The next morning started quietly, both of them eating their pancakes thoughtfully. But after that, they were rushing around, getting dressed and spending a good amount of time in the bathroom.
Then they were off to look at apartments. They had four within their price range that they thought might work. The first one, they soon realized, was way to far from both of their workplaces. The second one had garbage piled up in front of the building and the neighbors all sat by their windows fanning themselves because there wasn't any AC. The third one didn't have a bathroom. And just as they were thinking that they'd have to live without AC or a toilet, they came to the fourth one. It was on the fourth floor of the building, with wide windows in the living room. There was a small hallway, sort of like Percy's, but it had four doors—two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a large closet. The AC worked. There were a bunch of cabs to ride to work on the street below. It was perfect.
They put in an offer for the apartment, offering more than the rest of the people, who all had second choices.
The realtor said he'd call them in the morning if they got it.
Afterward, they went for ice cream at a small corner shop, splitting a banana split.
"So, tomorrow," Percy said around a mouthful of sprinkles. "We buy the apartment with money."
"I thought we'd buy it with shoelaces."
He flicked a sprinkle at her.
The next morning, the realtor did call—they got the apartment. They split what they were going to pay then and sent it off. The rest of the day, they packed for L.A. Well, Percy packed. Annabeth just straightened her suitcases.
The flight to L.A. passed without quickly, the two of them chatting and bickering. They took a cab to her apartment.
"Annabeth? Where've you been?" Her neighbor, Mrs. Friech, asked.
"Oh, I'm on vacation in New York. Actually, I'm moving there. Reminds me," Annabeth said to Percy as she unlocked the door. "I have to tell the building manager.'
"She's staring at me," He whispered.
"Say hello." The door opened.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Percy. It's a pleasure," Percy said with a pleasant smile, then went into the apartment after Annabeth. They turned a corner and came into the living room/ dining room.
"You can put your bags there," Annabeth said, tossing her keys on the table. "I'm going to go find Fred now, okay?"
"Uh, okay."
She left.
Percy looked around curiously. The apartment had an air of busy woman—mail on the table, a couple of jackets thrown over the couch. The kitchen was separated from the living room by one wall, which had an opening in it. There was a small hallway leading off from it, with two doors. They were both open, one was a bathroom and one was a bedroom. Percy tried not to snoop as he looked at the pictures on the walls. There were a lot of ones with Annabeth and her family, plus some of the Empire State Building and her camp friends.
"Mrs. Friech is trying to keep me here," Annabeth said, shaking her head. "She thinks some criminal is going to come move in next to her.
"Huh? Oh, probably."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "So, anyway, I think we should plan meals or something, because then we'll know what we want to pack for kitchen stuff.
"Okay. Well, I'm fine with eating out. I hear L.A.'s sushi is good."
"Okay, but we're going to be here for a while."
"So we can have cereal in the mornings, sandwiches for lunch, and eat out for dinner."
"Okay, okay," She relented. "If you say so."
"I do say so. You think we can pack in two days?"
"Yeah. I don't have that much stuff."
They both went to Home Depot for moving boxes, getting as many as they could carry. Then they packed—the pictures off the walls, clothes, kitchen stuff, books,
The next day they decided that they wanted Annabeth's table and armchairs, but not the couch. They both wanted to keep their beds, so they'd take that, too.
Annabeth guessed that they'd need about one big truck, if they could stack the boxes on top of the furniture. So the day after that, they Googled moving companies that would drive her stuff from L.A. to N.Y. They came up with about six, three of which they crossed out randomly and the other three to look into.
The first company would help carry the boxes to the trucks, drive across the country, and then help unload the boxes. The second company wouldn't drive across country. The third company had to have trucks supplied.
"I think maybe the first one," Percy told Annabeth.
"You think?"
She rolled her eyes as they walked through the streets, not paying attention.
"Annabeth!" Percy shouted, and then he was grabbing her and yanking her to him.
A car whizzed past, a split second after, right where she'd been walking.
"Idiot," He muttered, furious. "You have to watch where you're going!"
Her fingers were shaking against his chest. She could still feel the breeze from the car, still feel her heart beating a thousand miles a second.
She could feel Percy's heart, too, going almost as fast as hers as he stared at her, still angry.
"Percy, the car's gone. You can let me go."
