Disclaimer- I realized I haven't been doing this… oops. So here's the disclaimer for all the times I haven't done it and all the times I'll probably forget to do it: I don't own. Well I own the plot.
Chapter Eighteen
"So he convinced you to do what?" Thalia asked. Her and Annabeth were perched on Thalia's couch in her and Jason's apartment overlooking Central Park. They were both eating a pizza ordered from Riki's . Honestly, their deep dish pizza was to die for.
"To keep writing, see I've been writing this story on Writer's Corner, you know that popular website for people who want to publish stuff but at the same time don't want to publish stuff? Anyway I had been working on this story which got really popular and then when my dad died I killed the main character and then everyone got mad… but he… well he convinced me to keep writing." Annabeth smiled at the thought of Percy.
She did that a lot.
It made her cheeks hurt.
"I still can't believe you didn't tell me you're writing again!" Thalia said angrily. "I thought I was your best friend! You always let me read your stuff first! And now there are a bunch of people in the country who have read it before me!"
"Actually the world, I have a very big fan base in Canada," Annabeth said thoughtfully.
"That's even worse!" Thalia said.
"I'm sorry! I just… I didn't want to tell you about it… it was too special to me," Annabeth admitted. Thalia gave her a glare.
"Well thanks then best friend. When I get engaged I won't be telling you because it'll be too special to me," Thalia said sarcastically.
"Oh come on Thals, I'll give you the story name so you can read it," Annabeth said.
"You better," Thalia said, folding her arms. "Now for the question I know you've been dying to be asked. Is he cute?"
Annabeth laughed. "Wow Thalia, instead of scolding me for talking to a complete and utter stranger who may or may not be a professional stalker, you ask me if he's cute."
"Of course," Thalia said.
"I never pegged you as the boy type," Annabeth said.
"I'm not," Thalia said indignantly. "But if my best friend is going to be going on and on about this boy, I have to know if he's cute."
Annabeth punched her in the stomach. "I'm not going on and on about him!"
"Annie, he's all you've talked about since you've got here. Your eyes practically light up every time you mention him."
Annabeth sighed, leaning back against the couch. "He has pale skin and he's tall but not freakishly tall or anything. His smile is slightly crooked and his laugh is like… well I don't know what it's like. It's unique and it starts off like a snort (AN: this is based off of one of my guy friend's laugh, it's actually a really awesome and amazing laugh so you have to trust me on this, Percy's laugh is not weird!) but then it gets quieter And his eyes… oh gods his eyes are amazing. They're as deep and as green as the sea," Annabeth said.
Thalia looked at her, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She looked like she was about to start laughing at Annabeth. "What? What is it?" Annabeth asked.
"Annie, what's his name?" She asked, barely able to contain her laughter.
"Percy…" Annabeth said slowly.
Thalia started laughing.
"Nope… his name is actually Perseus. Annabeth, he's my cousin!"
The small bell above the door into Olympian Scrolls rang. Annabeth was up the small spiral staircase in the teenage section on her hands and knees, stocking books when she heard it ring. She ignored it, Malcolm was downstairs, he would help the customer if they needed it.
Annabeth found it funny how Malcolm and she always worked together. She had grown to like Malcolm and they had gone out a few times. Not for a date of course! Just as a friendly get together. He was dating a girl named Lacey who Annabeth had met a few times. She didn't seem like Malcolm's type at all, with blond hair and braces (which Lacey woefully said was because her parents didn't let her get them when she was younger) but Lacey was sweet and as the saying goes "Opposites attract."
Annabeth reached to grab one of the books in the stack but she accidently knocked the stack over and the books went spilling off. "Damn it, I'm such a klutz," she cursed under her breath, reaching for one of the books.
"I didn't know you had such a colorful language Wise Girl."
Annabeth looked up to see Percy holding one of the books out for her. Looking at him now she had no idea how she could have been so blind as to not have seen that it was Perseus from the party. For priding herself in being smart, she sure could be dumb at the same time.
Then again the dumbest people always thought they were the smartest.
"Hey Perseus," Annabeth said casually. Percy gave her a crooked grin.
"You figured it out too?" He asked.
"Masks change what you look like," she said.
"You're telling me, but I still feel like a moron because I didn't know it was you. I should have know, I honestly should have."
