Aphrodite's Promise

Catching up

Annabeth

All I managed to do was stand there, completely dumbfounded. If my world was crashing down, it was also burning by now. I had no idea to what was going on. He was acting as if he didn't know me.

What happened? I thought to myself. Did this guy really just lose his memory, again?

Someone cleared their throat, and I suddenly realized that we were still shaking hands. We broke the handshake, and for the first time. Piper was not kidding when she said that he was hot. I had once kissed those soft lips, I had touched that amazing face of his, I had once drowned in those beautiful eyes, I had once glided my hands through his messy hair. For the first time in a year, I was finally smiling, a real and genuine smile. The smile was not mirrored, though. The boy was still wearing the pained smile.

I broke out of my thoughts and decided to scan my environment for a quick second. I saw a confused Scott and nostalgic Nico. Piper was just casting glances, switching between Percy then me, repeating the process.

"Annabeth, can I ask you something?" I heard Piper ask. She didn't wait for an answer, as she just decided to drag my right hand, the one that was warm after the boy's touch. The boy, Nico and Scott just decided to continue their conversation for now, and I was grateful. Why, you ask? Because Piper was too eager to ask whatever she was wondering and stopped only a couple of feet away from the three boys. They would have easily heard our conversation if they hadn't resumed theirs.

"What?" I asked, a bit mad.

Piper took a deep breath, as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Piper, are you ok? It's like you've seen a ghost." I tried to calculate what she was pondering.

"Are you sure, you haven't seen a ghost?" she shot back. How did she know?

"What do you mean?" I asked, acting oblivious.

"Annabeth, is this Percy Jackson, that Percy Jackson?" Piper was completely shocked. I have no idea to why, I had been told her everything about Percy.

"Yeah, why?"

"Annabeth. I am the daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love. He hasn't been here for a whole year, and just decided to show up? There is something going on."

"What do you mean?" I started to understand the problem. But I was definitely thinking of a different problem from what Piper was thinking. What if Percy tries to get together again? My thoughts drifted to Malcolm; he was the reason to why it all started in the first place. What if Percy risks Malcolm, what would happen if Scott remembered the guy that walked in on us in the stables? What will happen if Scott understands who Percy was? Every horrible second of the past year would be in vain.

"Annabeth, he clearly doesn't know who you are."

Again, the thoughts of Percy losing his memory flooded my mind. Did he really lose the memories of us? The amazing nights we spent together? The things we had been through? I realized that I had drifted far off into my own thoughts, as I was brought back to the world when a strong arm pulled me closer. I glanced at who it was.

"Are you ok, babe?"

It was time for me to internally puke, yet again.

"What do you want, Scott?" I hissed, however, I tried to hide it. I think I succeeded, but Scott noticed it, just like I wanted.

"Fine, you need time, alone. You should enjoy your birthday, I will honor your wish, even though I think your birthday would be better with your boyfriend around."

"You're not my boyfriend, you're my prison guard!" I snapped back.

"Soon, soon enough, you will naturally fall for me, and I will be there, Annabeth." Scott turned around and darted off towards the arena, where I guess he would battle a random camper and completely destroy him or her. After Percy left, neither Jason, Thalia nor Nico where spending time at the battle arena. And soon, Scott was known as the best swordsman in the whole camp. I had to give it to him, he was good, he could even give Percy a run for his money. That is, if he still remembered how to fight. My thoughts drifted back to Percy, who was currently talking to Nico. It seemed as if they were deep in conversation, as if Percy knew who Nico was. I walked over to them.

Nico spotted me, since Percy's back was against me, and Nico was standing in front of Percy.

"Told you he wasn't dead, Annabeth," Nico said once I arrived by Nico's side. I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to talk to Percy quite yet.

"What?" Percy asked confused. The past year still didn't change the fact that he was so cute when he was confused.

"Nothing, it's kind of an inside joke," I replied, elbowing Nico in the right part of his stomach.

Percy still looked confused but dropped the subject.

"Annabeth, can I talk to you a minute? It's only meant for the birthday girl," Percy asked.

"Sure," I replied, not really knowing where this was heading.

Percy led the way to the bathrooms. He knew exactly where they were. When we passed the cabins, he looked at all of them, as if he already knew them. I got the feeling that Percy hadn't lost his memory. I was happy, but also scared. Why did he want to be alone with me, would he make a move towards me?

Percy opened the bathroom doors, there was no split according to gender, so there was no suspicion if the both of us stepped into the toilets.

Percy suddenly turned around, and his smile was gone. I glanced at his eyes, and they looked incredibly hurt, and they were filled with another emotion, was that hatred?

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, trying to get away from his scary scowl. He always was the scariest guy once he wanted to. All the innocent and funny side of his character would flow away, leaving a scary Percy. I hoped to never be on the receiving end of the scary glare, but here I was, and I was feeling sorry for anyone else that had been a victim of Percy's glares.

"After everything we've been through, you still managed to pull that off?"

I hoped to never remember that night, it broke me every time I remembered how broke Percy was. Percy definitely didn't lose his memory, then why did he act so strange?

"Percy, let me try to expla-"

"I really thought you liked me. Why would you play me like that?"

"Percy, Scott he tri-"

"You know, after all the wounds I got from battle, by all the monsters, I never once thought that the biggest scar would be by you."

I was completely silenced. I tried to explain, but everytime Percy would cut me off.

"Percy, please, just please let me exp-"

"Do you know where you scarred me?"

He grabbed my hand and placed it over his heart, which was beating slowly.

"And it hurt. It hurt so much, I didn't know what to do, so I ran, beating myself for it, for a whole year. But I had enough, why was I the one to punish? Why not punish the two people I hate?" he asked coldly.

He removed his hand from mine, and for the first time ever, I was no longer warm after his touch, his touch was only cold.

As he dropped his right hand, I glanced at the inside of his right wrist. I felt my stomach tighten, my eyes beginning to water and sobs knocking, trying to escape my throat.

Percy walked out of the restroom, and all I could think about, was the tanned skin on the inside of his right wrist, completely empty.