The Library Book

#7 - Rumours

Chapter 7 - Rumours
published: Wednesday, 12 February 2020

Percy started off Monday morning as well as anyone could. He redid the bandages Annabeth had done for him on his arm, deciding to pass it off as a cooking injury.

"Maybe a burn," Annabeth suggested. They were going over possible cover stories.

Percy frowned. "Isn't that kind of a stupid injury? Who gets hurt while cooking?"

"You," Annabeth told him pointedly. "Just say you were be dumb enough to forget the pan was on." A playful twinkle danced in her eyes. "I'm sure people won't have trouble believing that."

Considering they had a double period of science first thing, Percy wasn't sure he'd make it to History, but he did. He even saw Annabeth briefly in Chemistry, and it brightened his mood for the rest of the day.

Or so he thought it would.

Things started to go downhill — or pitch straight off a cliff — in History. Frank forwarded him a message Travis Stoll has sent him; it was a picture of him and Annabeth having coffee at Walter's on Saturday.

Apparently it had circulated around the entire school in the short few hours they'd been in school.

Percy spent the morning receiving strange looks and drowning out excited whispers. Everyone thought that Annabeth was his new girlfriend — and latest trophy.

At lunchtime, Percy found his eyes roving the hall for Annabeth's ponytail, but she was nowhere to be seen. He spotted Jason and Piper arguing on a table, but Annabeth had vanished into thin air.

"Looking for your girlfriend?" Hazel said sullenly as she and Frank joined him.

Percy felt his cheek tinge red with embarrassment. "She's not my girlfriend."

"She's not," Frank assured Hazel. Percy had explained the situation to him, minus the parts about Gabe.

"Is hanging out with her such a good idea?" Hazel asked doubtfully. "She and her friends don't like us."

"Especially Valdez," Frank grumbled, pulling a face.

"What, because we had one fight?" Percy reminded them. "Annabeth's actually not as bad as you think she is."

In fact, she was a lot better than that. Annabeth was probably one of the few genuinely great people he'd ever met. She was funny, smart, and made him feel normal in a way no one other than Hazel and Frank did.

"Need I remind you that she punched you?" Frank told him.

"I deserved it," Percy admitted. "I did beat the crap out of her friend."

"Which brings me to my next point," Frank added. "Annabeth and her friends have always hated us. How do you know this isn't just a ploy to get your attention and catch you off guard?"

Percy stared at him in disbelief. "You're joking, right? That sounds extremely dramatic."

"She can't be trusted," Hazel insisted.

Percy pursed his lips. Hazel was generally a good judge of character. Maybe his friends were right.

"Have you spoken to her yet?" Frank asked.