A/N: AAAAAND Percabeth and drama starts now.
If you want to help me, if you have any complains, questions, suggestions or if you just want to talk, message me. I'll reply. :D
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 12 – Kidnapped for a Cause
Annabeth's POV
"Where are you taking me?"
"Just shut up and you'll know."
"But, I believe that I have the right to now." I argued.
"No, Annabeth. I am not telling you."
"I can file a lawsuit against you and I promise that I will win." I threatened.
"I know you won't." The person said with a smile in his voice.
"I'm going to take off the blindfold."
"Don't be such a party pooper."
"Just tell me where you are taking me."
"Shut up and eat, if you want. You could sleep too if you want."
I gave up. I just crossed my arms and grunted. Stupid. I should have seen this coming.
Apparently it was all Percy's idea. Now, I had a blindfold over my eyes in the Ferrari that I saw earlier on our way somewhere he wouldn't tell me. He blindfolded me when I was gawking at the car and carried me in the front seat of the car. He got all the take-outs and then we were off. I was getting annoyed by the second. He wouldn't tell me where we were going so I ended up falling asleep.
I felt someone carrying me. I heard a door close and the person gently laying me down on something soft. I took a deep breath and called for Percy but no one answered.
"Percy?" I called again, louder.
"Hey, you're awake." I heard his distant voice.
"Where are you?"
"Coming."
A few seconds later, I felt his hands on my face. He gently brushed away some hair away from my face and kissed my forehead.
"Happy birthday, Wise Girl." He whispered. "You can take your blindfold off now."
I gingerly removed my blindfold and opened my eyes. Suddenly everything was so bright. I blinked my eyes for a couple seconds until they adjusted to the light. When they were fully adjusted, I looked around and realized that this place was very familiar. I looked at Percy and gave him a disbelieving look. He just nodded. I smiled widely and gave him a hug.
Percy brought me to his father's beach house in Montauk. He must've asked his father if we could use it for my birthday. I felt touched and just tightened my hug. I kissed his cheek and thanked him.
"So, are we alone?" I asked him
"Yeah, apparently, everyone is busy. Silena and Thalia were working on an article. The Stolls have a case and Nico is working on some bodies for the Stolls. And it looks like it's just the two of us." He shrugged.
Something smells fishy. I bet they made all of those up and they weren't really doing anything.
"What about you? Maybe you are needed at the hospital for the weekend." I said.
"Well, I already filed for a leave a couple weeks ago for your birthday. We can stay for the whole weekend if you want." He smiled.
I smiled back at him and gave him another hug, "Thank you for this, Seaweed Brain."
"Anything for you, Wise Girl."
I let go of him then punched him as hard as I can.
"What was that for?" He said as he rubbed his arm.
"That was for blindfolding me. For a second there, I was going to use the Taser that Travis gave me. And if I did, oh, we would be staying in New York City right now. Since you know that I have a Taser, you better watch your steps, Seaweed Brain."
"A Taser?" He asked in surprise. "And what? Connor gave you pepper spray?"
"Yes. So consider yourself warned, Percy Jackson." I threatened.
He laughed and said, "Get ready; I have more surprises for you."
I gave him a tired and defeated look, "Come on, Percy, I think I have had enough surprises for one day."
"No, I know you will love it." He smiled at me.
"Fine."
"Your bag is in the first room." He informed me as I stood up.
"My bag?" I turned around and looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh yeah, I got Silena, Thalia, Nico, and the Stolls in this plan. Silena and Thalia packed up a bag of the things you will use for our whole stay." He said.
"I don't believe this. Oh, you guys will pay." I said as I stomped my way up to the second floor.
