chapter four: to be somewhere
After Annabeth's eleventh birthday, the bleak end of what had been a warm and vibrant summer slowly begins to dawn. Percy becomes more and more distant, even though she knows he doesn't mean to. He's always working at the mechanic shop. This bothers her—whenever Annabeth mentions it to Helen, she reacts with distaste and goes into a spiel about child labour laws. Annabeth doesn't know what to think. Even though Percy's only sorting receipts, there could be some truth to Helen's words.
Percy's birthday is a strange affair. Annabeth only sees him in the morning long enough to give him his present: the next two volumes in the Sandman graphic novel series, which he's been talking endlessly about trying to find. They're not in the public library, so Annabeth bought them for him.
He's overwhelmed when she gives them to him. Annabeth secretly hopes he likes the Sandman novels more than Piper's and Leo's gifts—they both pitched in and bought him a box of glossy skateboard stickers—but it's hard to tell. Nevertheless, he throws his arms around them all and tackles them to the mossy ground of Annabeth's garden.
Percy has to leave soon after. He mumbles something about needing to spend the day with his family. Annabeth thinks that's unfair, but Helen says not to try not to blame him when she moans about it to her later. "I doubt it's his choice," Helen admonishes her. "His parents probably just want to spend some time with him."
Annabeth flops backwards off the couch, legs up the wall. "I know," she grumbles. "Maybe we can do something for his birthday in the next couple days...?"
Helen smiles at her from across the room. "I wouldn't mind hosting something outside while the weather's warm. Ask Percy about it when you see him."
The thing is, Annabeth doesn't see Percy for a week after that. Piper's away on vacation and Leo hasn't seen him. The two of them meet whenever they're bored, a splinter of their usual group. Of course, Annabeth doesn't mind. Leo's the only way she can learn skate tricks as Percy doesn't trust her on his board.
"Slide your foot down. No, come on, slide it—"
With a shriek, Annabeth crashes off the board and lands in a heap at the bottom of the ramp. "Ow," she grumbles. "I nearly had it, too."
"In your dreams," Leo says. "Come on, try again. If you don't learn this by the end of the day, there'll be consequences."
Annabeth doesn't feel remotely threatened by him, but she'll admit she does want to learn the trick. "Whatever. Show me it again?"
They spend the whole day at the skate-park, going up and down the ramps more times than Annabeth can count. As impatient as Leo is, he's a good teacher. After two bruised knees and a scraped elbow, Annabeth successfully lands the trick. She pumps her fist. "Yes! Suck on that."
Leo rolls his eyes. "That's rookie stuff. I'll show you a gazelle flip next."
In the soft, bleeding light of the sunset, they head home from the skatepark. Leo walks for a while beside her on the way to the junction where they usually part, skateboard under his arm. "I'm worried about Percy," Annabeth admits to him.
"Why's that?"
"Neither of us have seen him in a week. We barely even did anything for his birthday."
"I wouldn't worry," Leo advises. "You know what he's like—almost a ghost, sometimes. Disappears for a few days, then shows up again like nothing happened. He's just a distant person."
"I wish he wasn't," she says. "Makes it hard to tell what he's thinking."
Leo snorts. "Skateboarding, food and sleep probably occupy ninety percent of his brain capacity. No ones any more complicated than that."
Annabeth shakes her head, though she suspects Leo's probably right. "We should go see him at work, tomorrow. Just to make sure he's alright."
"As long as you buy us milkshakes after."
"Deal." As the pair of them come up to the junction where their paths diverge, Annabeth offers out a hand to seal the contract.
Leo shakes it as he lets his board fall to the concrete, bracing one foot on it. "Ten-thirty tomorrow, then." He pushes off, heading down the other path. With a sigh, Annabeth puts in her earphones and resigns herself to the walk home.
Annabeth takes King out to meet Leo the next day. Leo loves him; King's outgoing, sarcastic personality mirrors his own to a T.
As he approaches Annabeth, King starts going crazy. With a grin, Leo crouches down and allows King to lavish dog-kisses on his face. "Who's a good dog? Who's a good dog?" he croons. King wags his tail frantically in response.
Annabeth stifles a laugh. "Come on, let's head into town."
