Guess who's back with another update! This week was probably one of the busiest weeks of my senior year but I still found the time to write this for you guys cause you really deserve it! I love hearing all your ideas for this story and reading your lovely reviews! For real though you guys have been awesome with the amount of reviews I can't believe we passed 350! Lets keep it going! Sorry I can't reply to all of them but just know I appreciate it! My rule is I do 3 responses if I get at least 20 reviews and 2 responses for anything less. Alright well enjoy!
Review responses:
Cupcakes102: I love that so many of my readers are or have been figure skaters, that's so awesome! Yeah I don't think there's too many skating fics out there that's why I wanted to write this one!
Abby (Guest): Haha yeah to be completely honest I wasn't planning on having a scene with them all having girl problems but I just started writing it and I couldn't stop! Lol
Disclaimer: Don't own
And another goal making the score 4-2 with the Tridents in the lead!
Percy grinned, coming to a halt on the ice while the crowd dressed in blue and black cheered from the stands. He loved Friday nights during hockey season. There was so much excitement, so much enthusiasm for the sport he played and he didn't think he was ever going to get used to it. He searched the crowd once his helmet was off and when his green eyes caught a pair of familiar grey ones he stopped looking. Her hair was up in a half up half down style and she was wearing a blue sweater with some black jeans and blue converse to match. When she caught his gaze she smiled. He instantly sent her a lop-sided smirk back and winked teasingly in her direction before skating over to the rest of his teammates.
Annabeth clapped along with everyone else in the stands when Percy scored a goal for the Tridents. Piper put her hands on either side of her mouth and hollered loudly, once again wearing one of Jason's jerseys' that was way too big on her. Calypso clapped along with Annabeth on the other side of Piper. The stormy eyed girl saw Percy come to an abrupt stop once the goal had been scored. He looked through the stands and a few seconds later Annabeth met his eyes. She smiled warmly when he smirked at her and felt her cheeks redden when he sent her a small wink before skating back to the others. He was such a flirt.
She continued to watch Percy play and speed down the ice rink as if it were nothing. It was a home game after all. Percy knew every single centimeter of that ice. She noticed that whenever he could in between plays, he would always find her in the stands. It made Annabeth feel giddy inside whenever he spotted her but she couldn't quite figure out why. The game was going smoothly, the Tridents were winning and the other team looked like they were going to pass out from exhaustion. It was becoming one of the best games to watch.
At least it was until the last quarter.
"Annabeth?" She heard a familiar voice call when the small break had ended. When she spun around to look at who'd said her name her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a familiar head of hair.
"Luke? What are you doing here?" She asked in her shocked state. It came out in a sort of rude way that she hadn't been meaning to use but lucky for her he didn't seem to hear it.
He laughed and gestured to the spot next to her that had conveniently been left empty. Annabeth shook her head back and forth to indicate the spot was still open and he took a seat next to her while the game continued a few rows below them. Calypso and Piper talked amongst each other next to them. Piper gave her a look she couldn't quite explain when Luke approached her.
"Well isn't it obvious Blondie? I'm watching the game." He voiced with sarcasm. Annabeth rolled her eyes at the boy and scoffed at his joking demeanor.
"You know that's not what I meant. I've never seen you at a hockey game before. So either you were avoiding me all those other times or this is the first one you've been to all season." She joked.
"Trust me Blondie, you're a very hard person to avoid." He winked at her and Annabeth wasn't sure what to say in response. She just kind of sat there with a grin on her face. What was with all the winking today?
"This is the first game I've been to this season. I've been here since the start of the game but I didn't see you. Despite what you may think, I find hockey to be a pretty enjoyable sport to watch. Not as fun as wrestling of course, but still entertaining."
"I guess I just figured since…" She trailed off.
"You figured since Jackson is the star player I wouldn't come watch?"
She shrugged, looking down embarrassed. "Can you blame me?"
"I guess not. You know you're pretty cute when you're shy."
Annabeth felt her cheeks heat up instantly at the sudden bold comment. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously as he stared at her. She was caught completely off guard at what he did next. She felt his warm breath on her ear as he leaned closer to her.
"You know I can still see you blushing when you look down right?" He whispered in her ear. At this point her cheeks had gone way past the tomato stage and were moving on to more of a fire truck red.
She elbowed him in the stomach lightly as the two of them laughed at the situation.
Meanwhile, on the ice the entire conversation had not gone unnoticed by Percy. The score was still 2-4 with them leading. Two goals was a good lead to have but he thought three goals would seal the deal for sure. Both teams reset as the puck was thrown back into the game. Percy got it not even ten seconds later. A player from the opposing team was right on his tail and building speed fast. He shuffled down the ice, skating effortlessly on the familiar ice. When he figured he should start lining up for a shot on goal, he saw something from the corner of his eye.
