Queen Wise Girl [PJO SELECTION AU]

Chapter Five: Other Side of the Camera

"I bet I could find love without the Selection!" he had barked at me last night. I had thought about it over and over. Percy's harsh reaction freaked me out. In the years and years that I had known him, he had never freaked out on me like that. It swirls my insides into a jumbled mess. I hope for our sake that it was nothing, a misunderstanding. If it wasn't?

What would that mean?

Or the more simple question.

What could it mean?

I'd thought about it almost all night. Seaweed Brain has always been...idiotic. It surprised me that anything that could come out of his mouth was, I don't know. His words were new to me, never had his words made me think so hard. Honestly, it killed me. I Annabeth Chase, daughter of famous war strategist Athena, couldn't figure out this whole 'love' thing.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long.

~
Percy waited for me after Breakfast and we decided to take a stroll in the gardens.

"Wow, Annabeth you look stunning!" Percy awes at my outfit. I really didn't think it was that grand.
I was sporting a pink off the shoulder dress the came down just past my elbows at the sleeves. It was quite lovely but it wasn't as crazy as the dresses some had to choose to wear.

I also had some black heeled combat boots, which really sold the whole, 'I'm not a Princess, stuck up royal.' Look.

(Here is the outfit)

My maids are getting more accustomed to the fact that I really didn't want to dress much different than I normally would.

I look up to a smiling Percy. I smile back and pull him along through the blooming garden. It was still early enough that most people weren't out yet. I was happy for the limited eyes and ears watching my every move.

He seems more... nervous than normal. "What is it?" I ask him. Something is defiantly bothering him. His fingers running through his messy hair, his constant fiddling, his eyes, darting from one blossoming flower to the next. They were all indications of the same nervousness I had seen in him so many times.

"Oh! Eh, nothing, just the Selection is all" he says, running his eyes along with my features before focusing on the ground. This wasn't just some second-hand worry. Something serious must be happening outside, something I'm not aware of. Of because of that good-for-nothing Selection.

"Is it the Report?"I ask him wearily.

Percy's POV~
"Oh, yeah, yeah," I add to her in passing. I know well what the reason for my upset attitude and for this little stroll.

~Flashback~

My mother comes into the room kissing my head. I smile up at her. She had asked me to meet in my room at dinner tonight. I wondered what she wanted to talk about.