I just wanna talk about how insane it is that I literally got a thousand reads in a week. Like..what? Thank you so, so much for clicking on this measly lil' story and showing some interest! It means the world to me when I see a new username in my notifications, either leaving a vote or comment. I appreciate each of you.
Now, moving on from that icky sappiness and into what you all are here for! The bonus chapter told in ANNABETH'S pov for a few very important milestones in the Percabeth timeline :D
Art by miavmore on instagram! I love her art so, so much! I might even use more in the future ;)
Have at it!
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June 4th, 2014
"Annie, sweetie, can you come down? Your mother wants to speak with you!"
I held back a gag. So many things annoyed me about that sentence from my dad that I could hardly count them. He knew not to call me Annie, or sweetie. My name was Annabeth. Also, as far as I was concerned, my mother was not in the house. She was in the cemetery in Virginia, and had been there for almost five years. The woman he was referring to was my controlling stepmother, Helen.
I rolled my eyes and tucked my bookmark into my book. I trudged out of my room and down the hall. "Yes, Helen?"
She grinned brightly at me. "Hey there. It's lovely outside, isn't it?"
I glanced at the large window behind the couch in the living room, where Helen was perched folding laundry. "Sure."
"How would you feel about coming to the park with me and your brothers?"
I shrugged. "I mean, do I have to? I was at the good part in my book and I would really like to get back to it...." I trailed off.
Helen frowned. "I suppose you don't have to, but you know how much Bobby and Matthew adore you."
I groaned. She got me there. My younger brothers, at the ripe age of five, were practically obsessed with me.
"Fine, I'll go. Let me grab some shoes. I think they're in my closet somewhere."
Helen smiled. "We'll leave in fifteen minutes. I need to get the kids ready to go out the door."
I nodded, rushing up to my room. Fifteen minutes would hopefully be enough time to finish my chapter.
Time flew, as did pages of my book, but my peaceful state was interrupted by my nagging father once again.
"Annie, are you ready to leave?"
I bit my tongue. "Yeah, just give me a minute."
I scanned the page, sucked in a breath, and shut the cover. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and rustled through a large cardboard box, searching for clothes. I grabbed a pair of socks and sneakers and shoved them on. At the last minute, I grabbed my book and tucked it beneath my arm.
I ran back out to the entrance of my new home. "Ready," I announced.
Helen grinned, holding the hand of each of my younger brothers. They looked remarkably like my dad, with out of control, ashy blonde hair and cunning smiles, but had Helen's deep brown eyes and pointed nose.
"Let's go," she announced.
I followed behind the three of them along the sidewalk, scuffing my feet along the tar. I wasn't used to the new neighborhood. Back in Virginia, I had a lot of people my age that lived close to me, and they all had similar interests to me. Here in Manhattan, I only had a few nearby peers, and they were only into sports and other physical games. I mean, I was all for winning things, but I'd rather chat about a nice novel or even a sleek strategy than who won the most recent undetermined sports game.
As soon as we got to the park, I bolted for the swing set. They made for perfect seats while reading, which was my plan for the following hour or so.
Helen and the boys headed for the sandbox, so I nestled down and opened up my book. After a few sentences, I was transported into the novel.
After a chapter or two, I set my book down and got up to stretch. I looked up and down, then left and right, trying to remove the crook in my neck. When I looked right, I saw a strange flash through the woods.
What could that be? I thought. It's not like there are animals near civilization.
I glanced at Helen and the twins. They were still sitting in the sandbox, throwing dust and constructing lumps also known as "buildings". I bit my lip, looked around, and sped to the bench behind the three of them. I set down my book and sprinted into the woods.
In about a minute, I heard distinguished voices. One scratchy, low voice and another, much more nasally voice. I darted off in the direction of the voices.
"Hello?" I called, immediately berating myself. Didn't I learn anything from those horror movies I was always attempting to watch?
"Did you hear something?" the higher voice asked.
