Interlude II [Annabeth's perspective]
The second week of December ended in the blink of an eye.
Everyone was gathered together during the weekends. Christmas lights and festive decoration adorned the Chase manor and the entire estate. It was impossible to go anywhere without being reminded of the upcoming holidays.
As such, Annabeth really only had one hope. She sat on the edge of the bed as her gaze wandered to a certain boy sleeping peacefully.
"Don't worry, princess. Percy will wake up before you know it."
Being read like a book, it's not difficult to see why Thalia became her best friend. They've been together since she was born, and knowing her that long, Thalia was honestly a big sister to her even though they weren't related by blood.
"You really think so?"
Thalia patted her back with a rough slam, "Ha! When have I been wrong before?"
Almost doubling over, Annabeth ignored the urge to curse the daughter of Zeus out. Instead, she sighed tiredly, her eyes were starting to feel heavy because of a really long day.
Today, she finally had a proper tour of Camp Half-Blood from none other than Alfred as her guide, or rather, Chiron the centaur. Annabeth still had a hard time believing his actual form.
"Are you sure he's alright? It's been almost five days."
Thalia ignored her incessant fretting, "Come on, you are worrying too much. I've already told you, the poison is gone. Your mother administered the proper antidote. All that's left is for Percy to find the strength to wake up. Trust me, he'll wake up soon."
After spending four days at her penthouse in the city, Athena helped prep Percy for a ride back to the mansion so he could recover here instead. Since then, everyone including Piper and Percy's family was staying with them for the time being. It was safer than being separated.
Christmas was approaching as well, so it would be a good idea to celebrate it with the whole family together, that's if Percy was able to wake up before then. Annabeth had faith though.
"Besides that, I want to know what you think."
"About what?"
Thalia scoffed, "About your tour with Chiron, duh!"
"Oh," Annabeth paused, "Yeah, I guess it's fine."
She could see her best friend shaking her head in despair, "That's all you have to say? You really are impossible, princess."
"Hey! That's rather mean!"
Thalia smirked in amusement, "Stop pouting, baby princess. You know that's cutesy face is not going to work on me. Percy on the other hand…"
Annabeth's lips twitched in annoyance, "Fine. I'll tell you."
Honestly, the tour wasn't anything special, but Annabeth did learn a little bit more about Camp Half-Blood. It turned out the camp was a lot bigger than the first time she visited.
First, it was revealed that the cabins separated based on the Half-Blood's Godly parent, but with only two hundred people or so in total, living space wasn't an issue. And as far as she was told, there was a lot of Half-Bloods living here, but none of them were of Poseidon, Zeus, or Hades. Chiron told her that Percy, Jason, and Thalia were the only children from the trio of Gods known as the big three.
Next, Chiron took her to various places like the coliseum, the pavilion, the huge waterfall flowing down to a circular lake surrounded by a deep forest, and finally finished it off with a place called the big house. In reality, it was a small summer-like ranch home with a garden attached to its backyard. This was the place where he lived, as Chiron the centaur who oversaw Camp Half-Blood.
But in the end, Chiron was still Alfred, and as her regular butler, he had his own servant room back at Chase manor. Annabeth couldn't help but like that idea more. Whatever his reason for hiding his real identity, Annabeth would always think of her caretaker in his grey hair and beard personality, not as the half-man, half-horse centaur she saw today.
"Hmm-Hmm…" Thalia nodded as Annabeth recounted the places she saw, "It's good that you are getting familiar with camp because starting next year, you and Percy are going to get properly trained there."
"Wait, really?" Annabeth passed a gulp. To survive in their new world, she needed to get stronger, but it didn't mean her fear was gone entirely. The idea of fighting others…. that mentality frightened her.
"Yeah, at least until you two can defend yourself." Thalia told her, "But whatever after that, I'll leave it up to your mother to decide."
"Oh." Annabeth tried to hold the feelings back, but Thalia saw right through her.
"Hey…" Her reassuring voice kept her calm, "You don't have to be afraid. It's just training so no one is going to get hurt."
Her visible shaking didn't stop. Much to her disappointment, Thalia sighed before she gently reached out to put her hands around her tense shoulders, doing her utmost best to ease her trembling.
She sat down on the bed and stroked her silky hair softly, "It's natural to be afraid, Annabeth."
While Thalia wasn't wrong, Annabeth wasn't really worried about herself. If anything, training sounded kind of fun if it was anything like that day when Thalia sparred with Jason and her. It might seem so long ago when they were underneath that perfect sunny day, fighting with wooden swords and surrounded by their gardens and trees. But in reality, it's only been four months in total, four short months for so much to happen in her life.
"I am not scared!" Annabeth protested but soon lost her conviction, "N-Nooot r-really anyway."
Instead, her gaze drifted toward Percy, "I am more worried about… I just don't want Percy to get hurt anymore. He's been hurt twice already. I don't want to see him…"
Thalia never let go as the words trailed in her throat. She undid the small bungee holding her ponytail in place, letting her lustrous blonde hair cascade like a curtain and ran her fingers over her smooth wavy strands. The sensation made Annabeth feel nostalgic of the times when she was younger, the way her mother pampered her in the same manner. It put her at ease.
Thalia chuckled amusedly, "Hate to tell you, but I wouldn't worry about Percy one bit. He defeated Clarisse without having a bit of training whatsoever."
