The week passed by so fast, with my boyfriend thanking his father endlessly about what he did. And Poseidon just keeps brushing it off as a gift for both of us to finally get the privacy that we deserve but couldn't have. I blushed at the comment and Percy couldn't help but feel embarrassed at how his dad said it. He was actually pretty glad for the discretion.
"Look, we have to go or the bus will leave us."
"Annabeth, I know where it is. We went there before, remember?"
"Well yeah but we don't want them to know that." He laughed heartily before placing all of our bags on the trunk of his car, opening the door for me before getting in himself.
He parked the car in the junior parking area, just in time to see that they were already boarding the bus. I still don't get why we needed a bus since most of us know where Montauk was and they can follow our car but I can't really argue much. Mr. Gristle walked towards us and told us that there was no more space and the other bus couldn't go so we have to follow them by car. Percy and I went back to his Honda, starting the engine and driving off, leading our friends and enemies to our paradise.
Nothing much changed in the beach house other than the fact that Rachel Dare was right outside the door. There was nothing more to do than to stay inside and watch as all of them squeal in delight as the sea breeze hit their faces or as the waves lap at their feet. Rachel and her friends were already in their bikinis, showing off more skin than is needed, and giggling as they talk about something that I probably would get mad at.
"What do we do now?" I asked, clearly bored.
"Well, there is the ocean waiting outside the door. Why don't we just hang out there for a while?"
Somehow, he got me to agree since I was already changing in the walk-in closet that is connected to the bedroom. I wore one of Percy's shirts on and smiled at how he just wore swimming trunks, a towel draped on his shoulders.
They knew that the house we were staying at was officially Percy's but I didn't expect them to make such a big deal out of it. I swear, the only thing that was keeping them out was the fact that Clarisse was inside that house, probably making out with her boyfriend, and no one dares disturb her especially when it was getting hotter by the second. How I knew that, well, I have my guesses. And the fact that we just saw them on the couch before we went out.
"What to do, what to do?" I asked myself as I sat on the beach towel, applying sun block on my skin. The last time I forgot to put it on, I had a horrible sun burn that lasted for two weeks and it stings like hell. I am not going to let that happen again.
"I'm going swimming." Percy said, kissing the side of my face before wading in the water and diving in, disappearing from my view.
I sighed and placed the bottle beside me, picking up the book I was reading. "Hey, Annabeth." I was about to respond when I suddenly realized who's voice it was. There was this sense of familiarity building up inside me and I couldn't help the excitement and fear that was taking over.
"Luke?" I gasped as I turned, meeting the blue eyes I never thought I would see again.
Before I could even think, I hugged him eagerly, burying my face on his neck and he returned the embrace. "I missed you so much" I told him, taking a good look of his handsome features. Even through the years of separation, you could still see the scar on his face, running from beneath his right eye to his jaw. He still wouldn't tell me how he got it and I stopped asking when I realized that it was useless, seeing that Luke was just as stubborn as Percy is.
"How did you get here?"
"I keep in touch with Chris, you know." He looked around nervously. "And he said that you're all going here. I just wanted to know if what I heard was true."
"That what's true?" But I think I knew the answer.
Luke Castellan has been like a brother to me, never leaving me side when I was child. There are times when I would blame Percy that he was the reason as to why he left me alone but it was never his. Once, maybe, I did love him but not the way I loved Seaweed Brain. No one can replace him but Luke has always been there for me. He taught me how to fight. He was my first real friend until he left me.
"You and Percy. Percy and you. Are you together now?" this was said through gritted teeth
I realized that it was no use keeping a secret from him, seeing that he might as well have seen how Percy kissed me before he left. But there was something in his eyes that was hoping for it all to be untrue, that I just waited for him to come back to me and reserved myself for him only, that I never felt anything for Percy and my heart was set on being with him. But, as I said, I didn't love him like that. "Yes." I said honestly, "I love him"
"You don't know that. He might be using you" He's always been so overprotective.
