Summary: Annabeth Chase is a normal average teenager, living in NYC. She works at 230- Fifth, a romantic, well-paying job as a beautiful, kind, and sophisticated waitress to help save up for college. Like many other girls in the world, she's a diehard fangirl of the one and only Percy Jackson…
But what if they meet by chance, even though he's under false pretenses? What if they become friends… and then more? How will he tell her who he truly is, and what will happen when he has to leave?
More importantly… what happens when he sees that fateful video?
Characters may seem to not be portrayed as they are in the book, so if they are, I am sorry. The characters must fit the plot though.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any aspect of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Similarly, I do not own any songs, references, movies, places, etc. used.
CHAPTER 1: The Beginning
*Edited*
PERCY's POV:
I sigh, slumping lazily on my couch. Reaching forwards to the coffee table in front of me, I grab my laptop and open up a new tab of Chrome, prepared to spend a few hours mindlessly browsing the web.
What to do... In all honesty, I have no idea what to do; there were no deadlines that needed to be met, since I had already finished recording my new song, Misery, about a week ago.
Misery was based off of my not-so-private-break up with the one and only Rachel Elizabeth Dare, RED for short. Rachel and I had "dated" for two years, although in reality, it was only for the nosy paparazzi and reporters. However, with me, I slowly began to fall for her genuine kindness to others and maddening art talent. And as the days, weeks, and months passed, I thought she might reciprocate my feelings.
I was a teen-celebrity singer and Rachel was the billionaire's daughter. Couple? I thought so.
There was only one crucial thing my mind omitted: it takes two people to be in a couple.
:-: FLASHBACK :-:
Rachel and I were walking around on a private beach, where paparazzi weren't allowed. The sun was setting, its rays reflecting off the ocean water, and we were having such a good time, joking around like friends do.
She was walking backwards in front of me, so she could capture the view and potentially paint it. Me, being the clumsy self I was, tripped over my own two feet, toppled onto her, and brought us both to the sand like a crash of a wave.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment, and we stared at each other, my eyes boring into hers, hers into mine. Her orbs were a piercing green, sharp, yet soft at the same time, and absolutely mesmerizing.
This was at the beginning of our false relationship… but more importantly, it was when I realized that maybe, just maybe, I might like her more than a friend.
As our relationship strengthened, hers apparently as a friend, mine as more; we spent more time together than ever, always going to each other's art competitions (hers) or swimming (mine). I was falling for her, RED, who I always used to think of as artsy, scrawny, and weird little girl. What has life become? I remember pondering.
Growing older, we grew apart, no longer being as close as we had been, although we still kept in touch often. This was the middle of year two with Rachel. I knew I still liked her, but didn't know how to express it. In the end, I simply waited for the right time to pass… if ever.
:-: END OF YEAR TWO :-:
It was our two-year fake anniversary, and if everything when the way I wanted, the start of our actual one. Today was the day, and I was absolutely determined to make it perfect. I was going to tell her.
I had planned out (to the best of my ability): we were going to the beach, the same one we had visited at the beginning of our relationship. Then, as the sun set, I would tell her. I could only hope she liked me back.
"Hey, RED," I said, grinning at her.
She grinned back and replied, "Hey, Perce. Happy "fake" anniversary!" There was a pang in my heart as she said that, and my grin faltered. Fake... not real. Not real at all. Did she feel the same way as I did?
"Happy fake, too." I put a smile back on for her sake, yet she didn't seem convinced.
"Percy, what's wrong? It's our anniversary! Be happy for Zeus' sake!" (Ah, forgot got to mention, Rachel and I are kind-of-sort-of Greek Mythology obsessed. Something the public doesn't know.)
"Nothing," I replied half-enthusiastically. "Just tired."
"Well, lighten up some then!" Rachel exclaimed, before she bent down and splashed some water at me. She squealed with excitement as I began chasing her, like she did fourteen years ago when we first met at the age of four. Finally, I grabbed her and hoisted her up bridal style. If only...
As it happened before, at the beginning of our "fake" lives together, both Rachel's green eyes and my sea-green ones interlocked. I knew it was the time, and I slowly began lowering my head down to hers, shutting my eyes when hers did too. Closer and closer. Only a millimeter away from kissing her glossed lips, she turned her head, so it was only a kiss on the cheek. Just the cheek.
She faced me, tears glistening in her eyes, and whispered, "I didn't know you felt that way, Perce. I'm-I'm sorry. But, I-I can't. I think I'm in love with someone else. I love you like a brother, Percy, but not... not like that."
I set her down gently to the sand and stared at her in shock. Who could she be in love with? "It's not your fault, RED, it's mine..." The typical cliché line seemed to fit for once in this moment.
"No, no, no, Percy, it isn't your fault! You're like my brother and you didn't do anything wrong!" she exclaimed.
"No. It's my fault for ever thinking about falling in love with you. Good bye, Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I told her for the last time, my heart hardening.
