Secrets | Percabeth AU

28- Grover's Request

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the drawing above? I'm so happy I found this!
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Percy's POV

After I dropped off Annabeth to Aphrodite's rehearsals, I went home and was ready to pass out.

I promised Annabeth that I would do my homework, but I'm too tired! How do people do their homework every single day?! Homework gives me such a headache! I'll probably video chat Annabeth, so she can help me. A perk of having a brainiac as a girlfriend. But she makes me do the work, instead of giving me the answers. She'd never make it easy on me.

As I was about to go to my room, I saw Grover and Mom eating blue cookies in the kitchen.

"Grover!" I said, walking in the kitchen. Grover's eyes lit up and dropped his cookie into the plate. He rushed in, giving me a hug.

"Long time no see, Perce!" he said. "We have a lot to talk about."

I went to Mom and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Yeah? About what?" I grabbed a cookie and sat down on a stool.

"Two things." He held up two fingers. "The fashion show and your new girlfriend, Annabeth Chase?"

Last time I recalled, I never mentioned to anyone that I have a girlfriend. I just let my friends figure it out. And even if I did tell entire Goode that Annabeth is my girlfriend, how would Grover know that I have one? Much less her name.

"How'd you know about the girlfriend part?" I munched on a cookie. Grover glanced at Mom.

"Sally told me..." he said slowly, as if he wasn't supposed to mention it.

I never told my mom about Annabeth either. I gave Mom a sideways glance.

She gave me a smile that said Sorry? "Thalia mentioned it to me yesterday when you were working with your album in the music room."

Of course, Thalia would tell her. Thalia and Mom have always been like mother and daughter. Telling each other secrets. Or talking about my bad habits behind my back. Now, Thalia spilled to her that Annabeth is my girlfriend. Mom really likes Annabeth. It's scaring me a bit.

I sighed. "Okay. That's okay... as long as you don't invite Annabeth for embarrassing things."

She giggled. We heard a door close. It's probably Paul.

"Keep talking, I'm just going to go to Paul," she said and left the kitchen. My attention went back to Grover, who finished half the cookies on the tray.

"Annabeth Chase, huh..." he wandered.

"Do you know her?" I asked, confused on why he sounded very unenthusiastic.

"Personally, no, but I've heard about her," he said. I awkwardly nodded, not knowing where this conversation was going. "What's your plan?"

"We've both agreed to keep it a secret.
Everyone in Goode thinks Annabeth and Peter are dating. Then, when we're both ready or I'm done being Peter for the year, we'll make it publi-" Grover cut me off. He rapidly shook his head.

"No, no, no, no. Keep it a secret. Keep it inside Goode and Peter. We are not going to the trouble of making a big controversy and scandal about this and having to explain to the whole world about this."

"Scandal? I understand the controversy part, but scandal?" I asked. How would telling everyone that Annabeth and I are dating become a scandal?

"Her mother, Athena, multibillionaire and world-renowned architect. Your father, Poseidon, famous navy general and a lover of bodies of water," he said, as if that'll make it much clearer. I never really talked about my father much, other than where he is and what he loved to do. He's that one topic in my life that I've barely brought up.

"And?" I urged. He raised his hands up in frustration.

"And! They had some riffs, here and there. Athena defended the idea of  growth...building more infrastructure. Poseidon defended his idea of preservation. Not taking up too much of nature's space, especially like cities near bodies of water," he said. "Even though their riffs ended a long time ago, we don't want the media making some kind of tragic Romeo and Juliet story between you and Annabeth Chase."

I nodded, slowly taking it all in. No one has ever told me, and I've never heard of Athena and Poseidon having disagreements.

"Just be careful, okay?" he said. "I don't want both of you to get hurt."

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After eating all the cookies, Grover and I moved to the music room to work on some of the songs.

"Good, good. The label will be pleased with your music right now. You are heading to the right direction. But you still have a lot more to write," he said, writing things down his planner.

"Okay," I nodded. I've noticed how my music changed. How it got more out of the box. It's not the same as my previous songs, where it's very popish. It got more sentimental. More real.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Grover suddenly said, making me jump. "Aphrodite and I have been talking..."

Just that sentence made me want to run and hide.

"Ed Sheeran was going to perform during one of Aphrodite's fashion lines: Grecian Nights. But he can't perform because of a very bad sore throat. He won't have time to practice on the runway. You have to perform in replace," Grover said, making jazz hands.

"What happened to being 'low-key' and 'out of radar'?" I made airquotes.

"I know what I said, but this will be good for your comeback. Besides, everyone already knows that you're attending it anyways," he said.

I'm already enjoying being one of the spectators and not the performer. Now, I have to be the performer again.

When I didn't respond, he said,"Think of it as my early Christmas present. If you do do this, then you don't have to buy me one. Eh?"

Good point. I thought. Maybe this will help me when I start going back into show business.

"Fine, but I have to pick the song I'm going to sing," I said, smirking. He smirked back.

"Fine by me. Deal," he reached his hand out towards me.

"You and Aphrodite have yourselves a deal, then." I shook his hand.

Grecian Nights... Sounds familiar.

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I decided last minute to have a chapter with Grover in it, since it's been a while since he was mentioned again. It was not on my list to have this chapter, but I felt that it was needed to have this. It's not my best chapter, but it's still fine.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading this chapter. I love you guys so much. We're almost at 1000 votes, so I just want to say thank you, thank you so much.

I'm open to constructive criticism, feedback, and other comments. Your comments help me grow as a writer. I love reading comments so much. I know, weird. Feel free to leave any comments.

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS!

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-Brainy_dolphin <3