AN: No one guessed it! The song is The Other Side of the Door by Taylor Swift. It's on her Platinum Fearless edition. And being a teenage girl I just adore her song lyrics.
Anyways, here's the chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one. Hope you enjoy:
Annabeth sat on her long gray couch, curled up in a ball against the arm. She stared unseeingly out the distorted, rain-stained window while her fingers were curled around an undrinken coffee cup that long ago lost all its warmth.
For a while now Annabeth had allowed her mind to wander from topic to topic, but the scope of her thoughts were mainly recollections and analyses of the previous days.
The night of their 'break-up' Annabeth fell asleep as soon as she touched her bed, her raging thoughts unable to even scratch the overpowering physical and mental exhaustion. And it is true when people say sleep and dreams is when your subconscious grasps the concepts you can not while awake, for the next day, her mind was once again sorted. It was as if there was a secretary in her mind who had worked overtime and finally put every file and tid-bit of information into its proper place.
So while all of Annabeth's anger, frustration, sadness, and hurt at her and Percy's failed relationship were filed away; she threw herself into her work. Annabeth passionately threw herself into her work to distract herself; passion and obsession that could only be rivaled when Annabeth received those moments of pure inspiration. And only two days later, she woke up from her fanatical daze; light-headed and unstable from her days of no sleep and miniscule amount of food consumed—excluding the coffee. After regaining her nutrition with a hearty meal, Annabeth drove her finished designs down to the office. Her boss was more than pleased at her work and quickness as always, and she listened intently, letting the praise caress her ears. It was abruptly ended as the horrible music of his words met her ears as if she were listening to a child playing violin for the first time.
The scratched and uncomplimenting notes hit her in the form of words, of a so-called favor; telling her—forcing her to take a vacation because of her 'amazingness.' And that is when Annabeth realized, that with finishing her latest project, she had nothing to distract herself with.
Most often during her recollection was the fight. She analyzed every word said, and berated herself for every choice she took because of her emotions when there was a better, more logical option available to choose. What she regretted was walking away. Yes, she disliked the fact that they didn't work out. But more importantly—she told herself—she hated the fact that she simply walked away. She gave up. She conceded. In the middle of their big heated fight, she gave up first. She surrendered and basically let him win.
And she knew that he was still yelling after she slammed the door, still trying to prove his point or trying to make her stay, but she had just kept walking.
Like a brat she screamed that she had had enough and walked out on him before he could rebuke.
Abruptly, Annabeth's thoughts were interrupted by her strident ring-tone. Annabeth simply rolled her eyes and did not pick up, not even taking the time to check the caller ID. It was Athena. She had called practically a hundred times already—apparently not used to being ignored. But until Annabeth got all of her emotions under control, she would not be picking up. Because there was no doubt in Annabeth's mind that a part of her blamed Athena for what had passed. Annabeth always knew that no matter how much she denied it, a part of her wanted to please Athena. A part of her wanted Athena's attention, not unlike a child trying to appease its parent. So because Annabeth's pride did not allow her to shoulder all the blame, Annabeth was scared that if accusations started to roll off their intellectual tongues, she might get so mad as to break things off with her long-time friend.
But if Annabeth had decided to take a closer look, she would have seen that this one time out of the other hundred was not Athena, but Percy.
In the heat of the fight I walked away
Ignoring words that you were saying
Trying to make me stay
I said, 'This time I've had enough'
And you've called a hundred times
But I'm not picking up
Cause I'm so mad I might tell you that it's over
But if you look a little closer
It was too bad too, because—Percy promised himself—that was the last time he would let his emotions win over his pride. Percy dropped his phone and let his head loll backwards in frustration. He sat silently on his couch, feeling content only if his pride and embarrassment would just leave the room. Percy had called Annabeth first because he knew that while he was very prideful, it was nothing compared to Annabeth's. And that very thing that was keeping them company at the moment was the same thing that had caused them to be sitting alone.
Percy reached over and grabbed a stack of pictures off of the coffee table. They were a bunch of stalker-pictures that had been taken—Percy assumed—by someone Poseidon had hired. Poseidon had clearly been watching him and Annabeth for much longer than he had warned, but Percy didn't really care. Poseidon had gotten what he wanted, and now Percy was left to keep going through the photographs and staring at the phone, willing it to ring with his non-existent psychic powers.
Annabeth on the other hand, was praying that her phone wouldn't ring. She was sick of hearing her constant, recurring ringtone and was very close to throwing it against the wall until it smashed into pieces.
Her flash of anger brought her back to the fight. Imagining the satisfying sound hearing her phone smash into the wall reminded her of the sound of her slamming the door, and having the angry, hollow sound echoing through her ears her whole way home.
But to Annabeth, walking out was not her most shameful act that night. It was her being wrong, everything that she had misread, leading her to make the wrong conjectures.
But if Percy was so much smarter than they both realized. If he had answers to everything, why didn't he know what Annabeth had really wanted. How had he not seen past her strong words and big façade to see how truly vulnerable she was. How had he been the only one to ever strip her of her armor and defenses but not see the scared, innocent girl standing in it. How did he later not see the little girl running away but actually wishing for someone to come after her and keep her safe.
Me and my stupid pride are sitting here alone
Going through the photographs, staring at the phone
I keep going back over things we both said
And I remember the slamming door and all the things that I misread
So baby if you know everything, tell me why you couldn't see
When I left I wanted you to chase after me
Percy had told Annabeth to leave but all he really wanted was the exact opposite. And like some Hollywood movie, the sky was raining, matching the moods of its two protagonists.