He released her his arms and she immediately fell, having lost her balance.
He didn't seem to notice. "Come on."
She followed, meek, as he elbowed his way through crowds to a sushi place.
They got a table and she stared at the menu, confused. "I don't understand this," She said, letting it fall, limp, in her fingers.
He sighed, loud and dramatic."I can order for both of us."
"Yes, please."
Annabeth shifted in her stool, looking around. There was a man across the restaurant who didn't seem able to get a piece of food into his mouth—it'd fall on the plate, or his wife would take it off of the fork.
"Look at that man there," Annabeth whispered.
He didn't look up from the menu. "Don't stare."
"But he can't eat!" She titled her head, trying to figure out how he was so unable.
Percy finally looked at her. She met his gaze, her head still turned to the side. Slowly, under his glare, she rightened her head and took her elbows off the table.
He went back to the menu. When the waiter came, he rattled off a bunch of unfamiliar words and ordered water for both of them. The waiter left, and Annabeth stared at him.
"Is that what it sounds like to you when I talk about architecture?"
He rolled his eyes, and she fought the urge to laugh.
"Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom," She said, slipping down from her seat. She glanced back at him, and saw him drumming his fingers on the table, tightness shown in his neck and arms.
Angry Percy is so sexy, she thought, and froze, startled by the thought.
"Annabeth!" He said, reaching over the table and pushing her to the side. A waitress, moving fast, passed right where she'd been.
"Thanks," Annabeth said, but he'd gone back to staring out the window.
Making a beeline for the one-person bathroom, she pulled out her cell and frantically dialed.
"Piper?" She hissed into the phone.
"Yeah?"
"Help, 911, I need-"
"Whoa, whoa. Slow down."
Annabeth took a breath. "So I was walking and not paying attention, and then Percy grabbed me and pulled me off the street just as a car went by, and I would've died, and then he was holding me. Like, really close. Then he let go and I almost fell. But he's mad now, and then I was going to the bathroom and I just randomly thought He's so sexy when he's angry or something and then he saved me again and then I came in here and told you."
Piper was silent for a second. "Two options," She decided. "One, it's PMS. Two, Mom is messing with you."
"Aphrodite?"
"Please, Annabeth. She loved the two of you."
"Okay. I'm going to go back."
"Don't over think this."
"I won't."
"Okay. Bye."
Piper disconnected, and Annabeth splashed water on her face.
Percy was already eating when she got back. He didn't seem to be angry, but she still sat up straight and kept her elbows off the table.
They walked back after.
"Hey," Percy said when back in her building. "I'm sorry for yelling. I just..."
"It's okay," She assured him. "I would've done the same thing."
He looked surprised. "But you-"
"Well, I'm beat. See you tomorrow!"
She moved through the apartment and went into her room, the last image of his expression plastered on the back of her eyelids.
Honking horns woke her early the next morning. When she stumbled to the window, she saw that it was the movers, waving at the window and probably hoping she'd see them.
"Percy," She called, going back out. "Percy the movers-" The apartment was empty. "Percy?" She called again, right before the door opened.
"But if you could wait here for a few minutes, I've got to go get dressed and wake Annabeth."
The door shut.
"Annabeth, wake up!" Percy said softly, rounding the corner. He was rubbing his hands together with an evil expression. He jumped when he saw her.
She raised an eyebrow. "Guilty, Seaweed Brain?"
He shrugged. "Nah. Go get dressed. The movers are here."
She rolled her eyes and went to do as he told. When she opened the door, someone yelled "Bah!" Acting on instinct, she swung her fist out, aimed for the throat. He ducked and she punched the wall.
"Sheesh, Annabeth. What did that wall did to you?" Percy cackled, walking away. She sped past him, whacking the back of his head as she passed.
They helped the movers move everything out—the table and armchairs into the truck, the couch to be sold, plus all the boxes.
When they were done and the movers gone, Percy and Annabeth stood in the empty apartment, the only other things in there the suitcases at their feet.
Percy grinned at her. "Hotel?"
They had an early flight the next day, and then they were back in New York. Piper was waiting at the apartment door, shifting from foot to foot.
"You're back!"
"How long have you been waiting?" Percy asked, amused, as he unlocked the door.
