Colors [Percabeth]

Encounter// Chapter 18

Annabeth

I was currently laying around in my bed as thoughts stirred up in my head. How the hell was Luke Percy's cousin and I never knew about it? How the hell did Percy not know anything about it? Why can't Piper see that we can't let him walk around blindly without knowing the truth? And where the hell is Jason? 

Sitting up, I paced around my room, combing my fingers through my curls as an attempt to release stress. This whole gang thing truly was taking over my life now. Stress balls no longer accommodated me; I received more relief from tugging at my hair and feeling a short pain run from my head.

There was just way too much stress in my life at the moment. One day I'll tug at my hair so hard it all falls out. Piper and I were clearly on opposite sides on how to deal with Percy's newfound knowledge of our dangerous secret, and Jason was nowhere to be found to help make the decision. As much power as I hold, it's him who's the head and no hasty decision can be made without the approval of him and his on-and-off girlfriend.

A sudden yell brings me out of my thoughts as I hear a feminine voice say, "Annabeth! Downstairs, now!" A small groan escaped my lips as I threw on a random sweat-shirt and made my way out of my safe place and down the stairs.

My father's girlfriend was waiting by the door with an impatient look on her face. "I've been calling you for an hour now. Don't you listen?"

I responded blandly, "Sorry didn't hear you. I was lost in my head."

"Oh please," she dismissed me with a wave of her hand. "What could you teenagers possibly have to stress about these days?"

Oh, more than you know. That's for sure.

She motioned towards our front door. "You have a visitor." I raised an eyebrow and made my way over to find myself facing sea-green eyes. My breath hitched. "Percy."

He smiled softly. "Hey, Annabeth. Piper gave me your address. You said I could come over for that test to study for, remember?" Without missing a beat, I nodded and grabbed his hand. "Yes, right. Come in. It's a very big test!" I exclaimed and dared a glance over at my father's girlfriend, shoving him upstairs before she could question our motives. She knows I only enjoy the company of myself, especially when it comes to studying. Her puzzled expression showed that she remembered that too. Once we were safely in my bedroom, I closed the door and turned to him. He had made himself at home on my desk chair and was now staring at me innocently. Head tilted to the side he asked, "Yes?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed in a hushed whisper.

He shrugged. "Studying for that big test?" He offered with a lopsided smile.

I bit my lip. "Perce.. What are you really doing here?" He sighed and started fumbling with his thumbs. "I had a lot to think about and it was giving me all a headache. How could I possibly be related to Luke?" I sighed and sat across from him on the end of my bed. Studying him I noticed the worry lines that had made an appearance on his forehead. "You don't remember him?" My voice was soft and hesitant. I understood that if he didn't want to talk about it, I most definitely wasn't going to pressure him into doing so. The information was a lot to take in.

"I remember a cousin I played with when I was younger. I didn't know it was the same guy who's a homicidal maniac who's also my girlfriend's ex-boyfriend." I rolled my eyes at his comment and replied, "We never dated. I only crushed on him." "Yeah, since you were a kid." I glared at him as if to say 'drop it'. He only shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault you got with my cousin." A groan escaped my lips as I flopped down on my bed. "Shut up!" I whined.

He chuckled. "Guess you have a thing for the boys in my family, huh? You know, if we don't work out my Uncle Rick is single." Grabbing a pillow from behind me, I threw it at him. He easily caught it. "No offense, Percy, but I'm done with the boys in your family. Besides you, of course."

He laughed and looked at me with another shrug. He said, "Yeah, understandable." Percy tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, "So that lady downstairs?"

"That's my dad's girlfriend. They've been together for so long I consider her my stepmother but they've never really tied the knot. I think they're just together because they think they're too old to find anyone else."

Percy laughed and shook his head. "You're horrible, Annie."

"But you love it."

"Oh, I do? That's news to me."

I nodded. "You do. You told me so yesterday right before you took my virginity."

He playfully rolled his eyes. "Last time I checked, you said it first."

"You said it back."

Percy got up and laid down next to me, giving my cheek a quick kiss. "That I did." A grin spread across my lips and I nodded as I snuggled up against his side. "Yes, you did."