Annabeth groaned as she continuously banged her head in the bathroom cubicle. She felt thoroughly embarrassed for her rash actions with the guy she just met, and she supposed that it'll be long before they could talk again.
'He probably thinks now that I'm a creep,' she thought. 'What if…what if he tells Mr. Howard?!'
Annabeth grumpily stepped out of the cubicle, making her way towards her work table.
The company's hallways were filled with various people: personnel, guests, clients and staffs. They appeared to be friendly enough, one greeting another, shaking hands and smiling too huge to be happy. It's easy to make friends with this kind of community, and Annabeth could never have been gladder to be part of one. However, what made her to be so independent and anti-social was the sickness she wished she never had. If it was another, then Annabeth could be perhaps happier, not trying and dreading to feel belonged. But how could she? She couldn't even remember what her co-workers look or her clients and some of her neighbors. She may have been expert in creating the dreams for people and yet the truth was she couldn't even create her own.
The curse of not being able to remember faces could've been worse than being blind, Annabeth thought. At least, when you're blind, you don't have to try to remember a person on how they look and that seemingly surrounding darkness could have been comforting at some point. But here she was, standing midst the sea of unknown faces, maybe a few she could or couldn't have encountered, shared a few words and jokes, nonetheless she wouldn't still remember them. She wished of how she should have been alone, and perhaps she didn't have to pretend to be a part of something she never was.
The crowd seemed to part as she sauntered her way over to her office. The camera slung in her right shoulder felt heavier than before, and Annabeth could never have been more tired than ever. Perhaps, there's an invisible burden riding on her back, the weight of it being too much to bear. And, she thought of how possibly this could have a connection with the overly attractive guy she met earlier and the massive regret that felt to be weighing down her heart.
The rest of her time at work passed out fine, with her sketching effortlessly in her blueprints, pouring her every being in it. Of all the moment she was there, she never made any interactions with anyone partly because of the reason that she would just forget all of them. The companion she didn't minded much was her black coffee that provided her as much warmth she thought talking to a person could probably give her. The only problem she could find was that the feeling wasn't mutual, since the coffee didn't benefit from her as much as she did from the coffee.
'Overthinking again, aren't we Annabeth?' she mused to herself.
After a day of sketching and false knowing, Annabeth dragged herself up their apartment's staircase. Her heavy bag and camera huddled her shoulders and the fact that her feet were tightly constricted in her black stilettos didn't help at all. When she entered the door, she hastily slumped her body in the sofa. Heavy throbbing sensation sprung on her mind, like shards of lightning flashing directly at her. She didn't really felt sick, as what she believed to be, but her head really stung and she can't help but be afraid. Could this be part of the disorder she has? Or, could this be probably one of the symptoms of a heavier consequence? Various questions swarmed on her mind and the more she thought of it, the more her mind hurt.
When her consciousness was about to drift away, someone pounded furiously at her door. 'Couldn't they just somehow leave me alone?' With a grunt, she toppled and stumbled several times as she tried to reach for the door knob. At her doorstep were a Cherokee girl and a seriously attractive guy. Even in her sleep-hazed mind, Annabeth could still feel her girl hormones rushing through her. In a normal situation, she could have possibly been blushing by now. But, she definitely didn't cared anymore, as if there could be something worse than her extreme migraine. As for the girl, Annabeth could somehow have a foggy recognition of her, 'Was she Piper?' but she really couldn't recall the gorgeous man. Don't get her wrong. Annabeth would definitely want to imprint his face in her mind (he's too handsome), but she's currently stuck with a sickness that somehow erases faces in her memory. 'Couldn't there be just some sort of exception for insanely good-looking guys?'
"Oh, Piper." Annabeth rubbed the sleep of her eyes. The handsome fellow seemed to recognize her since his eyes widened dramatically when he saw at her.
"Annabeth? Annabeth Chase?" he asked her.
So, really. Annabeth tried hard to skim her pathetic memory to recall the man before her. She searched for any features that might ring a bell to her, but nothing came up.
"Who are you again? How did you know my name?" she inquired.
A flash of hurt passed his sea green eyes and Annabeth cursed herself for asking that question again.
Percy Jackson didn't really minded much that he had one hell of a father that left them for who knows what and didn't make an appearance until last week, with literally flying colors on his feet. He was sort of annoyed, not because of the 'my-father-came-back-after-leaving-us-for-so-many-years-and-I-am-angry' emotion he's supposed to feel, rather his father pretty much destroyed the moment when he was about to beat the high score in a certain arcade game.
