The Good and The Bad ~ Percabeth

nineteen

[unedited]

a.c.

We enjoy a decent lunch at a cafe down the street without too much stress, but as we walk back to school, Hilary makes a comment that throws me for a loop. "So, how does your boyfriend feel about you being buddies with Wyatt?"

I stop in the middle of the sidewalk, but regain my ability to walk before whoever's behind me can run into me. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I don't know, girl," Hilary says, a bit of worry in her voice. "I'm not going to judge your relationship but you really seem to get along with Wyatt and if I was your man, I would be a bit worried, too."

"He doesn't need to be," I snap, but I realize that in sounding defensive, I'm building more of a case against myself. I don't see Wyatt in that way, right? I have the one I'm with and that's all I need.

"We're not saying you're in love with Wyatt and should break up with Percy," Olivia says as we push open the door to the school. I scan the crowd, worried I might see him. It throws me for another loop when I realize that I can't tell if I'm searching for Percy or Wyatt. "We're just saying that you seem to like Wyatt and like being around him. If it turns out you do, you know, have some stronger feelings for him, that's okay, too. You should just be careful."

"Okay," I say, suddenly feeling like I'm going to be sick. "I'll see you guys later." I dart away from them, my legs acting as a separate organism from my body. I run into one of the public restrooms and lock myself in a stall, leaning against the door and breathing heavily. I can't tell why I'm so bothered, but I am. My heart rate is sky-high, and my mind is spinning. I love Percy. Why is that so hard for people to understand? The bell rings for class, and I slowly collect myself enough to leave the bathroom.

I walk down the hall slowly, in no rush to get to class. Who knows if I'm even going to go? It's just chemistry. People trickle in and out of the hallways until I'm almost alone.

Almost.

I spot Percy with Becki and another guy at the end of the hallway, and something takes over me. I walk over to him without saying a word and grab his hand. He yelps, saying goodbye to Becki and following me down the hallway. "What's up, babe?" I drag him down without a word, looking and looking until I see it.

"Where are we..." His voice trails off when I open the door to the janitor's closet and shove him inside. I lock the door behind me and grab his neck with my left hand. I feel no emotion and no excitement, but my adrenaline is pumping. If Percy needs to know that I love him, this is how to do it, right?

"Right here, right now," I say, voice shaking.

"Are... are you okay, Annabeth?" He tries to grab me to get a better look at my face, but I don't want him to see. I don't want him to know what I'm feeling. Fighting back tears, I undo the button on his pants. He pulls my wrist away. "Is something wrong?"

"I want you," I say, voice strained. "I need you right now."

"Okay," he says cautiously, but he clearly doesn't believe that that's all it is. "But first..." He leans forward, wrapping me in a long, careful hug. I'm overcome with an overwhelming sense of comfort and safety, and I squeeze him tight against me, like he's somehow going to fly away if I let go. He kisses my forehead, then my cheek, then my jaw and finally, for a pregnant moment without any pressure, my lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I tell him, and our bodies say the rest.

- - - - - - - - - -

Percy leaves first. A few moments later, I leave, too. He's still at the end of the hallway and I can see that his pants aren't pulled up all the way and he's pulled his hood up on his hoodie to cover up what I did. I feel satisfied, and as I walk to class, I feel more at peace with my decisions. That's my loverboy right there, and I don't know who other people are to make me feel like I'm making the wrong choice by being with him. Later that day, when I see Becki, I don't even flinch. When I tell Wyatt I can't come to the study session tonight, I don't even blush. When I hold Percy's hand as we walk to the subway, I don't second guess myself for a minute.

"So, a weird thing happened at lunch today," he says as he chops up the onions for dinner. His eyes are watering and I can't help but laugh as I notice a small pimple disappear from his cheek as a tear slides over it.

"What was that?"

"I was at Becki's pool and I dove into the water. She was underwater, uh, watching me and she saw me breathe and like... move like I wasn't underwater."

I freeze. The knife I'm using to cut the chicken drops onto the cutting board. "What... what did she say?"

"Well, I came up, and she's like 'what the fuck' or whatever," he says, voice rushed like he's on a timeline to tell the story. "And so I decided to play dumb, because, you know, I'm good at that."

"No comment."

"She's like, 'how did you do that' and I said, 'do what' and she said, 'move like that in water - I seriously think you're a fucking fishy freak or something' and I said 'were you watching me underwater' and she said..."

"And Annabeth said take a breath," I insist, holding the knife in his direction. "Relax. It's fine."

He inhales deeply before he starts talking. "And she said 'yes, can you please explain what I saw' and I told her it was just the water fucking with her eyes. Then Lane came outside and she completely dropped it. It's almost like... she thinks she's keeping a secret for me. She isn't, but she just lied right to Lane's face when he asked what was up. It was weird, Annabeth. Like, excessively weird."

"It's probably fine," I insist, though I do feel a little uneasy. "It's underwater. You're right; it messes with your vision. I wouldn't be too concerned if I were you. Just don't do anything supernatural again."

"How could I not? I'm dating a supernatural woman with supernatural good looks and supernatural smarts..."

I cut him off by throwing an orange from the counter at him, which he catches with ease. "Shut up," I say, but I go back to cutting chicken with a smile hidden on my face.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Hoping you're all having the productive yet restful day you deserve. Take a moment to breathe if you haven't!

"I tried explained to Blackjack that taking a flying horse to a donut shop would give every cop in there a heart attack, but he didn't seem to get it."
(page 122, The Titan's Curse)

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

Love, tumblingupwards