"Annabeth, quick, hide me!" Percy said abruptly, a mad look wavering in his sea green eyes. He started to pull Annabeth in front of him in a futile attempt for her to shield him from whatever caused his sudden and frantic demeanor. Annabeth would do no good at hiding him considering the fact that she was a foot shorter than him even in her wedges, but let herself be his human shield anyways.
"What? What is it Percy?" She turned her body to look at him. His hair was disheveled as always and his shirt was rumpled with more wrinkles than an English bulldog, but that was normal. It was the scared look in his eyes that wasn't.
Before Percy's sudden outburst the pair had simply been waiting in line for their movie tickets. They were idly talking with each other about this and that and Annabeth was making mental notes throughout the conversation. She learned his favorite color was blue, that he tried out for the basketball team in ninth grade but didn't make it, and that Mrs. O'Leary had been his mother's neighbor's dog before he died. It was a very long line.
Annabeth loved hearing Percy talk. Most of the time it was her rambling off about her interests, architecture and drawing mainly, so the change had a nice new beat to it that Annabeth could definitely go along with. He always seemed so happy to share anything with her, even if it was just the fact that his breakfast that morning had been pancakes. It was impossible for her to retain the stoic face she trained herself to always have when he talked, she always broke out into a glowing smile.
Annabeth wouldn't lie if she was just a little concerned about Percy's change of pace.
"It's my ex! Oh gods, I hope she doesn't see me. If she comes over, just act like we're in love, okay?" His voice quivered like the legs on a newborn deer trying to stand up. Annabeth wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or be offended that she had to act a certain way in front of his ex. She just hoped the so called 'ex' wouldn't come greet them and an awkward situation could be avoided.
The gods must have not been listening because five seconds later a bouncy red-headed girl with curls bigger than Texas and a sea of freckles on her face came over to them.
She was much taller than Annabeth and barely two inches shorter than Percy. Her boyfriend jeans were straight from a magazine, but tarnished with splashes of blue and red paint. She wore a faded purple sweatshirt with words that could no longer be read and had beat up converses on her feet, with hot pink socks sticking out.
Annabeth prided herself on looking better than her (at least in her opinion) with her light pink sundress that radiated with the essence of spring and her new white Michael Kors bag. She would be lying if she said she didn't splurge with her tips from waitressing.
"Percy, hi!" The red head said in a thick southern accent as she approached them, barely even acknowledging Annabeth's existence except for a minor side glare with her bright emerald eyes.
"Hey, Rachel." The wince in Percy's voice was hilariously noticeable and he reached for Annabeth's hand.
She smiled a sweet, small, secret smile as she felt his firm grip. His hand was comically larger than her petite one, but somehow they fit perfectly together like a key in a lock.
"How are you doing? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Just like that her accent was gone, replaced with a neutral American accent. Annabeth shot Percy a confused look, but he just shot her one that said 'please don't ask questions right now.' Annabeth shrugged, but her curiosity remained hungry.
Rachel was still blatantly ignoring her and it irked her every last nerve.
"I, uh, just got in engaged actually. With Annabeth here." He said nervously, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced at Annabeth with a begging in his eyes to just keep playing along.
She was a little surprised at first that that was what he said, but decided to keep rolling with it. It'd probably be more fun that ways anyways.
"Oh, that's... cool. I guess." Rachel's face scrunched into extreme distaste as if some had asked her to eat her own vomit. Annabeth could barely contain her laughter that started to bubble in her throat.
"Yea it is." Percy said and forcefully smiled, Annabeth noticed a few beads of sweat that began to collect at his brow.
"But certainly not as cool as that time we had sex on my dad's privately owned beach. Surely you remember it? The sun was beginning to set and the sky was riddled with pinks and reds and oranges. And everything was pure magic with the waves softly lapping in the background." Rachel said with sultry in her voice.
A small pang of jealousy stabbed Annabeth's heart as Rachel told the story.
Percy's face was blooming red as a tomato with each word uttered from Rachel's mouth. He looked ready to hurl.
"Uh, bye Rachel." He said awkwardly with an even more awkward wave before pulling Annabeth to the arcade section of the movie theater.
Luckily for them, Rachel didn't follow and must have taken the incredibly obvious hint that neither of them wanted her around and left. She had been absolutely obnoxious. Annabeth couldn't believe Percy could ever date a girl like that.
"That was interesting..." Annabeth said as they stood by a claw machine.
Percy slumped his head against the machine and groaned heavily.
"I am so sorry about that. Trust me when I say that whole beach thing never happened. She's crazy. It's partly why I broke up with her and the fact she cheated on me twice in six months." He breathed a heavy sigh, clearly frustrated by the previous events.
Annabeth noticed how he said six months. That was somewhat of a long-term relationship and for all she knew she was just the rebound. She shook her head to rid herself of the gnawing thoughts.
"You okay?" Percy asked. He gave her a funny look with his dark brows furrowed.
"Oh yeah, sorry just clearing my head." She felt her cheeks color with a shade of strawberry read.
Percy gave her a light chuckle.
"Now that that's over, how about I take my lovely fiancee to the movie I promised her."
Annabeth chuckled.
"Yes, that would be a wise choice or I might just call off the wedding."
They laughed and Percy slipped his hand back into Annabeth's. It was such a natural thing and despite this being only the second date, both felt a deeper connection with each other. Of course there'd be nothing past hand holding for now.
"You know, I'm really glad it was my apartment you wandered into." Percy said as they approached the ticket booth inside the theater. Annabeth gave him a soft, endearing smile back. She was happy too.
A teenage boy with acne across his forehead asked what movie they'd like to see and before Annabeth got the chance to reply to Percy the boy was telling them their movie was sold out and the next time wouldn't be until ten that night. It was only five.
"You have got to be kidding!" Percy threw his hands up in frustration.
It seemed all their dates had been doomed from the beginning. Every encounter him and Annabeth had carried a stroke of bad luck or misfortune. He felt as though he had broken thirteen mirrors underneath a ladder.
"Sorry, man. You should've bought tickets ahead of time." The teenager shrugged, irritating Percy.
Annabeth laid an arm on his bicep which was taut with tension. She understood why he would be upset, after all it was his ex-girlfriend that had made him miss the movie, she'd be upset too. That is if she even had an ex.
"Hey, it's okay. We can go see it another day." She smiled at him, despite even her patience being pushed a little.
"Yea, I guess." Percy's voice was in a bit of a huff, but he tried to cool his frustration a bit.
"If it means anything, I can give you guys a free popcorn. It's movie theater policy." The teenager said, though both doubted it was. The kid probably just didn't want angry customers with him.
Percy perked up at the prospect of food.
"Yea that'd be great!"
The guy nodded and went off to scoop popcorn into one of the theater buckets. He handed it to Percy who promptly thanked him.
"Well I guess we should go then."
"Yea we probably should." Annabeth replied.
They walked back to the parking lot in search of Percy's Prius. The were walking in through the aisles, bot forgetful as to where they parked when out of the blue it started down pouring. There had been no forewarning or signs of the rain, but fat pellets of water began to furiously come down on them.
"Are you kidding me?!" They both exclaimed with no patience left.
The popcorn was ruined and the duo was drenched and shivering to their bones by the time they made it to Percy's car.
"It's always an adventure, isn't it?" Annabeth exclaimed bitterly.
"Yep."
Hey! So sorry for the long update. This chapter isn't really my favorite, but it's what I wrote so it'll be what I post. Also, please don't think I dislike Rachel! I only made her that way for the soul purpose of the story. Anyways... hope you are all doing well!