Wow, it's been a while. How long have I been gone? Two months? Three months? That's kind of embarrassing. Oh well. My life is embarrassing.
This is probably one of the hardest chapters I've ever had to write. It kind of drags on endlessly, but oh well. Hey, the longer the better, right? Hahahahaha. No.
Anyway, I hope you like it. It's just fluffy.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. All rights to Rick Riordan.
Chapter Eleven
Annabeth
"You throw your head back laughing like a little kid. I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cuz he never did. And I've been spending the past eight months thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end. But on a Wednesday, in a cafe, I watched it begin again."
-"Begin Again" by Taylor Swift
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I scold myself. Annabeth Chase, you are an idiot.
I can't do this. I don't know why I said yes to Percy. I can't sit in a restaurant with him all night, being reminded of what happened eight months ago. I can't look at him and see another boy who lives hundreds of miles away. I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't do this.
Yet here I am, sitting in my bedroom, while Rachel and Reyna go through my closet and Silena does my hair.
"I still can't believe he asked you out," Rachel says, while studying a denim shirt of mine. "He's never even noticed a girl before. And now he's asked one out. I wouldn't be surprised if you came back with a ring on your finger."
"Rachel!" I exclaim. "It's not that serious. It's just a dinner."
I'm saying this mostly to comfort myself. I never realized how scary it would be to try to move on. It's like going back into the real world after you've been on vacation. Everything – every problem you left behind, every bill, and every test – hits you full-force, pushing you over and knocking your breath out.
"Don't worry, Annabeth," Silena tells me. "After we get done with you, you're going to look stunning. Percy won't be able to get a word out, he'll be so shocked."
"That would be an awkward date," I mutter. "Just don't go too overboard, okay?"
Silena giggles. "I'll try."
I grin to myself. When I told these girls about my date with Percy, they flipped. Silena even began to call us "Percabeth", whatever that is. They insisted that I let them help me get ready, even though I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself. They wouldn't stop until I gave into their wishes. Now, I couldn't be more happy that they're here. If I were alone, I would probably be crying and coming up with believable excuses of why I can't go.
But a part of me is anticipating tonight. A small part of me, the part that is crushing on Percy, is actually genuinely excited. I'm happy to spend the night looking at his green eyes, teasing him about his floppy black hair, knowing that his whole attention is focused on me, not on other things, like friends and schoolwork. And, maybe, I'm a little happy that I snatched the guy who's rejected every girl who's thrown herself at him.
"Annabeth!" Reyna hollers, bringing me out of my thoughts. "What do you think about this one?"
She holds up a red, spaghetti-strap dress and I scrunch my nose and shake my head. No way am I wearing that to a dinner without something over it. As if Reyna's read my mind, she drapes one of my old, worn jean jackets over it, giving it a fancy, yet casual feel to it.
I smile. "That's perfect."
And it is perfect. I haven't worn that red dress since homecoming my sophomore year. It still fits, which surprises me greatly. It hugs me in all the right places and ends just above my knee. The jean jacket works perfectly with the dress. I've worn it so many times, it's faded to a light blue. With the red dress and the contrasting jacket, the outfit is beautiful. I couldn't have done better myself.
After I'm dressed, Silena begins on my make-up. I feel a little nervous giving her full control, but her make-up always looks so good everyday. At least it's not Drew or someone doing it. Besides, Silena did my hair also – a messy fishtail braid, with lots of stray curls framing my face – and it looks amazing. The make-up should look good also.
"Remember to sit up straight," Rachel instructs me. She uses Reyna as an example, dragging over the fluffy grey chair by the window and shoving her in it, forcing her to sit up straight. "Shoulders back, chin up, smile on." (Oh my gosh, that sounds like the line Effie says in the Catching Fire trailer. LOL!)
"Quit it, Rach," Silena scolds. She's brushing powder on my face now. "You sound like some sort of etiquette instructor."
"Maybe I am," Rachel shoots back. "And remember, no elbows on the table, don't talk with your mouth open, and keep the conversation going. And smile. Guys love a girl who smiles."
"Don't listen to Rachel," Silena tells me while she scans the different eyeshadow choices. "Just be yourself. Percy likes you for you. Don't change for him."
