Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! I feel so bad. But WOW. I cannot believe the response I got for just the first chapter! I cannot thank you guys enough! But for what it's worth: THANK YOU! Oh, and as to why Percy won't tell his dad that he's bunking with Annabeth... Well, what dad is going to want his college aged son living with a girl who happens to be the same age and his best friend? Yeah... ;) I hope I cleared that up for those who were confused.
ALSO, HAPPY BELATED 16th BIRTHDAY TO Wisegirl832! This chapter is dedicated to you!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own PJO, The Sound of Music, Teletubbies, Sesame Street, Say Yes to the Dress, Toddlers and Tiaras, the songs Troublemaker, Stereo Hearts, Too Close, or Under the Sea. Yes, this is gonna be an odd chapter.
Happy Reading!
With college starting in a week, Percy and Annabeth hadn't seen much of each other, except at night, or when Annabeth drove Percy to the campus in the mornings. Their time was spent getting paperwork turned in, making sure they had their books, and varifying that they had signed up for the right classes.
Well, Annabeth did all that. Percy mostly roamed around the dorms to see if his friends had moved in yet, which most of them had.
He walked to him and Grover's old dorm, walking in without knocking as he always had. When he walked in, he heard really loud opera music. Does Grover not have this dorm anymore? Percy thought to himself. Or maybe he's developed a taste for opera. Percy entertained the idea of tree-hugging Grover singing to opera music on his free time. That would not help the poor guy's status around the school. Not that it mattered or anything.
Percy hesitantly peered around the corner, and openly stared at the familiar-looking Latino guy who was standing in front of the large screen TV holding a carrot in his hand and singing along hideously into his "microphone" as he twirled around. Percy didn't hesitate to cover his ears.
"Leo?"
More singing.
"LEO!" he yelled. And still the kid went on. Percy wondered how many more twirls Leo could do until he fell.
"YO LEO, LOOK! IT'S SELENA GOMEZ!"
That did it. Everything abruptly went silent. The TV was put on mute, and Leo spun around, his eyes wide as he gasped.
"Where?! I want an autograph!" Percy stared at him incredulously.
"Dude, you can't be serious. Why would you actually think she's here?" Leo just shrugged.
"Luck?"
"Hate to break it to you, buddy, but luck is something you do not have. Especially when it comes to girls," Percy laughed.
"Thanks for rubbing it in. I don't exactly see you making out with girls in the hall," Leo retorted.
"No, but I don't have a sad crush on an old Disney star."
"You can't blame me, dude! That chick is smokin'!"
"Dude. Don't ever say that again. I think you literally just mentally scarred me," Percy said, shuddering dramatically.
"You're just jealous," Leo responded. Percy really wanted to say, "Of what?", but instead he just shook his head and decided that he was a lost cause.
"So, why exactly are you singing opera with a carrot as your microphone? Is this a hidden talent that we should all know about or something? Imagine what Nico is going to say when I tell him!" Leo looked horrified. Nico was their good friend who would never let Leo live it down.
"Don't tell him! I was just bored. Besides, it's not like there's anything better to do with this bunny food. I'm sure as hell not gonna eat it," Leo said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Percy laughed again.
"In the bunnies' defense, horses eat them as well. They aren't the only animals who think carrots taste good."
"Are we seriously arguing over what animals think carrots taste good, and what animals don't?" Leo asked.
"So it would seem. God, we really need to get a life."
"That we do. There's a party over at Nico's place tomorrow night. Everyone's gonna be there. You should come!"
"What time?" Percy asked.
"Um... Oh, it starts at, like, eight and ends whenever we feel like going home." Percy rubbed the back of his head, wondering what Annabeth would say if he asked her to bring him to and from a party that he may or may not get drunk at so late in the night.
"Yeah, that sounds fun," Percy stated. Leo groaned.
"Uh oh, I hear a 'but' after that sentence."
"But I've still got to get settled in and stuff," Percy lied horribly. Leo narrowed his eyes.
"Do you realize how horrible it is that even I can see you're lying? And speaking of which, where is your dorm anyway, since you're not in here with Grover?"
Shiz, Percy thought. Yes, he was one of those rare believers of not cussing in every sentence he spoke.
"Uh... um... haha. About that... You know, it's a funny thing, really..." Leo gave him a weird look.
"Damn, it must be bad if it's got you stuttering. Come on, spill," Leo ordered. Percy took in a deep breath.
"So, I, um, kinda sorta got kicked out of my dorm," he said evasively. Leo laughed.
"Haha! Nice going, bro! So what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be up with your Mom and Dad working at McDonald's and having tea parties with your cat-crazy next door neighbor who likes to hit you in the head with books?"
Huh, Percy though. I had forgotten that she liked to hit me in the head with books.
"Yeah..."
"Uh oh," Leo said, knowing that there was obviously more to the story than he was letting on. "Let's hear the worst."
