The Stories of Our Heroes

Water Fountain

This was already published a while ago in the Percabeth One-Shot Community Collection by @crazedauthors1093. Based on the song "Water Fountain" by Alec Benjamin.

Percy's POV

She told me that she loved me by the water fountain

I stared at the numbers on the page of the textbook in front of me until they started to swim. I could no longer tell the difference between six and eight or "x" and "y" and certainly not "t" and a plus sign. I threw my pencil across the library in frustration and slammed my head down on top of the book.

A soft voice beside me asked, "What's wrong?"

I turned my head to look Annabeth in the eye.

"I can't do it," I groaned miserably.

"Sure you can, Seaweed Brain." She pulled up a chair next to me and worked out one of the problems while I watched over her shoulder. After what felt like the millionth problem and explanation, I still didn't understand. I buried my face in Annabeth's shoulder and sighed. She brought her hand up to my hair and scratched my scalp soothingly.

I heard some whispering and giggling from the bookshelf behind us, but I didn't care. I wasn't embarrassed to be close to my best friend. It didn't matter what everyone thought.

My best friend must have thought differently, however, because she dropped her hand and scooted away from me.

"Let's take a break for a little bit, Percy." I nodded in agreement. "Let me just go grab my stuff." She stood to head for her locker, and I sat a minute longer, sending a pointed look to the gossiping girls behind me.

I cleaned up my books and starting walking for the door, but I heard one of the guys from my swim team holler my name. I turned towards him and his group and raised my eyebrows, knowing I wasn't going to like whatever he said.

"Is your girlfriend tutoring you now, Jackson?" They started chuckling. I breathed out heavily through my nose.

"She's not my girlfriend. It's not like that. You all know that, and I'm not in the mood for this."

"Oh, I bet I know what you are in the mood for - with your 'not girlfriend.'" He made air quotes, then another gesture that was much more suggestive.

I turned on my heel and stormed out because I knew a fight was not what I needed right now... but I did make sure to return a gesture of my own with my middle finger up.

"Now what's wrong?" Annabeth asked when I met her in the hallway.

"Nothing," I lied, trying to wipe my scowl. "Let's just go find some food."

We ended up at a little cafe, seated at a table next to a small ceramic water fountain. Annabeth looked nervous and picked at her food.

I nudged her foot with mine. "Everything okay, Wise Girl?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking." She looked up at me briefly, then her eyes returned to the table.

"I'm not surprised, but about what?" I stepped on her toes under the table, pulling a smile out of her.

"A lot of things, Percy." And that was all she said, which was pretty unusual for Annabeth. But I didn't push, and we sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I don't think I'll ever understand algebra," I blurted out. I didn't want to talk about math, but something needed to fill the space. I never felt that way with Annabeth, though. Just being with her was always enough. But today was weird, and I didn't like it.