Chapter 4

"the tragedy of success is believing in second chances / i lie awake in my own head"
- over and out, 5 seconds of summer

"So, partner," Leo says chirpily. "My house or yours?"

Annabeth drowsily blinks her eyes open. "Sorry?"

Leo rolls his eyes fondly. "For the Science project? We're working in our lab partners. Do we want to do this at your house or at mine?"

Okay, listen. You can't blame Annabeth for falling asleep.

Last night Piper had a shot at making them both hot chocolate, to "repay the favour" ("although why I'd need to do that is frankly beyond me, honestly," Piper had said as she enthusiastically stirred her drink. "I've already made it up to you six times over with just the gift of my undying friendship, really."), and even though Piper is incredible at most things Annabeth doesn't think she's ever seen someone mess up making hot chocolate as much as Piper. First off, she used out-of-date milk. Then somehow she managed to get the chocolate mix confused with flour ("the boxes were the same colour! Besides, it can't be that bad. Watch, I bet it'll turn out delicious.") and then it turned out in the end the final product was closer to coffee than hot chocolate anyway.

It wouldn't have been that bad – maybe worst case scenario Annabeth had to spend a few minutes with her head down the toilet – but Piper had managed to put so much sugar and caffeine in it that neither of them could get to sleep for hours. Annabeth, who had only had an experimental sip, only stayed on her caffeine high until maybe eleven at night, but Piper, who had drank her entire mug (and Annabeth's, too) to prove her point just vibrated next to her the whole night.

That wasn't even the worst part.

(The worst part was the non-stop stream of nonsensical words. All Annabeth heard all night was "I wonder if pigeons have feelings do you ever think that what if I fell in love with a pigeon Annabeth would it know would it love me back hey do you think the reason people get so much acne on their backs is because in their previous life they killed someone and God just wanted them to suffer with this welt in a place that they can't reach speaking of I've actually got a giant pimple on my shoulder blade do you think I'll be able to reach it with a pair of tweezers–")

Annabeth didn't get a single minute of sleep.

(Also AP Science is very boring.)

"Lois?" Leo reminds gently.

Annabeth comes back with a start. "Yes! I agree."

"I asked a question."

"Oh. Oh, sorry." Annabeth massages her temples. "Sorry, can you repeat it? I didn't sleep well last night."

"Do you want to work on the Science project at your house or mine?"

"Oh." Annabeth adjusts her bag strap. "Do you live far away?"

"It's like a twenty-minute walk. Butterfly House? On Lloyd's Street?"

Annabeth stops. "Leo. Isn't– isn't Butterfly House a care home?"

Leo nods. "Yep."

Oh. Oh.

"Wow. I–I didn't know."

Leo waves a hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I've been in care since I was seven. It's okay. Will say, though, Butterfly House is incredibly noisy."

"Yeah, that's probably not a great idea." Annabeth thinks. "You can come round to mine? My cousin Contessa is staying over, sorry. She'll keep out of our way, though."

Leo nods. "Great idea! Can I have your number?"

Annabeth digs her phone out of her pocket. "Sure, wait a sec– hey, why are you laughing?"

Leo points to her phone. "That's your phone?"

Suddenly, Annabeth feels the urge to defend it. "Is there a problem?"

"No! Not at all. But like– it's 2017."

"Your point?"

"iPhones do exist."

Annabeth sticks her nose in the air. "Nokias are perfectly respectable."

"I'm not saying they aren't. They're classics."

"Quite right."

"Just– hasn't it ever occurred to you that in life a smart phone might be the better choice?"

Oh, definitely. Annabeth has had so many smart phones she lost track a few years ago at three hundred. But she doesn't tell Leo that the reason they're so awful is because they're much, much easier to hack into than Nokias.

So all she says is, "No."

And that's that.

Annabeth is so tired she falls asleep against Percy during English.

It's more than a little embarrassing. Especially when she wakes up half an hour later and finds that in her sleep she managed to twist herself up against Percy's side like a koala, and if it wasn't so mortifying she supposes it could have been considered kind of cute.

Leo gives her a suggestive eyebrow wiggle across the classroom. Hazel looks scandalized but she still manages a weak thumbs-up.

Annabeth hopes they all burn in Hell.

They don't, unfortunately. And even though they don't explicitly say anything Leo doesn't stop giving her these smug little looks during lunch and Hazel can't even look at her in the eye.

Naturally, Percy is oblivious.

Annabeth crossly shoves her spaghetti in her mouth.

Leo and Annabeth agree to work on their project after school.

Annabeth sends Piper a quick text behind her back ("im bringing someone home and you're now my cousin ok", to which Piper responds with an insufferable little winky face, the brat) and then beams at Leo. "All right, you ready to go?"

"Where're you guys going?" Percy asks.

"Lois's," Leo explains, smirking. Annabeth wants to kick him in the groin. "We've got some– ah, unfinished business, to take care of."

"A project," Annabeth interrupts. "It's a Science project." She glares at Leo.