"You have to promise that you won't tell anybody," Percy said firmly. Leo nodded and held up his carrot stick.
"Perseus Jackson, I solemnly swear upon this carrot stick that I will not tell a soul, whether dead or living, your secret," Leo declared seriously.
"That's encouraging," Percy said flatly. "You look like a gay Statue of Liberty."
"I do not!" Leo protested. "Just tell me already!"
"Fine," Percy sighed. "Well, I was talking to Annabeth and she found out about my, er, dilemma and offered to let me stay at her apartment, until I get the money for a dorm." Leo's eyes widened.
"She offered?! You know what that means, right? She totally likes you!"
Percy threw up his hands in exasperation. "You sound like a gossiping school girl. See, I knew I shouldn't have told you! I'm leaving. And I had better not hear a word from anybody about my situation. My dad cannot find out. And you know him; he's got spies everywhere. So if you breathe a word about this to anybody, I will cut you up limb by limb and feed you to Hermy."
Leo straightened up, and saluted. "Sir, yes sir!" Percy rolled his eyes, and walked out of the dorm. He was only four steps out when he heard the wretched opera music turn back on. Chuckling to himself, he walked towards the parking lot, where he knew Annabeth would be waiting on him any second. Just then, his phone started ringing.
"Under the sea/ Under the sea/ Darling it's better/ Down where it's wetter/ Take it from me/ Up on the shore they work all day/ Out in the sun they slave away/ While we devotin'/ Full time to floatin'/ Under the sea."
Percy quickly picked up his phone, casting furtive glances around him, hoping no one had heard it. Nico and Leo had programmed that ringtone into his phone and then locked it in, so that he couldn't change it.
"Hello?"
"Percy, I'm waiting for you in the lot! Hurry up!" Three guesses who that could be.
"Okay, Annabeth, I'm headed there right now. I'll be there in a minute," he said. Then she hung up.
"Well, isn't she a great conversationalist?" Percy muttered to himself, walking to the parking lot. When he got there, Annabeth was in her car, tapping er hands on the wheel impatiently. She looked up when he got in.
"You're late. It's been a minute and forty-six seconds," she stated. Percy rolled his eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry for making us have to get home forty-six seconds later, Miss Punctuality." Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'll have you know that punctuality is a big part of life. And it is completely necessary. Like, hmm, let's say... turning in your papers on time." Percy put up his hands in surrender.
"I know, I know! Sheesh, I was just teasing you."
"It's all good. Did you see most of your friends today?" Annabeth asked.
"Yeah. Did you know that Leo has developed a love of bunny food and opera?" Annabeth shook her head.
"You know what? I'm not even gonna ask. Anywho, I just got a job for this year, this the other place I worked at closed down, so I probably won't be able to take you places as often. You should probably have Jason or Grover as a back-up in case you need a ride somewhere."
"That's cool. So where are you working now?" Percy asked curiously.
"The food court on campus."
"Then that shouldn't be a problem. I work there as well." Annabeth looked at him, surprised.
"Really? Wow, how did I not know that?"
"Maybe because you're never there. You're always at the library."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Annabeth muttered. Percy just laughed to himself and reached over to turn on the radio to "today's hottest hits".
"Trouble, troublemaker, yeah, that's you're middle name. Ooo, whoa. I know you're no good, but you're stuck in my brain."
"Wow, Annabeth, I think this song is talking about you," Percy joked. She raised an eyebrow.
"I'm stuck in your brain?" she asked, amused. Percy quickly turned the station.
"And it feels like I am just too close to love you! There's nothing I can really say."
"So now you're too close to love me, Percy? Jeez, just when you loved me," Annabeth played along. Percy scowled and changed the station again.
"My heart's a stereo. It beats for you so listen close. Hear my thoughts in every note-o-o. Make me your radio; turn me up when you feel low. This melody was meant for you, to sing along to my stereo."
"Aw, Percy, you are just too sweet! Your heart beats for me? Oh, you're gonna make me cry," Annabeth said, laughing. Percy punched the radio.
"Oh, shut up!"
"You know, I'm thinking you should go see a therapist or something about all these mixed feelings. 'Cause first you're saying that I'm a troublemaker, but I'm stuck in your brain, then you're saying that you're too close to love me, and then you're saying that you're heart's a stereo that beats for me. What is a poor girl like me supposed to think?" she said, glancing over at him innocently.
"Oh, I give up!" he said, exasperated. Annabeth laughed, and changed the station to country music, know very well that Percy despised country music. It took him a second to realize what station was playing.
"Oh, heck no! I hate country music!" he said, making a move to turn the radio off completely, but Annabeth, who was expecting it, quickly blocked his hand with hers.
"Nope! You had your chance. My turn."
"You don't even like country music!" Percy said, giving her an accusing look.
