More Than Just A Little White Lie~ A Percabeth AU

Chapter 17

The weekend of the ski trip finally arrives and I'm excited about getting out of the city but I'm dreading having to see Percy. It was awkward all week, me pretending to be all happy when I've been miserable. Percy is oblivious of course, but Piper has asked me multiple times throughout the week what is wrong. I wish I could just tell her everything. I pack what I need into my backpack and I head downstairs. Since it's a Saturday, dad is home and he's just finishing making a fresh pot of coffee when I enter the kitchen.

"Mornin' dear. Are you ready for your school trip? Going to be cold up there, did you pack your boots and a hat and mittens?" He asks, pouring me a cup.

"Yes Dad, I'm 17, not 8. I know how to pack for a ski trip." I roll my eyes at his reminders but secretly liking that he cares enough to say anything. He sits down next to me at the breakfast bar along the island and inhales. Oh no. This means he has something important to say.

"Speaking of you being 17, I wanted to have a chat with you before you leave. I know that you're nearing adulthood now and you are certainly capable of making mature decisions. You've always been the wise one, not doing anything without thinking it through carefully. But now that you have a boyfriend, I want to make sure that you aren't making decisions without thinking them through. I can't prevent you from doing anything obviously, but I want to make sure that you are at least being safe about it?" My dad finishes his speech and I stare at him open-mouthed. I was not expecting that and I don't know which one of us is more mortified.

"First of all, EW. Second of all, you don't have anything to worry about. I don't plan on doing anything anytime soon." I sputter out, getting up from the barstool.

"I gotta go." I say and I run out of the room. Hazel is standing on the staircase, obviously having heard every word. She's laughing to herself.

"You just wait until you're older. You know he won't hesitate to have the same chat with you." I hiss at her as I go back upstairs for my things. Percy is giving me a ride to the bus. We are going upstate to some ski resort, and it's a three hour ride.

"Bye!" I call out before heading out into the freezing outdoors. Why anyone in their right mind would actually want to be out in this and going down mountains at breakneck speeds is beyond me. The heated interior of the truck is welcome.

"Hey." Percy says, clearly still half asleep. It is early, too early for a Saturday. Christmas music is already playing on his radio and I have to chuckle. It's barely December.

"What, you have something against frosty the snowman?" Percy teases. It's so easy to forget why I'm miserable in the first place when I'm with him, it's when I'm alone that the hurt rears it's ugly head.

The large charter bus is ready and warmed up when we arrive. The football team and the swim team are the only ones who qualified to go on the trip, having made it to the finals for their leagues. Jason and Piper are standing with some of the other boys from the swim team and I join them while Percy puts our bags under the bus.

"Ho-l-y shit it's cold." I shiver, rubbing my hands together. Two larger hands engulf mine and Percy is standing in front of me. I offer him a half hearted smile but I pull my hands out from his.

"Come on, Pipes. I wanna get on the bus." I pull her away from her boyfriend, leaving the guys outside. The bus is empty, thank god. We sit in the back and wait for everyone else to show up. Percy looks for me when he climbs on and looks disappointed when he sees me sitting with Piper. He sits down in the front and to my horror, a certain red-headed ex of his sits next to him. Rachel must have wormed her way on with one of the football players.

The bus ride is boring and I end up falling asleep halfway there, using Piper as a pillow. She jolts me awake when we arrive and I stumble off the bus. Percy is ahead of us, walking with Rachel. My eyes sting but I can blame it on the biting wind. Piper's eyes find the two of them and she understand immediately why I'm being so weird.

The ski lodge is amazing, decorated with Christmas everything. There are fairly lights going up the staircase and along the second floor, which is like a loft and is open. A huge Christmas tree is in the center, near a massive fireplace. The chaperones are at the desk, getting everyone their room keys. Boys and girls aren't allowed to bunk together of course but everyone knows that won't be followed. The chaperones know that won't be followed.

Percy finds me in the evening to say that he and some of the other kids were going down to the hot tub and that we are welcome to join them but I decline, not wanting to be around him right now. Plus I'm already in my pajamas. Piper raises her brows are me. I know she would rather be hanging out with Jason but in best friend fashion, she sticks by my side. I need to talk to her.

"What is going on with you? You've been acting so oddly this week." Piper asks as I pull her into the bedroom we are sharing. Or we are supposed to be sharing. We both know that she is going to sneak into Jason's room tonight.

"I need to talk to you." I say nervously.

"Oh shit, are you pregnant?" Piper gasps.

"What?! Fuck no!" I roll my eyes.

"It's about Percy and I. The whole thing is fake. We were just pretending so that Luke wouldn't think that I still liked him and he wanted to make Rachel jealous. And now I've fallen for him and he is still in love with Rachel." I let it all out in one breath. It feels good to tell her the truth.

"That's why I've been acting so weird. It hurts to be around him but we had a deal to do this until the ski trip and I can't let him know how I really feel because he's just going to turn me down and I don't think I can bare that." I'm whispering now and I'm afraid that if I say anymore, I will cry. Piper looks at me sympathetically and drags me into a hug.

"Oh, Annabeth. You are so so dumb. How can you not see how infatuated that boy is with you? You two may have started this off with no feelings but it's clear to me and to everyone who has seen you two together that he likes you!" Piper says with gusto. I scoff.

"Please don't humor me." I mumble.

"I can guarantee you that he likes you too. Go find him! Tell him!" Piper says, pulling me off the bed and shoving me towards the door. She pushes me out and then locks the door on me. Great. I'm outside in just a tank top and shorts and no way to get back inside. I find myself going in the direction of the hot tub, not sure what I'm going to say if I find Percy.