"Okay," I say in a small voice. I clasp my shaking hands together. Seeing Reyna in the chair, acting like me makes all this seem so real. It scares me.
Silena notices my shaking hands. "Hey," she says gently. "You okay?"
Quickly, I nod, earning a glare from the girl, as she's trying to put mascara on me. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Silena shakes her head. "Listen, we all get nervous before dates. I've been dating Charlie for about a year and I still get nervous."
"Yeah," Rachel pipes up. "It's just a girl thing. We overthink things, especially dates, and we get nervous about it. Just don't think too much about tonight."
Well, darn, because that seems like all I can think about at the moment.
"When did you get so smart?" Silena asks, sounding slightly impressed.
Rachel shrugs. "I hang around you too much. I pick up on things."
Despite the girls' light moods, I'm not feeling the excitement. Too much is going on in my head. Should I feel this guilty? What if tonight ends up being a disaster and I end up more hurt than I already was? What if Percy ends up being a jerk also?
"Annabeth?" Reyna asks. "You feeling alright?"
"Yeah," I lie, my voice an octave higher. "I just – I just need a minute alone."
I quickly get up and make a beeline for the bathroom, which is connected to my room. I close the door just in time, as tears begin falling. All of the pain and hurt and fear that I've been experiencing since the break-up pours out of me. It takes everything I have in me to keep my trembling lips shut tight so my friends don't hear my sobs.
I am pathetic. I am so pathetic. I should not be crying right now. It's childish and weak. I am not childish and I am not weak.
My heart ignores my mind's scolding and I continue crying. My hands shake when I lift them to wipe my tears. I fall down to the ground and lean against the counter. There's no way I can do this. No way I can get through tonight without breaking down in front of Percy.
My heart stops as I come to the realization that I have a choice to make: Percy or my past.
Someone knocks on the bathroom door. "Annabeth?" Silena calls. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," is my weak reply. My voice cracks as I say it.
She opens the door and slides in, her black hair swinging in it's ponytail. When she spots me on the ground with tear-stained cheeks, her eyes widen.
I look down to my lap, suddenly ashamed. She worked so hard on my make-up until it was perfect and now I've gone and ruined it with my pathetic crying. "I'm sorry I ruined your make-up," I say.
In response, she sits next to me on the bathroom floor. "Annabeth?" she asks, all dreaminess and excitement that was clear in her voice earlier gone. "What happened?"
I know immediately that she's not asking what happened to my make-up. She's asking what happened to make me cry. And suddenly, the thing I want more than anything is to tell someone, to share this burden.
"His name was Luke," I whisper. "Luke Castellan."
I know she understands. It's written all over her face when she looks at me.
"I met him in the park after a fight with my dad," I continue. "I had no idea who he was. The only thing I knew was that he was in a few of my classes at school. But he listened as I talked about my family. He listened like he understood what I felt, which was so different from how my friends listened. We exchanged numbers and I went back home to an apologetic father.
"He called me that night. He talked to me at school the next day. He sat with me at lunch the day after that. It went on like that, and soon we both liked each other. It took him forever to finally ask me out." I smile at the memory. It was amusing to watch him stutter out a few words while completely red.
"We dated for a year. Over time, it turned into something deeper and more serious than a normal high school relationship. Six months after our first date, he told me he loved me and I told him I loved him back. Everything was perfect. But like all perfect things, it was only temporary.
"It was the end of April, our junior year, when it fell apart. I texted him, asking if he wanted to hang out or catch a movie that night. He declined, saying he had a family dinner to go to. I was walking my dog around the block when I saw Luke's car in front of my best friend Calypso's house. She lived just a few blocks away from me. I saw her come out of her house and hurry down to Luke's car."
I shut my eyes, as the memory which I've forced out of my mind comes flooding back. My voice quivers as I continue, "I thought – I thought he must be her ride to some event or something, nothing more. But then I saw him kiss her once she got in the car."
A sob escapes my lips and I clamp them shut to trap the rest. I will not cry more. No.
"Annabeth..." Silena says gently.
"They saw me, Silena," I blurt out. I've never told anyone this part, but it just comes spilling out. "Calypso first. When Luke pulled away, she looked forward, right where I was. She gasped, which caused Luke to look at me. He looked shocked too. I didn't stay to see what they did after that."
