Judgmental (a Percy Jackson AU)

Wise Brain

     Annabeth checked herself in the mirror. She needed to get dressed and the coffee-stained sweater she was wearing wouldn't suffice for a date. Everything else has been sorted out. Her daughter was staying at Luke's place tonight. Annabeth had texted Percy (he had once written his phone number down on her coffee cup) to meet her at Pan's Enchiladas.

Annabeth grabbed a mock-neck black sweater and changed into it. She put a silver necklace with an owl pendant around her neck and then put in the matching earrings her father had given her as a birthday present. Annabeth blinked away tears. Her father and her got along better than they had when she was younger. She had become a runaway at seven and after the police caught her, she was stuck doing therapy for three months.

Annabeth shook her thoughts away. Tonight was about the future — not the past. She knew that remembering the past kept it alive and sometimes she just wished that it could die. But like a water bear, it always managed to cling to life.

Annabeth finished her look by putting her curly hair up in a high ponytail and applying some lip gloss and mascara. Annabeth had never really learned how to do elaborate makeup looks and she wasn't going to start now. Her life was too busy. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled: she felt pretty.
****
"I've never been here before," Percy said as they walked into Pan's Enchiladas.

"Well, you've been missing out," Annabeth said. "They make the best enchiladas and burritos in town and they're cheap. Their sodas are tasty and their seven-layer dip is to die for."

"I bet my mom's is better," Percy whispered under his breath.

Annabeth smiled, not showing that she had heard him. So he was a momma's boy. Well, that could be a good thing. Luke hadn't gotten along with either of his parents.

"Annabeth!" Grover said as they approached the cash register. "Who is this with you tonight? What do you want?"

"Grover, this is Percy," Annabeth said. "We're on a date."

Percy's eyes widened and Annabeth was unable to keep the smirk off her face. Grover looked between them and a grin stretched over his face. His curly, brown hair was tucked under a Rasta cap and his face had cleared up since high school, but otherwise he looked just the same. He even sounded the same: like a man who had once been a goat and hadn't lost his ability to bleat.

      "I'll have an order of chicken enchiladas," Annabeth said.

      "I'm paying for it," Percy said before Grover could ask Annabeth for her debit card. "I'll have a cheese enchilada and a side of blue tortilla chips."

     "A vegetarian friendly option," Grover bleated. "I approve."

     "I eat hamburgers a lot," Percy said as he paid.

     "Never mind," Grover said. "Annabeth, watch out for this carnivore."

     Annabeth laughed. She and Percy waited near the counter until their order was ready and then found a booth. They sat down and began inhaling the food. For the first few minutes, they did little but enjoy their warm, cheesy dinners.

     "This place is fantastic," Percy said when he was finished with his enchilada.

      "It's Atlanta's favorite restaurant," Annabeth said. "My friend, Grover, and his wife, Juniper, own it."
 
      "That's amazing," Percy said. "I'm sorry again about the coffee."

     "You made it up with this," Annabeth said.

     She enjoyed seeing Percy's face turn as red as salsa.

      "Umm..," Percy said. "Would — would you want to do this another time? I understand if you don't, but I like spending time with you and I was just—"

     "Yes," Annabeth said, reaching over the table and squeezing his hand. "Let's do next Tuesday."