xiii. Annabeth

A few days after the double date blow up incident, Piper approaches Annabeth.

The blonde's kind of shocked, to be honest. She's fully prepared to see them waiting to pounce on her, and demand she let go of Percy. After all, the date had been nothing but a disaster. But alas, here is Percy's friend, looking meek and remorseful, and all Annabeth can think is why.

"Um, hey," Piper begins awkwardly, once she stops in the space besides Annabeth's locker. She continues fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Hey," Annabeth says, just as awkward. "Anything I can help you with?"

"So, listen. Ah, I know we got on the wrong feet last week and that we acted really mean towards you. Especially at the diner, all those questions and rude remarks were really uncalled for. But you'd have to understand that we were just trying to protect Percy as our friend, and it just so happens that you're the—the focus of his attention.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, um, I'm sorry, we're sorry for everything. We totally could've been better in handling the situation. And we'd just have to accept your relationship, even though it's, um—I don't know—uh, weird," Piper finishes, and she looks at her in the eyes.

Annabeth doesn't know what to say, everything is a little overwhelming, so she blurts out the first thought in her mind. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you think we're weird?"

A frown makes its way onto the brunette's face. "Out of everything I said, that's what you picked up on?"

"I heard the rest, don't worry, but why? Why are we weird?"

"Uh, duh." Piper rolls her eyes like it's the most obvious thing she has ever heard. "You two are like polar opposites of each other. And you were enemies for so long, it's kind of hard to imagine you two both being couple-y and stuff. I mean- I don't know, I find it hard to think that you probably use fighting to turn each other on."

First of all, ew. Annabeth scrunches her nose at the thought. "Yeah, no."

"But other than that, I accept the apology. I'd understand where you're coming from. I'd also be wary of myself, if I were in your shoes."

Piper raises her eyebrows. "Sure."

"I know I'm not exactly the bubbliest person-"

"That's an understatement."

"Yeah, whatever. But truth is, I mean no harm to Percy or to your group. We just want to be together without causing harm to others. And I just want to say sorry if you felt otherwise."

"Yeah, I understand." Piper beams at her. "Great. Friends?"

She smiles back. "Sure."

"See you at lunch later! Sit at our table so we can bond better!" Piper hollers as she walks towards her next class.

Despite the relationship being fake, Annabeth's glad something genuine will come out of it.

Lunch arrives and Annabeth is a bit hesitant to move at Percy and his friends' table. She's honestly unsure how they are going to treat her, especially with all the tension she experienced before. But Piper kind of expected her to, and it would be quite weird if she can't even sit with her own (fake) boyfriend.

So she shakes her nerves and walks towards the direction of their table.

She first spots Percy, whose hands are flailing as he explains or argues something with Grover and Jason. Her gaze then lands on Piper. When their eyes meet, Piper immediately perks up and waves her hands around.

"Annabeth! Come sit here!"

Now that she's seen, she can no longer make an excuse not to sit with them. She cautiously approaches them and sits herself beside Percy.

"Hey," he greets. She playfully pinches him and returns the greeting.

She turns back to watch the table warily, and strangely enough, they aren't watching them like hawks do at their prey. Jason even manages a slight smile.

Percy whispers slowly at her. "Don't worry. Piper already told us that you'd be sitting with us today."

"Yeah?"

"Yep. So stop sitting so still, you look like a statue."

She can't help the scowl forming on her face. "You do know how to get on my nerves."

Then, when nobody's looking, she whispers to him. "Prick Jackson."

Percy laughs (the audacity!) and pinches her cheek in mocked fondness and in an annoying voice, "You're so cute!"

At that comment, all of his friends' gazes turn to them. Grover and Jason look like they're trying hard not to laugh; Rachel even smiles, and Piper just grins.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day you two are together, but I have to admit, this is too cute!" Piper says, genuinely.

"Cute like 'you make me want to play my reed pipes' cute," Grover says.

Jason scrunches his nose. "That is so weird dude."

"I don't know. It's like, Grover's dirty talk," Rachel comments.

