Woodside Academy (Percabeth AU)

Chapter 32 - The Events Leading Up

I leaned my head down and kissed her on the top of the head. "Don't worry about it, Rachel. You're doing enough just by being my girlfriend."

Rachel smiled, but didn't answer.

***
December 8

     I was sitting in art, my table beside Annabeth's.

     I remembered the first art project we had done, when Annabeth and I had an epic paint war then got sent to detention.

We really hadn't really seen eye to eye then. Now I couldn't imagine not being friends with her. She was just as much one of my friends as Thalia or Piper, maybe even Jason and Leo.

"Annabeth," I whispered, and she looked up over at me, seeming confused.

I took my paintbrush and flicked it at her, causing a short spray of red paint to fly at her. It sprinkled her face like freckles, and she frowned at me.

"You're ridiculous," she whispered, but a smile tugged at her lips.

I stuck my tongue out at her then went back to painting, until I felt something thud against my arm. I looked down and saw a glob of yellow paint on my sleeve.

Annabeth and I shared a smile before we went back to our work, and I smiled quietly.

***
Annabeth's POV

December 10

"Hazel," I laughed as her face was stuck in a bright red shade, her lips slightly parted as she sat in shock.

Frank smiled sheepishly at me before walking away, leaving just me and Hazel by the fountain in the courtyard.

"He just kissed me!" Hazel exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement and glee. Her shocked expression turned into a grin, and she blushed even harder.

"Hell yeah he did!" I shouted, bumping my shoulder against hers. "You two are so cute!"

Hazel frowned playfully at me, but couldn't stop herself from smiling for longer than a second. She quickly broke back out into a grin, and I lifted her up off of the bench by the fountain, pulling her along to the dorm.

Once we were in the common room, we saw Piper and Thalia sitting on the floor. They were playing some kind of game with their hands. Thalia's hands were over Piper's, and Piper tried slapping the top of Thalia's but Thalia pulled away quickly.

"GUYS!" I screamed, running over to them while dragging Hazel in behind me.

Thalia looked towards us, momentarily distracted. Piper took that to her advantage and slapped Thalia hands with a loud THWACK!

"Piper!" Thalia complained, rubbing her now red knuckles.

"Stop, we have something really important to say! Hazel, go ahead."

Hazel bit her lip, most likely to prevent herself from smiling again. "Frank kissed me."

Piper screamed so loud it was a miracle that the windows didn't shatter. "HE KISSED YOU? OH MY GODS OH MY GODS. WEDDING MAGAZINES, WE NEED THEM."

Hazel held up her hands, "woah— wedding magazines?"

Piper shot up and began running around the room, then stopped by Hazel, grabbing her hands and lifting her off of her spot on the floor. "WHY AREN'T YOU JUMPING FOR JOY?"

Hazel laughed, "I am, you're just being a bit more extreme than I am."

"I'll say," Thalia interrupted. "You're worse than Leo after he got a girlfriend."