"Using me for what? To get high grades? To get someone jealous? As far as I'm concerned, Luke, Percy has never wanted that anyways. He loves me and he's always there for me."
But he just shook his head. "There are so many things you don't understand, 'Beth." Then he paused, as if to think of the next words to say. "You've always been the clever one but you're always blinded by how a person treats you. You don't know if he's just using you for his own selfish deeds, wants to be with you because you're smart. There are people who don't look at who you really are."
"Percy's not like that. He's different. I know it and you know it. We've been best friends ever since we were twelve and ever since then, he never left my side. He's my home, the only person I could trust, the only person I could love."
A cool breeze swept through my exposed skin and goosebumps trace its wake. Where was Seaweed Brain when you need him? But Luke was there. He was always there to keep me warm before. But now, I can't really find the strength to let my guard down when I'm with him. It was so easy before but now, I don't know what he's going to do to me.
"Look, I just came to visit. Tell Thalia that I said hi and please be careful with who you trust." There was no other word said than a strangled "Good bye" before he left, his footprints on the sand quickly fading as another breeze was felt.
And I watched where he disappeared, watch as all the many memories we had together was brought with him. I let him go before and now that I was happy, he came back to me, almost begging for me to take him again. And the worse thing is that we weren't even together. There were so many things I wanted to tell him in the past, how I got straight A's in my card just two years ago and how I never really broke my punctuality record ever since I was in the sixth grade. But when he was right in front of me, I couldn't say them. I wasn't comfortable now than I was before. It was like talking to a stranger. I didn't know him anymore. He wasn't the same Luke Castellan that I once loved.
Percy sat beside me a few minutes later, dripping wet as he dried his hair. He noticed my mood so he asked me what was wrong and I told him about my recent encounter with his former enemy. Of course there was one time when they were very good friends but Luke betrayed him and he never trusted him again, even when he tried to apologize. "He talked to you."
"Yeah"
"What did you tell him?" he was dangerously calm about this but I know that once I look back at his sea green eyes, the exact same color of the water I was staring at now, I would see so much pain and hurt and jealousy and sadness.
I took his hand in mine just to comfort him. "I told him how happy I am with you and how seeing him again will never change that." Okay, so maybe the last one was a lie but I did want to tell Luke that. I just didn't have the chance.
"Annabeth," he said my name almost like a sigh. "I love you, so much, but having to hear that someone like Luke talk to you in a way most girls can't resist, I just can't stand that."
"Wait, you were watching?"
He shook his head solemnly, "You told me everything, right?" Oh, yeah…
Percy tilted my face up to meet his eyes, filled with passion and love and loyalty, and I locked them with mine. My emotions were all boiling up inside me, for my boyfriend and for the person I treated as a brother. And at that moment, I knew for sure that Percy Jackson, the captain of the swimming team, one of the hottest guys in school, the son of one of the richest people in New York, the most perfect man in the planet, loves me. With all his heart, soul, body, and mind. "I love you" I said, smiling as I captured his lips with mine.
"I love you, too" he replied, kissing me tenderly as he pulled me closer to him. "Please, never leave me."
"Don't worry" I gasped, the words said in between labored breaths. "I won't. I won't. I won't."
Sunday. There was a reason why it's one of my most favorite days of the week. And I'm going to tell you soon enough. I woke up with a huge smile on my face, growing wider and wider as I looked at the man beside me, placing my head on his chest as he unconsciously wrapped an arm around me.
I was tracing kisses on his jaw when he finally woke up, turning his head to face mine and was rewarded by the mischievous glint in his beautiful green eyes. "Hello" he murmured, pressing his lips to my forehead.
"Hi" I replied in the same volume, "What are you looking at?"
He smiled, "The most beautiful person in the world" I blushed at the comment and sat up, placing a hand on his bare chest. He likes sleeping shirtless, especially when he's with me.
