True Love [Percabeth]

Two - A Crush

"So Annabeth," Rachel begins, looking me in the eye and smirking. "Who do you like?"

"I don't like anyone." I admit, then high-five Thalia who grins. Thalia and I have this pact that we made when we were seven that no matter what, we wouldn't focus on boys. Secretly I have, but not as much as Rachel.

"You two are so weird." Rachel huffs, turning back to her sketchbook where she's drawing a beautiful picture of a rose. "I can't believe you aren't interested in boys."

"Not like that!" I protest. "I just don't need to date anyone right now."

"Same here." Thalia agrees. "Boys are weird."

"So tell me about your cousin." Rachel says to Thalia. At first I'm confused about what they're talking about, but then I remember that Thalia is Percy's cousin, and Rachel likes Percy.

Thalia makes a face. "You mean fish-boy? He's always at the aquarium working on some new project with his fish-friends."

I turn away from them to look back at the school courtyard. We're sitting at a table in the middle. I spot Percy and his best friend Grover standing by the doorway back into the corridors. He catches my eye and smirks, and I quickly look away. No, Annabeth, I scold myself quietly. You are not falling for him.

Unfortunately, my brain has other ideas. Percy has sea green eyes which for some reason makes staring at him seem like a sport for most girls, including Rachel. As I turn back to her and Thalia, I realise that they're deep in conversation about how much of an idiot Percy is. But while Rachel is talking about how he's a cute idiot, Thalia is talking about how he is an actual idiot.

"There was this one time at a reunion where he split gravy all over my shirt!" Thalia exclaims. "I slapped him, but my dad didn't think it was appropriate and sent me to my room!"

"Did Percy laugh?" Rachel asks. She's still drawing the rose but is now adding the thorns.

"Duh," Thalia rolls her eyes. "There was also this other time when -"

But I'm no longer paying attention to Thalia, because a shocking thought has surfaced in my brain. Percy is staring at me, and he winks. I look at him in disgust and he laughs. Grover looks at him weirdly and says something, making Percy shake his head.

Do I like Percy?