They decide to leave milkshakes until after visiting Percy at the machine shop. As they cross the road that leads up to it, Annabeth hears a loud crash.
"Jeez. What was that?" Leo asks, quickening his pace.
Annabeth doesn't know. She cranes her neck to see into the courtyard as Leo props his bike up by the road. A woman stands outside, talking animatedly to someone lying beneath a car on a creeper seat. With a shock, Annabeth recognises Percy's worn sneakers. "Percy!" she calls.
The woman turns around and smiles when she sees Annabeth. "Hey, there. I'm Lucy. Are you two Percy's friends?"
Leo nods. "What's he doing?"
"I'm just showing him the ropes—he asked me if he could start learning. Couldn't turn away an eager student, could I now?"
Percy wheels out from under the car and stands up, grinning. There's a smear of dark oil on his cheek. "I'm only learning the basics, but still. Maybe in a year or so I'll know enough to start working on clients' cars."
His enthusiasm is infectious. "That's so cool," Annabeth breathes. With a start, she notices Percy's split lip. "God, what happened?"
His face falls. "Oh—I fell. Messed up a skating trick."
"Bad. Ass," Leo says with awe. "Put it here." They fist-bump, and Percy's expression lightens up again.
"Alright, clear out," Lucy orders, waving away Annabeth and Leo. "He'll only be another half-hour. Why don't you kids wait somewhere?"
"The diner?" Percy suggests.
Leo nudges her. "You did say you'd buy me a milkshake."
"Fine," she mutters. "See you, Percy."
He throws her a half-smile. "See you."
True to Annabeth's word, she buys milkshakes for Leo and her when they get to The Winehouse, the family-owned diner in town. They sit down in their usual booth by the window. Annabeth thanks the waitress when she serves them their drinks.
Leo's milkshake is banana, which makes Annabeth wrinkle her nose in disgust. "I can't believe you went for banana again."
"Hey, don't slander banana! Banana milkshakes are the beverage of the gods."
Annabeth fixes him with a glare, slurping her Belgian chocolate milkshake. "I don't want to get into this with you, but you're wrong."
"Sure, Annie."
Just then, Percy pushes through the diner's glass door. Glancing around, he seems to catch sight of Annabeth and Leo. He walks over to them, looking self-conscious as he tugs on the sleeve of his oil-stained shirt.
"Hey!" Annabeth beams at him, shifting further into their booth to make room for him. "How was it?"
"Good, actually," he replies. "Engines are so interesting. I don't really understand anything yet, but Lucy says it'll become second nature with time."
"I can't believe you're already earning," Leo grouches. "Jeanne says I can't get a job until I'm sixteen. That's too long—I need cash to kick off my business."
Annabeth snorts. "What business?"
"Haven't figured it out yet," he admitted. "I'm sure I'll have a eureka moment soon, though."
Percy grins. "When you're a billionaire, you better let me live in your mansion."
"You can sleep in the garage."
"Hey!" he protests.
"What's the big deal? Just live in Annabeth's mansion. She could probably buy one with her trust fund."
Annabeth glowers at him, folding her arms. "Shut up. That's for my tuition."
Leo rolls his eyes. "Who needs an education when you can just buy a coastal home in Italy and call it a day?"
"That'd be boring. I wanna live in a city."
"Same," says Percy. Wistfully, he adds, "An apartment would be nice."
By that one statement, Annabeth is jerked back to reality. A memory of where Percy lives is still seared onto her vision. She can't imagine living where he does. Always wanting, wanting, wanting. A few weeks ago, Helen spoke to her about it. "We're lucky to live how we do. Remember that, and be respectful." The underlying message beneath her words rang in a minor key, clear as day. In that moment, Annabeth remembered a word she'd learned from reading books—poverty. Applying that word to Percy felt somehow painful, wrong.
Annabeth nudges Percy, deciding to change the subject. "Do you want a milkshake? I got Leo one."
Percy hesitates. "Uh…are you sure? I can pay you back—"
"You could buy me one next time?" Annabeth has no intention of letting him, but he doesn't have to know that.
Percy nods slowly, then smiles. "Okay, yeah. Thanks."
After their milkshakes, the three of them walk King back to Annabeth's. On the way, they lie down on the wayside in the shade of a weeping willow hanging over the stream. King lies with his head in Percy's lap. Absently, he cards his fingers through King's soft, golden fur.