"No, I couldn't hear anything over the sound of your whimpering, Thals. Man up!"
"I'm a girl, Kelp Brain!"
"Never stopped you before!"
I headed closer and saw two young people getting in each other's faces at the base of a large pine tree. The girl, who had a rustled black bob and piercing blue eyes, was pressing her back against the tree. The younger boy, who must've been my age, had his arms crossed and his lips screwed into a scowl. I could only see the side of his face from my angle.
The girl looked over his shoulder at me and gasped. "Whoa," she said quietly. "I think I recognize you. Do I know you?"
I frowned. She did seem very familiar. Something about those eyes....
The boy turned around, causing the girl to immediately flee the enclosed space. Even though she was several inches taller, she had stayed pressed against the tree like she was being confronted by a bodybuilder. That especially confused me after I saw the kid's face.
He had large green eyes the color of a pure emerald, a straight nose resembling the stereotypical Greek one, and full lips. He had big cheeks, making him look childish, and was probably barely five feet tall.
"What's your name?" I asked, tearing my gaze from the boy.
"My name is Thalia."
My lips parted. "Thalia...Grace?"
"Um...yes."
I grinned and sprinted to her. The boy jumped out of the way like a matador leaping away from an angry bull. I ignored him, throwing my arms around Thalia's tiny waist and squeezing her tight.
"I haven't seen you in forever!" I exclaimed.
"Uh, who are you exactly?" she asked, awkwardly elevating her arms so she didn't touch me too much.
"It's me, Annie," I said, still smiling like an imbecile.
"Annabeth?" Thalia asked incredulously.
"Yes," I said. "Remember now?"
I felt her nod, finally resting her arms on my back. "I can't believe you're here!"
We rocked back and forth for a moment before parting ways, still looking like we won a million bucks.
"We have so much to catch up on," Thalia told me. "Oh my goodness, how old are you now? You must be, what - twelve?"
I grinned. "Yep. And you're like seventeen, aren't you?"
She nodded. "This is crazy. Wait till Luke finds out. He's gonna flip."
I smiled, finally looking at the boy again. "Who's that?" I asked.
"I'm sorry," he blurted out.
"What?" I asked, laughing.
Thalia chuckled and rustled his hair. "This is my little cousin, Percy. He's a doofus."
I nodded. "I can imagine where he gets it from."
His mouth popped open and Thalia threw her head back with laughter. "Five years and she hasn't lost her sass."
Percy frowned. "I'm confused."
"I know," Thalia teased. "It isn't a new concept."
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June 22, 2014
I had only known Percy Jackson for a few short weeks and we were already best friends. We had about nothing in common, or at least that's what you thought from first glance. He wasn't the smartest and all he did was play video games and sports. I was quite smart and would rather pick up a book than a football. Sure, that was true, but our friendship went deeper.
He had lost his father in death, I had lost my mother. Percy liked working out problems, and so did I. Plus, his cousin was another of my really good friends.
It was a Sunday and Percy and I were going to the beach with his mom. They would be at my house to pick me up in less than thirty minutes, so I begrudgingly got up and started to get ready.
I dressed in a simple yellow bikini. The top was a bandeau style with thick straps, so it wasn't too revealing, and the bottoms thoroughly covered everything up. I put on jean shorts and a plain black tank top over my swimsuit. Then I brushed my hair and scraped it into a pony tail.
I ran downstairs and was immensely grateful when I saw that Helen had prepared a bag of beach items for me. Inside was a towel, some sunscreen, water, and a spare change of clothes in case mine got wet.
I grabbed an apple and was about to bite into it when I heard a knock on the door. I set it down and rushed to answer the door.
"Hey, Annabeth," Sally immediately said brightly.
"Hey, guys. I think I have everything, but I need to check with my parents."
Percy grinned. "Great."
"You can wait inside if you want," I suggested.