I went in the room where I would be staying at. There was a small travelling bag on top of the bed. Many possibilities went in my mind as I walked towards it. I opened the bag and saw some of my clothes and some clothes that I have never seen before. My clothes were in plastic bags with days written on them. I got all the plastic bags and looked at what they packed for me. Friday night: a purple dress and flip flops. Saturday: a reddish dress and flip flops. Saturday night: a glittery gold dress and black high-heeled boots. Sunday: a green dress and flip flops. There were some swimsuits, underwear, pajamas, and those are all the clothes I have. All the swimsuits that they packed were all bikinis and all the pajamas were those sexy and short nightdresses. There were toiletries and…furry cuffs. I will bet anyone a hundred dollars that the Stolls put that. I sighed and got on with it. I got the plastic bag for Friday night and headed to the bathroom.
I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and removed my hair removed my hair from the high ponytail. I wore the dress and it really hugged my body. Not only did it hug my body, it also had a slit all the way up past the half of my thigh. The dress was a purple, floor length, spaghetti strapped dress. It was purple from under my bust until the end touching the floor. The upper part of the dress was white with a floral print. The dress is something that I don't usually wear but it was nice. Really summery.
I wore the flip flops and went down. I saw Percy at the foot of the stairs, waiting for me. He was wearing a short sleeved dress shirt, Bermuda shorts, and slippers. I could see that he was wearing the necklace with our friendship ring. I looked at my left ring finger and saw that our friendship ring was still there.
"So, what's the surprise and why do I have to dress up?" I asked as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
"You'll see. And, do you mind if I blindfold you again?"
I rolled my eyes, "Come on; hit me with your best shot."
He gave me an apologetic smile, blindfolded me, and whispered, "Would you rather walk or do you want me to carry you?"
"Anything you want." I said.
I waited for him to just grab my hand and lead me to wherever his surprise is but he surprised me by unbuckling my knees and quickly catching me before I hit the floor.
"I thought you were going to let me fall." I mumbled while he carried me bridal style.
"I'll never do that not unless I make you fall…in love with me."
I have to admit, that really made me blush. I hid my face against his chest so he couldn't see me blush. He started walking and he tightened his grip on me. I just waited for him to put me down. A few minutes later, he stopped walking. He took a deep breath and then lifted me up so I was sitting on something.
"Percy?" I called out, getting scared when I couldn't feel him anywhere.
"I'm coming. Don't worry; I'm not giving you away." He laughed.
"Are you sure you're not giving me away to some pirates you met here?" I joked.
"Nope, giving you away will never be my option." He said with a smile in his voice.
And then I felt what I was sitting on sway, "Percy?" I called out again.
"It's fine, Annabeth. I'm here." He said then I felt him carry me again.
"Don't you dare let me go again with this blindfold on." I threatened as I snuggled closer to him.
He laughed lightly and held me tighter. I felt him put me down on a chair and he told me to just hold on. He went away for a couple minutes and I felt the chair move. By now, I was really tempted to peek or remove the damn blindfold but Percy would get mad or disappointed that I ruined his surprised.
A few minutes later, he put his hands on my shoulder and whispered, "You can take it off now."
I eagerly took off the blindfold and looked around.
We were on a boat. Away from land. With dinner in front of me and twinkly lights around.
I turned around and looked at Percy. He was just smiling at me. He borrowed his dad's boat to celebrate my birthday. I felt touched again. I stood up and hugged him, thanking him.
"You're the best, Seaweed Brain." I said.
"You're welcome, Wise Girl." He laughed lightly.
I told him to sit down. We sat down and ate dinner, which were my take outs but it's all good. I enjoyed every minute of it.
"When you told me that you were pulling an all-nighter, where were you?" I asked him.
"I was really pulling an all-nighter. But when you called me a while ago, I was getting ready for your surprise."
"So you were everything? The maps?"
He smiled, "Yeah, that was all me."
"You really planned this." I said.
"Of course I did. It's your special day. You deserve this."
"Thank you." I smiled. "So, how is your car so far? Loving it?"
"I love my car. We don't have to take the cab anymore because I'll just fetch you anytime."
I laughed.
The Ferrari was Percy's, not mine. He bought it for himself and he has been saving for it for a while now. He told me that I could borrow it anytime that I want.
"So what did the others get you?" He asked me.