"I do now!" she said, cackling at his furious face. He tried shoving her hand aside to no avail. He would have completely pushed her out of the seat except for the fact that she was driving, and his mother would kill him if he got himself killed. Yup, that's exactly what Sally Jackson had told him.
Finally, after realizing he would have to listen to it for the rest of the ride, Percy sat back in his seat, all the while promising himself that when he got a car, he would find some way to completely cut off the country station.
When they got to the apartment, Annabeth declared that she was going to her room to do some studying ("But classes haven't even started yet!"), and was not to be bothered until she finished. So that left Percy to sulk on the couch and watch the TV.
She had almost no channels. The first thing he turned to was The Sound of Music. Then, he saw that Burn Notice was on, but it was an episode he had already seen. Say Yes to the Dress, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, etc. Finally, he settled for Toddlers and Tiaras. He liked to make fun of the outrageous costumes the parents shoved their kids into.
Fifteen minutes passed. That was as long as he could take of the show, before he cut the TV off altogether. He got up and wandered down the hall.
"Oh, Annabeth!" he said in a sing-song voice, stopping outside her door. "I'm hungry!" he whined.
"Too bad! Leave me alone!"
"But I'm hungry!" he protested. She growled and opened the door quickly.
"Go fetch!" she yelled, and before he knew what was happened, a bag of - something - was thrown at him, and the door closed again. He looked down at it.
"Ramen Noodles? You have got to be joking." A depressing silence from the other side of the door answered him. He sighed and walked to the kitchen. Percy looked through the cabinets to see if he could find something else.
First shelf: Ramen Noodles. Second Shelf: Ramen Noodles. Third Shelf: Peanut butter, jelly, and bread. Fourth Shelf: Ramen Noodles.
"Jeez, this chick needs to get a sense of variety," Percy muttered to himself. He took out a pot and opened the packet of noodles. Then, he stared at it, not knowing what to do next. Percy walked back to Annabeth's room.
"Uh, Annabeth!" he called. Silence. "Yeah, um, how much water do I put in the pot?"
"It says it on the packet, Seaweed Brain!"
Seaweed Brain was the nickname that Percy had acquired from Annabeth when they were little, because he had always loved to swim (hence the fact that he is now on the swim team), and he was never particularly bright.
"I'm dyslexic!" he protested.
"Two and a half cups of water! It says to put two cups, but the water evaporates anyway."
"Okay, thanks!" Yet another silence greeted him, telling him that she was already engrossed in her studies again. He wandered back into the kitchen and did as he was told. And then he found himself outside of her door again.
"Annabeth! When do I put the noodles in?"
"Once the water begins to boil!" she said, practically growling. Percy quickly walked away and waited until it started to boil. He tapped his fingers impatiently, his stomach growling. The water began boiling, and he put the noodles in. Then -
"Annabeth!"
"WHAT, PERCY?!"
"How long do the noodles boil?" he asked in a super small voice.
"TWO FREAKING MINUTES, BUT IF YOU DON'T STOP BOTHERING ME, YOU WON'T LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO EAT IT!" This time, Percy didn't even bother walking away - he ran. He let the noodles boil for two minutes and then turned the stove off.
"Hmm... So do I put the seasoning in now?" he muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head. Praying to the heavens, he walked slowly back to Annabeth's room.
"Annabeth," he said softly, as if trying not to scare away a frightened animal. "Do I put the seasoning in now?"
She suddenly burst out of her room, stomping straight into the kitchen. Percy jumped, and then ran after her. When he got there, she was tearing viciously at the packet off seasoning and putting it into the pot, before stirring it (and nearly sloshing it all right out of the pot), putting it all into a bowl, and slamming it onto the table.
"THERE!" she yelled. Percy wanted to run and hide in his bed, but figured he'd only get killed if he tried. So he slowly and carefully made his way to the table, and picked up his spoon, while Annabeth shot death glares at him the whole time. He tried not to cower in fear. Tried.
She started to turn away and walk back to her room.
"Annabeth?" Percy called timidly.
"WHAT?!" she screamed, turning on him.
"Thanks for the Ramen."
"Go to hell!"
Hey, so this chapter was hard to write, because I sort of got a minor concussion... yeah, my head doesn't feel right. I tried, and I hope you guys like it. Also, for those of you who read Breaking Free, it is now being put on hiatus. Yup... sorry! But I'm not quitting! I'm just trying to figure everything out. Also, I REALLY need y'all to vote on the poll that I have on my profile. Like, desperately. Furthermore, I am going to be working on In My Shoes a LOT more, because I think I know where I'm going with it now. I have to go to Indiana on Tues. and I'll be gone for a week, but if I get a good amount of reviews, I may just update before I leave. ;) Okay, guys! I love ya! Please tap that review button on the way out! Who knows? Maybe my head will stop hurting!