Wouldn't You Like to Know?

Chapter 2: Awake Part 1, Segment 2

Percy's POV

They walked into the cafeteria. Percy looked around for an empty table, seeing as he didn't have a regular one with a group of friends or something. He saw one with no popular people near it. He breathed out in relief. "Let's go sit over there." he suggested pointing. They sat down and started to eat. Percy saw that he had a peanut butter and blueberry jelly sandwich, a portion of blueberries, a blue diet coke, and two of his mom's homemade blue chocolate chip cookies. He grinned and muttered, "Thanks mom."

"What?" Annabeth said looking up. He felt his face grow warm.

"Um, nothing."

She looked at him funnily and asked him, "Why is all your food blue?"

"Oh... okay. So my, uh, stepdad, Gabe and my mom once got into this argument when I was little. He kept insisting that there was no such thing as blue food when I asked my mom to make my food blue, after she had brought home some blue candy from the candy shop she works at, Sweet on America." Annabeth's eyes widened at the last part.

"Sally?" she asked. He was a shocked.

"Yes?" he said, but asked it like it was a question.

"Oh my goodness! I love that lady! The first few days before I started school here, I found that candy shop. Your mom is always so nice to me when I visit the shop. She also always offers me the blue candy first, too." she said, laughing at the last part. Percy laughed too.

"I had no idea. What a coincidence!" he exclaimed.

She smiled slyly and said, "Is it a coincidence, or is it fate? That is the question."

"Wow, so poetic." he stated sarcastically while slow clapping.

"Thank you." she said while doing a little bow. They started laughing again. Who knew you could laugh so much in one day?

Then she froze. "You know what?" she asked.

"What?"

"I think I just discovered something."

"What is it?"

"I think I just realized that we decided to walk home together or hang out or something, and I haven't got your phone number."

"Yeah, you're right." he said taking out his new phone, a gift from his mom on his most recent birthday.

"Of course I'm right. Does this surprise you?" she said narcissistically.

"Wow." he scoffed as they traded phones. He entered his number, paused, and smiled mischievously, entering his name as Seaweed Brain. She handed him his phone back. They both glanced at each others contacts and broke out laughing simultaneously. Her contact read Wise Girl instead of Annabeth.

Annabeth suddenly stopped laughing looking to Percy's side. He looked over and suddenly started to feel panic grow inside of him when he saw none other than Octavian and his fellow jocks. "Hello, Freak. Is it just me, or are you hiding again? Not only that, but then talking to a hot chick like her, hogging her from the rest of us."

Percy gulped. Percy gulped down all of his emotions. His dread, as the words explaining how worthless he was started to settle in. But also his anger. The beautiful girl sitting in front of him was not just some hot chick. She had a name, and it was Annabeth. He hated it when guys like Octavian went around objectifying anyone they found hot. Even if that was what that person wanted, it wasn't right. People shouldn't be treated like they are just there to be pretty. People should be treated better than you treat yourself, better than just some object. Percy's fingers clenched around the edge of the table.

Octavian turned to Annabeth, who looked annoyed and angry herself. "Wouldn't you rather sit over with me and the boys, babe?" he suggested snottily.

A disgusted Annabeth didn't hesitate when replying with, "Tell me, if I did go over with you, maybe became your hot new girlfriend or whatever, tell me, how long do you think that would last? Not anytime at all, I'd say. Because I'd never had been any type of real girlfriend in the first place. We would have no love for each other at all. The "relationship" would be completely meaningless. The only place a relationship can go in a positive direction, is forward and more serious. Sometimes, to the point where people get married. Now, TELL ME, would you marry someone you had no love for at all?! And just keep them around for their looks?! I'm not just some hot chick, okay?!" She yelled the last part in understandable fury.

Octavian looked like he just got slapped. Then he scowled and growled out, "No, I definitely wouldn't marry you. You have no idea what you're doing. You should have never gotten yourself involved with this Freak.", he snarled almost shoving Percy out of his chair. Percy just remained silent, still, and motionless while Octavian stalked off with his cronies.

"Why didn't you do anything?", Annabeth asked, exasperated.

"What do you mean?", he asked confused.

She stared at him like she was searching for something in his eyes and then replied, "He shoved and insulted you, and you were just, just frozen!"

He grimaced and mumbled, "Listen, resisting just makes it worse. It's best to just let it pass." She looked distraught, her eyes contracting to a form of sadness.

"Percy, why would you know so much about this? Is this where you got that bruise? And th-the scars?"

"Promise me something, okay? Just promise me something. Whatever I'm about to tell you please, don't judge me. Please don't take me as some loser and forget about me. You have no idea what today has meant to me. You have no idea what you mean to me at this point. A-And I know I just met you, but you have managed to change the entire way I am viewing my life in a matter of hours." He paused and took a deep breath. "Annabeth, it's more complicated than everything I'm telling you right now, but I know so much about being treated that way is because I have a lot of experience with situations like what you just saw. I'm not really sure I want to go into details, but yes, things like this bruise on my face are a result of people like Octavian." She was silent for a moment.

"Why would I think you are a loser and forget about you?"

Percy avoided her eyes while replying, his voice laced with sarcasm, "I wasn't sure why you wouldn't think that after seeing that brave show of courage and heroism. REAL heart warming, right? Everybody wants to hang around a wimp that has no spine, right?" Right then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period.

"Percy, I don't think any of those things about you. Nothing even close! I-I'm surprised, I had no idea that's how you feel about yourself."

"What can I say? You must just bring out the best in me.", he said. Then he realized what he said and started blushing at the same time as Annabeth.

"You know, today has meant a lot to me to. I've never met anyone like you, and I don't think I ever will again. Percy, I don't think you know what what today means to me, or what you mean to me." He sat there for a long time, and stared open mouthed at her, shocked and confused. She started blushing. She supplied, "I think we should probably head to workshop."

He snapped out of his daze, agreeing with her, "Ahem, uh, y-yeah, I think that's probably a good idea..." 

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This segment is shorter than the other one, because I didn't split chapter 2 evenly, but oh well. Hope you enjoy. You might consider sharing this with friends, family, people you know, and/or random, suspicious looking strangers on the street since I am going to be updating more consistently. I'm not setting an update schedule yet, but I have a lot chapters stored up. Also, I am but a smol, unknown writer and would greatly appreciate you spreading the love of Percabeth that I've been cooking up on here.

-Gabrielle