Picture Perfect Polaroids |Percabeth Mortal AU|

Chapter 1: What The-

I stepped up to Piper's summertime home,  my hands almost shaking with excitement.

I knocked enthusiastically. Come on, Piper, don't keep me waiting.

The door was opened slowly, and instead of the brunette curls I was used to, a mess of jet black hair entered my field of vision. His sea green eyes locked onto my grey ones. We stood there for a minute, both in a sort of confused shock.

"Piper?" I tried to say, but it came out as a squeaky whisper.

The guy in front of me shook his head. "Um, hi. Piper's in the back, she's swimming, if, you, um...want to join us?"

"What's going on? I thought this was just a girls trip?" I questioned.

"Well you must've been mistaken because this is most definitely not a 'girls trip'. Jason invited our entire boys group to go on a trip with his girlfriend Piper's friends. Who would've thought Piper's friend group would consist of little miss perfect Annabeth Chase."

"Of course," I mumbled. Why did it have to be him though. Of any of Jason's friends Percy had to be invited on this trip. Percy Jackson: hotshot swim team captain, and my high school crush.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady the fluttering in my chest. "Thanks," I managed to say, forcing a smile. "I'll go find Piper then."

Turning on my heel, I made my way through the spacious house, my mind swirling with a mix of emotions. Part of me was thrilled at the prospect of spending time with Piper and our friends, but another part was tense with the unexpected presence of Percy. It wasn't that I disliked him—he was charming, funny, and undeniably attractive—it was just that being around him tended to throw me off balance. And now, here he was, unexpectedly crashing what I had anticipated to be a girls-only gathering.

I pushed open the back door, stepping out onto the patio where the warm summer sun greeted me. The sight before me made me pause.

The backyard was a scene of lively activity, filled with laughter and splashing as Piper and our friends enjoyed the pool. Jason, Leo, and the rest of our gang were already in the water, their antics drawing smiles and cheers from the sidelines. And there, at the center of it all, was Percy.

He was effortlessly gliding through the water, his movements fluid and graceful. Even from a distance, I could see the easy smile on his face as he interacted with our friends, his laughter ringing out over the sound of the splashing water.

For a moment, I simply watched him, unable to tear my gaze away. There was something magnetic about Percy, something that drew people to him like moths to a flame. And as much as I tried to resist it, I couldn't deny the pull he had on me.

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. I needed to find Piper, to catch up with her and the rest of our friends. Pushing aside my conflicted feelings, I made my way over to the edge of the pool, scanning the water for any sign of her.

"Annabeth!" someone called out, and I turned to see Jason waving at me from the water. "Come join us!"

I hesitated for a moment, my gaze flickering back to Percy, who was now watching me with a curious expression. I slipped off my jean shorts and my t-shirt to show off a gray bikini. Then, with a determined nod, I took a deep breath and dove into the pool, letting the cool water wash away my doubts and fears.

As I surfaced, laughter and chatter surrounded me, and I found myself smiling despite everything. Maybe this unexpected turn of events wouldn't be so bad after all. And who knows, maybe spending time with Percy would turn out to be more enjoyable than I had anticipated.

But for now, I was content to simply enjoy the moment, surrounded by friends and laughter, as we made the most of this beautiful summer day.