Percy felt as if some distance had been forming between himself and Annabeth, which kind of sucked. He kept trying to text or call her, but it was a toss up as to whether or not she would answer.
Whenever they were together anyway, they were having sex. Most guys would be content with that, but not Percy. He missed hanging out with her and being with her beyond that. They were supposed to be friends, after all.
After their last regular season game against the Hemlock Huskies, and they had gone out to her car in the parking lot, it had kind of gone downhill.
He asked to hang out with her that weekend and she'd brushed him off, saying she had something to do with her team before their district tournament. He didn't think much of it, until she started leaving him on read every so often. He wanted to think that, yeah, she was just busy and that's all there is to it, but he had a creeping suspicion that there was something else.
He finally got to talk to her when he came over to her place on Monday after their practices to do homework. He pulled up at her house and came inside, greeting Bobby and Matthew and their mother before heading up to Annabeth's room.
He knocked softly before coming in, seeing her sitting on her bed with her laptop settled on her thighs. She looked up, and those grey eyes of hers made his chest expand. He gave her a warm smile. "Hey, beautiful," he said as he walked over, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
She smiled a little, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey, Perce," she said softly as she patted the bed beside her for him to sit down.
He obliged, and gave her a little grin. "I brought you something," he said as he reached into his backpack and fished around before he handed her a bottle of orange Gatorade. "I remembered you talking in class today about how you were craving it."
Her eyes softened as she took it and smiled up at him. "You're so sweet," she chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him. Her lips touched his cheek and a warm feeling spread throughout his entire body. A smile drifted across his lips before he gently wrapped an arm around her waist. They fit together so nicely, he thought.
"You ready for your big game Wednesday?" he asked, referring to the volleyball team's first district game. They got a bye for the first round that was that day. She nodded as she pulled back, giving him a sheepish smile. She opened the bottle of Gatorade, taking a long drink.
When she pulled the bottle back, she smiled up at him. "Yeah, honestly. I'm kind of nervous, but I know we can do it." He nodded and smiled, giving her arm a little squeeze. "I know you can. You're amazing, wise girl."
She cracked this teasing smile at him as she leaned up, giving him a full, deep kiss. He felt a fire ignite in his belly as his eyes shut, his hand resting on the small of her back. She finally pulled back, leaving Percy sitting there with a big, stupid smile on his face. He just looked at her, overcome with affection.
"You're, like, one of the best things that's ever happened to me," he blurted without thinking. She got a look in her eyes that almost seemed sad, but it was gone faster than it showed up. What did he know though? Percy was terrible at reading people.
He looked down at his lap, thinking for a little bit. "Like...I've gone through a lot lately, and you just made everything so much better." He was usually never one to talk about hardships.
He never wanted to bother anyone with anything, because most of it seemed too insignificant to tell anyone. But Annabeth was sitting there, her grey eyes trained on him, dark and stormy with thought.
"I mean...I just feel so much pressure from my coach. He pulled me aside the other week and told me that he's gonna depend on me for playoffs. Like...what if we don't get there? I'm gonna feel responsible."
Annabeth sighed softly and took his hand, intertwining their fingers. Even a gesture as small as that made him feel a little better. Her hand was soft and warm, and her long fingers fit perfectly between his own.
"Percy, you're amazing. There's a reason you're a captain, and you have the most touchdowns this school has ever seen," she said with a smile, squeezing his hand. "I know it's overwhelming, I understand exactly what you're feeling."
He didn't want to meet her gaze, but he eventually did, and what he saw in her eyes was pride.
"Everyone believes in you but you," she insisted. "Every single person who's ever watched one of those football games talks about how many touchdowns or carries they think you're going to have." She squeezed his hand again, and he just gave her a small smile before she continued to speak. "You're doing great. You're doing the best that you can and that's all anyone can ask for."
She leaned in and pressed her lips gently to his, and he could feel her smile. His heart expanded and when she pulled back, he just wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. He could recognize her distinct lemony shampoo.
It wasn't a second of hesitation before she hugged him back, nestling her head perfectly against his neck. They stayed there for a bit, just in one another's arms, until there was a knock on the door and the harmonious voices of Bobby and Matthew announcing that dinner was done.