"At least you have an excuse for not knowing, I on the other hand have none," Annabeth said.
"Oh really? And what's my excuse?"
"Your brain is full of kelp," she said, pushing the last book into place and then standing up and straightening her sweater. Or more like pretending to straighten it.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Percy said.
"Take it whatever way you want," she said shrugging and then heading towards the stairs. "So why did you come here? Have you officially decided to stalk me?"
"I'm bored and you keep be busy," Percy said, following her as she clattered down the iron stairs.
"Oh really? I'm surprised, it seems like you never work. Then again, you are the son of Poseidon."
"I told you, I work with music," Percy said as he followed her to the counter.
"And I still have no idea what that means," Annabeth said. Malcolm was standing at the counter, ringing up an elderly couple. They finished paying and then headed out the door, hand in hand. Annabeth looked wistfully at the couple.
"Who's your friend?" Malcolm asked Annabeth, nodding towards Percy.
"Malcolm this is Percy, Percy this is Malcolm my coworker," Annabeth said. The two men shook hands and nodded at each other.
"Do I know you?" Malcolm asked, studying Percy. Annabeth noted as Percy shifted nervously where he was standing.
"No, I don't think you do," his hands strayed to his baseball cap, a different one from the last two days (Annabeth was beginning to wonder how many baseball caps he had, maybe he was a collector).
"I guess I don't," Malcolm said, shrugging it off. "You better be treating Annabeth well over here." Annabeth's eyes shot open and Percy looked at her.
"No! No! We're not dating."
"Of course we're not," Percy said, agreeing wholeheartedly with her.
"We're just friends…" Annabeth said.
"More like acquaintances even…" Malcolm snickered.
"Whatever you say guys," Malcolm said with a knowing look in his eyes. "Annabeth I've got to go and order that shipment of books Athena asked me to order. Can you watch the counter?"
"Of course," Annabeth said.
"No doing anything while you're working," Malcolm said winking at her. Annabeth glared at him until he disappeared back into the back room.
"So do you like it here?" Percy asked, leaning against the counter. Annabeth shrugged.
"It's nice, pays the bills and I can read anything I like when I'm on break so I guess it's a win-win," she said. "Now why are you really here?" Annabeth asked, "other than being bored of course."
"I was wondering if you wanted to go and see a movie with me?" He asked. "Not like a date or anything I mean… I guess it kind of would be but of course… I mean… if you don't want to it's of course… but I hope that."
"Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, interrupting him.
"Yes?" He asked eagerly.
"Shut up."
"Okay," he said, his face falling.
Annabeth laughed. "I'm joking. Sure I'll go with you to a movie. I need to get out of my apartment anyway. What time?" She asked.
"Around six? We can see a movie and then go and get dinner," Percy said.
"Sure, why not," Annabeth said, smiling. Percy grinned back.
"Awesome I'll see you then. I'll pick you up."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Percy nervously knocked on Annabeth's apartment's door. Was it weird that he was taking a girl to a movie, a girl that he had only met a few days ago? He felt like he was back in highschool… he felt… normal. Something he hadn't felt in a while.
He liked it.
And plus, he had this deep, gut sinking feeling that he knew her. He knew Annabeth Chase. It was a feeling that he couldn't shake. There was a familiarity to Annabeth that he liked.
He liked being around her.
Annabeth opened the door. She was wearing a purple sweater dress with a black scarf and knee high boots. She smiled at Percy as she pulled on her coat. He smiled back goofily. "Let's go," she said.
Percy and Annabeth walked outside of her apartment complex and Percy made a mental note to check out just what type of apartment building this place was, he didn't feel comfortable leaving Annabeth alone in an area of New York that was less than… friendly.
His car was parked outside on the sidewalk and he saw a few teenage boys with dirty hair and tattoos on their skin eyeing it as if determining the best way to drive off with it. Percy knew the type, after all awhile ago he had been just like them.
Drowning in a world that seemed too big for him.
"Scram," Percy said, glaring at the boys. They glared back but loitered off. Percy opened the door for Annabeth. "After you my lady."
Annabeth laughed and slid into the passenger seat. He shut the door behind her and then headed around to the driver's seat. "Honestly you and Thalia have the most amazing cars ever," Annabeth said, contemplating the interior. "Perks of having a rich dad right?"