Leo widens his eyes in mock-innocence. "What did I do?"

"You know what you did," Annabeth hisses.

"Oh," Percy says. He blinks owlishly and then gives them a lopsided grin that has Annabeth's heart doing something funny in her chest– nope nopety nope nope stop it. "Well, have fun. Or. As much as you can."

"Oh, we will," Leo says with an overly suggestive wink.

Annabeth rolls her eyes.

However, they're only a few steps out of the classroom when someone calls, "Hey, Lois? Can I talk to you?"

They turn around.

It's Brandon.

Annabeth blinks, confused. "Um, sure?" She turns to Leo. "You– um, you go ahead, I'll catch up with you in a bit."

Leo, bless his soul, looks just as confused as she feels. "Okay?"

Once he's wandered off, Annabeth turns to Brandon and puts a faux smile on her face. When she looks at him all she can think of is the blood pouring down his arm, and him clambering into a car that wasn't his. She bites her lip and thinks of the cut, inflamed and surrounded by swollen, shiny pink skin, throbbing beneath her jeans.

That's your fault, you jerk.

Well. Unintentionally, she supposes. Still.

"Hey, Brandon," she asks easily. "What's up?"

Brandon fidgets. Annabeth is almost shocked to find him looking slightly nervous. "Nothing much," he says. "Just– um– are you free this Friday, by any chance?"

"I– maybe, I'll need to check. Why?"

Brandon visibly gulps. "Would you– would you maybe like to come to the game?"

And.

Annabeth was not expecting that.

"I'm sorry?"

"I was just wondering," Brandon says. "It would be really nice to see you there."

"I mean–" Annabeth is still very, very confused. "I'll have to check to see if I have anything going on, but I'll, um– yeah, I'll try, I guess. Sure?"

Brandon looks semi-pleased. "Cool! I'll, um– I'll see you Friday, Lois."

"Yeah," Annabeth says weakly.

He struts away. Annabeth has to hold on to a table.

She's still very, very lost. She's not quite sure what just happened.

"Lois," Hazel calls cautiously. Annabeth turns to see Hazel and Percy standing by the door. "What did he want?"

"He asked me to the football game."

Percy almost chokes. "What?"

"Brandon asked you on a date?" Hazel demands.

Annabeth begins to shake her head. "No, it wasn't– it wasn't a date."

"When a guy asks a girl to a football game it generally is," Hazel says peevishly. "And Brandon doesn't really do 'platonic' when it comes to girls."

Annabeth suddenly feels sick. "You are joking, aren't you?"

Hazel shakes her head.

"I– wait, I don't want to go on a date with Brandon!"

"Then don't," Percy says. His fists are clenched and he has two spots of colour high on his cheeks. Annabeth would Study him to see what's wrong but she still feels too dumbfounded to do anything but gape. "Ditch him."

"Isn't that a tad rude?"

Percy snorts. "I don't think he'll care."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Hazel tells him, and the spots on Percy's cheekbones darken. "Brandon will think you're playing hard to get."

Annabeth huffs. "Then what do I do? Turn up? That'll make it even worse."

"You can fake your death," Percy suggests.

Annabeth snorts. If only he knew.

"I wasn't kidding," Percy says unhelpfully. "If he thinks you're dead then he can't date you, can he?"

"Foolproof," Hazel deadpans.

Annabeth sighs. "I'll think of something," she says. "I've got to go meet up with Leo anyway. I'll, um, see you guys tomorrow."

"I'll walk you out," Percy says quickly.

It's such a dumb request but because it's Percy Annabeth allows it. She gives Hazel one final smile and together they walk out of the classroom.

"You– you don't actually like Brandon, do you?" Percy asks shyly.

"Of course not."

"Okay."

And that's it.

They meet Leo by the gates. "That took you long enough," he says. "What were you doing back there?" He gives Annabeth another eyebrow wiggle.

"Brandon asked her out," Percy says. His voice is tight.

Leo's jaw drops. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Wow." He puts his hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "My sincerest apologies."

Annabeth suppresses a laugh. She looks over at Percy and gives him a little smile. "I'll see you later, Perce," she says softly.

Percy dips his head in acknowledgement and then disappears around the corner.

Leo gives Annabeth a look that she can't quite read. "Well, your afternoon has been quite the event. Let's go back to yours to numb our minds from this tragic, scarring event with some good old-fashioned Science studying."

Annabeth can't agree more.

"Well," Annabeth says unhelpfully. "This is my house. Welcome."

It's only once Leo has stepped inside does Annabeth realises how much of a dump it actually is. There are clothes all over the place. There's a bra hanging from the light fittings in the living room. The kitchen counters are covered in cereal. Annabeth gives Leo a tight smile and tries to subtly shove the pair of knickers hanging around one of the door handles into her back pocket.

"It's nice," Leo says. He steps over a broken mug. "I like it."

Annabeth's eye twitches. She had told Piper to pick it up that very morning – although at that point Piper was still high off her over-caffeinated hot chocolate and vibrating like a jitterbug, so she supposes there's a reason it may have passed over her head. "Thanks."

