Okay guys...time to grovel. I'm sooo sorry I haven't gotten around to posting until today, it's just that school and life in general have been kind of a priority and this was put on the back burner. But I promise, that I'm not abandoning this story. I hate when I read unfinished fics and this will not be one of them. So without further adieu here's the 16th chapter of Layers.
Previously on Layers...
"Come home with us. It's Percy's turn to cook tonight and it would would be wonderful if you could come with us."
Both Annabeth and Percy turned to each other quickly and she was amused to find that his face resembled astonishment than revulsion.
Sally seemed to sense her unease, "Don't worry, Percy can drive you home afterwards. We won't keep you long."
Annabeth thought it over for a little bit, slightly more at ease and found herself nodding, accepting Sally's offer. It couldn't be any worse than just going home to her mother and the devils.
Sally squealed a little and clapped, "Oh this will be so much fun! Sweetie, make sure you call your mom and tell her where you'll be. Don't want her to think we're going to kidnap you."
Annabeth chuckled and held up her phone, "Yeah I should. She's probably wondering where I am." She lied.
GOING TO A FRIEND'S FOR DINNER. DON'T WAIT UP. ~A
She slid her phone into her pocket instead of waiting for a response.
(...)
When it was time to leave the bookstore, Percy helped Sally lock up the store while Annabeth waited in his truck.
After many refusals on Annabeth's part, of course.
As soon as Percy hopped into the truck Annabeth felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.
It was her mother.
OKAY ~M
Annabeth just stared at the screen. She shouldn't have been surprised at the noncommittal response, it was just that, a mother like Sally, would probably be concerned about who she was spending time with and what time she would be home. Not that her mother and Sally were alike in anyway shape or form, maybe Annabeth just wanted that.
Somthing nudged her side.
She looked up to Percy looking at her, an eyebrow raised.
"Why the face."
She forced her expression to go blank, "What face."
"The stink face you were just making before you got all stony."
Annabeth sighed and smiled slightly.
"It's my mom."
His eyebrows pulled together and he leaned back into his seat. "What, is she not letting you go home with us? If that's it I can just take you home, it's no big deal."
"No that's not it," She shook her head and looked out the window. "It's the opposite actually."
"Care to explain that?"
She turned back to him and sighed heavily. She had already spilled her guts to him before, no point in holding back now.
"She didn't ask anything. Not who I was hanging out with. Not when I was coming home. Nothing. All she did was say 'Okay'."
"So...you think she doesn't care?" He asked, cracking his knuckles.
"I know she doesn't."
Percy tilted his head, "Oh come on. I think parents always care about their children, whether they show it all the time or not."
She looked at him with incredulity, "Well of course you do, you have Sally as a mom, she's like...the epitome of awesome moms. And your dad...well your dad sounded like he was just as wonderful."
She turned in her seat and stared forward. She felt his eyes on her, but didn't do anything to acknowledge them. After a few moments, she felt the truck start to rumble underneath her. They were driving for a couple of minutes before Percy finally cleared his throat.
"Was your mom always like that? Like before your dad died."
"Yeah, she smiled a bit more, but she didn't really change."
Percy nodded slowly.
Annabeth cleared her throat at the awkwardness and decided to brighten the mood.
"So...I didn't know you cooked. Should I be worried that you'll sneak something in my food?"
He shot her look that told her he knew she was changing the subject, but he chuckled anyway. "No, I don't really cook. I grill. But it's dark out so we're doing burgers, inside style."
"You didn't answer my first question," she raised a brow."
"No, Annabeth, I'm not going to put something in your burger. But you can be the judge of that considering you're helping me make them." He smiled at her, his bright teeth catching her off guard and putting butterflies in her stomach.
Until she understood what he said.
Her smiled dropped. "Wait, I'M helping you? B-but," She sputtered, "I'm the guest. Guests just sit there and relax."
He shook his head and laughed.
"Yeah no, it doesn't work like that."
She groaned. Loudly.
"If I chop my finger off I'm suing you."
"Feel free to do that."
He suddenly turned onto a dirt road and Annabeth realized just how dark it had gotten.
"Is this the part where you kidnap me and tell everyone I ran away?" She chuckled.
"Why did I know you were going to say that?"
Annabeth opened her mouth to reply, but was quickly silence when Percy pulled into the driveway of Annabeth's dream house.