Sally and Percy came in and sat at the breakfast bar. I ran around the house looking for my dad and stepmom. I finally found them both in the twins' room.
"Hey, I'm about to leave. I'll be back sometime around dinner, I'd guess."
Dad smiled. "Alright, have fun."
I waved at the boys and went back to the kitchen. I saw Percy and his mom chatting casually, Percy twirling my apple on the table like a spinning top.
I frowned. "Give me my apple back."
Percy laughed and tossed it to me. I swiftly caught it and took a bite. "Okay, I'm ready."
Sally laughed. "Let's get going then."
We piled in the car. Sally played 80's music all of the way to Montauk.
When we arrived, we all jumped out of the car and brought our stuff down to the beach. We set down the cooler, bags, and a few towels to sit on.
We quickly rubbed on some sunscreen and after a few minutes, Percy exclaimed, "We're ready! Let's go in the water!"
He ran over to the shore, laughing maniacally. I noticed something on his back. He appeared to have a bunch of lines scattered along his skin, some faded, some prominent, and even some angry red gashes.
I gasped. "What's that, Seaweed Brain?" I called, still by our clothes at the set up.
"What? My back?" he retorted, smiling anxiously.
I stumbled through the sand, trying to get closer. "No, all of those lines. Aren't they scars? Where'd you get them from?"
Suddenly, he grasped my wrist and tugged me into the cold water. We were both submerged, but I fought to get above the water. When I made it above, I pushed Percy away.
"Percy! You know I'm not good at swimming!" I crossed my arms.
"Well, I am," he responded. "Don't be afraid. I just didn't want to talk about my...scars...around my mom."
"Oh," I said quietly.
He shut his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "My mom married this awful guy named Gabe. He drinks and smokes all of the time, and he made our apartment smell really bad. Last year, he started hurting my mom."
I held in a gasp. Poor, innocent Sally?
"I didn't know what to do, and I ran. But when I met you I realized I could fight back. He has been hurting me instead, but I don't care as long as my mom is safe."
I bit my lip, before surging forward and incasing my brave friend in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Percy. Is there anything I can do?"
I felt him shake his head. "I don't want you getting hurt."
Tears pricked my eyes. Maybe this silly, happy-go-lucky boy had been through more than I thought.
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August 28th, 2016
Three days prior to the start of freshman year, I was feeling insanely anxious. I had never really been known to be nervous about things like this, but for some reason I was. I think it had something to do with the fact that I would be attending the same school as my best friend Percy for the first time.
Ever since I had moved to Manhattan a little over two years before, I had attended snooty, girls-only private schools. Percy had also been sent to numerous private schools ever since he was a little kid. This year, though, we were both starting off high school at a completely normal public school.
That's where my anxiety started. Public school. They practically told horror stories about public schools at all of the places I had enrolled in. I had no idea what to expect.
Another thing was that, even with attending school with Percy, I was worried that I wouldn't have any friends. I never had been great at making friends anyway, and it wasn't completely unfeasible to have Percy ditch me a week into the year, leaving me with a grand total of zero friends.
Okay, that was a bit exaggerated. Percy would never leave me, considering how much we had been through together. We were practically connected at the hip, as his mother always liked to point out. Plus, Percy had introduced me to his good friend Grover a while after we first started hanging out, and he'd also be attending Goode High School.
I groaned, sitting up in my plush bed. It was so comfy, and I knew that I had plans with the boys, but did I really have to get up?
I ran a finger through the ends of my pony tail and grimaced. Yawning, I stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom down the hall with a bundle of clothes nestled in my arms.
After a quick shower, I dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a plain blue tee shirt that practically swallowed me if I didn't tuck it in. I may or may not have stolen it a few months prior at a sleepover at Percy's house, and it may or may not have still smelled deliciously like him, but hey - you'll never know, will you?
I attempted to brush my hair, but gave up after a few strokes. I'll do it later, I convinced myself. I swooped it up into a high-ish pony tail, tucking a few stray hairs behind my ears.
