PERCABETH ONESHOTS

oneshot #54 : broken

percabeth highschool au to get the juices flowing once again~

✨ part one ✨

"Dude, she hates you."

Percy turned to his best friend, Grover Underwood, and stuck his tongue out. "Ya think?" He sighed, shoving books into his locker. "I didn't even do anything."

Grover shrugged, adjusting his hat. "Well your dad's business does kind of rival her mom's, don't you think that has something to do with it?"

"Oh, come on. That's a silly feud between our snobby parents." Percy frowned at just the thought. "I don't even know my dad. You'd think a 'genius' like her would at least give me a chance to prove I'm nothing like that."

They had begun walking, but as Percy finished speaking Grover faltered in his steps, his eyes widening.

"Whoa, Perce. It kinda sounds like--"

"Don't."

"--Like you like her."

Percy scowled, pausing so his friend could catch up. "Honestly? I just wish she wouldn't shut me out so much. I want her to know the real me before she starts judging."

"I don't know. . .that's pretty drastic for some girl you're always talking about," Grover said.

Percy opened his mouth to retort, but the school bell rang, cutting him off. Not that he had any idea of what he wanted to say in the first place. He couldn't explain to Grover what he was feeling, because no one ever understood--not even his best friend. He just knew there was something up with the curly-haired, grey-eyed, straight-A-student that didn't show on the surface, and he had an overwhelming urge to figure it out. She interested him.

"See you at lunch." Grover split off from him and entered a classroom to their left, just like he did everyday for fourth period.

Percy's longer walk was always taken alone, and by now he could maneuver through the crowd of kids without seeming like a salmon swimming against the current. Which meant he had plenty of time to think. It was amazing what three minutes of being in your head could do.

He recalled what Annabeth Chase had said to him earlier that morning after he'd asked if he could sit next to her.

"No."

A simple, straightforward response. But it was like an iceberg to Percy--just the tip juts out on the surface, but there's a whole dictionary beneath that.

Unfortunately, he'd never been one to memorize fancy words, so he did what he usually did: ignored her and sat down anyways.

Which led to her finishing her breakfast and leaving him there, watching her go with furrowed brows.

The small bickering between the two wasn't exactly a new thing--it had started at the beginning of the school year, and now (three fourths of the way in) it hadn't died down.

Percy couldn't say they were friends, but he couldn't say they were enemies, either. Because both were one-sided. She hated him, he wondered why. He tried to be nice, she turned him down.

Annabeth was a mystery to him. And, for some reason, the mystery had never troubled him more.

As he walked into his algebra class, placing his books on his desk, Percy was forced to forget his Annabeth-centric thoughts and try to suffer through the lecture.

It was going to be a long day.

/

"You guys can leave when I give you the signal, as always. Anyone who needs to use the bathroom before the bell rings, I suggest you do so now."