Chapter Text
Oh my gods.
Is he trying to kiss me?
The thought crashed into my brain so suddenly that for one horrifying second I forgot how to breathe.
Percy stepped closer inside the cramped janitor's closet, and the tiny space immediately felt smaller, making it impossibly harder to think. The overhead light flickered faintly above us, casting soft gold against the metal shelves lined with paper towels and cleaning supplies, while the distant bass of the school dance pulsed through the walls like a second heartbeat beneath my own.
He was too close.
Way too close.
I could smell clean soap and rainwater on him beneath the sharper scent of bleach lingering in the closet. His damp blond curls were still slightly messy from dancing, soft strands falling across his forehead in careless ringlets that somehow looked intentional. His blue eyes stayed fixed on mine with an intensity that made my stomach tighten nervously.
And then he leaned down closer toward my face.
My brain immediately stopped functioning.
Every logical thought I had vanished.
This is not happening.
There was no way Percy Jackson—loud, infuriating, impossible Percy Jackson—was about to kiss me in a janitor's closet during a school dance while his girlfriend was somewhere ten feet away.
Except he kept leaning closer.
My pulse thundered so loudly in my ears that I barely registered the way my fingers tightened around the edge of the shelf behind me. Heat crawled across my face as a thousand humiliating thoughts hit me at once.
What do I even do?
Do I move?
Do I let him?
Oh my gods, what if he can hear my heartbeat—
Then Percy leaned toward my ear instead of my lips and said.
"I have to ask you something," he whispered quietly.
I blinked.
My entire train of thought derailed so violently it practically exploded.
"...What?"
Percy pulled back slightly, his brows pulling together, taking a deep breath before leaning down to my ear again saying.
"I need help," he admitted.
The seriousness in his voice finally cut through my embarrassment.
"With what?" I tilted my head in confusion.
He stood up straight, exhaling a big breath before dragging his hand through his curls in frustration, making his damp strands stick up even more.
"Calculus."
I stared at him blankly.
"...calculus?"
"Yeah." Percy grimaced like the word itself offended him. "I'm failing calculus."
The silence that followed felt deeply personal. I could not believe this man had cornered me in a closet just to ask for tutoring help.
Percy shifted awkwardly beneath my stare before continuing quickly, "If my grade drops any lower, I lose scholarship offers for football. Coach already warned me that colleges are watching my academic record now."
His voice lost some of its usual teasing confidence toward the end, and I noticed the tension in his shoulders. Percy always carried himself like nothing rattled him, like he could laugh his way through anything life threw at him, but standing here now in the dim closet light, I could see the genuine worry in his face.
And annoyingly enough, that made it harder to stay angry.
Almost.
"That's what this was about?" I asked flatly, my arms crossed annoyed.
"When you say it like that, it sounds bad."
"Because it is bad."
"I didn't know how else to ask you!"
"Well you could've tried asking like a normal person!"
"How? You hate me."
"You're right, I do hate you."
"See!"
Percy rubbed the back of his neck before looking at me again, and for once there was no smug grin, no sarcastic comment waiting behind his expression.
"Please, Annabeth," he said desperately. "I really need your help passing."
The honesty in his voice caught me off guard. For one brief second, I actually considered saying yes. Then the closet door swung open.
Bright hallway light flooded the tiny room so suddenly that I flinched backward.
Rachel stood in the doorway.
My stomach dropped instantly. Because from her perspective, this looked absolutely terrible.
Percy and I were standing far too close together in a cramped locked closet while music echoed faintly from the gym down the hallway. My face still felt warm from my earlier panic, Percy was directly in front of me close enough that the entire situation looked suspicious when it actually wasn't.
"Oh my gods," I shrieked, surprised she found us.
Rachel looked between us rolling her eyes.
"This isn't what it looks like," I said immediately,while trying to step back from Percy.
"Yeah, I know," Rachel replied, clearly irritated. "He told me he was dragging you into a janitor's closet because he didn't want to be seen with you."
I froze.
Slowly, I turned toward Percy, his face now blushing red at Rachel's harsh words. His horrified expression told me everything I needed to know.
"That is not what I said," he defended immediately. "I didn't want anyone hearing that I was failing calculus I swear!"
Rachel ignored him completely as she stepped closer and looped her arm casually through his.
"Babe, the last song's playing," she said. "Come dance with me."
The word babe hit me harder than it should have.
Percy glanced at me awkwardly before looking back at Rachel. "Okay, I'm coming, hold on."
Then he turned back toward me like we weren't just having a conversation two seconds ago.
"So," he asked carefully, "will you help me?"
For a moment, I just stared at him in disbelief.
I had almost felt bad for him.
Almost.
Without warning, I shoved him hard enough that he stumbled backward into a bucket and several mops with a loud metallic crash.
"Annabeth—"
I didn't stay to hear the rest.
I stormed out of the closet, anger burning in my chest. Behind me, Rachel was yelling and dragging her asshole boyfriend to the dance floor.
Good.
He deserved it.
Monday afternoon felt endless.
The gloomy October weather outside didn't help either, it only made the school hallways feel more dimmer and more exhausting. Most students had already gone home, leaving the building quieter than usual except for the distant echo of students working out. I sat on a bench near the gym entrance reviewing biology notes while waiting for Clarisse to finish working out. The hallway lights buzzed softly overhead, reflecting against the polished floors while cold rain tapped steadily against the windows nearby.
