The Date

Annabeth POV

Percy was correct. It wasn't right on my part to bring Percy's parents into our argument, especially considering I didn't even know them.

Regardless, Percy's change in mood was shocking.

Insults could not be new to someone like Percy Jackson. After all, he got cursed at by his ex-girlfriends all the time. Yet, he seemed so sensitive about the topic of his parents, and I didn't understand why.

It was so startling that I couldn't quite enjoy the fact that he stopped bothering me. Finally, I turned towards my old and new friends.

While Percy was perplexing, he did have good taste in friends.

I liked Leo and Katie in particular. Leo was the type of guy that made everyone laugh while Katie was more similar to me. She kept composure while also getting along with everyone.

I liked Percy's friends, but I wasn't so sure about him.

***

Percy and his friends joining our table wasn't a one-time occurrence. They continued to join us for the rest of the week. This meant that Percy continued to annoy and irritate me with his sleazy comments and innuendos.

There were several moments when I wanted to judo-flip him.

But, I restrained myself.

Our friends got along pretty well. However, we weren't even close to a perfect family. Grover didn't like me and Thalia; however, I didn't make Percy agree to the proposal. Thalia and I despised Percy for being a player. Most importantly, Rachel hated Percy and his friends joining our group.

Rachel was still mad about the breakup even though everyone else had moved on. Honestly, her resentment was getting a little old.

Finally, after a long week, Friday came along. Percy hadn't come to school today much to my relief. I smiled brightly while taking my seat at our lunch table.

"Woah, someone is smiling today. Who are you and what did you do with Annabeth Chase?" Leo chuckled.

"For your information, I am happy today. You got a problem with that," I countered.

"No problem, Annabeth," Leo surrendered. "But, seriously, why are you happy today? Did you get another perfect grade or something?"

"I'm used to good grades, thank you very much. I'm happy today because I don't need to deal with Percy."

"Yeah, thank the freaking gods," Thalia continued with a smile.

I chuckled while pulling out my sketchbook. Planing and drawing architectural designs was a hobby of mine. I loved everything about architecture and engineering. It was my dream to build something permanent.

Leo and Jason sighed, but they didn't say anything. I knew that they were Percy's closest friends, so they weren't going to rejoice with me and Thalia.

Grover, however, came to his best friend's defense.

"You guys are always so hard on Percy. He's not a bad guy. He just leads a different dating lifestyle than most," Grover expressed.

"Don't defend him to us, Grover. We're not ready to hear it," Thalia countered.

The air around us got thick as a fight was inevitable. Percy was an interesting character, and his friends clearly loved him. He is friendly, kind, and sociable. Yet, he couldn't manage a real relationship, which made no sense.

All of my friends paused and stared at Grover, Thalia, and me.

"Seriously, guys, Percy is an amazing guy. Y'all should give him a chance rather than dismiss him based on his personal choices," Katie suggested nervously. She wanted to defend Percy, but she was hesitant about standing up to her new friends.

"How can you say that about him? You dated him as well," Rachel said firmly.

"It's because I dated him that I know what he's like. He's a kind and respectful boyfriend even if our relationship was short-lived."

"Kindness and respect, my ass," Rachel muttered. "If he was respectable, he wouldn't jump from girl to girl. He wouldn't dump me over the phone."

"Watch it, Rachel?" Katie warned.

Travis glared at Rachel for making his girlfriend mad. They had a very peculiar relationship, but it was still cute.

Katie sighed before continuing. "If it weren't for Percy, I would've never met Travis. Now, we've been together for over a year." Katie smiled as she took Travis's hand. Travis pulled her closed to him and kissed the top of her fingers.

I had no clue that Percy set them up. It was quite noble to put personals aside and see potential between an ex-girlfriend and a friend. Katie and Travis genuinely loved each other, and Percy saw the potential in their relationship beforehand.

"Seems like he felt guilty, so he set you two up."

"Well, I can't help you if you only look at things from a cynical perspective. However, Percy is a good friend and a decent guy."

"It's not his fault that you grew feelings for him," Grover countered. His tone elevated as he glared at Rachel.

"Stop, guys. This isn't Rachel's fault either," I spoke firmly.

"Oh, you're right. It's your fault."

Now, the entire table was looking at me. Silence filled the air between me and my friends. However, this wasn't my fault either. I hadn't done anything wrong. Right?

"Don't blame, Annabeth. She's incredible, and she was standing up for her friends. It was Percy that made this proposal happen. Sex via a contract, that's sick (even for him)," Thalia expressed. Her voice resonated with disgust.

"Annabeth agreed to it. What does that say about her?"

That comment was like a punch to the gut. I had no idea how to refute or defend myself. I had agreed to the proposal, so Percy wasn't to blame. If anything, Percy didn't want to make this proposal; he said it as a joke to get a rise out of me.

At the party, I saw in his pure, sea-green eyes that Percy wanted to reject this deal out of respect for me. Out of respect for women.

However, I provoked him and kept provoking him because of my anger and pride.

"All right, guys, that's enough," I said boldly. "We all have varying views on Percy, but let's drop this now. He's not even here today."

Everyone hesitantly returned to having normal conversations. I remained silent as I worked on a sketch of a bridge design.

However, my mind was clouded with confusing thoughts about Percy.

***

Saturday was low-key. I woke up early and went for a run. Then, I helped the boys with their weekend homework before we went out for lunch.

Now, it was the afternoon, and I was finishing my Calculus homework.

