Do-over (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

18. A Thorn in my side

I watched as Bianca di Angelo seemed to tell her younger brother off under the bleachers at the far end of the gymnasium. Her green cap hung loose on her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulders. She was looking around all over the place as if she knew something was wrong.

Even though I had seen her and Nico in the Lotus Casino, nothing beat the feeling I got when I see her here, alive. Out of that cursed hotel.

Oh my gods, Bianca is here. She's alive.

I was dancing with Annabeth in my arms and that didn't matter, not now. Annabeth was telling me something but I wasn't listening. My attention was on the fact that Bianca was right there in front of me.

'Percy?' a voice snapped me out of my own mind. 'Percy, you there?'

'What?' 

Annabeth rolled her eyes, 'You with me?'

'Uh...yes?' my answer came out more like a question.

'Will you please stop staring at them?' Annabeth whispered under her breath. 'Dr Thorn is already suspicious of us.'

I looked over to where she was motioning to as discreetly as I could and Dr Thorn entered my vision. He had appeared out of nowhere and was standing near Bianca and Nico, looking straight at me before nodding coldly. He was waiting for us to try something.

I guess I wasn't that discreet after all.

'So, uh...' I stammered. Talking while dancing wasn't really my thing. 'How's your new school?'

Annabeth let out a laugh, 'I knew you weren't listening.'

Heat rose to my cheeks as I tried to find a response. The fact that Annabeth was trying her best not to laugh at my red face made it that much harder. Eventually, I just gave up and sighed.

'Fine,' I relented. 'I wasn't paying attention.'

'I already knew that,' she replied with a smile that could light up the night sky.

'I mean, how can you blame me?' I tried my best to shrug but with a hand on Annabeth's waist and her own hand in the other, it was pretty awkward. 'Who wants to talk about structural supports and facades?'

'Excuse me,' Annabeth genuinely looked hurt. 'I'm sorry you don't appreciate the beauty of architectural design.'

Annabeth was about to comment more about the importance of architects and how amazing arches were when she suddenly froze. I had to stop dancing if I wanted her to keep her toes.

'What?' I turned serious, already knowing what Annabeth was looking at, or rather, wasn't looking at.

'They're gone,' Annabeth said, panic rising into her eyes. 

I turned to where she was looking at and sure enough, the di Angelo siblings were gone from their spot under the bleachers. The door that led to a hallway behind the gymnasium was wide open.

I cursed silently. If only I had paid closer attention to Nico and Bianca...

'We have to get Thalia and Grover!' Annabeth looked around frantically. 'Oh, where'd they dance off to? Come on!'

Before Annabeth could bolt off and start searching for our friends, I grabbed onto her shoulders.

'Wait,' I said as quickly as I could. 'You go look for them. I'll go try and slow Dr Thorn down.'

What?' Annabeth hissed at me. 'That is a terrible, terrible idea.'

'Trust me,' I reassured her. Thankfully, Annabeth relented and ran off to find Thalia, leaving me standing alone in a sea of over-dressed teens.