Chapter 7 Falling Apart

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Author's note: I'm going to be completely honest. I've been stupidly busy with my life and school and other crappy parts of existence...so I sorta forgot that I was writing this story. But like I'm sure I've said before I'm GOING TO FINISH THIS. And once summer starts I'll be able to update more frequently.

Annabeth's POV

Okay note to self: always bring a scarf to school. After this morning's events in the storage closet, my neck was covered with an embarrassing number of red marks. And not the ones that Percy had found on my neck earlier. That was a different story.

"Ughhhhhhhh... stupid stupid, Annabeth! How am I supposed to hide these." I mutter to myself as I play with hair. I'm currently in a singleton bathroom where I've been for the last 15 minutes just trying to get myself under control.

Fuck it. There's not much else to do besides hope that Piper noticed my panicked text I sent her and has a scarf waiting in her locker.

When I open the door, I immediately notice something's different. There's an unusual number of people here and they're all staring at me.

Oh god, is it that obvious? I should've tried harder with my hair.

As i moved through the hallway people kept turning to me. Seriously, does anyone have a life? God, this is going to make the day a lot harder than it already was going to be.

I looked in Piper's locker very quickly but there was no scarf. Great. Welp, maybe she's not here yet. Maybe I should text her again. When I pull out my phone I realize why everyone's staring at me with in the first five seconds.

I'm going to be sick.

Percy's POV

I don't know how anyone can just get up and study this early. How does anyone have this attention span? On top of that, it's literally been 15 minutes and Annabeth isn't back from the bathroom. I told her no one would notice, but she's so self-conscious.

Maybe I should go after her. But that would be creepy.

God, my phones been buzzing like crazy, but I'm trying my hardest not to look at it.

"Okay, okay. Just focus." I chant this to myself as I stare at my physics textbook. And then I give up all will to live. Whoever writes these books should be given a metal. That's all I got to say.

Oh my god what is going on? I finally look at my phone. Oh no.

Someone posted a picture of me and Annabeth standing close to each other at her locker. Then, another of her pulling me away into the closet. And then there's a picture of Annabeth walking out several minutes later and her walking to the singleton bathroom. And then me two minutes later walking out of the closet, looking just as disheveled.

Okay, well obviously neither of us should become detectives, because we have about the same amount of awareness, stealth and sneakiness as an elephant.

Along with these photos, people have started commenting:
Omg Annabeth isn't a virgin?
Well we all knew Percy had to be doing someone else, but her? Really?
Way to go Annie! Lock that down!
Wtf is that why he broke up with Rachel?
Etc.

Then there are other comments like:
What a slut
Hoe
Whore
I guess you'll just spread your legs for anyone
What happened to model-UN and student council?
You like breaking couples up?

As I read through all these comments, I felt a huge wave of guilt hit me in the chest. They're calling Annabeth out and not me. Most of these comments are directed at her, not at me at all. This is terrible.

Oh god, I have to find her.

I bolt out of the library and it's not hard to find where she is. People are laughing and shouting rude, disrespectful things across at her.

Annie's got her back turned away and is attempting to hide herself behind a locker door, as she stares at her phone. She's not doing the best job at hiding since I can see her eyes are squinted and they look glossy.

I feel frozen. Some people have acknowledged me but they just nod or give me a thumbs up. Like what the hell?
But as much as I want to tell everyone to go away and leave her be, I can't move. Why can't I move?

Annabeth's POV

Why is this happening to me? So many people have hooked up in the supply closet. In the middle of the day, you'll see two just walk into it casually or run to it and no one gives a shit. So why's this happening?

I feel so stuck, I completely forget how to move my legs. So this it then? I'm just going to stay frozen for the rest of my life, while my high school harasses me for sleeping with my boyfriend on school property. I guess I can kiss college goodbye.

Please if you're out there, I pray, please help me! I'll never ask for anything again.

And suddenly, Piper is wizzing through the crowd of people and Leo's behind her. He's literally got a pot and pan in his hand. This is a little more than I bargained for.

Piper, with a scarf in her hand, comes up to me and grabs me close as we start to slowly make our way to the stairs.

Behind us, Leo is shouting at the group as he hits with pot and pan together, "everyone SHUT THE FUCK UP before I get every feminist activist to go crazy on all your asses. I know people WHO WILL BURN YOUR HOUSES DOWN, they will FUCKING WRECK YOUR CARS AND CHASE AFTER YOU GUYS PHYSICALLY AND VIRTUALLY. THEY WILL FUCKING RUIN ANY CHANCE OF YOU GETTING INTO COLLEGE OR GETTING A JOB. And we all know that this isn't the most scandalous thing to happen at this school. Not even in the top 10 THIS MONTH. So why doesn't EVERYONE GET A LIFE BEFORE I END YOURS!"

Jesus, mother of God, Joseph, and the camel! I always knew Leo had a dark side, but man. I've never been happier to have a small, close group of friends.

Leo actually gets them to quiet down and he rushes after us. We meet Nico at our little spot under the the staircase. It's usually quiet unless the freshman are here but they seem to be elsewhere.

When we sit down, Piper pulls me close to her, and she wraps the scarf around my neck.

"Thanks Leo," I whimper as I try to sit up, but Piper just pulls my head back to her chest.

"Don't mention it." Leo says as he wraps his jacket around my shoulders.

"Guys I'm sorry, I should've told you and now look at this mess."

"Shhhh...you can explain later, just rest now." Piper said in her soothing voice.

And I finally let myself cry as she holds me for about 15 minutes till the bell rings.

Percy's POV

And the worst boyfriend award goes to: me. I can't believe I just stood there and watched the whole school publicly harass my girlfriend and just did nothing. Like seriously, Leo was the one who defended her. And man did it work.

People are scared of him now. Not one boy who was in the crowd has posted any comments since then and some have even sent apologizes. But there are still those who keep pressing salt on the wound. Every minute more and more people see the pictures. More and more people start to comment. More and more guilt.

I keep trying to work up the courage to look for Annie. But I don't know how I would even start to apologize to her.

So instead of that I think it might be easier if I first find out who's responsible. I've been trying to figure out who sent those pictures and I have a sick feeling I know who.

At lunch I walk up to her, she immediately starts to look all innocent as she pulls her hair back and tilts her head, "hey Perce."

"Hi Rachel, can we talk?"

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