"Hey, Annabeth, you have a visitor. He's waiting in the living room downstairs," Helen said as she paused at my doorway.

"Helen, I wasn't expecting anyone, but okay," I said in confusion. I quickly got out of bed and walked towards her.

Helen stopped me near the doorway.

"Annabeth, you didn't tell me that you have a boyfriend," Helen said with a teasing smile. She seemed almost too happy with the notion of me getting a boyfriend.

"What are you talking about? I'm single."

"There's a handsome young man with a bouquet waiting for you downstairs. He said that it's your first date," Helen explained. "I think it's so romantic. The blossom of love between my stepdaughter and another boy."

"Helen, please stop. I don't have a boyfriend," I exclaimed as I rushed downstairs. What was happening now?

My feet froze in response to the person in the living room.

Percy was wearing a white button-down and jeans. It wasn't that formal because Percy rolled up his sleaved and untucked the shirt. Regardless, I've never seen him in more than a t-shirt or hoodie, so this was different.

He had a bouquet of random flowers in his right hand. They looked handpicked and were scrappily tied with a green string.

"WISE GIRL, HAPPY FIRST DATE," Percy exclaimed as he rushed forward.

Before I could even respond, his hands went around me. For a few seconds, my body didn't move. If anything, it melted into his surprisingly soft embrace. He was strong and warm.

Then, I regained my senses and pushed him away.

"What the hell are you doing here, Jackson?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to take you on our first date. These are for you," Percy replied while handing me the flowers.

"We're not dating nor would we ever date. How do you even know where I live?" I asked in frustration.

"I have my sources, Wise Girl. Trust me, today's going to be fun."

"No, I don't trust you, and I am not going on a date with you because I am not your girlfriend. We are not dating. Get that through your thick skull."

Percy frowned, but he didn't leave. Instead, his eyes wandered behind me sadly. I heard Helen coming downstairs.

"Annabeth, that is no way to treat your boyfriend. He's made such a big effort to have a good day with you," Helen expressed. She smiled at Percy while speaking.

Ugh, she had fallen for Percy's tricks.

"Helen-"

"She always does this, Mrs. Chase. I try to have a good time with her, and she shoots me down every time. I'm really trying here," Percy said innocently. I wanted to punch him.

"Annabeth, go see what he has planned," Helen ordered.

"But, Helen-"

"I mean it, Annabeth. He seems like such a sweet boy. You two go out and have an amazing time," Helen said much to Percy's delight and my dislike.

"Thank you, Mrs. Chase. Come on, Annabeth," Percy said slyly.

He quickly grabbed my hand and rushed me out the front door. This couldn't be happening right now. Percy was smarter than he looked. Once we were outside, I yanked my hand away from his gentle grasp. His hold was surprisingly warm and comforting. However, I was too livid to notice the lack of his touch.

"What the hell is wrong with you? We are not dating. You are not my boyfriend."

Percy's smile grew with each sentence. I shoved him to swipe the smile off his face. It wasn't a hard shove, but his face contorted in pain.

I frowned in confusion as I stared at him. I hadn't even hit his chest that hard. However, he took several seconds to collect himself. Then, a fake smile plastered his face and he acted as if nothing happened at all.

I had no idea what that was about. It was incomprehensible.

"Wise Girl, please, you're gonna like this," Percy expressed. His voice was tense, but his words were fairly convincing.

"This is not a date. The only reason I'm coming is that I'm don't want you making a scene at my home."

I got in his car, and Percy quickly joined before I could change my mind. Within a matter of seconds, we were driving out of my community. Fortunately, I was dressed fairly well today in jeans and an elegant red sweater.

"If you're taking me to a movie or something, I'm immediately leaving. Don't even think that this is a date," I continued.

Percy stopped at a traffic signal before turning to me. "I thought that you'd enjoy a movie. You know what happens in a movie theater. We get comfortable in the back and have a classic makeout session."

My hand immediately grabbed the door handle. I was not kidding.

"Woah, Woah, relax. It's not a movie," Percy laughed.

I was caught off guard by his laugh. It was a genuine laugh filled with emotion and joy. It contrasted against the fake smile that he had beforehand. He was acting all cool and sly, but he seemed to genuinely want this experience. But, he was still the playboy of Goode High, and I wasn't falling for his tricks.

Regardless, I couldn't deny that he looked attractive today. It was my first time seeing him with his hair combed, and he looked handsome.

I sighed as I looked outside. Where the hell were we going?

"You know, I could secretly be a serial killer taking you to a remote location. You never know these days," Percy commented with a smirk.

"If you were a serial killer, then I'll just kill you. Plain and easy." I countered.

"Honestly, I don't doubt that one bit. You could probably whoop my butt in several different ways. Please don't though because I need my butt. I would not look good without this," Percy commented light-heartedly before slapping the side of his butt.

I couldn't help my smile.

Percy was pretty funny. Even though I disliked him, he managed to make me smile sometimes. And, I rarely smiled genuinely.

"Oh, is that a smile I see?" Percy asked sassily.

I masked my emotions and didn't reply. I don't need to be betrayed by my own voice. Just then, we pulled into the parking lot of our destination. As soon as Percy parked, I got out of the car and looked around.

My eyes widened as I scanned the crowded field in front of me.

I couldn't believe Percy brought me here. I wanted to come here ever since I heard about the event. However, the tickets sold out immediately.

I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I turned around to face Percy who had a hopeful spark in his sea-green eyes.

"So, do you like it?" Percy asked nervously.