His Lifeline

Chapter 33: My Evil Studying Partner

I was extremely happy when I woke up. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as I ate brunch. I had woken up late, around 11. I honestly could care less if I won the competition.

I didn't really know when Annabeth was coming over, so I sat on the couch and fiddled with my shorts.

"You know, waiting here isn't going to make her come any faster." my mom was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, teasing me. I just chuckled a bit and then continued playing with my shorts restlessly.

"Hey, isn't finals coming up? Maybe Annabeth could help you study," my mom wondered out loud. I groaned.

"I'm already going to fail, might as well fail spectacularly," I groaned but then stood up when I heard a knock. I sprang from my still position and opened the front door. At first, I scowled; it wasn't Annabeth. But then my face lit up, the pizza guy.

If I'm being honest, the pizza delivery guy is probably my third favorite person to see after opening the door. Mom and Annabeth being the first two. But he's close to making it a three-way tie.

"I've got one pepperoni, cheese, and meat-lovers. Is Sally Jackson home?" he read off a receipt. I nodded and moved aside as my mom popped up from behind me. She quickly signed and paid the guy before taking the pizza.

I followed her as she placed it on the table. I reached and snatched a piece of pepperoni.

"Percy! That's for when Annabeth comes over," my mom exclaimed, smacking my shoulder. I just chuckled as I wolfed down the piece. I heard another knock, and I quickly swallowed my piece before returning to the front door. Opening it, I saw who I was waiting for.

Annabeth.

She was dressed in a blue t-shirt, black jeans, and red converse. A Yankees cap holding her ponytail as she smiled at me. I grinned at her as I let her in. She walked past me and grabbed my hand on the way in. I smiled and closed the door, letting her pull me into the dining room.

"Hello dear, I got pizza if you're hungry," mom greeted, gesturing to the boxes" Though someone snatched a piece already," she looked pointedly at me. I sheepishly avoided her gaze and turned away.

"Annabeth, I know that you came to hang out, but if you could help Percy with his finals, I would be eternally grateful." I snapped my head up and quickly backed up, letting Annabeth's hand go.

"No no no, no studying for me, that's during the week stuff. On weekends we do nothing, absolutely nothing, especially nothing productive" I felt the wall behind me as I backed up. I knew that my mom had won this fight before it started; all I had to do was await Annabeth's answer. I prayed that she wouldn't indulge my mother. But of course, my prayers aren't answered.

Sometimes I think that if I prayed for the opposite of what I want, my prayer would be ignored, and the thing I wanted to happen would happen. But then what if the prayer actually went through and was answered. I would have wasted a perfectly good prayer doing the opposite of what I wanted.

"Percy! Hey! Are you listening to me?" Annabeth was standing there, facing me, with a piece of meat-lovers pizza in her hand.

"Um, no, sorry, didn't catch that" she just sighed and swallowed the bite she was chewing.

"I said, after I finish, let's head to your room. We can study and do whatever, honestly I don't care" Annabeth shrugged as she started eating the crust on her pizza. I nodded to her and stood there, still flush against the wall. I didn't see mom in the room. Did she leave while I was out of it? Must have.

"Alright, Rusticitas, lead on!" Annabeth exclaimed while wiping her hands on a napkin and throwing it into the trash. I smiled at her and walked out of the dining room.