Pipabeth

Chapter 7

Annabeth's POV
I woke up way too early in the morning to fall back asleep. I was so tired, mainly because I stayed up almost all night.
I could tell something was wrong with Piper. Something must have happened in the 15 minutes I was gone.
So when I pulled Piper into bed to cuddle, I slowed my breathing so she would think I had fallen asleep. Though I was actually listening to her mumbling and talking to herself as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The only word I could really make out was Thalia. That really confused me because Thalia never conversed with Piper, or anyone for that matter.
I laid where I was in bed with Piper, glad she was mine, and thinking. Concerned about what had happened last night, as I slowly drifted off to sleep as long as I could.

Piper's POV
I woke up, as usual, in Annabeth's arms. No matter what she never seemed to let go of me accidentally while we slept.
It was early in the morning and I sat on my bed for a while listening to the shrill shriek of the morning birds outside.
I would turn around occasionally to sneak a glance at Annabeth while she slept. The early morning, pink light on her face made her look even more angelic. I smiled.
But that smile slowly faded as I remembered Thalia.
That thought immediately disappeared as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my neck.
"Whatcha thinking?" Annabeth asked in a groggy voice.
"Just about last night." I had to tell her. She would find out soon enough anyway, better yet, she probably already knew.
"Oh, what about it?" She asked, in a voice I knew oh too well as the voice she uses when she already knows.
"Thalia. She came to my cabin and asked if I could teach her archery." I could feel her smile on the back of my neck.
"That's strange. I think she is a master at archery. And, no offense babe, but you aren't that good at archery to be teaching it to other campers."
"Yeah, it's so weird." I replied.
"What time to do you have to make me sad by leaving me?" She asked with a touch of sadness in her voice that broke my heart in two.
"After lunch is when she said."
"Hmm. Okay." Annabeth said.
I turned around and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry that we have to be separated. But I'll meet you at your cabin when I'm done."
"Promise?" She asked as she took my hand and gave me these sad puppy dog eyes.
"Promise." I said with a smile on my face.

After lunch

As I gave Annabeth a parting hug, I slowly made my way over to the archery range. This was going to be long.
As I walked in, I expected there to be more campers. Most campers were off doing training and other athletic stuff either before or after lunch. But the range was completely empty.
Except for one Thalia, sitting on a bench on the far side of the range with a bow in hand. Once she spotted me walking over, I could see a mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Okay. Let's start." I said as I walked over, not sitting down, and not making eye contact. Just wanting to get this over with.
"Okay ma'am. What's there to know."
"Well," I began trying to find the words best to describe how to shoot a bow. "You grab your bow and put it in your non-dominant hand, and put the arrow so the string goes between the end like so." I began, as I put the bow and arrow in my hands.
"And hold the end of the arrow with your other hand to pull it back. You try."
She picked up the bow and really struggled to put the arrow in. After a while of struggling. She finally got it in. "Now you pull it back and let go, while aiming it at the target."
I aimed the bow at the target, and pulled the arrow back far. I let go. Now most campers would have gotten 20 straight bulls eyes in a row. But mine hit one of the outer rings.
I blushed a bit and rubbed the back of my head. "You try." I said as I gestured towards the target.
Thalia nodded and aimed her bow. She pulled the arrow back, and let go. The arrow was so fast, it was as if it teleported from the bow straight in the middle of the target. Right on the bulls eye.
I was in such awe. "I thought you said you needed help!" I nearly screamed at Thalia for wasting my time that was supposed to be spent with Annabeth.
"I know, I know. But before you taught me, I was just as bad as you. You did such a good job at teaching me." She said with a big grin on her face.
Thalia walked over to me and wrapped me in a hug. It was really awkward, so all I could manage was a pat on the back.
"Maybe I could teach you?" She offered. Though I could see the mischievous look in her eyes, I did need to be better. I was way below average on archery.
"Okay." I said. She basically said the same things I said to her. But once I let go of the arrow. It only ever made it to the outer rings, or not at all. "I give up." I finally said in an exasperated sigh.
"Not yet." Thalia responded. "I think I have another teaching method.
Again, there it was. That smile, the look in her eyes. But at this point I was convinced she had no crush on me. She put the bow back in my hand and had me put the arrow in.
Then she did something I did not expect. She pressed her body against mine. Wrapping her hands on top of mine, so it was not only me, but also her controlling the bow.
Her body was so close to mine, it was a bit nerve racking, but after a while, I got used to it.
Thalia used her hand to re-aim the bow and used her other hand to pull the arrow back. We both let go of the arrow and it made a straight bulls eye into the target.
I was in awe. She let go, but didn't step back so her body was still against mine. "Try again without my help."
"Okay," I replied. Too exited to think absolutely about the fact that she was right on me.
And sure enough as I shot the arrow, it got a bulls eye. I turned my head to look into Thalia's eyes. "Thanks so much for helping me." I said.
"It was no problem. I figured you could use the help."
And in that moment, Thalia closed the gap between her lips and mine. But I didn't pull away. Once it ended I thought I would hate her. Hate the kiss. But the kiss....it...it was amazing.
Thalia put away the bow and the arrows and pulled me over to a bench.
"So Thalia." But before I could talk to her at all she put her lips on mine again. She grabbed my neck and we kissed like that for a while. I could feel sparks flying between us, and I never wanted it to end.
That's when I remembered Annabeth. I pulled away, and said,"I have to go meet with a history tutor. I really need to leave." And with that, I stood up and walked away.
I went to Annabeth's cabin. Without knocking I walked right in.
"Hey Pip-"
"Ssh, all we do now is cuddle."
Annabeth just shrugged and pulled me into an embrace. We fell asleep like that. Well, I didn't fall asleep. All I could think about was that amazing kiss Thalia and I had shared. Or should I say kisses.
But Annabeth was my love, she was my one and only.

Throughout the rest of my time at the camp, Thalia tried to speak to me. She tried to sneak into my cabin one night, but I locked the door. She tried to create fake tutoring sessions, and although I needed them, badly, I had to decline.
Tonight I lay in my bed alone. Listening to the soft snores and light breathing of my fellow campers. Camp is over tomorrow, we'll pack up and go off to school.
I'd be going to a high school in Pittsburgh, and Annabeth would be going to some high school in California.
I was going to miss her. But I had a plan. And was this plan a good one.