16: The Gifts

                                    

                                          
Percy POV
"I deserve this, Percy. I knew the information because I designed that room," Annabeth expressed shamefully. 
My mind froze in shock. I had no words. 
While I knew that Annabeth was involved with Elysium in some way, I had no clue that she helped them. She literally designed an entire phase for this sick establishment. I was sure that this phase would've also had dire consequences if we hadn't escaped. 
I simply stared at her guilty face before looking around. I recovered quickly since everyone moved closer to help Annabeth. Will came back with the first aid kit. 
I gently pushed Annabeth off of me, and she leaned against the wall. Her eyes locked onto mine, but I turned away. I couldn't meet her eyes because I didn't want to reveal my conflicting feelings. Annabeth didn't seem like a cruel person, and yet she helped them. 
I actually couldn't believe what she told me. 
I stood up and unclenched my hands. Thalia looked at me warily before turning back to Annabeth. Will was currently applying cream to her burn. 
Annabeth winced in pain with each touch. Her look, however, wouldn't leave my face. I couldn't quite look at her though. 
"Seaweed Brain, please, look at me?" she said tensely. 
The others' attention turned to me in surprise. I blanked under everyone's gaze before asking, "Will, she'll be okay, right?" 
"Um, yeah, Percy. The door burned her palm and fingers, but it's not life-threatening. Her hand will heal in a few weeks," Will explained much to everyone's relief. 
"Percy-"
"What do you want me to say?" I snapped as I interrupted Annabeth. She visibly gulped as her gaze intensified on me. 
Everyone looked at me with disappointment and disapproval. 
"Percy, what the hell? Why would you snap at her? She risked her life to get us out of the cafeteria. I know that you're emotional, but calm down," Jason scolded. 
"I need some space," I said firmly. 
Before anyone could stop me, I walked away. 
I ran into the restroom and paused in front of the restroom mirrors. I turned on the sink before staring at my reflection. The bathroom stalls were behind me. My eyes were red, and I had a great impulse to punch the mirror. 
Annabeth Chase. I trusted her so much. I trusted her with my life, yet she was partly responsible for why I was here. It didn't make any sense. 
I watched my mother die without being able to hold her hand. I almost died several times while here. The prospect that it was her fault was too much to handle. I trusted her that much, yet she didn't even tell me. She hadn't trusted me enough. 
"Honestly, I'm conflicted about you returning, Jackson," Luke's voice exclaimed. 
I turned my head to watch him enter the bathroom. I could see the smirk in his eyes as he went to the sink next to mine. He started washing his hands. 
"Save the bull shit, Luke. You purposefully stayed out of the cafeteria today. You knew what was coming. Moreover, you didn't want us to pass. If you did, you wouldn't have blocked Thalia from bringing the clues to us," I snapped. 
He smirked even more. "You're not as dumb as you look." 
"You have a habit of underestimating people, Luke. I don't," I expressed. 
"So, you know what I'm capable of? I doubt it. You have no idea what I'm doing here. This is a game, Jackson. A game only has one winner. In our case, one survivor. You can't blame me for trying to eliminate the competition."