𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 | 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇

chapter 14

"No," Percy said for the 37364927th time that day.

"Oh, come on, dude! You so do!" Jason insisted. How'd he even find out?

Pointing at Percy, but talking to Jason, Nico said, "He's just like how Frank was with Hazel."

"GUYS," Percy said. "I. DON'T. HAVE. A. CRUSH. ON. ANNABETH."

Nico chuckled. "Oh, you sooo do."

Nico and Jason started to crack up.

"Look at how red he's becoming!" Jason laughed. Percy put on a mad face. "I'm turning red because I'm mad at you guys for assuming stuff that isn't cool!" It was pathetic, but it was the best excuse Percy could come up with at the moment.

"I can tell," Nico began, "because I acted like you when I wouldn't admit that I liked Will in the beginning."

Percy had just noticed that. He kinda was acting the way Nico had. But still. He couldn't let them know, because knowing these two, Percy knew that Annabeth would know within the next 0.1 seconds. Percy couldn't have that happening. He didn't wanna scare her off. And he definitely didn't want to sound demanding or clingy.

"Guys," Percy said, trying to sound both calm and enraged. "I don't, okay? Stop."

The smile dropped from their faces, and Percy was relieved.

Jason said, "Are you serious, bro? Piper was so sure. Piper's never wrong about these things." Jason was starting to banter to himself. "Piper said you two liked each other."

Liked each other. Percy almost blushed but forced his face to remain neutral and made sure that the pinkish tint didn't reach his cheeks.

"I guess she was wrong, Jason. Live with it," Percy said, a little rudely.

"Dude, CHILL," Nico said. "We're in no need for a fight, though, it would be entertaining."

Nico was... a complicated person. He was dark and reserved, except when it came to gossip. Nico loved to gossip. He was a gossip-addict. A famous Nico quote: "Where's there's tea, there's me." Nico was also a master of sass, just like Percy was. They sometimes had sass showdowns. Nico was cool and fun when it came to gossip, but had a very dark sense of humour. Like Percy mentioned earlier, Nico was a complicated person.

Percy and Jason both chuckled at Nico's previous comment. "Sorry, man," Percy said.

They went their separate ways, going each to their classes.

On his way to class, Percy heard murmurs in the girl's bathroom. He recognized the voices: Hazel, Piper, Reyna and lastly, Annabeth.

Percy couldn't fully hear what they were saying without actually hearing what they were saying, so he stood outside the bathroom to eavesdrop the conversation. He still couldn't hear what they were saying, though.

"...tell him..." he heard Piper say.

"...if he doesn't feel the same..." Annabeth said.

"GIRL!" Reyna yelled. "THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY PERCY DOESN'T LIKE YOU!"

"SHH!" Hazel jumped in. "Reyna you're being really loud."

"Seriously, though, Reyna? Do you not know what 'be discreet' means?" Annabeth said. The girls weren't whispering anymore.

"Whatever!" Reyna said, still loudly. "He so obviously 'broke up' -if that's what you wanna call it- with me because he's in love with you too!"

"Really? You think?" Percy could practically hear the smile and hope in her voice.

Reyna must've nodded because Percy heard Annabeth sigh, relieved.

"Maybe Annie shouldn't tell him just yet," Hazel suggested.

"Why not?" Piper asked.

"Well, she just recently got out of a toxic relationship. Maybe it's not the best idea to get a new boyfriend so quickly," Hazel argued.

"True," Reyna agreed.

Annabeth sighed. "It shouldn't be this complicated!"

Was he dreaming? Was this real? Was his Wise Girl seriously admitting her love to him without realizing it?

Percy felt himself blush. Maybe Annabeth liked him after all. Maybe Piper was always right about these things...

He heard footsteps from the girls. They were walking towards him, quickly. He ran across the hall to the guys' bathroom.

When he walked back out of the guys' bathroom, pretending he'd actually had business to attend to inside, he saw the girls walking out of the girls' washroom. Annabeth waved shyly, and Percy swore that he saw her blush.

He smiled, probably blushed himself, and waved back. Piper whispered something to Annabeth, probably along the lines of "See?" or "I told you!", earning her a friendly, but still hard punch on the shoulder.

The girls walked down the right side of the hall, where their classes were taking place, as Percy walked down the left, where science was.

Science was the only class where he wasn't with someone he ate lunch with. He'd only made a... friend? His comrade's name was Travis. They spoke every time science class came around, but other than science class, they never talked or even said 'hi' in the halls. Frankly, Percy couldn't really consider Travis his friend.

It didn't really matter, though, since he had at least someone.

Percy smiled, remembering what just happened in the girl's bathroom, and entered the science class.