Annabeth's School

Chapter 14: Meeting Annabeth's Friends

PERCY'S POV
"So you're Percy Jackson?"

"I don't see why not?" Smiled Percy, and then noticing the features of the person who had inquired, proceeded to say, "Am I not meant to be?"

At this, the person laughed. Percy smiled again, and then looked around the cafeteria, trying his hardest to remain calm.

The truth was, he didn't know what to do. Anxiety was building the pressure inside his stomach and Percy couldn't help but feel his body wasn't oxygenated enough.

"Nah, nah, nothing like that. It's kind of strange, I guess you could say?"

"It's strange because none of us knew, Jacob," a sarcastic voice volunteered.

"I don't know what's gotten into you Kyle." Jacob responded.

Percy witnessed the conversation between the two brunettes in front of him, and knowing better than to appear intrusive, silenced himself. He decided to appear relaxed despite the uneasiness he was truly enduring.

Nicole butted into the conversation,

"Guys, he's real, we all know that. He's literally seated here," she interupted her dialogue with a subtle nod of recognition towards Percy, "he even matches the photo Annabeth showed us yesterday. Debate's over. He's here, now what we really want to know, is about the relationship."

"Wait," spoke Percy, "Annabeth showed you a picture of me?"

A visual gallery of all the awkward photos Annabeth contained of Percy, slide-showed in his mind. Unaware, he knotted his eyebrows.

Jacob laughed, "yeah man, it was kind of blurry, we all thought you were photoshopped, I mean you can't really blame us, we just found out about you. Though, that being said," he turned his head to Kyle and Nicole, "Annabeth would have at least photoshopped a HD photo right?"

Nicole nodded in agreement.

"Do you have the photo?" Percy asked.

"It seemed like a display picture, well, to me..."

It occured to Percy this was the nicest thing Kyle had said to him. What was up with this guy? Maybe he just wasn't comfortable around new company, and justifying that as a reasonable excuse, Percy internally shrugged off the concern.

"Ohhh..." Percy realised, "you mean this photo?" Spoke he, fumbling through his bag for his phone.

He extracted a bronze phone and extended his arm out so that the photo was visible to all three.

"Yeah," replied Jacob, and Kyle and Nicole nodded.

"This is my display picture, yeah for Whatsapp,"

"Nice," replied Jacob.

By now Percy had returned his phone to his bag, and all four of them; Nicole, Kyle, Jacob and Percy were sat on the blue bench.

"So," initiated Jacob,

"Are you into any sports? Like a hobby or something? Do you read?"

"Read?" Percy scrunched his nose, expressing distaste and continued, "Nah, I swim, the water's always been my realm."

"And mine, the grass."

"Football?"

"Yeah,"

"The jacket shows... And you guys?" Percy's gaze shifted to Nicole and Kyle.

"I run, though not a lot, just when I have the event or chance to," Nicole replied.

"And you?"

"I'm not athletic or anything 'interesting'."

"That doesn't mean you aren't interesting, I mean, take Annabeth, she's an encyclopedia of interesting," and then looking down as though Percy was reminiscing something, he lowered his voice and smiled to himself, "quite literally".

Returning his gaze at the company afront him, Percy noticed suppressed smiles at everyone but Kyle.

"What?"

Nicole burst out laughing. Jacob just smiled, shook his head and looked down.

"Am I missing something?" repeated Percy.

It was Nicole that revealed the secret. Whatever the subject was, it humoured Nicole immensely, for she could barely stumble out her dialogue through laughter:

"I guess you'll find Kyle very interesting then."

Kyle rolled his eyes, and then, looking up at his friends, spoke,

"Here she comes,"

Jacob must've noticed Percy's unsettlement, for he said,

"Don't worry man, she loves you."

Through peripheral vision, Percy could have sworn he saw Kyle flinch.