Annabeth's POV

My knee bobbed up and down as I patiently waited for Percy to come and pick me up.

We had finally been able to work everything out so that I could formally meet his mother, Sally.

Was I extremely nervous?

I was practically shitting my pants.

Was I prepared?

Mentally, no.

Was I gonna do it for Percy anyways?

Of course.

I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. It was just dinner. No big deal. Dad already briefed me on how I should present myself, and to have good manners. Say please and thank you, and wash dishes afterward. Helen and her side comments didn't exactly cool the fiery ball of anxiety in my throat, but I tried my best not to snap at her in front of my father. He finally added that, as cliche as it is, to be myself, because that's actually important. I knew what I had to do. Everything would be fine.

Unless she hates me.

And I somehow burn down the apartment building while washing dishes.

But that wouldn't happen.

Right?

I sighed, shoving all my thoughts away as I struggled to clear my head. When the doorbell finally rang, it startled me and I jumped.

I got up off the couch. "I got it!" I ran to the door before someone else could answer. I opened the door to find Percy standing there, rocking on his heels, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey." I greeted him with the best smile I could muster.

"He—" he stopped abruptly as he looked over my outfit. "What are you wearing?" He asked.

"Uh, clothes?" I furrowed my eyebrows; I was confused.

"Clearly not your clothes." He said. In a way, he was correct; these clothes weren't me. I was wearing regular denim jeans—non-ripped—, a light pink sweater, and converse. I put my hair up in a neat ponytail and applied a bit of mascara, and I never put on makeup. "I'm not seeing any rips, dark colors, or flannel. I'm not seeing Annabeth Chase." He looked at me with a smile that was almost sad.

My shoulders sagged. "You're right."

"Let's fix this." Percy grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the house. He ran up the stairs, pulling me along, yelling, "Hi, Mr. Chase!" We got to the top of the stairs and he pulled me into my room. He went over to my closet and began searching through.

"Asshole, what are you doing?" I sort of laughed.

"What does it look like, Wise Girl?" He didn't stop his search. Eventually, he pulled out some clothes. "Awesome." He herded me into the bathroom and closed the door. I took that as a sign that I should change.

A few short minutes later, I came out of the bathroom and walked in front of my mirror. Percy picked out a short sleeve, white crop top that didn't show too much, but just enough. He gave me black ripped jeans, and of course, my signature flannel. I kept my converse on. Percy walked behind me, looking at me in the mirror. He smiled at me.

"May I?" He gestured to my ponytail.

I laughed. "You're such a dork. Go for it, Seaweed Brain."

He gently pulled the hair tie from my hair and my wild, frizzy, blonde curls fell free. "That's more like it." Percy's smile grew a fraction bigger, and it made my heart feel warm.

"Alright, we should go." I reminded him.

"Probably."

><•><

"Ready?" Percy jammed his key into the lock.

"No," I admitted.

"Good. Three, two, one," he pushed the door open. "Mom!" He called. "I come bearing gifts!" He smiled at me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh!" I heard Sally come running through the apartment. "Hi!" She smiled so widely at me I wasn't sure it was even possible.

"Hi," I smiled back, not being able to help myself. Sally engulfed me in a hug. She had such a welcoming, warm aura that it was hard not to smile in her presence. She smelled nice.

"Alright mom, let her breathe." Percy chucked. Sally let me go.

"I've heard so much about you!" She smiled.

"Mom!" Percy whined.

I laughed. "You talk about me, Seaweed Brain?" I teased.

"No, she's just—"

"Oh all the time. About how you stood up to that boy, what's his name?" Sally played along. We both laughed as Percy blushed. 

But, Percy talked about me? The thought made me feel giddy and warm.

Compose yourself, Annabeth.

Right.

"Alright, well, if dinner is ready shouldn't we start?" Percy tried to change the subject, putting my hoodie on the coat rack.

"I suppose." Sally said, before smiling and shooting me a wink. I smiled and laughed.

"Right this way m'lady." Percy gestured for me to follow Sally. I snorted and rolled my eyes, muttering how he's such a dork. Percy just smiled at me.

"Okay, so I made seven layer dip," Sally started. "Home made pizza, and for dessert, cookies."

Percy mouthed something to his mother that I couldn't understand. I looked to Sally to find her nodding. Percy silently whispered to himself, "Awesome."

"Alright, let's eat!"

><•><

"So, Annabeth," Sally put down her pizza. "I hear that you just moved to New York from San Francisco. How's that been?"

"Mom—" Percy started but I cut him off.

"It's okay," I reassured him. "It's been pretty great actually. Things are turning out a lot better than I thought they would. Initially my plan was that I would move back after high school, but now I wanna stay." I glanced at Percy to see him smiling so wide that it made my heart feel warm. "All of my friends are here, I like the way things are at school, and I have no reason to leave now." I shrugged and smiled.

"Well, I'm glad." Sally smiled at her almost as wide as Percy did. Despite the fact that Sally and Percy didn't look very much alike (she had blue eyes and brown hair while Percy had green eyes and black hair), I certainly knew where Percy got his smile. He also seemed to inherit Sally's big heart. Annabeth didn't know her for very long, but she could tell how much she loved Percy and how kind she was. "You also mentioned school. Percy tells me that things are fine, but I suspect more is going on. Especially after that suspension." Sally raised her eyebrows at Percy.

"That was really my fault, Ms. Jackson, you can't blame Percy."I started.

"Oh I know, dear, and please, call me Sally." She smiled.

