Disclaimer: Riordan owns it all, except for everything I'm creative enough to come up with.
I sit in my bathtub, bubbles all around me, soft music coming from the earphones in my ears, a glass of water in my left hand, as it's too early for wine, and a particularly heavy book in my right hand. The serenity of the situation surrounding me overwhelms my fatigued brain. I haven't had a moment of this much relaxation in what seems like forever. And since I'm up insanely early this morning, I decide to take advantage of the free time I have before my first class of the day.
I swear that I did not get one hour of sleep last night. I don't know why I had been so restless. I guess it was my thoughts. They never want to quit when I'm trying to sleep. I gave up on getting a good nights rest at around three in the morning. I laid awake for awhile, just thinking about everything. And how complicated that everything was, and is, and will continue to be. I shed a few tears and then wound up in this bathtub, hoping to distract myself.
I turn up the volume on my iPhone, hopefully the music will drown out the feelings that come with those wayward thoughts. I hear a quiet thump, thump, thump from outside of the bathroom door, letting me know that Thalia is home. After Percy left last night, I finally realized that she had not been home in awhile. And she hadn't come home the rest of the night. Seeing as I was awake, I would have heard her if she had decided to make an entrance. I figured she was somewhere doing something, probably having a one-night stand, so I didn't worry that much. She knows how to handle herself.
The doorknob to the bathroom jiggles, and Thalia comes barging in, not even bothering to knock. I take in her appearance. Rumpled clothing, hair a mess, make-up all over her face, and her signature I'm-tired-so-don't-mess-with-me face dawned. I take out my earphones. She walks over to the hamper we share in the corner of the room and plops down onto it.
"Hey." She says dejectedly, slumping her shoulders in the process.
"Hi?" I questioningly say. A grumpy Thalia makes me anxious.
"So, I spent the night at Luke's last night."
"Oh? And here I am, assuming you had a one-night stand with a random stranger."
She squints her eyes at me in dejection. "No." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "Well, yes, I guess you could say that. I mean I don't know Luke that well."
I hide my content smirk behind my hand. I know this girl in front of me too well. "And your grumpy because you had sex with the guy I know you like…why?"
"Because! He just…" She lets out an exasperated huff. "…confuses and frustrates me!"
I smile conspiratorially. "Join the club." Thalia laughs quietly, it brightens up her face which makes it undeniably contagious.
"So what happened?" I ask, giving a dramatic sigh to let her know that she's invading my quiet time. I know that she could care less though.
"I don't even know! That's it, it's settled, I'm turning lesbian."
"Oh shut up. You like Luke, even I can tell. So stop over-thinking."
She looks like she's going to say something else, but thinks better of it and changes the subject. "I'm going to make breakfast. An omelet sounds nice, would you like one?" Her breakfast talk effectively ends our conversation about Luke.
"Yes, please. I'll be out in like ten minutes."
Once I am wrapped in my fluffy gray robe, I take a seat at the island, thinking briefly back to last night, and how Percy and I sat here…No, stop. It's too early for memories of Percy's soft side…
"Yo, Annabeth!" Thalia yells. Snap back to reality.
"Hmm, yeah?"
"I said, do you want cheese in yours?"
"Mhmm, cheese sounds good."
The class that I have today: Architecture. All this class does to me is make me want to quit my low-life assistant job to pursue the actual field that makes me happy. But every part of my being knows that I can't do that until Matthew is one-hundred percent again. So until that day, I'm stuck with Percy. With Percy.
I am truly pathetic. One thought of that boy and every other thought or action I might have turns to mush. That could get dangerous. I need to get a bearing on my emotions and now. Especially considering I'm about to spend the rest of the day with him.
"And that, class, is why porticos of the nineteenth century were designed with pillars underneath them." My architecture teacher says loudly, terminating my thoughts of Percy.
The last two classes I've come to have been solely dedicated to porticos, and not that I don't love learning about a good portico every now and then, it's just that I'd rather be doing something more productive with my time. Rather than being taught something I already very well knew. After all, I'm Annabeth Chase. I've practically read every single architecture book there is in this world.
I'd rather be with Matthew, just seeing him in person would make my quite frenzied mind at the moment slightly eased. Ever since my dream yesterday, I can't stop thinking what if. What if something went wrong, and then I lost him…It's a horrible possibility. But it's there, constantly, in the back of my mind, surprising me by resurfacing when I'm at my weakest.
I quickly hide the wetness of my eyes behind my book. And as I try desperately to compose myself, I begin to tune in to what my teacher is droning on about, to what I should be focusing on at the moment.
Once class is finished, I make my way outside, enjoying the fresh air that greets me. I walk slowly and deliberately to my destination of Poseidon Inc.