Up in the stands, where he now knew Annabeth was, he saw Luke. Once the blonde boy had made it over to her they seemed to exchange a few words before he took a seat next to her and it was right next to her. An unexplainable feeling filled Percy as he tilted his head to get a better look at the two of them. He saw Annabeth laugh at something his rival had said. He laughed along with her and scooted closer to her if that was even possible.
He'd been so distracted from looking at them that it took him a full five seconds to realize the guy that had been guarding him had stolen the puck from his hold. He turned around in panic and shot down to the other side of the rink but unfortunately for him, he wasn't fast enough. Leo had been a second too late to block the shot and opposing team had scored a goal. The crowd on the other side went crazy and Precy's mind felt hazy as he thought about the last few minutes. He was brought fully back to reality with Coach Hedge's yell directed at him.
"Jackson, keep your head in the game!"
He shook himself out of it. He had to focus on playing and winning the game. They were only ahead by one now which could change at any moment for the worst. He was determined to not let that happen.
"You ok man?" Jason asked, clapping him on the shoulder as he skated by. Percy nodded in silent reply, taking a sip of water before getting back on the ice.
In the next play he had used the same tactic as before, claiming the puck as his mere seconds after it hit the ice. The same guy was guarding him as before. He didn't know why he did what he did next. It was an idiotic move but he couldn't help when his gaze was drawn back up into the stands. He wished more than anything that he had resisted the urge to look into the crowd.
He saw Luke lean over to whisper something into Annabeth's ear. She was blushing a deep red and smiling at whatever he had said to her. When he pulled away he was grinning amusedly at her. Percy's blood boiled and his eyes narrowed in anger at the scene.
The guy who had been guarding him took the puck again but this time Percy wasn't going to let him take it all the way. His whole body shook with rage as he chased after the guy. He tried his best to play defense against the buff guy but he still took a shot. The shot ended up being very far off from the goal. Relief coursed through the Tridents team but Percy knew Coach Hedge was going to give him a lecture about letting the guy take another shot on goal later on. He didn't give a crap though. He took off his helmet and skated over to the bench. His good mood now ruined.
It only got worse when the player from the other team who took the shot shoved his shoulder harshly before he could reach the bench. The push almost knocked him over but Percy managed to keep his balance. His eyes were full of fury when he made eye contact with the player.
"Hey don't take it out on me. Not my fault you've got bad aim." Percy spat out before the guy could go back to his group of teammates. He turned back around with a look that pretty much mirrored Percy's.
"Least I actually keep my eyes on the game." He taunted, his brown eyes narrowing. Percy clenched his fists in anger.
"I'd shut the hell up right now if I were you." Percy warned, skating dangerously closer to the player in front of him who had now taken off his helmet to reveal his dark brown hair.
"Oh yeah? And what if I don't pretty boy?"
Percy threw the first punch, hitting him square in the face. He'd had enough of everything that night. Twenty minutes ago he was fine but seeing Annabeth with that scumbag Luke had done something to him. It threw his whole game off and that never happened to him during a game.
It took only a second for the guy to throw a punch back at Percy. He tried to duck but he wasn't fast enough, getting a painful shock to his jaw when his fist made contact with it. The next minute consisted of the two males trying to pin each other to the ice. Percy ended up winning that battle, throwing jabs left and right while the other hockey player got a few good blows in as well. He didn't stop when he heard the referees blowing their whistles loudly. The image of Luke whispering to Annabeth made his thoughts blurry until the only thing he could see was red. He could hear the crowd cheering loudly at the actions taking place. Fighting was after all, one of the most exciting parts of hockey.
The Tridents captain was practically dragged away from the opposing player by two referees after it had gone on long enough. They held his arms back while two other referees took ahold of the brown haired player. Percy could feel the sting from the punch he'd taken to the jaw. The two of them were forced to each sit in a penalty box and Hedge stared coldly at him from across the rink. He was going to get hell for it later.
He didn't dare look up into the stands where he knew he'd probably see Annabeth looking at him confusedly. Unless she'd decided to ditch the game to go hang out with Luke. The idea made him clench his fists with newfound jealousy as he continued to watch the game happen without him.
Annabeth waited patiently outside the rink when the game was over. The Tridents team had won but only by one goal which was rare. Luke had left about five minutes ago after offering her a ride home that she'd politely declined. Calypso had left as well. That only left Piper to wait with her for the hockey players to finish changing. She knew her friend would probably leave with her boyfriend as soon as he came out though. Right as she formed the thought in her mind, the blue-eyed boy emerged through the locker room doors. He smiled upon seeing Piper and greeted her before turning to Annabeth.
"Oh hey, you looking for Percy?" He questioned, lazily throwing an arm over Piper's shoulder.
"Yeah, you know why he hasn't come out yet?"
"Coach kept him back a bit. But just so you know, the guy's not in the best of moods right now." He warned.
