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annabear

Skyline Epiphanies and Neon Afterglows

The morning after was exactly as Thalia had promised: expensive. Percy had spent forty dollars on artisanal avocado toast and lavender lattes just to keep Thalia from following through on her threat to "shove his blonde head through a drywall."

But as the week rolled on, the tension in their little group settled into a new, strange rhythm. Annabeth, the girl who usually spent her Tuesday nights color-coding her architectural blueprints and drinking enough espresso to stop a horse’s heart, had found a new interest. It wasn’t just the weed—though she did appreciate how it turned her brain’s frantic "to-do" list into a soft, manageable hum—it was the way Percy saw the city.

"You’re always looking at the foundations, Wise Girl," Percy told her on a humid Wednesday evening. He was sitting on his fire escape, his legs dangling over the edge, six floors above the bustling New York street. "You look at the load-bearing walls and the Gothic revival influences. You never just look at the soul of the place."

Annabeth stepped out onto the metal grating, her boho braids tied back in a loose bun. She was wearing one of Percy’s oversized hoodies over her leggings, the sleeves swallowing her small hands. "Buildings don't have souls, Percy. they have structural integrity."

Percy grinned, his blue eyes bright as he held up a neatly rolled joint. "That’s where you’re wrong. Sit down. We’re going on an adventure."

Annabeth hesitated, thinking of the three chapters of structural engineering she had left to read. Then she looked at Percy—the way his curly blonde hair caught the orange glow of the setting sun—and she sat.

By the time they reached the roof of an abandoned industrial warehouse in Long Island City an hour later, the "soft balloon" feeling had returned to Annabeth’s head. Percy had a way of finding the most illegal-looking entrances that were actually perfectly safe—or so he claimed.

"Look at that," Percy whispered, gesturing toward the Manhattan skyline across the East River.

The city was a jagged crown of light, shimmering against the dark water. Annabeth leaned against the rusted railing, her head feeling light and her heart feeling heavy in the best way possible. "It’s... it’s different from up here."

"Everything is different when you’re not rushing to be part of it," Percy said. He took a hit and passed it to her. "You spend your whole life trying to build the world, Annabeth. You gotta enjoy the one that’s already here sometimes."

Annabeth took the hit, much more gracefully this time. She didn't cough, though her throat tingled. She exhaled a cloud of silver smoke into the night air. "I feel like I’m cheating on my degree."

"The degree will be there tomorrow," Percy said, bumping his shoulder against hers. "Tonight, you're just a girl on a roof with a guy who thinks you’re the smartest person in the universe."

They stayed there for hours, talking about everything and nothing. Annabeth explained the golden ratio while pointing at the stars, and Percy told her about the time he tried to "rescue" a lobster from a grocery store tank when he was ten. It was peaceful, until her phone buzzed.

It was a FaceTime call from Thalia.

"Oh shit," Annabeth giggled, her eyes wide and glassy. "It’s the police."

"Don't answer it!" Percy hissed, though he was grinning.

"I have to! If I don't answer, she’ll call the actual police!" Annabeth hit accept and tried to pull her face into a 'serious student' expression.

The screen filled with Thalia’s face, her dark, curly hair framed by the harsh light of her bedroom. Luke was visible in the background, sitting on her bed and looking over a laptop.

"Annabeth," Thalia said, her voice flat. "Why is your background a water tower?"

Annabeth blinked at the screen. "It’s... it’s a perspective study, Thalia. For class."

"You’re high as a kite," Luke called out, not even looking up from the laptop. "I can see the 'I love snacks' look in your eyes from here. Where are you? And why is Jackson’s blonde head in the corner of the frame?"

Percy leaned into the shot, waving lazily. "Hey guys. We’re just looking at the moon. It’s very round tonight. Very... spherical."

"I am going to kill you, Percy," Thalia groaned, rubbing her temples. "Annabeth, it is 11:00 PM on a school night. Do you have any idea how dangerous those warehouses are? There are probably needles and ghosts up there."

"No ghosts," Annabeth said, her voice sounding very airy. "Just... geometry. Thalia, did you know the Empire State Building looks like a giant pencil from here? Who is writing with it? The clouds?"

Luke finally looked up, his expression a mix of horror and amusement. "Okay, that’s it. We’re coming to get you. Send the location."

"No!" Annabeth squealed, clutching the phone. "We’re fine! We’re going to get tacos!"

"You are not driving," Luke snapped. "Tell me Percy isn't driving."

"We took the subway!" Percy shouted. "We’re responsible stoners, Luke! God!"

"I’m hanging up now," Thalia said, her eyes narrowing. "If you aren't back at the dorms in an hour, I’m calling your mother, Percy. I have Sally on speed dial. Don't test me."

The call cut out, and Annabeth and Percy looked at each other for a beat before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"She’s so... pointy," Annabeth gasped, leaning her head on Percy’s shoulder. "Everything about Thalia is just sharp edges."

"That’s why she needs us," Percy said, tucking a stray braid behind her ear. "To remind her that the edges can be rounded off."

The "taco adventure" turned into a three-hour odyssey through Queens. They ended up at a 24-hour bodega where the fluorescent lights felt like a disco. Annabeth spent fifteen minutes debating the merits of different types of gummy worms with the confused guy behind the counter, while Percy tried to find a specific type of blue soda that he swore was "life-changing."

As they walked back toward the subway, bags of snacks crinkling in their hands, they ran into Piper and Silena, who were coming out of a late-night movie.

