Yay.
So, guess what? I decided to extend the story one chapter. (Big deal, you're saying. One measly chapter, so what?) Which gives you this chapter I was not planning to include! So yeah. Not that great. Eh.
Nothing could go wrong: Hehehe...hehehe... okay, I should probably stop saying hehehe. Anyway, you're somewhat on mark with my plans. Mark. Get it? Hehehe... okay, I'll stop. Piper going crazy...yep yep. *spoiler alert* That's what happens in this chapter *spoiler alert*.
SunBear: ...I don't think I want to know what these implications are...and, uh, I'm going to just skip over this whole part.
Did I ever mention that my internal monologue reads your reviews in the Willow voice? That's important. (Also, uh, a bit creepy. Maybe just disregard that.) Mostly because you're Wizzow and I have the screenshots...
Moving on. Yep. Fluff, angst, Percabeth, check, check, check. Yep, Annabeth will have some, ah...Piper to deal with. Yeah..I just didn't wan to do Lukabeth again.
Yeah...all good points. It's true. Yep. Mhm. *is tired* My brain is gibberish-y. I cannot comprehend most of this review, and now I shall go start working on chapter 20...and then 21.
-MeBear. (XD)
Daughter of Sally Jackson: *shrug* You never know. Thanks!
Poseidon1702: Yep. SaDnEsS. That is a good thing to hope for. Thank you!
Annabeth's POV:
"So, Annabeth, you're going on a double date with me and Jason tonight," Piper told her as she got off the phone with Jason. Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"And who, pray tell, am I 'dating'?" she already knew the answer. Piper wasn't subtle by any meaning of the word. Piper just shrugged innocently.
"Well, the only guy Jason knows is Percy Jackson," she said, "so him, again, if that's alright." Piper still didn't know that Percy and Annabeth were dating almost a month later. Annabeth had mostly forgotten about the soulmate conversation the both of them had had two weeks ago, and was fine. Obviously.
(She didn't like it, it wasn't fair, but that didn't mean she had to dwell on it.)
"…alright." Annabeth said, feigning reluctance. She was surprised Piper hadn't caught on yet, to be honest. After all, Percy Jackson wasn't exactly subtle, and there had been numerous moments Annabeth had waited and braced herself for the question she was sure was coming before Piper just busied herself doing something else. "But really, Piper, you have stop setting us up." Piper looked abashed.
"Alright…" Piper said. "Anyway, it's just a casual one. We're going for Italian food, so you have to look nice." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"What, so if I go out for Italian food, I have to look nice? Is it a rule?"
"Yes," Piper told her seriously. "It's not like a pair of awkward half-friends could surpass Jason and my beautiful couple-y look, but I don't want you to embarrass me in front of my boyfriend."
"What am I, your mom?" Annabeth asked in amusement. "I've met Jason before, you know. I set you two up."
"Yep. And I know, I'm forever grateful, but seriously, I want to look nice! I don't want to get stalked and make headlines as 'Jason Grace's Girlfriend's Friend from the Street'." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Oh puh lease, Piper, I don't look like I live on the street." Annabeth stalked toward the bedroom in mock offense, shaking her head as she did so.
"The media always blows things way out of proportion!" Piper called after her. "I just want to make sure you're prepared so that there's no way you could pass for a friend from the street!" Annabeth rolled her eyes once more and looked for the worst thing she could possibly have worn, just to spite Piper- a white lace dress that she had only bought because it was on sale.
"Oh my God, you cannot wear that thing! What have I told you about lace? It doesn't work on you, Bethie. Absolutely not. And white? Not if you were paid a million dollars. It makes you look, like…pasty." Annabeth rolled her eyes at her friend.
"It's white, wouldn't it make me look more tan?" Piper sized her up.
"I wish, but it washes you out. White's, all, like, brilliant, and it leeches brilliance from you." Piper said seriously. "Dark colors make you shine, though. Why don't you wear that dark red one? The chiffon evening dress."
"You said we weren't going anywhere fancy!" Annabeth didn't own a red chiffon evening dress. "Why do I have to wear an evening dress?" Piper clucked her tongue.
"Annabeth, do as I say. You know I know fashion, I'm practically the daughter of Aphrodite and not just because my mom was named after her. And you have to wear an evening dress, because that way you and I can match, and I already called Jason and told him to make sure he and Percy match." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"What are you wearing, then?" Piper smiled fondly, looking at Annabeth like she was a small child.
"This." The dress was in a style Annabeth knew Piper liked- an evening dress, chiffon, but deep purple, with gold embroidery accenting the hems and the bodice. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at her friend. "And, I fixed your dress up too so that we really do match." Piper said, abruptly turning towards her own closet. True to her word, she held it up- the style of the dress was similar if not the same, but in a red close to champagne and, where Piper's was accented with golden threads, Annabeth's had silver, reminding Annabeth of a glass of wine.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "That's not my dress, for one, and two, are you really pulling out all the stops for Italian food? Why would there even be paparazzi in New Pine Creek of all places?" Piper stuck her tongue out at her childishly, a hint of playfulness beginning to peek through.
"Okay, I admit it. This is, like, the last chance for you and Percy Jackson to get together, and I want you to be happy," Piper whined. "And I know you said nothing was going to happen, but you seem kinda happy around him and I want the best for you! You're, like, one of my best friends. Not to mention a happy you will make the house happier, according to this video on Upbeat Mindset I watched the other day-" Annabeth cut her off before Piper could go on a tirade.
"That's sweet. And I appreciate it, Piper, but I'm a big girl. I can do things myself." Annabeth felt a flash of guilt at deceiving her still. But she'd tell her the truth tonight.
"Anyway, how did you even do this? The needlework is amazing," Annabeth said, taking the dress from her and marvelling at the cloth. "Any more hidden talents in there, McLean?"
