[A/N: Sorry for waiting, but here's chapter 15. This one's a bit short but I think everything needed is written here. :D

MegJackson: I apologize for making you wait. :D

Venique: I'm not related to Rick Riordan, either. :D

Everlasting Curse: Um, BAZOOKAS! Thanks. :D

fantasy girl loves fantasy: I try to update everyday but sometimes, I'm having writer's block. Like right now. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update for the next two days.

NeneCere: Thank you.

CimFan: Again, thank you.

another epiphany: I don't need to be reminded of the title of my story. That's actually to let you know how this story will turn out, but it also means that Percy and Annabeth have to go through things couples normally go through. Anyway, thank you for your review. :D

Shaft of Light: Thank you! :D

So yeah. Enjoy reading! And don;t forget to leave a review! :D


WISE GIRL'S SEAWEED BRAIN
Chapter 15: DON'T LET ME STOP YOU

SAMANTHA

My head was throbbing like crazy. My vision was swirling in and out of focus and there was a foul taste in my mouth.

I opened my eyes and groaned loudly. Last night was a blur. All I could remember was the confession, Percy coming after me then our kiss. I remembered the bar, bribing the guy at the entrance and drinking. After that, I kind of blacked out. When I woke up, I was inside Percy's car and then . . .

Oh, God. Did I really do that?

My face burned at the memory. I couldn't believe I threw myself at Percy that way. That wasn't who I am.

At the thought of Percy, I head snapped upward and my heart jumped in my throat at the sight of him sleeping. It was real. He really did stay with me. He was mine last night, even for once. Even for just last night, I got him for myself.

For a moment, I was happy, breathing in Percy's scent and staring at his face. His mouth was slightly open, and his hair an absolute mess. But then reality set in. He wasn't mine. Percy belonged to Annabeth and he just stayed with me because he was feeling sorry for me.

That brought tears to my eyes but I forced them back. No more crying. I knew from the very beginning that I would never have Percy for myself. He's in love with Annabeth and there was nothing I could do about that.

I held onto him for one last time, knowing that when I let go, I would never be able to hold him this way again. My movement caused Percy to stir. He groaned and opened his eyes, looked around and gazed down to me.

"'Morning, Perce," I said, which probably wasn't ideal since I was sure my breath smelled awful.

"Hey," he said back.

I glanced at my bedside table and checked the time. "Do you want some breakfast?" I asked.

"Breakfast?" he asked. "Why, what time is it?"

I nodded to my clock. "Half-past five in the morning."

Percy suddenly shot to his feet, throwing me to the side.

"Oh, gods!" he cursed.

"What?"

"Annabeth," he said. Hearing him say her name felt like a stab in the chest. "I was supposed to go to her apartment last night. She said she had something prepared for me. Why did I forget about that?"

I watched him took his phone out and dialed a number. Every passing second, the creases on his forehead deepened until they looked like they had been permanently carved on his skin. "Come on, Annabeth, pick up."

I lied back down on my bed. The pain in my head was nothing compared to what I was feeling in my chest. I knew I could never compete with Annabeth for Percy's attention. He was hers and she was his and that's the way it was supposed to be. There could never be Percy and me. I was just Sam to him, a girl whom he helped into not being pushed around and gave the courage to stand up for myself. Percy could never be mine.

"Annabeth, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry and I'm on my way," he said. When he ended the call, Percy looked at me in concern. "Are you okay?"

"No," I admitted. "But I will be. I have to be." I sat up and ignored that the carpeted floor seemed to be moving in waves beneath my feet. "I'm guessing you need to go?"

Percy nodded. "Yes. Annabeth will be mad at me, no doubt, but I have to talk to her."

I looked at him but he looked away. "Thank you for what you did last night, Perce."

"Was nothing," he said. "You're my friend; I'll do anything for you."

Friend. That's the most hurtful way your love one can call you but I smiled at him.

"Don't do that," he said.

"What?"

"Don't smile when I know you're about to cry."

I made my smiled wider. "What am I supposed to do, Perce? Smiling makes me feel okay. It makes me believe that things will be just fine even when deep down, I know they won't."

Percy sat beside me took my hand. "Don't pretend, Sam. You don't have to hide from me."

That broke my façade. I cried and Percy pulled me into a hug. He had no idea how long I'd waited to hear those words from someone. Throughout my life, I've been fooling people and myself. I'd learned to smile through the tears. I learned how to laugh even when deep inside, iw as crumbling down. I had protected myself all those years, knowing that there's no one I could really count on but myself. I stayed strong for my sake. But hearing those words from Percy, and knowing that he was there for me even after my confession, it brought all the sadness and fear I'd been holding all those years.

