Because I Care

Tell Me

not everything is what it seems, k? remember that.

Annabeth.

Percy had been acting weird all day, and it worried me.

"You okay?" I asked him, and he looked up from his spot at the window. (don't ask me what window. I just really wanted to say that)

"No- yeah, I'm fine," and he turned away from me.

"I can tell you aren't, Percy."

"No duh, Wise Girl," he muttered, but not soft enough for me not to hear it.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Just forget it." He waved his hand at me, as if dismissing the conversation.

"Tell me."

"I dunno. I don't think you would get it."

"There isn't really much to get with you..."

"Alright, do you really want to know what I'm thinking?" He had a sudden edge to his voice. I had no idea what he was so angry about. "Or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?"

"Calm down, okay? I get it." I tried to touch his shoulder, but he shrugged off my fingers.

"Well then what do you get?" His arms hung at his sides, but his hands were curled into fists. He was struggling to keep calm.

"I think you're just stressed out about college and everything and-"

"NO, Annabeth. Why can't you just tell me?!"

"What are you-"

"I mean, gods, I always hear about how actions speak louder than words, but just tell me already!"

"I don't understand-"

"And then all the campers and my mom and even Paul are all like 'Oh Percy you saved Olympus!' or 'Oh Percy you're our hero!' but it's not like I asked for it! I just want to be your hero, Beth. No one else's." He started pacing the carpeted floors, rubbing his mouth with stress.

"Oh..." My hero? He's the one who saved Olympus - twice, in fact - but that wasn't his point. He was talking about me not telling him I loved him. Guilt swelled inside me, and that squeezing feeling around my heart I had when we were in LA came again.

"I'm sorry." His shoulders softened, and when I looked at him, he looked much more guilty than I must have.

"No, I get it now. You're mad because I haven't, um, said it yet."

"Well we almost - you know - at the beginning of summer, and that's why I stopped because I wasn't sure if that was how you felt or if it was about something else..."

"So why do you want me to say it so badly?"

"I just want to make sure, you know? Because I knew we've almost died together so many times, and Grover said a while ago that maybe that was why you liked me, because we've saved each other's lives so many times, instead of you liking me because... you liked me."

I had the sudden urge to defend myself. "Well sorry I don't think it's the right time."

He cocked his head in question.

"I don't want to hurt you if something happens, okay? I can't just say it like you can. I honestly have no idea how you can at all."

"It's the truth, so why can't I?"