Beyond All Expectation (Percabeth)

Chapter 24: Finding Annabeth

Percy POV:

Despite myself, I couldn't help but follow Annabeth out of the room. She seemed distressed. 

"Where do you think you're going, Jackson, it's your turn?" Reyna stopped me. 

"I need a better drink. Get Frank to sub me in, he's just as bad," I replied. 

"Hey!" Frank objected. He quickly picked up the ball and launched it towards the opponent's cups, but it instead hit Piper square in the face. The room erupted into laughter. "Okay, yeah, I see what you mean. I'm pretty bad."

"Great, then you've got me covered," I nodded, and I ran through the crowd to find Annabeth.

In the hallway I bumped into Grover. He wrapped me in a big hug and grinned into my chest. 

"My man!" He shouted loudly. "Everyone, look! It's Percy Frickin Jackson!"

A few people looked a laughed. I grinned and clapped my friend on the shoulder. 

"You are... high as a kite, aren't you?" I chuckled. 

"Never been higher! Juniper had the idea to put weed in the sauna and the whole place is like a smoke room. It's insane! You should give it a go, Sadie loves it!" He tried to take my arm to lead me to the sauna but I resisted. I stared around at the faces in the hallway but didn't see her anywhere. 

"Sadie? Isn't she, like, 14?"

"She's 13, dude. And?" 

I tried not to laugh.

"Maybe another time, man," I said. "Listen, have you seen Annabeth?"

Grover's eyes lit up. "Annabeth? Why?"

"I need to talk to her-"

"-and confess your feelings? Finally, good on you!"

"Yeah, um, maybe... I haven't worked out that part yet. Anyway, have you seen her?"

"Yeah, I saw her making out with Chris a minute ago," Grover swayed on his feet. 

"She was what?"

"Oh, wait, that might have been Clarisse. It's hard to tell."

"They look nothing alike!" I laughed. Grover shrugged. 

"Then, no, I have not seen her. Awh! Juniper told me to tell you something. Something important! Gods, what was it?" He started tapping his head as if in thought. I waited for him patiently, my eyes still scanning the crowd. "Oh, yeah, that's it. Luke's here - stay away from the kitchen."

I groaned. "Luke's here? Who even fucking invited him?"

Grover chuckled. "He probably invited himself. He brought Ethan and Octavian too-"

"-Octavian? Fucking hell, that sucks!" There were only two people I hated in this world, and that was Luke and Octavian. Ethan was fine by himself, but when he was with Luke he acted like a real asshole. Someone needed to kick them out of the party before they ruined things, but I knew that it couldn't be me. If I got involved, Luke would probably start a war. 

"Anyway, forget them - come with me, I'm going to play volleyball outside with Meg and Lester."

I laughed again. "You'll freeze to death - be my guest. I can't, anyway, I need to find Annabeth. See you in a bit, man."

But as soon as he turned away from me and I from him, Rachel Elizabeth Dare was standing right in front of me. And she didn't look pleased. 

"Not now, Rachel," I huffed. I tried to push passed her, but Gwen and Drew joined her side. When I turned around, Clarisse was standing behind me with her arms crossed. I laughed loudly. "What is this, an ambush?"