004. I Love You (But Not) As A Best Friend Pt: II

SUMMARY: Annabeth Chase never procrastinate on anything except for confessing to her best friend, Percy Jackson. She always told herself she'll do it before the year ends and when the end of the year arrives, Annabeth is stressed with only two days to confess. So, Annabeth plans to confess to Percy on a fine, beautiful Thursday and hopes Percy doesn't friend zone her. Too bad, the universe had other plans and she was the one who friend zone him.

WARNING: none, I think...?  | (A FEW) SONGS THAT I LISTENED TO WHILE WRITING THIS: PLACEBO, STRAY KIDS. AIRPLANE MODE, FROMIS_9. HOLIDAY, SEVENTEEN. BEST FRIEND, NCT DREAM. LIFE IS STILL GOING ON, NCT DREAM. | Part One. Part Two.

LUCINDA SPEAKS: Hello, my loves!! Happy New Year's! I wish you a happy, safe 2022 with happiness and love! This is the second and final part of I Love You (But Not) As A Best Friend!  I hope everyone enjoys it! I had so much fun finishing this one-shot and I'm happy with how it turned out! Anyways, I have some exciting news to share!! For 2022, I'll be working more on this book with hopefully monthly updates and I can't wait start that project because in 2021, I really feel like I neglected it (😬) and I really want to fill it out with one-shots! I hope you'll join me on this quest and again, please enjoy this one-shot and have a good day/night! Thank you for reading! Till, next time! Much Love, Lucinda! 💙

Disappointed was not the word Annabeth would describe her afternoon with Percy. Yes, she was disappointed, but everything after her failed confession was peaceful; they had lunch and walked around the city till she had to go home.

Their chatter was the same though some awkwardness lingered in the air, and Annabeth tried her best to act normal despite feeling crushed about everything.

It might be hours since the exchange, but she kept recalling how she said yes to Percy's question.

She shouldn't have said yes because she had let herself down, and she hated letting herself down. However, Annabeth wondered, if she said no, would Percy still look disappointed?

That was the thing that confused Annabeth. Why did he look disappointed when she said yes? It seemed like he didn't want the I love you to be platonic. Annabeth then chuckled to herself. Her imagination was getting the best of her. Surely, Percy wasn't disappointed in her response; he was probably relieved to know he didn't have to break her heart.

Nevertheless, Annabeth didn't know what to do. Her confession had failed and tomorrow was New Year's Eve; if she wanted to do it before the new year, she only had twenty-four hours to do it.

    "What should I do, Thalia?" Asked Annabeth. "Like I want to tell him so badly, but I feel like I shouldn't—maybe, that's the best choice," She groaned and flopped onto her bed.

    Thalia chuckled and sat on the edge of Annabeth's bed; she said, "Why are you giving up so easily after one fail? You have to keep trying, Annabeth." She then added, "Love isn't easy."

    "Tell me about it," Snorted Annabeth. "It's too scary to confess, Thalia." She then laughed, "I'm going to be alone forever."

    Thalia half-smiled and sat next to Annabeth; she said, "I know confessing is scary, but Annabeth, think about your favorite couples in books—the reason they're together is that they confessed." She then said, "If you never confess, you'll never know what could have been, and that's worse than rejection."

Annabeth looked at Thalia and pouted.

    "You know I'm right," Chuckled Thalia.

She was right, and Annabeth hated that. Not knowing what could have been was worse than rejection. Because what if he actually liked her too, yet he nor she said anything. That was worse than a broken heart that could never be healed.

    Annabeth sighed, "I'm going to tell him tomorrow—I'll tell him when we get to Time Square for the ball dropping," Thalia furrowed her eyebrows, confused, "Remember? He's coming with us."

    "Oh, he is?" Frowned Thalia. "I don't like how he's ruining our annual tradition, but, uh, I guess, it's alright—I'll go off by myself."

    "You can bring Reyna with you," Smirked Annabeth, bringing up a very close friend of Thalia's. "I bet she'll be happy to accompany you."

    Thalia blushed and slapped Annabeth, causing her to wince; Thalia said, "I'll ask her, Annabeth."

    "I bet she'll say yes," Smiled Annabeth, then said, "Anyways, yeah, I'm planning to tell him tomorrow night, and depending on what happens, I might get a midnight kiss, and I really want a midnight kiss." Annabeth blushed, realizing she said a little too much.

    "Don't we all?" Laughed Thalia, and Annabeth's cheeks reddened.