We were in the middle of a really hot make-out session when Thalia screamed from downstairs. "Hey guys! You have got to see this!"
When she uses that tone, you know that what she's saying really will benefit us. Being the first day of the week, I was in for something to see. So after getting dressed in under five minutes, we ran downstairs, laughing because Percy tripped on the last step so he fell face first on the ground. Thankfully, he wasn't bruised or whatever because I know that it was going to be a problem for the other girls after him. Note the sarcasm. "So, what is it that you want to show us?" my boyfriend asked as he dusted himself off.
Thalia cleared her throat but you could still see the hint of a smile on her face. She pointed outside the window and we cautiously approached it, seeing two people in the beach. At first, I didn't recognize who they were but I soon saw that it was Violet Anderson and Michael Yew. In that position, you would immediately think that they were a couple, seeing that they were so close together and Vi just started giggling, probably at what Yew said and I saw them lean in until their lips met in a kiss that as sure as hell wasn't just friendly. "See, I knew they were a couple." Silena squealed silently, hugging her sister.
"They're so cute together" Katie smiled, "Don't you think?" this question was more directed to me but I guess I really do have to agree.
"Why do you think they're keeping this?"
"Maybe they have the same reason as they do" Jason gestured to the two of us and we both turned as red as tomatoes, me blushing more than him.
But Percy shook his head. "Not our fault that you probably would have overreacted, which is the exact thing that you did." He shot Thalia a dirty look and she raised her arms in surrender, almost saying that it wasn't her fault.
"Look, why don't we just handle this after we have breakfast. I'm hungry." Connor said seriously, but earned him a few laughs.
So we had breakfast that Katie specifically made. Seeing her boyfriend and her boyfriend's twin brother's appetite, she doubled what she would usually serve. Being the daughter of Rose Gardner can give you that talent, just as me being the daughter of Athena Chase or Percy being the son of Poseidon Jackson. "You should really teach me how to do this Katie." I complimented as I shoved another spoonful of her scrambled eggs. It was so good that I completely ignored my manners, which surprised everyone but Seaweed Brain.
"I'll think about it" she giggled and pecked Travis gently on the cheek. She can quite bipolar at times, being snobby or annoying when she wants to be and then changing to the sweet girl she really is. Surprisingly, he was getting quite used to that, especially when Connor and he are specifically planning on doing something big on her and her only.
"What do we do now?" Jason asked, bored as he twirled a strand of Piper's hair with his fingertips. You could almost see the hint of a smile on her face.
"It's a Sunday!" Silena smiled, "Why don't we just hang out like we used to, with absolutely no worries about Rachel Dare or her cronies or whatsoever."
I rolled my eyes at her usual cheeriness but I have to say that the enthusiasm was quite contagious. "I'm going to see Lacy. Any of you guys coming?" Piper looked expectantly at us and her boyfriend merely shrugged, agreeing to the suggestion. Soon afterward, Leo did too so they exited the room.
"How about you Clarisse? What are you planning to do the entire day?" Percy was being oddly polite. But he seemed to want them out of the house.
And I think I knew the reason.
The buff girl scrunched her nose in disgust when she saw another scene unfolding outside. Apparently, Vi and Michael decided to take it more seriously and were having one of the hottest make-out sessions I have ever seen. "Why do you care, prissy?" she spat
He just smiled and shook his head. "I'm going to Mark's. He wants to hang out like before. I don't really mind if Clarisse comes. He is her brother, after all." Chris raised an eyebrow at the girl beside him and she nodded, standing up and leaving without another word. He hesitantly followed her.
"Well, I'm going to help Janet on her date tonight with Gary so I don't think you would be seeing much of me today." Silena excused herself from the table and headed straight to her room, with Beck tailing behind her.