Silena's silent. My body's shaking again and Silena wraps an arm around me. "It's okay to cry," she whispers. "It's better if you do."
"If I cry then I'm letting him win," I argue.
"Oh, so you're telling me you haven't cried over him yet?" Silena challenges.
I don't answer.
"That's what I thought."
I take a shaky breath. "I don't know what to do. I have a date tonight with a guy, but I can't stop thinking about the other guy. I'm scared to death of getting hurt again and, frankly, I don't know if I can move on."
"Stop," Silena demands. "Stop telling yourself that. You believe what you tell yourself. I tell myself I'm ugly, I'll believe it. So stop telling yourself that you can't move on or you'll begin to believe it. You can move on. You're strong and amazing and you're going to prove to Luke that he didn't break you. That you're strong and you don't need him. Starting tonight."
Her words are adamant, leaving me with no choice but to go along with them. Yet, they fill me with strength. But my stomach still churns nervously.
"I'm scared," I whisper.
"Percy won't hurt you," Silena comforts. "I promise."
"I know," I reply and suddenly, I do know – I know that Percy's different and this relationship won't turn out like my last one. And I'm ready.
I wipe my cheeks, brushing away stray tears. "Again, I'm sorry for ruining your make-up job," I apologize, smiling.
Silena smiles back. "Let's go fix you up."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"He's here!" Rachel screeches from her perch on my window seat, which overlooks the street.
It's been half an hour since my mental breakdown in the bathroom. In that half hour, Silena has completely redone my make-up to where I look even better than before. She coated my face with some light powder, brushed some mascara on my eyelashes, and rubbed some pink gloss over my lips. I look like a princess.
"He looks very handsome," Reyna remarks timidly, then immediately turns red and casts her eyes to the ground.
I rub my sweaty palms on my legs. The talk in the bathroom gave me some confidence, but my stomach still feels like I just ate three bowling balls.
Someone knocks on our apartment door.
I look at Silena with wide eyes. She gives me a reassuring smile. Then she grabs my arm and drags me out of the room.
Rachel had told me that they didn't want Percy to know that they were there, so they parked a bit farther down the street from my apartment building and would leave later, after I left with Percy. I'm a little wary leaving them alone and unsupervised in my room, so I need to leave quickly that way they can leave sooner.
When I enter the living room, I find an uncomfortable-looking Percy standing in the doorway chatting with my upset mother. Dread replaces the nervousness in my stomach. I remember the conversation at the park on Monday about our parent's rivalry. If my mom knows who Percy's dad is, this night might not go as planned. I move to intervene.
"Hey, Percy," I say, making my way to the door.
He does look very handsome. He's wearing a pair of nice jeans and a blue v-neck. The shirt fits his torso nicely, showing off his toned arms. His black hair is messy, as usual, but I like it better that way. His green eyes are trained on me, though, shining as if I were Aphrodite herself.
"Hi, Annabeth," he says back, smiling brightly. All doubt I had about this evening disappears with those two words. In it's place is the dreamy, sweet feeling you get when your crush talks to you. I smile back.
We just stand there and stare at each other goofily for a few more seconds. I can practically hear Silena, Reyna, and Rachel's cooing if they could see this.
"Annabeth." My mother's cool, stern voice pulls me out of my reverie. I turn my gaze to her.
"Yes, ma'am?" I ask politely. I really don't want to anger her now. She might not let me go. I never told my mom who I was going out with, just that I was going out.
"Can I talk to you in private please?"
My stomach sinks. "Yeah, sure. Percy, you can sit if you want."
He looks at me with a nervous expression that I can translate perfectly well: If I do, I think your mom might murder me and feed me to her college students.
I shrug and walk after my mom to her bedroom.
"Do you know who that boy's father is?" she demands the moment I shut the door. "Of course you don't. I never told you."
"Um, actually," I cut in, "I do know the story."
My mother shakes her head, her ponytail swinging. "Then why are you going to dinner with him?"
"Why do you hate his dad?" I ask. "Shouldn't he be the only one hating, since you got the job? You have no one to hate."
"I hate him because he tried to sabotage my presentation," she snaps back, rubbing her temples. In that moment, I see just how much stress she's under, trying to run a college and take care of a teenager at the same time. The last thing she needs is a rebellious teen.
