The Library Book

#12 - A Giant Teddy Bear

Chapter 12 - A Giant Teddy Bear
published: Wednesday, 11 March 2020

"Absolutely fantastic playing out there, boys!" Coach Hedge declared as he walked past their tables, clapping their backs. Percy almost choked on his sandwich.

Their celebratory team meal at Subway was a tradition. It started last year, when one of the now-graduated seniors took them out here after winning their first game. Percy had just started playing for the team at the time. They'd all bonded and gotten on sugar highs for the rest of the day.

"So, do I need to send you the recipe?" Percy said with a smirk.

Jason rolled his eyes. "I didn't think you'd actually manage to do it, but I guess a bet's a bet."

"See, this is a lesson," Percy said pointedly. "Have faith or you'll end up baking me cookies."

"So inspirational," Beckendorf feigned swooning. "You should go on a banner, Percy."

There were the sounds of scraping chair legs against the floor as Frank clumsily climbed back into his seat, two foot-long sandwiches in his arms.

"You're kidding me, right?" Jason said incredulously. "Frank, you just finished two of them!"

"One's for me," Percy said helpfully, grabbing the ham and cheese sandwich from Frank.

"How are neither of you fat?" Will muttered in disbelief.

"Hey, I'm big," Frank protested. "I need protein."

Jason's phone buzzed with a text from Annabeth. Percy read it over his shoulder.

congrats! we're going out for lunch with Hazel, catch you guys later?

"So, Percy, what's the deal with you and Annabeth?" Beckendorf held up a hand before Percy could argue back. "Don't kill me, Silena's put me on a top-priority mission to get all the details from you. Don't shoot the messenger."

Percy felt Jason stiffen and Frank shoot him a warning look.

"We're friends," he said vaguely. "That's pretty much it."

"I thought you guys hated each other," Travis said, wrinkling his nose. "I've never seen you two in the same room without getting in a shouting match."

Percy flushed. That was kind of true. "Well, it's a long story. I had an overdue book, she wanted it, when I finally brought it back, she found it funny, we had laughs, boom, here we are."

Will blinked. "That sounds more like a love story to me."

"Don't even go there," Percy sighed. "Drew's been a pain about that. I can't believe she'd do stuff like this."

"I can," Beckendorf snorted. "Drew isn't the nicest, you know." 

"She was always nice to me."

"Because you're you," Travis assured him. "She's never even given me a second glance."

"Back to the thing with Annabeth," Beckendorf rerouted. "Do you like her?"

Percy recoiled, alarm bells going off in his head. "God, no. No, we're just friends." If something like this became another rumour, it'd get awkward between them, and Percy definitely didn't want that. He couldn't stand the thought of losing Annabeth now that she was actually his friend.

"So who do you like?" Will asked curiously. "I mean, you've been broken up with Reyna for ages now."

Percy shrugged. "Doesn't mean I have to like someone else."