"Silena got me a spa treatment. Thalia gave me two roundtrip tickets to San Francisco from New York City. Nico gave me two tickets to Paris with hotel accommodations. The Stolls, you know what they gave me."
Percy nodded his head in appreciation and continued eating. I looked around and the moment was just beautiful.
"What did your mom get you?" He asked me.
"She got me a day-off until Monday."
"I see."
"Where's Rachel?" I asked him.
"She's in Japan right now."
"Wow, when will she be back?"
His eyebrows scrunched up and he said, "She didn't tell me."
"Well, she'll be back soon." I smiled.
He smiled back at me, "Oh, I almost forgot. I have another gift."
"Another gift? Do I need to be blindfolded again? And, you already given me too may gifts, Percy. I can't even tell you how grateful I am."
"It's the last gift, I promise." He said as he got the gift from under the table.
"Percy." I warned.
"You'll love it."
"Fine."
He gave me the gift and I opened it. It was a two way pager. I looked at him and laughed.
"Are you serious?" I asked him.
"Of course I am. I got one for myself so I get to message you anytime I want."
I smiled and thanked him for the gift. I was excited to use it.
We finished almost everything I ordered except the rum balls. He said that that was a snack for our trip back to New York City. I laughed at that and just agreed with him. We stayed out in the sea for probably four hours. We just kept on talking, looking at the stars, and feeding each other the other's dessert.
"Percy, if you could live your life again, what would you change?" I asked him.
"I would change a lot of things. But those are confidential."
I looked at him and said, "Really, you wouldn't tell me, your best friend?"
"I don't think I'll ever tell anyone what I would change." He had a thoughtful expression.
"Fine."
"How about you?"
"Wait, let me think." I said then ate a spoon of my soufflé.
I thought about what I would change.
"I really don't know. I can't think of any. I have everything I could ever ask for. I don't know." I shrugged.
We finished our desserts and then we went back to the land around one in the morning. I wasn't really sleepy yet since I had a nap on our way here. Percy, on the other hand, wasn't sleepy too. Percy and I decided to just grab a blanket, lie down on the sand, and watch the stars. I used Percy's arm as a pillow. We kept talking and talking until one of us was already asleep. I looked at Percy, who was already fast asleep, and smiled. I brushed away some hair that was on his face and lied back down, using his arm as a pillow. Then I was already asleep.
I woke up and realized I was hugging Percy. I looked around and saw that it was probably around six in the morning. The sun was slowly rising and the sky was still orange. I looked up at Percy and saw him smiling down at me.
"Good morning." I mumbled and smiled.
"Morning." He greeted me back.
I rubbed my eyes and stretched. I sat up and just looked at the sea. A vast expanse of endless water. It calmed me. Percy sat up too and put his arm on my shoulder. He rubbed my shoulder, making me feel warmer.
"Does this mean that we have to go home later or tonight?" I sadly asked.
"It's up to you. If you want to be in New York City by Sunday, then we can leave tonight or maybe tomorrow."
"I think we should leave tonight since I need to get ready for work."
"Such a workaholic." He laughed.
"Shut up. You'll need to go back to New York City too, Seaweed Brain."
"I know. I'll miss this." He said.
"We can come back soon." I smiled back at him
"As of now, why don't we just enjoy the time we have here. We can go swimming, play beach volleyball, walk and feel the sand between our toes."
"Well, we better have breakfast before we do those. Come on." I said as I stood up and ran towards the beach house.
I was looking for some food to cook but it looked like Percy didn't plan out that part properly. I fixed my hair as I waited for him to arrive. He arrived a few minutes later and then looked at me as he entered the back door.
"What's wrong?" He asked me.
"We don't have anything to eat for breakfast." I pointed out.
"Yeah, I meant that. It was so we have a reason to go out and go around Montauk to look for a decent restaurant to eat at."
"I'll get ready then." I said and headed upstairs.
