Annabeth had a student body meeting so I hadn't seen her all day. But even before that, the short glimpses I'd gotten of her afterwards told me something was wrong.

At first I thought it was my fault. Maybe I was too straightforward or overbearing with those bead necklaces? She still hasn't put hers on. Even though I've seen her fiddle with it in her pocket.

I don't know why I'm so worried.

The only person I've noticed her properly interact with for the past three days, was Jason Grace.

I asked Grover if they...they had a history or something, but he swore they didn't. He also agreed with me that she'd been acting weird.

She'd always been deep in thought, not talking much. Even when I asked her what was wrong, she just shook it off and put on a smile. "Nothing, seaweed brain." she'd been saying.

I obviously didn't believe her. And we promised to always be honest, and it wasn't like Annabeth to break her promises.

As I exited a class, I saw her again in the corridor. We had one more class, and then we'd be free birds.

"Hey! Annabeth!" I called out to her as I saw her again in the corridor, standing there as she got out books from her locker.

I went over to her, "Hey! You okay?" I asked.

She shut the locker door with a bang, "of course I am!" she replied.

"Uh...Annabeth?" Jason asked, coming up from behind me. I turned to face him but he just said a polite hello.

"Umm...can we talk?" he asked her, and she nodded, going off into the sunset with him without so much as a 'I'll see you later' or 'bye!'

I couldn't help but feel, just a tad bit, jealous.

They stood in the corner of the room, me watching the two of them like a looser as Jason moved closer to Annabeth, whispering something in her ear.

When they moved apart, she was grinning ear to ear. She even giggled. Annabeth never giggles.

She said something to him and then went in for a hug.

"You good? You're staring," Grover said, shaking my shoulder and stopping my obvious gaze.

Why was she hugging him??

Not like I had any reason to question her, I just wanted to know.
If the reasons are good enough, maybe even I could hug her.

"Are you sure there's nothing between Jason and Annabeth?" I asked Grover again, just to confirm.

He rolled his eyes, something he no doubt picked up from Annabeth over the years, "Positive. Now stop staring, you look like a creep!" he bleated, playfully nudging me again.

I rolled my eyes.

The bell rang just then, and I was swept up by a sea of people. Didn't see Annabeth anywhere.

So I had to go to class too.

"Percy Jackson! Are you paying attention?" Mrs Dodds asked, clapping her hands together.

I nodded, giving her an overly excited smile.

She called up to the front of the class and made me solve a maths sum. I got it wrong, of course.

But luckily, she spent so much time on my 'embarrassing punishment' that the class ended. And so did school.

I rushed out, to find Annabeth waiting for me. She was fiddling with the necklace in her pocket, and she seemed bothered.

"Hey! Ready for an afternoon of hard work?" I asked her, reminding her that we had to spend time together working on our archery shed.

She bit her lip, turning those stormy gray eyes towards me, "I was gonna ask you about that. Could you manage it? Just for today....I promise," she asked

"Of course," I replied, giving her my best smile.

"I owe you!" she beamed.

And after she left, saying thank you once again, I called Grover and he waited for me by the school gates.

Yeah I had no intention of doing the work.

So Grover and I, as the masters of disguise we are, borrowed some caps from the Stoll brother's and put them on. And we followed Annabeth, creeping behind her.

"This feels wrong," Grover whispered.

"I know, it probably is," I whispered back.

I saw her look around carefully, and then disappear into the hole of a fence.

What was she doing??

"Is she into something illegal?" Grover murmured.

"Only if being a genius is illegal." I answered, trying to peak in through the fence.

"Hey! Who's there?" Annabeth's voice boomed, she did not sound happy one bit.

And following the best course of action, Grover and I sprinted away.

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Ahhh!!!! Okay okay yes this chapter is over wohoo!
(Ps: this was a brining chapter but the next one will be slightly better)

(Posted on 8th Feb 2021, 12:46am)

Now! The first chapter of my new Percabeth fanfiction "the Merman" is out now! Check it out and lemme know what you think <3

Stay tuned!!
—S