I was halfway through rewriting vocabulary terms when someone stopped in front of me.
Percy.
Unfortunately.
My eyes lifted automatically before my brain could stop them.
He had clearly just showered after football practice. Damp blond curls clung loosely around his forehead and temples, darker now from water, with a few strands curling against the back of his neck. His hoodie hung loose over broad shoulders still slightly damp from the shower, the sleeves pushed carelessly to his elbows and exposing strong forearms lined with faint freckles and healed scratches from practice. His duffel bag rested against one shoulder while droplets of water still glimmered faintly near his hairline beneath the fluorescent lights.
And then there were his eyes.
Stupid, unbelievably blue eyes.
The kind that always looked brighter after football practice for some reason, sharp and clear and unfairly distracting. Annoyingly enough, Percy Jackson looked good, even when he was exhausted.
He definitely was an asshole.
I immediately looked back down at my notebook before he could notice I had been staring.
"Go away."
"Still mad?" he asked teasingly, with a hint of concern in his voice.
"Yes." I responded coldly, still avoiding eye contact.
"You're being dramatic."
"You dragged me into a janitor's closet."
"You shoved me into cleaning supplies."
"You deserved it."
I heard him laugh softly under his breath before he sat beside me anyway. The bench dipped slightly beneath his weight, and I suddenly became very aware of how close he was sitting.
"Please reconsider tutoring me," Percy begged after a moment, sounding more sincere this time. "I'll pay you."
"I'm not helping you."
"Annabeth."
"No."
Before Percy could continue begging, another voice interrupted from down the hallway.
"Well, this is unexpected."
Luke approached us carrying his football helmet beneath one arm, his dark hair still damp from the locker room shower. His easy smile appeared the second he saw me, warm and effortless in a way that immediately made my brain scatter.
"Hey, Annabeth."
My entire body forgot how to function.
"Hi," I answered quickly.
Too quickly.
I immediately panicked.
"I mean—hello."
Why would I correct 'hi' with 'hello'?
Get it together girl!
Luke's smile twitched slightly like he was trying not to laugh.
"Didn't know you stayed after school this late," he said his eyes solely focused on me, he then shifted towards Percy, "are you two staying after together...?"
Percy and I froze, I cringed in disgust, before Percy could answer I spoke up for the both of us.
"No," I laughed at his words, shocked he would even think that, "absolutely not."
Percy's face twisted in disbelief as he looked at me sideways.
"Wow...," Percy dragged out coldly, "absolutely not? Damn, Annabeth."
"What happened to 'I don't want to be seen with her?'" I snapped back at him, his eyes wide.
"I told you," Percy stated firmly, looking me straight in the eyes, "I didn't say that."
"Oh please..." I rolled my eyes, I knew him too well.
"I mean," Percy stopped to think, "I didn't say it like that."
Exactly, and he wonders why I hate him.
Luke looked between us confused about what was going on and being said.
"I'm sorry," Luke apologized, his hands up in surrender, "I didn't mean to start any problems."
"It's ok, I'm sorry, but to answer your question, no I usually don't stay after school late," I replied carefully while mentally begging myself to act normal. "Clarisse is working out."
"Ah." Luke nodded easily. "Makes sense."
The silence that followed lasted maybe three seconds...but it felt like thirty years.
Beside me, Percy made a suspicious choking sound that sounded dangerously close to laughter.
Asshole.
I could physically feel myself becoming more awkward the longer the conversation lasted.
"I should go," I blurted suddenly. "I have homework."
You are literally doing your homework girl. Ugh!
Luke glanced down at my notebook in my lap before smiling slightly.
"Right," he said. "See you tomorrow then?"
"Yes," I answered immediately. "Probably. I mean obviously. Since school exists."
Oh my gods.
Luke finally laughed, not mockingly, just genuinely amused.
"See you tomorrow, Annabeth."
Then he walked away.
The second he disappeared around the hallway corner, I dropped my face into my hands.
Beside me, Percy lost his remaining self-control and laughed openly.
"You are painfully awkward."
"I know," I groaned.
"You corrected 'hi' with 'hello.'"
"I know."
"You told him school exists."
"I KNOW."
Percy leaned back against the bench, still grinning while rain continued tapping softly against the windows nearby.
"It was kind of adorable though," he admitted.
I lowered my hands immediately to glare at him.
"Don't start."
But Percy only looked more entertained.
Then slowly, a dangerous expression crossed his face.
"If you help me pass calculus," he said casually, "I'll help you talk to boys."
I stared at him.
"...Excuse me?"
"You like Luke," Percy continued like this was obvious. "Luke's my friend. I can help."
"I do not need your help."
"You absolutely do."
I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it again because unfortunately he had a point and we both knew it.
Percy's grin widened slightly at my silence.
"Think about it," he continued. "You help me pass calculus, and I help you stop sounding like a malfunctioning robot around Luke."
I narrowed my eyes at him while he waited confidently for my answer.
Annoyingly enough, the deal actually made sense.
I hated that.
"...Fine," I muttered finally. "But only because you're paying me too."
Percy looked genuinely relieved then turned to ask my availability.
"Is this Friday at 6pm ok?"
"Sure whatever," I confirmed, gathering my notes as Clarisse finally exited the gym nearby.
Percy only laughed while I walked away, and somehow the sound followed me all the way down the hallway.