"Something like that," Percy said as he started the engine. He didn't think he could tell her that he had actually earned the money making a bunch of girls swoon while he sang.
"No baseball cap today," Annabeth said. Percy shrugged.
"Baseball caps didn't exactly match with my choice of clothing," he said. He was taking a risk going out in the open without his baseball cap, but instead he had pulled on a pair of shades to cover his eyes. The two things that made him stand out: his sea green eyes and his raven black hair. If he hid one or the other he was usually good to not get attacked by a bunch of teenage girls. Well as long as they weren't the creepy, stalkerish ones who could point him out in a sea of a thousand.
Those girls needed to get a life.
Percy turned on the radio and to his horror one of his songs was playing. He knew that Annabeth hated him… well she hated Percy Jackson, she didn't seem to hate just plain old Percy. He made a move to change it but Annabeth slapped his hand.
"Don't I want to listen to it."
Percy looked at her shocked but shrugged and left it alone:
Battle Scars:
The wound heals but it never does
That's because you're at war with love
You're at war with love, yeah
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
This battle.
Never let a wound ruin me
But I feel like ruin's wounding me
Arrow holes, they never close from cupid on a shoot spree
Feeling stupid cause I know it ain't no you and me.
But when you're trying to beat the odds up
Been trying to keep your nods up
And you know that you should
And let her go
But the fear of the unknown
Holding back another lover strong
Sends you back into the zone
With no Tom Hanks to bring you home
A lover not a fighter
On the frontline with a poem
Trying to write yourself a rifle
Maybe sharpen up a stone
To fight the tanks and drones of your being alone.
I wish I never looked, I wish I never touched
I wish that I could stop loving you so much
Cause I'm the only one that's trying to keep us together
When all of the signs say that I should forget her
I wish you weren't the best, the best I ever had
I wish that the good outweighed the bad
Cause it'll never be over, until you tell me it's over.
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle…
You shouldn't have but you said it
(And I hope you never come back)
It shouldn't have happened but you let it.
Now you're down on the ground screaming medic
The only things that comes is post traumatic stresses
Shields, body armors, and vests don't properly work
That's why you're in a locker full of hurt
The enemy within and all the fires from your friends
The best medicine is probably just to let her win
I wish I never looked, I wish I never touched
I wish that I could stop loving you so much
Cause I'm the only one that's trying to keep us together
When all of the signs say that I should forget her
I wish you weren't the best, the best I ever had
I wish that the good outweighed the bad
Cause it'll never be over, until you tell me it's over.
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle…
Cause you set me on fire!
I've never felt so alive yeah!
Hoping wounds heal but it never does
That's because you're at war with love
And I'm at the point of breaking
And it's impossible to shake it
See you hoped the wound heals, but it never does
That's cause you're at war with love
Hope it heals but it never does
That's cause you're at war with war
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle…
(Taken From Battle Scars)
He cringed when he heard the song. Even though everyone loved this song and thought it was his best work, it was also his first attempt to somewhat wrap and it was a strange sound. But everyone thought it was amazing. Percy turned the radio down and then turned to look at Annabeth who was staring out the window contemplatively. For some reason he wanted to know what she thought, he wanted to know if she liked the song or not. It was one of his most popular songs but he'd rather have her good opinion that anyone else's for some strange, strange reason.
Why was that?
"So what did you think?" He asked Annabeth casually as if he hadn't written the song. As if they were just discussing another song on the radio.
"It sounds familiar, like something I wrote a while ago." She shrugged. "But I'm probably imagining it." Percy looked at her curiously.
It was true he had gotten the song idea from one of the letters, one of his favorites. It was talking about masks and stripping down to your most vulnerable moment, it talked about all of the scars that humanity bared. Scars that would never heal. The last words his letter writer had said, her thoughts for the wise had stuck with him and had inspired him to write Battle Scars.
W4W: Everyone has scars, some aren't as visible as others, some aren't ugly that run down the side of your face. Some scars are under your shirt from where you had a feeding tube when you were younger, some scars are under your pant leg from where your father abused you. Sometimes your scars are on your heart.A place no one will be able to see. A place where your scars will never heal. Because loved is painful. It's a battle. And we all are given battle scars in the end. Every one of us will never go unscarred by love.
