Chp 13
Annabeth's POV
10 Months Later

I chuckled as I put on my clothes that were assigned to working at the pizza place down the road from NYU. Jen laughed and propped her head on her hand as she leaned on her elbow and lay on the couch. "This was the best deal I have ever made." She said, smiling to herself. Her brown hair fell across her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkled as she watched me put on the waitress outfit again.

Kelly and Bree tried to be supportive of it. "Don't worry, I think you look really cute!" Bree said, smiling as she fixed my fringe. I still don't know how she always got her hair perfect. She was blonde and had brown eyes, always being positive.

"Only two more weeks of working there. And then you get two hundred dollars and her accepting Marty's date. And you never know, you might meet a really cute guy there!" Kelly said, her lover girl side coming out. It suited her though. She was petite, sleek black hair and greenish eyes.

"Yeah, because I've always been great at relationships." I muttered, grabbing my jacket and my sling purse. I out my phone in it and Kelly sighed. "You never know. I've always seemed to find love in the most unexpected places." She said, ending up with a pillow to the face by Jen.

"Please, love sucks and guys suck. I'm surprised you haven't had your heart broken. I guess then you wouldn't be so lovey dovey." Jen said, making me laugh and turn at the door.

"I'm with you on that. If I didn't hate you so much for making me do this, I might actually consider you a friend." I joked, then left the dorm, ready to go to my stupid job yet again.

Don't even ask how it happened, we all went out for a drink to get to know each other, in get betted by Jen to do a waitress job for a month in exchange for her giving me two hundred dollars and her accepting poor Marty's date.

I mean, the guy was studying medicine! And he was decent and quite polite. And she said he was so unsuited for her because she was loud and boisterous and fun and was studying the arts. Which I thought made them perfect for each other. Opposites attract, right?

He was really into her too! He even sent her flowers and a note, and came to the dorm in person and asked her to go out for dinner with him. And she turned away from a tall, brown haired blue eyed genius with a smirk on her face, just closed the door on him with a simple 'nope'.

I reached the pizza place and went in. Larry, the old cleaner, was sweeping the floor. He looked up and gave me a smile. "Top of the morning to you, ma'am." He said, lifting his little barrette type hat and then carried on sweeping.

"Morning Larry." I said, smiling at him then walking to the back by the little staff's locker room. I went in and saw Marly, Finn and Liam already there. Finn was shirtless, searching for his top in his bag, Marly was chatting to Liam, who got distracted when I came in.

Finn, dirty blonde haired guy that is an ex footballer and finds himself quite a ladies man. Marly, pretty brown haired girl with dark blue eyes, very cheerful and always trying to make my job seem nicer than it felt. Liam, quite attractive and blonde, studying biology. He had asked me out but I had politely said I was really busy. Honestly, I liked him only as a friend.

"Hey Ann! How you doing?" Marly said. I gave her a smile and went to my locker, just next to hers. I opened it with a sigh and put my bag in it.

"I walked into a door, hit my leg on the edge if a table, almost got whacked in the head by a baseball bat and worked late last night. I'm feeling just fine." I said, sarcastically.

They chuckled and she patted my arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure today will be better." She said. I shook my head and looked at her, taking off my jacket.

"I appreciate the encouragement but I'll be lucky if I survive the rest of this month working here and my studies and my stressed out brain and everything else." I said. She frowned.

Finn decided to pipe up. "First if all, the job isn't that bad. I mean, you're working with the three of us. We're freaking amazing!" He said, making us all chuckle. "And if you hate it, why are you working here?"

I sighed and said, "I don't hate it, I just have other things in my mind. And because I made a stupid bet with my dorm mate that is going to get me two hundred dollars and help my friend Marty who Jen is going to have to accept a date from if I survive the rest of the month working here to keep up her side of the bet."

Liam gave me a smile. "Varsity bets, always inappropriate and embarrassing. Last year I had to run through the girls lounging room in my underwear with the rest if the new guys. And that was just for initiation." He said, making us laugh.

We walked to the front area and the two guys that usually clean up the dishes were coming in. I sighed as I didn't like them. Brett and Gary, sixteen years old and really rude guys who didn't have respect for elders and wanted to hook up with any girl they could find.

They laughed at Larry and said, "Old man still cleaning, looks like it's taking you a million years to do one inch of the floor." Gary then knocked the broom out Larry's hand and Brett pushed his hat off his head. That was too far.

