Chapter 12 - A Giant Teddy Bear
published: Wednesday, 11 March 2020

"Absolutely fantastic playing out there, boys!" Coach Hedge declared as he walked past their tables, clapping their backs. Percy almost choked on his sandwich.

Their celebratory team meal at Subway was a tradition. It started last year, when one of the now-graduated seniors took them out here after winning their first game. Percy had just started playing for the team at the time. They'd all bonded and gotten on sugar highs for the rest of the day.

"So, do I need to send you the recipe?" Percy said with a smirk.

Jason rolled his eyes. "I didn't think you'd actually manage to do it, but I guess a bet's a bet."

"See, this is a lesson," Percy said pointedly. "Have faith or you'll end up baking me cookies."

"So inspirational," Beckendorf feigned swooning. "You should go on a banner, Percy."

There were the sounds of scraping chair legs against the floor as Frank clumsily climbed back into his seat, two foot-long sandwiches in his arms.

"You're kidding me, right?" Jason said incredulously. "Frank, you just finished two of them!"

"One's for me," Percy said helpfully, grabbing the ham and cheese sandwich from Frank.

"How are neither of you fat?" Will muttered in disbelief.

"Hey, I'm big," Frank protested. "I need protein."

Jason's phone buzzed with a text from Annabeth. Percy read it over his shoulder.

congrats! we're going out for lunch with Hazel, catch you guys later?

"So, Percy, what's the deal with you and Annabeth?" Beckendorf held up a hand before Percy could argue back. "Don't kill me, Silena's put me on a top-priority mission to get all the details from you. Don't shoot the messenger."

Percy felt Jason stiffen and Frank shoot him a warning look.

"We're friends," he said vaguely. "That's pretty much it."

"I thought you guys hated each other," Travis said, wrinkling his nose. "I've never seen you two in the same room without getting in a shouting match."

Percy flushed. That was kind of true. "Well, it's a long story. I had an overdue book, she wanted it, when I finally brought it back, she found it funny, we had laughs, boom, here we are."

Will blinked. "That sounds more like a love story to me."

"Don't even go there," Percy sighed. "Drew's been a pain about that. I can't believe she'd do stuff like this."

"I can," Beckendorf snorted. "Drew isn't the nicest, you know." 

"She was always nice to me."

"Because you're you," Travis assured him. "She's never even given me a second glance."

"Back to the thing with Annabeth," Beckendorf rerouted. "Do you like her?"

Percy recoiled, alarm bells going off in his head. "God, no. No, we're just friends." If something like this became another rumour, it'd get awkward between them, and Percy definitely didn't want that. He couldn't stand the thought of losing Annabeth now that she was actually his friend.

"So who do you like?" Will asked curiously. "I mean, you've been broken up with Reyna for ages now."

Percy shrugged. "Doesn't mean I have to like someone else."

Frank furrowed his brow. "What about Ra—"

His clapped a hand over his mouth at the same time Percy yelped, "Frank!" He shot his friend an accusatory look.

"Rachel?" Travis repeated excitedly. "Dare?"

Percy shot out of his seat. "Frank, Jason, can I speak to you for a moment?" he said through gritted teeth.

Both looked confused when he pulled them aside.

"I don't like Rachel, Frank," Percy whisper-shouted. "I barely know her. You and Hazel assumed it was her, and because I didn't want anyone finding out about Annabeth and me, I didn't deny it—"

The shop's bells jingled as the door opened and none other than Silena and her friends stepped in.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Percy muttered.

Rachel Dare was among them, her frizzy red ponytail clashing with her cheerleading uniform.

Beckendorf gave Percy an apologetic look.

"Did you do this?" Percy whispered angrily.

"I invited Silena before you told us you liked Rachel," he explained.

"I don't—" Percy cut himself off with a not-very-subtle cough as Rachel came within earshot. He cleared his throat and sat down again, wishing he could dig a hole and bury himself in it.

+++++

Annabeth's phone buzzed on the table. It was another text from Jason.

Silena and her squad's here. Rachel Dare too 👀 Everyone thinks Percy likes her.

Annabeth stifled a bubbling laugh as she imagined how awkward Percy had to be feeling there.

She quickly typed back a short text under the table.

can you tease him for me? please. it sucks that i'm not there to do it.

You're so mean.

i know right.

A picture came through of Percy practically inhaling a sandwich, his cheeks redder than Annabeth had ever seen them.

She forwarded the picture to Percy.

i love it. heard you're having fun 😏

Percy only took a moment to respond.

I hate you.
I hate everyone.
Especially Jason.

For once, Annabeth didn't think he really meant it.

"Hey," Hazel said as she returned with the others, precariously balancing trays. "What's up?"

"Rachel showed up at the team lunch," Annabeth explained, flipping her phone to show Hazel the picture of her best friend.

Hazel cracked a grin as she saw it. "Please send that to me."

Annabeth prodded at her phone as she obliged. "We need a group chat for this. 'Blackmail on a Percy'."

"That," Hazel pointed a fry at her. "Is a genius plan."

Annabeth hadn't expected it at all, but Hazel fit in with them like a puzzle piece. She was fun, sweet, and had a kind of dry humour that cracked them all up. Whatever weirdness had been between Leo and Hazel before was all gone.