I take a step forward and pull her into a hug. I rest my chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mom," I apologize. "But I'll be careful. I promise."
My mom sighs, her body moving against mine. "I know you will."
"Besides, Percy's kind. He would never try hurting me." He won't, he won't, he won't.
She pulls away and looks into my eyes – grey orbs that match hers exactly. "Okay," she says and smiles at me, before releasing me to go back to Percy.
"Is she still letting me take you to dinner?" he asks when I walk back into the room. He's still standing in the doorway, his hands in his pockets.
"No, she's not," I answer sarcastically, grabbing my bag and coat off of the coat rack by the door.
"Oh, good," he replies while I usher him out and close the door behind us.
"Quick," I whisper. "The faster we get out of the building, the less time she has to change her mind and come after you with a light saber."
Percy's eyes widen. "Really?"
"No, Seaweed Brain." I roll my eyes. "Let's go. I'm hungry."
We manage to escape the building within five minutes, after encountering a broken elevator, a kid who wanted to play "What's The Magic Word" in order to grant us access to the stairs, running down five flights of stairs, and chatting with Ms. White, the elderly lady who doesn't understand the term, "I've got to go".
"Where's your truck?" I ask, my eyes scanning the street, looking for the familiar rusty piece of junk.
"Yeah, about that," Percy starts, rubbing his neck, "it kinda broke down. And I can't use my mom's because she had another meeting with her publisher tonight about her new book. So we have to walk."
I laugh at his sheepish smile and red face, even though my feet ache just thinking about the walk. "That's fine. Where are we eating?"
Percy's enigmatic grin makes me uneasy. "It's a surprise," he says. "But you'll love it. Trust me. And it's not too far from here."
He takes off walking down the crowded sidewalk, and I follow in pursuit, trying to keep up with his long strides. I study Percy from my position slightly behind him, my heart fluttering. He's just as good-looking in the back as he is in the front. Beneath his blue shirt, his back is clearly muscled and his arms are toned. His black hair tickles the nape of his neck.
Every once in a while, Percy turns around to make sure I'm still following and grins at me. His eyes shine like he can't believe he's going out with Annabeth Chase. I can't believe it either.
"So," I begin, jogging a bit to catch up to Percy, "what's this mystery restaurant like?"
Percy's ocean eyes gleamed. "You like Italian food?" he asks.
I roll my eyes. "Italian. Very cliché."
Percy chuckles. "Nope. We're not eating Italian. I asked that to make sure that you weren't expecting Italian."
I laugh and smile widely at him. "Good. Because I actually hate Italian food."
Percy laughs, the noise sending these strange tingles all the way down to my toes. He doesn't reply, though, and keeps walking. I follow, glancing about, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious restaurant.
About five minutes later, Percy abruptly stops, causing me to almost run into him. "We're almost there," he announces. I suppose he must have had some extraordinary courage take him over or something, because he slipped his hand into mine. Immediately, my face reddens and I'm about to say something snarky to tease him (and to cover up my embarrassment), but I don't get the chance. Percy cries, "Let's go!" and takes off running down the sidewalk, pulling me along.
"Percy!" I scream his name, though I'm laughing to hard, he probably didn't hear or understand. He drags me through crowds of people and pedestrians, who give us strange looks but don't say anything. Crazy kids, they're probably thinking. One day, they'll grow up.
I hope they're wrong.
Laughing hysterically, I speed up to where I'm even with Percy. He turns and gives me his signature grin, and I return it with a dazzling smile. Our hands stay interlocked.
Finally, Percy stops in front of an old 50s-style diner, both of us breathing heavily. Without realizing I was doing it, I stare at our joined hands until Percy notices and lets go. Cold overtakes my hand and I squeeze it tight, the ghost of his hand still there.
"What do you think?" Percy asks, pulling me out of my head. He's pointing at the sign above the door, so I follow his finger and am shocked at what I see.
Anna's Diner.
"It's not Annabeth," he says quietly. "But close enough, right?"
I stare at it, my mouth slightly ajar. It's incredibly sweet, what he did. He must have really thought tonight through if he brought me here. No one has even done something this thoughtful for me. The thought is nearly overwhelming.