I ran downstairs to the kitchen, feeling very hungry all of a sudden. I knew we were planning on eating a lot at the park in a couple hours, so I just snacked on a bowl of Cheerios.
Helen was stood at the counter, chopping vegetables for was I presumed was the night's dinner. I slurped some milk from my bowl, then got up from the breakfast counter and went to wash my bowl out in the sink. I also washed a few dishes that had been thrown in from her cooking adventures.
"Oh, thank you, dear," Helen said.
I pushed out a smile. "Yeah, no problem."
Then I headed back upstairs to lay in bed and procrastinate doing anything until it was time to leave.
There was nothing wrong with Helen. She was a great mom to the twins, a loving wife, a good cook, and overall she was really caring. I had nothing against her personality at all, really.
The only thing that would forever tick me off about her was that she seemed to always be trying to be my mom. She was trying to replace my mother, and I wouldn't have it. I knew that she meant well, but it was something that bothered me too much to forgive. My mother was dead, and that was fine. I didn't want a new one.
I wondered if Percy felt the same way about his father and stepfathers. He had not only dealt with one abusive one, but was also just starting with a new one. But I knew that Percy's current stepdad, Paul, was absolutely lovely. Still, could Percy be feeling the same way as I was?
About an hour or two later, it was noon. I got off of my bed, slid on some sneakers, and rushed down the stairs.
"Helen, Dad, I'm leaving!"
"Be back for dinner, your stepmom prepared something nice tonight!" Dad called.
I smiled. He's learning, I thought teasingly. "Yeah, I will. Love you!"
"I love you too, Annabeth."
I walked down the street and to Percy's apartment building, smiling all the way. At his place, I ran up the stairs and knocked on the door. A minute later, it opened up and revealed a smiling Percy.
"Hi," he greeted happily.
Percy had changed a lot in the years I had known him, but yet he also hadn't changed much at all. The same shimmering green eyes and boyish smile, although his cheeks were a little more filled out and his haircut had greatly improved. He had finally grown, being about five feet seven inches tall, an inch taller than me.
He also wasn't as...sad. When we had first met, he was still being abused both physically and mentally by his first stepfather. That really left a toll on him, and he had finally begun to grow past that stage of his life. I was proud, honestly.
"Hey," I replied.
He stepped out of the apartment, calling, "Bye, guys! Love you. Be back soon!" over his shoulder. That made me smile.
We walked out of his apartment and headed to the park. Grover would already be waiting because he lived super close to there.
"So, school's in a couple days," I stated.
He groaned. "Don't remind me."
I laughed a little under my breath. "Got it."
"It'll be fine, I'm sure," he told me. "I know you're such a worrier, but try not to stress."
I smiled. "Got it."
Percy laughed. "Say it again, Annabeth."
I grinned. "Got it."
All of a sudden, I was being lifted into the air. Percy wrapped his arms around my waist and flipped me over his shoulder. Then he began sprinting.
I clutched the fabric on the back of his shirt. "Seaweed Brain!" I shouted.
He didn't stop running. "Yes?"
"What are you doing?" I exclaimed.
"Running."
"Stop it!"
Surprisingly, Percy came to an abrupt halt. "Okay."
"Now get me down," I ordered grumpily.
He chuckled, slid me back over his shoulder, and set me inches in front of him.
I frowned and looked into his eyes. Suddenly, my anger flowed away. I just couldn't be upset when I was looking into those sweet, sea green eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words found their way out. I realized something then. I never wanted Percy to leave my side. I was practically obsessed.
He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, it's the ADHD. That was really stupid of me."
I had know idea what he was talking about for a minute, but then I realized he was talking about his impulsive decision to lift me and carry me around several yards.
"Let's keep going," I said, laughing a little.
Percy grinned. We carried on walking to the park, ready for a fun day ahead of us.