I took a shower and wore what was in the plastic bag with the Saturday written on it. The dress was similar to the purple dress that I wore last night. It hugged my body and had a slit past the half of my thigh. It was somewhat red and maroon mixed. It was a one shoulder dress and it also had the same white cloth with the floral print. The cloth was sewn on the upper hem of the dress and the end of the white cloth just hung loosely. I wore the flip flops and let my hair down. I got my phone and messaged Thalia and Nico that Percy and I are going home tonight.
I left my room and went down to the living room. I walked around and looked at the family pictures there. I saw Percy running towards the camera when he was still a kid. I saw a picture of young Percy shoving sand in his mouth. I laughed at that one and continued looking at the pictures. I saw pictures of young Percy carrying a small starfish, running towards the sea, running away from the water, and more.
"I see that you are enjoying my pictures." A voice said.
I turned around and saw Percy behind me with his arms crossed. I smiled at him and mimicked him.
"Of course I am. You look adorable, shoving sand in your mouth, being afraid of the water and all."
He laughed and I laughed along with him. We got our sunglasses and went out; holding each other's hand as we looked for a decent restaurant to eat at. We looked around for a while until we saw this restaurant not that far from the beach house. We got seated and then we ordered. I got crepes with fruits inside it while Percy got pancakes, sausages, and a fried egg. We also got two cups of hot chocolate.
"So, what shall we do today?" I asked him as we waited for our orders.
He was looking out the window and said, "Wait, hold that thought. I'll be right back."
He quickly left me and went out of the restaurant. I looked for what might've caught his eye probably an old friend or his dad or what. But I just saw his back. I just sat properly and waited for him.
"Sorry 'bout that, Wise Girl." He said as he sat back down in front of me.
"What was that, Seaweed Brain?" I asked.
He smiled and told me to close my eyes. I did as what he told me to. I felt him put my hair behind my ear and something in my hair. He kissed my forehead and told me to open my eyes. I opened my eyes and saw him smiling at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Beautiful." He whispered.
My eyebrows were scrunched but I was smiling, "What?"
My hands flew to the hair that he tucked behind my ear and felt a flower. I looked at him and smiled.
"Well, thank you." I said.
"You're very welcome." He said.
We ate our breakfast and no doubt Percy gave ma probably one fourth of his breakfast. I just ate it so he would be happy.
"So, what are we going to do today?" I asked him.
"We can go around Montauk. Go play beach volleyball and go swimming."
"Well, why don't we start now?" I smiled.
We left the restaurant and went around Montauk. We got some foods and some souvenirs to remember this day. He got me a floppy hat and I got him a beach themed neck tie.
"Oh, this is new." He said as we passed by a bar.
"Really?" I looked at him.
He nodded and tried to look inside.
"We could check it out tonight, if you want." I said.
"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to head back to New York City tonight?"
"We can go to the bar around six or so then we could head back to New York City maybe around eight, right?"
"Yeah, we could." He smiled. "Come on."
We walked around for a while and once we were done looking around, we headed back to the beach house. I went to my room to change to my swimsuit and get ready. I wore a bikini that they packed for me and slathered on some sunscreen. But sadly, I couldn't reach my back. I got a towel and headed downstairs. Percy was already there, waiting for me with the volleyball ball. He was just wearing board shorts so I could see his buff and well-toned body.
"Hey." I said as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh hey." He smiled at me.
"Can you put on some sunscreen on my back? I can't reach it." I laughed.
"Sure thing." He said the stood up.
He got the bottle from me and put some on my back. For a moment, he started massaging me and it felt really good.
"I should invite you over to my loft and make you massage me. I don't need to go to spas because you're all I need." I laughed when he was done.
"Whatever." He laughed.
We headed out and then installed the net for our volleyball game. Once we were done, we started warming up. I played with the ball for a couple minutes before I gave it to Percy so he can warm up too. I was already pumped up to beat Percy.
"I'm just going to warn you that I was part of the volleyball varsity in high school and in college. So you better keep up with me." I said.
"I spent almost most of my life watching you play, what makes you so sure that I'm not as good as you are?"
"Oh pfft, consider yourself warned."
