Hi guys! Happy 2024! (HOW is it 2024 that's whack!) So much has happened in my life but here is Chapter 9 finally! Had a lot of fun writing this one and I can't wait for you guys to read it! I won't keep you waiting any longer, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Don't own
The mall.
A collection of name-brand clothing stores, food places, small kiosks where they sold knickknacks no one really needed but wanted, and the center for all friend groups to hang out and spend money after school or while on summer vacation.
Annabeth was indifferent to clothes shopping. She wasn't the type of girl who dropped everything at the chance to buy a new pair of shoes or the trendiest handbag. She didn't scream when a super cute shirt wasn't available in her size or she nearly maxed out her credit card. She liked shopping well enough and considered herself to have a pretty good fashion sense, but she wasn't what one would consider a 'shopaholic'. Silena Beauregard did all of these things and then some.
"Are you kidding me?! I've been waiting ages for them to restock these heels and now they're out of my size again! I knew I shouldn't have skipped a week of shopping!" Silena muttered in annoyance.
Thalia on the other hand, absolutely despised shopping for herself. Hours of searching for a pair of jeans or a top. Trying on a hundred different outfits and breaking a sweat in the changing room before finally concluding that none of the items were what she'd pictured. For her, online shopping was the way to go. Sure, in the past sometimes she'd have to send back clothes because they didn't fit right but it was so much easier to just do a simple google search on whatever she needed. A pair of jeans, some new combat boots, the world was her oyster. Considering they were still in the year 1989 though there was no choice but to submit to the cliché teen hangout spot known as the mall.
It had been four days. Four days since the lives of Annabeth Chase and Thalia Grace had been completely turned upside down.
After their night at Olympus and Scoops Ice Cream Shoppe, they had taken an entire day to process everything that had happened and how it was possible. It was a much-needed rest day that Thalia spent sleeping on Hestia's couch whilst Annabeth did some more research on the concept of time travel. It didn't seem to help much because the only source she could get helpful answers from was Hestia herself since she claimed she was their 'time guardian'.
The day after that Silena and Calypso had dropped by Hestia's house (Annabeth had completely forgotten she'd told Silena where they were going to be staying for the summer) and taken them to see Dead Poets Society in theatres. It had just been released a few days earlier and even though Thalia and Annabeth had seen it before and knew the plot, they indulged the girls and accompanied them to the cinema. It was weird to think about the fact that they could say they'd seen the movie when it came out now.
As for the third day, Hestia had taken them to the store and made them work the cash register and answer questions. "You two arrived during one of my busiest seasons. Besides, how else are you going to get money for gas and clothes? You certainly can't go around wearing my clothes all summer." She had said.
And that was what had led to the fourth and current day that it was. On the house phone the night before, Silena had invited them to the beach with her and a couple other friends but once Annabeth had revealed that her and Thalia needed to go shopping their new friend dropped every plan she had made and insisted on coming along with them. Calypso had been invited too but couldn't make it because she had plans with Leo.
Silena was having an absolute field day at the crowded mall. She knew the layout like the back of her hand and advised them where to get new shoes, bottoms, and tops. According to her, you couldn't just buy all of your stuff at one store even if they had it all because each place was better known for some things than others. A fact that Thalia hated because it meant it was taking them three times as long to find new wardrobes.
The one thing both Thalia and Annabeth were thankful for was that Silena hadn't seemed fazed by the fact that both girls needed just about every article of clothing. Maybe she was used to redoing her whole closet and thought that's what they were doing. Little did she know they actually just didn't own anything besides the outfits they wore the night of the meteor shower and had been wearing Hestia's clothes the past couple days.
Once they had walked out of the shoe store with a very disappointed Silena they found their way to a smaller, more compact store with only a couple people in it.
"Sandy's is the best place in the mall if you're looking for a new swimsuit or anything beach related. Cover ups, towels, beach bags, you name it. In the winter the store usually has some really cute sweaters and socks but summer apparel is their specialty." Silena explained before leading them further into the store.
It took Thalia all of two seconds to settle on a solid black one-piece swimsuit. It was one of the simplest bathing suits in the store, but it fit her perfectly and she was nothing short of ecstatic once she realized that was the last article of clothing she really needed to get for her new 80s style wardrobe.
It was a bit more difficult for Annabeth who looked more intently around the racks of swimsuits, casually flipping through the hangers.
