The Library Book

#26 - Homecoming

Chapter 26 - Homecoming
published: Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Annabeth stared blankly into her closet. She'd always thought her clothes were fairly fashionable, but now, looking at them, Annabeth didn't know what to wear for her first day of school.

Once glance in the mirror told her that she pretty much looked the same, albeit it with lighter hair and tanner skin from Europe's blaring sunlight.

"I have a problem," Annabeth announced, when her bedroom door clicked open. Her gaze flickered to the right, spotting Helen leaning bemusedly in the doorway.

Helen remained thoughtfully silent as she pursed through Annabeth's outfits. "Hear me out on this," she warned, pulling out a flowery dress Annabeth had bought in London. "This and your black boots with the heels?"

Annabeth paused. "Good idea," she agreed, grabbing the dress from Helen. "Thanks."

Helen regarded her with a dramatic expression. "Oh, you're turning into a girl!"

As she got ready, Annabeth couldn't help the curiosity that overwhelmed her when thinking about seeing her friends again. Her summer trips had kept her too busy to see any of them. Piper had facetimed her from her holiday houses all over the world — Greece, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, you name it.

Frank's exploits in Canada were documented by terrible pictures he sent to their group chat, while Leo spammed them with new pictures of his inventions.

Hazel attended a summer camp for Literature and History — a right nightmare in Annabeth's opinion. Jason, on the other hand, spent half his holidays in Australia, and the other half hanging out with Leo and Percy.

Now that she thought of him, Annabeth wasn't able to get him out of her head. Percy was, without question, the person she was most nervous about seeing again.

They'd parted on kind of a strange note, not speaking to each other for the week prior to prom. Annabeth could still remember the kiss, though she wasn't sure if she'd just built it up in her head over time.

It was an understatement to say that she'd thought about Percy over the holidays. Sure, they'd texted — at least once a day, as promised — but seeing him face-to-face was a whole other story.

What if that kiss had ruined their entire friendship? Two months was a long time to spend apart. What if they forgot how to behave around each other?

These were the worried that plagued her as she got on her bike and cycled to school, a massive duffel bag attached the the back of it.

Tonight was Homecoming for seniors. Annabeth couldn't believe that this was her last year of high school. At one point, she'd been excited for it to be over and to move on to college, but now, she wasn't quite ready to give it up just yet.

Piper had invited Hazel and herself over to get ready, so Annabeth had her dress and shoes in the bag.

"Annabeth!" Leo was the first person she bumped into. He used the locker right next to hers. They shared a hug after Annabeth shoved her new books inside the locker. "How're you doing?"

"Alright," she said with a grin. "Weird to be back here."

"You're so tan," Leo informed her enviously.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It was our vacation, Leo."

"To the sun?" Leo muttered disbelievingly.

"Annabeth! Leo!" A shorter girl with frizzy brown hair skipped up to them excitedly. Hazel attacked them with hugs.

"I like your hair," Annabeth remarked.