Separated

Thirteen: I Will Always Love You

It was a relief when I got out of the hospital wing the next day. I'd missed fresh air.

I walked through the castle halls to my room. I'd booked a flight the next day back to California. Piper was staying in Olympia with Jason, taking online classes to get her degree in human rights.

"I can't believe you're replacing me with some random girl who you've never even seen!" Piper said, picking up random clothing around the room and throwing it at me.

"I'm not replacing you, Pipes. I just need a roommate because we all know how much I hate being alone. And she's not some random girl, she's a friend from high school."

"Same thing!"

"Knock knock!" Jason, Leo, and Rachel walked in carrying a tray of sandwiches.

"We brought food and pictures!" Rachel handed me a book full of photos from my time here. "We went through the palace security and got tons of pictures since everyone is leaving soon."

"That's so sweet of you guys." I opened up to the first page. On the inside cover, there was a note that read, "To our favorite asshole" in bright red sharpie. When I looked over at the first picture, it was difficult to suppress my laughter. In the picture, my shirt was stained with blue cherry coke, and I was hitting Percy over the head with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

"He totally deserved that," said Jason.

"Still does,"

"Girl you need to get your ass up there and march in his door and start whacking him with that goddamn book again." Leo laughed.

"I wish you were there when I was hitting him with a flower bouquet!" Rachel said.

"I can't believe I missed that."

"You were still out cold. Percy woke up three days before you and hardly left your bedside until he had to go to fifty million meetings regarding Poseidon's disappearance."

"He what?" I looked up, surprised.

"That guy is whipped, even when he knows you hate him!"

"You're telling me, that if I go up there right now, that he will sigh in relief and give me a huge hug?"

"Oh, way more than that, owl head," said Piper.

I bit my lip, contemplating if I should actually go up to his room and knock on his door.

"I shouldn't," I trailed off.

"Annabeth Chase you are going to climb up that vine onto his balcony and knock on his window and scare the bejeezus out of him!" Rachel said, pulling me over the sliding glass doors. "Or you get pushed."

I sighed and opened the doors. "I hate you," I mouthed as I began to climb. I hoisted myself up onto the balcony and timidly knocked on the sliding doors.

A loud array of curse words came from the room as I heard a loud banging noise and a crash as something fell to the floor. The curtain was ripped open, and I was face to face with the sleepy, just rolled out of bed Percy Jackson.

"Annabeth! You're awake!" he coughed. "Hi,"

"Hey...can I come in?"

"Oh–oh yeah," he opened the doors and let her in.

"I am really sorry for what I said to you that day...I get if you hate me but–" she was cut off by Percy pulling her in for a deep, passionate kiss. Our lips moved in perfect sync, devouring each other. My hands found their way up to his hair and I tugged lightly. I felt him smile and pull away just enough to let our foreheads touch.