Beyond All Expectation (Percabeth)

Chapter 34: It Happened Like This

Percy POV Continued:

I need you to understand that what happened next was my fault, not Annabeth's. I was going through the best time of my life, not realizing she was going through her worst. And I don't blame her for not telling me about it, either; she cared for me so much, loved me so much, that she selflessly kept her pain to herself so as not to upset me. I just wish I hadn't been so arrogant - so caught up in my own happiness - to not realize that behind her smiles there was a girl that was in so much pain. She was suffering, and I didn't even realize. 

The end happened like this. 

February turned to March and I was still having the time of my life. Tyson was up and out of bed, returning to school at last. Because Mom no longer had to pay for the hospital bills, she took more time off of work and I sometimes got to spend whole weekends with her and Annabeth. The snow started to fade outside, which meant that I could return to skating with Thalia and Grover. Thalia told me all about her developing relationship with Reyna, and soon Reyna herself joined us at the skatepark. I wanted Annabeth to join us too, but it seemed that she was becoming more and more distant from my friends as the days went by. Sometimes, Piper would mention that Annabeth hadn't returned any of her calls, and still I noticed nothing. 

See, I was completely oblivious to it all. Whilst I was having the time of my life with my friends, Annabeth was being bullied. Whilst I rejoiced with my loving family, Annabeth was losing hers. Whilst my dreams often dwelled on - perhaps - doing more with Annabeth, she was haunted by memories of what Luke did to her. What was good in my life was shit in hers. 

I would do everything differently if I had known. 

End of March, Tuesday evening. She didn't have to work and I convinced her that we could take one week off of tutoring. I even bribed Piper to let me use her house, provided she spend the evening somewhere else, and I had a whole thing planned. 

It was our three month anniversary. I was happy, she was not, but I hadn't known that at the time. 

She took me to the top of the 220 Central Park South building, overlooking the entire city. Annabeth teased me for my fear of heights, and after I pretty much spent the entire time with my hands over my eyes - not wanting to look - she led me down to the ground again and we walked through Central Park. 

"Okay, not a fan of heights, I'll keep that in mind for next time," she teased. 

"I'm not afraid of anything," I denied. She giggled and shoved me lightly. 

"You screamed like a child. You sounded worse than Estelle when she watched Maleficent turn into a dragon! It's fine, I'll just keep a note that next time I need to take you somewhere on the ground. A beach works... perhaps we can both go to California one day."

"California?" I grinned, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds nice."

Holding onto my hand, she swung around in my arms so that we ended up strolling along with my arm draped over her shoulders. 

"Imagine it - surfing, and sun, and ice cream and-"

"-You in a bikini," I teased, and she jokingly scowled as she pushed me away. 

"Boys," she scolded. We spent the rest of the sunlit hours walking through the park and imagining all the adventures we could have together one day. I was so blissfully unaware of what was to happen next.

After a quick subway journey to Piper's, I spent the evening trying my best to cook a meal for her. I followed the recipe book exactly and it still turned out awfully, so we laughed about it for ages and eventually ordered takeaway. After the food I turned the music up loud and we danced in each other's arms. Part of us hoped that if we played Taylor Swift loud enough she might actually hear us playing her music from down the street and knock on our door. Sadly, she never did arrive, and I think we would have had a much more pleasant evening if she did.