beauty and the beast ⋮ percabeth au

11.

"Okay people settle down, today is a very big day!" Apollo called out the following day, quieting the entire cast. "Today we are running through the entirety of the Act One for the first two hours, so I expect everyone to be focused and diligent with their work. After that, I'm going to be working on the lifting cord with Percy for his transformation scene and going over everything that'll happen with the tech crew, so if you want to leave be my guest. Okay everyone, out on stage! It's show time!"

"I can't wait to be on the lifting cord," Percy snickered. "I'm going to look like I'm Jesus ascending down from the heavens."

Jason groaned. "Lord help us now."

"We'll already need all the help we can get to get through this first act," Piper complained. "I can't remember any of my tango that I have to do 'Be Our Guest'."

"I have dance straight after the tech gets finished, I'm going to be so exhausted," I complained, dreading the night ahead of me. It didn't help that both my AP History and AP English teacher decided to assign massive loads of homework. Guess I better pull out the Red Bull, because tonight's going to be an all-nighter.

"Can I just not go to rehearsal today?" Leo asked.

"Leo, you are a lead role," Hazel scolded.

"Okay mom, I'll stay," Leo replied mockingly, poking fun on how Hazel was generally considered the mom friend of the group.

"Stop calling me mom," Hazel grumbled, settling into a chair in the dressing room seeing that she didn't have to go on for about another twenty minutes. Leo, Piper, and Frank sat down around her, immediately diving into a conversation about their Chemistry teacher. Jason had left to talk about something with Apollo a few seconds beforehand, leaving Percy and I alone walking to the stage together.

"You don't have dance until after I finish with my lifting cord, right?" Percy asked tentatively, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yep, I am not missing the chance to see you flailing around in midair."

Percy let out a chuckle at my statement. "What if the cord snaps? Will you be laughing then?"

"Absolutely," I dead-panned.

"Wow Wise Girl," Percy rolled his eyes dramatically. "You really are a great friend."

Did he just freaking friend zone me?

No Annabeth, stop freaking out. Percy did not friend zone you. He doesn't even know that you like him.

I hope.

"You alright?" Percy waved a hand in front of my face. "You were spaced out there for a second."

"Sorry." I brushed a few curls out of my eyes. "I was just lost in thought again."

His face darkened. "Is this about yesterday?"

"No, no!" I quickly reassured. "Definitely not about that. It's something else."

"Okay good." He let out a sigh of relief. "Because you're 100 times better than all three of those girls combined."

If I said I wasn't flustered at that comment, I'd be lying.

•••

So.

Percy is afraid of heights.

"I didn't realize I'd be up so high!" Percy screamed, dangling twenty feet above the stage.

"You can do it Percy!" I shouted in encouragement. Frank and Hazel whooped beside me, while Leo began to snicker.