Percabeth AU
Through the years, bold number is age.
Kinda angsty towards the end
5-
The two friends sat in Sally's office, craft stuff in hand.
"Give me the blue one!" Argued Percy as he watched Annabeth take a bead.
"I want the blue one!" She didn't really, but she just wanted to argue.
"You don't even like blue!" He exclaimed.
"But it's the last one and I want it! You always get blue!"
"Both of you stop arguing," Sally said, as calmly as she could. "Percy, you have a lot of blue beads on the rest of your bracelets."
"Because Annabeth doesn't like blue so she gives them all to me."
"I'll buy you more beads. Let Annabeth have this one." He sighed.
"Okay."
"Good. I'm glad that that's settled. No more fighting."
"Okay, Sally," Annabeth said.
"Yes, mama."
They continued to make necklaces, using wooden beads, macaroni and yarn. They slid them all on, and lastly, Annabeth slid the blue bead on hers with a smile.
"Percy, turn around," Annabeth ordered. He did as he was told and she tied the necklace in a triple knot around his neck. "I tied it tight so it never comes off. Now do the same with yours."
He smiled and turned around, swinging his over her head. He began to do the same.
"Ouch! You're pulling my hair!"
"Sorry!" He exclaimed. He slipped her hair out of the knot, careful not to tug too much. He finished the triple knot and she turned around to face him once more.
Holding up her pinkie, she said, "pinkie promise that we'll be best friends forever."
He joined his pinkie with hers.
10-
Annabeth loved the way that the gold shimmered on the trail, even through the dark forest. It lit up the path and took her away to Oz. As the trail continued to wind, she followed until she heard the water roaring on the creek. From there, she traveled towards the castle of the wicked witch.
She spotted the ugly thing across the creek. He had black hair and-
"Is that what you really to me as? A witch?" Asks Percy, peering over her shoulder as she writes. Ever since Annabeth had gone with Piper to watch Wicked, she had been obsessed. Everything she wrote was about witches, Wizard of Oz, Wicked, or all.
"It's what you are."
"Can I at least be Glinda? She's the pretty one."
Annabeth's face scrunches up. "Percy, that's gross."
"Isn't she supposed to be pretty?"
"Between the two, but they're both too old."
"Just because I think she's pretty doesn't mean I like her like that. And really it's just her hair that's pretty. It's all blonde and curly."
"I have blonde hair too. And it's curly like hers," Annabeth stated.
Percy just smiled, not sure what to say.
When Halloween rolled around, Annabeth dressed as Glinda. And Percy got suckered into being Elphaba. He couldn't say no to Annabeth, especially when she gave him her signature glare.
And maybe he did it because he wanted to see her smile too.
12-
They met at their signature spot again. This time, it wasn't the Wicked Witch's castle, but instead a pirate ship. It was both of their craze's this time. They had just finished watching Pirates of the Caribbean.
Annabeth wrote swashbuckling tales, this time on her new laptop. Percy sat next to her, shivering after deciding to take a swim in the creek. He had been determined to prove Annabeth wrong.
"You won't be able to stay in there for more than five minutes, not without freezing to death."
He stayed in for six and was now waiting for death to come.
"You're such a Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased as he scooted closer to her, trying to stay warm. She took off her coat and handed it to him. He smiled but shook his head. He wouldn't let her freeze because of him.
"Take it. I'm getting hot anyways. If you don't take it, it'll just sit on the ground." He grabbed it from her then, slinging his arms into it.
"Thanks, Wise Girl."
"You're welcome. Now stop being such a Seaweed Brain."
"In my defense, it was for a bet that you made with me. By the way, I want my money."
She laughed.
14-
When high school hits, friendships change.
That's one thing they don't tell you.
Annabeth and Percy had drifted. There was no argument or anything. They just fell apart. And that almost hurt worse, because at least a fight they could figure out.
After some teasing from her new friends, she had taken off the silly bead necklace that matched Percy's. They were all random wooden beads and macaroni, cluttered on a piece of yarn. They made them when they were five, and they hadn't removed them since that day.
Percy still refused to remove it.
When his mother asked why Annabeth didn't come over anymore, he said that she was too busy with her Class President job. Then he'd sit by her window and watch her walk home.
Her new friends were with her. And her bead necklace was gone.