She hadn't thought that Percy and his friends could've been so nice all this time, but it was a shame that they'd taken two years to figure it out.

"Yeah, honestly everyone misjudges Frank," Annabeth tuned into their conversation and heard Hazel say that. "He's a giant teddy bear who happens to look like a wrestler."

"The guy's built like a wall," Piper pointed out.

"Didn't always used to be like that," Hazel informed them. She hid a smile. "When we first became friends, he used to be this chubby kid with a baby face."

Piper "aw"ed at that.

"But the guys seem to be getting along well," Hazel said with a shrug. "Percy and Jason scored the last touchdown together, and they didn't even fight!"

Annabeth exhaled with a sigh. "Our standards are so low."

+++++

"Oh, this next one's my stop," Annabeth said apologetically, smiling when she saw Brady pull a face.

After meeting her at the ice skating rink a few weeks ago, Brady had finally worked up the courage to call her up. They'd had their first date today — a Sunday lunch.

"I had fun," Brady said with a grin. "Really. You're awesome."

Annabeth winced. "Yeah, I am." Her gaze flickered to the scenery whizzing past, bringing her to Piper's familiar neighbourhood.

"Well, you have my number," Brady reminded her. "Call me sometime?"

Annabeth laughed. "Definitely." She paused before climbing out of her seat. "Are you free this week?"

Brady nodded with relief. "Thank goodness, I didn't think you'd ask."

Annabeth leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for today, Brady. See you soon."

She hopped out of the bus, unable to control the grin breaking across her face as Brady waved goofily at her from inside.

Her mind was dizzy with their date today. She hadn't been out on one is such a long time. In her life, Annabeth had only ever had two boyfriends. Beckendorf, her first kiss, and Matt Sloan, which she regretted almost instantly.

Brady was so sweet she almost couldn't believe it.

Annabeth checked her watch. It was almost 5, just over a half an hour late to meeting Piper and her friends.

As she rang the doorbell, Annabeth's eyes bugged when she saw someone unexpected answer it — Percy.

She blinked rapidly. Dark hair, green eyes, lopsided grin; it was Percy, alright.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise, pushing the front gate open.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" Percy feigned hurt. "Piper and I were paired up for an English project, so we're working on it today."

Annabeth was still stunned as she had to consciously unfreeze her limbs to follow him inside.

Percy was friends with Piper? Since when?

The astonishment didn't end there. Leo and Jason were sprawled on the couch, eyes glued to Predator, which was on at the moment.

Papers — Annabeth assumed they were the English project — were strewn across the coffee table, and Piper sat cross-legged, furiously scribbling on them.

"H-hey, guys," Annabeth stammered, bewildered.

Choruses of greetings blasted her.

"So, what's the project?" Annabeth asked curiously, still unsure of whether she was dreaming.

"It's due tomorrow," Piper said sheepishly. "We're kind of..."

"Lazy," Annabeth finished.

"No, we're just forgetful," Percy corrected.

Jason grabbed the remote and hit pause on the show.

"Oi!" came Leo's protest.

Pointedly ignoring him, Jason shifted to face Annabeth. "So, how was your date with Brady?"

Leo spun around so quickly he gave Annabeth whiplash. "I forgot about that!"

Annabeth raised her hands in alarm. "Woah, woah, calm down."

"You were on a date?" Percy's voice was nonchalant, but there was a look in his eyes that Annabeth couldn't place.

She shrugged. "Yeah, this guy I met at the rink a while ago." Sitting on the arm of the couch, Annabeth paused. "We went out for lunch, bowling, and then took the bus back together."

"Did you kiss?" Leo yelped.

"No, no!" Annabeth insisted. "It was all very innocent."

Leo wiggled his eyebrows. "Sure."

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth caught a glimpse of Piper's furrowed eyebrows, directed at Percy. His face was a smooth calm, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

Percy cleared his throat. "A-are you guys going out again?"

She nodded. "Soon. Or whenever I'm free. I'm still off sport for a while because of the wound, so I'll have my evenings free the whole week."

"Hey," Piper interjected abruptly. "I think I have some more Doritos in the kitchen. Annabeth, do you mind helping me carry them?" Her colourful eyes flashed her a stern look, I need to talk to you.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Piper slapped her round the head.

"Ow!" Annabeth protested indignantly. "What was that for?"

"Are you blind?" Piper hissed. "Percy likes you, and you're out there pouring salt in the wound with your wonderful date!"

Annabeth snorted. "Okay, first of all, you're insane if you think Percy likes me. Secondly, Jason asked!"

"Leo and Jason are idiots," Piper said dismissively, like it was generally accepted as fact. "But you're supposed to be the smart one! The boy's crazy about you! Just look at how disappointed he was when you told him about your date."

"Pipes, no," Annabeth said firmly. "This is just because of the rumours, and you're starting to believe them. We're just friends."

Piper folded her arms and gave her a piercing stare. "I've seen how you two act around each other — you like him too!"

Annabeth stared at her incredulously. "Now you're just crazy." She shook her head. "Percy doesn't like me. Come on, Piper, this is Percy Jackson we're talking about. Besides, I'm with Brady, and he's probably itching to date the next girl he sees."