I served the first ball and Percy got it to go back to my side of the court. We played for probably an hour. I have to say, Percy knows how to play and he plays good. But, of course, I won by two points.
"Good game." He congratulated as we drank water.
"Yeah, who knew you could play?" I laughed.
"I told you that I'm good."
"Whatever, you still lost, my friend."
"Okay, fine. First one in the water." He challenged me.
I smiled at him and said, "Are you challenging me?"
"In the matter of fact, I am." He stood up.
We got into our running positions and counted simultaneously.
"One. Two. Three!"
We ran as fast as we could towards the water and Percy was getting ahead of me so I might have tripped him. When he fell on the sand, I slowed down for a while then continued running full-speed but he grabbed on to my ankle. I fell down too and tried to crawl towards the water.
"I will be first." I said as I crawled.
"No, you cheater." He said.
When I found it impossible to move, I just stopped trying and started laughing. Percy still wouldn't let go of my ankle so I sat up and checked if I did any damage to his pretty face.
"Percy. Percy. Forget the race. Did you get hurt?" I said in between laughs.
He was laughing too but let go of my ankle, "Nah, I'm fine."
We laughed at each other for a while and then just headed for the water. We swam together for probably hours. I was already done swimming but Percy was still in the water. He has a thing for swimming. He was the captain of the swimming team when we were in high school and he got into college and had a swimming scholarship. He is probably cherishing the moment since he doesn't get to swim that much when we're in New York City. So I just left him in the water while I tried to figure out how to use the two way pager that he gave me and eat…the rum balls.
"Didn't we agree to save the rum balls and eat them on our way back to New York City?" He asked me as he walked towards me.
I ate another rum ball and shrugged.
"Let me have one." He said and I gave him one. "You waited for me?"
"Yeah, I'm also trying to figure out how to use this." I said and showed him the pager.
"Here, let me help you." He said as he sat down beside me.
"You better wipe your hands first." I instructed.
"Alright, Mom."
We spent quite some time together. He was just teaching me how to use the pager and finish the rum balls. It was already thirty minutes after five in the afternoon when I fully understood how to use it. We went back to the beach house to get ready to go to the new bar.
I got the plastic bag with Saturday night written on it. I took a quick shower and got dry. I waited for my hair to dry before I tied it into a high ponytail. I wore the dress and it was hugging my body. Really? Almost all the clothes they packed for me hugged my body. I took a deep breath and just got on with it. The dress was really short. So short that it was only up to half my thigh. The sleeves were above my elbows and hugged my arms. The neckline of the dress was high because it happens that the glittery gold dress was backless. I stared at myself in the mirror for a few seconds, in battle with myself. Should I wear this or should I change? I wore the high-heeled black boots with ruffles in front and walked around. Okay, I looked good. I looked flirty but not overly flirty like a hooker. I decided to go with it. I sprayed on some perfume, put on some lip balm, and left my room.
I went downstairs where Percy was already waiting for me. I looked down at my hands and saw the friendship ring shining. I smiled and went to Percy. He was wearing a plain white shirt, Bermuda shorts, a jacket, and his running shoes. He stared at me for a couple seconds before talking.
"Wow, Annabeth, you know that you don't have to be that fancy. We're just going to the bar for a couple hours." He said.
"Tell that to whoever packed my things." I gave him a straight face.
"Oh. Sorry." He laughed.
"Well, let's get going." I smiled.
We locked the front door, left the beach house, and walked to the bar.
"Are you cold?" He asked me. "You can use my jacket."
"Nah, I'm fine." I reassured him.
He put his arm on my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. We arrived to the bar and it was already packed with people. Are people this willing to get a drink and have fun in a bar? Percy got us a table and he left me for a couple minutes to get us drinks. I looked around and saw a jukebox and a stage. While I was looking around, I saw a girl looking at me too. I smiled at her but she gave me a disgusted look. I quickly looked away and then looked for Percy. He was carrying two glasses and both of them had a clear liquid. He sat in front of me and smiled.
