annabear

The air in Percy’s cramped apartment was thick with the scent of cheap cologne, old pizza boxes, and the unmistakable, skunky aroma of high-grade kush. It was a Friday night, the kind where the humidity of the city seemed to seep through the brick walls, making everything feel heavy and slow.

Annabeth sat cross-legged on the oversized, velvet-green couch that Percy had probably found on a curb somewhere. She looked entirely out of place, a vision of soft pink loungewear and perfectly laid light brown boho braids. Her brown skin glowed under the dim, warm fairy lights Percy had strung up to "set the vibe." Beside her, Percy was leaning over the coffee table, his blonde curls falling into his blue eyes as he focused intensely on the glass piece in his hands.

"Okay, Wise Girl, look," Percy said, his voice dropping into that low, soothing tone he used when he was trying to be serious. "It’s not like a cigarette. You don’t just puff. You gotta pull it into your lungs, hold it for a beat, and then let it go. You’re overthinking the mechanics."

Annabeth bit her lip, her eyes wide. "Percy, I’ve literally never even had a beer without feeling like I’m breaking the law. If I cough and die, I’m haunting your blonde ass forever."

Percy chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest. "You're not gonna die. You’re with me. I got you."

In the corner of the room, Grover was perched on a beanbag, his dark curls bouncing as he nodded along to some lo-fi beat playing from a Bluetooth speaker. "She’s right to be nervous, Perce. The first time I smoked with you, I thought the floor was made of marshmallows for three hours."

"That’s because you have no tolerance, G," Charles interjected from the kitchen doorway. The tall, muscular twenty-year-old was currently busy trying to assemble a massive tray of nachos, his movements methodical. "Annabeth’s a genius. She’ll probably master the art of the inhale in two minutes."

"Exactly," Percy said, finally handing the glass pipe to Annabeth. "Just a small hit. I’ll light it for you."

Annabeth took the pipe gingerly, her small fingers wrapping around the glass. She looked like a doll holding a piece of contraband. Just as she leaned in, the front door to the apartment swung open with a violent bang that made everyone jump.

"What the fuck is that smell?"

Thalia stepped into the room like a storm cloud personified. Her curly hair was wild, and her eyes were narrowed with immediate suspicion. Behind her, Luke followed, his expression shifting from casual to irritated the second the scent hit him.

"Oh, hell no," Luke said, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked at Percy with a look that could have curdled milk. "Percy, what the fuck are you doing?"

Percy didn't even flinch, though he did pull the lighter back. "Giving Annabeth a little education, Luke. Relax. We’re all adults here."

"Adults?" Thalia barked, marching over to the couch. She looked down at Annabeth, who was suddenly trying to hide the pipe behind her back like a guilty middle-schooler. "Annabeth, you don't even like the smell of secondhand smoke at concerts. Why are you sitting here with this stoner idiot trying to fry your brain cells?"

Annabeth straightened her back, her bubbly personality momentarily replaced by a flicker of defiance. "I asked him to, Thalia. I’m nineteen. I wanted to see what the big deal was."

"The 'big deal' is that you have a 4.0 GPA and a future that doesn't involve sitting on a crusty green couch wondering why Taco Bell is closed at 3:00 AM," Luke snapped. He looked at Percy, his jaw tight. "I told you, man. Leave her out of your bullshit."

"My 'bullshit' is a Friday night, Luke," Percy said, his voice losing its playful edge. He stood up, matching Luke’s height. "She’s stressed. She’s been studying for three weeks straight for those architecture finals. I’m just helping her unwind. It’s weed, not crack. Chill out."

"Don't tell me to chill out," Thalia said, stepping between them. She pointed a finger at Percy’s chest. "She’s the baby of the group. If she starts failing classes because you turned her into a burnout, I will personally throw you off this balcony."

"I'm right here!" Annabeth shouted, standing up on the couch to gain some height. "I am five feet of grown woman, and I can decide if I want to take a hit or not. Thalia, you act like my mother. Luke, you’re not my bodyguard."

Silena and Piper walked in then, having followed Thalia and Luke up the stairs. Silena took one look at the tension in the room and sighed, smoothing down her silk top. "Okay, everyone needs to lower their heart rates. It’s getting very aggressive in here."

Piper nodded, leaning against the wall near Hazel, who had been quietly sitting in the armchair watching the drama unfold. "I mean, Thalia, she’s got a point. It’s just a plant."

"A plant that makes you stupid," Luke muttered, though he stepped back a bit.

"It doesn't make you stupid," Clarisse called out from the corner, where she was playing a handheld game. She didn't even look up. "It just makes you less of a prick. Maybe you should try some, Luke. You’re wound tighter than a guitar string."

"Fuck off, Clarisse," Luke snapped, but the heat was dying down into a simmer.

Percy looked at Annabeth, a silent question in his eyes. He wasn't going to push it if she was uncomfortable, but Annabeth grabbed the pipe back from him with a look of sheer determination.

"Light it," she commanded.

Thalia groaned, throwing her hands up. "Unbelievable. If she starts crying, I’m hitting you, Jackson."

"She’s not gonna cry," Percy muttered, flicking the lighter.