It was big and blue. That was enough to draw her attention. (A.N- There is a link to a picture of the house on my bio ;))
Percy glanced Annabeth's way and let out a chuckle when he saw her expression.
She smacked his arm. "Leave me alone! I've just found the house I'm going to live in."
He smirked, "Little problem. I hear some people already live here."
"Eh," she shrugged with a smile, "Yeah I've heard. A mom and her teenage son. I'll keep the mom, but the kid's got to go."
He laughed and hopped out of the truck. "Come on, weirdo."
She got out and walked closer to the front porch. She wrapped her arms around one of the front columns and squealed. "It's just so cute!"
He grabbed the hood of her jacket and tugged until she let go. "I'm sure my mom will love to hear that, but right now, I'm starving and I need my sous chef."
Annabeth huffed but followed him into the house silently. They walked through the hallway and she took in the decor and painting. This family sure loved blue.
Percy's truck was blue, Sally's car is blue, and their house is blue, inside and out.
"Percy," Sally called out, "Is that you?"
Percy shrugged off his jacket and threw it on the couch. "Nope, just a burglar."
Sally appeared I front of them, hands on her hips, "Don't be a smart ass." She pushed him towards the kitchen, "Go. I'm hungry and I'm not getting any younger."
"Oh, don't we know it."
Sally smirked, "Please, I'm still a young and tender."
Percy gagged and ran into the kitchen screaming about his ears.
Both girls laughed.
"I want to thank you, Sally," Annabeth said softly, "For inviting me to have dinner with you guys. I can assure you this will be much more fun than I would have been having at home."
Sally frowned, "Is there something going on at home?"
"Oh! No, nothing like that, it's just kind of boring."
The older woman nodded.
"Well how is your mother doing?"
"No different. Dismissive as usual. You know, when I told her about my job at the store, the only thing she wanted to know why I was bothering with a minimum wage job."
Sally's face darkened slightly.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her to stuff it."
"Seriously?" Sally asked, grinning widely, seeming amused with the idea of Annabeth telling her mother off.
Annabeth chuckled, "No. I wish though."
"Annabeth!" Percy yelled from the kitchen. "I need my sous chef!"
She walked into the kitchen to see Percy rolling up the meat in to balls and then smashing them.
"I've already got the meat covered, they're about to go on the grill. All I need you to do is chop vegetables, toast the hamburger buns and slice the cheese."
She went over to the cutting board that was already set out and found a knife, starting on the tomatoes. They worked in quiet silence until Annabeth glanced over to see Percy putting the patties in the pan.
"Whoa, how many of those are you cooking?" He had to have put at least six in the pan already and he was still going.
He glanced up briefly, "Ten."
"There's only 3 of us. How much do you eat?"
"Well you're going to eat one right?" She nodded, "Well I eat 3, mom eats 2 and then I have a few when I get home after practice and so does mom."
"Tiny little Sally eats two of those things?" They were huge.
Percy chuckled, "Uh yeah. I just recently starting eating more than her on a daily basis and that's only because of swimming."
"Damn."
She went back to chopping and once she was done, she sliced up cheese and gave them to Percy to put on the burgers.
"Do I really have to toast the bread?"
"Have you ever had a burger with the buns toasted?"
"Um no."
He smirked, "Then prepare to have your mind blown with buttery goodness."
Annabeth just rolled her eyes and got to toasting.
When the burgers were ready they all sat on the couch because dining room eating was for losers, according to Percy.
Sally finished off the last bite of her burger and licked her fingers. "You did good, son."
"I'm glad to have your stamp of approval." Percy said shaking his head.
Annabeth nudged him. "I'm pleasantly surprised. The burgers were good and I haven't dropped dead. Yet."
"I wouldn't let him poison you, sweetie." Sally reached over to pat her arm.
Percy flopped onto his back and groaned closing his eyes, "Ugh! I'm sleepy now. Damn food, I've got the itis."
Annabeth nudged him with her foot, "Hey, no sleeping! You still have to take me home."
"We have a guest bedroom, make yourself comfy."
Annabeth yanked his hair, "Yeah, that's not going to work."
He rolled onto his stomach and groaned, "Do we have to go now?"
"Nope," Sally started, "I'm going to go to my room and get ready for bed and you," She pointed at Percy, "Are going to give her a tour of the house that she loves so much," Sally said, hopping up from the couch like she hadn't just eaten two gigantor hamburgers.
Annabeth got and and grabbed Percy's hand to pull him up from the couch, "Get up you big lug!"
