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I kinda hate mornings. I hate the sun disturbing my sleep. I hate how sometimes it's so cold that the hairs on my arms have a mini panic attack. I hate breakfast. How is it the most important meal of the day when majority of people miss said meal and still function like normal people? Most importantly. I hate morning people. You know who's a morning person?
Percy Fucking Jackson.
How do I know this? You ask. Well, for all my life Percy and his mother, Sally have lived in the apartment right across from me. Every morning he comes out of his apartment at the exact same moment I do. Which means, I have to put up with a super happy asshole in the lift every morning. Do you know what it's like? Being in a small space with someone you despise? Let's just say, It's a surprise I'm not in jail.
Today, I was in an extra pissed off mood. So when I stepped into the hall to see Percy I let out a growl. I quickly slam my door and speed walk towards the elevators. Slamming my hand on the down button, I cross my arms over my chest and pray to whatever god controls elevators to hurry the frick up!
I hear a chuckle behind me. "What's the rush, Wise Girl?"
I roll my eyes at the nickname he gave me years ago and run into the elevator when the doors ping open. Pushing myself into the back wall I pull my phone out of my pocket and focus on ignoring him.
"So, Wise Girl, how are you this lovely morning?" Percy asks leaning next to me on the wall, so close that our shoulders touch. I cringe and move away. Percy only laughs.
"Just great, Seaweed Brain." I reply sarcastically, throwing in my old nickname for him. Ok, you're probably wondering about the whole nickname thing. Well before high school, Percy and I were best friends. We used to spend all our time together. When dad got stuck at work i'd go over to the Jackson's and hang out. Sally became a mother to me since my own left. But then high school started and well...
"Reow. Calm down kitty. I was only asking." Percy holds up his hands in mock surrender and moves slightly away.
"What do you want?" I growl finally looking up at him. He's a good head taller than me so i have to crane my neck to look up at him. We make eye contact and for a moment I'm lost in his sea green eyes. I blink, snapping myself out of it and I see a small smirk appear on the corner of his lips.
"I don't want..." He's cut off my a loud groan followed by a bang.
My eyes widen as the lights dim and then shut off. I feel my heart beat race in my chest and I automatically reach out to grab Percy's hand. We stand in the dark for a few moments holding hands before the emergency lights flicker on. A soft yellow tint fills the elevator and I drop Percy's hand.
"Please tell me this isn't happening?" I groan into my hands.
"This isn't happening." Percy says and I can hear the smirk in his voice.
I growl again and push myself towards the wall panel. I press the emergency help button continuously until Percy pulls my hand away from the wall.
"The powers out." He states like it's obvious.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious, but the emergency lights are working so this must work!" I nearly scream as I yank my hand back to resume pressing the button. He grabs my hand again and I turn around shove him into the back wall.
"How are you so calm!?" I growl into his face. His eyes widen in shock. My forearm is resting against his throat so I feel him swallow. He doesn't respond for what seems like an eternity.
"I'm not." He whispers. It's so quiet that I think I may have imagined it but the look in his eyes leads me to believe it's real.
"Yeah well you certainly seem calm." I mutter. Pushing myself of him and sitting down against the opposite wall. He slides down the wall until he's sitting right across from me and we fall into silence.
I remember a time when Percy was the sweetest guy I knew. He was always smiling and he never got mad. Well I guess he's still like that but I'm not round to see it anymore.
"What happened?" He asks, breaking the silence and shocking me out of my thoughts. I look over to where he's sitting and I take in his appearance. Shaggy black hair that falls over his forehead, a tan that makes it look like he's just come from a day at the beach, eyes that seem to be moving even when they're focused on something. From across the elevator I could smell his cologne. It reminded me of the ocean. I blink and remember that he's spoken.
"The elevator stopped...?" I say but it comes out like a question.
"You know what I mean. What happened to us?" i hear his voice jump slightly on the word us and i look down.