"Annabelle?!" I hear someone exclaim from behind me. I turn my head around out of habit. If I had a dime for every time somebody messed up my name and called me Annabelle, I'd be rich. When my face is shown to this mystery person, she exclaims out in confidence, "I knew it! From the trade-mark blonde, curly hair." I locate the person who is speaking to me. Ah, shit…Cassidy James. The girl who made high school a living hell for me. She's perfect, of course. Long golden blonde hair, straightened to unhealthiness, impeccable clothing and a flawless face to top it all off. A stereotype of the Gods.
My polite side showing, I muster up a fake smile in her direction. And just as I'm about to say something, I realize that I truly don't have the energy to be nice to her. If she wants to be a bitch, I can be a bitch too. Screw good manners, she messes up my name, I mess up hers. "Oh my god, Kacy?!" Before I know it, she's pulling me into a hug.
"Actually, it's Cassidy, you remember! Oh, wait, I just realized that it's Annabeth, not Annabelle. Silly me."
Wow, she figured it out for herself. Surprising. "Yes, silly you!
"So what have you been up to since high-school?" She says, in her sickening voice.
"Well, I've been extremely busy lately. I'm taking classes at NYU. And when I don't have a class to get to, I'm busying myself with my part-time job." I keep the details vague, the last thing I need is to run into this girl again.
"I knew you'd be doing something with the learning thing. You always were so into it."
This is her way of calling me a nerd, I know it deep down. It's too hard for me to keep up my fake smile at this point, so I wipe it off my face instead. I square my shoulders and give her a small glare.
Seeing my expression change, she quickly tries to console me. "Oh but don't worry! The nerdy thing totally works on you."
I really can not deal with this, not today, not on two hours of sleep and an impending Percy confrontation to deal with.
"You know what Cassidy? I don't have time to deal with this. And I really don't want to explain to my boss that I'm late because the bitch that made my life hell in high school stopped me for a conversation about how great her life is, when I could really give less than two shits."
Her mouth widens fractionally in shock at my outburst. But just as soon as she lets that little bit of weakness show, her normal air of superiority is back again. Before she can get a word in edge wise, I have my back turned to her once again and I'm briskly walking away from her, feeling better about myself now that I have gotten her peskiness away from me.
I walk into the building I've become particularly familiar with. I notice something different immediately, but I can't put my finger on it.
Finally getting to my desk outside of Percy's office, I sit down in my comfy chair with relief. Thank god I'm away from that God awful woman. And thank God I can give my sore feet a rest. The heels that I have decided to wear today are way too small for me, but they are also the only heels I own. And I refuse to spend my money on anything that doesn't involve Matthew, so I am stuck with these for a while. Not that I truly mind, I'd never buy a new pair of shoes again if it meant Matthew would be okay.
I stand up to knock on Percy's door, not quite sure of what he wants me to do for him today. I knock three times and call his name. No answer. I knock again just in case he's too engrossed with whatever it is he could possible be doing to pay attention to anything else. Still no answer. Throwing caution to the wind I open it, and what I'm greeted with is nothing.
His office is bare, it looks as if no one has been in here for a long time. Confusion setting in quickly, I call out to my co-workers, "Does anybody know where Mr. Jackson is?"
Dave, the IT guy, answers my question. "He emailed us all that he was sick today and wouldn't be coming into work."
Relief and disappointment consume me at the same time. "Oh, well thanks, Dave." I sit down at my desk again, twiddling my thumbs.
Sick? I wonder if it's something serious, or just a cough. Knowing Percy, he probably wouldn't call off if it was just a common cold. Worry sets in as I realize that something could be truly wrong. I should go see him, to make sure he's okay. Then again, he may not even want company…especially mine. He did come to my house when I called in sick, though. So would he want me to go to his house, like he came to mine? Does he expect me to? What if this is something he's trying to do? Confuse me into submission? Well, screw that. He can be sick for all he's worth before I come obediently to his side.
I sigh in frustration out loud, earning an odd look from Dave. I'm being ridiculous. I'm over thinking, as usual. If Percy isn't here, then there isn't much use for me at the office. I should just go home. Get some rest that is very well needed at this point.
But yet, as I step out of the building, I can't help but feel as though he needs me. God, I'm acting like a love-sick idiot.
Making up my mind quickly, without thinking about the consequences, I pull out my phone and dial Thalia's number. After receiving the information I need from her, I turn completely on my heel in the opposite direction of my apartment, in route to a certain sea-green eyed man's home.
A/N: I know, I know, I know. I hate myself for making all of you wait so long for an update all the time. But I just can't help it! When I have free time, I write. And my free time has been very limited since school started again. So please, don't give up on me! To the people who truly invest in this story and check a lot for an update, thank you so much for the support and interest that you continue to have. It means everything to me. Anyways, I don't like this chapter all that much because Percy isn't in it, and I love writing Percabeth stuff so I promise next chapter will be much better! The fact that you guys got me to over 200 reviews makes my heart so extremely happy you have no freaking idea. I read them all and they encourage the hell out of me. Thank you and goodnight. :*