"Hey, stop it." I said, stepping for award and standing between them and Larry. Gary gave me a sly smirk and said, "So I'm free tonight. If you're chilled out you can come to my place and-" he started but I cut him off.

"Excuse me but don't talk to me like that. And don't be rude to your elders. Apologize." I said, sternly. Brett grabbed for my butt but Liam stepped forward and pulled him back, twisting his arm behind his back.

"Hey, she said apologize." He said, angrily. The guy winced as Liam pushed his arm further. "Okay, I'm sorry." He let go of his arm and Brett and Gary stalked off to the kitchen.

I leaned down and picked up his hat and broom. I handed it to him and he gave me a smile. "Thank you my darling. But why are you so nice to me?" He asked. He reminded me of an old man that I had helped at a library once. He was a bit blind in the one eye but I used to help him find his book he wanted and used to read it in a few days with his one good eye.

I gave him back a smile. "Because I know what it's like to be pushed around." I said. He gave me a smile and patted my arm. "You don't have to be so nice to this old man, I'm not a well known person, just ordinary me." He said.

I chuckled. "Why be mean, then I'm no better then Gary or Brett. Not like I'm a great person either." I said. He smiled and patted my hand then went back to his job. I turned to see the other three I worked with looking at me.

I raised an eyebrow at them and grabbed a cloth, going to one of the booths to wipe down the tables. They grabbed cloths too and started wiping down tables. "Annabeth, do you mind me asking a personal question?" Marly asked. I finished wiping a table and went to her. "I can't imagine you the type of person to be bullied at high school. Why did they bully you?" She asked.

I smiled at her helped Finn with the bigger booth he was working on. "I was teased because I was dyslexic." I said. Liam frowned.

"But that's just stupid. What makes them so special?" He said, his protective 'I like you and want to stick up for you' side coming out again.

"My mom died in a car accident when I was thirteen. And just before my seventeenth birthday I found out my boyfriend slept with my best friend. And then people regard you as useless as you get cheated on by a guy you dated for two years." I said.

They looked at me. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked-" Marly started but I chuckled. "It's okay. You forget I'm not a little girl. We're the same age. I learn to live with it." I said.

Finn sighed and said, "I made a mistake once. I kissed my best friends girlfriend after a game. He was so mad at me. I guess I was stupid and so caught up in being on the football team and being a jock that I forgot about trust."

I smiled at him. "I was pretty upset when I found out about them. I said some things I shouldn't have to my friend. Because despite her breaking our trust, I found her again after getting things straight in my head. And I forgave her. And she cried. She said she didn't deserve my forgiveness, but if it had been me I wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt." I said.

Marly smiled at me. "You're such a nice person. I wish I had you around when I was at high school. I had a similar thing with getting caught up in wanting to be popular at school, but forgot my friend since I was eight. And then she had knocked over a can of paint and I just assumed she was trying to push me out from being the queen bee."

"I had shouted at her for an accident, in front of every one." She said, and shook her head. "I didn't know that in the two months of me getting caught up in popularity, she was struggling with her parents getting divorced. And she became so closed up, dropping to a person with no friends. But I guess I never really was a friend, I was more of a fake."

I shook my head and said, "But look, you've changed so much to the person you just described. You're like a freaking world peace and no wars type of person. You make me smile every time I come to work." I said, nudging her and she chuckled. "I guess so." She said.

I looked up to see Liam staring contently out the window. "Um, my brother was always getting sick, and he seemed pretty wimpy because he didn't want to get hurt or anything. And the people at school teased him, and I started to as well." He said.

"The one day when my friends and I went to celebrate our winning the baseball season, I brought him with just because I had to baby sit as my parents were out if town. One of the guys said something. and he got mad and took the keys to my bike and ride off. He got hit by a car, was dead on impact."

I felt my heart pain for him, knowing how it felt to lose someone. He looked at me. "How did you feel? When you found out you mom died?" He asked.

I felt my throat pain a bit but swallowed it down. "I was actually in the car at the time. We were hit from the drivers side. She died on impact." I said. I wiped my nose and continued wiping the table. "I felt like I was dying inside. I felt guilty. Probably because I had fought with her the week before about something as stupid as her working instead of spending time with me."

He nodded. "The people didn't tease after the incident. They just pretended they had never teased him and acted like he wasn't dead." He said, hooking his cloth to his waiters apron thing. The other two looked at me and I signaled I wanted to talk to him.

They went off to clean the tables that usually stood in the middle of the room. I went to him and put a hand on his arm. He looked at me and stopped wiping the table.