"What are they?" I asked him.
"One is vodka and one is water, for you of course."
"So, which one is mine?"
"Here you go." He said and gave me a glass.
I stared at it and asked him, "Are you sure?"
"Yes… I think."
"You better be sure." I said.
He just laughed at me and then looked around the bar. I looked at the girl who gave me a disgusted look earlier and saw her looking appreciatively at Percy.
"Hey, Seaweed Brain, I think there's a girl that likes you over there. On your ten o'clock." I said.
He smugly looked at me and said, "I see that you're looking out for me. Is someone jealous?"
I smiled but rolled my eyes, "Shut up. It's just because she gave me a disgusted look a while ago. Probably thinking why someone as handsome and good-looking as you would be here in a bar with someone like me."
"Someone like you? Don't you mean someone as amazing as you are?"
I blushed and didn't say anything.
He spoke up a few seconds later, "I think we should make her think that we are together. What do you think?"
"Wh-what?" I asked him in surprise.
"We should make her think that we are a couple." He said with more determination.
"And what do you suggest we do to make her think that we're a couple?"
He turned around and faced the woman I was talking about, "Excuse me, you're making my fiancée uncomfortable."
The woman looked taken aback and insulted. She quickly turned around and walked away from us.
"We can do couple stuff. Like dance together, slow dance with each other, sing a duet, drink from each other's glass, and give each other googly eyes. You know those things." Percy insisted because the woman was still eyeing us.
My mouth felt dry so I looked for something to drink, which was my glass of water. I got it and quickly finished the whole glass. When my mouth was filled that was when I realized that it was not water. It was vodka. It tasted so weird and had a certain sharpness to it. I just wanted to spit it out but I thought that this would not look good and Percy actually paid for this drink. I didn't breathe as I swallowed it, thinking that I wouldn't taste it if I did but my throat just burned. Once I swallowed it, I started coughing.
"That wasn't water, Seaweed Brain." I said between coughs.
"Oh. I am so sorry. I should have tasted it. Are you okay?"
I nodded, "Yes, I am. It's fine, Percy."
He apologized a couple more times and I had to say that it was fine for a lot of times before he could fully forgive himself.
"So, what do you say to acting like a couple for tonight?" He said as he gave me the glass of water that was supposedly mine.
"I'm buzzed from the rum balls we ate earlier and from that one glass of vodka, so why not?"
He smiled and then his expression changed into the face he usually wears when he challenges me.
"What is it, Seaweed Brain?"
"I bet you can't win against me in a drinking competition."
The moment I heard the words "bet you can't win", I was immediately determined to win.
"What?"
"You can't win against me in a drinking competition."
"That's what you think! But aren't you supposed to be the one who opposes to the idea of me drinking?"
"Yeah, but come on. It's just happening once and yesterday was just your birthday. You're finally twenty seven, live a little."
I don't know what was wrong with Percy's mind but I can never say no to a challenge.
"Okay fine. Deal. Most shots win!" I said.
We shook hands and then ordered shots of tequila. We clinked our first shot glass and downed it. When we finished a couple shots, I was already feeling quite lightheaded.
"Are you sure you don't want to back out, Annabeth? You know you're a lightweight when it comes to alcohol. That's the reason why I wouldn't let you drink" He said smugly.
"Of course I am not ready to quit. I know that I can do this. How about you? Ready to quit already?" I challenged back.
"I'm just waiting for you to quit."
"I'm never going to quit. Ever!"
We ordered another round. My throat felt like it was burned at first but the burning effect was getting duller and duller as I drank more.
"Hey, Annabeth, it's already eight." Percy pointed out.
"I don't care. I will prove to you that I can win this."
"Okay, okay, whatever you say." Percy said. "Why don't we have a duet? There's a karaoke machine there."
"I see that you still want to let the girl think that we are together."
"Of course. Come on. Let's check if there are any songs we know in the machine."
We left our table and checked the machine. We scanned through the list of songs it has, looking for a song we know.