Percy was rubbing my back, muttering that everything would be okay. I almost believed him. But I knew that things won't be the same now that he knew about my feelings for him. I had broken something between us and I could feel it. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, time will tell.

Remembering Annabeth, I disentangled myself from him and pushed him away. I wiped the tears from my eyes and smiled at him. "Go now, Perce."

Percy nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry, Sam. For hurting you."

I touched his face. "You have nothing to apologize for, Perce." I took his other hand and kissed his palm. "Now go, before I tie you on my bed and never let you go."

"Sam . . ."

"I know, Perce. It's Annabeth. It's always going to be Annabeth and that's okay. That's the way it's supposed to be."

"I know, but Sam . . ."

"Perce." His name came out barely a whisper. I wanted to say so many things to him. I wanted to thank him for not running away. I wanted to apologize for what I did in his car, and for keeping him from going to Annabeth's apartment, but I knew this wasn't the time. "Just go. Please. I can't keep the tears anymore. And I don't want to cry in front of you."

"I told you; you don't have to keep you emotions from me – "

"Damn it, Perce!" I cursed. I couldn't help myself. It was hard to fight the emotions back. I knew Percy was just trying to be a good friend, offering me a shoulder to cry on, but I could see what I was putting him through and that's the worst I could do, to put him through pain. "You just have to see me break down completely, do you?" I shook my head. "Please, just go."

"You're not mad at me, are you?" he asked, clearly surprised with my outburst.

His question made me chuckle. "I can never be mad at you, Perce. But I can't also have you. And right now, I'm trying really hard not to miss you, even when you're standing a few feet away from me. I'm trying really hard not to grab you and kiss you, hold you and never let you go because I know that those would be just plain wrong."

Percy nodded. "I, uh, I just I'll go but Sam," he said, looking me in the eyes, "know that I'm always here for you, okay? And I apologize for everything I've ever done. I never wanted to hurt you."

"Just go. Please."

Percy hugged me before leaving.

When the door closed, I let the tears escaped.


ANNABETH

I saw them kiss.

I was right behind Percy when he ran after Samantha. I watched him hold her and I watched as she kissed him. My boyfriend. I should've been mad. I should've stormed in on them and pulled her away from him. I should've slapped him and yelled at him. I should've been mad. I had the right to be. I should've . . . but I didn't. Instead, I felt sad. A dread I'd been holding back flowed into my chest the way Percy manipulates water. This was what I'd been scared about, him finding someone else.

Samantha's his friend. I knew Percy too well. I knew how protective he was of the people he loves. I knew that he would go after Samantha when he found out. And he did. And I just let him. I let his hand go. It felt like it was a permanent thing.

When they pulled away, I ran back to the gym and tried really ahrd not to cry. I knew Percy would notice and I didn't want him to know I saw them kiss. If it didn't mean anything to him, he would tell that to me, even with the knowledge I would be mad. The thing was, the way he moved and held Samantha, it opened my eyes and made me see the truth.

The next time I looked at the door, he was there, glaring at Amber. It confirmed my suspicion that Amber was behind Samantha's sudden confession. I knew Percy would talk to her and threaten her so I stopped him. The last thing we needed was to make things more complicated than they were.

There was no denying that Percy was upset with what he found out. He didn't speak the entire time he was driving.

I kissed him before I went out of the car and I tasted the trace Samantha left on his lips. I was sure Percy noticed but I didn't say anything. I felt like Percy was slipping from my grasp.

After he left, I busied myself with preparing the dinner. Sally had given me the recipes of Percy's favorite foods. I had done the shopping the day before so I didn't have much left to do but to cook and set the table. Good thing the preparations required a lot of concentrations. It took my mind off with what's going on.

I was done around six and was just waiting for him. I changed into a red dress my stepmom got me last year. Percy's gift necklace was hanging on my neck. I even put light make-up on. I waited for him for an hour but he didn't show up.

Then I received the text message.

I was surprised to find out Samantha was drunk. Percy had told me her Mom's problem and I thought Samantha was the last person to turn to alcohol. I wanted to be upset that Percy chose to ehad there first but I forced myself not to. Of course he would want to be tehre for her. I knew Percy was feeling guilty with hurting Samantha, even when he wasn't aware of it.

At least he promised he'd come to me after.

But he didn't.

I waited at the table until midnight. The food had gone cold and all the candles had melted. Still no Percy Jackson. There was a heavy feeling in my veins and chest. It felt like Percy had made his choice that night, which was stupid since, after everything we'd been through, I knew Percy would never give up on me that easily.