Eventually, the topic drifted away from the afternoon, and they decided to

watch an episode of Love Alarm before calling it a night after her dad reminded them it was one in the morning.

They wished each other good night, and Annabeth closed her bedroom light. She snuggled her blankets and looked at the walls.

The streetlights flowed through her open window and cast shadows on the walls that danced.

Annabeth smiled before sighing, looking at the ceiling when she thought of something she didn't even notice before.

After she said yes to Percy's question, he responded with I love you; he didn't add as a friend, just I love you.

Annabeth smiled, and slight hope sparkled in her chest as she drifted off to sleep.

    Annabeth always knew that New Year's Eve was tomorrow—Friday—however, when she woke up, it felt strange to know that the year was ending when the clock struck midnight. It was like time flew past, and Annabeth never noticed, too busy to check what day it was, and she wished she did.

If she did, Annabeth would have seen how much she wasted thinking, fearing, dreaming about confessing to Percy that it has left her less than two hours to tell Percy she liked him more than a friend should. And hopefully, he will feel the same.

Annabeth texted him early in the morning, and they agreed to meet at 1:01, a cafe, before finding a spot to watch the ball drop and the fireworks after midnight struck in Times Square.

She planned to confess to him somewhere before midnight; Annabeth would casually bring up the topic and pray for the best—so, basically her plan yesterday, but this time she wouldn't mess it up.

Just thinking about it made her nervous, and she messed with the sea-green bracelet and looked in the mirror.

Her hair fell over her shoulder, and she wore a fluffy, white sweater, high-waisted denim jeans matched with studs; Annabeth smiled.

    "Annabeth, are you ready to go?" Asked Thalia, coming into the room, and exclaimed,  "Oh, you look nice!"

    "Thanks," Blushed Annabeth. "Do you think it's too casual or...?"

    "No," Answered Thalia. "You look fine; you look like yourself, which is good."

    "Mhm," Agreed Annabeth, then said, "Thalia, I'm scared. What if—"

    "Annabeth, you been scared for the past two years now," Thalia said, "Aren't you done with being scared? Aren't you done with the never-ending what-ifs?"

    Thalia cocked an eyebrow, and Annabeth pouted before saying, "I am, Thalia, but—"

    "No, buts," Thalia frowned, then said, "Now, be a good girl, and let's go. You know how long it takes to drive to the city, and because it's New Year's Eve, traffic is going to be hell."

Annabeth nodded with a sigh, and she double-checked her cross-body bag before flinging it around her shoulder. She followed Thalia downstairs to the living room.

Annabeth walked behind Thalia and watched as the twins, Matthew and Bobby, whined.

    "Mommy! Why can't we go to Times Squares with Annabeth and Thalia?!" Bobby pouted, "It's not fair!"

    "Yeah!?!" Agreed Matthew. "I want to see the ball drop! I bet it's much more fun in real life than watching it on tv!"

    "Well," Frowned Helen. "You're going to have to wait till you're sixteen because it's too dangerous out there for your guys' age. You might wander from my sight, and because there are so many people, I won't spot you, nor you would hear my voice, then you'll end up lost and crying, and that's something I don't want to deal with."

    "Your mother is right," Nodded Frederick. "There are many things that could happen to you out there, and your safety is the only thing we're concerned about."

The twins pouted but didn't say anything and continued to play with their iPads.

    Frederick smiled then looked at Thalia and her; he said, "Are you guys ready to go?"

    Annabeth said, "Yeah, we are! We're just saying goodbye," Thalia nodded, "We'll see you next year!"

    Her family said goodbye, and Frederick chuckled, "Mhm. We'll see you next year, Annabeth and Thalia!"

    "Remember to stay safe, girls!" Exclaimed Helen. "Stick with each other, alright? I don't want either of you to get hurt."

    "We won't!"

They walked to the front door, put on their shoes, and left.

    Thalia turned to look at Annabeth and said, "Are you ready, Annabeth?"

    "Yeah," Nodded Annabeth and added. "Well, as ready as I'll ever be."

She then sighed. Her breath was a wisp of smoke in the night.

    The traffic lights blinked at them, and the music faded away as Thalia turned the car off. For the past hour, they sang loudly to Taylor Swift in the car till they reached the street, where 1:01 was located.

The streets were crowded, and Annabeth and Thalia didn't want to endure the painful traffic, so they decided to park somewhere far away and take the long way there.

Unlike a usual December, the Friday night was only chilly. However, Annabeth wished she wore a jacket because she was shivering. 

