Percabeth at high school

Chapter 3

Annabeth awoke with a pounding headache. Rays of sunshine blazed into her sensitive eyes, and she wanted to go right back under the blanket and pretend the day didn't have to start. At least, that's how she felt until she rolled around, only to be met by a framed photograph of Percy and his mother, standing on an unfamiliar night stand.

No, she thought. Annabeth, you didn't. Not with him.

"Relax," a dreadful voice said. Annabeth could feel the vibrations of his breath on her back, but she was frozen. "We didn't do anything, Princess."

She quickly checked under the covers, endlessly relieved to find herself fully clothed. She rolled around and faced Percy, who was laying on the bed next her as he scrolled through Instagram.

Annabeth rubbed her eyes as she began to recall the memories of the night prior. Sally and her kindness, Percy Jackson, her unexpected savior, and...oh. Of course. How had she forgotten that she'd been cheated on by her highschool sweetheart? Must've been her brain trying to push the trauma away.

"I slept on the floor," he clarified, lowering his phone to look at her. "Just wanted to be here when you woke up so you wouldn't freak out and start crying...or vomiting."

Annabeth's face burned with embarrassment. She rubbed her temples. In the past twelve hours, Percy had seen her drunk out of her mind, vomiting, crying, and now, waking up in a manner that was surely disgraceful.

"This is so humiliating," she complained.

"A little bit," Percy agreed. Annabeth sighed and buried her face into the pillow.

"I'm sorry for all the horrible things I ever said about you," she said, her words partially muffled by the pillow. He slowly began to smile.

"Oh, like when you said I was a man whore?"

She lifted her head the tiniest bit, and the world was bursting into neon colors. She set it back down to avoid a migraine. "Yes."

"Because that was quite the assumption, Miss Chase."

Annabeth snorted, her body still face-down on the bed. "To my defense, I wasn't wrong."

Percy gasped. "And the bullying continues!"

She smiled, lifting her head just enough to see the boy in front of her smiling too, with his sea-green eyes shining like stars. Sometimes, she could understand why so many girls fell for him. He was carefree, charismatic, polite, but still fun. His personality was enlightening, and his looks were just an added bonus.

"Come on, Percy. You would bring a new girl to your locker every week, and she'd seem super into you. By Friday morning, they were upset and crying in the bathroom. What was I supposed to think?"

He pursed his lips. "That's fair," he said. "But I always told them that I wasn't looking for something committed. They never seemed to listen, though."

Annabeth usually would've ended the conversation at that point, but the mixture of alcohol in her system and the pounding headache must've caused misjudgment. She rolled over and rested her head on her hands, which were placed on the pillow so she could face Percy. He instinctively set down his phone, focusing only on her.

"Why do you always say that?" she asked. "What's with you and commitment?"

Percy dropped his gaze for a few seconds before returning the eye contact. "It's easy. If it's not serious, I can't get hurt."

Her heart seemed to gain ten pounds as she thought of the moment she walked in on Luke and Drew at the party. "Like me," Annabeth said. "This is what you were avoiding, right? This pain."

Percy's face morphed into one of guilt, but he nodded.

"Smart," she decided.

"Hey," he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry about Luke. He's a dumbass for doing that to you."

Annabeth smiled sadly. "It's alright," she lied. "Anyways, I'm hungry. I'm sure you know how to make the best breakfast, playboy."

;;;

Percy did not know how to make breakfast. Luckily, Annabeth did.

"This is sad, Jackson."

"Shh!" he cried. "Estelle's sleeping upstairs. And besides, it's not like I bring girls here, with my family. Professionals have standards, Princess."

She flipped a pancake. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped calling me that."

"Only if you drop 'playboy'."

"Well that's just unfair."

"Alright then."

Annabeth chuckled, but upon realizing something, she gasped. "I should make breakfast for your parents! Oh my God, how could I have forgotten?"

Percy frowned as he bit into a piece of bacon. "You don't have to."

"Yes, I do." She frantically started whipping up more pancake batter. Percy watched her as she rushed to make breakfast for his family. He felt a faint smile spread on his face, and he didn't like that, so he stuffed more food in his mouth to avoid it.

"They're literally going to be okay."

"Percy." She turned around and stared right at him, making Percy feel like a deer in headlights. "Your family did something that I can never repay them for, at least let me make them breakfast."

For some reason, with Annabeth dressed in his bummy clothes and holding a spatula as if it were a crowbar, he suddenly found it hard to form proper thoughts. "Whatever. Suit yourself."

She smiled. "Good, because I was going to do it anyway."

Percy smiled a little, and this time, he allowed himself to do so.