Piper agrees. "It's like a kinky line from a 60s films. Imagine this: You go into a bar and say something like," she changes her pitch to sound deep like a man, "hey, you make me wanna play my reed pipes."

"Yep, that is so weird," Percy chimes in and laughs. The rest of the table laughs too, and Annabeth finds herself holding back a smile.

Percy

"Remind me again why this is necessary?" Percy grumbles as he slouches on her passenger seat.

Annabeth just hums and swats his feet off her dashboard. "Get your ugly feet off my car!"

He snorts. "That would mean me leaving this car and walking back home, which is very tempting."

She doesn't even deign him a response, but a sharp glare from her prompts him to keep his very beautiful feet back to her carpet.

He huffs, "Fine. Just so you know, I hate this."

"I know. You've told me about 50 times already."

"And I'm telling you again, just in case you finally acknowledge my feelings."

"No."

"You're evil, you know. Pure, puppy-kicking, steal the last pizza evil. The worst of your kind."

She says nothing, and continues humming to the song on the stereo, like she's mocking him. Percy isn't even surprised, to be honest.

"I don't even understand this! I know you hate shopping."

"Yep."

"So, why? Why are we subjecting ourselves to torture?"

"You do know you're kind of hopeless, right?"

"That's not a proper reason."

"Minus 10 points."

"What? This is graded?" he asks incredulously.

"Everything you do is," Annabeth says. She makes a very tiny space with her thumb and index finger. "This is how close you are to getting a D."

"No, shit."

"Yes, shit."

They stop at a red light. He stares at her, and she stares right back, unyielding. They refuse to break the challenge up until the traffic light changes to green and cars behind them start honking angrily.

He breaks the stare with a pout. "Fine. You win this round."

"Told you sooo," she says teasingly.

"You're the worst kind of annoying," he quips, just so he can have the last word.

As they are passing through the traffic, Percy's gaze snagged on a picture of the Golden Gate bridge on a store's front glass.

"Golden Gate looks so red. And it's not even red."

"It's officially called international orange," Annabeth comments. "It's around 1.7 miles long and 90 feet wide. And did you know that a safety net under the bridge during its construction saved the lives of 19 men? These survivors were officially called members of the 'Half-Way to Hell Club'. Also, an earthquake struck it before it could even be completed. Aaand I think I'm gonna stop now. Did I say too much? 'Cause I feel like I said too much."

Percy just looks at her, amazed. "It's- you're okay. How do you even know all of that stuff?"

Her ears burn red and she refuses to look at him. "Oh, you know, it's just a thing I picked up from living in Cali."

"No, don't even downplay that. You're amazing."

"Not really."

"Yes you are! I'm guessing you just won't happen to know about how tall Empire State is?"

Annabeth not so subtly rolls her eyes at him, but she smiles nonetheless. "Don't even get me started on that. But just in case you're wondering, Empire State Building is about-"

About half an hour of listening to Annabeth talk about facts about Empire State Building to the wonderful beams and arches of some classic 'architectural masterpiece' (he forgot the name, he's not really into history anyway), they finally end up at some mall.

He holds back a sigh. "We're really doing this?"

"It's not like I have much of a choice. C'mon, quit babying around. It's not like going inside will kill you or anything."

It does, in fact, kill him.

Not to be overdramatic or anything, but how can he expect to come out alive when he's being hounded by the salespersons every way he turns?

Annabeth's not doing well either, but she manages to fend them off with a well-placed glare. Percy briefly wonders if she can command an army with just her gaze. It doesn't seem far from the truth.

They pass by a small boutique after picking up some clothes Annabeth deemed decent enough for him. And honestly, she's probably right. He never really paid much attention to his clothes; he just tends to pick whatever seems clean enough from the closet (or the floor, if he forgets to do his laundry). But seeing himself in the mirror after Annabeth throws him a shirt that, in her words, "brings out the color in your eyes", he has to admit that she probably has some kind of magic.

Once they enter the store, Annabeth immediately goes for the dress shirts and hands him a navy blue one. After changing, he opens the door to be appraised at.

"So, what do you think?"

