Annabeth's POV-

I waited on the couch for Percy to come in. Please don't be late, I thought. The elevator dinged. Finally.

Percy stepped out, looking fancy and uncomfortable in a suit and tie. I had to hold back a laugh. I got up from the couch and greeted him with a kiss. I understood how uncomfortable he was, my dad and Helen forced me to wear a dress. I made sure it was blue.

Helen and Frederick came down the stairs after hearing the elevator ding.

"You must be Percy, it's nice to meet you," my father said.

"It's nice to meet you too," Percy said with a smile.

Helen said nothing.

Then, my brothers trampled down the stairs.

"Are you Annabeth's boyfriend?"

"Do you want to play video games with us?"

"Do you like orange juice?"

"You better like orange juice. If not, you have to leave."

"Guys, guys," I said, "calm down. Percy likes orange juice. And we have to eat dinner. Maybe later you can play video games." They smiled as I ruffled their blond hair.

"Percy, this is Bobby and Matthew." Percy smiled at them.

"It's good to meet you guys," Percy told them. They returned the greeting.

"Let's go eat," Helen said. We followed her to the dining room and took our seats.

"Annabeth, I think that's plenty of food to start you off, don't you think?" Helen asked. I looked down at the roasted vegetables on my plate.

"I was actually going to get a bit of steak as well," I said.

"Annabeth, you probably shouldn't. You don't want to get fat. I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't like it much either."

"Oh, I don't care how Annabeth looks, she's always beautiful," Percy told Helen who scowled. I blushed. Out of the corner of my eyes, I thought I could see my father with a faint smile on his face. I grabbed some more food for my plate and started eating.

Helen looked down at her plate, her face red. Percy grabbed my hand at my side and squeezed it gently. I looked at him and smiled.

We finished eating and for once I was allowed to finish a whole meal in my own house.

"How late can you stay?" I asked Percy. He shrugged.

"My mom doesn't care too much, I don't have school tomorrow."

"Want to play a board game or something?"

"Anything you want, Wise Girl."

I grabbed his hand and brought him to the game room. Bobby and Matthew were there, already playing a video game. They looked up from the screen. "Percy, can you play with us?" Percy looked towards me.

"Boys, Percy and I were gonna play a board game, you can play if you'd like."

They pouted and Percy said, "I will definitely play video games with you another time though, okay?"

That made them smile. "Okay!"

The boys turned off their game and came over to play Clue with Percy and I. We all sat in bean bag chairs around the board. We each chose are characters, I purposely took Mrs.Peacock so Percy couldn't be blue, just to mess with him. It made him very upset.

"Annabeth! I wanted to be blue!"

"I'm sorry Percy, but you told me I could pick first. I wanted to be blue too."

He gave me the baby seal eyes. He knew I couldn't resist them. I took a deep breath and tried to look away. He was probably giving that goofy smirk, knowing that he was winning. I felt a kiss on my cheek. I turned my face back to Percy.

"Fine." I sighed. I handed him the blue piece. He smiled happily and wrapped his arms around me.

"Thank you Wise Girl, I love you."

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain. Stop being sappy though, it's grossing the twins out."

"Sorry Bobby, sorry Matthew. I really like blue though."

"We can tell," Matthew said. Bobby nodded and pulled out a bottle of orange juice.

"I like orange," Bobby said. "Mainly just orange juice." Percy let out a little laugh.

We finished the game, obviously I won. Turns out that Mrs. Peacock was the murderer in the study with a knife.

"I didn't do it!" Percy declared.

"Percy, the game's over. I won. Mrs. Peacock was the murderer."

"I've been framed! I swear it wasn't me!"

"Percy, stop being so dramatic."

"I'm being framed for murder! I've never touched that knife in my life! Also, why would I be in the study?"

"I mean you have a valid point about going in the study. Maybe that's why you did it there. No one would expect you to be in there."

He stared at me for a long moment. "I'm innocent though. Are you sure your not guilty and trying to cover it up by being smart?"

