Ink and Bruises (Heroes of Olympus Soulmates AU)

Annabeth

After lunch school seems so much faster than it was in the morning. I don't see Piper for the rest of the day but I'm not surprised. I'd probably skip school too if I found out my soulmate was the guy I hated, I n the middle of the school cafeteria.

I feel bad for Piper. This situation really sucks for her. I know she hates Jason and she can't change that he's her soulmate. And what if she decides she still doesn't want anything to do with him? There's no law that says you have to stay with your soulmate when you find them. What if she hates him so much she wants to stay single for good? What if she's not willing to even bother trying a relationship? She'll have to spend the rest of high school seeing him and the rest of her life knowing who he is even if she won't have anything to with him? What will it do to her? What will it do to him?

Why did I invite him to her party? Oh, that's right, because I invited PERCY JACKSON, who I didn't think would come if his friends weren't invited. I still don't understand why I want to see Percy so bad. Oh maybe it's because I HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM and he might be my soulmate. I think. Possibly. Hopefully. 

The bell rings and I rush out the door without bothering to say goodbye to Leo. I swing by my locker, dropping off my textbooks and grabbing my other binder that has my homework, before rushing out the door. I run to the elementary school and spend fifteen minutes waiting for the bell to ring there. The high school empties and the parking lot has mostly cleared out before the elementary school is finished for the day. The door opens and kids start to pour out. I keep a sharp eye on the crowd going out the door so I can save Bobby and Mattew over when I see them. Bobby comes out first, talking too little girl with Pigtails. He spots me and waves walking in my direction but continue to talk to the little girl.

As they get a little closer I hear part of their conversation. Bobby nods along as she lectures him about something.

"-pterodactyls aren't dinosaurs they're plesiosaurs, which are like dinosaurs but they aren't."

"Like a megladon isn't a dinosaur either. It was a giant shark and it lived at the same time as the dinosaurs but it wasn't classified as a dinosaur."

"Right." Pigtails nods.

They've reached me. 

"Hi Anna!" Bobby chirps as he gives me a hug.

"Hey buddy." I reply as I hug him back, "how was school."

"It was good. This is Claire." He says pointing to the little girl. "She knows a lot about dinosaurs and plesiosaurs. She also has a dinosaur bone in her backyard and she says I can come over sometime soon and see it!"

"That's really cool, Bobby." I turn to Claire and hold out my hand to shake, "I'm Annabeth. It's nice to meet you."

She shakes my hand solemnly looking up at me with wide hazel-green eyes. "It's nice to meet you too." She then turns back to Bobby, "I like your sister, you're right she's cool. She's the only teenager other than my babysitter who doesn't treat me like a baby."

"I know Annabeth's, great." 

Before I can ask Claire where her parents are Mattew runs up to me. "Hi Annabeth!" He smiles, handing me his backpack. I know he's old enough to carry it by himself but I'm a pushover when it comes to the boys and Sally's is on the other side of town so I don't mind carrying it.

"Hey Matthew." I ruffle his hair. Bobby and Claire are chatting again and as cute as the two are together the boys and I need to get going and Claire's parents must be getting worried.

"Claire, where's your parents?" I ask.

"They're at work," she informs me, "I walk home by myself. I live very close."