"Random question, but—what superpower would you guys want to have?" Leo asks. He's flat on his back, a mess of sprawling limbs.
Annabeth hums, staring up into the swaying trails of leaves hanging down above her. "Reading minds," she decides. "I'm not a coward; I wanna know what people think of me. Plus, I'd be a great spy."
Percy looks incredulous. "You're crazy. What if they're thinking bad stuff? I'd rather not know."
"What power would you have, then?" Annabeth asks, miffed.
Percy's silent for a moment, thinking. "I dunno."
"Well, I'd have invisibility," Leo proclaims. "Or the power to turn incorporeal. I'd be the coolest assassin ever."
"Of course you'd want a power that'd help you kill people," Percy grins. He's stopped stroking King. A moment passes before King starts whining, licking Percy's arm until he pays attention to him again.
"Well? What superpower would you have?" Leo asks. "You've gotta think of one."
Percy gazes across the field. The waning sunlight falls across his eyes, making them even more startlingly green. "Flight, I think." His voice is an echo.
Leo groans. "Flying's so basic."
Percy frowns. "Well, you asked. Wouldn't you want to fly? Leave Virginia, find somewhere better than here."
"You sound like Peter Pan," Annabeth teases.
"Peter Pan?"
"You know—convinced Wendy to fly away to Neverland, and all that."
Percy shrugs. "Doesn't have to be Neverland. Just has to be somewhere." He flops down, burying his cheek in King's fur. Annabeth watches him. Something in her chest twinges, a half-fledged discomfort. She doesn't know what to say.
Later that night, she lies beneath the covers, listening to the sound of an owl calling outside. Mind vacant, she doesn't sleep for hours and hours and hours.
Annabeth's dad is religious. Helen, too, though not to the same degree. Still, the river of faith runs strong and fast in Annabeth's family. Helen's always been adamant that neither she nor Frederick will ever force church on Annabeth—she's always been free to come to her own conclusions about God. Nevertheless, church is comforting for her. The routine of dressing nice and sitting snugly between Helen and her dad while letting her gaze wander out the church's stained-glass windows is easy. Familiar.
Whenever she mentions church, Percy shoots her a strange look. "It's weird you believe in that stuff," he'll say sometimes. Annabeth wouldn't call it weird, but maybe things are just different in Percy's household.
It's Sunday, the day before school starts again. Annabeth is sitting in a pew, kicking her feet back onto the hollow wood. The reverend's voice washes over her, nothing but background noise to her distracted mind. She'll be starting middle school tomorrow—with Percy, for the first time. She can't wait for all of them to get to hang out every day.
Suddenly, everyone is standing up around Annabeth. Her dad nudges her. "Hymns, Annabeth."
"Oh!" She stands, picking up the hymn book in front of her.
"We'll begin with Blest Are They," the reverend announces with a smile. For Annabeth, it's nice to become lost in the singing.
The first week of school at Mileview is better than Annabeth could ever have dreamed. She's in Percy's class, and although they don't get to sit next to each other they can still lock eyes from across the room. Percy isn't averse to mouthing at her whenever he's got a snide comment to make. Somehow, he never gets caught.
Every lunchtime, they sit outside on the grass to eat. Percy's always forgetting his lunch so Annabeth gets Helen to make an extra sandwich for him. Whenever Percy tries to say she doesn't have to, Annabeth waves him off. "Helen doesn't mind."
On Thursday, Piper decides they should start a club together. "Mr Lee's started a photography club," she says, dropping onto her arse beside them on the grass. "We should go!"
Leo groans. "Photography? Nah, don't think so."
"I want to, but I don't know if I can. Sorry," Percy apologises. "I've got work."
Piper latches onto Annabeth's arm. "You're doing it with me," she tells her. "No excuse."
Annabeth shakes her arm free, piercing Piper with a look. "Okay, fine! I don't know if I'll be any good at it, though."
That afternoon, Piper and Annabeth head up to the art block. Piper pushes open the door to the photography workroom. There's a few other students in there—mostly older kids working on real projects. As Annabeth and Piper sit down, Mr Lee hurries through the door with a Starbucks. Annabeth stifles a giggle as he unloads his bags onto the desk. "Sorry, I'm not usually late," he announces. "I woke up at four AM so a Starbucks was in order." His accent is rounded and careful, British to the core. He sweeps a glance around the room, gaze landing on Annabeth and Piper with a smile. "Ah, new people. Right, what are your names?"