"Yeah, what the heck was that fight about?" Piper asked curiously, voicing the question before Annabeth could. Jason shrugged.
"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. It's weird though, Percy's known to get in to some fights here and there but he's never been the one to start the fight. I don't know what happened."
Annabeth tried to process the newfound information. She had no idea what could have caused Percy to get into a fight either. He looked fine for the entire game until the very end. She remembered her conversation with Luke being cut short with the crowd going nuts over a fight on the ice. At first she didn't even realize it was Percy who was fighting until she saw the number 1 on his jersey. He was put in one of the penalty boxes and he didn't look at her for the rest of the game. She was beyond confused. It just didn't make any sense.
"You staying then Anna?" Piper asked her, interrupting her thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll try to get a ride home from Percy. You two go on ahead."
Jason and Piper smiled at her before they both turned around to leave the rink. She could vaguely hear Piper congratulating him on the one goal he made during the game before they were out of earshot. She didn't want to bother them with giving her a ride so she hoped to the Gods that Percy would be in a good enough mood to at least give her a lift home.
The boy in question came out about three minutes later. Annabeth barely noticed it was him because he was starting at the ground with an angry expression on his face as he walked out of the locker room, now changed into some jeans with his hockey jersey and carrying his worn out hockey duffle bag on one of his shoulders.
"Jackson!" She shouted his name. He lifted his head to look around and when he saw her, his facial features didn't change. As a matter of fact, when he saw her he broke their gaze and looked back down. He walked right past her. In that one moment he'd looked at her she noticed how dark and distant his eyes were.
"Hey! I know you heard me." She called, catching up to him and trying to keep up with his fast pace. The rink was practically deserted by that point. It was amazing how many people came to the games but could then all vanish in a second what the game was over.
Annabeth ran ahead and cut him off before he could exit the rink completely. She stood in front of him with her arms crossed on her chest and an intimidating look on her face. Percy sighed deeply, as if in annoyance before looking up at her again, this time with a glare of his own.
"What do you want Chase?" Annabeth was taken aback by his tone. She recognized that tone of voice. It was the one he used to talk to her with before they became close friends.
"Well for starters I want to know why you felt the need to avoid me just now and why the hell you got into a fight."
"I'm not in the mood right now." He said curtly. He tried to move past her but she blocked his way again, this time grabbing his arm. She wasn't leaving until she got answers. She couldn't help it. It was in her nature to be curious.
"Percy what happened?" He looked down at her hand on his arm. His eyes softened a bit at her gentle tone but he shook himself out of her hold.
"Nothing."
"Yeah, ok. So you just got into a fight for no reason? That's not like you." She pushed on. She knew that Percy wasn't the kind of person to always pick a fight. In the past few weeks she'd gotten to know him he'd shown her that he was almost the complete opposite of those people.
"I'm surprised you even saw the fight." He retorted, his eyes slightly narrowing at her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, clearly confused.
"Oh I don't know. By the looks of it I figured you would be too distracted flirting with Castellan."
"What's your problem?" She argued, now fed up with his attitude. She'd tried being the nice guy but he was really pushing her buttons.
"I told you that you that hanging around with Luke wasn't a good idea yet the second I turn away you're both laughing like you've known each other for years." Annabeth paused. She hadn't been expecting that answer.
"So what am I supposed to do? Avoid him just because you want me to? Well newsflash Jackson I make my own decisions!" She shouted angrily.
"Well they're not very smart ones!" She clenched her fists in anger. It was one thing to argue with her but when someone ever insulted her intelligence that was the last straw.
"You know maybe it would help if I knew why the hell you hate him so much! So until you can tell me that I'll get out of your life." Percy's expression seemed panicked at her last few words.
She moved to turn back around and open the door but before she could she felt his grip on her wrist. He turned her face back to his and she noticed that his eyes were calmer than before. He seemed to have a sort of fearful look on his face after she'd finished her previous sentence. Did he really value their friendship that highly? She shook her head, yanking her wrist out of his hold only for him to grab it again.
"Annabeth, please. Look I'm sorry just…"
He looked like he was trying to decide on something. She met his eyes with a questioning look but before she could say anything he cut her off. He spoke quietly but she still managed to make out his next sentence under his mumbling tone.
"Come with me." His grip tightened on her hand and he practically dragged her out of the skate rental area leaving her to wonder where in the world he was taking her.
Chapter 19 done! Where is Percy taking her and more importantly will he finally reveal the mystery behind the feud with Luke? Hope you guys liked it! Sorry if there's any typos by the way. I kind of just skimmed it because I wanted to get it out to you guys. In case you couldn't tell, this chapter is a two part chapter so you'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next update! Please don't forget to review because I really enjoy reading them! Love you guys and until the next chapter!
REVIEW, REVIEW AND REVIEW!
-M
