Percy's POV
'What happened, Mom?' I asked as we got in the car.
'I-' she scanned my face, 'are you crying?'
'No...' I said wiping a tear off my cheek, 'Mom- I've got some bad news.'
'Tell it at home.' she said, 'Estelle. We've got to calm Estelle down, she's gone berserk over something- I think she's reliving the... Tyson incident, it's got her very bad, I think she'll need therapy.'
She really will, after Tyson- I thought
'He'll be fine though,' she re-assured me, 'Oh, we're home. Tell me the news now if you want, but keep it short?'
'The doctor-' I caught while saying, 'Tyson- last days...' I stammered. The power of mothers understood. She put her head in her hands and cried.
'No.' she said burying her face, 'He'll be fine- he has to be fine!'
'He said it's his last days...'
'He'll be fine.' she said and got out of the car.
Estelle was watching TV, muttering something like "I'm sorry Tyson.". Blue cookies were left unattended in front of her and she was swaying.
'Estelle?' My mother tried to get her attention, there was no response. Then she looked at me, clearly saying, see?
I nodded, 'Estelle?' I whispered and sat next to her, no response. I tried tickling her.
'Stop!' she cried out.
'So you're alive?' I said, 'Phew!' I said, faking a relieved sigh.
'It's my fault!' she said loudly, 'It's my-'
'Stella- it's no one's fault. Did you push him?'
'No,'
'Did you force him?'
'No,'
'Did you run to save him?'
'Yeah! What kind of question is that?'
'It's not your fault,' I said, 'Now watch something that you usually don't vomit at,' pointing at "Peppa Pig" that was now dancing on the screen.
'OK.'
'And eat those cookies before I finish them. It's not the cookies' fault!'
'Yeah,' she gave a wet laugh.
My phone pinged.
'Is it Miss Annabeth?' Estelle said with a tone that said it all, your girlfriend.
'Kid's nowadays...' I muttered,
'You're only a few years older than me!' she punched me in the arm, 'Now go talk to your girlfriend.'
She ran away fast before I could catch her. My phone pinged twice. I checked it.
Percy- A
PERCY- A
Are you dead? Where's your funreal- A
Is that the correct spelling of funrael?- A
You're asking me?- P
Hii!- A
What happened- P
How's your mom holdin up?- A
She's broke down, crying in her room, Estelle's fine she was w/ me- P
I explained the news to the group- you're fine with that?- A
Ye, I trust dem- P
We couldn't have ice cream- A
I know- P
I'll take you soon- P
We'll go out- P
Like...?- A
Heheh, maybe?- P
Oh, ok... not sure right?... and you asking me out, or what?- A
I said maybe, Annabeth, maybe... I think we could go as friends, instead... :). I'll see you. Gtg help my mum w/ cookies- P
Tomorrw?- A
ye, see ya! And don't worry, we're going as friends- P
She didn't reply, just sent a quick bye. I scared her. Oh no, I scared her off. Oh, why did I just do that? Thank god I fixed things after I said we could go as friends. I saw her message and knew immediately she didn't like me. I mean, her tone? She didn't say, not sure, she added a right at the end, like she was hoping I wasn't sure. I only thought of one thing to do.
'Hello?' I said, 'Leo?'
'Hey! Percy! Are you-' I knew he was going to ask whether I was crying.
'I'll explain later,' I said, 'I can't quite believe I just did that,' I said.
'Did what?'
'I asked Annabeth Chase out,' I said.
'What the hell!' he cried out.
'No kidding,' I said.
'And...?'
'Well,' I said a little sadly 'I think I scared her so I said just as friends.'
'Dude! You shouldn't have! I think she likes you!'
'No.' I said, 'That's impossible!'
'Whatever you thunk Dude,'
'You think?'
'I know.'
'Whatever,' I said, 'You're wrong then.'
'Fine dude, just saying,'
I hung up after saying bye. Thinking hard about what Leo said.
Annabeth's POV
I got ready to meet Percy, even though we were going as friends. I sighed. When would Percy actually ask me out? I don't think ever. I wore something he'd like. Not a dress, he'd hate that. I wore a rock band t-shirt and black jeans, and some sneakers. I knew what he liked. He came on his bicycle instead.
'Car's gone for servicing,' he said.
'That's fine,' I mounted my own bike.
'You look good,' he scratched his neck, 'so where are we going again?'
'Ice cream,' I said, 'and you have to pay.'
'Deal, Wise Girl.'
Our phones pinged.
How's the date?- Piper.Mclean
It's not a date!- Persea.Jackson
Sure it isn't- Leo.Valdz
It's not!- Anna.Beth.Wisegurl
Have fun! Make out!- Manbaby.Zhang
In your dreams- Anna.Beth.Wisegurl
Percy looked at me and burst out laughing.
'They really think dont they?' he said, 'Did you tell them we're on a date?'
'Shut up! I didn't!' I cried out, I didn't.
'Ooo...' he teased, 'Hey-!'
As a joke I crashed into him, I did not realise it was that bad. We both fell off our bicycles in between an alley. I was on top of him.
Our noses were pretty much touching. He leaned in again. I leaned in as well. Then I remembered. I had to protect Percy. I looked away and got up.
'Sorry about that.' I muttered.
'It's fine,' he got up, 'Right- ice cream...'
It wasn't that exciting anymore. Remembering that if I went out with him for five hundred times, we still couldn't be together. Nevertheless, for Percy's sake, I tried to have fun.