"I'm Piper. This is Annabeth," Piper tells him.
"Lovely. Well, usually I just let everyone do whatever project they want, but I'm guessing you'll need a starting point, right?"
Annabeth nods, hesitant. "Yeah."
"So, what areas of photography are you particularly interested in? Still life? Portraiture? Analog?"
"What's analog?" Piper butts in.
"Shooting with film. Here, let me show you." Mr Lee crosses the room and rummages in one of the cupboards, finally pulling out a box. He puts it on the table in front of them and opens it, taking out a spiralling strip of monochromatic film.
Annabeth takes it when he offers it to her. She studies it carefully, wide-eyed. On the film, she can just barely make out the half-formed shapes of a dead tree. It's been lightning-struck; its trunk is torn in half, ripped brutally down the middle. "Woah," she breathes.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Mr Lee says, grinning. "I'll lend out some of the school's cameras and film if you wanna do a project with this. Once you've taken some photos, I'll even show you how to develop the film in the school's darkroom."
Piper's buzzing with excitement. "Sick!"
Mr Lee smiles. "You'll need to think of a subject to explore throughout your projects, though. Buildings, landscapes—there's so much to choose from. I'll let you have a think."
When he disappears off to help another student, Piper whirls around with a grin. "Okay! Any ideas?"
After photography club, Annabeth goes into town to see if Percy's finished his work. The analog camera that Mr Lee gave her is heavy in her bag, as well as rolls of film and everything else she'll need. She's hoping to get some good photos this week, starting with a test subject: Percy—if he's willing.
Percy is walking out of the mechanic's shop as she approaches. Dark half-moons are stamped beneath his eyes and there's a furtive tightness in the set of his shoulders. Still, he smiles when he sees her. "Annabeth! How was photography?"
"Amazing," she gushes. "I'm already starting a project! Can you help me with it? I'm trying out portraiture and I need someone to take photos of."
Percy winces. "I dunno. Can't Piper do it?"
Annabeth shakes her head, folding her arms. "No, I want you to do it. Please, for me?" she tacks on, making a sad face.
At that, Percy laughs "Fine."
They walk around town for a while, trying to find a good place to take photos. "The setting needs to make for an interesting shot," Annabeth says. "Mr Lee says I could try using a dynamic background."
"What does dynamic mean?" Percy asks.
"Moving."
Annabeth settles for a spot by a fountain in the middle of a square. Sunlight reflects off the water in beams, creating something of a light show. "Stand there," Annabeth says, gesturing. With an amused smile, Percy does as she asks. "Okay, now you need to look serious," she tells him.
"Why?"
Arching a brow, Annabeth pierces him with a glare. "Who's the photographer here?" she demands.
"I don't know, but it definitely isn't you," Percy mutters. Ignoring his verbal jab, Annabeth raises her camera and exhales, peering through the viewfinder. With a moody look in his eyes and a jagged, harsh shadow falling over his face, somehow the whole setup works.
With a click, Annabeth takes the first photo.
They spend the whole day out in town, taking photo after photo against various backdrops. The best ones, Annabeth thinks, are the ones she takes of him in front of a wall of scrawling graffiti. With his scruffy clothes and unkempt hair, Percy looks like he belongs. Annabeth even starts experimenting with different angles and despite his reluctance, Percy's a good subject.
It's evening when they finish. The sun has dipped out of sight, leaving the sky in an indigo haze. "Do you want to come back to mine?" Annabeth asks.
Percy grimaces, shaking his head. "No. I need to get home."
"How come?"
Gaze downcast, Percy fidgets with the hem of his sleeve. "My stepdad wants me back to help with dinner." The words sound strange when he says them, an afterthought.
"Okay." She pulls Percy into a tight hug. "Thanks for helping me out. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Bye, Annabeth." He swings up onto his bike and casts a throwaway smile over his shoulder. Within a heartbeat, he's gone.
thanks for reading, let me know your thoughts so far in the reviews! as usual, the second chapter of the week will be uploaded on sunday :)