Loverboy (PERCABETH AU)

Chapter 4

 Annabeth POV

The worst part about first period science wasn't the smell of formaldehyde from the storage closet. It wasn't the teacher's monotone voice, or the fact that the lab tables were perpetually sticky no matter how many times the janitors cleaned them.

No. The worst part was walking in and seeing him already sitting at my usual table, leaning back in his chair like he owned the place.

"Morning, Wise Girl," Percy said, like we'd been on nickname terms for years.

I didn't bother asking why he called me that. I could already tell that if I gave him the satisfaction of reacting, I'd never hear the end of it. Instead, I dropped my bag onto the table and sat down.

"You're in this class?" I asked, hoping my voice didn't sound too much like Why are you in my space?

"Looks like it," he said, flipping open a notebook. To my surprise, there were actual notes inside — neat handwriting, even. I'd half expected doodles of sharks or surfboards.

Mr. Brunner clapped his hands at the front of the room. "Alright, class. For the next two weeks, you'll be working on a group project. Choose your partners wisely — you'll be graded together."

The room instantly erupted into a chorus of scraping chairs and "Hey, you wanna work together?" I reached for my pen, ready to ask Hazel — she was quiet, focused, reliable — but then Mr. Brunner's voice cut through the noise again.

"If you don't have a partner by the time I'm done calling roll, I'll assign one for you."

By the time he reached "Chase, Annabeth," I realized Hazel was already paired with Frank. And right after "Jackson, Percy" came out of his mouth, Mr. Brunner smiled like he'd just matched up two puzzle pieces.

"Chase and Jackson, you're together."

Of course.

Percy shot me that lopsided grin again. "Guess we're stuck with each other."

"I prefer the word 'paired,'" I said, flipping to a clean page in my notebook.

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "So, how do you wanna do this? Split the work down the middle? Or should I just let you do all the hard parts and I'll write my name on it at the end?"

I gave him a flat look. "That was a joke, right?"

"Mostly."

I sighed, already regretting every life choice that had led me to this moment. "Fine. We meet at the library after school. Bring your notes, and don't be late."

He looked way too amused by my bossiness. "Yes, ma'am."

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By the time Percy walked into the library, he was seven minutes late.
Seven minutes. I know, because I'd been checking the clock.

He dropped his bag in the chair next to me like we were at some casual hangout instead of here to work.
"Relax, Wise Girl," he said, sliding a bottle of blue Gatorade and a pack of Oreos onto the table. "I brought snacks."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's not food for studying. That's food for rotting your teeth."
"It's fuel," he said with a grin, like that explained everything.

I ignored him and went back to my laptop. "We have two weeks to get this project done, and I'd rather not do all the work myself."

For the first ten minutes, he actually tried. He was leaning over his textbook, brow furrowed in concentration. But then his pencil started tapping. Then he was bouncing one knee. Then he was staring at the clock.

"Percy," I said without looking up.
"Hmm?"
"You're not reading."
"I am," he protested, even though the page he'd been "reading" was the same one he'd opened to fifteen minutes ago.

It wasn't that he didn't care. I could tell he was trying. His eyes kept tracking the words, but they'd narrow and his lips would move slightly, like he was sounding them out under his breath. Then he'd shake his head and start over.

I'd heard from Piper that he had ADHD and dyslexia, but seeing it in real time was different. It wasn't laziness — it was like his brain just refused to cooperate.

"Here," I said, sliding my notebook toward him. "I already summarized this section. You can add your notes after we talk through it."

He blinked at me, then grinned — a real one this time, softer than his usual smirk. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

And, annoyingly, my chest did this little thing.

We worked like that for the next hour — me talking through the sections, him throwing in comments or making jokes that were actually... kind of funny. He still got distracted every five minutes, but once I reeled him back in, he stayed with me long enough to get something done.

When we finally packed up, I had more progress than I expected. Honestly, more than I usually got with group partners.

The sun was dipping lower as we stepped into the parking lot, the late afternoon light casting everything in gold. Percy shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and glanced at me.

"You got plans?" he asked.

"Homework," I said automatically.

He smirked. "Riveting Friday night."

I gave him a look. "And yours?"

"Well," he said, rocking back on his heels, "I was thinking... milkshakes."

I frowned. "Milkshakes?"

"Yeah. You've been in that library all afternoon, Wise Girl. You deserve a break. There's this place near the pier — best strawberry milkshake you'll ever have."

I hesitated. I wasn't in the habit of hanging out with Percy Jackson outside of group settings. But there was something in his expression — not pushy, not smug, just... hopeful.

Against my better judgment, I found myself saying, "Fine. But I'm not getting strawberry."

He grinned like he'd just won a bet. "Deal. I'll drive."