Annabeth's gaze peruses his body, and something close to impressed settles in her expression. "You do clean up nicely, after all."

"That's the nicest thing you've said to me," he comments with a laugh.

"Yes. And probably the last one too," she replies dryly, while inspecting the fit of the shirt on his body.

"I'm beginning to think you're using this as an excuse to touch me, Chase."

"In your dreams."

"Ha. Like I would consciously dream about you."

One side of her mouth quirks up. "So does that mean you subconsciously dream about me?"

"I don't know. I prefer to call them nightmares. Y'know, like those things that haunt you at night."

She pinches his side. "Ass," she says, but there's a smile threatening to grow on her face.

She turns to the sales lady, "We'll take this."

By then, his gaze has already wandered to the pale yellow sundress hanging off the clothes rack. He picks it up and taps the blonde.

"Hey, why don't you try this one?" He then gestures to the dress he's holding.

Annabeth frowns. "We're here to shop for you. Not me."

"Doesn't mean you can't try something for yourself."

She throws him a look.

"Fine. I just thought that this will look great on you. It can't hurt to try."

She fingers the hem of the dress. "I don't know.."

The sales lady smiles at them. "You should probably listen to your boyfriend. I think the color compliments your tan."

Percy has half a mind to deny the statement, before remembering that they are in fact, must appear to be dating for real. So he settles with an "I told you so" and a smug look directed at Annabeth.

The said girl just rolls her eyes, mutters "fine", and takes the dress from him. She quickly disappears into one of the dressing rooms.

"Little fight?" the lady asks.

He laughs. "Oh no. She's just being difficult. Don't worry, I'm used to it."

"You kind of look like you are."

"That's because I've known her for almost half of my life."

"Really? Must have been a puppy love then?"

Percy doesn't know what to say so he just agrees with her. "You could say that."

"That's cute. Hope you're both still together until marriage."

He blushes to the tips of his ears because if this lady only knew the truth about their arrangement, she wouldn't be saying that.

Thankfully, he's saved from making a response when Annabeth comes out of the stall.

True enough, the dress fits her like a second skin. Her tan seems to glow with the color. The hem of the dress ended just a few inches above her knees, making her long legs stand out. And yes, they were long enough to keep his gaze trailed down her legs before realizing that he's staring. At the enemy no less, who happens to have really great legs.

Red tints his cheeks. Damn it. He might just have discovered a weakness.

"Well?" Annabeth asks.

He wishes they could've stopped at that food stall earlier to buy bottled water. His throat feels parched. "Erm...nice."

"Nice?" She repeats.

"Nice. You look nice."

"That's a lie. You look gorgeous, dear," the sales lady comments.

"That's what I meant… in less eloquent words," he whispers under his breath.

The blonde hears him. "I'm surprised you can say eloquent," she teases, but nonetheless she looks happy with the words.

Rolling his eyes at her, he tells the woman, "We'll take this too."

Annabeth frowns. "I'll pay."

"Nope, it's on me."

"I can and I will."

"No, seriously, I'll take this. You can pay for dinner later."

She looks like she still wants to argue but settles for it at the end. "Fine. But I'm choosing the place."

"As you wish."

Once Annabeth has changed back into her jeans and they begin heading towards the cashier to pay for the clothes, Percy catches the sales lady winking and gives him a thumbs up.

He's so mortified he almost misses the shy smile on Annabeth's face as she turns away from him.

Almost. But not quite.

He shares the smile.

A/N: Ahhh apologies for the late update! To be honest, I have not started any draft re: chapter 13 two (or three) weeks ago, until I received an email notif that someone left a comment on this story. So yeah, I decided to read it again and fell in love with the story once more, and I am back hahaha. Updates may be sporadic cos even in this quarantine I am working at home (woes of public accounting) and sometimes i feel not motivated enough/inspired enough to write a chapter that i'll love.

But yeah, i think i like this one (cos percabeth are being cute), and hopefully, I'll have some free time to write the next chapter soon.

That's it! Hope you like this one and leave your thoughts down below! Thanks!

P.s. hopefully this didn't sound like i'm writing you a business email or whatever. lol