I look at him, pushing back tears. "Thank you," I say. "It's perfect."
He grins again and walks inside. I follow him.
The inside is even more vintage than the outside. On the right is a long aqua-green counter facing the kitchen. Teenagers sit in the matching aqua-green spin chairs, sipping milkshakes and sharing orders of fries. On the left wall, leather booths are filled with young families sharing dinner. The booths are also aqua-green, which matches the linoleum tile on the ground. Tables with chairs are in the middle, occupied by various families, elderly couples, and teenage kids all eating and laughing. I feel like we could be in poodle skirts and leather jackets and nothing would seem out of the ordinary.
Percy leads me to a booth in the back left corner. We sit across from each other. I can feel him staring at me while I survey the diner, which is enough to make me lose my focus.
"My mom and I used to come here when I was little," he informs me when I look at him. "Over the years, it kind of became part of me. And yes, I'm aware of how cheesy that sounds."
I laugh. "I understand. Back in California, there was this one Mexican place my dad and I used to go to every year for my birthday. Just the two of us. No stepfamily or anyone."
Percy opens his mouth to reply, but a waiter comes at that moment to get our drink orders. When I look up at him, I want to laugh.
The waiter is Derek, the guy from Starbucks. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Percy make a fist on the table.
"I thought you worked at Starbucks," I ask him, smiling when he recognizes me.
"Friday nights and weekends, I work here," he explains, gesturing widely with his arms at the restaurant. "College is expensive."
I grin. "Sure hope I get a scholarship, then."
"A girl like you could get one just for being beautiful," he compliments, winking. I blush. "Now, what can I get you to drink?"
"I'll have a Dr. Pepper," Percy orders. He's gazing down at his menu with more interest than necessary.
"Make that two," I tell Derek and he walks away to go get out drinks.
I turn back to Percy. "That's really ironic. Every time we're together, there's Derek. Maybe it's a sign."
"He called you pretty," he said, still studying his menu.
"Are you saying I'm not pretty?" I accuse teasingly. "Because if you are, I might have to ask Derek to switch places with you."
"No, I'm saying I should be the one to call you pretty, not him."
"What?" I stare bewildering at Percy. His words send flutters to my stomach and my heart beats faster.
"Nothing," he mutters and when he looks up from his menu, he's back to his old self. "What are you getting?"
Weird, I think. How does someone go from being a minute away from murdering someone to acting like nothing happened in the matter of a second? I shrug it off and look down at my menu.
Derek comes back with our drinks and takes up our orders. I find it amusing how jealous Percy gets. He's so laid-back most of the time, that it's crazy to see him so angry and up-tight.
"You've never talked about your family," Percy notices after Derek leaves. He takes a sip of his Dr. Pepper and fixes an expectant gaze on me.
I shrug. "There's not much to say."
Percy continues looking at me.
"She hates me," I inform him, sighing. "My stepmom. Or, she did. We were doing better, but then I moved here."
"Any siblings?"
"Two. They're twins. Matthew and Bobby. They're twelve now."
Percy grins. "Are they sweet or little devils?"
I think for a second. "A little bit of both," I decide on. "They act like devils, but they're actually really sweet."
I look at him. "What about you? Has Mr. Blofis always been your stepdad?"
Percy gets a dark look in his eyes and I almost regret that I brought up his family. "No. He married my mom the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. Before that, I had another stepdad."
The undertones in his voice tells me that he wasn't a big fan of his first stepdad.
"What happened?" I ask quietly, too curious now to drop the subject.
Percy shrugs. "He was abusive. And an alcoholic. He had the worst smell in the world, so I nicknamed him 'Smelly Gabe.' He died when I was twelve, though, so it all worked out."
"How did he die?"
Percy shrugs again. "I don't know. He was there one day and the next day, he was gone."
"I would say I'm sorry, but I get the feeling that you weren't really sad about it."
Percy laughs and says sarcastically, "No, no, of course I miss him."
We're both laughing when our food comes: two steaming orders of juicy cheeseburgers and large servings of fries.
"Can I get you anything else?" Derek asks, smiling at me.
"Yeah, can you leave?" Percy snaps. Then he clamps his lips together and his eyes widen at me, like he didn't mean to say that out loud.