And secretly, a part of Annabeth—an Aphrodite influenced part—wished that she was in a Hollywood movie. That part of Annabeth would give anything for her to see Percy standing outside of her window throwing pebbles at it while trying to get her attention and begging for forgiveness, and screaming to the whole world that he loved her. He wouldn't even care that rain was pouring out of the sky like it was the end of the world. He'd just keep coming back for more and more.
And Annabeth would know that he'd never leave. He'd keep coming back because all he needed out of life was her; on the other side of the door, inside the apartment.
Yeah, I said, "Leave," but all I really want is you
To stand outside my window throwing pebbles
Screaming, 'I'm in love with you'
Wait there in the pouring rain, come back for more
And don't you leave cause I know
All I need is on the other side of the door
And finally, in that Hollywood world, Annabeth would get fed up. She'd throw the window up and stick her head out of the window, not caring about the rain either.
She'd scream at him, telling him to leave. Saying she doesn't even want to look at him. That she can't. She'd yell that she doesn't need him in her life. But she does. And with every angry word that snarled past her lips her heart would break into even smaller pieces, continually making it harder and harder to not lose a piece while attempting to put it back together.
And in that otherworld, where she played the lead female role in the typical romance movie, she would be breaking down right about then. She would feel the tears starting to fall, her throat closing up, and her knees now unable to withstand keeping her standing. She'd be clutching the window sill, trying to stay standing, and then whisper, because that was all she could get out with her constricting throat. She'd whisper that even if they wanted each other, there was nothing either of them could say to make things right again. They had started wrong and they couldn't do anything to rewrite that.
And magically he would hear it. The wind would be controlled by some force, perhaps fate or destiny, and the vibrations of her sounds would impossibly find their way to his ears.
And I'll scream out the window
I can't even look at you
I don't need you but I do, I do, I do
I say, "There's nothing you can say to make this right
I mean it, I mean it"
What Annabeth really meant, was that she told him to leave but what she truly wanted was for him to stay. But she couldn't tell him that. She'd slam the window shut but he would continue throwing pebbles and screaming his love to her while standing in the pouring rain.
Annabeth would slowly surrender to her numbing legs and slide down the wall until she was sitting. She would sit with her head against the wall, crying silent tears, and listening to the comforting tap tap taps of the pebbles that were occasionally interrupted by a screamed declaration of love.
A wave of panic would overcome her as her lullaby abruptly stopped. Reenergized by her adrenaline, she would stand up, and look out the window to see Percy giving up for the day and returning to his car. And something would click in Annabeth. She would realize that she could not allow him to leave. Everything she could ever want was on the other side of the door: him.
What I mean is
I said, "Leave," but baby all I want is you
To stand outside my window throwing pebbles
Screaming, 'I'm in love with you'
Wait there in the pouring rain, come back for more
And don't you leave cause I know
All I need is on the other side of the door
She would finally throw away her pride—momentarily—and run after him. She would sprint, trying to reach him before he left; fueled by the want, the desireto see his face and his beautiful blue-green eyes.
The rain would have stopped while she ran outside to reach him. The clouds would break and a single ray of a setting-sun would escape and shine down, as if guiding her to where she belonged.
Of course she would make it in time and run into his back, crushing his already soaked-self into the cool-wet metal of his car. Percy would turn around, sensing immediately that it would be her. There would be a brief reconciliation of their lips before their conversation of profuse apologies began; with a few little inconsequential white lies littering it—anything to keep things running smoothly even if only for a moment.
With their reunion, the sun would disappear, and the heavy clouds would take over the sky, contributing a predominate color of gray to the sky, giving it the feel of an old, quaint, faded picture.
Percy would unnecessarily swoop down and pick Annabeth up; carrying her from his car to the stairs leading to her apartment. And for this one time, Annabeth would not argue. She'd accept and break down crying at his kind and forgiving gesture. She would cry for the needless mess Bianca's presence had caused her to make. She would cry thinking of amazing nights in that little black dress (Lookin' for a Good Time chapter) she would've missed out on. And after all this, after everything, she would finally confess, that she did indeed need him.
With your face and your beautiful eyes
And the conversation with the little white lies
And the faded picture of a beautiful night
You carry me from your car to the stairs
And I broke down crying, was she worth this mess?
After everything and that little black dress
After everything I must confess, I need you
A short, insane-sounding, chortle of a laugh escaped past Annabeth's lips as she finished her movie-idyllic vision. She was crazy. Like hell Percy would do that. To think he even realized that was what Annabeth secretly, secretly wished was being completely daft. He was probably relieved after they broke things off when he saw how much of a psycho-jealous-bitch she could be.
So the two continued their self-depreciating thoughts, sitting alone with none but their controllers for company: their emotions. Both being manipulated by their pride. Both scared into inaction by the depths of their emotions. Both fearing rejection.
AN: What'd you think? Did my movie-daydream make sense? Did you like it? Was it cute? Cliche? OOC? How was my writing? Did you like how I ended the chapter, 'cause honestly those were my favorite lines from this chapter. And: her heart would break into even smaller pieces, continually making it harder and harder to not lose a piece while attempting to put it back together. Please Review.
Haha I sounded like one of those How was my driving? bumper stickers on the back of trucks. Anyways, I have yet to decide what song I'm going to use next, so I did not cleverly fit a song title in. But I have finals this week, and then I am free! So we'll see how things go...