After a few minutes of looking, Annabeth found a two-piece that she liked well enough. They offered it in blue and in red. She figured it wouldn't hurt to try them both on, so she grabbed one set of each color and made her way to the changing rooms.
"You better come out and show us!" Silena demanded as her and Thalia walked back towards the sitting area near the changing rooms.
She had already been upset about the shoes and the fact that Thalia hadn't shown off her own swimsuit after trying it on so Annabeth thought the least she could do was grant her that wish.
Once inside the small little room, Annabeth decided to change into the blue bikini first. It was a bright royal blue color that stood out quite well against her blonde hair. There wasn't anything too special about the piece. Similar to Thalia, she didn't really go for anything that was sparkly or flashy. It provided good support and fit her well which was all she needed. After sparing one more quick glance in the full body mirror, Annabeth hesitantly stepped out to meet Silena and Thalia. In that moment she'd wished she'd brought a polaroid camera to capture their expressions.
Thalia raised her eyebrows, letting out a wolf whistle and a nod of approval. Silena's jaw quite literally dropped to the floor as she looked at Annabeth. A smile crept at the corners of her lips.
"You look hot Annie" Thalia commented.
Annabeth laughed, a shy blush crept up to her face. She'd never taken compliments well but managed a bashful smile in response.
"Thanks Thals. I still have to try on the red one though"
"No, you don't" Silena spoke up.
Annabeth turned towards her, eyebrows raised in question.
"You have to get that one!" She emphasized.
"But I don't even know what the red looks like on-"
"It doesn't matter! Blue is Per-…practically everyone's favorite color!" Silena cursed herself for almost slipping up. Annabeth looked at her like she had two heads.
"What? But-"
"Nope. No but's. I will personally buy the blue for you if you don't get it."
Thalia shrugged. "I say get it Annie"
Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows towards the overexcited new friend of hers who seemed so adamant about the blue bikini for some reason.
"Ok…"
"Yay! Now, who's hungry?"
While she was indifferent to clothes shopping, Annabeth experienced complete bliss once she laid eyes on the record shop just around the corner from the food court. She had opted to go off on her own since she had been the first one to finish her food whilst Silena and Thalia chatted aimlessly. The two of them were complete opposites but got along quite well in Annabeth's opinion.
The blonde gradually made her way into the store, an extra bounce in her step as she excitedly walked in.
Phoebus' Record Exchange
[Song Tribute-Rebel Yell by Billy Idol]
Upon entering, she realized how big the store really was. For a mall, it was quite a big outlet. Immediately she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of vinyl records covering the walls and the shelves. Some were on display while others were all organized by category in various crates and boxes. The sight reminded her of the music store she worked at back home…well back in her era except there were way more records at this shop.
She spotted a big record player near the front register. It was connected to a huge speaker that was playing music for everyone in the store to hear. No using Bluetooth from their cellphones like her and Thalia did in Apollo's store. She absolutely loved the setup though. A beautiful Pioneer brand player spinning an album that she recognized to be Billy Idol's Rebel Yell from 1983. She smiled, walking further into the shop.
It wasn't overly crowded but definitely not dead either. Before she knew it, she was shuffling through various albums and artists. She quickly got lost in the environment and the vinyl around the shop, bopping her head to Billy Idol's singing and dodging a few people that were doing some searching of their own.
Annabeth knew she probably wouldn't be leaving with anything from the store. She wondered if she would be allowed to take anything back with her when the end of summer came. That was a question to ask Hestia once they got back to the house. Still, it was entertaining just to look through all the beautiful vinyl.
Too engrossed in looking through everything at once, Annabeth nearly faceplanted a second later when she turned, and her body slammed into another right in front of her. She let out a sound of surprise, mentally preparing herself to hit the ground in front of everyone in the store before a strong arm wrapped around her waist and kept her upright.
"Woah, you alright?" A voice asked.
Annabeth froze. She recognized that voice. It belonged to the person she'd somehow not been able to get off her mind since meeting. Of all the people she could have embarrassed herself in front of it had to be someone she had already met and found incredibly attractive. It couldn't have just been a random stranger. No because that would mean the Gods were taking pity on her and Annabeth was never that lucky. She was in another era, yet the world was still a very small place.
She hesitantly looked up and her thoughts were confirmed when sea green eyes stared back at her. Gods those eyes. Deep pools of green mixed with some blue and flecks of gold. How was it possible for someone to have such a gorgeous eye color? Her grey eyes were so dull in comparison.
