Troubled

85

chapter eighty-five
percy

What the hell is she thinking?

I peered up at the intricate and massive apartment building Annabeth lived in. My eyes narrowed as I fixated at a certain window on floor four, which wasn't too far up so I wouldn't get too injured if I fell as she so lovingly put it.

The window slowly opened as I could barely make out Annabeth. All I could make out was her golden blonde hair.

"Perce!" she yelled as I rushed closer to her building. She waved at me from above and I couldn't help think of her as some sort of Rapunzel trapped in a tower.

On my way over to her apartment, she'd explained to me her plan. I was apparently supposed to climb up several private fire escape and balconies to reach Annabeth's fire escape and do this all while being undetected.

Thankfully, the sun was close to setting, and the dark nearly doubled my chances of not being seen. Despite my nerves and doubts in the plan, I headed over to the first fire escape, my desire to spend New Year's Eve with Annabeth overpowering my fear.

My first obstacle was getting to the first fire escape, which was on floor two. With my height, I was barely able to reach it while extending my arms fully out, but I somehow managed to pull myself onto it.

Despite the freezing cold, my face was full of sweat as the fire escape rattled. I finally managed to make my way on to it, grinning with triumph.

Next, I had to make my way to the next fire escape, which was considerably easier than the first one.

Only two more to go, I thought as I hung onto the fire escape with dear life and peered up at Annabeth, who was smiling at me and giving me encouraging thumbs up.

After making my way up the fire escapes, I finally made it to Annabeth's fire escape where she promptly placed a kiss on my already red cheek.

She helped me inside before jamming the window closed, the freezing cold causing her apartment to feel like Antarctica.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she instantly pulled me into her arms. She was incredibly warm so I didn't pull away.

I nodded. "Don't worry, I'm fine. The ladders were helpful, although next time I'd prefer to take the stairs."

She couldn't help but laugh as she led me to the living room, which was, unsurprisingly, spotless. Whenever I came to Annabeth's apartment it was spotless, which led me to believe they had a maid. That and the ever lingering smell of cleaning supplies that filled the air.

She helped me with my coat and backpack I'd been wearing, simply throwing it on the floor near us, which I knew Athena would despise.

"So, explain to me why I had to climb into your apartment?" I asked as we sat down on the couch together and Annabeth turned on some New Years special that was put on every year.

Annabeth sucked in air through her teeth and placed a hand on her head. "Yeah, sorry, about that....You see, I'm on full lockdown mode because of the fiasco I pulled at Christmas. Athena has the doorman watching for me and for any guests coming up, including you."

I sighed. "Well, at least I didn't die coming up here. I hope I don't have to climb down to get home as well?"

Annabeth waved my concerns away. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, Happy New Year's Eve."

A grin appeared on my face as I reached for my bag. "Happy New Year's Eve to you, too, Annabeth. In fact, I brought you something."

"Really? Perce, you shouldn't have as I don't have anything for you," Annabeth said with a frown.

I shook my head as I unzipped my backpack and revealed a Tupperware container full of freshly baked blue cookies, which made Annabeth laugh. "Blue cookies, my mom insisted I bring you some."

"Well, if Sally insisted," said Annabeth with a grin as I pulled the top off of the container. We both pulled a blue cookie out of the container and began to eat.

After a few more blue cookies, I noticed how hungry I still was and, by the sound of her rumbling stomach, I was pretty sure Annabeth was, too.

"I'll order a pizza," Annabeth volunteered. "I think Athena left some cash on the counter. And she won't mind us getting pizza, right?"

I shrugged as Annabeth started dialing. "Ooh, see if they can make it blue!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking that, that's so weird—hi, yes, I'd like to order a pizza."

I stuck my tongue out at her as she ordered a pizza that was, sadly, not blue. After she finished ordering she sat back down besides me and we turned to the television.

"You know, my favorite part of New Years is this," I admitted as we stared at the television, some New Year's Eve show blaring.

Annabeth frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Drunk reality show hosts getting even drunker?"

"I mean, how can you not enjoy this?" I asked as I gestured out towards the television. "Look, one of the hosts fell over!"

After a hassle with the doorman our pizza finally arrived and it, unfortunately and much to my dismay, was not blue.

Once we ate our pizza we focused our attention on the show, mocking it relentlessly. Then we talked for a while about seemingly everything.

"So, how come you aren't spending New Year's Eve with your family?" I asked. "Didn't Athena force you to go home?"

Annabeth shrugged. "As much as she seems to hate having me here, she didn't send me home. Probably afraid of what Helen would do if she learned I lied to Athena and Athena didn't punish me enough."

I raised an eyebrow. "You weren't punished enough? Haven't you been unable to leave the house in days?"

"Well, you see, that's very mild for Helen. That's, like, the punishment she gives me if I give Bobby and Matthew too much juice," Annabeth said with an easy laugh. "Anyways, look."

"At what?" I asked.

"It's almost midnight," Annabeth said with an eye roll as she pointed at the television. It was 11:58 and the hosts had somehow managed to get up off the floor and prepare to ring in the New Year.

"Do I get a midnight kiss?" I asked with a wink.

Annabeth shrugged as she stood up. She wiped her shirt free of pizza crumbs and offered me her hand. "I dunno, you are full of crumbs."

I narrowed my eyes at her as I wiped myself free of crumbs and she helped me up.

"Ten!" the crowd started to chant, which was so loud I felt as if I needed to turn the television volume down.

"Nine!"

Annabeth smirked at me as the counting continued. Her hair was tousled back into a weak ponytail, most of it falling out. Her stormy gray eyes winked at me.

"Three!"

"It's now or never," she whispered as I inched closer to her, the anticipation building up.

"Two, one....Happy New Year!"

I placed a hand on Annabeth's cheek and pulled her closer to me. She wrapped her arms around me as our lips met and I pulled her into a kiss.

"Happy New Year, seaweed brain," she whispered in my ear in a brief moment of when we were pulled apart.

Despite having kissed Annabeth tens, maybe hundreds of times, a sight blush still appeared on my face. "Happy New Year, wise girl."