Cafe Olympus

chapter 8

Chapter 8: Annabeth

The night starts off with Annabeth flopping onto the couch sighing in relief as her feet leave the ground. Her internship has her near tears with the amount of work they're dropping on her, and every part of her body hurts, from her brain to the tips of her fingers where she's bitten her nails down to the quick because all the work is driving her anxiety up the wall.

"Rough day?" Thalia asks from the kitchen as she prepares dinner.

Annabeth groans in response, before turning onto her back and laying down properly on the couch so she can look at Thalia.

"How was your day?" She asks instead as she begins to massage her neck.

Thalia shrugs but there's a smile on her face, "A couple of places were hiring, gave them my details, got an interview next week but nothing amazing."

Annabeth sits up quickly throwing her hands in the air.

"An interview! Thals that is amazing, you've only been looking for a couple of weeks. This is good!"

Thalia grins in response, and starts plating up the stir fry she's made. Despite her exhausted body, Annabeth's stomach wins the fight and she drags herself up and towards the plate that Thalia has prepared. She immediately starts shovelling food into her mouth, trying not to make obscene sounds as she chews.

"Gods I missed your cooking," Annabeth mutters continuing to push more food into her mouth.

"That's simultaneously disgusting and flattering," Thalia says making a face at Annabeth who grins widely with a mouth full of food.

Annabeth is about to say something else but she's cut off by a buzzing on the counter. Thalia drops her cutlery in a hurry to pick up her phone, pressing it to her ear. Annabeth is about to ask who it is but she hears the now familiar voice of Jason on the other end and Annabeth smiles.

"Tell Jason I say hi," Annabeth says when she finally stops chewing and comes up for air.

"Annabeth says hi," Thalia says into the phone and is silent for a moment as she waits for Jason's answer, a cheeky smile makes its way onto her face and she turns to Annabeth, "Jason says hi. So does Percy."

Thalia is trying to get a reaction out of Annabeth, Annabeth knows it so she schools her face into a nonchalant smile and nods, mouth unable to do anything else but chew.

Thalia chuckles and says that Annabeth says hello even though Annabeth hasn't made a single sound. She moves off to the living room to properly talk to Jason without disturbing Annabeth.

By the time she comes back, Annabeth is already scraping the last of her food into her mouth and thinking about seconds.

"Whatever you have planned for tonight, cancel it. You're with me, Jason and Percy tonight."

A spoonful of food is halfway to Annabeth's mouth as she stares at Thalia who has started shovelling food into her mouth as well, except she's not doing it because of hunger.

"But-" Annabeth starts.

"Nope. You start college in like what? Less than a week? A week? I don't know, soon. Too soon. We're having fun tonight. And I wanna hang out with my baby brother because I never got to. So you have to come."

Annabeth stares mournfully at the TV where Netflix is already lined up and the cozy grey blanket that pulls her into the best naps.

"Annie. C'mon. You're going to be too busy for me soon. Let me have tonight," Thalia pleads.