I left her on the beach, tears dripping down her face onto the sand. That was not the day. It was the day my heart was shattered into pieces and then stomped on.
Such a cruel thing, love is. Such a horrid thing.
:-: END FLASHBACK :-:
You could say my heart still hasn't fully recovered from the incident with Rachel. Going from being in love with someone to getting completely and utterly friend-zoned isn't reparable in a week, right?
While I had spent the past seven days pretty much in the pool until I turned into a raisin, rarely going out into the public, rumors had begun to spread like a wildfire. One day it was her breaking up with me for cheating on her, while next, the tabloids said I was locking myself in the house for getting Rachel pregnant.
None of them were true, for obvious reasons: no one had ever known the actual truth… the truth about my non-existent relationship with Miss Dare.
And so I'm back to my original question: what should I do? Nothing but sulk, my heart tells me, while my head says, do something to take your mind off that. For once, I agree with my head.
So naturally, I log onto YouTube.
Y-o-u-t-u-b-e-.-c-o-m, I type into the computer. Old friend, it's great to see you again! Not knowing what else to do, I decide to type "Percy Jackson" into the search bar, for funsies and crap, y'know? And so I did, waiting for it to load.
18,093,472 hits. Waste of time? Most definitely. Will I do it? Heck yeah.
And, ladies and gentlemen, that was how I spent the rest of the day after breakfast: watching terrible YouTube videos.
Most centered on topics including (but not limited to): "He is so hawt," or, "His eyes are gorgeous," or, "He's got abs!" cuing lots and lots of drool and fainting people. I wish people would look at me like oh, he's a normal guy with a voice. Sure, I like to sing, but the publicity it brings is horrible.
Occasionally, a lyric video to one of my songs accompanied by "hot" pictures of me would pop up, and even less, someone doing a cover to a song. (And even when that happened, many scarred me for life.)
But, when I come upon... number 17,291,003, I think… out of 18,093,472, I was taken aback.
The singer was facing the window, her back to the camera, which exposed a busy city with lots of skyscrapers and airplanes soaring through the air. She had honey-blonde hair, with natural curls fit for a princess—nothing like the girls you see today. She was a natural beauty, with slender, athletic legs, and a fitting red satin dress.
The radio was on in the background, and my song, Grenade, was playing, as this beauty was singing with her soul. She was really into the song, and as she sung, the room brightened.
Even so, it appeared she wasn't aware it was being recorded. I felt bad for her, yet if whoever recorded it hadn't snuck up behind and taped it, I wouldn't have ever heard her sweet voice singing.
"Daughter of Zeus- Ruler of Lighting and the Heavens" was the username. I wonder who she may be, but it sounds like this 'Daughter of Zeus' is into Greek Mythology as well. The video had an odd name too: "Percy Jackson's Grenade, performed by Athena's Child- The Smartest of them all." I might just look these people up...
RING, RING, RING!
"Hello?" I speak groggily into the phone; my throat had dried up from its lack of usage as I slaved away in front of the computer.
"Perce? Hey dude, you're finally up, what've you been up to?" It was Grover.
I sigh, deciding to be blunt and tell him the truth. "Watching YouTube videos all day."
He seemed like he was about to say something else, but he cuts off whatever he may or may not have said. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah, I've spent the entire day watching 'em."
"Any good?" he questions inquisitively.
I shake my head even though he can't see me. "Nah, except for one. Username is Daughter of Zeus- Ruler of Lighting and the Heavens. It's called: Percy Jackson's Grenade, performed by Athena's Child- The Smartest of them all."
"'Kay man. I'll be sure to watch it."
"So why'd you call?"
"Oh, well, just wanted to check if you were still sulking." Grover says this somewhat timidly, as if by him saying it, I'd get extremely defensive.
"I was not sulking." Okay, maybe he wasn't too far off then.
"Yes, you were, Percy."
A new voice enters the conversation, this time from Grover's end of the line. "Dude, I gotta agree with Grover…"
"Stay out of this, Nico!" I hiss.
He's quick to leave. "Bye!"
I can hear Grover's chuckles before he says, "See you, Perce, and don't mope anymore. Oh, and by the way..."
"Yeah?" I ask tiredly.
"We have to go to New York on Monday, in two days, okay? You have a concert there in Times Square."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got it. Bye G-Man."
"Bye Perce," he says before he hangs up the call.
I stare blankly at my laptop screen, half-excited, half-dreading going to New York. I would have to get out of the house… but I could see my parents and get away from here at the same time.
I sigh, running a hand through my hair.
New York City... Here I come.
:-:-:-:-:-:
ANNABETH's POV:
And now, Teen Hottie Celeb, Mr. Percy Jackson's latest hit! Misery!
