Lockets

VI Percy

CHAPTER SIX
Percy POV (age 14 - things will become less time skippy and more flowing)
"Yo, Perce! That was a great run man," Grover commented after I, at least in my opinion, shredded the half pipe. "Your tricks are getting better."
"Thank G-man. Hey, are you coming over to hang tonight?" Grover picks up his crutches and stands.
"No. Sorry dude," while shrugging his shoulders. "I got a 'Save the Trees' protest march that I have to go to."
"You mean, 'that you have to see Juniper."
"I-I m-mean she'll be there. But that's not the reason I'm going!"
"Sure man, suuure. Look, I'll see you later, and have fun with Juniper. Tell her I say, 'hi'."
"Will do. Bye." Turning his back, he takes the crosswalk that leads to his apartment building, a few blocks from mine. I see his baseball hat get covered by men and women's business suits, and it looks like there is a little bubble where people don't seem to walk. With his crutches, most people are nice enough to give him a little room to walk, so they don't accidentally kick one of his crutches and knock him down. But, some New Yorkers, particularly teen bullies will mock him and purposely knock him down.
Rude.
Seeing my building up the street, I pick up speed for a running start and put down my skateboard. Riding down the street I doge a dog walker, a woman with a tight bun with a scowl on her face, while muttering about 'rich brats'...'questioning my authority', and the metal pole that holds up a little tent-coverage thing to protect the residents from the weather. Then I saw her. She was wearing black running shorts, a white sports tank, black Nikes, and a blue hat.
Crash!
"I am so so so sorry. Are you hurt? Are you okay? Shit. Way to go Perce." Her hat got knocked off in the collision letting her golden princess curls tumble down to her waist. Squadding down to help her pick up her books, pens, bag, and hat, I look up to see that she flipped her hair back out of her face to reveal stunning grey eyes.
I admit it. I froze. For like a half a second and stared. Just looking.
Yeah yeah I know, 'Don't be a creep Perce!'
But come on, she was stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, and every other word that means pretty.
"I'm fine. Thanks for helping me pick up my stuff."
Scratching the back of my neck and giving her the notebook and pens. "Well they would not have gone anywhere in the first place if I didn't run into you."
"No arguments there, but you have the decency to help clean up your mess. I'm Annabeth Chase." She sticks her hand out. Shaking her hand she continues, "And you are Percy Jackson, Sally's son."
"Yeah, I am. Umm...how do you know?" I question her.
"Oh! I recognize you from her pictures," she explains. I nod in understanding.
It would have been awkward if we met before and I didn't recognize her. But honestly, how could I forget her. How the breeze moves her hair so the sun just hits it at the right angles. Or how her steely grey eyes, just be looking into them you know that she knows so much more than you ever will.
"Well, I have to get going." Jutting her thumb behind her. Annabeth shifts her grey bag, that I'm just noticing now. "Bye Percy. It was nice meeting you."
"You too," I murmur out. I watch her as she spins on her heel and walks away with her hair moving with every step she took.
Shaking my head to get out of the daze, I walk into the building, wave at Jane who is sitting behind the desk, and press the elevator button. Turning around and blurring out my question to her, "Who's Annabeth Chase?"
Jerking her head up from the computer, she looks at me and answers. "She just moved into the penthouse. I believe your mother has already met her earlier this week." Ducking her head again to look at the computer screen, we hear the elevator *ding*. Stepping in, swiping my card, and pressing the number 3 button so it lights up. *ding*

Walking down to apartment B12 and unlocking it with a key, I call out, "Mom, I'm home!"
"In the kitchen dear!" Leaning my skateboard against the wall of where mom hangs her purse. I walk into the kitchen and see her stirring a bowl of what I hope is cookie dough. Coming up from behind her, she turns so I can greet her by kissing her cheek.
"How was your day mom?"
"It was nice. I opened up the candy shop, did some cleaning, and now I'm some cookies. What about you? What did you do today?"
"Practiced my guitar, hung with Grover at the skatepark, and in 20 minutes I'm going to be eating freshly baked cookies."
"Oh no you don't!" Mom twists the bowl out of my reach as I try to grab a little bit of cookie dough. "This is for a new neighbor."
"Annabeth Chase, right?"
"Yeah. Did you meet her or is Tanya talking?" Tanya is another lobby person but she likes to flirt with the men in the building and loves to gossip about the lives of the residents. "She should really be fired."
"Agreed, but no. Jane started her shift. I actually accidentally ran into Annabeth, right outside."
*gasp* "Young mister, I hope you apologized."
"I did, I did. Don't worry mom, you raised me right."
"Good good," Mom said as she spooned out the dough on the sheets.
"Just out of curiosity, but when did she move in? Annabeth, I mean."
"About a week ago. Why do you ask?" Shrugging my shoulders, not having a reply. "Oh! Before I forget, I offered her that you would show her around one weekend."
A chance to hangout with a person my age in the same building as me? A big 'yes'. Trying not to sound too excited at the prospect of seeing her again, I shrug my shoulders and say, "Yeah, sure." Trying to make it sound off-handed, like it was no big deal. "How old is she?" I ask, sliding into a seat at the table.
"She is 14. Your age." Mom looks over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow at me. She turns back to scooping, "A good girl and a bright student. I was thinking of hiring her as a math and science tutor for you for this upcoming school year." Turn back to the cookie sheets, she slides them into the oven to bake. Closing the oven door, she wipes her hand on a dish towel turning back to me.
"Mooom, I don't want a tutor." At least not a tutor who is most likely going to be in some of the same classes as me. "It's embarrassing if my tutor was in the same class as me," I wined out.
"She won't be attending Googe High School. She attends NYU." My eyebrows shoot up.
"Wow, college, impressive. Then I guess it won't be too bad if she helps me with school. But why can't you help me?"
"Percy, I haven't taken a math or science class in years. Math and science are changing subjects, where there is always something new discovered or another way to solve a problem."
"What about Paul?" I ask, already knowing her answer.
"Paul teaches Freshmen and Senior English. He doesn't need to know math or science. Pulse, he has to teach and grade all those essays." Nodding in agreement I change the subject completely.
"Can I have one cookie?" I use the pouty look on her. I can tell she gives in.
"One."
"Yes! Thanks mom."
"Off course sweetie."