"Take him away, boys," I ordered Bobby and Matthew.

The twins grabbed his arms and dragged him over to the couch.

"No! Annabeth, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to accuse you! I still love you!" I laughed out loud and I saw a smile on Percy's face.

"I love you too, but I can't believe you would kill someone!" I gasped dramatically. The twins tackled him to the ground laughing. Percy stood up and threw them over either shoulder. They laughed as he dropped them on the couch. I turned my head and saw my dad in the doorway with a smile on his face. He nodded to me.

"I got popcorn, chips, and cookies for a movie. Helen isn't going to join us because it's unhealthy to eat that much junk food and sit and rest instead of exercise to burn the calories. You guys can all come join me if you'd like, or I can eat all the Cool Ranch Doritos by myself. Don't tell your mother, kids." Bobby and Matthew clambered off the couch and followed him to our at home movie theater. I looked at Percy, who shrugged. I grabbed his hand and pulled him in for a kiss. I had only had a few quick pecks on the lips from him, considering we were never alone and I didn't want to make out with him in front of my family. And with a movie with my family, I wouldn't get the chance to kiss him like this again tonight.

"I know I say it a lot, but I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too. Also, did I tell you how beautiful you look?"

"You also look pretty dapper in your suit and tie." He chuckled and kissed me again.

***

"Annabeth, I want to talk to you," my dad said after Percy left. I had been in my room, drawing blueprints as usual. I shove the blueprints away and he takes a seat on the edge of my bed.

"What's up?"

"Hermes canceled the music video with Luke. Try to hide your excitement. Your mother is very upset about it."

"Helen is not my mother and I don't care what she thinks about it. I think this is blue cookie-worthy news."

"I'm not even going to ask about why the cookies are blue. Anyways, the music video is off. We'll definitely lose some sales for that-"

"I can do a video by myself."

"You know that's not true. It's a love song, Annabeth. How weird would that be? Unless your boyfriend would want to do it..."

"Percy's not big on being famous. I don't want to force him to do it."

"He's already famous because he's dating you."

"I know. He just doesn't like crowds and spotlight. I know if I ask him to do it he would, because that's the kind of person he is. Even if he doesn't really want to do it."

"Okay." He sighs. "I also wanted to apologize for last night." I scowled at him. How could I forget about how mad I was at him?

"Don't act sorry, Frederick."

"Annabeth, I am sorry. And I do love you."

"If you loved me, you wouldn't force me into something that I hate. And you wouldn't have forced me to be with Luke, when you know how he treated me and how badly I wanted away." He sighed and opened his mouth to speak. "And don't you dare say anything about it being Helen's idea and how you have to listen to your wife," I cut him off, "she's not my mother and I'm sick of her acting like she can decide things like that for me. I want to be an architect and I want to be with Percy. It shouldn't be her choice in that, especially when she has no reason to give for why I shouldn't do either one. I'm sick of writing songs and singing songs and making videos with boys I don't like."

"I understand Annabeth, but think of your fans too. How disappointed would they be to know that you quit?"

"Don't put this back on me. I didn't want this is the first place. I can deal with angry fans. No matter what I do, there's gonna be people who are angry with me. I don't want to be angry with myself for never putting my foot down. I want to live my life how I please."

My dad looked at me for a moment and sighed. "I'll see what I can do. I can't break the contract though, Annabeth."

"Please, just try." I didn't notice the tears in my eyes until my dad leaned forward and wiped them away.

"I will," he said. "I'll have to talk to your- Helen." He stopped himself from calling her my mother. I smiled softly at him. "I'll also have to talk to Apollo about the contract." I wrapped my arms around him and he sat in shock.

"Thanks dad," I said. He kissed my forehead lightly.

"You're welcome, Annabeth. Now go to bed." I smiled lightly at him as he left my room, turning out my lights. Settling into my pillow, I could only think about one thing.

I'll be free soon.