Chapter Text
“Wooooooo!” Percy screamed at the top of his lungs as he rode the biggest wave of the day. Annabeth was right behind him laughing at his antics.
They continued on like this for a little bit until they decided to have some fun on the beach. Annabeth even buried Percy in the sand and made him a mermaid body. They built a sandcastle and also made a chair out of sand.
Once they got bored with that they went right back to the ocean. Annabeth wanted to saver every moment with Percy since it was her last day. She wants to tell him, but she hasn’t gotten the guts to yet.
As the day came to end, they were left sitting in their sacred seat: the lifeguard tower. Percy wrapped his arms around Annabeth and she snuggled closer to him with a laugh.
“I got to admit, this was one of the best days ever. Way to end summer with a bang, wise girl, am I right?”
Annabeth chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. It was great. Best summer of my life.” She kissed Percy on the cheek as the watched the waves still rolling in.
“Definitely. But summer isn’t over yet. You hear about the waves that are coming in tomorrow. 40 foot tall waves! You know how tall that is?”
“Yea! And those kinds of waves only come once every 30 something years! It’s incredible!” She gushed. Percy gave a boisterous laugh.
“You riding them with me, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Seaweed Brain.” They gave each other a smile. Annabeth’s stomach suddenly growled. “Well, as nice as it is up here, there isn’t anything to eat. Let’s head back to the house.”
A wide grin popped onto Percy’s face. “Race ya there! I bet I’ll win this time!”
“You’re on, and don’t ever become a gambler. You know you lose every time.”
Percy shrugged as they climbed down. Once both of them were on the ground they started to race back toward the house, laughing all the way there.
As per usual, Annabeth won. Percy rested his hands on his knees as he breathed heavily with a smile.
“I guess you win.”
Annabeth laughed. “No surprise there.”
He got up off his knees and opened the door. “Yeah, it’s ok though. One of these days I’ll beat you.”
Annabeth smile faltered as the thought she had pushed back into her mind the whole summer came forward. “Um, Percy, I have something to tell you. Something I should’ve probably told you a long time ago…”
Percy’s eyes suddenly lit up and he turned his head away from Annabeth. “Hold that thought really quick Annabeth.”
He rushed into the next room and looked at the TV with a wide grin. He patted Annabeth’s grandpa (they aren’t related, but he helped raise Annabeth, so she just calls him that) on the shoulder.
“You watching this without me, Chiron?” Chiron gave Percy a light smile as he continued to sand the surfboard in front of him. Although his legs may not work (serious surfboarding accident) he still loves to make his boards.
“I’m not watching it without you if you’re right here.” Percy shrugged in agreement as they both turned their heads toward the TV.
Annabeth slowly walked into the room with an affectionate smile and a roll of her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re watching-“
“Wet Side Story” they both said simultaneously with a fist bump. Annabeth rolled her eyes again, her smile widening as she walked up to the two of them.
“I can’t believe you two watch this, especially you grandpa.”
Chiron shrugged and Percy turned to her and feigned looking hurt. He put his hand to his chest in mock shock.
“How dare you!” He let a smile slip through his facade as he lowered his hand. He pointed to the screen. “This movie is amazing! Way ahead of its time. It’s about two girls who fall in love! Amazing, I’d say, especially for back then when there way more homophobia than there is now. And it showed girls can do stuff boys can do as well. This movie defined a whole culture!” He turned back to the TV as it played a song.
A girl was on the screen, singing on stage. Piper McLean was her name, Annabeth only knows because of how many times she’s watched the movie with Percy and her grandpa.
Annabeth was about to ask Percy if they could just talk for a moment, but then he piped up.
“My favorite part!” Percy basically squealed. Annabeth couldn’t help but laugh a bit. She did really want to talk, but more waiting wouldn’t hurt. Hopefully. Plus, she doesn’t want to see how he’d look once she broke the news to him.
Annabeth watched the TV as the girl continued to sing.
“I’m not the kind, to fall for a guy, who flashes his smile.” Piper sings as she moves her arms up and down. Reyna then walks around a corner near the doors and looks up at her, starting to walk over the stage.
“Don’t usually swoon, but I’m over the moon…” Piper twirled around and was moving toward the edge of the stage, about to fall.
“Cause he was just too cool for school.” The backup singers sang right as she fell off the stage, right into Reyna’s arms.
“And now I’m falling for ya, falling for ya. I know I shouldn’t but I, just can’t stop myself from falling for ya, falling for ya. Can’t hold on any longer, and now I’m falling for you.” She smiled wider at her savior, Reyna did the same.