Annabeth smiled a little and pulled back, yelling that they'd be down in a second, before she looked back to Percy. Her eyes were full of what he presumed to be affection, and glowing a shade of grey that resembled calm storm clouds, about as light as they would appear.
She didn't say anything as she leaned in to kiss him once more. She didn't need to say anything.
On Thursday, Shark volleyball fans packed up all their stuff and headed out to the third district game in Hillview. After their first round bye in the tournament, the Sharks had easily won their second round game, sweeping the opposing team in three sets.
This game was the championship game, and Annabeth was nervous like she had been every year for districts, but confident enough that she could boost her team's morale.
They were in the middle of warmups as everyone started pouring in, and Annabeth was grateful to see such a big crowd clad in blue and white. It was even better when she saw Percy and the boys come in. They had taken it upon themselves to start a nice big student section, which was already pretty full. There were posters and everyone was generally hyped up for the game.
Their opponents were the Eastern Falcons, clad in their black jerseys while the Sharks were sporting their blue ones. As warmups came to a close, and the buzzer went off to signify the start of the game, the fans on their side of the gym began cheering loudly.
This would be the Sharks' fifth consecutive district championship if they won, and they were all hungry to keep the streak alive. They retreated back to the bench and stood at attention while the anthem was sung, and
Annabeth went over everything in her head, just trying to make sure she could do the best job possible of helping her team get the title again. When the anthem ended they began to announce the teams, and when Annabeth's name was called the entire gym erupted, though the loudest was Percy, that big stupid smile on his face and his hands cupped around his mouth as he whooped and cheered.
She made eye contact with him and grinned, and he blew her a kiss. Her heart skipped a beat and she flushed a bit. Moments like this were when she felt guilty. She was still talking to Luke, not to mention still having feelings for him, and here she had one of the sweetest guys she knew that was all about her.
This wasn't the time to think about that, though. She couldn't control those kind of feelings. All she needed was to focus on the game.
As the announcers finished calling out the players, Annabeth walked onto the court. The roar of the crowd, the squeak of shoes on the floor, the whistles of the refs...they're all things she grew up around.
This was her last go, her last time in a districts final game. She took a chance to look around, soaking it all in. She smiled despite herself and took her position.
She'd make it a great last game.
Percy swore that he blinked and the game was over. It was a 3-0 set blowout, with the Sharks taking home the district title for the fifth season in a row.
The entire team was incredible, though Annabeth really shined. She had kill after kill after kill, to the point where whenever she approached the net the other team flinched.
After the presentation of the medals and the trophy, all the anxious, overjoyed Sharks fans flooded the court to congratulate the team and the coaches.
Percy made a beeline for Annabeth, and the second he got within distance his arms were around her and he was lifting her into the air. "That's my girl!" he exclaimed happily, laughing as he gave her a big bear hug. She threw her arms around him, laughing happily as she kissed his cheek.
He could feel her shaking slightly from the adrenaline, and he just held her closer to steady her. After a bit he set her down, and he could feel the pride shining on his face. She had this immense smile on her lips, her fingers gripping the medal she was presented with like she was afraid someone was going to take it.
"You were incredible," he said with a grin, his hand resting gently on her arm. "You were so amazing. I'm so proud of you." He laughed and brought her in for another hug before he pulled back once more.
He stood with her for a little bit, before he glanced around. "Did your family come at all?" he asked curiously before he looked down at her. She smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "They said they'd try to make it, but my dad had night class and Bobby and Matthew couldn't come this late on a school night."
He felt sad for her, honestly. He gave her a sheepish smile before he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Well, I'm gonna be at all your games no matter what," he assured her before he took her hand.
Her heart melted and she squeezed his hand, smiling sheepishly. "Thanks, seaweed brain," she said with a grin. He just shook his head and smiled back, laughing softly. "Don't thank me," he assured her before he pointed somewhere behind her. "Also, I think they want you."
She turned to see Piper and Hazel waiting for her, big smiles on their faces. She smiled at them and held up a finger before she glanced at Percy. He smiled and shrugged. "Go be with them, Annabeth. I'll be here when you get back," he laughed.