"It's weird, I didn't think that he could write like that. I heard his new song, Minefield and that's when I realized… maybe there's something else to the great Percy Jackson… other than the fact that he shares you name," she added with a smile. Percy smiled back.
He pulled into the movie theater parking lot and turned off the engine. He and Annabeth hopped out of the car and walked towards the front of the parking lot towards the building. "So what movie are we seeing?" Annabeth asked.
Percy shrugged. "I was thinking we could just close our eyes and randomly point at one."
Annabeth looked at him as if he was crazy. "Are you serious?" She asked. He grinned like a madman and nodded.
"Yep," he said popping the p sound. "And I'm so nice that I'll even let you chose."
"I'm not seeing a random movie that I have no idea what it's about!" Annabeth protested. Percy smiled at her.
"Come on Wise Girl, where's your sense of adventure?" He asked.
"I have a sense of adventure!" She said indignantly.
"Then do it, chose a movie randomly. It's fun, I do it all of the time," he lied. To be honest, it was something he had always wanted to do.
"Fine," she said grumpily.
"No peaking," Percy said. "In fact, I'll cover your eyes for you, just in case you try and look," he said, putting his fingers over her eyes.
"Percy!" She whined.
"Annabeth," he mimicked. "Hush up and just chose." Annabeth huffed but held her hand up and randomly waved it around in the air at the large board overhanging the ticket booth. People walking by looked at the two of them with curious or distained expressions.
Percy just laughed.
People just didn't understand.
She randomly pointed a movie. Percy pulled his hands off of her eyes to let her see. She squinted at the board. "I haven't even heard of that movie," she said.
"Annabeth, I seriously doubt that you've heard of any movie that hasn't been a book before. It's really popular I hear, you have excellent taste in choosing blindly."
"Of course I do," Annabeth said indignantly. "I have excellent taste in everything."
"Therefore that means I'm excellent."
"How so?"
"Because you've chosen to hang out with me," Percy said with a smirk.
"It actually wasn't that bad," Annabeth admitted as the movie ended and Percy put on his sunglasses again as they walked out into the cold night air. She had no idea why he was wearing sunglasses being that it was winter and it was also late at night… maybe he thought that it completed his outfit and without them he'd look like a moron.
Annabeth seriously doubted that, he probably looked good in anything.
What the heck did I really just think that? What is going on with me? I've just met the guy! She thought to herself.
"Yeah, not too shabby," Percy shrugged as they got into his car. "I mean I doubt it'll win anything but it was decent." They pulled on their seatbelts. "So dinner?" He asked.
"Why not," Annabeth said. "Night's still young and it's not like I have anything tomorrow other than work but I'm working the late shift so I can go in late."
"Great because I know this awesome place," he said, pulling out of the parking lot.
"Please don't say Riki's ," she begged. As much as she loved that place, you could only handle going to the same place so many times in 48 hours.
"Nope, even better."
"Better than Riki's ?" Annabeth said, faking shock. "You jest!"
"Nay my good lady," Percy said. "It is better than Riki's ."
"I don't believe you," Annabeth said, folding her arms.
"Wait and see, I hope that you like Italian," Percy said, weaving through the busy streets of New York with the same reckless driving skills that Thalia had, ignoring all of the honking and loud curses that rose through the night air.
"Love it," Annabeth grinned.
"Good, I begged you as an Italian lover," he said, making a sharp turn into a brightly lit restaurant that looked incredibly busy. Percy managed to park in the front. Annabeth was surprised that such a good parking space wasn't filled.
"Do you think that we'll be able to get a table? It looks pretty busy," Annabeth said as they walked inside.
"Don't you worry Wise Girl, you're with me, we'll get a table," he grinned.
What was that supposed to mean?
Inside there were dozens of people crowded around tables and bars, laughing and talking and drinking. It was loud and bright but it also seemed cozy. There was a sense of the Italian country side in the warm lights and earthy tones.
"Wait right here," Percy said and then disappeared into the fray of people. Annabeth stood there awkwardly, nervously wringing her hands together. She wasn't one for being in social places.
"Can I help you?" A girl with curly brown hair and earthy brown eyes stood in front of her, dressed in a sharp black dress.
