ꜱᴘɪᴅᴇʀ ʙɪᴛᴇꜱ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴀʙᴇᴛʜ/ꜱᴏʟᴀɴɢᴇʟᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ

xʟᴠ ᴀɴɴᴀʙᴇᴛʜ | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴄᴏꜱᴘʟᴀʏꜱ ꜱᴄᴏᴏʙʏ-ᴅᴏᴏ

"You, uh, your outfit's really cute," says Will. "Even better than I thought when I picked it out."

"Will, I look like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo."

Will hands over a turkey and swiss sandwich. "Uh, subs?"

Annabeth bites into the sub. She is not in a good mood. Letting all of your old friends from summer camp think you got tied up by your ex- on purpose- will do that to you though.

She's gotta hand it to Frank and Hazel's catering company; this might be the single greatest sub sandwich she's ever had.

Annabeth steals the sub from the plate next to her. Nobody's sitting in the seat, so it's fair game.

"I know you hate the guy, but you don't gotta steal his sub," Will says.

"Oh, this is Percy's seat? Even better. This day just rocks," she says.

"Chill out; what even happened between you guys? And don't tell me you had sex because I know your sex hair and that's not it."

Nico laughs a little too hard for comfort.

Gross. They're definitely into each other.

But she'll take sitting next to Camp Half-Blood's second favorite couple over sitting by Percy.

"Annabeth, put that back," says Piper from across the table. "Hazel and I spent forever on the seating arrangement."

Annabeth waves her hands around defensively and returns Percy's place card back to its spot. "I'm still gonna eat his sub."

"Oh, do it! I want to see his reaction," says Piper.

Percy enters, looking even more stupid than he did earlier. Now his Fred from Scooby-Doo outfit is complete with an orange bandana tied around his neck.

He sits down next to Annabeth. "You like?" he asks. "Rachel's lending it to me."

Instead of responding, Annabeth takes a bite from Percy's sub. Oh, is that Italian dressing? She loves Italian dressing.

Trying to avoid talking to Percy, she looks to strike up a conversation with Will. He's always got her back. There's a small part of Annabeth that wonders how Will ended up at the wedding rehearsal dinner despite not actually being in the wedding party. She decides not to ask. She's just happy to have the support of her best and most loyal and most reliable friend.

"Nico..." Will scolds flirtatiously.

Oh, gross.

They're playing footsies.

Annabeth makes eye contact with Piper. Gross, she mouths.

I know, so cute, Piper mouths back.

Geez, Piper McLean cannot read lips.

"I'm going to get mules. Better to take advantage of this open bar. You want one, Annabeth?" Piper asks.

"Fuck yeah. Thanks, Pipes."

When Piper leaves, Nico clears his throat.

Will raises an eyebrow at his... boyfriend? Fuck buddy? Friend with benefits?

Nico mirrors his expression.

Ah yes, a silent conversation. Annabeth has these with Will all the time, or is it past tense now that he's so close with Nico?

"So," Will asks. "How are you feeling, Annabeth? We tried to come and check in on you, but you and Percy were sleeping."

"My headache's mostly gone, so I'm good." Annabeth flashes a death glare.

"Anything else you want to share with the table?" asks Will.

"Nope," she says.

Percy invites himself to the conversation. "She did come on to me, though." He steals his sub back from Annabeth and takes a massive bite.

Dang, Annabeth really almost forgot he's here. She rolls her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that didn't happen."

"Mmm, I think it did." Percy pitches his voice up and does a bad impersonation of Annabeth: "'I like intimate.'"

She doesn't remember it, but there's no doubt in Annabeth's mind that she might have said that. After all, Pothos did look a little like Percy when she saw him.

Everyone laughs, and Percy continues to entertain his crowd. "'Oh, Percy! Snuggle with me!'"

Even Will laughs at that one.

Annabeth can feel her blood boiling. She grips the tablecloth, trying to gain some composure. She can't lose it here.

Keep it together.

She knows why he's doing this. He's mad at her about this whole thing, for not being the way he thought she'd be. It's not entirely her fault. People grow up!

Keep it together.

Annabeth takes a shaky breath. This is even more humiliating than Pothos listing her sexual fantasies aloud.

Keep it together.

Keep it-

"I think she even called me 'Seaweed Brain!'" Percy boasts.

That's it.

Annabeth stands up, only to come chest to chest with Piper. Without thinking, she takes a Moscow Mule and spills it down Percy's white shirt.

"Geez!" he shouts. "Guess I'll be right back..." Percy gets up and leaves, probably to wash off in the bathroom.

Nico starts cackling. "Hell yeah, Annabeth!" He reaches for a high-five.

Annabeth obliges but doesn't say anything.

"Okay," says Will. "Now you've gotta fill us in."

"Somebody fill me in!" begs Piper.

Annabeth sits back down and shrugs. "Honestly? Not that much to tell. I can't really vouch for last night, although I'm sure Percy was exaggerating."

"Mhmm..." says Piper.

"I mean it!" Annabeth says. "But we got some, er, information, and went to secure the venue before the rehearsal, only it took us longer than we thought, 'cause Percy thought it would be smart to tie ourselves together..."

Annabeth explains most of the details from her little outing with Percy, only leaving out the stuff about Pothos and the prophecy. Of course, by the time she finishes, everyone at the table agrees with her side of things.

"Yeah, so Percy was kind of a douche to me, but I'll get over it." It's the perfect cherry on top.

"I'm so sorry for laughing at his story," says Will. "Besties for life?"

"Besties for life," Annabeth says weakly. "I'm going to grab another drink, maybe a sub too. Catch you guys later."

"Later?" Nico asks.

Annabeth can hear Will's excuse for her: "She's probably tired. Don't worry."

She feels bad for anybody that doesn't have a Will Solace in their lives.