Lucky: A Percabeth Story (Old Version: Discontinued)

Chapter 7

~

The final bell rang, signaling that school is over for the day. We all pack up and Annabeth and I start on our way home. She is ranting about some teacher that did not give her a proper grade. I think it is an A minus, but with Annabeth, an A minus is like an F. I have been getting really close to Annabeth and she seems really great. I know this next move would be a long shot but I went for it anyway.

"Hey Annabeth?"

She stops rambling and looks up at me. "Yeah Perc?"

I rub the back of my neck. 1. 2. 3. "Do you wanna come over to my place for dinner? My step dad will be out tonight. And my moms shift ends early, so usually she cooks something really nice, and-" I do not even notice I am talking that fast. My mouth is dry and I feel my face warm up. I guess Annabeth noticed, since she is giggling at me.

She holds her hand up to stop me. "Of course I'd like to come over. Let me just text my dad."

I smile, as I can feel my face return to its normal color and I let out a huge breath I did not even now I had. "Great. My apartments right up here."

~

"Mom! Mom! Are you home?" I shout, opening the door. There is no answer. I turn back to Annabeth. "She's not home yet. You can just leave your stuff at the door." She nods as she takes off her backpack and shoes and I lead her over to the couch.

"Where does your mom work?" She asks, pulling her feet up onto the couch under her, and resting her arm on the back of the couch, facing me.

"Just a shop down the street. Yours?"

"My dad is a history buff and my step-mom, I don't know, and don't really care."

I have noticed she is always like this, trashing on her step-mom. "Why don't you like your step-mom?"

She shakes her head, looking down. "I don't know. I have always hated her. She just sort of swooped in after my mom died. I just liked it a lot more with just me and my dad. We were getting better, after she died. And now there are three others in the house and I don't like it. I feel like he is trying to replace mom."

"Your mom? She died when?"

I can see tears forming in Annabeth's eyes, knowing I have hit a soft spot. "When I was nine. Sh-she had cancer. Didn't tell us, just let it happen. Like she wanted to leave us. I feel like she was just protecting me by not telling me. But, I think I was old enough to be told my own mother was dying. Right?" I nod, not really wanted to say anything, or even knowing what to say. I want to hold her, tell her its okay, but I know I can not. That would be out of my limit. She wipes her tears, laughing at herself. "God, I am a mess."

I shake my head, "No you aren't."

She smiles. "Thank you, Percy." We were both quiet for a couple of minutes. "Percy? Don't you have a step-dad?"

I nod. Gabe is the last thing I want to talk about with Annabeth. I do not want her to know. It will ruin everything. But, I am not going to show that. "Yeah, I do. Gabe." She nods, telling me to continue if I want to. "My dad left when I was a baby. He abandoned us. We didn't have much support and mom met Gabe, so yeah."

She laughs, lightening the mood a bit. "It seems like you don't like him very much?"

I shake my head, laughing. "Not much, but I deal." I am quiet for a minute, getting serious. "How about we stop talking about this?"

"Yeah."

Just then, my mom walks in, carrying grocery bags. I quickly get up to grab them from her. She spots Annabeth on the couch. "Percy? Who is this?"