He still refused to remove his though. Instead, he untucked it from his shirt and held it in his hand as tight as he could against his chest. He turned away from the window, missing as Annabeth glanced towards it, searching for his smiling face.
16-
Percy wandered back to their spot for the first time in two years. He would be moving soon. He overheard it from his parents; he's not supposed to know, but he figured it was coming. They would need a bigger house with the baby on the way.
"What are you doing here?" He asks Luke, whose arm was swung around Annabeth. Percy hated seeing him with her, like a replacement.
"Percy." Annabeth stands up and takes a small step forward. Luke stands too, trying to grab her hand. It's a small movement as she pushes his hand away, but it doesn't go unnoticed by Percy.
"Annabeth, what is he doing in our spot?"
"It's not just ours, Percy. It's public property."
"Annabeth, no one comes back here on their own free will. It's hidden. We found it together when we were ten. It's always been our spot. No one else. We wouldn't even let our parents back here."
"First time talking to me in two years and you're yelling at me. Fantastic." She huffed.
"This isn't just one sided," Percy argued. "You ditched me first."
"I didn't ditch you. You were perfectly capable of joining me. You just didn't."
"Don't think I noticed that you took your necklace off."
"Is that what this is about, a stupid necklace?"
Percy frowned. "They weren't just necklaces, Annabeth. You know that. We promised-"
"Percy, it's just a macaroni and bead necklace that we made when we were five. People grow up. They were childish. We've changed and matured."
"Apparently personalities change a lot too."
"Oh my god, Percy! I can't believe I'm even arguing with you about this right now. Fine, yes, I took Luke to our old favorite spot. Yes, I took off the necklace. No, we haven't hung out. And no, Percy, I am not enjoying this discussion."
"Just go back home and leave us alone," Luke mutters.
"Oh you stay out of it, Luke!" Percy yells. "And Annabeth, since you're not enjoying this, I have great news for you. I'm moving. I'll be out of your hair in no time. You and Luke can have all the quality time you want. Oh and one more thing..." Percy rips his necklace off and throws it on the ground. The beads and macaroni fly. "Since you seemingly misplaced yours, I'll give you mine."
She gasps and feels tears well into her eyes. Percy turns away and storms off, not looking back once.
"About time he left," Luke says, sitting down. He pats the spot next to him. "Come sit next to me again."
But Annabeth just stands there, realizing the mess she's made. She stares at the beads, tears running down her cheeks.
"Not right now, Luke."
"Why are you crying?"
"I messed up. Big time. I don't think I can solve this problem."
"So what that his little necklace is broken. He can come back here and fix it if he wants it. If anything, maybe it'll teach him to grow up."
She ignores him and begins to pick up the beads, one by one, collecting them all up.
Luke comes over and begins to puts some back on their yarn, desperate to speed Annabeth's little craze along so he can have his time with her.
Maybe she'd shut up about Percy from now on.
"Stop! You're doing it wrong!" She exclaimed.
"How am I doing it wrong?"
"Each one gets a macaroni in between and the colors are out of order!" She grabs it out of his hand. "It goes indigo, lemon, orange, violet, evergreen, yellow, orange, ultramarine."
"Evergreen? Lemon? Ultramarine?"
"I had to use my creativity." She sighs. "The green, yellow, and blue ones."
"What?"
"I was trying to code out a secret message for him when I made it. I think he was too happy to have the last blue bead to notice."
"Whatever. Just... wrap this up."
"You can go home, Luke. I'll be here a while. I need to find the blue. Where's the blue?"
"I don't know. Listen, Annabeth. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Cool. See you then." He waited for her to say something else. Maybe about how she loved him. She'd never said it before, but he still hoped. They weren't dating, but he thought that they kinda were. They were together often and she didn't mind his arm over her shoulder. Kids at school thought they were a couple.
When he turned to leave he thought he heard her whisper the three sweet words to him. He turned back towards her. "What?"
"The necklace. I need ultramarine. It's not the same without it."
"I'm sure it won't make that much of a difference to him. Who cares. It's a stupid, childish necklace."
"It is not, Luke! It's not!" Tears gushed down her cheeks. She pulled her own necklace out of her coat pocket, where it's been for the past two years. Right with her. She slid it into her shorts' pocket in the summer, and her sweatshirt pockets in the spring. She slipped it back over her head again.
