Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Hellhound

Percy burst out of the alley onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth. "Hey, you're out early!" she laughed, grabbing his shoulders to keep him from tumbling into the street. "Watch where you're going, Seaweed Brain." 

For a split second she was in a good mood and everything was fine. She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She looked like she was ready to catch a movie, have a cool afternoon hanging out together. 

Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust, came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!" 

Annabeth's smile melted. She stared at Rachel, then at the school. For the first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and ringing fire alarms. She frowned at Percy. "What did you do this time? And who is this?" 

"Oh, Rachel—Annabeth. Annabeth—Rachel. Um, she's a friend, I guess." Percy wasn't sure what else to call Rachel. He barely knew her, but after being in two life-or-death situations together, he couldn't just call her nobody. 

"Hi," Rachel said. Then she turned to me. "You are in so much trouble. And you still owe me an explanation!" 

Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive. "Percy," Annabeth said coldly. "We should go." 

"I want to know more about half-bloods," Rachel insisted. "And monsters. And this stuff about the gods." She grabbed his arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on Percy's hand. "You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going." 

"But—" 

"I'll make up some story," Rachel said. "I'll tell them it wasn't your fault. Just go!" She ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and Percy in the street.

*** 

"Hey!" he  jogged after Annabeth. "There were these two empousai," he tried to explain. "They were cheerleaders, see, and they said camp was going to burn, and—" 

"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?" 

"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters before I did." 

"So you told her the truth?" 

"She recognized me from Hoover Dam, so—" 

"You've met her before?" 

"Um, with Jessica, last winter. But seriously, I barely know her." 

"She's kind of cute." 

"I—I never thought about it." 

Annabeth kept walking toward York Avenue. 

"I'll deal with the school," Percy promised, anxious to change the subject. "Honest, it'll be fine." Annabeth wouldn't even look at him.

That's when something crashed into the nearby pavement- a girl- lying face first in the cement, her sundress only slightly faded. Annabeth cursed loudly as a the girl stood up and a shock of blue hair fell across her face. "Jessica!" Annabeth said, her cheeks reddening.

"Oh my gods, you won't believe this-" Jessica said, and then she looked around. "Percy, did you blow up your school?" She didn't even sound surprised.

Percy bit his lip. "It's a slightly long story." 

"Oh gods, we need to leave this place."

Annabeth sighed. "I guess our afternoon is off. We should get you out of here, now that the police will be searching for you." Behind, smoke billowed up from Goode High School.