The thing is. Before high school, I'd had this major crush on Percy. But he didn't seem to feel the same. He always saw me as a little sister or one of the guys and I just didn't want to watch him be with other people, and I was too chicken to tell him how I felt. Freshman year he started getting really popular. He was on the swimming team, he was attractive, even before puberty hit him, and he was a super nice guy. To everyone. He started dating and I decided I couldn't watch anymore. So I stopped. Talking to him, being around him, being his friend. It was hard. But watching him be with other girls was harder.
"We're different people." I say picking at my chucks. I hear him sigh and I decide to try the emergency call button again.
Before I get to it Percy is standing in front of me, so close that I can feel the heat radiating off his chest. I feel his hands rest on my shoulders before one moves to my chin, lifting my face up. He holds my face there for a moment.
"You know, for a Wise Girl, you are kind of dense." His voice is deep and husky and my knees feel like they're about to collapse.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He ignores my question and pushes me lightly against the wall. "So you're saying, that you stopped talking to me because we're different people? No other possible reason?" I shake my head.
"None at all?" I shake my head again.
"It wasn't because... You liked me?" My breath catches in my throat but I force myself to shake my head again. I hear him sigh and move back slightly.
"Why do you even care?" I blurt out. A look of anger passes over his eyes but it's quickly gone.
"Why do I care? You were my best friend! And one morning you decided I wasn't good enough for you." It's his turn to growl and I instantly feel guilty.
I lower my eyes so that I'm looking at our feet.
"You were better off without me hanging around." I whisper. He doesn't say anything but I feel him move away from me. His footsteps echo in the tiny elevator as he paces in front of me.
All of a sudden he's in front of me again. Lifting my eyes to meet his. Before I can pull away his lips are on mine and he's kissing me. It's desperate and demanding like he's trying to tell me something through it. I melt into the kiss and feel myself start to kiss back. I feel my cheeks become wet with my tears and Percy pulls away. Running his thumb along my cheek.
"No." it's simple but I know what he means. I feel more tears start to fall and I try to look away because Annabeth Chase doesn't cry over Percy Jackson. He grabs my chin once more and forces me to look at him.
"Why are you crying?" His voiced is laced with confusion.
"Because I don't want this. I don't want to be one of your girls, Percy. I can't be one of your girls." I choke out. The look on his face nearly breaks my heart.
"You think...? No." He stutters. Not quite sure what to say.
"You think I haven't seen you these past 4 years? A new girl every week? I can't be one of them, Percy. I can't."
He looks down at me and I can see tears threatening to fall. One slips through and I reach up to wipe it away.
"I get it, Percy. I do. You don't do relationships. I do. So yes. I left because we're different people. We were then, and we still are." I rest my thumb on his cheek for a moment long before pulling out of his grasp and walking back towards the wall panel. I push the button once before I feel him grab my hand again and spin me into him.
"Listen. There's been a new girl every week because at that point I'd start comparing them to you. We never dated, but every single girl I ever went out with was nothing compared to you." his voice is low and filled with pain and I try to pull out of his grasp.
"I tried! But no one made me feel like you do." He takes a deep breath. "I need you, Annabeth." My breath catches when he says my name. He hasn't called me by my real name in years. It's always been Wise Girl or Chase. I try to ignore it and pull away again but he won't let go.
"What do I need to do to prove it to you?" he cries and i look up to meet his eyes. I don't know the answer anymore than he does so I do the only thing I can think of.
I kiss him.
This kiss is slower than the first. Less desperate. It left me wanting more when we broke apart. We stand there for a few moment just staring at each other before I hear a beep.
"Hello?" A crackly voice fills the elevator.
I run to the wall panel and press the speak button.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" My voice sounds panicky and I tell myself to calm down.
"Hello? Miss?" The voice says again.
"Help. Please. We're stuck in the elevator." I call through the speaker.
"Ok just stay calm and tell me how many people are in there with you."
I sigh with relief.
"There's just two."
"And are you guys ok?"
I look at Percy and he smiles at me. I grab his hand and smile in return.
"We're fine."