"Lois?"

Speak of the Devil.

Piper pokes her head around the door. Her hair's been pulled back into a ponytail and she's still in her school uniform. She catches Annabeth's eye and offers a pathetic smile when Annabeth crossly gestures at the broken mug and all the clothes hanging everywhere.

"Oh!" Leo turns around and sees Piper. "Um, you must be Lois's cousin. I'm Leo."

But when Piper sees Leo she freezes.

It's not obvious. Annabeth is standing in a position where she can see Piper's legs tense, and because she's been trained to notice a twitch of a mouse's whisker she takes in the way her muscles jump and her fingers grip the doorframe tighter. Leo doesn't appear to have realised. But Piper's staring at him like she's seen a ghost and Annabeth is not sure if this is how first meetings are meant to go.

Annabeth clears her throat. Piper comes back with a start.

"Sorry, hi," she says. She's deepened her voice and thickened her accent. "I'm Contessa. You can call me Tess. Sorry about the mess."

"That was her fault," Annabeth says. "I told her to clean."

Leo laughs a little. "I'm used to some mess."

Piper fakes a laugh along with him and then reaches out and grabs Annabeth's wrist. "Good," she says. "Um, Lois? Can I talk to you for a second?"

Annabeth glances at Leo. He gives her an encouraging smile.

"Sure," she says.

Annabeth pulls Leo an apologetic face and allows herself to be dragged out the room. Piper pulls her to the bathroom and slams the door shut behind them, locking the door, and then sits down on the closed toilet, putting her head in her hands. She doesn't start crying but she isn't laughing either and Annabeth isn't quite sure what to do or how to react, so she decides on awkwardly perching next to her and patting her back.

"Is everything okay, Pipes?" she asks in a low voice.

"Not really." Piper inhales and exhales, and then looks Annabeth right in the eye. "I know Leo."

"What? How?"

"He was the boy from my last mission who taught me how to cook." Piper stands up and starts pacing as violently as she can in a tiny box bathroom. "We were– we were like best friends, Beth. It's only maybe been a few months. I didn't know he transferred schools too."

Annabeth aches for her. "What – what was your name?"

"Lizzie." Piper laughs, a hysterical sort of laugh that seems strained, too tightly stretched. "I was fair and blonde and had blue eyes and my name was Lizzie Johnson and I hated it all because in no way am I fair or blonde – I mean, look at me, does it look like I could possibly be a believable blonde – I had to wear face paint, Annabeth, proper face paint, because I'm too bloody dark to be a blonde – but Leo liked me and– he was my best friend, Annabeth, he was my best friend, except no, he wasn't, he was stupid Lizzie Johnson with the blonde hair and blue eyes's best friend and I just– I didn't know how much I missed him until I saw him today because he was my first best friend and I like having a best friend, best friends are so lovely to have, Annabeth, they're so, so lovely, and I want to tell him but I can't because I'm not Lizzie with the blue eyes I'm Piper with the crap hair."

Annabeth hugs her and Piper clings to her fiercely. Annabeth thinks Piper is crying a little bit, but when she feels her collarbone getting a little damp she doesn't say anything. They stay there for a while, maybe a bit too long. Annabeth doesn't care.

"I kind of thought we could be best friends," she mumbles into Piper's shoulder.

Piper sniffles. "That's a wonderful idea. Do I get to paint your nails now?"

Just like that, the tension eases. Annabeth giggles a little.

"We could get married and my nails would still be off-limits, McLean."

"That's an even better idea. Let's get married."

"I mean, it'll have to be a no-homo marriage."

"Don't be ridiculous, Annabeth. It's a yes-homo marriage one hundred percent."

"My bad, sorry. I meant to say a no-bromo marriage."

Piper cackles against her collarbone, and Annabeth hugs her tighter, and she knows that everything will be okay.

It only lasts a few blissful moments, however, because not five seconds later there comes a tentative knock against the bathroom door.

"Um, guys?" It's Leo.

Piper sends Annabeth a terrified look. Did he hear us? she mouths furiously.

"What, Leo?" Annabeth calls. Don't be ridiculous, she mouths back. The walls are very thick.

"Um, there's someone at your door," he says back. He sounds very awkward. "She's asking if she can see the people who live here?"

A/N If you've already read this chapter and saw that it just got updated, it's because a very lovely guest (thank you so much by the way you absolute angel) pointed out that i had made a small mistake near the beginning, so I just changed that.

Hey guys!

This was a bit of an iffy chapter, i'm not too sure how i feel about it. Sorry it's so short! I wanted to end it there as a sort of cliffhanger but I didn't know how else to make it longer. Thank you all so much for all your lovely reviews! You guys are the best i love you all xx

ALSO this story has 1000+ views, which is utterly insane. Thanks to everyone to has read, reviewed, liked, favourited etc. this story. You guys are all so so wonderful xxxx

Please tell me what you thought and I'll see you next time :DD