"Um… actually I'm waiting for…"
"She's with me Katie," Percy said appearing suddenly at her side and draping his arm over her shoulder. Annabeth blushed as Katie raised a single eyebrow at her (a skill that Annabeth was envious of).
"Oh, I see," Katie said.
"It's not like that, don't give me that look Katie. We're just friends."
"Friends, sure," Katie said rolling her eyes. "Right this way you two." She brought them to the back room and then up a back staircase to a rooftop with more people. Annabeth's eyes popped out.
"Oh my gods I've always wanted to eat on top of a building!" She squealed. Percy grinned in the moonlight and the bonfires that were roaring on top of the building for warmth and light. Katie lead them to a table in the middle of the rooftop near a massive fire.
"I'll send someone up to get your orders right away Percy," Katie said, flashing him a grin and then leaving.
"You seem very friendly with the staff here," Annabeth said. Percy shrugged as he opened the menu.
"I come here a lot, Ceres' is the best place to eat other than Riki's . The pasta is incredible."
"Ceres?" Annabeth asked. "As in the Ceres? Oh gods, is this Demeter Ceres' restaurant? The one of Food Network."
Percy grinned. "She's my aunt." Annabeth's jaw dropped. "What can I say? Our family is incredibly famous."
"Except for you, Thalia, and Jason, you squatters," Annabeth said with a grin. Percy flinched and she wondered why.
"Yeah, except for us," he muttered. And then his eyes lit up. "So what are you going to get? Unless you want to close your eyes again and chose randomly."
"Why not," Annabeth said, grinning.
"What?" He asked.
"If you do it with me," she said. Percy grinned back.
"You're on."
A man came up, dressed in black slacks and a crisp white shirt with dark red hair and brown eyes. He stopped in front of the two of them and looked at them. "What can I get for you two?" He asked, winking at Annabeth. Annabeth blushed and looked down at the menu again. Percy glared at him. He didn't know why he was glaring at the waiter, but for some reason he felt very protective of Annabeth.
Why was that?
"What's your special?" Percy asked, lounging back in his chair. The waiter, who's nametag said Cold, promptly recited back the special. "Great, we'll take two."
Cole nodded. "Anything to drink?" He looked at Annabeth.
"A blue coke and make it quick," Percy snapped, angered at the attention on Annabeth. He knew the stories about Cole from Katie and Ceres, he slept around with any girl that wasn't a sight for sore eyes, and Annabeth was anything but ugly.
Cole glared at Percy and the two of them had a silent war between the two of them, Annabeth completely oblivious to it as she looked at the drink selection. "I'll have a lemonade," she said softly and then handed her menu to Cole. Percy shoved his towards Cole as well. Cole disappeared.
"What was that?" Annabeth asked.
"What?" Percy asked.
"You seemed a bit…. I don't know edgy with the waiter."
"Really? I didn't mean to," Percy said dismissively, waving his hand. In the darkness of the night sky he removed his sunglasses so that Annabeth could see the deep green reflecting the red flames that licked the stars.
Percy was about to ask her something when he saw a bright light flash. He instinctively raised his hand to his face. Annabeth was looking around curiously. "Oh my gods! It's Percy Jackson!" A girl screeched as loud as she could.
Which was very loud.
"What?" Annabeth asked confused. Percy let out a groan.
"Listen Annabeth I wanted to tell you but I didn't want anything to change I..." Suddenly their table was overcrowded by a bunch of people, cameras flashing, cell phones recording. Annabeth flinched back from it all as Percy tried to stop it.
"Percy what's going on here?" He heard her say.
"Mr. Jackson who's your lady friend over here?"
"Mr. Jackson have you and Miss Dare broken up?"
"Mr. Jackson when is your next album coming out?"
"Mr. Jackson how long have you been sleeping with her for?"
"WHAT!" Annabeth said. She stood up angrily, grabbing her bag.
"Wait Annabeth," Percy said, trying to get up out of his seat but he was crowded by a large group of people all shoving different objects in his face.
He was ready to explode.
"Annabeth!" He called. But by then she had disappeared into the crowd.
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath and fell back into his chair with a heavy thud, ignoring all of the bright flashes around him.
Strike one up for Percy Jackson on the Failure to the Extreme Chart.
Song is from Battle Scars by I can't remember the author