"You feel guilty. And I know how hard it is. And it sucks. But you have to imagine him being so proud of you. He was so proud that he had this brother that thought of him every day. Some siblings hate each other. Surely you two had to get on." I said.

He looked down at the table and said, "There was this one time, about two weeks before he died. We were sitting out by this lake and he told me there was a girl he liked and he asked her to join him for a movie but she said no because he was the school wimp."

He smiled and said, "I told him that no girl was worth it. Told him he would date a girl some day and the other girl would wish she had accepted his date. And he surprised me by giving me a hug. And he said how he sometimes didn't like me much because I teased him. But he knew I loved him and he loved me too."

I smiled down at my hands and thought of my two step brothers. "He knew you loved him. So don't feel guilty. Because he forgives you, loves you despite what you teased him about." He smiled and nodded, looking up at me.

He nudged my shoulder with his and said, "You're such a feel good person." We both laughed and went to help the others move the tables and chairs to their usual spots.

As we went to wash our hands before serving, I pulled Liam aside and said, "I wanted to thank you, for sticking up for me when Brett-" I trailed off but he knew what I meant. He smiled and said, "No problem. Anytime."

I asked Larry, while he was leaving, if I could buy him a cup of coffee or tea. He had smiled and accepted, sitting at one of the tables with a news lap are and his drink. A few people came in for breakfast, and I always checked on Larry if he wanted a top up of coffee.

He stuck around the day, helping if someone spilt something or knocked over food. I grabbed my pen and pad as I went to a booth with people that had just come on and were reading over their menu. "Hello, I'm Annabeth and I'll be your waitress. Can I get you any drinks?" I asked, fiddling with my notepad by getting a new page then looking up.

I was met by these sea green eyes I knew ever so well. "Annabeth? How lovely to see you!" Sally said, standing and giving me a hug. I was stunned, beyond words. I greeted Paul and looked over at Percy. "Annabeth." He said, smiling and giving me a nod. I returned the smile and said, "Lovely to see you again."

"I missed having you around, how have you been?" Sally asked. I smiled. "Great, thank you, and you?" I asked. She waved it off. "Same old same old. But when Percy left in was a puddle of tears at the airport. Everyone looked at us funny as I cried over my little boy leaving for university."

I laughed as Percy said it was embarrassing and she said it was just a mom thing. "And how is NYU?" Paul asked. I sighed. "Fine, but busy. Juggling between studies and working here." I said.

Sally chuckled and said, "I didn't think you would take a job as a waitress." I laughed. "It was kind of a bet, me working here for a month in exchange for two hundred dollars and my dorm mate accepting my friend, Marty's, offer for a date." I explained. They laughed.

"Oh, sorry. Drinks?" I asked. I took down their order and went to get it. Finn and Larry were there, Finn adding something to someone's tab and Larry wiping down the counter.

"Who's the young lad at the table?" Larry asked, making me chuckle. "I think he quite likes you." Larry said. I shook my head. "And what makes you think that?" I asked. He smiled at me. "The way he looks at you. The same way I looked at my wife when we were dating. You don't happen to have a secret lad at your side and not have told this old man?" He asked.

Finn and I chuckled. "He's an old boyfriend, isn't he?" Finn asked. I smiled. "Yeah, we separated in senior year because I wanted to get my head together as I was pretty mixed up. I guess I was kind of late to ask if he wanted to get back together as next thing he was off to varsity in Miami for his swimming scholarship." I said.

I was about to put the drinks on a tray when Larry said, "You only need to look at the way he looks at you to know you still love each other." I gave him a smile and carried the tray to their table.

I set down their drinks and asked, "Can I get you anything to eat?" Sally looked at Paul then said, "We were going to but Paul and I decided that we shouldn't spoil our dinner. We're having a special guest around."

I nodded. "And that special guest is you, so don't you eat a big lunch either." Sally said, giving me her warm smile. I let out a little laugh.

"Oh, I have studies and I'm busy till six. I don't know if I'd be able to come. And Percy's down, I'm sure you'd all like to catch up." I said, feeling odd to be asked to go have dinner with my ex in the same room.

"Well if you change your mind, send me a message." Sally said, passing me a piece if paper with her number. I smiled and went off. I thought about it. Around three, the place was empty, the dinner rush coming in another two to three hours when other waiters come in.

I let out a sigh and joined the others at the counter. Marly had a big grin in her face, as well as Finn and Larry came over, passing me a note. "The young lad gave this to me before leaving. Asked me to give it to you when your not busy." He said.

