The Hate Between Us (Percabeth&Solangelo)

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Stranger at Bethesda Terrace

Annabeth POV:

I waited for Percy nervously, the letter crumpled slightly in my hand. Looking at a clock on the wall, I could feel the seconds tick ever closer to the time he usually arrived at school. He had taken to coming in earlier, recently, so that we could hang out more and more every morning. But now, this morning, I didn't know how he's react to what I was about to tell him. Had I crossed the line? Had I stepped too far? Was this letter in my hand a blessing, a gift, or a massive fuck you to the boyfriend I didn't want to lose?

But when he finally entered the building and my face lit up at just the sight of his handsome features and tall body that towered over the rest... something felt off. He walked right past my friends and I without even saying a word, and he was moving quickly. Straight around the corner and out of sight. Reyna was the first to frown.

"What was that about? Did you guys fall out last night?" She queried.

I started to worry that perhaps he had somehow found out what I had done on the weekend, and now he was avoiding me because of it. Oh shit, I've really fucked up haven't I... how do I get out of this one?

"What, um, no?" I said uncertainly. "I think he just needs to, um, talk to Coach Hedge, about his swimming."

Reyna didn't look convinced, but she nodded and smiled reassuringly for my benefit.

There was only five minutes until class when Percy finally reappeared. He had been gone for thirty minutes. I was talking with Grover and Frank about Game of Thrones when I noticed that Grover caught sight of something behind me and his expression dropped. "Why does he look like that?" He mumbled. "He looks rough."

I frowned and followed his gaze. Percy. Percy not smiling like he usually did when we came face to face. Percy with a thousand expressions of pain and suffering on his face. Was that guilt I detected too?

"Percy..." I began. I heard Grover and Frank leave quietly. I held up the letter in my hands nervously. "Look, I need to tell you something. Perhaps you already know. I just need to explain myself, aright? I-I just remembered how much you liked Brown University, okay, and so I thought how unfair it was that you didn't get in just because of one stupid catch that you couldn't make because of Gabe. That's not fair. And... and you see, if we do it this way, perhaps both of us can do what we want. I-I thought it was the only way...

"So I emailed the admissions team at Brown. T-Told them how unfair it was, told them about you and how good you are at football, that that one time was a fluke. I didn't tell them why, obviously, but I did tell them that you weren't on top form that day they came to watch you play, and then I pointed out that even on a bad day you were the best player on the team by a landslide. And then I told them about your swimming, because you deserve to be recognised for that, and I also told them that your grades have improved in every class in just a short few months.

"A-Anyway, I said quite a lot, actually, and well... now you have to understand that it can just be a backup," I mumbled quickly, noticing how his eyes had dropped. He couldn't even look at me. "You can say no, you can completely ignore all of this, p-please don't think I'm trying to get rid of you. I just know how much you liked Brown, okay? And well, they emailed back, and they want you, Percy!"

He looked up now, but the look in his eyes was completely unexpected. Not happy or confused or angry, just... guilty?

"Look!" I persevered, showing him the letter in my hand. "'Dear Mr Perseus Jackson, with the help of your friend, we have taken some time to reconsider your application and are now happy to write that we would like to offer you a place at Brown University. Congratulations! You will be offered a full scholarship to become a full-time student at our college, and'... blah-blah-blah, they go on to say everything you wanted to hear the first time around!"