“Hey.” Reyna said with a smirk, her teeth shined in the light.
“Hey.” Piper replied with a blush.
Suddenly, the music stopped as someone grabbed Piper out of Reyna arms and someone grabbed Reyna away from Piper.
“Now this,” Chiron started. “this is my favorite part.” He pointed at the screen.
“Hey!” Drew yelled at the surfers as she pushed Piper back into the crowd of bikers. “Get your salty surfer hands off of my baby sister.”
Reyna was then pulled back into the surfers as Jason appeared in front of Drew. “Yeah?” He yelled in her face. “How about getting your rodent baby sister off of our boarding buddy!”
“Oh yeah?” Drew challenged.
Jason grabbed Reyna’s hand and Drew grabbed Pipers as a dance battle ensued.
Piper and Reyna looked longingly into each other’s eyes as they were pulled into their respective group.
Annabeth scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Silliness. Yes, it features a gay couple which is totally ahead of its time, but it’s filled with so much singing and nonrealistic things, such as the weather machine, to be taken seriously.”
Both Percy and Chiron’s focus was still on the TV. Annabeth sighed. “C’mon, they sing for no reason, their hair never gets wet when they come out of the water, everyone happens to know the choreography when they dance, and they sing for no reason. I think I mentioned that one.”
“All good points,” Percy said as he turned to face his girlfriend. “But you got to admit, it’s a fun watch and the singing is what makes it a great movie! Plus, it’s a never-ending summer where all they do is surf and sing! Amazing, right?”
“Maybe to you, but I don’t see what all the fuss is about. If they surfed a real wave they’d probably drown.” A knock sounded from the door and Annabeth turned to get it. “They also sing in the ocean and never have to spit out water. That’s so stupid!”
Annabeth opened the door and a shocked look came on to her face as her step-mother stood on the other side of the door.
“Beth! How good is it to see you! How have you been?” Annabeth wasn’t able to form a coherent sentence as the arms of her step-mother wrapped around her. She let go and both Percy and Chiron walked to meet them.
She cleared her throat and finally spoke. “Um, why are you here? You’re not supposed to be here till tomorrow.” Though she knew it came out rude, she was genuinely a bit mad and confused about the why she was early.
“Ah, well you’re wrong.” Annabeth’s never wrong… “We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Percy looked at Annabeth, his eyebrows narrowed. “Annabeth, what does she mean by leaving tomorrow?”
Annabeth tried to speak up, but her step-mother beat her to it. “My step-daughter is going to be attending the prestigious Olympus Academy in New York.”
“Um,” Chiron clears his throat. “How about we talk about this for a second…”
Her step-mother walked up to him and spoke in a hushed whisper. “This has always been the deal.” She then turned to Annabeth. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yeah…” she trailed off. “Sure. But there’s these really extreme weather conditions tomorrow that I’ve always wanted to surf and-“
“Honey,” her step-mother walked toward her. “Surf? That’s all in the past. You’re new life begins now.”
She nodded. “Um… ok. If you’ll excuse me…”Annabeth then hurriedly ran out the door with Percy on her tail.
“Annabeth wait!” He grabbed her arm and turned her to look toward him. “What deal was that lady talking about?”
Annabeth sighed as she ran her hands through her unruly, curly blonde hair. “I made this deal. I’d take a break and have fun for half of my highschool years and then I’d go off to this academy.”
“But why?” Percy pressed. The look in his eyes was hurt, betrayal. She felt awful.
“Because!” She took a deep breath. “Because of my mom. She… she never got to finish out her college years. Cancer had killed her before she was able to. She wrote to me that I’d hopefully fulfill her dream one day… and so I made the deal with my step-mother and father…”
Percy walked off from her and laid against a pillar. “Why didn’t you tell me? Did you not trust I could handle it?”
“No, I… I couldn’t find a way to tell you. I seriously wanted to, but I…” Percy laid a hand on her shoulder with a sincere smile.
“I get it, Wise Girl. I just, I just wish you would’ve told me sooner.” She leaned against Percy and he held her. “I’ll wait for you though.”
Annabeth shook her head and got out of his arms. “Percy, I can’t let you do that. I know how it feels to miss someone and I can’t do that to you… I’m sorry.”
“So… we’re breaking up?”
“I… I don’t really know what this means for us.”
Percy shook his head in disbelief.
“Wise Girl, it’s you and me forever. Wherever you’re at. I just wish I could get you to see that.”