She snapped out of it when she saw his eyebrows scrunch in worry. She realized she still hadn't answered his question.
"Yeah um, I'm good…sorry…I…sorry" She said sheepishly, looking down as she felt her cheeks warm.
It took another second for her to mind to piece together that his one arm was still wrapped around her. Her skin burned with the added pressure of his arm snaked around her waist. He seemed to realize at the same time and cleared his throat before taking a step back and removing his arm.
Annabeth could have sworn she saw a hint of pink on the tips of his ears as he readjusted his stance and scratched the back of his neck nervously with the hand that was previously around her.
"It's my fault. Should've been looking where I was going instead of reading the back of this album." He replied.
He gestured to a vinyl in his other hand that she hadn't even noticed he had during the entire exchange. How he'd managed not to drop it when she nearly body slammed him was a mystery to her. She smiled gratefully in return.
"Annabeth, right?"
She didn't know why but after he spoke, she got the most annoying feeling of butterflies in her stomach. So he did remember her. It shouldn't have affected her as much as it did.
She nodded. "That would be me." She pointed her index finger towards him "Percy" She added at the end to ensure that he knew she also remembered him. His lips broke out into a small smile and the butterflies intensified in her stomach.
A beat of silence passed before he broke it.
"So, what are you doing inside on a gorgeous day like today Annabeth?"
"I could ask you the same question" She replied, crossing her arms jokingly.
He chuckled, resting his arm on one of the crates to the side of them. "I teach a children's beginner guitar class next door a couple days a week during the summer. Doesn't pay much but it's something. Usually afterwards I come here and try not to blow all my earnings on records. Your turn."
She smiled despite herself because of course he taught a guitar course. Images of him instructing small kids on how to play guitar coursed through her mind. Good looking, collects records, and had the patience to work with children. It was too much to handle. She really needed to get it together. She hadn't even noticed the music store next door, having been too focused on the vinyl shop.
"Well, I'm actually here with Silena. Thalia and I needed some new clothes so she was basically our guide this entire day." Annabeth explained afterwards.
Percy shook his head back and forth, grinning to himself. "Did Sil scream about another pair of shoes being out of stock?"
She laughed. Whatever she had been expecting him to say it wasn't that. It sounded like he had personal experience shopping with their mutual friend.
"She did actually"
"That's Silena for you. Judging by the fact that she's not here I'm gonna assume you ditched and just happened to find one of the best record shops in the area to hide in."
"Not exactly. They're at the food court. But you're right about this place. It's incredible. I'm glad I found it." She said, looking up and around her once more at all the albums that covered the walls.
"Do you collect?" He asked.
"Mmm I dabble" She teased, playing off the fact that she had quite a big collection of records that she was proud of back at home.
"May I?" She asked a second later, pointing to the album still in the palm of his hand. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and she needed to know what he had found in the mess of records around them.
When he handed her the album carefully wrapped with a plastic protective covering she flipped it over to the front and gasped.
"I love this album!"
She didn't have to look up to see that Percy was smiling at her as she marveled over the cover with all the bright colors.
"You can never go wrong with Talking Heads. I let Leo borrow the cassette I had of the Speaking in Tongues album and, well, let's just say I won't be loaning him any more soon."
Annabeth gave him a questioning look, but he didn't elaborate.
"Figured I'd just replace it with the vinyl instead since I don't have it in my collection. Always preferred records over cassettes anyways." He explained.
"Me too. Although it sucks that records aren't exactly portable." Annabeth responded.
"Agreed. Thank god for Walkmans" He said before pulling out a small portable cassette player from his back pocket that had a set of wired headphones wrapped around it.
The image was another reminder that her and Thalia had traveled back before the time of music streaming apps. She almost laughed at the absurdity of their situation for the millionth time. She settled for a smile and nodded.
"So, what's your favorite song off the album?" Percy spoke up again a moment later.
"Well, the whole album is incredible. Obviously, I love This Must Be the Place and Burning Down the House as much as the next person but when it comes to my personal favorite, I don't know I just really loved Slippery People from the second I heard it." She said, pointing to the spot on the back of the album where the songs were listed.
When she made eye contact with him again, he was giving her a look she couldn't quite decipher.
"That's my favorite too" Came his reply.
Annabeth felt her heartrate pick up in her chest. "Well then I must say you've got great taste."
