Kidnapped

19: The Traitor

Percy POV

Thalia pulled an epic rockstar move. She swung her black guitar into the wall. The wood splintered and the strings snapped. Thalia let out her anger like a literal pregnant rockstar.

The others weren't having the same level of success.

It was just so difficult to destroy the things that we loved. My mother gave me my encyclopedia, and I didn't have the heart to rip the pages. So far, only Thalia, Will, and Rachel managed to destroy their items, yet a half-hour had already passed.

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered. I turned towards her storming eyes. Her face was so expressive with sad emotions. "Um, I'll help you if you help me with this."

I gazed at her extended hand. She was giving me her diary. Annabeth couldn't destroy it herself, but she knew that it had to be destroyed.

I hesitantly took her diary before giving her my encyclopedia. We were quietly sitting on her bed. My muscles were tense as I stared at our books. I couldn't believe that we were doing this.

"We don't have a choice, do we?" I asked quietly.

Annabeth simply shook her head.

"I can't destroy my diary, Percy, and you're having trouble with your book. We can help each other out during this phase even though I regret it so much," Annabeth said.

I nodded as Annabeth took my book and distanced herself from me. Honestly, she had the right idea. I didn't want to see my encyclopedia getting ripped.

I noticed Rachel closely watching my and Annabeth's interaction.

I sighed before opening Annabeth's diary. Her handwriting was neat and organized. I regretfully started to rip the book apart. The pages scattered along the floor. The seal of the diary tore as the book fell apart.

The diary dropped to the floor. The deed was done.

I watched Annabeth slowly rip the pages of my encyclopedia. She cautiously tossed the components of my destroyed book into the trashcan.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Rachel asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Rachel. It was just a book, right?" I said sadly. My mom gave me that book as a symbol of my love for the ocean and swimming.

"You asked Annabeth to help you with this task. You guys are very close, aren't you?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, we are," I replied instinctually. Then, I looked at Rachel's face to notice the sadness in her eyes. "Rachel, I'm sorry if that's the wrong thing to say."

"No, it's all right. Annabeth is very nice and intelligent," she whispered.

I sighed before nudging her shoulder comfortingly.

"Rachel, we are all friends. You are one of my best friends here, and we've definitely gotten closer. However, with Wise Girl, it's just different. I feel different with her compared to everyone else in my life," I said genuinely.

Rachel smiled as she looked at my face.

"Your nicknames for each other are so cute. You guys are so cute and strong together. You don't need to explain your feelings to me. I understand. She's very lucky," Rachel responded as her smile only grew.

I smiled back at my friend. This was one of the many reasons why Rachel was such a great and supportive friend. I saw something more in her since the day I met her, and I was correct. Rachel was an amazingly understanding friend.

Honestly, I wasn't completely sure about my feelings for Annabeth. However, I knew that my feelings were strong, deep, and not platonic.

"It's done, Percy," Annabeth told me.