Crossing Paths[Sequel to You're My Everything]

Chapter Six: Near-Death Experiences Do That To You

Three weeks later
Percy

It felt nice to walk again. I was still extremely sore, and limped a bit. For the most part, I was fine. Annabeth and I had talked to one another just about every day for the past three weeks. Once we got home from the hospital, Mom came to help out with Annie. Annabeth told me that Athena had helped her too, much to her annoyance. Today I was able to go back to work, for which I was thankful for.

"Annie? You nearly ready?" I poked my head into her room.

"DAD!" she screamed, diving under the blankets. "Learn to knock! I don't need anyone seeing my boobies." I couldn't help it. I started laughing. Really laughing.

"W-What?" I managed to ask.

"Go away!" Annie screached. I shook my head, closing the door behind me. I slowly made my way downstairs, not wanting to open my wound again. Making myself a cup of coffee, I sat on one of the bar stools and began to read the news. Politics, scare of some new disease, and celebrity gossip.

"Ready, Dad! Is it okay if Rosie and I walk to the aquarium after school?"

"As long as it's okay with Annabeth." I said, looking up.

"Rosie said it was okay." Annie explained.

"Alright. Go get in the truck. I'll be right back." I said. She went out the front door. I grabbed my to-go mug and ran after her. Getting in the truck, I started the engine and began the drive to her school.

•••

When we got there, I spotted Annabeth and Rosalie. Annabeth was arguing with a woman who looked like a 70's hippie woman. Nate's mom. I thought, remembering Rosalie's description of her from last year. Annie dragged me over to them.

"Dawn, I know that Nate and Rosalie are wonderful friends, but I don't think it's the best for my daughter to go to your apartment anymore. Rosalie has come home coughing and complaining about her asthma after coming back from your place." 

"You dumb new parents! The fumes are great for the youth's lungs. I wrote a best selling book about it to prove it. Here, read it." Dawn handed her a piece of yellowing paper.

"This was a best selling book in the 80's. I'm sorry if I've offended you, but Rosalie will no longer be visiting you and your family. Oh, hey, Percy. Annie." Dawn huffed and stormed off, the heavy scent of smoke and lavender trailing after her.

"Sorry about that. She's just...ugh!" I rolled my eyes. 

"I'm sure you will be fine. By the way, we're performing at the pizza joint tonight." Annabeth groaned.

"Tonight?" she spun around, surprised.

"Yes, tonight. Leo said we have to, or we can't have any more pizza."  Annie and Rosie gasped.

"You will perform. We can't lose Leo's pizza."  they said. I chuckled. The bell rang.

"Run along to class, now. If you're late, then you'll miss game hour." Annabeth said.

"OKAY BYE!" the two girls ran off. I turned to Annabeth.

"So, how are you doing?" I asked.

"Good. Great. Mom's letting me go to the bathroom without standing outside the door now. Just amazing."

"Let me guess–instead she's calling you every fifteen minutes to make sure you're drinking enough water." she nodded.

"You officially know how it feels to be s-mothered. Congratulations." she rolled her eyes. I looked at the time.

"Shit...I'm late. See you tonight?"

"Tonight."

"It's a date." I said without thinking. We both froze, then started laughing. "See ya." I walked away, back to my truck.

•••

After a long day at work, I brought Annie and Rosalie to Leo's pizza joint two hours before we were scheduled to start.

"What took you so long?" demanded Piper.

"I have a job." I said.

"And so do I!" she snapped. Now get over here. We have some of our old cover songs that we need to brush up. She shoved me out back into an office where everyone was sitting either tuning, looking through music, or sitting in a corner with their knees to their chest.

"Great! Lead singer is here. Go kiss your partner." Leo shoved me towards Annabeth. The two of us just blinked.

"What?" we asked.

"Never mind. TUNE THE GUITAR I TRIED AND BROKE THREE STRINGS!" I gasped and hugged my guitar close to me.

"Y-You broke J-Julia?"

"Julia?" asked everyone.

"Julia. I have three guitars. Julia, Sugar, and Annabeth." Jason choked.

"You named one of your guitars after Annabeth? First a guitar, then your kid, what next? Your truck?"

"My truck is named Oliver, thank you very much." I sat down and began fixing up the strings. After a little while, Annabeth sat down next to me.

"Annabeth."

"Percy." she answered.

"How do you two go from in love to hating each other's guts to BFFs?" asked Piper.

"Near-death experiences do that to you. So does being forced into the same room with them for two weeks." Annabeth explained.

"Got it. We're going to run through a few songs. How's Memories for a start?" asked Piper.

"Great. Percy, do your best Adam Levine impression." Jason instructed.

"Got it."

"1,2,3,4" Leo clacked his drum sticks together. 

Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

We sang. The turnout was better than I expected, considering we hadn't played in ages.

"That was amazing." Leo said, breathless.

"Why are you out of breath? You're a drummer." Asked Annabeth.

"And you're a pianist!" Leo retorted.

"I'm not out of breath, though."

"You should be, because I bet I have taken it away." 

"Dude, you stole my pickup line. And on...her. Now offense, Annie, but ever since Percy told us to stay away, we've been scared of him." Annabeth's fingers slipped, and a nasty mix of jumbled notes slipped into the room.

"YOU WHAT?!" she screamed at me.

"It was a long time ago. A long long long long loooooong time ago." I winced. She narrowed her eyes.

"Thin ice. Extremely thin. And I have lots of dirt on you if you screw up."

"A-Are you blackmailing me?" I asked in awe.

"In a way, yes. I am." she admitted.

•••

Average chapter. Kind of bored of this storyline, tbh. I mean, I loved doing YME. This is probably going to be much shorter. And not top priority.

Peace Out