Forever- a Percabeth story.

Chapter 42

Percy

Friday morning found me in a panic. Sitting in math I realized with cold dread, I hadn't studied.

I left Rachel's house after our sad excuse of an argument. It pained me to think that as a couple, we couldn't even fight properly.

We had talked about facetiming to study, but I had turned off my phone. I needed some time away from everyone, away from my friends at least, and away from all the guilt Leo had made me feel. I had spent the evening playing video games with Tyson, cooking with Paul and watching TV with my mom. I found comfort in my family, the only people who didn't seem to want something from me that I didn't know how to give them.

I still hadn't turned my phone back on. It sat like a rock, lifeless in my pocket. What was the point anyway? Annabeth still wasn't talking to me.

Rachel joined me just in time, coming in as the bell was ringing.

"What happened to you? I called you like four times last night." She said, handing me a cup of coffee. I took it gratefully, I hadn't slept well.

"Sorry, it died, and I just-"

And then I felt bad for lying.

"I just couldn't..." I finished, barely.

Rachel looked concerned, "Well, did you study?"

I shook my head.

I felt unprepared, I felt like crawling under a rock and never coming out.

Rachel squeezed my arm encouragingly.

"Thanks for the coffee." I told her, drinking it as I did, letting the sweetness of it warm me up.

"Anytime." she responded.

I thought of the day she gave me her phone number, and how I hadn't been back to visit her at work since. I wondered if that was just another way that I had let her down. 

"Settle in, we'll start right away." Mrs. Dodds announced. "It's only 15 questions, they'll be graded by the end of class."

She handed out tests one by one, I felt her coming closer and closer, I prepared for the worst. Mrs. Dodds dropped a test on my desk, smiling coldly as she did.

Alright, let's do this.

Miraculously, I knew how to work the first question.

And then I knew the formulas for the next two.

I skipped the ones I couldn't figure out, onward I went.

By the tenth question, I thought I might actually pass this test.

Making headway, I went back to the two I skipped, reworking them until I landed on something that felt right, but I couldn't know for sure.

And when I finally got to the last question, a type of equation Annabeth had taught me how to do at least a hundred times before I got it, I faltered.

Suddenly, I was in my bedroom, doing homework at my desk as Annabeth sat on my bed, staring at me.

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I could feel her eyes on me. I liked doing homework with Annabeth, but she had no idea how distracting she could be. She had been staring at me a lot lately, in class, in the car, and now here in my room. She had come to help me with math, but with the way she was staring at me... it was hard to focus.

"Can I help you?" I asked her without turning to look at her.

Annabeth looked away quickly, when she did, I snuck a glance. Her pretty face was hidden by a sweep of her blonde curls. She was laying on her side on my bed , her binder laid out next to her as she tapped a pencil slowly on her paper.