After a very cold welcome and a not-so-heartfelt conversation with his long lost dad, Percy came out of the room in a suit and tie, and literally a millionaire. Body guards surrounded him and a very expensive black limousine awaited in his mercy. Although he would very likely to take the limousine under his name, the mansion his father gave him was one thing he cannot take. Not quite literally, of course. The reason he argued was probably the worst reason at all, saying that he isn't still married so what for? Percy insisted that he already rented an apartment nearby and it was decent enough to live in.
Aside from being a sudden millionaire, who would have thought that he'd be an instant CEO in a large architectural firm? Well, certainly not Percy. Just today, he'd been sent off to have a good look of his soon to be baby (the architectural firm it is). It was really large, though that could have been an understatement. If he'd just scan the place, one day wouldn't still be enough. The hallways branched from here to there and from there to everywhere. The architect who made the design of the building was most likely to be the great-great-great-grand-grand-grand-grandson of Daedalus, for the whole building could have been an enormous labyrinth. So Percy, feeling that the current situation he was in was making him nauseous, he slept off his good old self in his supposed to be office. As he was about to reach the high score in his dream, a bright light appeared and he awoke behind comprehension. Percy could have been dreaming, definitely a while ago, but no. A goddess was standing and damn, staring straight at him. 'This is a one hell of lucky day for me,' he thought.
But his train of thoughts were broken as soon as he heard her first words to him. And, oh God, he could never be bored hearing her speak. Her voice resounded like careful and powerful chords of a violin, played with extreme elegance and gracefulness. But when he spoken words finally settled on his mind, he couldn't help but be thoroughly mortified.
'You drool in your sleep.'
'You drool in your sleep.'
'You drool in your sleep.'
That would have been his most favorite and most hated thing, first because, oh goodness, it came from her and second, he was uh… awkward. So, to look cool, he wiped it using the back of his hand.
Percy also learned that the goddess' name was Annabeth and well, he saved her name to one if his invisible mind folders labeled My Favorites. But one thing he couldn't forget about their meeting (not that he forgot about it, it was definitely carved on his mind) was when Annabeth, goodness gracious, touched his hair. Not just a petty little touch, but she raked her hand through it. And during that time, Percy couldn't help but metaphorically fall under her feet and be literally head over heels. He felt as though a strong emotion was tugging at him, an affection he never felt with anyone. When she walked away, Percy was never this sure than ever.
He was caught in a love at first sight with her.
So when he met Annabeth again for the second time around, he really couldn't erase the thought that maybe the Fates have decided to finally bring the two of them together. But, was that really the reason behind it?
Percy stared at Annabeth, dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what she just said. He was so excited to meet her again and yet she didn't even seemed to acknowledge him. Yes, he was dreaming when he actually let himself believe that she wanted to see him too.
"You don't remember me? Percy. Percy Jackson. I was in your office a while ago," he said.
She seemed to ponder this over as she looked to be thinking really deeply. Percy's hopes were crushed when she miserably shook her head, as if she was fearing this to happen.
Piper noticed the growing tension and she spoke to start the conversation.
"Uh, you two have met before?" Piper gestured to the both of them, Percy just glanced at Annabeth and she weakly looked away.
He replied to Piper's question. "I really believe I met her previously, but well, she can't probably remember it since you know, working in an architectural firm can be pretty disturbing. Even the mind," he joked. Percy even managed a chuckle, just to ease the growing silence in the conversation, though this action just stabbed him a little deeper.
"Yeah. That might be it." Annabeth briefly peeked at him, then moved her gaze towards Piper.
"Sometimes I sort of forgot the names of people I encounter, and a point, even my own name," she lied, though that might just be considered a truth.
"Of course, this is Annabeth the workaholic, the no life girl I ever met and the not blind yet not seeing lady," Piper sang in the worst tune she could muster.
She moved to whisper something in Percy's ear. "She didn't have aaaany boyfriend in her whooooole freaking adult life."
"Piper, you know that I can clearly make out every single word you say to him, right?" Annabeth huffed.
"Of course. Maybe letting you hear it could probably spark something in you," Piper said off-handedly.
"Ah, you never changed. You are truly a daughter of Aphrodite."
"Told you right. Well, I'll leave you two. Bye." Piper walked away from them, with something bouncy in her every step.
"So…" Annabeth began. Percy could see somehow that she wanted to relieve the foreboding silence between them. He decided to play it off.
"…Apartment mates?" he continued, scrunching his eyebrows slightly as if trying to make out her side in the suggestion.
"Apartment mates." Annabeth agreed. "Good."
"Yeah. Apartment mates." Percy was beaming now, forgotten the issue earlier. 'She really knows how to brighten my mood,' he thought.
Annabeth smiled back at him, and it was more than enough to close the gaping hole in his heart.