𝕨𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕘𝕚𝕣𝕝 & 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕟

7. Annabeth (edited)

                             ART NOT MINE

I had just finished a fight with my 'step mom' on the phone when I heard a knock at the door. I got up from my bed and opened it.

Standing in the frame was Perseus, he must have noticed the tears in my eyes as he started to gush over me "Woah, woah. Annie, you okay?" I was so overwhelmed, I didn't even have the energy to scold him for calling me 'Annie'. I don't know what willed me to do it, but I flung myself forward and wrapped my arms around his back.

It took a second but he hugged back after a while. I understand why he didn't just do it straight away, yesterday, as soon as I touched him, I ran away. I could imagine his confusion from the gesture.

I started to cry in to his shoulder, why couldn't she just leave me alone? She probably only phoned because someone in the neighbour hood told her that they hadn't seen me.

I stood back, afraid to overstep boundaries. I was about to apologise when he blurted out "Who was that on the phone?"

"My dads wife." I wiped a tear from my face and looked at my shoes.

"Wanna do something? Take your mind off of that woman?" I nodded and he grabbed my hand. He looked at me, as if asking for permission the hold my hand, I nodded and he pulled me out of my room.

I hoped Riley and Stacey were there, because I hadn't even shut the door.

I could see the sky through the small arrow slots that lined the castle halls It was around 7:30 now, so it wasn't exactly light but it wasn't dark either. I mean, it was the middle of summer, I couldn't expect it to get dark any quicker than it already is.

We didn't talk on the way down the large, steep steps, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, more a silence you would share with your best friend.

We reached a large set of doors and Perseus dropped my hand to pull them open, they led outside, into a courtyard.

He grabbed my hand once again and led me through the doors. At the edge of the courtyard, it turned into grass. The lawn reached right up to the edge of another building.

It looked very pretty with the white walls and a single line of floral print looped the whole building. Next to it was a small tee-pee tent on top of a layered stack of blankets with ball lights lining the perimeter.

There was two trees reaching up on either side of the camp thing, both with fairy lights strung on the branches. The twigs also housed a few small lanterns casting a shadow across the lawn.

A basket was set down next to each tree. I assumed they held food but I couldn't quite be sure. I wasn't even sure if the prince had set this up for me, or even if he'd set it up himself. But either way, it was amazing.

A soft wow fell from my lips as I turned to see the prince stood there with a grin like the Cheshire cats. "You like it?" He said, bouncing on the balls of his feet of his feet like a 6 year old.

"I love it! It's amazing!" I nearly shouted out. The sun had set completely now, we would have been in pure darkness if the lamps, fairy lights and ball lights weren't lighting up the garden.

He walked towards the tent and I followed, there was pillows stuffed inside, creating a fluffy room.

While I sat down he went and brought the baskets towards the tent. As he flipped it open, I could see the glint of plastic wrap inside.

He reached his hand in and brought our for blueish packages, one contains cookies and the other pancakes. "My mom made them!" He said excitedly.

I didn't know the queen would ever cook, she had servants for that, but I'm sure they tasted delicious.

Turns out, they were. By far the best food I have ever eaten.

"I demand we play a game!" Perseus said, he put in a fake accent like his fathers.

"Well then, your highness, what shall we play?" I added a clumsy exaggerated curtsy from my place on the floor for dramatic effect.

"I vote 20 questions!" He raised his hand.

"Sure! You go first," I took another bite form my cookie and waited for him to ask me a question.

"Have you ever had any nicknames?" He said after a while.

"I had one from my best friend, but I can't actually remember now. My dad used to call me babylicious though," I took a large chomp of the end of my cookie and reached for another one.

"Babylicious? Why?" He was laughing.

"Apparently I was 'so delicious he could just eat me' when I was born and I was a baby so boom! Babylicious"

He was literally rolling all over the floor now. He had a dimple in the middle of his right cheek which I hadn't noticed before and just added to the level of cuteness.

Woah, Annabeth. You didn't just call him cute. You don't know anything about him. Get your head on straight.

Perseus rolled over onto my knees and made me drop my cookie. It smashed into the ground and broke. "Hey! What, is your brain full of seaweed or something?" I scolded him, staring longingly at the pile of blue crumbs I once called my cookie

"Haha, coming from someone who knows like everything." He chided back.

"You do realise that's kind of a compliment right?" I was suppressing a laugh but I could feel it splitting through my face.

"Yeah, whatever wise girl," he said. The name struck a cord in me, like I had heard it a million times before. Sometimes, I would see or hear things and have a memory for a flash of a second and then it's gone. Like the Bronze sword that hangs above the fireplace in the living room back home, it reminds me of late nights.

He crawled out of the tent and motioned for me to follow.

We both led on our backs staring at the moonlit sky. "Have you ever had nicknames?" I asked, continuing the game.

"I also had one from my best friend, but I can't remember either. It feels like is long ago. She had the same sort of hair as you though, I remember that."

It was getting colder the the minute, "hey, wanna head back inside?" He whispered to me. Then, as if waiting for a sign, there was a sudden downpour of rain. We both stood abruptly and ran back towards the doors leading into the castle.

He pulled at them and let in back inside.

He started to walk away "Good night Perseus!" I blurted out. He stopped in his tracks and then started to run back toward me.

When he reached me, he stood so close I could see the raindrops in his floppy black hair. He meant forward and pecked me on the cheek and quietly whispered. "And call me percy," and ran away again.

My cheeks were burning and my lip caught between my teeth. What a funny boy.

Word count: 1215 UPDATED: 1230
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5/7/20