Escaping our Shadow - Percabeth AU

CHAPTER NINE

yonderly
(adj.) mentally or emotionally distant;
absent minded

‼️ Emotional and Physical abuse
——— Percy's PoV / 5th November, 2023

"So... Luke, this is Percy, we are classmates. Percy, this is Luke, we are..." Annabeth stopped talking, I'm pretty sure that this was the first time Wise Girl didn't know what to say, someone should record this.

"Old friends." He suggests smiling down to her, he was around 6'1 feet tall, and had an athletic figure.

She blushed while smiling back at him, only that now she also had her hands going through her hair as if she was trying to straighten them to look more presentable.

As if she needed to do that. I thought, but I kept quiet. It was so funny watching what, I suppose is Luke, being oblivious to Annabeth obviously giving him heart eyes. I mean, even I noticed, and I can be quite oblivious.

The blonde held out his hand for me to shake, so that's what I did. His hands were sweaty, but I'm sure mine were too, so I can't really complain. "Nice to meet you, Percy." he said as our eyes met.

"You too." Luke smiled, but he looked all sneaky, like he was hiding something, but maybe that's just his look. I mean, I got told that my resting face was looking a little-what did they say? Ah, right. Bitchy. And believe me, I am anything but a bitch, at least I think so.

What I'm trying to say is that resting faces are weird.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off studying or something?" Annabeth asks him while gesturing for him to sit down, well okay then.

"I'm done with that, I graduated a couple months ago. But since I got a job offer to work in an office here, I decided, why not move back here?" Gods. How old was he? He must be around 24 if he just graduated, this is creepy, he is like what 8- no 6? Wait...

17 to 18 to 19 to 20 to 21 to 22 to 23 to 24... That's seven years! He is seven years older, ew.

"Seaweed Brain, what are you counting?" I looked up from my hand, realizing that both were watching me. Oops?

"Nothing. How do you guys know each other?" Annabeth was comfortable around him, so he probably wasn't a creep...probably.

Both didn't react to my question, I wasn't sure if they didn't want to answer or if they both didn't understand me. So, I decided to ask again or rather, make sure they heard me, "Hello?" I say, and I hear a voice in the back of my head, one that sounded surprisingly similar to Piper's, screaming "Read the room, water boy!".

For another good minute, neither of them answered. I was about to change the subject, when Luke decided to answer...for Annabeth. She didn't slap him, though. "A few years ago Annabeth ran into me and another friend of ours in the park, since then we've been pretty close." So close that she didn't know that you graduated from College? Or that you were back in town? Aha.

Their story was odd, to say at least. But I decided to let it go, since I firstly didn't care about their friendship, if you can call it that, and secondly there is no secondly.

I watched Annabeth closely, if this had been me she would have punched me for answering for her, but instead she gave Luke a grateful smile. I guess she likes him more.

I looked around, searching for an employee. Where was the food? I want to leave. Not only because sitting with those two here was boring (honestly, they are so awkward it's making me feel awkward.), but also because Gabe will kill me as soon as I enter the door. But if I'm a little less late, then maybe I'll die a little less.