"Oh! Look! I Just Can't Stop Loving You by Michael Jackson!" I pointed.
"Yeah! I remember singing this with you back in high school."
We punched in the number of the song and got on the stage. The intro started playing and both of us were just waiting for the signal to start singing.
"Each time the wind blows, I hear your voice so I call your name. Whispers at morning, our love is dawning. Heaven's glad you came." Percy started. "You know how I feel. This thing can't go wrong. I'm so proud to say I love you. Your love's get me high. I long to get by. This time is forever, love is the answer." He looked at me as he sang and his expression was just so loving and sincere.
"I hear your voice now. You are my choice now. The love we bring. Heaven's in my heart. At your call, I hear harps and angels sing. You know how I feel, this thing can't go wrong. I can't live my life without you." I looked at him as I sang too.
"I just can't hold on." He held on to my hand as he sang this.
"I feel we belong."
"My life ain't worth living if I can't be with you!"
"I just can't stop loving you. I just can't stop loving you. And if I stop, then tell me what will I do." We sang together.
"Cause I just can't stop loving you." I sang then winked at him.
We finished the whole song, pretty much flirting with each other on stage. We got the score of a hundred. That song is our song. It's our jam. Ever since we were in high school, we would sing that song to each other.
We went back to our table just to catch our breath. When a slow song played, we decided to dance. I wrapped my arms around his neck while he wrapped his around my waist. I put my head against his chest as we slowly swayed to the music. I loved the moment except the fact that my mouth tasted weird and I was feeling quite lightheaded.
"I still believe that I'm going to beat you." I whispered.
"No you won't, lightweight." He chuckled.
I looked up at him then stuck my tongue out. He just chuckled again and we continued swaying to the music.
After one song, we sat back down and continued our competition. I think I was on the edge of breaking down. I felt like I couldn't take any more shots but winning this competition means more to me. I sucked it up and downed a shot.
"Hey, Annabeth. I can't drink more shots. You win. I stand corrected. I'm wrong."
I stared at him for a couple seconds, trying to process what he just said. He looked kind of ashamed and then it finally sunk in. I…I won! I stood up and jumped up and down. I did a short dance and then hugged him.
"I told you that I would win! Hah! In your face!" I laughed.
"Okay, okay, Annabeth. You won. I got it." He said.
I downed the remaining shots to further prove that I am capable of drinking alcohol. I hugged him again and the jumped up and down until I got dizzy.
He grabbed my arm before I could fall and said, "Okay, Annabeth, I get your point. Just settle down, I'll just go to the bathroom."
He let me sit down on a chair and then left me. I started to feel dizzy so I just put my head against the cool table top. I waited for Percy to come back for me. The surroundings just seemed to turn around. I closed my eyes, trying to let my head settle down.
"Annabeth, are you okay?"
I opened my eyes and saw Percy looking at me with a concerned expression on his face. I straightened up and tried to stand up but fell down. Good thing Percy caught me before I could hit the floor.
"Annabeth, I think that we should go home." He said as he made me stand up.
"No, I have to prove that I can win against you in a drinking competition!" I whined.
"Annabeth." Percy said. "You already did. You won."
"What are you talking about? You haven't given up yet!"
He surprised me by carrying me over his shoulder, "No, Annabeth, we have to get you home."
"No!" I whined.
He started walking away from our table, towards the exit. I protested and started flailing my arms around. He wasn't stopping, so I started grabbing other people's drinks and trying to drink them.
"Hey, that's my drink!" One of the people who I stole a drink from complained.
"It's mine now." I said. "Percy, see? I told you I can beat you! That's a plus one alcoholic drink for me!"
"Yes, yes, Annabeth. You win." He turned around and looked behind him, "Oh, I'm so sorry! Please forgive her, she's intoxicated."
I scrunched my eyebrows and said, "No, I'm not. He's just in denial that I won against him in a drinking competition."
"I apologize once again." Percy said.
"Oh, oh, well if that's the case then you could just pay for my drink."