She and Thalia kept close in the crowded street, not wanting to lose each other. It might be New Year's, but Manhattan was still as dangerous as ever. They promised one another when they went separate ways, they'll text each other when they reached their location.

The streetlights shone on them, and in the far distance, she could spot the flashing billboards and the glistening colorful ball; she smiled.

Eventually, they neared 1:01, where Percy awaited her inside, and Annabeth swore her heart was jumping out of her. Thalia could sense her uneasiness and grabbed her hand. That caught Annabeth's attention, and she turned to look at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

    "Nothing," Said Thalia, then said, "Remember Annabeth, do not take back anything you say, alright?"

    "Alright," Nodded Annabeth. "So if I said I love you and not as a friend, and he doesn't say anything else, should I just keep quiet?"

    Thalia nodded, and Annabeth quietly asked, "Yet, Thalia, what if he rejects me? I still want to be his friend."

    "Then," Thalia looked at Annabeth, "Well, knowing Percy, he will still want to be your friend, so that's that, and you'll move on."

    "What if I don't?" Said Annabeth. "Hmm?"

    "Stop with all these what-ifs," Laughed Thalia. "You need to stop focusing on the future; you're living in the present—we'll get to those what-ifs if needed, though I doubt it."

Annabeth only half-smiled, and they continued walking. They only stopped when they reached 1:01. Though the cafe was opened, there was no one inside; she looked at Thalia.

    "If I go missing," Said Annabeth, and Thalia laughed, "You know where I am."

    "Noted," Said Thalia, then suggested, "You should text him," Annabeth nodded, taking her phone out of her pocket, "Hey, do you want me to stay or...?"

    "You should go," Answered Annabeth and smirked, "After all, you wouldn't want to make Reyna wait in the cold, do you?"

    "No," Blushed Thalia and glanced behind her, "Well, uh, text me if anything happens, and I will report you missing if you don't reply to my text messages."

    "Alright," Chuckled Annabeth. "Well, uh, see you later? Hopefully?"

    Thalia nodded, then smiled, "Well, good luck, Annabeth!"

    Annabeth sheepishly smiled, "Thanks," She walked to the door and yelled behind her, "Don't forget to compliment Reyna, Thalia!"

    "I won't!"

Annabeth chuckled and looked back at the front door of 1:01; she carefully opened the door and quietly stepped inside. She chewed her lips and gazed around.

The cafe looked nice, clean, and totally closed. It was empty with no sign of life besides the turned-on light.

Feeling unnerved, Annabeth texted Percy, telling him she had arrived, and asked where he was. Quickly seconds later, her phone buzzed with text messages from Percy.

[Percy]: Walk upstairs till you reach the rooftop.

[Percy]: That's where I am :)

Annabeth glanced around, and she walked upstairs after spotting the stairs. Her footsteps echoed throughout the cafe, and she pressed her lips together when she reached the second floor. She then walked another flight of stairs and reached the rooftop, where he was.

The wind blew her hair around, and she rubbed her arms for warmth; Annabeth looked around till she spotted Percy overlooking the city with a bouquet of flowers on the ledge. She gazed at it before calling his name.

Percy turned around—slightly startled—before realizing it was Annabeth. She smiled and walked over to him; she glanced down at the city and watched the street lights shine down on the crowded street.

    "Hey, Annabeth," Smiled Percy. "How are you? Are you excited for the New Year?"

    Annabeth shrugged, "Somewhat, I guess." Percy frowned, and she looked at Percy, "So, what brings you to ask me to come here? Also, why isn't there anyone here?"

    "Well, this cafe is my mom's friend's, and I asked if I could borrow it for the night because I need to tell you something, and I know there's was no way in hell you'll hear me with all the noise out there." Explained Percy.

    Annabeth frowned. "What do you need to tell me?" She glanced at the flowers on the ledge, then at Percy, "Percy?"

Percy took a step closer to her, and Annabeth froze and could feel her heart race. He opened his mouth to speak when Annabeth shivered, and he frowned, quickly taking his jacket off and placing it over her shoulder.

Annabeth blushed and looked down at the ground. She breathed in Percy's ocean scent and looked at Percy when he called her name. The city noise of honking cars and people's voices faded away; she could feel her pocket buzzed with a message likely from Thalia, but she ignored it. Her attention was on Percy.

    "I like someone, Annabeth," Said Percy, and her face fell, "But I don't know how to tell her. There's also another thing, I'm pretty sure, she likes me back but is just too afraid to admit it."

    "Oh?" Said Annabeth, then carefully said, trying not to sound disappointed, "Well, I'm happy for you, Percy."

