The Player's Proposal

22: The Tension

Annabeth POV

Stupid teenage hormones. I blamed them for the dream I had last night. It was about Percy. Get your mind out of the gutter; it wasn't like that. The dream was PG. 

Percy and I were walking on the beach holding hands. We looked older, and we were looking after two kids who were playing in the water. The girl had dark hair and gray eyes while the little boy with blonde hair was splashing his sister.

"He takes after you, Seaweed Brain," I commented. 

"Rather than just one Percy, you get to have two. That's a win-win," he said slyly. Then, Percy took off towards the kids. 

The siblings turned and swam towards their father with open arms. Percy scooped them out of the water and spun them. In the process, he lost his balance, and they all splashed into the sea with loud laughs. 

I smiled brightly before th8inking about how lucky I am.

That's when the dream ended. I woke up in a cold sweat and a loud gasp. I couldn't believe that I dreamt that. It was so surreal. I frantically looked at the clock. There was no point sleeping again because it was close to wake-up time anyway. 

it was the first day back from Winter Break. While I had one of the best breaks of my life, I was ready to get back to learning new things at school. 

Besides, I needed a distraction from my thoughts about Percy. 

There were only three weeks left before our proposal ended. As far as I knew, Percy was still going strong. Furthermore, I had such conflicted feelings about him now. I knew that he was an amazing and caring guy, but was he good enough for me? 

I didn't think so. I didn't want to get with him due to a contract. 

I sighed before jumping out of bed. I shook my head before going to the shower. The warm water washed over my cool skin, and I washed my hair as well. A lemony scent permeated from my shampoo. 

Thalia was honking loudly before I was done with breakfast. Gosh, my best friend had no patience, especially in the mornings. 

"Stop honking, Thalia, I'm here. You're going to wake up the entire neighborhood," I hissed while rushing into her black Audi. Thalia simply laughed while I greeted Jason in the backseat. It was a surprise to see him hear. 

"We don't have football practice this week, so I decided to drive with Thalia. I wouldn't have if I'd known that she was such an impatient driver," Jason commented. 

"How is football season going?"

"Goode High is doing very well. However, we still have a few more games before the tournament roster is finalized."

"Will Goode High win the championship? I know that Goode was a semifinalist last year," I asked. I was curious. While I wasn't a fan of football, I did have some school spirit. 

"We're looking very strong," Jason said with a proud smile. 

Jason wasn't the quarterback, but he was one of the star players. I believed that Silena's boyfriend, Charlie, was the quarterback. Jason was a wide receiver and a very good one at that. They had a strong rapport with the team. 

The rest of the car ride was casual. We talked about random topics. Jason and I were more similar in terms of interest. We talked about school and teachers much to Thalia's annoyance. 

I couldn't tell Thalia about my dream because of Jason's presence. Ever since Percy helped with getting my dad back, I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was very weird.