I looked at him before unfolding the note. It had Sally and Paul's old house address and he had written, : Be here at six thirty, looking forward to seeing you.

"Well? Are you going to go?" Marly asked, all jumpy. I let out a laugh. "You read the note?" I asked. She shrugged. "Larry did first, then he showed us three." I shook my head with a smile and put the piece if paper in my apron pocket.

"He said if you said no, I was to tell you that his mom would be making blue chocolate chip cookies for dessert." Larry said, giving me a warm smile. I laughed and looked at my hands.

"I think you should go, if he's so eager on seeing you, why break his little heart if you don't go?" Finn said, giving me a puppy dog face. I laughed again, throwing a napkin at him.

We all turned to the door as the jiggle of bells, the sign if someone coming in, jingled. There came a familiar black haired guy, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. "Sally's famous cookies if I said no? Really?" I asked, chuckling.

He laughed back and said, "It seemed a pretty good deal to me." I smiled at him and glanced at the four, listening eagerly at the counter. They all grabbed a seat behind the counter and made out that they were doing something else.

I sighed and he pulled me to sit at a booth with him. I looked at him, my arms crossed. He smiled at me, looking like he wasn't going anywhere with no for an answer. "Say yes, we can talk. Maybe catch up a bit." He said.

"I'm really busy, maybe we could talk some other time." I said, trying to get out of it. "Tomorrow?" He asked. I shook my head. "I have classes." He opened his mouth to say the next day but I said, "And I'm working Thursday too. And Friday classes and weekend is my free time to relax and have me time."

He sighed. "You could have me time still, but with me there too?" He suggested, making me laugh. He looked at the time on the wall and said, "I'm meeting up with Leo, Jason and Frank in ten minutes. But I'm going to have to be late if you don't say yes."

I shook my head and I heard Larry say from behind the counter, "Just say yes!" I laughed as Percy grinned and said, "Thank you!" I looked at him. "Percy." I said.

I lowered my voice so only he could hear, and said, "When we separated, I felt really bad. And I don't know if you're mom told you, but I saw her in the shops. It was a week after we split. She didn't know about the split yet. What if she brings our breakup up in conversation at the table? All three pairs of eyes would be on me because I was the one who suggested the split."

He looked down at his hands the back to me. "Mom misses you. Her and Paul. I miss you." He said. I looked him in the eyes, remembering how it felt when I looked at those eyes so many times.

"Okay, I'll be there. I promise." I said. He smiled and stood. "Don't be late! Paul might give you detention!" He said, walking to the door. I chuckled and he gave me a smile, then left.

"Yay!" Marly said, getting up from behind the counter. I rolled my eyes and groaned, getting up from the table. She sighed and said, "Why are you so hesitant about this? You still love him and him breaking up with you must have been hard for you both."

I glanced up at her and said, "I was the one who said we should separate." She opened her mouth but closed it.

Larry smiled and said, "Trust me darling, he's head over heels for you and wants to be with you." I shook my head and sat on one of the chairs on the other side if the counter.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." We all looked up as the door opened again. I groaned as Jen, Bree and Kelly came in. "When I gave you the bet, I expected more - blood, sweat and tears. Not you lazing around." Jen said, smirking at me.

"Ha ha, real funny." I said, turning to the counter. Liam had moved to sit on my side of the counter. He smiled at me and said, "I'm guessing she's the one who set the bet?" I chuckled and nodded.

"So what is this, the happy time hour where we discuss our feelings?" Jen joked, sitting on the chair next to me. "Actually, the only feelings being talked about are Ann's. You just missed her ever so desperate boyfriend come in, pleading for her to come to dinner with him and his parents." Finn said, dramatically.

I sent him a 'shut up' look and Jen groaned. "I thought you were on my side? Now you're going soft on me and are going to be all lovey dovey like Cheddar and the new girlfriend of Ross Lesowski." Jen said.

Bree sent her a murderous look and said, "My names not Cheddar, it's Bree!" I had to laugh, it just sounded so ridiculous. We all laughed and she let out a huff, annoyed at us.

Larry had to come up with a nice thing to say to cheer her up. "I knew a Bree once, beautiful girl, much like yourself. She used to give out flowers to the sickly in the hospital back in the day. Very generous person." He said, and Bree smiled.

"Thank you." She said. My attention turned to Kelly when she asked, "So what about a boyfriend coming in?"