Derek looks shocked at Percy, but then he breaks out into a grin. "Sure, dude. Didn't mean to intrude or anything. Hope you enjoy the meal."
When he leaves, I stare at Percy. "I cannot believe you just said that," I say.
"Neither can I."
"Better give him a big tip to make up for it."
"Fantastic."
We both dig into our burgers and don't say a word to each other. I listen to the chatter of the people around us as I chew, and think about a certain boy three-thousand miles away from me. What would he think of me right now, on a date with another guy? Would he be jealous, like Percy is when Derek comes around? Would he be indifferent to it?
I stop chewing momentarily as that thought sinks in. That's my biggest fear, I decide. That Luke wouldn't care that I'm on a date with another guy. He's probably been on countless dates with other girls by now. He had been a player, until I came along. Maybe he went back to his old ways.
That idea sends a passionate hate through me. It doesn't seem right that a guy can break a girl's heart and feel indifferent about it and go along and date seven other girls in the span of eight months. That's wrong.
"Annabeth?"
I look up to find Percy staring quizzically at me. I realize I'd been glaring at my fries on my plate. Oops.
"Sorry," I mutter. "I just thought of something."
I take a large bite of my burger to avoid any more talk about Luke, but it seems the universe has something against that idea. "Why do you get like that?" Percy asks.
"Get like what?" I play dumb.
"Like that." He gestures towards me, though I don't know what he's gesturing for. "At random times, you'll get sad or angry, like you did just now. Why?"
There is no way I'm telling him. No. That's not happening. "It's nothing," I insist, and send him my best death glare, which he translates pretty well.
The rest of dinner is eaten in silence. Derek comes and hands Percy the bill. When I look over, I see that Percy has left Derek a large tip: ten dollars to be exact, which I think is a bit over the top. We get up to leave and Percy jumps up and hops over to my side to give me a hand. I take it, though I don't need it, and gracefully climb out of the booth.
"Thank you," I say.
"My mom told me to be a gentleman before I left to pick you up," he informs me. "Just doing my job."
"So does that mean I won't get this treatment unless your mom tells you?"
I meant it as playful teasing, but when Percy looks at me to reply, all I see is truth and seriousness. "Trust me, I'll always treat you like this."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"I really hope we don't get mugged, Seaweed Brain," I warn him. We're walking down the sidewalk, which isn't as busy as it was on the way to Anna's. When I glance at my phone, the time reads, 9:15. We spent two hours and fifteen minutes eating.
"I hope so too," Percy mutters.
"You're kidding, right?" I glance warily at him. He's lived here longer than I have. Surely he knows which streets are bad and which aren't. He wouldn't take me down one that was bad.
Percy shrugs. "It's hard to tell in New York. Muggers and gangs could be anywhere."
"That's reassuring."
Percy laughs. "It'll be fine, Wise Girl. Just stay close to me."
I inch closer to him, our shoulders brushing. My heart beats faster, to where it's jumping out of my chest. I really hope Percy doesn't notice.
Manhattan is pretty nice at night. The streetlights cast a soft glow on the pavement. The smell of pastries from the little shop across from where Percy and I are wafts over to me. I find it strange that I can smell that over the rotten stench of sewers and homeless people that usually is present on the New York streets.
I wonder what Luke and Calypso are doing tonight. I wonder if they're still together. I wonder if they still miss me. I wonder about so many things, but I'm certain about one: I really need to quit thinking about my old friends. They're behind me and I have new friends now.
"So, Annabeth," Percy starts, his voice shaky with nerves. "What, uh, are you doing over spring break?"
I peer curiously at him. "I don't know. That's still a while away."
"Well, if you aren't doing anything," Percy continues, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was wondering if-"
"Annabeth?"
I turn to the voice that interrupts Percy, my stomach turning with dread. Three buff guys emerge from the alley we're passing, all in dark, baggy clothes. I glare at the one in the middle.
"Peyton," Percy says evenly. His green eyes hide a storm of anger.
Peyton ignores Percy's deadly stare. Instead, he turns to me. "This is what you were doing tonight? Come on, Annie, you would've had much more fun with me."
"Doing what?" I snap. "Partying? I think I'll pass."
Peyton laughs, a cocky, obnoxious noise that makes me want to shove him into the nearest working bulldozer. "Playing hard to get, I see. That's my favorite game."