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I'm stupid. I am so stupid. I am so incredibly, incomprehensibly stupid. Why did I kiss him?
All I could think of as I booked it from the light of my life was that. Why had I done it? I couldn't seem to figure it out.
Before even realizing where I was going, I arrived at my other best friend's apartment building. Thalia Grace lived with Luke Castellan in a small apartment in Upper East side. I had managed to get there in a matter of minutes while running in my distressed state.
I headed into the elevator and headed up to their floor. I remembered how much Thalia hated heights, and how hard Luke had fought to get a lower apartment, but they just couldn't manage. Their cute relationship always made me giddy.
I knocked on the thin white door, waiting for an answer. A couple of moments later, the door opened, revealing Luke.
Luke and I hadn't talked much recently. I first met him when I was only seven years old, and he was fourteen. I looked up to him a lot and thought he was the coolest guy on the planet. Then, when we were reunited when I was twelve and he was nineteen, things had been rough. I just wasn't the same little kid he remembered, and he wasn't the same sweet, caring young boy. Never the less, I would always admire him for all he dealt with and had been through.
Now, at ages fourteen and twenty one, we couldn't have been more different. Luke still had the same golden hair, although it was a little grown out, the same piercing blue eyes, the same thin lips that curled into a mischievous smile, the same hooked nose and arched brows. He was still my Luke, somewhere in there.
"Hey, Annie," he greeted after some time.
I smiled. "Hi, Luke. Is Thalia home?" I asked, glancing past his shoulder and into the apartment.
He nodded. "She just got out of the shower a minute ago. She'll be out here soon. Come on in."
I followed Luke and stepped inside. We went to sit on the couch.
"So, what's up?" he asked, trying to make conversation.
I knew he was waiting to hear something along the lines of Oh, nothing. How are you, Luke? but he had just burst the dam.
"I'm a mess," I said truthfully. "I'm so stupid! I just did the dumbest thing of my life and I can't fix it and I can't take it back and I have no idea what to do!"
"Whoa there," Luke said, resting his large warm hand on my arm. "Slow your roll. What happened, Annie?"
I bit my lip. "I just kissed somebody."
Luke laughed. "I never thought that I would hear those words come out of your mouth."
I punched his arm. "Luke!" I exclaimed.
"Right, sorry. I get it. This is a big deal. Walk me through it, yeah?"
I nodded, staring into my lap. "I was exploring the woods with my friends Grover and Percy, and we found a huge underground cave. We were checking it out inside, but then Grover left and it was just Percy and I. I was wondering what the school year would be like and if Percy and I would stay friends or if we would split apart. Then he said something, and I just walked closer and kissed him!"
Luke's smile spread as the story progressed. At that point he looked like the Cheshire Cat. "What did you do next? Did you talk about it with him?"
I frantically shook my head. "No! I just said 'Please don't leave me,' and then I ran away!"
He pursed his lips, holding back a laugh.
"Luke!"
"Right, sorry, sorry. I have to say, never have I ever had a kiss like that. That boy sure is in for a treat."
I scowled. "You're no help."
He smiled and held my hand. "I know how attached you can feel to people, Annabeth. You ran away a few years ago because you loved your mom and she wasn't there for you. You ran away just now because you love Percy and were afraid he wasn't going to be there for you. But, from what I've heard and seen, this Percy kid loves you too. He isn't going to leave you if he knows what's good for him."
I bit my lip. "You think he loves me?"
"How could he not?" Luke said, smiling and looking into my eyes. "You're a great friend, Annie. Don't you forget it."
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AWW GOLLY JEE AIN'T THAT JUST THE CUTEST THING YOU EVER DID...READ?? No? It isn't? Oh...
I hope you loved this bonus chapter as much as I did! Not only is it super cute, it also flows and connects really well hehehe.
Thanks so much for over 5000 reads and almost 300 votes! ill try to have a normal chapter out this weekend :D