Grover and Juniper were going to the garden with Rose, Miranda, and Katie while Travis and Connor were going to prank some unwilling people. Thalia was planning to call Luke about what he told me and she didn't really want to be alone so Nico was with her. Percy, on the other hand, was looking at me expectantly, watching my reaction. There was something about the glint in his eyes that told me that he was worried about how hearing my best friend talk endlessly about my not-so-much-as-a-brother-but-sort-of-like-that friend would affect me. I was glad that he was holding no grudge against Luke but I knew that it hurt him to see the same fire that was once in my eyes whenever something reminded me of him. I let go of that before but when I looked at the spot on the beach where he once stood, I could see the many infinite possibilities that involved me and him having a happily ever after.
I shook the thought out of my head.
"So…" Percy started awkwardly, moving his gaze from my eyes to the plate half filled with Katie's delicious cooking. "Are you going to eat that?" he asked innocently and I managed a laugh, pushing it towards him. It was finished in merely one and a half minutes.
His eyes were on mine again, surprising me because he was being observant for the first time in his entire existence. "You okay, Wise Girl?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" I answered with a raised eyebrow. But I knew why he asked. "Look, Luke's visit yesterday just bothered me. I'm just glad that he left before anything serious happened." I paused, giving him a teasing smirk. "Don't want to see my boyfriend break an arm because he tried to hit him."
Percy's eyes widened. "Are you saying that I can't take him?" he gasped, his face showing no more than amusement and disbelief. "You really are underestimating me, Annabeth."
"I was just teasing, Seaweed Brain." I laughed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Can't you take a joke?" I whispered to his ear.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" he shrugged and dropped the plate on the kitchen sink as he turned the tap on. "Could you help me here?"
So the rest of the morning, we focused on cleaning the house. It was something that he never really did before but I was glad that the intention was right. No one came for lunch so we took the opportunity to catch up on our alone time, seeing that we were always interrupted in the past, and he would kiss all the pain and worry away. And after that, he would take a pencil and a piece of paper just to draw me in the surprising way that he does, capturing my face in perfect detail with my eyes shining in the sunlight. "You really are full of surprises, Percy" I told him as I placed kisses along his collar bone, smiling when I felt his sigh.
"I could say the same thing about you." He teased. "But I won't."
I made a face at him and slapped him playfully on the chest before moving to straddle his waist and pressing my lips to his. "We're alone and we can do whatever we want, 'Beth." He reminded me. The way he said the last word was unlike Luke did, filled with a teasing compliment that I knew he just couldn't voice out. And I smiled because I just couldn't really stop myself from doing so with him around.
"Yeah, we can." I moved to kiss him again but it went deeper than the last, his fingers threading to my hair as he took it out of the loose ponytail. And I cupped his face, his arms immediately around me.
And we just stayed like that, making-out and pulling away when we needed to breathe and then making-out again. I was actually craving for something more and I knew that I did. It wasn't my fault that I was just like any other teenager especially when you have someone so perfect for a boyfriend. "Please, Perce." I breathed heavily as he traced kisses along my neck. "I need you"
He could almost smirk. "I know you do but I don't think I would." But I know his body was reacting otherwise. "I want you to beg, Annabeth."
On any other occasion, he would be the one on his knees. But that would be in any other occasion. Not this one. And I wanted him so badly I was drooling. "Please" I groaned, "I'm begging you."
"You don't mean that." He teased farther and maybe that wasn't his best move. A small growl escaped my lips and I crushed his lips to mine, hard enough that I tasted blood. I just wasn't sure whose it was. But he didn't look like I hurt him so I took advantage of that and my hands crept up his shirt. "Okay, so maybe you do."
We pulled away and he carried me bridal style up to the bedroom, as fast as his feet could manage at the moment. Most of the time, Percy was slower than a tree but when he wants something and he has to run to get it, he could be much faster than me.
So it happened and it left me breathless. It was actually quicker than I expected because I had that feeling that if we don't finish in an hour or so, someone would eventually barge in and see us. And Thalia still doesn't know my sexual life. "Are you sure this is only your second? Because you're so good at this." He turned to face me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.
