Percabeth Short Stories

Unintentionally In Love

My head slumped against my folded arms that lay on my desk. I sighed and lifted my head up high enough to read the article which was displayed on the screen of my laptop.

'Percy Jackson, aged 24, international swim-star has recently been caught having a fling with interviewer Annabeth Chase, aged 24. After someone took a picture of the pair walking out of a restaurant together holding hands, there's been an internet storm surrounding the couple. Percy has said that they're "just friends," and "there's nothing romantic going on" between them, but does that really explain this situation?

'Annabeth has reportedly denied the rumours. She claims that "she was doing an interview with Percy for an article on his career, which you can read here. But dating or not, Percy and Annabeth have clearly started up a new trend, and there's been some recent evidence of their love after a late last night picture was posted on social media by one of the pair's friends.

'In the image, there's Percy and Annabeth with their friends Grover Underwood, Thalia Grace and Juniper Growth. The five friends are posing for a picture by the lake. The actual image is a collage of photos, but in one of them is a picture of Percy kissing Annabeth's cheek as they're wrapped in a hug. Many speculation has been formed, from opinions ranging from that it was just a friendly gesture while others say that they're clearly dating. The picture has been taken down, but it's safe to say that the damage has been done as both Percy and Annabeth have declined comment.'

My head slumped back into my arms as I released a huge sigh. This was bad. This was really bad. What would Percy say? We'd been friends for a few months now. Fans said that we were dating by we always shrugged the rumours away. I started dating the famous guitarist from the band The Titans, Luke Castellan, to make a point. The media had quietened down, and everything was fine. Until now...

Last night, Percy and I had hung out with our friends Juniper, Thalia and Grover. We took some photos like anyone would do when they hung out with friends and Grover posted them on Instagram as a collage. The comments started flooding in late last night as the picture went viral. Grover panicked and took it down, but people had already screen-shot it and posted it everywhere.

Suddenly, I heard my ringtone play out. I groggily raised my head back up and grabbed my phone which was sitting on the desk beside my hands. It was Luke.

"H - hello?" I said.

"Annabeth," Luke replied, his voice emotionless.

"Luke, I - I'm sorry."

"Annabeth," he paused and I could hear him suck in a breath. "I assume you've seen the picture and heard the rumours?"

"Who hasn't?" I sighed bitterly.

"Have you talked to him?" Luke asked. I rubbed my eyes with the hand which wasn't holding the phone.

"No," a yawn tore through my words. I'd woken up early this morning to my manager calling me.

"Well, talk to him." Luke's tone almost seemed to change. It turned cold.

"W - what?"

"Annabeth, I don't know why this has happened, but something must be done." Luke sighed.

"And you want me to call him? How do you think that this will help?"

"Then you leave me with no other option."

"What?"

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I knew what was coming. He believed what everyone was saying. I couldn't believe it. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that something like this would happen. And to think that he thought there was something going on between me and Percy.

"I don't think that we should be together anymore."

I was speechless. Luke hung up and all I could do was sit in silence and stare at my phone screen.

Oh, what had I done?

•••

Today was officially the worst day of my life. It was a Wednesday, and usually I'd be at work, but today my boss had advised me to take the day off.

"It's best to wait until all of this quietens down." He'd said.

Usually I wouldn't mind having the day off work. But today I had a lot on my mind and nothing to distract me from it. I'd called Thalia twice but she had't picked up. It was the same story with Grover and Juniper. I didn't want to call Percy, and Luke was gone, so what should I do? Watch the Harry Potter movies on the couch all afternoon? Try calling Thalia again?

By eleven o'clock, I'd gotten dressed and eaten breakfast. I was just settling down on the couch to flick through TV channels when there was a knock at my apartment door. I stood up and answered it, wondering who it could be.

As I opened the door, I saw those gorgeous sea green eyes and knew who it was right away. "Hey," said Percy.

He'd put on a blue hoodie which was pulled low over his eyes. His messy black hair was unkempt and looked like a rat's nest. I scanned his appearance to see that his shoulders were tense and his eyes flickered down the hallway, then back at me.

"Percy," I said. I didn't know how to feel. Should I have been angry at him for turning up at my doorstep or happy that he was here? I didn't know which one to choose.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure," I opened the door wider and he stumbled inside.

"Have you slept?" I said worriedly, seeing the bags underneath his eyes.

Percy sighed. "No, not really."

"Sit down," I indicated my couch. Percy slouched down and pulled his hood back. His black hair immediately sprang upwards.

I took a seat opposite him and crossed my legs. We sat in awkward silence for a few seconds.

"So," I said.

Percy sighed and put his face in his hands. "I'm an idiot, Wise Girl."

"What?" I said. "Why?"

"This is all my fault."

"No it's not!" I cried. "Percy, none of this is your fault. It's not Grover's either!" I quietened my voice so Percy wouldn't hear me. "It's mine."

Percy heard me. "Annabeth, it's my fault. Just accept it. You've broken up with your boyfriend and gotten fired because of me." He grumbled.

"What? I haven't gotten fired." I said.

"Then why aren't you at work?"

"Why aren't you training?" I shot back.

Percy sighed. "Annabeth, I'm here because I have a plan."

I raised an eyebrow. "You have a plan?"

Percy shrugged. "Well, the public seem yo think we're dating. Why not play along?"

My jaw dropped. "You want to act as though we're a couple."

Percy gave me a serious look. "Well, it's the best idea I have. If we pretend to be dating for a while, then all this fuss will die down. No one will care."

I thought about it for a moment. "What happens then, when it dies down? Do we break up?"

Percy nodded. "It's the best idea I have, anyway."

I didn't want to agree with Percy. But after a few minutes worth of thinking, I came to a conclusion.

"Alright. I'll do it."

To be continued...