"Well, I mean, this is more for Jason, but-" Annabeth clapped her hands over her ears.
"Nonono, I don't need to hear about what you reserve for Jason," she said all too quickly. Piper looked pleased. "While I'm sure he appreciates it, let's…keep that to you two." Piper gave her a smirk and blew her a kiss dramatically before changing back to her no nonsense self- the one that appeared whenever someone- usually Annabeth- was preparing for a date.
"Now put on the dress and come model it for me. I want to see if I got the stitching right." Annabeth rolled her eyes but followed her friend's directions.
"You look gorgeous. Now, come on. We're going to be late, and the boys would hate to wait."
As it turned out, only Jason was waiting. Piper slid into the booth next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile, and Annabeth awkwardly third wheeled in the background.
"How are you Jason?" she asked politely.
"Huh…" Jason said, "oh, sorry. I'm good. Percy should be here soon…" he frowned, and Annabeth heard the buzz of her phone on the table, picking it up before Piper could see. Jason gave her a knowing look- after all, Percy had already told him they were dating the night they made it official.
"Alright." Annabeth said, discreetly glancing down at the phone. Percy Jackson: Sounds like a plan xoxo.
Everything was going according to the plan.
Percy's arrival was maybe ten minutes later, when Annabeth's boyfriend breezed in. "Hey guys, what's up?" he asked as he slid into the booth beside Annabeth, wrapping his arm around her waist and giving her a cheerful kiss on the cheek. Piper stared. Annabeth watched her friend in what looked like mild confusion.
"Piper?" she asked. "Is something wrong?" Jason looked amused as Piper's eyes began to pop out of her sockets.
"You- and- him? You and him?" Annabeth didn't respond for a moment. "You and him?!" Piper was only getting louder and more forceful. She looked ready to murder someone if Annabeth didn't give her the answers.
"Well, yeah," Annabeth said casually, "me and him."
"What? When? Where? How? Why didn't you tell me? What's going on?" Jason cracked a smile, and Piper turned on him. "Did you know about this? Because if you did, you would tell your girlfriend, mister!"
"No, I didn't know anything," Jason said quickly. "Percy, Annabeth, explain yourselves."
"Well, I wanted to tell you," Piper huffed, "but I wanted to know if the relationship was going somewhere first, so I didn't, but I was going to tell you eventually," Annabeth tried to defend herself. "And anyway, it's not like it's a big deal." Piper stared at her.
"Not a big deal? Annabeth, it's a huge deal! When did it happen? Where? How?"
"Well, we met coincidentally," Annabeth said, spearing Jason with a look. The blond only shrugged and gave them a look like 'you're welcome'. "And we decided to make it official." She left out many of the details- she would tell them to Piper later in the comfort of their home- instead being as vague as she possibly could while still telling her friend the truth.
"When did this happen?" Annabeth paused, preparing herself for the oncoming storm.
"A month ago. At the blind date Jason set up."
"And you didn't tell your best friend?" Piper said, looking ready to flip out. "We seriously need to have a talk about communication." Annabeth stared at her.
"We'll talk tonight, okay? The waiters are starting to stare." Piper rolled her eyes. "And while you don't care about that, I think your boyfriend the movie star might." Jason did look mildly uncomfortable, and Piper glanced at him in concern.
"This isn't over, Missy." Annabeth laughed and leaned against her boyfriend, watching in amusement as Piper drank their interactions in with widened eyes. Then she smirked, and Annabeth waited for her verdict.
"You two are almost as cute as me and Jason."
"Jason and I," Annabeth corrected.
"Bugger off." Piper said passive aggressively. "I still can't believe you wouldn't tell me when it's been a month. That's thirty days! I'm, like, your platonic soulmate." Annabeth smiled at that but gave no excuse for why she'd kept the secret from Piper for, yes, a month. She knew no excuses would appease Piper, anyway, so why would she bother trying? After all, that had been Annabeth's decision- with soulmates, at least. When they meet theirs, you walk away. That had been how it worked with Chris Rodriguez, and it had worked pretty well for Annabeth in the long run.
When they met their soulmate, Annabeth didn't try any harder, because she already knew the relationship would be doomed.
"Well, you know now," Annabeth pointed out.
"Well. That's true, yes. But still, when one starts dating the guy someone else has wanted her to go out with for, like...three months, one should probably tell someone else, wouldn't one think?" Annabeth sighed. She hadn't meant to offend Piper, though she had to admit she was enjoying her friend's reaction. At least it was mainly a good one- Annabeth had, for some reason, been picturing a Piper who would go into some sort of angry rage when she learned that Annabeth had kept the secret of her boyfriend- Percy Jackson, the guy Piper had rooted for her to go out with from the start- from her for a whole month. "And also, does that mean the No PDA rule is off?"
"Oh no, just because I now have a boyfriend who I kiss does not mean I want to see you and Jason's grossness."
"Well, that means that you and Percy are now subject to the No PDA rule too," Piper said stubbornly. "Say goodbye to all your cuteness!" Annabeth sighed theatrically.
"Well, Percy, I guess we'll have to kiss goodbye to all our PDA…" Annabeth gave him a dramatic, long kiss and ignored Piper's squawk of protest and Jason's half hearted attempts to separate them.
"Maybe we should just let them...run out of air? They'll have to split apart by then. For now, just...shield your eyes," Jason advised.
This is nice, Annabeth thought to herself, just...being here, with Jason and Piper and Percy. Dating. Without life getting in the way. Annabeth opened her eyes to see a little spike of Percy's hair- a shade of bluish greenish purplish something, standing out easily against his jet black locks- her heart already sinking at the sight of it.
But how long till he meets his soulmate?
Hmm...I Don't Need a Reindeer by the Moody Blues! Have a great day!