He leaned in to kiss her cheek before he turned and walked off to go find his friends, she figured. She wasted no time in turning and heading over to her friends, throwing her arms around them with a grin. "You guys, we did it," she laughed breathlessly.
She hadn't really sat there and let it hit her yet. They were moving on to regionals again. Piper grinned and squeezed her shoulder. "You had a big game, Beth," she said with a smile. "That's more film to show to colleges."
Annabeth rolled her eyes and punched Piper in the shoulder, and even if it was lightly, she felt pride in Piper's shocked expression. "You're one to talk, McLean. Some of those tips you had were incredible. They never saw it coming."
The brunette shrugged, giving a big grin. "I know it," she laughed and turned to glance at Hazel, who was all smiles as she watched her friends' interaction. "And Hazel, holy shit you were amazing."
Hazel blushed a little and opened her mouth, most likely to protest Annabeth's statement, but the blonde cut her off with a massive grin. "You remember you had that one save where you ran over and jumped over the bench? That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life."
The shorter girl flushed again, modest as always, but she finally just smiled and shrugged meekly. "Thanks, guys. But it was definitely a team effort." They laughed and discussed the game, and Annabeth felt happier than she had in a long while.
Eventually the three of them headed back to the locker room, and Annabeth had never been more grateful to escape her sweaty uniform. She threw on some sweatpants and a blue football sweatshirt she had stolen from Percy.
She came out, smiling as her teammates and their families that were still in the gym all congratulated her. She finally made her way over to Percy. He was standing with Jason, Frank, and Leo while they all talked, smiling easily.
She found herself smiling as she saw him, her heart skipping a beat as she took her place beside him, her backpack slung over her shoulders.
She honestly thought it was weird how happy he made her. Even if she didn't come out of all this with him as her boyfriend, she had definitely gained a new best friend. Just being with him made her whole life better. She felt more at ease, supported, cared about, able to express herself.
He was such a genuine guy that it was hard not to be happy around him. She still felt bad, after everything is said and done. She was beginning to even doubt her own feelings at the moment.
Then she considered Luke, and she got another smile on her face. She loved him more than anything. They were going to work out eventually, even if it did take some...jealousy, if she could call it that.
As she took her place beside Percy, he glanced down at her and gave her a crooked, warm smile. "Hey there," he laughed softly. "Ready to get going?"
She nodded and they both said goodbye to the guys before they walked out together. He offered his hand to her and she took it gladly, their fingers fitting together nicely as they walked out together.
Percy held open the door for her as they exited the school, and a blast of cool air hit her in the face. As it got closer and closer to November, New York nights got colder and colder. She was grateful for Percy's warm hand holding her own.
He led her to his car and clicked the button to unlock it before he hopped in and started it to warm it up. She climbed in on the passenger side and managed to throw her bag into the backseat before she closed the door.
The car was cold, and she could almost see her breath in the faint light of the instruments on the console. Percy was settling in beside her, rubbing his hands together after he slammed his door shut.
She could see him glance over at her from the corner of her eye and she turned to make eye contact with him. His green eyes looked gorgeous in the low light in the car. He smiled and leaned closer to her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
As soon as he leaned in, he had pulled back, and she found herself missing the feeling of his lips on her own. "You did amazing tonight, wise girl," he said with a warm smile. "Absolutely amazing."
She felt her cheeks redden a little, and she offered a soft smile in return. "Thanks, Percy. That means a lot." He just nodded and smiled, feeling around his center console before he plugged a cord into his phone and started to play some music softly.
She recognized the song as one she had been playing on her laptop when the two of them first began studying together, all those weeks ago. A lot had changed since then.
Percy glanced in his rearview and backed out of his parking spot before he went to pull out of the parking lot, a soft smile on his face. He glanced over at her and smiled before he returned his eyes to the road and pulled out.
"Go ahead and sleep. I'm sure your exhausted." His voice was soft but full of affection. She could hear it. "You can get a little rest before we get home. Because I have a little bit of a surprise for you."
Annabeth wanted to protest, but one glance at his face made her realize that he wasn't going to relinquish any information. She just pouted for a moment before nodding and curling up in the seat.
She let her eyes drift shut and let herself be lulled to sleep by the warm air pouring out of the vents and the soft music playing over the speakers.