But would I?

I had no idea what time I fell asleep. The next thing I was aware of was a hand brushing the hair out of my face. I looked up and saw Percy with a sad expression painted on his face.

"Hey," he said.

I stood up and hugged him. Percy hugged me back, so tight I felt like he was trying to squeeze my eyes out. I breathed in the scent coming off of him and my sensed seemed to wake up. But I was a fool not to admit there was a different smell clinging to him, something that was undoubtedly female. Did he spend the night cuddling with Samantha? I teared up at the thought.

I pulled away from him and turned to the table. "Are you hungry?" I asked. "The foods from last night are probably spoiled but I can cook something else for you."

I didn't know why my heart was beating like crazy. Maybe because there was a possibility that Percy spent the night with Samantha, probably on the same bed. That thought hurt but I didn't think it was that. It was the way he held me when I hugged him. It wasn't the same. There was distance, despite the fact that a needle couldn't have passed between us.

Samantha only made her confession last night and I felt like I was already losing Percy. That sent spasms on my body. I couldn't stop it anymore. I cried.

I felt Percy' arms wrapping around me as pulled me closer to him. "I'm so sorry, Annabeth." He didn't elaborate, which only made me feel worse. I knew he was apologizing for not showing up, but it felt like there were so many messages hiding in his words.

I clung to him tightly and sobbed on his chest. Percy's face was buried on my hair as he murmured apologies. Even that way, with his body pressed close to mine, and his lips on my scalp, I could feel something shift. A change.

I'd never been afraid of changes. Being a daughter of the wisdom goddess, I knew there was nothing I could do to stop them coming my way. The only thing I could do was welcome them, embrace them and try to live with them. But this change . . . I didn't think I'd be able to welcome it. I didn't think I was strong enough to accept it.

Percy was the one to break our embrace this time. He looked me in the eyes and pulled me into a kiss. There. That was the strongest proof that Percy was slipping away from me. Before, whenever he kisses me, there was always love and passion. I could still feel it but it had weakened exponentially. I didn't think it was possible but then, it was happening.

He stopped kissing me and hugged me again. I wanted to stay there forever, in his arms, but I knew eventually, I'll have to let go. And I did. I kissed him again and started cleaning the dishes. Percy helped me and together, we cleared the table in silence.

When the dishes were washed, the spoiled foods thrown in the garbage, I pulled Percy to my room and told him to lie down on my bed. He did without any questions. I jumped after him and put my head on his chest. His arms snaked their way around me.

"I'm really sorry, Wise Girl," he murmured in a quiet voice.

I put a finger on his lips. "Don't," I said simply.

After that, we held onto each other in silence, with me clinging tighter than him. I tried to stop the tears but I couldn't so I cried, with my face turned away from him. I had a lot of time to think last night.

When I met Samantha, I immediately saw she had feelings for Percy. I didn't think it was serious, until she confessed that she was in love with him. I knew I should've done something right then. Instead, I befriended her and brought her deeper into Percy's and my life. She reminded me of myself. Her strength, how she always smiled even when it was clear she was struggling . . . I always see that kind of face whenever I look in the mirror. Even though I felt some resentment for her, I also felt sympathy. It wasn't her fault she fell for Percy.

Percy . . . who was clearly confused right now. I had spent days watching him act around Samantha. I saw how she could make him smile in ways that I couldn't. I saw the way Percy talked to her. I saw how he looked her in the eyes and smiled at her. I saw them grow closer every single day. And I knew that Samantha was coming between us.

I felt Percy moving beneath me. Then he spoke, "Hey Sam? You okay?" I felt my eyes getting warm again. Here we were, in my bed, hugging and he was talking to her? No question was needed: Percy was falling for her.

Or was he? Or was I just reading into things? I didn't think so. Athena is my mother and I could see straight into people.

"Yeah, I'm with Ann – " he cut himself off. That made me sadder. He didn't mention my name because he knew he'd hurt her. What was that supposed to mean? That he didn't want to hurt her because she was his friend or because he didn't want hurt her her?

"Anyway, I'll see you. Don't drink again, okay?" Percy chuckled then ended the call. My eyes were closed so he probably thought I was asleep. I felt him kiss my hair again and whispered. "I don't know what's happening with me, Wise Girl. I know I love you but Sam . . . I feel like I'm having feelings for her." He sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"

You don't have to do anything, I thought as a tear trickled down my cheek. But I do.


[Next - Chapter 16: THE DAY WE FELL APART

One word for the upcoming chapter: OUCH.]