The Library Book

#8 - Because I'm Your Friend

Chapter 8 - Because I'm Your Friend
published: Wednesday, 19 February 2020

Annabeth typed away at her phone, occasionally pulling up the picture of Percy and herself. Drew had sent it to her after school without any other caption, and it had visibly rattled her.

What did Drew want? Percy? Technically, didn't she already have him?

Annabeth gritted her teeth. She hated that it had come to this. Usually, she was t affected by nonsense other people spewed, but when it was the tongue school, it was more difficult to ignore it.

The chimes above the front door of Walter's clanged, and Annabeth half-heartedly raised her head — as she had done every other time someone entered.

To her surprise, it was Percy. His dark hair fell over his tired eyes, and he absently brushed them out of his face. The swim hoodie he wore gave away the activities he'd done prior to this.

"I, first, want to apologise for the incident in the library," Percy blurted out as he neared her.

His anxious look made her stifle a smile. "Percy, it's fine—"

"No," he said firmly. "No, it's not. I know she was the one who spread the picture." He frowned. "I just can't believe she would do that."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "I do."

Percy chuckled. He slid into the seat opposite her. "Well, she kissed me — not the other way round." 

Leaning forward, Annabeth sighed. "Percy, contrary to popular belief, we're not actually dating. You don't need to apologise for kissing someone else, and I definitely don't want to hear about it when you're screwing other girls."

Percy's frost-bitten cheeks went even redder than they already were. "I don't do that," he protested. "What Drew and I did was a one-time thing — and I can say that I greatly regret it. I just happen to have had a lot of girlfriends."

"I was kidding," Annabeth reassured him. "You're a seaweed brain, Percy, you're too nice to do anything like that."

"Good," Percy said, relief glinting one his eyes. "Because I might not care about rumours, but you're one of the few people whose opinions I care about."

"Honoured," Annabeth feigned clutching her heart. Her features rearranged themselves into a worried expression. "Getting back on course, what are we going to do about the rumours?"

As Percy studied her expression, Annabeth tried to suppress how affected she really was by the situation. She'd never been the subject of nasty rumours like this.

"What exactly are they?" he inquired.

Annabeth looked down.

"Us dating," Percy guessed. "Us sleeping together."

"Drew says I'm just another one of your conquests," Annabeth interrupted.

Percy opened his mouth before closing it again without saying a word.

"You don't have to believe me," Annabeth said tiredly. "I'm not trying to stir up drama with her. But it's what she said."

Percy swallowed. "This is a whole other side of her I've never seen before. I don't get it."

Annabeth bit her lip. "Drew's complicated. But it doesn't really matter what she does at the moment because it's already out of her hands."

"If the thing fuelling the rumours is us together, maybe we should just stop," Percy admitted.