Escaping our Shadow - Percabeth AU

CHAPTER SIX

Opia
(n.) The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable.

——— Annabeth's PoV / 5th November, 2023

You have got to be fucking kidding me. When I said anyone but Lazy Timmy, I didn't actually mean anyone!

Now I'm stuck with Ms. Perfectly fine, who has weird mood swings and whispers things I should not care about into my ear. Yay...

ARGH! I could kill someone, right now, right here... whatever. I didn't help that he was staring at me with his sea green eyes that no human being should be allowed to have.

Somehow they were calming, scary, and mysterious at the same time. It makes me want to memorize them, all over again. I could honestly stare at them forever. If only they weren't attached to such an annoying person.

Where was I? Right. Percy was sitting there looking a little too good for his and mine own good, I mean ugly. He was annoyed too, for whatever reason. Well we both aren't very fond of each other but at least having me will give him an A on this paper, he could appreciate that at least a little.

"I got Leo." Hazel whispers, but I couldn't quite make out if she was happy or disappointed. I do know that Frank will be very unhappy, he has a strong disliking for Leo, every time we asked about it, he said that Leo just annoyed him.

I personally think that that's a lie, and he is just jealous because Leo is giving Hazel heart eyes basically all the time, like just a bit ago I was searching for where Percy is sitting... So I would not look there later on, of course.

And I saw Leo looking to us, or rather to Hazel. He didn't even notice me, since he was so in thought about how Hazel's back looked today, I didn't tell her that, tho. She would get flustered and turn around every few seconds to see if he is still watching.

Then she'd start sitting awkwardly, like this is a photo studio. So, back to my not-preventable problem... Perc- "Can I please change my partner with Percy's? He is okay with it." The red head, one of Percy's friends, asks, and I'm sure that this Kelp Head asked her to do this or just complained about me so much she thought she'd be helping him.

Look...I know I might shouldn't have jumped to conclusions just because he left Tyson with me, but I know that all of you would have done the same, so quite telling me I'm dumb or whatever.

I didn't know he would take it so personal and be mad for days to come by, I feel like it's a little dramatic but anyway.

Percy gives her a thankful smile and she smiles back. He. Did. Not! This piece of seaweed. I mean, I don't want to be with him, but I would neveeeer humiliate him like this, and I would be less of a coward and ask myself.

"No, Rachel, you will not be able to do so. I think you and Rafael, just as Percy and Annabeth will make a great team." she says smiling, and I almost threw up, I hate everything about this. Hazel gave me an apologetic smile, even though it wasn't her fault.

"Now, kids get together in your teams, you have a lot of work to do." I was about to ask about the deadline when she said it herself. "You have 3 weeks." Three weeks is good, I'm going to hyper focus on it now, finish it and have the next two weeks with no politics homework to do.

Well, if Percy cooperates. "Wish me luck." Hazel says before taking her stuff, standing up. I smile watching her leave. Now, I will be needing all the luck in the world. Hazel is lucky, Leo doesn't seem to be that much of a troublemaker, but I might be wrong.