𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 - 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐔

Annabeth

I threw my phone to the desk, groaning.

It was a boring three o'clock Friday, warm air pooling in my room, dulling the place. Lazy rays swarmed through the windows, as I lay not knowing what to do next.

A small headache sprouted in my temple, and I kneaded it with the pads of my fingers. Maybe scrolling through Pinterest for the last few hours wasn't such a good idea.

School starts Thursday, or so dad says. Apparently, my books are arriving in 3 days or less, and I can't wait to check them out. Being a high school junior would be a journey of its own, I suppose.

I'm not really someone to step up to others, and mingle with people, so I was honestly kind of terrified coming here. I'd curated a familiar environment back in San Francisco, so stepping into a new pool of people was bound to be awkward and...well, scary.

But, somehow, I'd managed to meet people here and get closer to them, so maybe this was step one of thriving here. I could at least try to make the best of the place while I'm here, instead of cowering at the idea of social contact, so thank the gods I'd already made a few friends here.

Jason. Piper. Leo. Katie. Calypso. Travis. Connor. Rachel.

Percy.

A smile sighed its way onto my face, and quite effortlessly too. I mean, I can't recall Luke ever making me feel this happy, and it had only been a few days.

Well, two, but who's counting?

Percy felt really comfortable, you know? He felt welcoming, new, like a breath of fresh air. He's a beautiful person, in and out. With a heartwarming personality that promised to always be there for me, understand me and accept me for who I am, and his looks were no less.

He had a gorgeous smile, crooked with radiant peace. His eyes glittered like the ocean waters, rippling, crashing on rocks, shone with mischief and quiet empathy. He embodied strength, friendship, loyalty, and so much more. He's bold, passionate, and funny.

He's Percy. And he's mine.

I wondered if he thought about me the way I did him. Maybe he felt overwhelmed by me too? Am I good enough for him? Am I pretty?

Luke said I was. Maybe Percy thinks the same.

I hope so.

I rolled over with a small grunt, lying on my stomach. It won't do any good to dwell on Luke, he's a chapter in my life that's closed. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. And that's that.

Percy's a gift lingering in front of my eyes. Someone I love spending my time with. Someone who makes me feel better about myself. Someone who deserves my love in return as well.

********************

"You could have told me before, you know?"

"That would've ruined it", Nico's voice floated over, and I could hear the grin in his voice. "Besides, how was I supposed to know you'd move right next to Percy?"

"I told you guys where I was going!"

"Right, well I keep forgetting where they live anyways."

I rolled my eyes. "Has spending too much time with Will killed your brain cells?"

"Possibly". I heard Will's small sound of protest in the background and chuckled. "Anyways, how is he?"

"He's good, better than he was, anyways", I reassured. I was pretty sure they would've known about Percy's...situation better than I did, so I didn't want to say anything wrong.

"That's good to hear. My dad's offered to help Sally so many times, but she insisted she'd be fine in New York. Percy wouldn't say anything about Gabe, we found out about that from Thalia. He can be such an idiot with these things, but stubbornness runs in the family, I guess."

I smiled. "That definitely seems like something Percy would do."

"So, things are good then?"

"Yep!" I flopped back on the bed. "School's starting in a few days. I've already met some of Percy's friends here, and they're really sweet."

"Hm. Have you met Sally?"

"First day. She called us for dinner the day we moved in."

"Sounds like Sally."

A grin broke my face. "Yeah, she's super sweet, and her food is blue, for some reason."

Nico laughed. "Percy didn't tell you then. Ask him, but be prepared for a history lesson on the antics of the Jacksons."

"That bad?"

"It's endearing when you get used to it."

I chuckled.

******************

I switched on the TV, and bit off the sandwich I'd made. This would be a good time to catch up on Suits, seeing as I was home alone.

Dad, Helen and the twins had headed out to my grandmother's house, and I'd vouched to stay home. Some alone time was far needed, so I didn't hesitate to reject the offer of going out.

Percy said Sally was working, and Jason had called him out to.... do whatever guys do when they hang out.

I'd simply texted him, and threw my phone to the dining table before settling down with Harvey Specter and Michael Ross.

I'd gone through one episode, before my phone started ringing.

I ambled over to my phone on the dining table, switching off the TV, and frowned at the missed call from Percy. I dialed his number again.

"Hello? Percy?"

"Hey, Annabeth." His voice rasped from the other end. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I thought you were going out with Jason."

"I..are- are you still alone at home?"

I frowned, worried now. "Percy, what happened? You don't sound too good. Are you okay?"

"I can't-", he broke off. He sounded out of breath, mumbling some things I couldn't catch. "Gods, Jason. I- I can't, I can't, Jason- Jason will understand, I think. Are you alone at home? Please."

I bit my lip. "Yeah, they're still out. They won't be here for hours. How far are you from here?"

"I'm- I'm outside the colony." He drew in a sharp breath, and I stood up straighter.

Concern laced through my veins. "Okay, you're not far from here. Are you hurt?"

"I- I'll be there." The call was cut off.

I turned around to the door, stuffing my phone in my pants pocket. What the hell was happening? What was Percy mumbling about? Is he okay?

It wasn't long before a heavy knock resounded from the door. I threw it open, and my jaw dropped at what I saw.

"Percy, what the hell?!"

Author's Note: Well, that was that. I'm pretty sure there has never been a more cliche cliffhanger, but this is fanfiction. Sue me. 

So yeah, I'm pretty sure this is getting longer than necessary, and definitely more than I'd initially planned, but it's really like the book is writing itself through my hands, so I hope it's not utter trash. 

Enjoy.