Troubled

18

chapter eighteen
annabeth

Percy was late.

Percy was usually late to class. His record was twenty minutes, nearly missing the whole class. But today was different.

He'd texted me, meaning he hadn't overslept. He'd texted me see you in class, meaning he would be in class.

Maybe I was just overthinking things, but Percy's absence certainly confused me. Had I spooked him with my hug? Did I overshare to him?

The class period went by, and still no Percy. The next class periods that I shared with him he was also absent from. All except the last.

In my last class, Percy walked in, the class nearly over. He was dressed in his uniform (the tie still badly tied), and he had a black eye.

He sunk into his seat right next to mine after being yelled at by the teacher.

"Where have you been?!" I whispered to him. "And what happened to your eye?!"

"You're really not supposed to talk during class."

"Oh, shut up."

The bell rang and the teacher yelled something at us as all the students started rushing out of the classroom, Percy with them.

After running at high speed, I finally arrived at Percy. I grabbed his jacket, forcing him to stop and talk to me.

"Why have you been ignoring me?!" I asked. "What happened to your eye?"

Percy sighed. "Nothing, I just...fell. And I'm not ignoring you."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not ignoring me? Then why haven't you been showing up to any of the classes were in? And why are you dodging my questions?!"

"I just overslept."

"The whole day?!"

Percy sighed as he tousled his hair. "Annabeth, are you really not going to let this go?"

I shook my head. "I'm not. Do you want me to guess what you did? Would that be preferable?"

"I wish you'd just leave me alone," he replied.

"Alright then, I'll guess," I said as he started walking. I ran to catch up and then stayed at his side. "Okay, so you do seem clumsy, but I don't think that's what happened, you would admit to that...."

He frowned. "Hey, I'm not clumsy!"

"Whatever you say. You did say you skated, but if this were a skateboard accident, it would've happened over break, but I saw you when you came back," I said matter of factly. "And skateboarding is definitely not allowed here. You'd surely be caught. Maybe it is a skateboard accident and that's why you were gone—you were in trouble."

Percy shook his head as we arrived outside the boy's dorms. "Nope, that's not what happened. Now, are you gonna follow me in or give it up?"

I shrugged. "I think I'll follow you in."

He rolled his eyes, a slight grin tugging at his lips. He ushered me inside and I followed him.

"A fight," I said. "It had to be a fight, right? But with who...?"

Percy did tell me he had a history of fighting. But if this was a fight, it was a matter of who he'd fought.

"You think this is from a fight?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "I don't think, I know. Ooh, that black eye looks bad, they must've really gotten you."

He rolled his eyes. "I've had much worse injuries, and you should see the other guy."

"So you admit it's a fight?"

"I didn't say that."

Before I could guess and question him further, we arrived at his dorm.

"Let me guess, you're not gonna let me in?" I asked him as I crossed my arms.

Percy shrugged. "I dunno, are you doing to keep relentlessly asking me about my injury and why I was late?"

I nodded. "Oh, yes, of course."

"I suppose since I can't physically restrain you, you are allowed to enter, but I will not be answering any questions," he shot back as he opened the door.

"Ahh, Perry Johnson, I've been waiting for you."