Chapter 9

After Annabeth signed into the hotel she was staying in, she went to a famous bar that was next to the hotel she was in.

It was called The Omega. Pretty dramatic sounding for a club, but she went anyways. Business meetings didn't start till next week anyways. She had time to spare. So there she was at the bar, trying to drown out all other noises. She felt disgusted by the stares of men who were drunk in their want for love— of course, they were also actually drunk from the many drinks they probably had. She tried to drown them out as well. And when those all too bold idiots tried approaching her, one piercing glare from her radiant grey eyes and they were off in a flash.

She smirked to herself.

Works every time, she thought as she continued drinking her bourbon.

"Annabeth?" Said a familiar voice.

Annabeth turned to see two electric blue eyes. It shocked her for a second, but then she smiled widely and threw her arms around the person's head.

"THALIA! Oh My God!"

"How's my favorite best friend's ex-little sister?"

Annabeth pulled away and gave her a weird, amused look.

"Best friend's ex-little sister? seriously? "

Thalia smiled, "Wow, you've gotten to be really gorgeous, Annie. Of course, I knew you would be a beauty when you were only four."

"Uh. Thanks?"

Thalia laughed, "So how's California? Meet any hot beach boys that I should know about?" Thalia said with a sly grin.

"I did actually. But I mainly used them for boat rides and surf boards."

Thalia looked at her amusedly, "So basically you used them as your personal slaves."

"Yup."

"I've taught you well." Thalia said with pride.

Annabeth laughed then smiled back to her friend. She wouldn't have recognized Thalia at all if she hadn't spoken to her first. Thalia had dulled down her punk look, making herself look more elegant and really beautiful. Her lips weren't glossed with black lipstick, but replaced with a subtle rose tint. Her eyes were lined with only a little eyeliner, still making her eyes look electric. Her jet black hair was thrown up in a messy bun.

Being two years older than her, Thalia was more of Percy's friend. But to Annabeth— Thalia was more of an older sister she never had. And to that, she was so grateful that she had met her here.

Thinking about the older days when she would follow Thalia and Percy everywhere—she wondered, now, about Percy. She hadn't seen her ex-brother in ten years. It would be nice to see him again.

She looked to Thalia who was now ordering a drink at the seat next to her.

"Hey, Thalia. Have you still kept contact with my ex-brother?"

"Percy? yeah, of course." She looked at Annabeth. "He's having an engagement party soon, actually?"

Annabeth didn't know why she felt a heaviness inside her when she heard the news.

"Oh, that's great. Can't wait to see him. I miss him so much."

Thalia's eyes brightened up. Annabeth knew that expression all too well. It was when Thalia had those brilliant ideas of hers.

"What if we surprised him? I'll take you with me to the engagement party. His face will be priceless."

"I don't know, Thalia. It might ruin his party."

"Oh come on. It will be fun. Plus, his fiancé is really getting on my nerves."

"His fiancé?"

"Yeah. Rachel Elizabeth Dare— the bane of my existence. Ugh. I hate the girl. Seriously, I don't know what Percy sees in her." She said with a shudder from saying her name.

"Fine. I'll go. But only because I really want to see him again."

Thalia smiled. "Great! Meet me tomorrow. I'll call you."

Annabeth nodded, "Alright."

~o00o~

Percy slipped on a nice dark blue suit jacket over a tailored vest and a button up shirt. He didn't put on a tie— an engagement party wasn't supposed to be that formal. He looked in the mirror.

Now I look like a rich spoiled son of a billionaire philanthropist, Percythought, which I am.

He left his hotel suite and hitched a cab over to where the party would be at— The Tempest. The restaurant was to say the least expensive and highly exclusive, but his dad was a regular customer there so Percy was able to get the huge reserved VIP room.

Percy arrived and went inside. The waitress there was trying very hard to get his attention and he smiled back at her as she led him through the tables and to the room at the far side of the restaurant. The waitress then slipped a piece of paper in his hand before walking away. He knew Rachel would be so pissed if she saw that. Gods help him.

He stood before the doors.

Time to pretend, he thought before pushing the doors and walking inside.

A bunch of his friends and colleagues were there already, drinking and eating the banquet of food laid out on the table. Rachel was already sitting at her spot at the dinner table with his black haired witch of a sister— Crystal. They were chatting and giggling away about who knows what.

"How are my two favorite girls in the world?" Percy asked pleasantly in his 'rich boy' voice.

Crystal simply gave him the eyebrow as he dipped in to give Rachel a peck on the cheek. Rachel smiled back at him.

His fiancé had ginger colored hair and had freckles sprinkled on her nose. She was pretty to a common eye, but if you looked close enough you could totally tell a surgical tweak on her nose and her jaw line. It was almost unnerving to Percy.

So why was he marrying her? For her great personality?

Ha, that was laughable, he thought.

Percy sat down to the left of Rachel. Nico and Jason came over to sit beside him.

Percy turned to Jason, "Where's your sister? I don't see her anywhere."

"She's on her way. Heard she's bringing someone."

"Luke?"

"I have no idea."

"So, are you going to make a speech, Perce?" Nico asked.

Percy looked at him, "I have to?"

"Uh yeah? You're the groom."

"Alright then." He stood up and got everybody's attention.

"Hi, I want to first thank you all for coming. Please enjoy yourselves to as many drinks as you want because as you can see— there are no adults around." Everybody laughed at that. Percy smiled as he continued, "Now, I know everybody wants to know how I propo— " His smile disappeared and his voice faded away as two beautiful girls walked into the room.

Everybody turned to see what Percy was so stunned by. And they were stunned too. The black haired girl wore a lovable smirk on her lips as she saw Percy's reaction. The beautiful girl wore nicely fitting jeans and a loose tank top, which looked amazing on her. Everybody knew only she would wear something like that to an engagement party.

But it wasn't her who Percy was so surprised by— it was the girl next to her.

A girl with lusciously styled golden hair, pulled up in a high pony tail with a light strands escaping the band to curve about the side of her cheek. She wore a white zip up jacket over a white shirt with grey fitting jeans and dark flats. It was casual, but boy did she look hot— gorgeous in fact.

The girl from the airport.

She was staring with striking, but also mesmerizing grey eyes straight into Percy's— they exuded a certain satisfied happiness and — longing? Percy was absolutely stunned. It felt like there was suddenly a magnetic pull towards her. Everything in the room pulled towards her.

And he couldn't say Rachel looked too happy.