Woodside Academy (Percabeth AU)

Chapter 20 - 1 Month Anniversary

I made my way over to my usual area of the table where the east wing students sat. I sat down, and seconds later Annabeth sat down in front of me.

She was wearing a large white sweater that must have done much to protect her from the cold. Her jeans were rolled up to the ankles, and socks covered what would've been exposed, along with black converse. She had a gold necklace and gold earrings, which somehow made her gray eyes and her long curly golden hair stand out. Her face was tinted pink from the cold, and she looked absolutely gorgeous.

I realized I was staring, because Annabeth gave me a confused look. I looked away and saw Rachel giving me a pointed glare. Immediately I felt guilty. Annabeth wasn't my girlfriend, Rachel was. I shouldn't have been thinking how pretty she was. Annabeth and I barely even meet the definition of friends. Not that it mattered, of course.

     Jason reached over my plate to grab a bread roll, as he did so he looked up at Leo. He glanced at me, urging me to look towards Leo as well.

     I turned my head, and saw Leo's head resting in his hand as he stared down the table dreamily at Calypso.

     "Close your mouth, Leo," I said, effectively snapping him out of his daze. "If you drool anymore, you'll drown your vegetables."

      Leo scowled at me, but didn't do much to protest as he began shoveling food into his mouth. "Like you weren't just drooling over Annabeth two seconds ago." Leo grumbled, and I stiffened in my seat.

     My eyes scanned the faces of my friends, hoping none of them had caught Leo's words. Unfortunately, my prayers went unanswered. Piper and Silena were frowning at me, they looked at each other and had some sort of secret-sister conversation with their eyes. I hate when they do that.

     I nudged Leo with my elbow, causing him to drop his fork and have it clang onto his plate. He looked up at me and stuck out his tongue.

     "Oh, real mature," I whispered, sticking my tongue out back at him in a way that mocked the way that he'd done it.

     "Boys," a voice snapped. Leo and I jolted up, facing forward to see who had spoken. It was Piper, looking exasperated with our behavior like a disappointed mother. "Please, stop arguing like bickering babies."

     Leo and I dutifully nodded, biting back smiles. Piper rolled her eyes and waved us off. I turned back to Leo.

     "Are you ever gonna ask her out?" I asked him, taking a bread roll off of Jason's plate and taking a bite.

     "Percy, why—" Jason started, but I held up my hand to block his statement from continuing any further. My eyebrow raised in a questioning manner at Leo and I waited for his answer.

Leo's shoulders went up then back down in a shrug. "Maybe, man. I dunno how she feels yet."

My eyes rolled and I slapped him on the back in a reassuring and encouraging way. "Dude, just go for it."

Jason poked his head around around my shoulder, shoving away my hand that had been blocking his face. "You never know until you try," he said. "Sometimes the only obstacle in the way of your goal is your own fears and self doubt."

My eyebrows scrunched together and I turned to look at Jason. "Could you not with the philosophy?" I asked. "What kind of nonsense is that?"

Jason put his hands up in defense. "It's not philosophy, man. I was just telling him how it is. Something philosophical would be like—"

I clamped my hand over his mouth, shaking my head furiously. "If something even slightly insightful comes out your mouth, I will duct tape you to the ceiling in your sleep."