Annabeth would never admit it out loud, but she wasn't happy at all—no, she was happy for Percy, but she wasn't for herself. She wanted to cry because she was too late to confess, and Percy had already found someone else.

She swore her heart just broke into two, and her courage disappeared, fading into the night like smoke.

    Percy studied her and nodded; he said, "Annabeth, there are so many things about her that I'm in love with, such as she's kind. For the past couple of years, she has helped me with my homework and prepared me for tests by making flashcards. She's also smart. She always aced her tests with flying colors, yet she never brags." Percy looked at Annabeth, "And she's so pretty; she has these charming stormy grey eyes and a smile brighter than the Sun."

Her breath hitched, and Annabeth's eyelashes fluttered when Percy walked closer to her, so she was only a few inches from his face. His eyes darted to her lips. 

    "I love her," Whispered Percy, and Annabeth gulped, "I love her more than a friend, and yesterday, she told me she love me, and I was so happy however she added, as a friend; I love you as a friend."

Annabeth's cheeks reddened, and she looked down at the ground. At first, when Percy was describing his crush, Annabeth thought, what if, by some slight chance, it was her, and the hope grew when he mentioned she had grey eyes and a smile brighter than the Sun; Percy told her multiple times that she had a smile of the Sun. Then, Annabeth knew it was her when he mentioned yesterday—She was the person Percy liked.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when Percy cupped her cheeks, and she looked at him.

    "What should I do?" He asked quietly, "I know she likes me after she confess to me that one night in my apartment when she thought I was asleep," Annabeth's eyes widened, and Percy chuckled, "But why did she say she only love me as a friend? If she waited a second later, I would have said I love you too and not as a friend."

Annabeth bit the inside of her cheeks and looked at Percy. Her heart was pounding inside her chest, and she feared Percy could hear it. She stiffened when Percy leaned closer, and their noses touched. His eyes were on her lips.

    Annabeth quickly found her voice and stammered,     "W-Well, what if s-she said that because she was scared? Scared that you'll reject her because she didn't know if you like her like that."

    "Well, I'll tell her don't be scared," Said Percy softly. "Because I like her—no, I love her, and every time I see her, I want to kiss her," Annabeth's cheeks reddened when he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tilted her chin upward. "Can I?"

Annabeth only nodded and gasped when Percy's lips touched her.

He tasted like pure bliss, blue-raspberry jolly ranchers, and trident gum, which was overall addicting, and she wanted more of it. Kissing Percy was like finding heaven. Her head felt lightweight from the kiss, and she groaned when Percy deepened the kiss.

They only pulled away when Annabeth's phone rang, and she reluctantly took it out to see Thalia's name; she answered it.

As soon as the phone lines connected, Thalia lectured her for not responding to her text messages, and Annabeth walked away from Percy to excitedly tell Thalia that she had done—well, Percy had done it, and they kissed. That immediately caused Thalia to drop her mothery tone and exclaim.

    Annabeth laughed and heard Thalia say, "You know I'm happy for you and everything, Annabeth, but you might want to get to Time Squares now—you only have fifteen minutes till midnight strikes.

Her eyes widened and cursed when she realized it was exactly 11:45 PM; she quickly said goodbye to Thalia and closed the call. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and walked to Percy, who sheepishly smiled.

Annabeth beamed as Percy wrapped an arm around her waist.

She had fulfilled her resolution of getting a kiss and keeping her ten-year streak. What a way to end the year.

    Time Squares was crowded, and Annabeth was disappointed that she wasn't upfront, like always, but she guessed that's what happened when you arrived last minute. Yet, she wasn't too bothered because she was with Percy.

Annabeth happily smiled, clutching a bouquet of flowers, as Percy tugged her closer to him. She glanced ahead—mesmerized by the flashing lights and billboards—and looked at the lit-up ball and countdown; she smiled as the last five seconds ticked.

    "5!"

    "Annabeth?" Yelled Percy, causing her to look at him.

    "4!"

    "What?" Annabeth responded.

    "3!"

    "Will you be my girlfriend?"

    "2!"

Times Square might be loud with everyone's voices, but Annabeth somehow heard Percy's words, and she beamed.

    "Of course!"

    "1!"

The ball dropped, and everyone cheered. Percy quickly pulled her into a kiss, and Annabeth closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him. He then broke the kiss and muttered I love you.

    "I love you too," Whispered Annabeth, and he kissed her again.

Oh, what a perfect beginning to the new year.