"And now you're putting yours back on too? Remember the reason why people at our school know your name, Annabeth. You couldn't have done that on your own. That's where you stand right now. You need me or else you'll become a loser like Percy. Sitting by yourself because no one really likes you. You won't even have Percy anymore to keep you company."
"Get out of here, Luke!" Annabeth yelled. "And get out of my life too while you're at it."
His frown deepened as he turned and stormed away from her.
"I'm an awful person," she muttered as she kept searching for the blue bead. Finally, she found it laying right on the edge of the creek. She sighed and picked it up, sliding it on the yarn.
She ran to her house as fast as she could, scrambling to get into her step-mother's craft room. She dug through piles of yarn, looking for the same color to match the previous one.
"What are you doing, Annabeth?" Her stepmom asked, standing in the doorway. Annabeth held up the broken necklace, the beads holding on from the triple not that still held.
"It's broken and it's my fault." She threaded the beads onto the new yarn.
"Is that one Percy's?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna bring him the new one. I just don't know if he'll accept an apology." She only put one knot in this time to make it easier to undo, so she could tie it around his neck.
She ran as quickly as she could to his house next door. Sally opened it and was surprised.
"Annabeth, sweetie, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" She gave her a hug. Annabeth took looked at Sally's baby bump. Sally took notice. "She's due in three months. We're still trying to decide on a name."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you, sweetie. Why don't you come in. I have some cookies. Percy ran to the store for me real quick. He'll be home anytime now."
"Oh okay, thank you."
Annabeth was upset that Percy wasn't home, but she did enjoy Sally's cookies.
"I haven't seen you in forever, Annabeth. What's new?"
Annabeth finished munching on a cookie. "Not much honestly. High School's been rough. And I had the sudden realization that I'm kinda a bitch."
Sally let out a small laugh. "Sorry for laughing, Annabeth. You are not. You're a wonderful girl. Why would you think that you're awful."
"It's a really long story, and I'm sure you've heard some of it from Percy."
"Well, I want to hear it from you."
Annabeth sighed. Just then, Percy walked in the door.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Percy, can we talk?"
Percy motioned for her to continue. She looked towards Sally.
Percy sighed and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards his room.
"The only reason I'm agreeing to this is because you were nice enough to put the necklace back on for this moment."
"It's been in my pocket since the day I took it off," she told him. "I swear it."
"What?"
"Percy, I've kept it with me because I didn't want to forget you. Ever. I just didn't know how to confront you after what I did. I tried to blame you for it because it was easier. And I'm kinda a bitch. But I fixed your necklace for you." She smiled and pulled it out of the bag. He smiled too. "Turn around." He did just that and she reached up to swing it over his head and tie it with three knots so it hung loosely over his neck.
"Thank you, Wise Girl."
"Yeah. Will you take my apology?"
"No." She felt tears form in her eyes. He hugged her tightly. "I was only teasing. Kinda. I don't know yet, Annabeth. This isn't just about the necklace though."
She held him tighter then. "You're my best friend, Percy. I was stupid for what I did. I ruined such a good thing. I'm so sorry. I kinda just dumped all of my other friends for you. Luke was an asshole to begin with. He'll probably spread a rumor or something and—" she let go of him. "It doesn't matter."
He grabbed her hands in his. She loved the feel of it. It's been so long since they've truly just held hands.
"That's the Annabeth I know. I've missed you," he told her.
"I missed you too. We're good now?"
He kissed her cheek and laughed. "We're great." They stared at each other for a bit longer.
Feeling bold after a kiss on the cheek, she leaned up and kissed his lips. He seemed to expect it, because even though it's been a couple years, he knew how to read her like an open book.
As they pull apart, she looks up at him, but traces her thumb over the necklace, replaying the code in her head. It might be the most true thing she'd ever said. He looks down at it.
"I don't ever want to lose it again. Is it tied tight enough?"
"Triple knotted it again," she confirmed. He looked at her and down at it again.
"You put the beads on in the exact same order. How'd you remember?"
"Because it has a special meaning."
"What?"
She put her arms loosely around his neck. "I love you."
He kissed her fiercely, and she didn't want him to ever stop. "I love you too," he mumbled against her lips. "And I will forever."
"Pinkie promise?" She asked as soon as they pulled apart. He didn't even hesitate to connect his pinkie with hers.