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
So scared of breaking it that you won't let it bend
And I wrote two hundred letters I will never send
Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper then they seem
You'd rather cover up, I'd rather let them be
So let me be, and I'll set you free
I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me, oh yeah
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me, oh yeah
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
Now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
Your salty skin and how it mixes in with mine
The way it feels to be completely intertwined
Not that I didn't care, it's that I didn't know
It's not what I didn't feel, it's what I didn't show
So let me be, and I'll set you free
I am in misery
And there ain't nobody who can comfort me, oh yeah
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me, oh yeah
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
And now I'm gonna get you back
Now I'm gonna get you back
You say your faith is shaken, and you may be mistaken
You keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun
I'm desperate and confused, so far away from you
I'm getting there, I don't care where I have to roam
Why do you do what you do to me, yeah?
Why won't you answer me, answer me yeah?
Why do you do what you do to me yeah?
Why won't you answer me, answer me yeah?
I am in misery
And there ain't nobody who can comfort me, oh yeah
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me, oh yeah
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
And now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
And now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
And now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
Girl you really got me bad
You really got me bad
Now I'm gonna get you back
I'm gonna get you back
(Misery: Maroon 5)
This was written after Mr. Jackson's recent break-up with heiress to the billion dollar company, Miss Rachel Elizabeth Dare! Tune in for more information about Percy's and Rachel's mysterious break up...
Listening to the radio, I prepare for work at 230-fifth, pulling myself into the red dress you might find someone wear to a dance. It was classic and simple, yet beautiful and elegant at the same time.
Working at this five-star restaurant in New York City was definitely worth dressing up in fancy outfits for. The customers were always nice, and the pay was more than good. With the amount of money I made per month, it would be enough for the college tuition to Columbia University, plus some additional stuff.
You may ask why I chose to work at this highly wealthy restaurant, rather than somewhere closer to home, in California, but if you know me, and you see the architectural design of 230-Fifth, it'd click. My passion was for architecture, and the restaurant was indeed aesthetically pleasing.
I digress. Although "Teen Hottie Celeb" Percy Jackson has an amazing voice that every girl is in love with, including myself, I felt bad for him and Rachel Elizabeth Dare. They actually made a good couple.
I had heard all the rumors flying around the magical world of PR—Percy got Rachel pregnant and then left, or he was cheating on her—but none of them sounded... correct. True, I hardly know the guy personally, but I do know he isn't what the tabloids make him out to be. For god's sake, he donates more than half of what he makes (which is a lot) to MISUNDERSTOOD (an ADHD charity), the Dyslexia Action Charity, and many more! He wouldn't seem to be one to screw someone and ditch them, or even cheat on them.
In fact, if he was an Olympian god, (I'm a Greek myth nerd, sue me), it'd probably be the god of… water and kindness, or something. Okay, not the best analogy, but still…
Yes, I, Annabeth Olivia Chase, have an absolute ridiculous crush on The Percy Jackson. Not for his looks, although it is a benefit any girl would like to have for her boyfriend, but for his personality and voice.
If only...
Now for another song, sung by Percy Jackson, in anniversary of his and Rachel Elizabeth Dare's two-year relationship, and break up, last week...
Easy come, easy go
That's just how you live, oh
Take, take, take it all
But you never give
Should've known you was trouble
From the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open
Why were they open?
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love
Is all I ever asked
Cause what you don't understand
Is
I'd catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same
No, no, no, no
Black, black, black and blue
Beat me 'til I'm numb
Tell the devil I said "Hey" when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman
That's just what you are
Yeah, you smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, yes you did
To give me all your love
Is all I ever asked
Cause what you don't understand
Is
I'd catch a grenade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on the blade for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same
If my body was on fire
You would watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me, you're a liar
Cause you never ever ever did, baby
But, darling, I'd still catch a grenade for you
Throw my hand on the blade for you
I'd jump in front of a train for you
You know I'd do anything for you
I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes I would die for you baby
But you won't do the same
No, you won't do the same
You wouldn't do the same
Ooh, you'd never do the same
Oh, no no no
Grenade is my favorite song by Percy, and so I can't help it but I sing along, pouring my heart and soul into it. I sit on my bed, facing the window of busy New York City streets.
However, I didn't notice a girl, clad in black, with lightning blue eyes, standing at my door, video-recording my singing. Not yet, at least. Nor did I know that girl was my best friend and brother's girlfriend, Thalia Grace, and that she would post it on YouTube.
THALIA's POV:
Man... Annabeth never told me she was that good at singing. She never sings, so I just assumed she wasn't very good.
But wow... I posted it three hours ago, and there are 7,361 likes and 1 dislike, from some jealous bi- atch.
I promised Annabeth I'd tone my swearing down... Wow... Wait. Is that the Percy Jackson's user name I see?
PercyJacksonVEVO? Isn't that him? I think so.
Holy Fu- dgenuggets! He commented!
How should I tell Annabeth, without getting killed... Aw, screw that! Sh- CRAP!