"Right back at you"
They kept the eye contact, each one daring the other to look away first. He adjusted his stance so that he was leaning less on the crate and more towards her in interest. In mere seconds she felt herself getting lost in his eyes once again. They stood there for who knows how long and just as she saw him begin to open his mouth to say something, their little 'moment' or whatever it had been, was disrupted by a familiar voice.
"Annabeth, there you are!" Silena shouted from a few feet away, approaching them with Thalia in tow. Annabeth broke his gaze and took a hesitant step back from Percy who stopped leaning against the crate of records and stood up straight.
"We've been looking everywhere. Oh, hey Perce." The shopaholic finished, coming to a stop in front of them. Percy raised his hand in silent greeting.
"Silena…if you had told me…there was a record store in the mall…I could've told you…that's where Annie would be." Thalia gasped for breath once she reached them, her arms burning from carrying who knows how many clothes and shoes while Silena carried one small bag in her arm which held some small bottle. When she reached them, she let some of the bags fall to the floor before glaring at the beauty queen herself.
Silena shrugged. "Oops"
Percy and Silena had what looked like a silent conversation and he gave Silena a disapproving look for making Thalia carry all of the shopping bags. She shrugged sheepishly in return, and he sighed.
"Come on, I'll help you carry stuff to the car. I assume most of its from miss 'Queen of the mall' anyways and she never carries her bags. Usually has Beck do it." Percy volunteered.
"And what do you call this?" Silena replied, taking out the small bottle of hairspray from the gift bag in her hand.
Percy rolled his eyes at the tiny bag. "Like you need any more hairspray" He said, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
Before he could get too close Silena took a step back and gave him a murderous glance. "Touch my hair and you're dead Perce."
Percy held his hands up in surrender.
Annabeth had never quite seen a dynamic like the two of them had. She'd picked up on it the other night at the ice cream parlor as well. When they were together, they acted like siblings constantly bickering good naturedly even though they weren't related. It was amusing to watch.
He bent down to pick up some of the bags Thalia had set on the ground. "Jeez did you leave clothes for anyone else Sil?" He asked once the bags were settled on his arms.
"Hey, Annabeth and Thalia brought just as much as me."
Percy rose his eyebrows in disbelief.
"Ok, almost as much as me."
Percy wasn't buying it.
"…Ok fine. But they still bought a lot." She huffed.
Annabeth laughed. "She's right. We…under packed for this summer." She supplied.
Lucky for her, he didn't question it any further and started on the way out of the store. Thalia picked up the remaining few bags, leaving Annabeth with nothing but the record Percy had found.
"Hey, the album. Aren't you going to buy it?" Annabeth asked before he could get further away, still clutching it in her hands.
"Michael knows I'm good for the money. I'll be back this week anyways." He answered. She saw him gesture to the man by the cash register who nodded in understanding once Percy pointed to the record she was holding. He gave him a thumbs up and then they left the store.
"Ok that's everything. Thanks Percy." Thalia said once they had loaded the trunk with the shopping bags.
"No problem. I'm not parked far from here." He replied, turning to face the others who thanked him as well.
Silena gave him a hug before she and Thalia got into the car. Annabeth was about to follow suit before she heard him clear his throat.
"I believe you have something of mine." He said, looking at the vinyl gripped in her hand.
Annabeth felt like an idiot. "Oh! Right, sorry." She said, feeling an embarrassed flush building on her cheeks.
She held her hands out and he reached over to take the album from her.
It was so clearly avoidable if you wanted it to be but with the way he took it from her she felt just the slightest graze of his fingertips over hers before she let go. Her skin tingled in the spot they had touched. She looked up to find him smiling at her. Dimples and everything.
"I'll see you around Annabeth." He said before tapping the vinyl in his hand once and turning away from her to walk in the other direction.
She got in the back seat of the car and instantly felt knowing eyes on her.
"Shut up, it was nothing."
"I didn't say anything." Thalia defended whilst Silena turned the ignition with a grin on her face.
...
Percy sat in his parked car, staring at himself in the review mirror before closing his eyes in exasperation.
"Gods, what am I doing?" He sighed.
So there you have it! Reminder that I will also be posting these chapters/this story to Ao3! Still trying to get back into the groove of writing and editing so hopefully you guys enjoyed this update. I make no promises for when the next one will be out (because we all know how that goes lol) but hopefully soon! How is everyone? Let me know! Love you all and as always...
REVIEW, REVIEW AND REVIEW!
-M