He held the flame to the bowl, and Annabeth took a tentative breath. She pulled the smoke in, her cheeks hollowing out. For a second, she held it, her eyes widening as the harshness hit her throat. Then, she let out a massive, violent cough that sent her doubled over on the cushions.

"See!" Luke shouted, stepping forward. "She’s choking! You’re killing her!"

"She’s not choking, she’s coughing!" Percy yelled back, rubbing Annabeth’s back. "It’s part of the process! Drink some water, Wise Girl."

Hazel hopped up and handed Annabeth a bottle of water. Annabeth took a long swig, her eyes watering, her face turning a bright shade of pink that clashed with her loungewear. She wheezed for a second, then sat up, wiping her eyes.

"That..." she gasped, "was disgusting. It tasted like a burnt forest."

"But how do you feel?" Silena asked, leaning in curiously.

Annabeth blinked. She sat very still for a moment. Then, slowly, a tiny, goofy smile spread across her face. "My head feels like a balloon. A very... very soft balloon."

Percy grinned, looking triumphant. "There it is. Welcome to the clouds, Annabeth."

Thalia sat down on the edge of the armchair, looking miserable. "Great. Now she’s high. Now she’s going to start talking about the geometry of the ceiling or some shit."

"Actually," Annabeth said, her voice sounding light and airy. She looked up at the ceiling fans. "The way the light hits the blades is creates a perfect sequence of concentric circles that shouldn't be possible given the RPM of the motor."

"Oh my god," Luke groaned, sinking into a chair. "She’s a nerd high. This is even worse."

"Let her live, Luke," Charles said, finally bringing the tray of nachos over. "Here. Food is the best part anyway."

The atmosphere shifted as the initial shock wore off. Even though Thalia and Luke were still grumbling, they didn't leave. They sat on the periphery, watching over Annabeth like hawks while the rest of the group settled into the haze.

Annabeth reached out and grabbed a nacho, staring at it with intense focus. "Percy?"

"Yeah, Wise Girl?"

"Why is the cheese so orange? In nature, things aren't this orange unless they’re dangerous. Like dart frogs. Is this dangerous cheese?"

Grover let out a high-pitched giggle. "It’s the danger cheese, Annabeth. Eat it at your own risk."

Percy laughed, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "It’s just processed, baby. You’re fine."

Luke watched them from across the room, his eyes lingering on Percy’s arm around Annabeth. He leaned over to Thalia and whispered, "I still hate this."

"Me too," Thalia whispered back, scowling as she watched Annabeth try to feed a piece of jalapeño to a decorative pillow. "But if we leave, she might try to go for a second round, and I don't think the world is ready for Annabeth Chase on a double dose."

"I heard that!" Annabeth chirped, her eyes half-closed. "I have excellent hearing. Like a bat. A very cute, very smart bat."

"You're a mess," Piper laughed, shaking her head.

As the night wore on, the tension between the "responsible" older siblings and the "corrupting" influence of Percy softened into the usual chaos of their friend group. Clarisse and Charles started a heated debate about the best 90s action movie, while Silena and Hazel began braiding each other's hair.

Percy looked down at Annabeth, who had eventually succumbed to the "couch lock" and was leaning heavily against his side. Her boho braids were slightly messy now, and she looked more relaxed than he had seen her in months.

"You okay?" he whispered, brushing a stray curl from her forehead.

"Mmhmm," she murmured, her eyes drifting shut. "I think... I think I understand why you’re so chill all the time. The world is just... loud. This makes it quiet."

Percy felt a pang of something soft in his chest. "Yeah. It does."

"I’m still gonna kick your ass tomorrow for this," Thalia pointed out from the other side of the room, though she was currently sharing the nachos with Charles. "And if she has a headache, you’re buying her breakfast. The expensive kind."

"Deal," Percy said, looking at Luke. "You good, man? Or are you gonna keep glaring at me like I stole your car?"

Luke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at Annabeth, who looked genuinely peaceful, then back at Percy. "Just... don't make it a habit, Jackson. She’s got too much going for her to spend every night in this cloud of smoke."

"I know what she’s got going for her," Percy said seriously. "I’m just the guy who reminds her to breathe every once in a while."

Luke didn't say anything to that, but he didn't look away either. He just nodded once, a silent, begrudging truce.

Annabeth suddenly bolted upright, her eyes snapping open. "Wait!"

"What? What’s wrong?" Percy asked, instantly alert.

"We forgot the most important thing," Annabeth said, her expression dead serious.

"What?" the whole room asked in unison.

Annabeth pointed at the empty pizza box on the floor. "We didn't order the stuffed crust. How can we live in a society that allows for regular crust when the technology for cheese-filled edges exists?"

Grover fell off his beanbag laughing, and even Thalia couldn't suppress a smirk.

"Okay," Luke admitted, leaning back. "Maybe she’s a little funnier when she’s high."

"Don't give him the satisfaction," Thalia warned, but she was already reaching for her phone. "Fine. I’m ordering the stuffed crust. But Percy’s paying."

"Worth it," Percy said, pulling Annabeth back into his side.

The apartment was loud, crowded, and smelled like a forest fire in a candy shop, but as Annabeth drifted back into a happy, cheese-filled dreamland, Percy figured they were doing just fine. Even if he was definitely going to get punched by Thalia in the morning.