SS Poseidon

Unloving Parents

"Question."

"Yeah?"

"Why exactly didn't you lock the door?"

"Oh, that's easy. Because I'm an idiot."

"Oh, okay."

I have been hiding in my room from Rachel for the past three hours. Yes, hiding. Wouldn't you be hiding to if a crazy bitch who knows a secret of yours had just walked in on you and her boyfriend post-sex? I would think so.

I was sitting in the corner of my cabin beside my bed. Percy was with me. He said it was because he wanted to talk, but I'm pretty sure it was because he was hiding too.

After the horrifying moment of Rachel walking in on Percy and I in bed together, well there wasn't much to say. We couldn't say an excuse like we both got too hot so we took off our clothes then got cold so we got under the covers or something like that like you see in TV shows.

So instead, Rachel just stood in the doorway in awe for probably five minutes straight. A deadly glare was directed right at me and her mouth was formed into a small O. Neither Percy or I dared to move. Moving would've probably just made an alarm go off in Rachel's head that said that she could easily kill both of us without any witnesses.

Even with the burning hate that I had towards Rachel and the thought that she tried to blackmail me, in that moment, a thousand pounds of guilt came crashing down on me. I told Percy specifically that I wouldn't help him cheat on Rachel, even though I really, really wanted to (not going to lie). And I had told that to him and myself many times. But I did it anyway because of my stupid heart that said it was meant to be. Well obviously my heart didn't listen to my brain that knew something like this could happen.

And it didn't even matter that Percy kept saying that he didn't like Rachel and was going to break up with her after the cruise was over anyways—because they were still technically together and I didn't respect that. God, what the hell is wrong with me?

The first one to move was Rachel. Surprisingly, she didn't scream, punch or abuse me in any way. She just turned around, shut the door, and walked away.

I looked at Percy. "Oh, shit." He nodded in agreement.

"You should know, Annabeth," Percy said, bringing me back to the present. "that I'm not usually the one to just meet someone then sleep with them four days later." He chuckled nervously.

I grinned. "Yeah, me neither."

"But, err, because we did anyway, err, thank you," he said. "For last night, I mean."

"Why are you thanking me?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. In all the movies I've seen, after, err, what we did, that's what the guy always does. Well, the good guy at least."

I smiled. "Well then thank you too."

He scrunched his eyebrows. "For what?"

"For being the good guy." He smiled then leaned over and kissed my cheek.

That's when I realized why my heart must've been ignoring my brain last night. Who cares if I've only known Percy for a few days? Who cares if us being together when he has a crazy girlfriend is wrong-er than ketchup on pancakes? Percy is right: I've always heard about people who make instant connections like we did, I just never imagined it would happen to me. He is the first guy who's actually made me feel like a person instead of a nerd or just a piece of meat. I feel like I can be myself around him.

"Hey," said Percy. "What'cha thinking about, Wise Girl?"

I smirked. "What are you talking about, Seaweed Brain?"