We Olympians (A Percy Jackson AU) || BOOK 1

Chapter 17 || Percy

The moment Thalia and Annabeth were gone, Percy dashed into the old hangout space. To his relief, no one was there. He sat on the floor, staring at his hands and feet. It hurt him so much to see his best friends think he didn't love them anymore. But he'd hurt them. He hurt everyone. He looked at the book in his hands.

Penny's Release, by MaidenDemigod4Life.

-FLASHBACK-

Percy ran to the park, his present tightly wrapped in blue wrapping paper.

"Happy Birth..." 

Percy trailed off when he spotted Annabeth sitting on the park bench, crying her eyes out. Her princess curls were falling all over her face as she hunched over, her palms across her face.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he said, engulfing his best friend in a hug.

"P-Percy... leave me alone..." Annabeth sniffled, wiping her tears as they fell onto her lap uselessly.

His fingers moved through her curls, brushing them behind her ears. Her gray eyes were pooling with sadness, dripping all over her shirt. Quickly, he engulfed her in a hug. Annabeth hugged him back, her tears soaking into his shoulder. He gently patted her back as she cried, his anger for whoever did it to her pulsing through him.

"Who did this?" he asked. No. No one hurt his Wise Girl on her birthday.

"Helen..." Annabeth cried, laying down 'till her head was in his lap. "She... She told me no one cared about me and that my birthday was not worth celebrating. And she even told me that her present to me was that I had to give her some weird massage tonight and do double all my chores and I just... couldn't take it. I ran out."

"Alright, I'm gonna blast this Helen chick through the roof and into the ocean." Percy stood up and Annabeth grabbed his arm.

"Please, don't." she whispered.

"No, Annabeth." Percy's arm wrapped protectively around hers. "I've had my fair share of letting things go and it's not right. Especially on your birthday. If she's gonna make you do such weird things and treat you like some slave, she's gonna pay. It's gonna get worse if you don't stand up for yourself."

With that, Percy marched over to the Chase house, his sea-green eyes blazing with anger. Annabeth was behind him, pleading him not to do it. But he didn't listen. He knocked three times angrily.

"Hello, Percy!" Helen greeted cheerily.

For some reason, the woman seemed to like him, but despised Annabeth. Even if he was her friend.

"Don't you 'hello Percy' me!" Percy crossed his arms. "I know what you did to Annabeth and you're absolutely wrong!"

"What?" Helen stared at Annabeth, making her cower.

"Do you not see what you're doing to her? You're abusing her! I don't care if you hate me after this, but she's my best friend. It's her birthday today and if her birthday isn't worth celebrating, yours isn't either. So I suggest you take off your double-chores list for her, hire some beautician to do your stupid massage, and leave her alone!" Percy burst out.

Helen stared in shock.

"W-What?"

"Don't act like you're innocent. You suck if you're gonna do that to Annabeth. And if you do it one more time, I swear I'll come in and file a report for child abuse to make you go to prison! From now on, you're gonna leave her alone! Got it?"

Helen could only stare at Percy.

"DID YOU HEAR ME?!" Percy yelled.

Helen squeaked and nodded before Percy rolled his eyes, grabbing Annabeth's hand and leading her out to the park again.

"You know... Helen's gonna hate you from now on," Annabeth whispered, wiping her tears. "You didn't have to do that."

"No, I did," Percy insisted. "I don't care if she hates me. I hate her. Perfect mixture. And she's probably more scared than angry. I could land her in prison and this is all the proof I need."

"You're really a seaweed brain," Annabeth muttered.

"Open this," Percy said, handing her the present.

"Y-You got me a present?" She stared at Percy.

"Yeah, Wise Girl!" Percy smiled at her expression. "Just open it! I think you'll like it. I didn't have much pocket change to buy you it... but I did my best."

The moment the book was uncovered, Annabeth grinned, looking at Percy.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, giving him a hug. "Thank you."

"It's what best friends do," Percy replied, returning the embrace.

"Wanna go get ice cream?" Annabeth grinned.

"I thought you'd never ask." Percy smirked and the two children ran down the hill. "RACE YA!"

"I'LL BEAT YOU, JACKSON!"

"NOT IF I BEAT YOU FIRST, CHASE!"

-FLASHBACK OVER-

Percy, not realizing that he was crying, wiped the tears away from his eyes. The book was still like he remembered it, just slightly older. It had her handwriting in it in gray marker. He opened the book and read the inside of the front cover.

This book was given to me by Percy Jackson, the best friend I could ever have in the world. I love you, Percy. ~ Annabeth.

He sighed, looking at the book. Putting it in his backpack, he prepared to leave the old hangout spot. There wasn't a way to keep them safe if he was their friend. And he had to put them before himself.

"I love you, too, Wise Girl," he whispered before walking out of the spot.

"Hey, where were you?" Jason asked, walking up to him.

"I was... I was making something out of myself."

Jason frowned at his weird answer, but shrugged.

"We're playing basketball."

"Ready when you are, Sparky."

No, Percy wasn't ready for what was going to happen next in his life. He didn't even know if he'd be ALIVE for the next part of his life.