What Was That?

Annabeth POV

Percy was doing a great job. I never doubted that he'd do great, but I could tell that he was nervous before the show. I could see it in his eyes. However, when he looked at me, I saw the nerves going away and the confidence grow.

I wasn't nervous about performing because I had been performing on stage since middle school. But, I was anxious about my family watching my performance for the first time. My dad, Helen, and my little brother were in the audience.

At the end of A Million Dreams, when I was still in Percy's arms, my eyes scanned the audience until they found my dad.

I saw the pride flashing in my father's eyes, and it felt amazing. I looked up at Percy's smiling face and silently thanked him for helping my family get closer to me.

***

The show went on with very few mess-ups. There was barely any time for the crew members to talk backstage as everything was so busy. I guess time flies when you're having fun. I was certainly having a lot of fun, especially with the prospect of playing two characters. My first scene as Jenny Lind was coming up.

"Annabeth, hold still, we don't have much time," Thalia said harshly as she tucked my hair back into a tight and short ponytail.

"Ow, Thalia. That's too hard."

"Well, we have to cover all your blonde hair for your red wig, so hold still."

It took a few more minutes before I was ready as Jenny Lind. I stood up and made my way to the large mirror. The white dress was not only very pretty but also very heavy. I had only gotten to wear it once, and that was during a dress rehearsal two days ago.

When I looked in the mirror, I looked so unlike myself. Staring at me in the mirror was a woman with red hair and the richest of clothes, which wasn't me. However, that was only the outer appearance, and I knew more than anyone that what mattered was what was on the inside: a strong personality and a hard-working spirit.

"Woah, Wise Girl."

I smiled before turning around to face Percy.

"You're not blonde anymore," he said with a smirk. He must've just got done with his scene with Jason, which meant we'd have a minute max to get in position.

"Is that good or bad, Seaweed Brain," I asked as we walked towards the stage. The technicians were setting up the background for this royal scene where Barnum meets Jenny for the first time.

"I prefer you like yourself. You know, blonde and in normal clothes and normal makeup."

This time, I couldn't stop the blush from heating my face. While he wasn't necessarily complimenting me right now, what he said felt so good to hear.

Percy liked me for me, and only me.

***

My first performance of Never Enough was absolutely incredible. The audience had risen to their feet as they cheered and applauded. Never Enough was one of my favorite songs, and I felt so grateful to be able to perform it and perform it well.

Then, after a few more scenes, I performed Tightrope where I was able to incorporate my fluid dancing skills. Once again, I felt very good about the performance.

Finally, it was time for me to perform the Never Enough Reprise. As I sand the more emotional version of Never Enough, I could feel the tension and agony spreading through the room. That's what this version of Never Enough was about. It was about regret and loss. I finished the song suddenly with a quiet gasp.

I could feel the silence of the audience as Percy started to walk over. Percy was surprisingly a good actor. You could see the complexity of emotions on his face.

His fingers closed around mine as he initiated the royal bow. The warmth of his hand didn't help what was coming up.

I turned towards him slowly. While his face covered the expressions of this scene, his eyes had something else.

I moved closer and suddenly pressed my lips to his. It wasn't a hungry kiss; it was a soulful one filled with passion despite its simplicity. The bright camera lights flashed for the show.

I felt fireworks explode in my gut at the feel of his lips against mine. Somehow, the kiss felt longer than it should've been. Percy was supposed to pull away after 3 seconds, but he stayed there for at least 5-7 seconds. Finally, he pulled away with a quiet gasp.

"What was that?" he whispered in shock. Once again, his face carried the emotions of PT Barnum (confusion, tension, and shame), but his eyes carried something else (passion, lust, and love).

"That was goodbye," I said with a strong, yet sad voice.

I turned to the audience to convey the "holding it together" emotions before slowly walking away from Percy and off the stage.

As soon as I knew that my mic was turned off, I leaned back against the wall and let out a shallow breath. I just kissed Percy. It wasn't our first kiss. But, it was our first real kiss since I wasn't drunk and vulnerable this time. However, we only kissed for the sake of the show. That thought made me feel terrible because of how right kissing Percy felt. And, because of how right I felt when I was with him.

***

I only had two more scenes left in the show. Both of which were more quieter and emotional scenes. Percy just finished his part of From Now On, and most of the crew vanished off the stage. As Hazel, Piper, and Frank finished the peaceful ending of this song, I (Charity) stepped onto the stage, and Percy (PT Barnum) started slowly walking towards me.

Something wasn't right, though.

Percy's performance of From Now On was amazing like always, but I never thought he'd get that emotional. I watched the tears spill from his eyes at the beginning of the song. He had to wipe them away before continuing onto the uplifting parts of the song.

His hand movements were also different than what we had practiced at rehearsal. Every time he sang the chorus and the extended notes, he was supposed to spread his arms out to the side. Like how kids held their hands out during a strong wind. However, he didn't do that during either chorus. Instead, one hand was positioned on his chest while the other went out.

I didn't understand why he did the song differently.

As we finished the emotional reunion scene, I leaned forward. I was supposed to kiss him on the cheek, but he dodged the kiss. I could see different emotions welling in Percy's eyes.

His head moved slightly as he motioned for a hug rather than a kiss. I adapted quickly so that the audience wouldn't even know, but I couldn't help my disappointment.

***

Percy was definitely acting strange. I tried to talk to him after our scene ended, but he quickly left, making an excuse that he had to get dressed in his ringmaster costume. A weight pulled against my chest after realizing that he became like this after our kiss.

Did he not like it? Did it bring back all the old pain from our complex relationship? Gods, Damn.

Percy even skipped out on the final part of The Greatest Show Reprise. The entire cast was supposed to finish the song, but I noticed Percy pull Jason off stage while Hazel was singing her part. Jason came back to finish Percy's part and the entire song.

In the movie, that's actually how it goes. Jason's role, Phillip, sings in place of Barnum, but we decided that all the crew members would be in our final number of the musical.

As the number ended, the audience went wild. The applause and the cheers were deafening as the entire crew appreciated the standing ovation.

"Congratulations, Annabeth," Piper cheered as she embraced me as the curtains closed.

I laughed as I hugged back. The entire crew was celebrating, but Seaweed was nowhere to be found. After all the hard work Percy (especially) had put in, he deserved a celebration. The cast members were even ushered off stage to meet our audience and family members. I laughed and smiled at everyone who complimented me, which was everyone. My family excitedly congratulated me for my acting as Charity and my singing as Jenny Lind.

I took in all the love, but I was missing the most important person. Where is Percy?