"Yes, Percy" I kissed him softly. "And I guess its instinct. It's actually really easy to please you."
"So I have to try twice as hard to do that to you." He smiled and I have to admit how it just made me think that I was undeserving of that smile.
We eventually got ready, him wearing ripped jeans and a plain white v-neck shirt. There was the option of never going to leave the bed, going on and on until I couldn't feel my legs but Jason and Piper were coming back earlier than expected and that would be really bad if they find out about what we're doing. It wasn't like I was ashamed but because they didn't have to know everything that happened to my life.
"You okay?" he whispered to my ear, his arms wrapping around my waist from behind.
It was hard for me to dress because of that lingering pain in my lower abdomen that made me not want to stand up, even after the bath I took. But I sighed, saying that I could hide it as I walk since they don't really watch my legs shaking.
Percy headed to the terrace, leaning against the railing as he watched the garden. It looked very peaceful, as if he enjoyed the silence and finally appreciated how beautiful his house really is.
But before I could even blink, he took a deep breath and jumped. "No!" I screamed after him, running to where he once stood. I feared the worse, seeing his legs broken on the ground, crying and moaning in pain. I refused to look down, though, even as I rethink of all the possibilities, choking down a sob. "Percy?" I called instead.
"Yes?" he answered, his tone perfectly healthy and happy. I thought I was dreaming or that I was just hearing things or that I wasn't and he was already a ghost standing behind me but as I took a single glance on the grassy ground, I saw nothing.
And that was when I noticed the strong branch stretched just under where I was standing and Percy leaning against the trunk of the tree. "Damn you, Seaweed Brain!" I gritted my teeth, "You scared me to death."
"But you're still alive." He replied smoothly, climbing up to meet me.
He was a good distance away from where I was standing and he looked at me expectantly, his eyes clearly saying that I should jump. I had very limited choices here since if I didn't, he would call me a coward for the rest of our lives and if I do, I have that slight possibility of dying and they would think that I committed suicide. "I'll catch you" he promised.
I took a deep breath and stood on the wooden barrier, separating me from him, balancing myself perfectly on my bare feet. He smiled kindly and I took his hand, taking one step.
The sensation was different than I have ever felt before. The sciences would have had a very good debate on reality for it predicted that the branch will break and Percy and I would plummet to the ground. But as the moment I jumped, his hand held tightly to mine and swung me to another branch, landing with perfect grace as if we have practiced the trick for a really long time. Although before that, when I was in midair, I felt like I was flying, for the first time I felt finally free and that was only with him. I trusted him and he never let me go.
My steps were careful as I went to him, together climbing higher and higher until we were level with the rooftop. I was glad that I didn't fear heights because we were pretty high up and if I took one wrong step and slip and fall, I would probably be dead before I hit the ground. "You've done this before?" I asked him, staring at the vast ocean with wonder-filled eyes. "Or you just wanted to take a hunch."
"Sort of in the middle" he said, looking at me. "I did try this at home, when mom and dad were out and Consuela was busy. I went to my bedroom window and did the same thing. It felt right and I don't know why. I just wasn't sure if the branch I was going to fall at would handle my weight as much as I thought. Clearly it didn't because I heard it crack so I went to another one, the one closer to you." He ended the story with a smile.
"If we're going to do this again," I told him, "We're going to do it the old fashioned way and not like Edward in Twilight."
"Aw, what's wrong with that way?" he asked innocently.
I would have rolled my eyes if I had the energy to do so but I guess I lacked a few bars so I opted not to. "We could have died, Seaweed Brain."
He had the nerve to laugh at me. And after a few minutes, I softened up and followed his lead. It was the good old days, when we had nothing to worry about but growing up someday. Some kids may have wanted to be older but we didn't like the idea because we were afraid to let go of what we already have and we believed that maybe turning an adult could change us.
