Thinking of You- A Percy Jackson Story

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, Annabeth awoke in her bed. She gazed at the photo she had next to her bed of herself and Percy. The picture was taken on the last day of camp from the last summer. Annabeth’s arms were wrapped around Percy’s neck and he was leaning in to kiss her on the lips. Instead, she turned her head at the last moment, and his lips grazed her cheek. Annabeth started to reminisce about that summer. Her second kiss with Percy. Their third kiss in the bottom of the lake.

“Annabeth,” a small voice asked, startling her out of her reverie. Annabeth turned to see that it was her little sister, Lucy. “What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be at the counselor meeting right now?”

Annabeth shrugged. “I should be there. I guess I overslept. I hope Chiron doesn’t get too mad.”

Lucy started to twirl her curly blond hair, which was the same color as Annabeth’s. Annabeth furrowed her brow. Something was up with Lucy; she only played with her hair like that when she was nervous about something. “I think Malcolm took your place instead.”

Annabeth nodded, and then looked at Lucy closer. “Are you all right, sweetie?”

Lucy looked a little stunned. She shrugged and said, “Yeah, I guess.”

Annabeth moved so her feet were out from under her covers on her bed. She patted the spot that was free, and invited her sister to sit. “Well, something’s the matter. Come on, tell me what it is,” she urged.

It took Lucy a moment to gain the courage, but then she asked, “Annabeth, what’s it like having a boyfriend?”

This isn’t what I thought this was about, Annabeth thought. “Well, okay, it’s like having a best friend who’s always there for you, no matter what.”

“Really?”

“Yup, actually Percy and I were best friends before we started dating. Don’t you remember that?”

“Yeah, I guess I forgot,” Lucy said and Annabeth laughed at the irony. A child of Athena forget, never! “Do you love Percy, Annabeth?”

Annabeth bowed her head. A moment later she said, “Yes, I love Percy. I love him very much,” Lucy smiled at this answer. For some reason, Lucy was one of the only girls in the Athena cabin who was into all of the gushy romantic stuff. It’s a wonder that she’s not in Aphrodite’s cabin. “Hey, what’s all of this about, anyway?”

Lucy’s cheeks grew hot. “Well, I just wanted to know what it’s like to have a boyfriend. You’re one of the people at camp that I’m close to who has a boyfriend.”

“Really, you just wanted to know?”

“Yup, thanks for the talk, Annabeth,” she said before standing up from her sister’s bed.

“Hold on there a second, missy,” Annabeth said, beckoning her little sister back. “Is there something else?”

“Nope, I’m all set.”

“Well, I want to know is why you’re asking about having a boyfriend. You’re twelve years old, for crying out loud.”

Lucy started to twirl her hair again. “Well, it’s just that I’m wondering if I’m one of the only girls at camp without a boyfriend! Is there something wrong with me? Is my personality repulsive to some guys,” she asked rhetorically. Annabeth opened her arms and Lucy embraced her.

“Oh, sweetie, there’s nothing wrong with you! Remember, you’re only twelve years old. There’s plenty of time before you get a boyfriend! Trust me, I was sixteen before Percy and I officially got together. And even before we got together, there were times when I thought that we weren’t going to.”

“Was it because of the war?”

Annabeth nodded once. “Yeah, I guess. I was worried that something was going to happen to one of us. But then there was Rachel. I thought he was going to choose her over me. There were times when I thought that ‘What’s wrong with me? Won’t he notice me at all?’”

“What changed?”

“I got the guts to kiss him first when we were in the volcano. Then I got the guts to kiss him again on his birthday.”

“And then you both lived happily ever after?”

It seemed as if a dark shadow appeared on Annabeth’s face. “Well, I don’t know if you’d say that. Hera’s been ruining things. We all think that he’s in the Roman camp with his memory erased. So, if we do sail there on the Argo II I don’t know if he’s even going to remember me.” Lucy made a face full of sympathy. Suddenly, Annabeth’s face seemed to go back to normal. “But, don’t worry so much about the guy thing. Trust me; it takes a while for guys to realize that the person in front of them- especially if they have seaweed in their brain like Percy.”

Lucy smiled. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Trust me, it takes time. Don’t worry about anything.” Lucy then hugged Annabeth again and kissed her on the cheek before leaving the cabin.

Annabeth stared into space for a moment, remembering what just happened with her sister. She felt good, knowing that she helped someone. And by doing that, she got to talk about Percy. Annabeth turned to look at the photo by her bed. She smiled before she got up to get ready for the day to come.