CHAPTER 18

Not Forgotten

PERCY

Well, it was official.

Today was 90% the best day of Percy's life, and 10% the worst.

Well, while he loved being with Callie, he really didn't want the night to be over. It was still a little over 7-8-ish, (he didn't bother to check since he left his watch at home and his cell's battery is dead), so the night was still early, and he wanted to make the most out of it.

He already admitted, Callie's presence was enjoyable.

Really enjoyable.

She was so full of life, and was really easy-going, and Percy could tell she was really devoted to the geek life. Granted, Percy might be a hardcore fan, but he isn't that hardcore like her.

He likes the way her ponytail stays behind and her caramel colored hair and her cute glasses and just how free she was with herself. She had her own group of friends that understood her the way Percy understood her, with the similarities creeking in. Callie's devotion to the geek life was because of her isolation from family, and Percy remembers the day he entered his own geek life.

It had been the time Smelly Gabe entered his life, his mom's two year marriage with him when he was 7-8 years old.

During the days Gabe would abuse Percy and shout at his mom, Percy began borrowing his mom's laptop for games. As his own isolation grew, he watched all sorts of stuff in that one laptop, and it was enough to keep him enjoyed for the moment. When Gabe left, he never stopped. By freshman year, Percy was a unique kind of kid, and sometimes Annabeth found it annoying when they marathoned, Percy wanted to watch something like Blade or Lord of the Rings when she wanted to watch movies "based on a true story".

For now, Percy was taking Callie out to dinner for pizza.

"Is Pizza Hut your regular go-to restaurant?" Callie asked as the entered the mall.

"Well, kind of. I hang out in all sorts of restaurants. Regular would be Café Olympus, though, since my uncle and aunt own it." Percy said.

Ah, Café Olympus memories. That time when Percy plucked the courage to take Annabeth out during 6th grade. Memories…. Now easily forgotten.

Up to this point it was 90% the best day of Percy's life.

The 10% worst began when they entered Pizza Hut.

He has had dreams of some form of embarrassment, like waking up naked and can't seem to find any clothes, then going to school naked while everyone laughs at you.

This form of embarrassment, was when his own cousins and friends, were also in Pizza Hut, and he was with someone, a date.

"Hey, Kelp Head! C'mere!" Thalia shouted across from their table.

"Well, they're here. So let's at least greet them." Percy told Callie as he grabbed her hand.

Around the table in the corner of Pizza Hut were Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Luke, Thalia and Rachel.

Annabeth was sort of looking at them, in an odd way, like she didn't want to see Percy and Callie at all.

Piper was holding Jason's hand, just smiling at the couple.

Me and Callie are NOT a couple, Percy thought.

Luke's arm was around Thalia and simply smiled, while Thalia herself was smirking.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Thalia shot an amusing glare at Percy, then he turned to Callie. "Believe me, uh, Callie is it? He's not really romantic because he could take a girl agunywhere and he chose PIZZA HUT!" Thalia retorted.

Gods, can anything be more embarrassing?

Callie giggled beside him and said, "It's fine. Pizza is life, anyway." As Callie ruffled his hair.

"Hey, Perce, we just got from the arcade, wanna go back?" Luke asked until Thalia smacked his head. "Idiot. He has a date."

Jesus Christ. He just wanted to disappear.

"So, uh, we're gonna go ahead and get a table….so….." Percy was stuttering.

"Nonsense, sit with us, Kelp-for-brains! I'm sure it'll be fun." Thalia recommended.

Percy couldn't believe this. They were gonna interrogate her.

Percy turned to Callie. "Um, you don't mind, do you? It's fine if you want us to sit in anoth—"

"It's fine. They're your friends." Callie flashed him a smile, and Percy was pretty sure it made his heart do somersaults.

And so they sat.

The moment they ordered pizza, the moment "interrogations" began.

"So, Callie…. How did you meet Percy?" Piper asked.

"It was last year, I think. Christmas Party, was it?" Callie inferred.

"Yeah. Christmas Party. You had that petition of putting Spider-Man with the Avengers in the movies." Percy remembered.

"And I made you sign it." Callie remarked.

"Yes you did." Percy replied with a huge grin in his face.

Oh, where would he be if he hadn't met her that day….

Then Percy realized there was something off about the situation….

Everyone around the table was smiling, having fun or either oriented. Except Annabeth. Annabeth wasn't even bothering to eat her food and was playing a pizza slice with a fork and it looked like she didn't want to join the conversation. She was staring blankly at her pizza slice while playing with it.

"Well, what about the best friend? Care to comment if this girl is a good pair for Percy?" Thalia's head to turned to Annabeth's, while Callie almost looked flustered.

Then Annabeth realized they were asking her, and she stopped playing her food.

"Hm?" Annabeth looked up.

Percy realized something was wrong.

"You heard me, Annabeth." Thalia added.

"Oh, you know, sure. She's cool and all. Percy and Callie look great. Haha." Annabeth gave a laugh, but something behind it looked sour.

"Thals, gods dammit, stop with all this nonsense." Percy added.

