this. I'm moving… here. Where is here? He doesn't mean that we're really moving in together. We've been dating for about two weeks and we're already staying in the same house (maybe even the same room). Though the thought was surprisingly pleasant, what would my classmates say about this? Surely they would hear this sooner or later and they would just start judging me in that way they're really good at. "You're serious?" I finally managed, pulling out of the hug just to look at him closely.
"As serious as a heart attack"
Before he could say anything else, my lips were on his again, kissing him more than I ever thought was possible for someone who just got out of an emotional breakdown and from another who was just physically beaten. I closed my eyes at the feeling of absolute ecstasy running through my system. How I miss being that carefree Annabeth that I was before I even considered being with Percy. And even though loving him has its consequences, whenever you just go past that, you're going to realize how totally worth all of the pain and suffering really is. "I love you" he mumbled, his breath pushed on my lips.
"I love you, too" I answered back, stroking his cheek gently, just over the place where one of his bruises was.
Mother didn't even acknowledge my presence once I followed her home. Since Percy was there for moral support, I was just glad that I wasn't alone. I kept my goodbyes short, knowing that seeing my little brother's faces would make me regret even agreeing to this decision. My dad, though, was another story. I didn't want to let go of him because he was truly the only person who understood me in that way that he did. Even if he wasn't there to support me before, I was glad that he was here now when I needed him most. "You can come visit" Percy told him, after shaking his hand. "You and those troublemakers"
"I'll try to" my father answered. I could tell he was really close to tears. "Promise me one thing, though, Annabeth"
I cocked my head to his direction but gestured for him to continue. "Promise me that you won't ever get pregnant before you two even considered starting a family together. I want you to be married when I have a grandchild."
That was a weird request. But I do understand as to why he wanted that. "I promise." I swore, hugging him again, picking up my two little brothers and kissing them both on the forehead. Even though they acted disgusted about it, they still looked pretty relieved that I didn't forget them. "Now you two, I'm not going to be there anymore so you behave yourselves as much as possible."
Bobby and Matthew nodded viciously and hugged me again. "I'm going to miss you, Annabeth" the older of the two said.
"No! I'm going to miss her!" Matthew screamed at his brother. I let out one last good hearted chuckle just for them to see and placed them back down. I'm just glad my boyfriend understands how hard this is for me. But I honestly prefer him than my family, as wrong as that sounds.
I then turned to the woman standing beside the door, her fierce stormy gray eyes looking at me up and down as if she didn't know how to treat me. "Athena" I acknowledged. It didn't feel right if I call her my mother, knowing perfectly well that she already disowned me the moment we entered this house.
"Annabeth" she muttered with absolutely no emotion. "Perseus"
Percy nodded at her just for her to know that he heard before opening the door and heading towards the car. Before I followed, though, I hugged my mom because it's the last time I could ever do that to her. She was surprised of course but she didn't return the embrace. I didn't expect her to. "You have to understand that I still love you. As much as you say that I'm not yours anymore, you still are my mother." I paused and held her by arms length. "I'm sorry if I ever wronged you in every single way possible and I forgive you for what you did. You have to know that, mom, before I truly leave you forever."
I meant it. As much as I hate her, I still love her as my mother. I know that will never change, even if I'm already eighty, she will still be my mother and that will never change. Forever. "I-"
"You don't have to say anything" I told her softly. "Just take care of Bobby and Matthew, okay? For me?"
She agreed but didn't say anything else. I just grabbed my purse and walked to the car, where my boyfriend was patiently waiting for me. "You okay?" he asked, wiping a tear from my eyes.
"Yes" I answered with a smile and kissed him just to thank him for never leaving me at all.
We arrived at his house about half an hour later. Since I practically live there now, I guess I could call it my house too. Just between us, being in the same place as he is, where he does everything, sends a secret thrill through my body. I don't know why and I'm not planning to find out soon.
"Welcome home, Annabeth" he whispered to my ear, kissing my cheek lightly as he placed my bags on the floor.
Home. God, it's been so long since I've had a home and here it is, standing strong and proud in front of me. Either the owner of the house or the house itself. But either way, he earned a kiss for good measure, just because I can now and there is nothing to be afraid of. I forgave my mother so I don't have to worry about her anymore and now that everything I ever wanted was within my grasp, I couldn't help but feel how lucky I really am to accept who I am and who I'm meant to be. "Thank you, Seaweed Brain, for everything"
"My pleasure, Wise Girl" he muttered back and pressed his lips to mine once again.
He directed me to the bedroom next to his and opened the door, leaving me because he had to call his mom about our arrival at home. I didn't look yet, afraid of what I might see. Either because it might be either too small or too big for my liking. And it was a mistake for me to just take one glance at it all.
My room was perfect.
I don't know how to describe it. It was as if fate destined for me and this space to finally meet and for me to own it. Since I already have my laptop, he didn't need to put a computer on the table but there was a huge shelf on top of it carrying so many books about architecture and mythology. My bed was heavenly, big enough to fit both of my families without anyone falling off. The best part about it was that it was on top of a platform, guided by three steps on the left and right. The sheets were soft to the touch, pure white with gray lining. The pillows felt like clouds, enough for me to not get up in the morning because of how fluffy it was. Right beside my mattress sat a bedside table, complete with a lamp and an alarm clock. But what surprised me most was the picture that sat in the middle of the smooth hardwood.
Me, Percy, and Bella in the park laughing like there was no tomorrow
"You know, I've always been waiting for the day when The Annabeth Chase goes speechless" someone said from the door. I didn't bother to look, knowing perfectly well who it was. "What do you think?"
I bit my lip and shook my head. He was right. I couldn't say anything. It took my breath away and I didn't deserve to see something so beautiful.
He led me to the terrace where a picturesque overview of their backyard sat below us. The pool was glistening in the sunlight, the leaves swaying in the breeze. The neatly trimmed hedges contained multiple colors of flowers, of every single kind known to man. Even from afar you could see that they were clearly well taken care of. "I've always like it here" he said out of nowhere, looking at me. "It's always so peaceful"
"I see what you mean" I replied, a little softer than his volume but enough for him to hear me. "Why is it better than your room?" It didn't mean to sound like an accusation but after everything that happened, I didn't think I could help it.
The good thing was, he didn't even seem insulted. He just smirked and wrapped a tan, muscular arm around me. "I like things simple. Is that too much to ask, Wise Girl?"
Percy always goes back to those childish nicknames we made for each other when we met. It was mainly on first impressions but I didn't think that it would grow with me as character. Though the main reason as to why I call him Seaweed Brain was because of his love for the ocean. Then there was also the fact that maybe he asks such stupid questions that you would just think that the only thing in that thick head of his was seaweed, maybe the one that unconsciously entered his ear when he was sleeping. "Look, we have school tomorrow and I didn't even start with my homework yet."
Another reason why I accepted his offer of living here with me was because I needed to tutor him. He needs to be taught in the way he learns best. Only I know how that is and I am not going to give it to you now and never will. "Wanna go for a swim?" I asked with a mischievous smile
"You're on, Wise Girl"