The Good and The Bad ~ Percabeth

five

[[unedited]]

p.j.

Morning comes too soon. I stayed up watching Friends way later than was appropriate last night, and it's come to get me. I roll over, ready to bury my face in Annabeth's hair and groan about how much I hate waking up, but my hands grab at air. She's safe, I say to myself, but I still sit right up, alarmed. I don't know if my battle reflexes will ever allow me to keep calm in scenarios like this when I know there's no need to fret.

Sure enough, I hear her humming in the bathroom. The scent of her shampoo wafts through the air. More content now, I take my time to thrash around in the sheets, trying to wake myself up and finally get up. The shower isn't on, so I grab a towel and walk to the bathroom. Annabeth is humming, leaning against the counter and combing the tangles out of her curls. They still look like princess curls, which I noticed when I met her for the first time five years ago. Only five years? Crazy to think.

I smile at her reflection in the mirror and lean into her, my hands familiarly finding her hips and my thumbs curling into the belt loops. These are lighter jeans than her usual washed denim; they're white. I kiss the top of her head. "New pants?"

"Thought I would try something different for public school," she says with distaste, leaning down and pulling the fly away from her stomach. "They're a little big. And they have rips. The fact that buying destroyed pants and wearing them for fashion perfectly sums up how mortals think. So impractical."

"And here you are, wearing them," I remind her, stripping and turning on the shower.

I hear her grumble, but she doesn't say anything audible, because I'm right for once. I climb into the shower and give my body a quick scrub. I get nice and wet in an attempt to be as clean as I can for my first day.

This might be the most nervous I've ever been for a first day of school. I know that in a survival context, I'm above every mortal in the building, and that after this year, what they taught me won't matter, but there's something else bothering me.

I watch her comb out her eyelashes in the mirror.

Annabeth has never been to public school. She doesn't understand that girls like her and guys like me don't date in high school. It doesn't make any sense. She's an academic, I'm not. I'm a troublemaker, she's not. Our peer groups are not going to be the same. People are going to wonder how in Zeus' universe we're together.

It doesn't matter what they think. Annabeth has never cared what others think and even if I did, I have the smartest and hottest girlfriend to probably ever exist, so they can say what they want.

I get dressed in a regular pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. I don't really know what I'm supposed to wear, but I don't think it matters all that much. Annabeth's bleached jeans make her look even tanner. Something about the shirt she wears makes me smile; it's orange. It's not a CHB shirt, but it reminds me where her heart truly lies. Her dad's college ring is strung along a chain around her neck. Her real necklace with her various beads is on her bedside table. The simplicity of the ring pendant and the orange crop top won't draw any unsuspected attention, but they remind me that this is just a brief intermission from our real lives and that we'll be out of here soon.

We walk to the kitchen and she opens the fridge. We eat our breakfasts together, talking lightly about what's to expect from today, though it doesn't mean much. We never plan for things anymore because plans always change. Annabeth already made our lunches yesterday, so she puts them in our respective backpacks while I wash the dishes. I go to brush my teeth and grab something special from our room while she fixes some last minute details, and then she brushes her teeth too. I stare out the window at the city that never sleeps while I wait. I still can't believe I live here.

"Ready to go?" Annabeth is beaming. Her eyes look a little different; I think she's wearing mascara. Her hair is a little neater. It's adorable how much she cares about today.

"Not yet," I say, gently taking her hand off of the doorknob. I reach into my back pocket and pull out the little black box. Her brow furrows when she sees it. "Happy first day of school. I'm proud of you."

She grabs the box and opens it up, and I know now that even if the rest of today goes to absolute shit, it's still the best day. The excitement on her face is unmatchable. She pulls out the bracelet I bought and studies it. I know charm bracelets are kind of ghetto and old school, but I know she likes keeping her truth close to her. The bracelet only has two charms so far - an owl and a trident. She looks up at me like a kid on Christmas. "Percy..."

"You're the light of my life. You're going to kick high school's ass from here to Central Park. I wanted you to have something that keeps your real home close to you. The gods are always watching us, babe, and I know your mom is, like, stupid proud of you."

I don't like talking a lot, especially when it's kind of sappy and romantic, but every word I say makes her eyes well a little more. She throws her arms around me and buries her face in my neck. I kiss the side of her face. "I love you," she says.

I put the bracelet on her wrist and pick up my bags. "Ready?"

She nods, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. I close the apartment door behind us and lock it. I tuck my key into my backpack and we head down the hallway. As we walk out onto the street and to the subway station, I hold her hand in mine. We don't say anything, but we don't need to.

My other hand creeps into my pocket and closes around my ballpoint pen. Always there, just in case.

- - - - - - - - - -

Hello! Just something quick!

Can you believe it's chapter six and we're FINALLY going to get to school? This book is literally supposed to be about school. Glad we're finally there smh

I hope you're enjoying it so far. Just so you know, anytime I get a single comment on my story I have a mini freakout because I love it so much. Thanks for getting to over 100 reads in idk how long, less than two weeks for sure. You rock!

"But I give you this news: when the time comes, you will not be ruled by fear."
(page 315, The Battle of the Labyrinth)

Thank the gods for everything in your life that brings you happiness.

Love, tumblingupwards