Percy shifted and got his wallet out. He paid the man and apologized once again. He continued walking towards the exit.
"Percy. We aren't done yet! Put me back down so we can finish our business!" I demanded.
"Annabeth, listen to me." He started.
"I am listening!"
"You won, Annabeth."
I smiled and finally stopped resisting. I listened to the song that was playing as we left and realized how much it resembled me.
"Just carry me home tonight." I sang along as we exited the bar.
We got back to the beach house a couple minutes later. He unlocked the front door and went in. He went up the stairs and brought me to my room. He put me on top of my bed, removed my shoes, and sat down on the bed, beside me.
"Just go to sleep, Annabeth. We can leave tomorrow. Good night, Wise Girl." He said as he touched my face.
He brushed the hair on my face away and kissed my forehead.
The problem was I was nowhere near sleepy. Just a bit drowsy, but not sleepy. Another problem was that I really felt like throwing up. I quickly got up, pushed Percy away, and ran to the bathroom. I had a hard grip on the toilet bowl as I threw up. Percy was behind me a couple seconds later. He rubbed my back as I vomited. He later had a damp towel and dabbed it on my forehead while holding his phone against his ear.
"Hey, Rachel, you didn't tell me that you were coming home tonight. Surprise? Talk about bad timing! Yeah, I know I said that I'll be back in New York City by tonight but Annabeth got drunk. I know I shouldn't have made her drink. Yeah, she's fine." He said.
"Poison, get out of me!" I wailed.
"Rachel, I have to go. I have to help Annabeth. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night. I love you too." He said then hung up.
Once my stomach was emptied, I closed the lid of the toilet bowl. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes.
"Ugh. I will never drink again!" I swore as I took a deep breath.
"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have competed with you." Percy said.
"Percy, it's fine but this, everything, is your fault!" I said but started laughing.
"Okay, I think you should go to bed already, Annabeth."
"No, I want to take a bath. I feel so grimy and dirty after what I have been through tonight."
"Okay, fine. Take a bath. I'll get your bag." He said then left me all alone in the bathroom.
I removed my clothes and jumped in the shower. I took a quick shower and then wrapped a towel around myself when I was done. I got my pajamas from my bag, which Percy put in the bathroom. I picked the short dark blue nightdress and wore it. I heard a knock a couple minutes later. I opened the door and saw Percy.
"Is everything alright?" He asked me.
I stared at him for a couple seconds before answering, "Yeah, I'm good. I just have to brush my teeth then I'm ready to go to bed."
He leaned against the door frame and watched me as I brushed my teeth. I shrugged and got on with it. I grabbed my toothbrush and put on some toothpaste.
I was about to brush my teeth but I missed my mouth, "Whoops, missed my mouth." I tried it again but missed. "Missed again. Dammit."
Percy chuckled and said, "Here, let me help you."
He got the toothbrush from me and told me to open my mouth. He couldn't help but smile as he brushed my teeth. Once he was done, he told me to spit and gargle. He wiped my mouth and led be back to my bed. He got me to lie down on the bed.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Wise Girl." He said then headed for the door.
"Wait, Percy!" I called.
"What is it?" He asked and turned around.
"Sleep with me tonight."
He blushed and said, "Uhm, Annabeth, I…"
"Oh, that's not what I meant. Sleep beside me." I said.
"I have to get ready for tomorrow, Annabeth."
"But…" I trailed off. "Okay, fine. Never mind. Good night, Percy."
I turned around with my back to him. I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep. A few seconds later, I felt someone lie down beside me and wrap their arms around me. I looked behind me and saw Percy. I smiled, turned around so I was facing him, and hugged him.
"You know what? I never thanked you for everything. For tonight, for taking care of me, for being there for me, for…everything." I said.
He smiled down at me but didn't say anything.
I gave him a kiss that served as my thank you for everything he has done for me and a good night kiss.
"…I think I'm in love with you..."
A/N:Thanks for reading! :)
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Question of the Chapter: Have you ever confessed to someone about your feelings? What was the result after? :)