"Oh, look at you two," Silena teased, her Afro-Latina curls bouncing as she walked over. She reached out and straightened Annabeth’s hoodie. "You look like you’ve been through a wind tunnel. Having fun?"

"We went to the sky," Annabeth said solemnly, holding up a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. "And brought back gifts."

Piper laughed, leaning against a streetlamp. "Thalia and Luke are currently at the apartment pacing like expectant fathers. Luke is literally cleaning his shoes just to have something to do with his hands. You guys are in trouble."

"They're just protective," Percy said, though he rolled his eyes. "They act like I’m leading her into a life of crime. We’re literally eating gummy worms and looking at architecture."

"To be fair, Percy," Piper pointed out, "the last time you 'went on an adventure' with Grover, you both ended up stuck in a tree in Central Park because you thought you saw a squirrel that knew secrets."

"That squirrel was very suspicious, Piper," Percy defended.

"Come on," Silena said, hooking her arm through Annabeth’s. "Let’s get you home before Luke starts a search party. Hazel is already over there trying to calm them down with tea, but I think Thalia’s about five minutes away from grabbing a baseball bat."

They made it back to the apartment complex shortly after midnight. The air in the hallway was quiet, but the second they stepped into the common area of the suite, the vibe shifted.

Thalia was sitting on the kitchen counter, her boots swinging, while Luke was standing by the window, his arms crossed. Grover and Charles were on the couch, looking like they were trying to blend into the furniture to avoid the crossfire. Clarisse was in the corner, scrolling through her phone, occasionally muttering "Idiots" under her breath.

"Look who decided to return from orbit," Thalia said, her voice dangerously calm.

Annabeth walked straight up to her, held out a bag of blue gummy sharks, and said, "I got you these because you’re a predator of the sea, Thalia. Efficient and scary."

Thalia stared at the bag. She looked at Annabeth’s wide, innocent brown eyes, then at Percy, who was trying to look nonchalant while hiding a blue tongue.

"You are unbelievable," Thalia sighed, taking the gummies. "Do you have any idea how worried Luke gets? He’s been reading statistics about falls from heights for the last forty minutes."

"I just don't want her to be a statistic, Percy," Luke said, his Wasian features tight with lingering irritation. He walked over, his 6’1 frame looming over Percy. "She’s got a lot on her plate. This... this 'education' you’re giving her? It’s a distraction."

"Maybe she needs a distraction, Luke," Percy said, his voice dropping the playful tone. He didn't back down. "Look at her. She’s not stressed. She’s not shaking because she’s had six cups of coffee. She’s just... being nineteen."

Luke looked at Annabeth, who was currently sitting on the floor with Hazel, showing her the "perfect" gummy shark. Hazel was laughing, her goddess braids shimmering under the kitchen lights as she patted Annabeth’s hand.

"She’s happy," Charles added from the couch, his deep voice resonant. "Let her have this, man. We all know she works harder than any of us. If she wants to get a little cloudy with Percy on a Wednesday, who cares?"

"I care when she forgets to study for the midterms," Thalia muttered, though she had already opened the bag of gummies and was chewing on a shark.

"I didn't forget," Annabeth said from the floor, her voice surprisingly clear. She looked up at Thalia and Luke. "I have my alarm set for 7:00 AM. I’ve already finished the draft for my design project. I just... I wanted to see the city. Not as a project, but as a place."

Luke sighed, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. He looked at Percy and shook his head. "You’re a bad influence, Jackson."

"The worst," Percy agreed with a grin.

"But," Luke added, pointing a finger at him, "if her grades drop even a decimal point, I’m banning you from the building. I’ll tell the super you’re a drug kingpin."

"Harsh, but fair," Percy said.

The rest of the night devolved into the usual chaos. Grover and Clarisse started an argument over whether a hot dog was a sandwich, which eventually involved everyone in the room. Silena and Piper started a mini-fashion show with the various hoodies they found lying around, and Hazel managed to convince everyone to watch a documentary about deep-sea creatures.

As the lights were dimmed and the group settled onto the various couches and floor cushions, Percy found himself sitting on the rug next to Annabeth. She leaned her head against his knee, her eyes half-closed as she watched a giant squid move across the TV screen.

"Percy?" she whispered.

"Yeah, Wise Girl?"

"The stars were better on the roof."

Percy smiled, reaching down to squeeze her hand. "Everything is better on the roof."

"Hey!" Thalia barked from the other couch. "No more roof talk! And no more weed until the weekend! I mean it!"

"Yes, Mom!" Percy and Annabeth chorused together.

Thalia threw a decorative pillow at Percy’s head. He caught it, laughing, and pulled Annabeth closer. The room was full of his friends, the air was warm, and for the first time in a long time, the city outside felt like it belonged to them, rather than the other way around.

Luke watched them from the kitchen, a small, reluctant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he saw Annabeth finally drift off to sleep, looking more peaceful than she ever did in the library. He caught Percy’s eye and gave a single, sharp nod.

It wasn't an approval, exactly. It was an acknowledgment.

Percy nodded back. He knew he was playing with fire where Thalia and Luke were concerned, but as he looked down at the girl sleeping against his leg, he knew he’d take the heat any day.

The "Wise Girl" was finally learning that sometimes, the best way to build a future was to take a break from designing it and just breathe in the present—even if that breath tasted a little bit like burnt forest and blue gummy sharks.