"Oh, a couple minutes. I have to pee!" She sped through the apartment and into the bathroom, slamming the door after her.
"Can we start packing today?" Annabeth asked.
"No. You'll ruin the plan."
"Oh, so you're all for plans now? When did that happen?"
"Shut up."
He started rummaging in the kitchen. Piper popped out of the bathroom, smiling brightly.
"You need moving boxes, right? Annabeth and I can go get those."
"But-"
"No, no! It's fine!" Piper dragged Annabeth out of the room, turning a deaf ear to Percy's protests.
They went to Home Depot, again, but this time Piper pulled Annabeth behind a stack of boxes.
"Well? What happened?"
"Nothing. I mean, nothing."
"You sounded really worked up on the phone."
"Yeah, well, distance does that. Really, it was nothing."
Piper raised an eyebrow but let it drop.
They picked up a bunch of boxes and took them back to Percy's place. Piper stayed and helped them start packing, saying that she had nothing better to do, which meant Jason was working.
They got the majority of the living area stuff packed, but Percy wouldn't let them into his bedroom, saying that it was too messy.
"Girl's night?" Piper asked, tugging gently on Annabeth's arm.
"Oh, what the heck. Sure."
They caught a cab to Piper's apartment, and Piper wouldn't stop bouncing in the elevator.
"She'd better be awake, better be awake!" She muttered through the hall.
She shoved the key into the lock and flung the door open, grinning.
The apartment was empty.
Piper shoved Annabeth through, and Annabeth took the steps down to the living room.
"Piper?" A familiar voice called.
Annabeth spun. "Hazel!"
They all hugged and claimed how excited they were to see each other.
"Well, we can't go out to bars, because someone's not 21," Piper joked. "Any ideas?"
"Movie," Hazel suggested. Annabeth shrugged.
"Fine with me."
So they went, and didn't have any idea of what movies were showing. They ended up seeing a chick flick—about a girl who found out her boyfriend was a spy—for the sole purpose of seeing how many times they could've beaten the movie.
It came to about 28 times each. They laughed their way out of the side door, into the alley that led to the parking lot.
"But really, when she was home alone, and kept hearing noises? Seriously, I knew the house was going to be broken into at the beginning of the scene. She didn't realize until the guy was right in front of her," Hazel said, still giggling. They turned a corner and came upon a dark alley.
"I think we took a wrong turn," Piper said, amusement still clear in her voice.
"You think?" Annabeth said, and they turned around.
There were three men standing there, evil grins plastered on their faces.
"I have to check something," Piper said, drawing something from her mini-purse.
She spun behind and around the men, flashing bronze. She ended up right back where she started, putting it back in her purse.
"They're all mortal," She reported.
"Oh, great," Hazel sighed.
"Did you just stab them?" Annabeth asked.
"Hey, girls. You lost?" The one in front asked.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "No, we just took a wrong turn. Excuse us."
They laughed. "We can show you the town."
Piper wrinkled her nose. "No thanks. I know my way around."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
Annabeth stepped forward. "Hey, hey. Let's keep this civil."
"Oh, this is civil. Don't worry."
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. That is, he tried. She stepped back and he missed.
"Where're you going?" He asked.
"Nowhere with you," She said, and punched him as hard as she could in the nose.
He stumbled backwards several steps and sat down hard, holding his gushing nose.
"Excuse us, boys," Annabeth said, shaking out her hand and stepping around them, Hazel and Piper at her heels.
They called it a night soon after that, dropping Annabeth off at Percy's place.
He was asleep on the couch, and he didn't wake up when she opened the door.
So she closed it, loudly. He didn't move. She opened the fridge and closed it. Nothing.
He only startled awake when she dropped a cookbook on the floor behind the couch.
"Huh?" He mumbled. She leaned over the back.
"You're on my bed."
"Oh, sorry. What happened to your hand?"
He turned around, on his knees, and picked up her hand. He held it gently, like it was a baby.
"I punched a guy."
"What'd he do?"
"Oh, him and his goonies wouldn't let Piper, Hazel, and me out of the alley so I punched him as hard as I could."
He raised an eyebrow. "Hazel? She's back?"
"She lives here?"
"She goes to school here. You'd better put some ice on that," He added, picking up his blanket and going into his room.
Annabeth stared after him, confused.