Sometimes, he would throw twigs at the people that would pass and when they would look up to see what happened, we would hide and snicker mostly to ourselves. Only Thalia and the Stolls caught us but I don't think they're going to do much about it. I could almost imagine Connor whispering to his brother that he was proud of us. The best was probably when Rachel Dare came up and peeked on the living room window, as if wanting to look for us. And seeing that she didn't find us, she grumbled and stomped away but she tripped and fell to the mud. We had to cover our mouths just so that she won't hear us and even that did very little.
So, the reason why I love Sundays was because I always find time to be with my boyfriend and my friends. And I never thought that a person's life could be so close to perfect. I mean sure it wasn't like that before but they found a way to make sure that I was happy and they did. "Why are you with me?" It was more of an inaudible whisper, mostly said to myself, but he heard and I was glad that he did. I didn't want to repeat the question.
"How many times do you have to ask that?"
"Just answer the question, Kelp for Brains."
He smirked at my new nickname for him. "It's because I love you, Annabeth" he said simply, "I love you with all of my heart and you're the only person in my mind. Plus, you're my best friend so I practically know everything about you and that only made things much easier. I trust you and this is the only time that I felt like this to anyone."
"If I didn't tell you that I loved you that day in the garden, will we ever be like this now?"
Percy seemed to think about it. "Yes. You're the best thing that happened in my life and every one of my top ten favorite experiences happened with you. If you didn't tell me, I would have done what you did."
I hummed as I settled myself on his chest. "I love you."
"I love you, too." He smiled and kissed the top of my head.
It took them a good thirty minutes to finally call a teacher to bring us down. The entire scene was actually pretty funny considering how Mr. Brant, our Spanish teacher, almost had a heart attack when he saw our current positions. "You get down here right now!" he ordered, absolute fury in his eyes. "Or I will call your parents." The threat was more or less justifiable if I did have any parents who still care about my safety and since I don't, I was relying on my guardians to do that for them.
Percy grinned mischievously and gave me the look. My heart skipped a beat at the fact that it was so long since he looked at me like that. It was the I'm-going-to-do-something-stupid-so-don't-scream look and I nodded, kissing him softly. My boyfriend looked down and leaped from the branch we were on to the other branches, going lower and lower until he reached the ground with absolutely no marks on his perfect body. The crowd that formed was in awe, giving him a loud applaud that he brushed off.
"You are in a whole lot of trouble, young man!" the teacher said, "And you, Ms. Chase! I don't want to go calling your mother."
"Go ahead. She disowned me, remember?"
He looked at me, abashed, before jabbing a finger at my direction and didn't say anything. But the message was pretty clear in his eyes. He wanted me down and he wanted me down the normal way. The only sad thing about it is that I had the tendency to follow one order at a time. So I did go down, but not how a typical person does.
I was more graceful than Seaweed Brain was, jumping and swinging and leaping until I was close enough to the ground that I jumped at Percy. Thankfully, he saw it coming and grabbed me by the waist, settling me down gently. "You two…" he was at the loss for words. Even through the anger and frustration, you could see that he was clearly impressed at how we moved so easily. "I don't even know what I'm going to do to you."
"Why don't you just let us go? Plus, this is my property now so if you don't want to be charged with trespassing, I think you should go back to your house and think of what you've done." Percy sounded so confident. His eyes were glistening with such malice and mischief that it reminded me of how Connor and Travis would usually look like. "Or do you want me to personally deal with that problem?"
"You can't talk to me like that, Jackson." Mr. Brant growled, "I am your teacher and if I was in your place, I would respect my elders."
"I only respect those who deserve respect." My boyfriend shot back at him, "And you clearly do not."
Our teacher gave Percy one last nasty look before heading away, many teases and names said behind his back. "Coward" Seaweed Brain smirked and turned to me and I smiled when I realized that he was just joking around. Apparently, he was dared to talk to one teacher rudely and the Stolls gave him fifty bucks each. "I thought we agreed to a hundred?"
The twins shared looks and took off, leaving a trail of dust at their wake.
here...