"Oh, okay. Um, but yeah, things get kinda crazy sometimes. Normally, it's between me and Luke, but sometimes Percy gets dragged in, whoops." I shrugged and Sally laughed.

"It's alright, as long as he's okay." She said.

"I'll be fine," Percy waved his hand.

"Oh, like that time at the skatepark?" I teased him.

"What time at the skatepark?" Sally raised an eyebrow.

I gasped. "He didn't tell you?!" I turned to Percy. "You didn't tell her?!"

"No!" Percy said.

"Why?!"

"Well, it's not exactly my proudest moment." Percy looked down at his plate.

"I need to hear this story," Sally laughed.

"Oh," I laughed. "Well, won't this be fun."

><•><

"Mom, no!" Percy threw a pillow over his face as his mother walked into the living room, holding a stack of photo albums.

"Percy, I have to! It's obligatory," Sally shrugged and gave her son fake sympathy with a smile.

"Oh, yes." I laughed. Sally placed the books on the coffee table and sat down on the arm chair, across from Percy and I on the couch. "Let's start with this one." I grabbed a book.

"Not that one, no no no." Percy shook his head and tried to take it from me playfully. "Mhm. Nope."

I laughed. "Yes, yes, I have to see this one, Percy you're r-really not helping your case." I laughed and pulled the book from him.

"Ugh, fine." Percy let go.

"Alright." I started flipping through the book. I stopped on the third page. "Oh. My. God."

Percy covered his face with his hands.

I burst out laughing. "You were such a chubby baby! Ha!" Sally started laughing as well. "Oh my gosh," after a little while I caught my breath. "That is adorable."

"Yep, when he was born, he was 9 pounds, 2 ounces." Sally said.

My mouth dropped open. "Oh my gosh, ow." Sally laughed. "That's a big—that's a lot—ouch!" I laughed.

Percy blushed when I turned to him. "You think I made myself that big?!" He defended. Sally laughed.

"It was certainly not smooth sailing all the way through." Sally said.

"Alright, let's keep going." I flipped through the pages, seeing a ton of cute baby pictures of Percy. I had to admit, Percy was never ugly. He was an adorable kid and, let's just say things only got better from there.

"Oh my gosh," I stopped on a picture of Percy when he was about five.

"Oh, I remember that!" Percy moved a little closer to me, looking over my shoulder. I could feel him breathing on my neck, and I tried hard not to shiver. A fire sparked in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh yes, Percy begged me for that costume." Sally added. I assumed it was on Halloween, and Percy was dressed in a blue dinosaur costume. He looked adorable in the picture as, I assumed, he was pretending to roar.

"Wow. Once a dork, always a dork." I teased and smiled at Percy.

"I was five!" He protested.

"I'm kidding." I laughed. "Not really." I muttered. Sally laughed as I teased Percy. He jabbed me in the side. I did the same to him. "Alright, alright," I surrendered. I pulled out my phone and took a picture of the tiny little dinosaur Percy.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes, really."

"Ugh, you're so annoying. I didn't get to look at your baby pictures." Percy pouted.

"Well, that's because you didn't get the chance." I shrugged. "So, oh well." I said sarcastically.

"Nope, you owe me. Next time we hang out, I get to see your baby pictures." Percy said smugly.

"Fine."

"Really?"

"No."

"Come on."

"I'm kidding."

"Really?"

"Yes." I laughed. "I'll... let you see my baby pictures." I grumbled though I wasn't really upset.

"Awesome." Percy smiled.

"Now let's get through the rest of these." I smiled evilly and grabbed another book. Sally laughed.

"Oh god no."

><•><

"I had a really good time tonight, Seaweed Brain." I smiled as Percy walked me up to the door. "You're mother is really cool."

"She'll be happy to hear that." Percy smiled at me.

A few moments of silence passed between us, not awkward, just silent. I smiled at him and took in his face. I realized how close we had become, and how badly I was falling. It was strange. These sort of things didn't happen to me. I didn't even feel this much when it came to Jason, and I lost my virginity to him. With Percy, it was... different. I had no idea how to explain it. We said we were friends, but there was more there. I tried not to focus on labels because they were confusing, like now. We certainly weren't just friends but we weren't together either.

I sighed, breaking the silence and trying to clear my head. "Well, I should... get inside." I pointed my thumb towards the door behind me.

"Yeah, I should..." Percy started to turn away.

"I had a good time." I smiled at him as he looked up at me.

He smiled so wide and his eyes shined. "I'm really glad you did. I did too."

"Alright well..." I opened the door and walked inside. I watched as Percy walked to his car, and saluted one last time before he got in his car and drove off.

"How was it." My dad appeared right behind me, effectively scaring the shit out of me.

"Dad!" I exclaimed. "Don't do that." I turned around.

"Sorry," He chuckled. "But how was it?"

"It was good. Sally is really just an awesome person. She's really cool and just has this... warmth to her, you know?" I asked. "Very... motherly."

My dad nodded. "Yeah, I know." He seemed to be deep in thought. "Well, get some rest, kiddo." He kissed my head before turning away.

"Love you dad."

"Love you too."

•••

Authors note

Wow this took an unnecessarily long ass time to get out. I am so sorry I have been slammed and my days feel so much shorter and especially with all this homework bullshit like wtf is that??? Oh well. Hope you guys liked this chapter, it's really not that great. But thanks for all the reads. (9k whaaaaa???) Don't forget to vote, comment, etc. thanks and love you guys!
-bella💕