More Than Just A Little White Lie~ A Percabeth AU

Chapter 20

I step out onto the porch, closing the door behind me so that my sisters won't hear. Wrapping my arms around myself, I look at Percy expectantly.

"Listen, it's not what you think. I was sharing a room with Rachel, but only because neither of us had anyone else to bunk with. I swear, I don't have feelings for her anymore. I told her that last night, after you finally realized." Percy explains. Really, he couldn't have found one of his buddies to be his roomie? And what happened to the guy Rachel went with? I don't know whether I believe him or not. Before I get a chance to decide however, Luke shows up.

"What's going on here?" Luke asks, looking back and forth between Percy and I.

"I don't think that it's any of your concern, Castellan" Percy says icily. It's clear to me that Percy sees Luke as some sort of threat and I'm not sure why. I told him that my feelings for Luke have faded and that hot tub scene should have proven it.

"Excuse me for wanting to make sure that my friend is ok. Annabeth, are you alright?" Luke addresses me. I glance over at him, trying to tell him to go away with my eyes. Percy misinterprets my look.

"Are you serious? After all this time, it's still him?" Percy almost yells.

"What are you even talking about!? I don't like Luke anymore! bBut I can't be with someone who lies about their ex constantly, especially a manipulative one like Rachel! I can't keep coming in second! " I try to explain.

"You liked Luke?" Thalia's voice rings out and I turn to see her hurt face peering out from the door. Our raised voices must have caught her attention.

"Thals, I can explain!" I say but she slams the front door shut. I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, pushing my glasses up. This is not how I wanted things to happen.

"You are so oblivious. It's never been about Rachel. This whole time. You were never second best, Chase." Percy says sadly and he walks away. I open my mouth to call to him but I realize that I have nothing to say. Seething, I turn to Luke.

"Why couldn't you just stay out of it? Now I have to explain everything to Thalia and Percy thinks that I hate him!" I stomp my foot, pissed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize she was home. I'm sorry, Annabeth." Luke says, looking down at his feet. I leave him out there, resigning to go fix this thing with Thalia. She isn't downstairs and her bedroom door is shut. I knock quietly but she doesn't answer. Some homecoming this is, finding out your little sister had a crush on the guy you dated for two years. I slink into my own room, falling face first onto my bed.

"Ow." I mumble, as my glasses are pushed into my face. I rip them off and try to clear my mind of all the unpleasantness that has become my life. Why did I have to get involved with anyone? I was so perfectly happy sitting in my bubble of books and reading about other peoples love problems. Since when did fiction become reality? My phone dings and I know I probably shouldn't look at it but this is the 21st century and technology rules my life.

Someone posted a photo on their instagram, tagging me. It's of Percy and I in the hot tub. I stifle a scream, because not only is it a totally inappropriate picture, Percy's face is hidden which means that it could actually be anybody and that just makes me look even worse. I look closer at the picture, zooming in. Percy was kissing my neck and my eyes were closed. It doesn't help that I was only wearing a skimpy tank top either. I don't know the person who posted it but I am pretty sure who took it. This must be why Rachel was being so smug towards me. Pictures like these can ruin reputations, and I'm sure that by now it's been sent to pretty much everyone at school.

I groan loudly, knowing that Thalia would know what to do but I doubt she'd want to help me right now. I have to try though. I get up and knock on her door again. Even though she doesn't answer, I open the door and peer in. She's just sitting on her empty bed.

"Can I come in?" I ask softly. She nods and I join her on the bed.

"Can I just explain what's happened since you've been gone?" I ask. Thalia turns to look at me and so I launch into a full scale explanation, starting with the letters and ending with the photo. I do leave out some of the details involving how I feel about Percy.

"And so now I have this stupid photo going around and I don't know what to do." I finish.

"Only you could get into this much trouble with me gone." Thalia smiles affectionately at me.

"Give me your phone." She orders and I comply. She doesnt bat an eye at the photo, just starts typing away. 10 minutes later, she smiles triumphantly.

"There. The photo is gone from instagram. Now, this Percy. Tell me more." Thalia wants to know.

"There's nothing to tell. He was the guy that I was fake dating. It's over now." I say, looking at my clasped hands on my lap. Saying it out load makes it feel more official, but also makes me sad. As upset as I am with how it all went down, I am sad that I ruined things with Percy and I had actually found someone who liked me back.

"Oh come on. You really do like him though, right? I'm your sister, I know these things." Thalia insists.

"Fine! Yes, I actually fell for him. Are you happy?" I ask, exasperated. Hazel comes in just now and joins us on the bed. This seems to be our thing, the three of us hanging out in bed together.

"How much did you hear?" I ask her.

"Pretty much all of it." She says guiltily. I narrow my eyes are her, it's not like Hazel to feel guilty.

"I have a confession." Hazel states.

"I mailed out those letters. I just thought that if you actually had a boyfriend, you wouldn't be so mopey all the time!" Hazel says. I process for a minute and then I lunge for her. Thalia swoops in and holds me back.

"You little shit! I can't believe you went snooping through my personal things and that you ever thought that that would be a good idea!" I yell, trying to get at her. I'm so upset that I don't realize that what she did actually worked.

"I'm sorry! But it worked, didn't it? You fell for a guy and he likes you back. He said so himself." Hazel says. I stop struggling against Thalia and she lets me go, a little reluctantly. I wasn't kidding when I said that Thalia was the main thing that kept me from murdering Hazel on a daily basis.