I walked home trying to ignore the fact that my step-mother would get angry I had gone out with a boy. I was right. I came home and she was screaming at me at the top of her lungs. Evidently, my father had no problem with it. He sat there staring blankly at the TV. He excused himself and fled, like the coward that he was.
'You're a disgrace to our Family Annabelle!' she screamed. I didn't bother to correct her that my name was "Annabeth" and not "Annabelle". It never made a difference.
'Firstly- Jeniffer,' I said in anger, 'you are not my family. So I don't care if I am a disgrace to your family, because I am my own family, and happy with it.'
She screamed and stomped her feet. I lost it. I couldn't stay here anymore, it was like hell. No, it was hell. I went to my room and dragged out an old suitcase. I packed a toothbrush and as many clothes as I could. I am never coming back. I had run away once and I had come back, Jeniffer was almost like a mom to me. For one week. I packed everything I loved. I lastly packed a photo of a woman who looked exactly like me except for her elderly features and her freckles which I never obtained. Next to the woman was me, it was the day before she left.
I quickly texted on the group.
I need help with something- Anna.Beth.Wisegurl
Name it- Persea.SeaweedBrain
1. I need someplace to stay ( my step mother :/) and 2. You changed your name to seaweedbrain? seaweed brain?- Anna.Beth.Wisegurl
Shut up, wanna stay at mine?- Persea.SeaweedBrain
Oooooo- Leo.Valdz
Shut up Leo- Persea.SeaweedBrain
You can stay at my place, we've got about five hundred vacant rooms (jk we've got two you can stay in one of them)
Sure!- Anna.Beth.Wisegurl
See ya!- Piper.Mclean
I took my suitcase. Malcolm stopped me before I could reach downstairs
'Where are you going?' he asked me.
'Look, Mal,' I said, 'I'm leaving that wretched witch.'
'But, what about me? And dad?'
'I hate doing this, but I can't live with myself like this. We'll meet at school and outside okay? I love you, you're my brother. I'll always meet you every day, at ice-cream- a-anywhere!'
'Annie...'
'Mal, please,' I said, wriggling my arm out, 'I promise, I'll meet you all the time, you can come over anytime you want. OK? But I'm not forgetting about the "No disturbing when my friends are there" rule entirely.' I added, this earned a laugh from both of us, 'Bye, bro. See you at school.'
He said nothing. I walked down the two flights of stairs. Jeniffer and dad were sitting down. Jeniffer was stroking one of my step-brother's hair and complaining about me.
'Annabeth?' My dad asked, 'Where are you going?'
'Away from you pigs,' I said, 'Forever.'
The word caught in my throat. I'd never see them again. Was I making the right choice?
'Bye, then,'
Jeniffer was sneering, my dad made no move to stop me. I took out my car and drove to Piper's I stopped in her driveway and texted her.
I'm here- A
I rang the doorbell with that.
Yeah I heard the bell. My dad's out so we can order Mcdonalds or somthn- P
That sounds good- A
Piper opened the door just then.
'Roommate!' she said, leading me inside.
Piper's house was huge. It had at least ten rooms (including kitchen, Piper's dad's studio, Piper's study room, a library and a gaming room)
'Percy left you blue cookies and a blue pie,' she said, gesturing towards two boxes on her living room table.
'He loves blue.' I said, helping myself to one from the box, 'Blue food.' I added, 'And I see why, his mom's a god at baking,'
'Well,' Piper yawned hugely, 'Since you gave us a ping late, I suppose we should order? What do you usually take?'
'Whatever you take!' I said, 'Don't let me be a burden.'
'Oh come on Annie!'
'Seriously! Take whatever vegetarian meal you eat and get it.'
'Fine,' she said, 'I'll order a vegeterian wrap for the two of us?'
'Sound's good!' I said sitting on the sofa. Piper was my best friend, I didn't feel awkward lying down on the best couch in her home.
'I'm ordering my favourite one- you'll love it.'
I smiled in response.
'And... done! It's on it's way.'
Me and Piper played two rounds of UNO! and were in a serious chess game when the Mcdonalds came.
'Checkmate,' Piper said, taking a large bite of her wrap.
'Nope!' I said, cutting her queen, 'You just lost your queen.'
'No way!'
'It's as true as you and Jason,'
'Then it's not true.'
'Yeah right- didn't you go out for a date yesterday?'
'Yeah, but-'
'How was it?'
'It was great!'
'Did you kiss?'
'None of your business.'
'Ooooo...'
'Hey, listen,' she said, changing the topic without hesitation, 'What about Leo and Callie?'
'I know right!' I said,
'Calleo!'
'You are fangirling very,' I said, taking a huge bite of my wrap, mayonnaise smeared across my chin, Piper took a towel and wiped it off in a big sister way, 'Very hard.'
'What?' Piper said, yawning, it was already one AM in the morning, 'I'm going to sleep. Night. Your room is next to mine, so...' she yawned, 'Go ahead and settle in.'
The room was amazing, it had a bunk bed which was large, it was black and white, my bedroom theme; evidently, Piper took her time getting things ready. That girl was a miracle.
I quickly unpacked and put my clothes in a wardrobe. I set my toothbrush in the bathroom. And lastly, I set the photo of me and my mother next to my bed.
Yay! We've done 10 chapters! Hope you liked it. Do NOT kill me (again) for not making them kiss. And also, still no clue what Annabeth needs to protect Percy from? Think...Think...
See you in the next chapter.