PJO High School

Chapter 27

A/n: this is a scene from one of the books just edited to fit the scenario. All rights go to Rick

Annabeth POV
I woke up with messy black hair in my face. I started brushing it down with my fingers when I heard someone say "Oh....you are in so much trouble."

I quickly sit up and Percy rolls over to where he can see who is talking. Frank is standing in the doorway of Percy's room. I have seen Frank knock down football players three times his size and do the triple chili cheese dog challenge, but I have never seen him look as terrified as he did now.

Percy rubs his eyes. "What...? Oh we just fell asleep." Frank gulped and looked away. "Everyone was worried about you two. Have you two been here all night?"

"Frank!" Heat was rising to my face and at this point I can imagine I probably looked like a ripe strawberry. "We just came in here to talk and we fell asleep, that's all." Percy sat up at this.

"Kissed a couple of times." Percy said.
"Not helping!" I glared at him. "We'd better... Uh go." Frank ran.

We come out of the room and go to the living room where everyone was sitting eating breakfast. Percy's mom is shoveling more food on to everyone's plate and humming.

She stopped humming when she saw us and asked "did you two do anything?" It was Percy's turn to go bright red. "Mom. No." I was thinking about saying we kissed a couple times but I bit back my comment. With that she smiled, shrugged her shoulders and walked out to grab more food.

I look at everyone's face. Jason and Piper just look relieved. Nico was staring at me blankly while eating bacon. Will was smiling, as usual, and seemed unfazed by what just happened. Leo was smirking and whispering something to Calypso who started laughing. Hazel was fanning her face and wouldn't look Percy in the eyes. And Luke... He looked pissed.

"Well me and Nico should get going." I say while grabbing bacon off Nico's plate. He gives me a mean glare but that just makes me take more. "Bianca is visiting today." I watch Nico as he tries to suppress his smile but I see a ghost of a smile, it went away as quickly as it came.

He hops up says 'later' to everyone. He grabs my hand and drags me out of the room before I could say goodbye to anyone. We hop in the car and start driving home. I wonder what Nico is feeling... I know he was hurt and felt like she abandoned him when Bianca left for college.

Bianca got early acceptance to a college because of a group she is in called The Hunters. At first I thought it was a cult.... Actually I am still not sure on that part. When she got accepted she was so excited and left late that night. Nico didn't find out until she was gone and he never got to say goodbye.

We get home and Dad quickly rushed us inside.
Me and Nico exchanged glances. He pointed to a table with presents on it next to it is two giant present box. I point to it. "What's in there?"

Our dad smiles brightly. "I'm so glad you asked Annie! That is where you and Nico will be and when she unwraps each of you she will be so surprised!" I laugh up until the moment I realize he isn't joking. "No." Was all Nico said and he marched over to one of the boxes and smashed it.

The next thing I know the lid was being put on the box with both of us in it. Nico and I are cramped together in this stupid box. "Good job Nico. We could have just been put in separate boxes, but noooo you had to smash yours." I glare at him but I'm not sure he can see it in this dark box. "You should have just smashed both of the stupid boxes."

"Agreed." Nico says. Someone hits the top of the box telling us to shush. I try to move a little bit to get more comfortable but it just makes it worse. We start to smell the Italian dish our parents are cooking. Nico sticks his nose out of the little hole in the side of the box. I do the same to the other whole.

Dad takes his finger and pokes our noses back in. After a while I hear the front door open and some happy loud shouts. There is a voice I don't recognize but I let it go. It is getting super hot in here and my hair is starting to stick to the back of neck. I squint at Nico and see him wipe sweat off his forehead.

Ugh they need to open this box soon. My patience is wearing thin, I think to myself, as I hear paper crumpling and excited exclamations. Finally I hear my dad say "honey video tape this." I would try to smile but there is no wiping the frown off this face and it seems the same way with Nico.

Footsteps. Finally. "I wonder what it is? Should I try and guess?" No you shouldn't I say under my breath. "Sure sweetie you get one guess." Ugh thanks a lot mom. "Ok is it a dog?" I don't hear a response so I assume they shook their heads no.

The box top is shifting and comes flying off. She screams a little seeing us because we scared her. We just look up at her frowning. "You couldn't have opened this box first." I say. "We have been in here for 30 minutes." Nico adds.

We both try to stand up quickly which doesn't work well since we have been cramped in a small box for 30 minutes. We both go tumbling forward. "Ah" we both yell as we head straight for the ground. We both hit the ground and moan. "Damn box." Nico grumpily says.

Bianca is dying of laughter. My parents stop the recording and laugh too. I move my head up and say "welcome home Bianca." Then I just plop back down on the floor.

After Nico and I squirmed out of the box. We where given ice packs for our heads. That's when a girl I didn't recognize started to walk up to us. She had black hair and back eyes and looked about 5'4. She stuck out her hand for Nico to shake and then to me. "Quite an entrance you two made, I'm Zoe Nightshade your sisters friend."