Together

Chapter 7

Annabeth's P.O.V.

After we get off the bus, and I called to see if he can come over, we walk to my house. As we start to walk up the driveway, I start to get panicky. Mom's home, but she knows that he's coming. I should be good.

We walk in and my dad is on the couch. He looks up from the TV and I see something I've only seen a few times in my life when company is over. His smile. "Hi, I'm Mr. Chase. You must be Percy right?" He ask. Percy nods and smiles.

"My...um....daughter....talks about you non stop." My jaw drops. I do not! Never have I once mentioned him to him. Percy looks at me smiling. I blush deeply. "She also-" I cut him off by grabbing Percy's arm and start dragging him upstairs. "Gotta go by!" I say.

When we get upstairs to my room he walks in and I sit on my bed while getting out my stuff.

When I look up I realize Percy is still standing; looking around my room. "You can sit you know," I state. He looks at me and sits on the bed; on the complete opposite side though.

Is he trying to stay away from me? Does he think I'm weird because my room is gray? Is he trying to think of a way to politely back out of doing homework together?

The thoughts swarm my mind. The room tilts for a second as anxiety kicks in.

No, not now. Calm down. In and out. In and out. In and out.

I relax a little and realize he's staring at a picture by my nightstand. It's a picture of my mom and dad with me and my two brothers. The only family picture I have of all of us.

"Is that your mom?" He asks, breaking my thoughts. "Oh, um, yeah," I state while stuttering. "She's pretty. How come she's not home?" He asks. Negative thoughts swarm my mind.

She despises me. She wanted a guy but got me. She left. Haven't seen her in years.

I don't tell him this. No one can know this. It's embarrassing, terrible even. I've been keeping it a secret from everyone. So instead I tell him half the truth,"She isn't here a lot; always busy." He nods. Meanwhile, I quickly change the subject. "So, let's get started."

P᷉᷈A᷉᷈G᷉᷈E᷉᷈ B᷉᷈R᷉᷈E᷉᷈A᷉᷈K᷉᷈

We finished rather quickly and now an awkward silence fills the air. Percy breaks it. "I'm sorry if this is personal but...you and dad don't really get along, do you?" That takes me back. "What? Why do you say that?" I ask. He srugs before saying, "I don't know. I live across the street and always here yelling that sounds like you and your dad's voice."

He hears that? So that means he hears my beatings. WAIT?! HE LIVES NEXT DOOR?!

"Oh. I didn't know that you lived next door," I say. "Yeah. I mean, not exactly. I'm the bus stop before you, just 2 houses down." Wow. "Cool," I manage to croak out. "Yeah, well I got to go. See you at school," he says while standing up.

When he's in the doorway, he turns around like he remembered somethings. "I forgot to say this," he says while scratching the back of his neck. Is he gonna tell me he's into me? "I heard Rachel and her friends talking and they are planning to talk about you on stage on the lunchroom in front of everyone. It has something to do with a video of you on a projector. I'm gonna try to prevent the video from coming up but I'd help with the computer stuff. So, you in?"

Oh my god. The audition video. I know they're gonna play that. No. They can't see that.

"Y-yeah. I-I'm in. Thank you." He smiles. "No problem," he says while slipping out the door.

I wish he was mine.

-stay smart 🙋