"That was just pure luck! It's not going to happen again."
Thalia shook her head firmly, "No. If that was luck, he would have gotten hurt a lot more than just a small cut on his arm. Trust me on that."
Annabeth wasn't a fighter by heart, so if Thalia was sure that's the case, then she felt alright to trust her best friend's comment. However, that posed another question. Where did Percy learn to fight? Is it his Dex Augma kicking in that save both her and himself from Clarisse? What about that Unleashed Armament thing Thalia talked about?
Her recollection about that whole explanation was vague, to say the least.
"Anyway, you are not bad either." Thalia pointed out, "Remember? You caught that poisonous dagger before it could hit Piper."
Annabeth shivered, not wanting to be reminded of that. Thalia continued to brush her wavy and unkempt strands of hair, like a big sister helping a younger sister prepare for bed.
"I am surprised actually." She grinned, "Things wouldn't have progressed as much as they had if you didn't save Piper that night. You should know how grateful she was when you tackle her out of the way."
That might be true, but ever since that night, Annabeth never had a chance to properly speak with her best friend. Sure, they've met in the halls many times, but every time she wanted to talk, Piper would brush her off and say she's busy with helping her mom.
It had become such a recurrence lately that Annabeth felt like Piper was specifically avoiding her, though she had no clue why. It made her a little sad.
"How come she is so busy lately?"
Her question unknowingly brought a sour mood over Thalia's features, "After you saved her, Piper was able to capture the person who's been behind the attack."
She shook her head in earnest, "Trust me, you wouldn't want to be the one to feel her wrath when she's angry."
That's rather shocking. Annabeth tried to picture an angry and ready-to-kill-you Piper McLean, but that concept was completely mindboggling to her. Perhaps she could envision an angry-looking but kawaii Piper, but even then the chances were slim to none… As a matter of fact, Piper had never gotten fully angry at anyone except for a few glares or cold stares.
"Anyway, it turned out he's a student at Goode."
Annabeth gasped, "Seriously?"
"Uh-huh, but I don't know much more other than that." Thalia sighed, "That's why Piper and Jason are both working with your mother. They intended to find out as much as they can."
Find out as much as they can…
"You don't mean… torture, right?"
Thalia held an uncomfortable look as her hands stopped dead in its track. It was clear what her expression meant. Surely, whoever it was deserved as much for hurting Percy and trying to hurt her best friends too, but it still bothered her.
"It's just an interrogation, though I don't doubt there are some forces behind it. I would have done as much since he did try to kill you and already did hurt Percy. It's unforgivable."
Annabeth bit her lips and refrained her words. She wasn't going to hold the moral high ground when she couldn't possibly know what she would have done herself. If the truth was ever revealed, there was a chance she might do something a lot worse than torture.
Having that thought scared her quite a bit…
Suddenly, Thalia waved her hands and physically shook the topic out the window, "But anyway, let's not talk about that! It's not our problem right now, isn't that right?"
Annabeth nodded. Just talking about those things was exhausting and made her surprisingly depressed.
"So," Thalia nudged her playfully and shifted the gloomy mood, "What's been going on between you two lately, huh? I heard from a little birdy that you were planning to ask Percy out on a date?"
Annabeth flinched so fast she practically tackled Thalia to cover her mouth. It was the only way she could react knowing what Thalia was hinting at.
"M-Mugh… U-Umghhh…"
Annabeth pressed harder to quiet those lips.
"W-Wheeere did you hear-rr that?!"
It was a dumb question with an obvious answer. Annabeth cursed in disbelief. A mistake made in the heat of the moment, she underestimated the daughter of Aphrodite's cunningness and unknowingly told her about her plan to ask Percy out on a real date. Immediately regretting her decision, Annabeth swore to interrogate the Piper herself whenever they were alone. Torture was the least she would do to her best friend who couldn't keep a secret.
"D-Don't say another word, Thals." Annabeth hated how her eyes were gleaming and she looked rather smug about her reaction, "I am warning you! What if Percy wakes up now?"
Still amused, Thalia surrendered and threw her hands up.
An irritated sigh left Annabeth's lips.
Ever since they were back home, both of them were given the job to watch over Percy, but her mother wouldn't need to say anything for Annabeth to do exactly that. In fact, she hadn't really left Percy's room except for food or the bathroom. If there was anything she wanted to do, she easily brought it over and did it here.
All to keep an eye on the moment Percy wake and be the first one to greet him. Annabeth promised to stay by his side forever, and her intention hadn't changed. This wasn't an exception.
A deep exhale followed by heavy breathing came from behind her, "Pheww… That was a rather mean thing to do, princess."
Annabeth glared coldly, "Not a word, Thals."
Giving up, Thalia tilted her shoulders and let out a resigned breathe. Of course, it only took a second before she tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled, "I swear, you and Percy are always meant to be. I can't imagine either one of you being with anyone else."
Annabeth blushed so hard she turned speechless.
"Even without the prophecy, there is no way you two wouldn't fall in love at first sight in some cliché place like a random coffee shop" Thalia shot her a sneering smile, "Oh, that's right. You did fall in love with Percy in some random coffee shop. Hahahaha…."
Redness enveloped Annabeth as her petite body flushed from head to toe.