She yanked hard and he finally stood up, almost knocking her down in the process. His arm came around her waist to catch her.
Annabeth looked up at him, her cheeks getting darker by the second.
Percy stared down at her for a few seconds before clearing his throat and backing away. "Sorry." He mumbled.
Annabeth turned away slightly to his her burning face, "It's okay," she coughed.
"Come show me the house, after all I will be living here someday." She shot him a playful smile.
"Fine then trespasser, let's go up." He said and walked up the stairs.
He walked down a long hallway and stopped at a door, "This is my room," he said and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
Annabeth stood there and looked at him with a bemused smile. "Well are you going to to in?" She teased.
Percy chuckled slightly and opened the door.
Annabeth took in the large room. It was painted green and had a bed, a dresser, and a desk and that was all she could see.
The rest was covered in clothes.
Annabeth burst out laughing, "What the hell is this pigsty, Percy? Doesn't your mom make you clean this up?"
Percy grinned sheepishly, "Nah she doesn't come in here much so she doesn't know how bad it's gotten. Honestly it's not normally like this. If I had known you were coming over I would have cleaned up a bit."
She smiled and sat down at his desk, "No i like this better, this is the real Percy. The one who obviously doesn't clean up after himself," she teased.
Percy smirked and grabbed a chair to sit in front of her. "And let me guess, your room is just of top notch cleanliness isn't it?" He gasped teasingly, "It probably even smells good doesn't it."
"As opposed to what? The dirty laundry smell you have going on over here?"
He looked outraged. "Of course not! Do you see any dirty clothes around here? No, they are gently used. Now the dirty laundry smell? That's my air freshener."
Annabeth threw her head back and laughed, "Sure it is Percy."
She looked down, still chuckling, to see Percy smiling at her softly.
She cleared her throat and checked her phone to see that it was almost 11:30. She stood up, "It's getting late Perce."
He just nodded and walked out of his room.
The ride to Annabeth's apartment was quiet and when they pulled up it was even more so.
Annabeth looked over at Percy to see him already glancing at her. She froze, the moon light was hitting his face at such a perfect angle and he looked...beautiful. "Percy," she croaked. He cleared his throat and shook his head slightly, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "Yeah?"
"Thanks for inviting me tonight. I had fun. More fun than I've had in a while." She admitted truthfully.
He smiled over at her, "I'm glad. I had fun too and I think my mom is secretly ecstatic that I have a new friend too." He said scratching the bad of his neck in embarrassment.
She patted his arm chuckling, "Well I'm glad we're friends now Percy, having fun with you is much better than hating you."
Percy laughed and swatted her hand away, "Goodnight, Chase."
"Goodnight, Jackson."
Annabeth walked up the stairs to her apartment feeling content and tired. She had just made it to her door when a voice startled her, forcing her to drop her keys.
"So that's were you've been all night?"
She turned around to find Jason leaning against the wall opposite of hers. "Jesus Jason you scared me! Why the hell are you standing out here in the dark?"
"I was waiting for you," he sneered.
She was taken aback by his tone and immediately went on defense, "Well I never asked you to wait for me."
He ignored her, "Where were you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," she said with snark. He gave her a withering look and she sighed, "I was having dinner with Percy and his mom."
Jason's face turned an odd shade of purple, "What the fuck Annabeth!" He took a deep breath, "I need you to be honest with me. Are you fucking him?"
Annabeth almost stumbled back from the force of his accusation. Her face grew hard. "If you even have to ask me that then why are we in a relationship? If you don't trust me enough to just go to a friend's house for dinner and not sleep with them then I'm not sure this is going to work." She kept her voice steady.
His face softened slightly, "It's not you I don't trust it's-."
"Oh cut the bullshit," she cut him off, "The last time i checked it takes two to tango and Percy's not gonna fucking rape me! Come up with another excuse, or better yet, just leave me alone I'm tired enough as is." She opened up the door and slammed it without waiting for a response.
Athena was waiting for her at the end of the hallway. "What was all that yelling about it's almost twelve o'clock? And why are you slamming doors?"
Annabeth shrugged her shoulders and mumbled "nothing" as she walked past her mother to get to her room.
"Did you and that Grace boy finally brake up?" Her mother called to her.
She stopped and sighed, but continued walking to her room because she couldn't answer that question herself, and she wasn't too sure that she cared.
Why do you think Athena is the way she is?
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