The Runaways [percabeth AU]

Chapter 10:

Annabeth trimmed the hedges until she had to stop for a quick break. She shook her hands out and then walked inside the castle to get a quick drink--the heat was getting to her.

After she came back, she set to work again, pruning row after row of the garden. It was exhausting work, but it also helped Annabeth keep her mind off running away.

She had always wanted to run away, see Piper and Jason again, maybe meet Leo and Calypso on the way, but the thing she most wanted to run away from was love.

Only twice had she ever experienced love before; the first time with Luke, who had died, and the second time with a boy named Leo. But that hardly counted because they had only started dating so that Calypso would get jealous ... so young and free they had been.

But now Annabeth wasn't so sure. She knew she had felt something for Percy, but she just wasn't sure if her feelings were positive or negative.

"Hello." Said a voice from behind Annabeth, making her jump and drop the large garden scissors she was holding. Scrambling to retrieve them, she saw that the speaker was that girl.

In some ways she reminded Annabeth of Piper, with fair skin and brown hair, but that was where the similarities stopped. Piper was much taller than this girl, and of course, she was much older, but they both had an ageless air to them. Whereas Piper was at least ten years older than Annabeth, the girl seemed to be only a little bit older than Annabeth, but not by much.

"Oh, hello." Said Annabeth stiffly.

"I'm Penelope." The girl said, holding out her hand formally. Annabeth shook it, making Penelope smile and Annabeth frown.

"Annabeth. Are you from the village?" Annabeth asked curiously.

Penelope laughed. "Oh no. I was invited to attend the Balls that the King and Queen are throwing in hope to get their son married." If possible, she smiled even wider. "Of course, even if he doesn't like me, then I have my ways."

Annabeth's heart pounded. This was her competition?

"But, I just came over to say hello. I saw you talking to Perseus before. Do you know him?" Penelope's question was casual, but Annabeth detected a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"No, I don't know him." She smiled sweetly, going back to trimming the hedges. "Though, he does seem to take am interest in me." The effect was immediate: as soon as the words had left Annabeth's mouth, Penelope's smile vanished. Her lips curled into an unpleasant sneer and she regarded Annabeth with a look of pure loathing.

"Hon," she started, flicking a loose piece of her hair that had fallen out of it's bun. "He's mine, if you didn't get the message. But of course, a dumb blonde like you would never understand."

Annabeth smiled in return. She was used to insults, but what Penelope had said about her being dumb had stung. Hard.

"I can do what I want, thank you very much." She retorted, and Penelope stomped off, giving Annabeth the satisfaction that she had, for once, insulted someone who deserved it.