Troubled

29

chapter twenty-nine
percy

His face was smug.

The matradee looked as if Annabeth and I stood for all the problems in the world and he had finally defeated us.

"Hello, a few other customers have asked you to keep it down," he said with a huge grin as if this was the highlight of his entire life. "So, I'm going to have to ask you, on behalf of them, to keep it down."

I instantly shook my head. "That's a load of crap and you know it! You made that up since you hate us."

He grinned as he placed a couple more butter packages on the table. "Unfortunately, I did not make this. Continue to be loud and you will be asked to leave. Also, here's your butter."

I rolled my eyes as the matradee left and ignored my food to continue the re-stacking of the ultimate butter tower.

"Don't let him get to you. Oh, not there," Annabeth instructed me as I dropped the butter package. "There we go. Okay, I guess we should keep down now, huh?"

"I guess, I guess, if we must," I replied as I abandoned the tower and started to eat my meal since my stomach had started grumbling. "The weirdest thing happened to me before I came to pick you up."

"Hmm? Is that why you were late?" Annabeth asked.

I nodded. "Actually, yes. You'll never guess who came to my dorm and begged me to date them."

"Who?!" Annabeth asked. "Tell me it was Grover. Please let it be Grover!"

I laughed as I shook my head, nearly choking from all the laughter. "No, Grover's off with his girlfriend, who has yet to be proven real."

"Oh, no, she's real," Annabeth replied. I raised an eyebrow as I dropped his fork on his plate, clearly interested. "Juniper? She's super sweet. I met her one time when she was visiting Grover."

"Shut up."

"I will not since it's true. Now, tell me, who was simply begging for your hand in marriage?"

"Drew Tanka," I revealed. Annabeth's smile dropped. "She was a mess, makeup running, dressed in sweats. Apparently Luke can't remain faithful to her, either."

"Wow. And did you turn her away, finally crushing her soul?!" Annabeth exclaimed excitedly.

I shook my head. "That would be impossible as she has no soul. And yeah, I rejected her. She was very persistent about dating me, though. What can I say, who can't resist my charm?"

Before Annabeth could respond I heard a deep yell from across the restaurant.

"Honey, sit down!"

"No, if they can't quiet down I'll tell them to it myself!"

The angry man rushed over to our table, a shorter woman behind him.

The man looked to be in his late forties, early fifties with graying blond hair. He was tall an dressed in a nice suit.

The woman behind him, who must've been his wife, was shorter than him with jet black hair cut in a bob and dark brown eyes. She was dressed in a nice dress, all of her jewelry expensive looking.

When the man and the woman arrived at our table, Annabeth's eyes instantly widened as she turned away of them. Both of their faces went red.

"How can we help you?" I asked as I folded my arms across my chest.

The man peered sheepishly at Annabeth and I. "Oh, I'm, uh, sorry about this. Helen, let's go back to our table now—"

"No, what is it?" I asked as I peered at him angrily. "You had to interrupt our dinner, so you clearly have something to say. Are you the baby who whined about us to the matradee?"

"Percy, stop!" Annabeth said weakly as she peered at me, her eyes pleading.

"No, they clearly have something to tell us—"

"Percy!"

"I'm sorry, Annabeth and her, uh, friend, we're just leaving now," the man said awkwardly as his wife pulled at his arm.

Did he just call her Annabeth? How does he know her name?

"It's okay, dad..."

Dad?! I thought as I peered at Annabeth and then to her supposed father. Suddenly it all made sense. The reason there was a Chase reservation already, and why Annabeth was so embarrassed. This is her father.