As much as Percy didn't like being teased, he was more concerned for Annabeth's feelings right now. She looked kind of down.

"You okay, Wise Girl?" Percy asked with a signature comforting smile.

Annabeth's face immediately turned red and she shook her head. "Yeah. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

He knew something was bothering Annabeth. He may have kind of lost his crush on her, but she was still his best friend. He was gonna find out what was wrong with her.

The rest of the night went off without a hitch, Callie was really enjoyable around Percy's friends, and she was talking to them like they were old pals. As everyone hung out though, it was Percy and Callie who talked more often, and Percy got used to call the teasing and stuff. Annabeth was the only quiet one during the table and once everyone knew it was time to go, it was Percy's duty to take both Callie and Annabeth home.

They had made it to Callie's home and Percy dropped her off the doorstep.

"Stay here, Wise Girl. I'm just gonna drop her off." Percy told her the back seat of the car.

"'Kay." Annabeth muttered.

As they reached the doorstep of the famous Atlas Mansion, Percy summed up the will to talk to her.

"So, how was I on a first date?" Percy asked with confidence.

"Well, not bad. Could have been better though." Callie teased.

"Where did I go wrong?!" Percy teased back.

"No, Percy. You didn't." Callie laughed. Then she did the most surprising thing Percy expected her to do.

She kissed him. On the cheek.

"Um, goodnight!" She entered her house and slammed the door.

Holy frick.

Callie Atlas kissed him on the cheek!

He touched the spot where she kissed him, and smiled. Holy frick.

This was the best day of his life.

Little did he know, Annabeth was looking through the window, already reacting.

ANNABETH

Fuck you, Calypso Samantha Atlas.

Seriously, fuck you.

There was a feeling that engulfed Annabeth's body, hot, and consuming, turning her into a green-eyed monster. Jeez, she really needed to control her jealousy.

She kissed him on the cheek.

That's equal to marking a territory as your property.

Granted, Annabeth has kissed Percy on the cheek a thousand times, but she didn't like seeing another girl kiss him on the cheek. Only Sally and her are allowed to do that.

Her mind always traveled to Valentine's Day 3 months ago, and she wished she had a time machine so she can travel back to that day and change the past.

She had no one to blame but herself.

And it was obvious Percy loved that kiss on the cheek.

Oh, it would feel so good to go directly to Callie and squish her head and smack her—

"Hey, Annabeth. Callie's gone so move up the front seat." Percy said in the window.

Some part of Annabeth wanted to not move to the front seat to let Percy know how she felt about him and Callie and to give him the silent treatment.

The Thalia part of Annabeth told her to move to the front to talk to Percy. Thalia said the part of winning him back was to get closer to him, make him realize he belongs to someone else. Someone who isn't Callie.

So she does move to the front seat.

The moment the car moves, Percy bursts the first word.

"So, you're not gonna tell me what's wrong?" Percy asked.

He was her best friend. Of course he could see through her.

"Nothing's wrong, Seaweed Brain. It's fine." Annabeth tried to lie.

No use.

"Wise Girl, you've been my best friend for a lot of years, and crush for a couple of years. I know something's wrong." Percy said as he drove, making a turn.

She gave up.

"It's just—you know, what with Callie and everything, and you know. I just—fuck. Do you like her?" Annabeth asked.

She knew the answer. She just wanted to hear him say it.

He did that thing Annabeth always found cute, where he scratched the back of his head. "I guess I can't lie to you, Wise Girl. Yeah. I do."

Ouch.

She felt like a huge bullet hit her chest, and the pain kept subsiding.

It took her almost a minute before she gave a reply.

"Then you're gonna forget me, and stuff, and well, life happens—" Annabeth was randomly throwing out words whilst crossing her arms, but Percy cut her off.

"Woah, woah, woah. Just because I like a girl, doesn't mean I'm forgetting my own girl best friend. Annabeth…. you know that. That's what's been bothering you."

No. What's been bothering me is I like you a lot and then she keeps getting in the way and I can't manage to tell you since you don't like me like you used to anymore.

Percy sounded so sweet and concerned and she always wondered why she rejected this boy in the first place. She loves him, but she can't manage to say it. But of course, she doesn't wanna ruin their friendship so she lies.

"Yeah, well—" she begins but she's cut off again.

"Don't forget that, Annabeth. I may not like you like thatanymore, but I still love you a lot. You're my best friend."

She was gonna get him back.

She promised herself.

"Thanks, Seaweed Brain. It means a lot." She smiled, but she hoped he'd notice.

They finally arrived at Annabeth's house and as he walked her to the doorstep, she threw her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug.

She whispered in his ear. "Never forget me, Percy."

He smelled like the sea and kind of pizza, but she kind of likes it. She loves hugging him.

"Never." He whispered back.

He was so perfect that she doesn't think she deserves him.

"Alright, now I gotta go, Mom's sick and well, you know. See you tomorrow or Monday, Annabeth!" Percy said as he left and his car left the pavement of her street.

I love you, was her last thought.

Alright, folks, you wanted Percabeth, you GET Percabeth. Next chapter will also be PERCABETH.

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- OTPMaker22