The Highschool Experiment

Chapter Two

"We got out, we're okay, I'm here you're here-" until soon enough Percy woke, and the two stayed awake, in fear of another dream, cuddling on the couch. Soon the sun began to rise and Percy, leaning into Annabeth, who was completely enjoying having her boyfriend so close to her, whispered.

"We really got out. There's no sun in Tartarus." And Annabeth knew he had a really rough night the night before, and her heart shattered a little, after all, it was her fault that they had fallen into hell. She was careful not to show Percy those emotions.

"Yeah, we got out alright. We can watch the sun rise." And that's how Sally and Paul found the teenagers, and decided that they could be a little late for school that day.

But then Annabeth's bruise started coming in.

She had considered using Ambrosia to let it heal quicker, but a large part of her just couldn't bring herself to it. It made her feel a little more human. It made her feel a little more connected to Percy, to their dreams, to their pain, and it would heal quickly anyway.

As soon as Percy saw, he began apologizing, obviously guilty, obviously tearing himself up about it. At school, he could barley meet her eye.

During lunch, Annabeth got questioned by her friends about it.

"Oh no, what happened sweetie?" Julia was the first to comment, immediately.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Just slipped a little earlier." Michael wasn't easily convinced. After the incident at Annabeth and Percy's apartment, he was unsure of what to believe. Why was Annabeth so nervous, and what could have possibly been happening? Annabeth's odd behaviour, and now her new bruise, let him to believe that something was wrong at home.

"Are you being abused, Annabeth?" His suddenly serious question sobered the entire table.

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"I mean, you were acting all weird at your house, and now you've got the bruise, and is there someone to be worried about? One of your parents? A family member? A boyfriend? You can tell us." Instinctively, Annabeth glanced over to Percy's table, and the motion didn't go unnoticed by Rebecca.

Usually Rebecca would stay neutral, not every really getting involved. But she was perspective, she could tell when something was horribly wrong.

"Did Percy Jackson do something to you?" She asked. Now all of their friends glanced at Annabeth and at Rebecca.

"No-" Quickly, she was cut off by Michael.

"He does have a dangerous history, and a large track record. Annabeth, if you need help-"

"I'm fine." Annoyed as she was, Annabeth would never let Percy get treated as if he were a horrible abuser. "Percy Jackson has never touched me, my family is perfectly okay, and I am not being abused. I just tripped. That is all." Anger, she picked up her belongings and marched away from the room, slipping past Percy's bubbling table, already bursting at the seams after noticing Annabeth's loud explosion.

Out of all of them Percy was the one who looked concerned. Upon noticing his reaction, Michael and Julia immediacy felt horrible, but Rebecca believed there was more then what met the eye. When Percy stood to go follow his girlfriend, Rebecca was blocking his path quicker then he could leave.

"Don't." Her voice was cold, calculating.

"I just want to make sure she's okay." His voice was so pained it was hard not to believe him. But Rebecca knew what she was doing.

"I don't trust you, Jackson." She began, waving a finger in his face. "She came to school supporting big, black bruise, I feel like you had something to do with it. And even if you didn't, you are not going to be taking advantage of an upset girl. Got it?"