"You're psychotic."
He laughs again. "Yeah, you're totally into me." His buddies murmur in agreement. Percy directs his death glare to them instead of Peyton.
I begin to get a sick feeling in my stomach. Peyton is staring at me like some sort of animal. That's not normal. He has some serious problems and I need to get out of here.
He inches away from his friends and closer to me. I move closer to Percy. "Get away from me," I snarl. "You're sick."
He ignores me. Grabbing my waist and wrenching me away from Percy, he says too sweetly, "You're beautiful, Annabeth, and you deserve better than this idiot here. I can offer you so much more than he can. So why not come with me and leave him?"
I need to get out of her. Now.
"Let go of me!" I scream at Peyton. Percy seems to escape his silent staring contest with the other guys and comes to help me. He punches Peyton square in the jaw with more force than I've ever seen before, grabs my hand, and screams, "Run!"
We race down the street like we had in Central Park when we ran away from my mom. Peyton screams at us, a stream of profanities escaping his lips. His two friends have to hold him back.
We run all the way back to my apartment building and through the lobby, collapsing against the elevator walls once the doors slide safely shut. The chatter from outside and in the lobby fades away and it's only then that I realize both Percy and me are laughing hysterically.
"That was terrifying," I say once I calm down. "He was either drunk, on drugs, or just completely psychotic."
Percy grins at me. "Or all three."
"Yeah. All three."
Silence. Then," Do you think Peyton's in a gang?"
I surprise myself by nodding. "Yeah. Probably. I could easily picture him starting one, too."
Percy purses his lips. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I dealt with lots of boys like those back home."
My voice catches on the word "home". I hope Percy didn't notice.
Thankfully, he changes the subject. "So, about spring break..."
I smile. "Yeah?"
"Um, my friends and I always rent a cabin down at Montauk beach and spend the week there. Would you like to go with us? It's a lot of fun."
I stop breathing, or at least it feels like it. My throat closes up and my chest seizes. This is huge. I suspect that this trip is hugely popular and envied among the Goode High student body. I would expect as much since the most popular guy hosts it. What does it mean that he invited the new girl to come?
I shake my head. I need to stop overthinking things. Clearly, he invited me because we're friends. And it's a great opportunity to get closer to some of his friends.
I smile widely at him. "I'd love to."
Percy lets out a breath. "Thank God," he sighs. "You don't know how nerve-racking that was."
The elevator dings and the doors slide open. We walk in comfortable silence down the hall to my apartment. When we get there, I naturally fumble getting the key out of my back and into the keyhole.
"Well, I guess this is where I leave," Percy says, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. I can't help but notice that this is a habit of his.
"I had a lot of fun tonight."
"Me too."
We stand there again, in silence. It's been so long since I've been on a first date that I can't remember what to do. Thankfully, Percy breaks the silence.
"I'll text you tomorrow. Thalia likes to hang out every Saturday and I have a feeling she might like you to join us at the mall or wherever we're going," he says, adding in the Thalia part quickly.
I smile. "That sounds like fun. See you tomorrow."
"See you." He leans down, plants a light kiss on my cheek and walks off.
I stare at his back until he's in the elevator and out of sight, his kiss burning on my cheek. I can't see myself, but I probably have wide eyes and a gaping mouth.
Quickly, I recover from my shock and walk inside the apartment. My mom's door is closed, but the light is on, so I assume she's already retired for the night. I practically float to my bedroom and jump on my bed, a ridiculous grin growing on my face.
I fall asleep, still grinning, replaying the night over and over again in my head.
Heh. That's really all I've got to say about this chapter. But I hope you guys liked it!
How many reviews do I have for this story right now? 122? Let's get to...135. Yeah. 135. Let's do this! Reviewers get, uh, the satisfaction of making Aria's day!
Oh, and I read the HoH. Feels, feels, feels. My fangirl heart is beating faster just thinking about it. I finished it the day after it came out. I hate it when I do that. Anyone who wants to fangirl with me over it can PM me or put their thoughts in a review or something like that. And I'm watching Sherlock and I'm kind of scared. My friend finished it and she's freaking out and fangirling. And she doesn't fangirl, so that's saying something.
Review, please!
"Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good." Romans 12:9