Make sure you read the new chapter two, because that was actually a real chapter. You don't have to comment on it if you don't want to, though.

Anyway, for chapter three.

A/N

First 5 commenters on Chapter Two:
First commenter: @Rasnak
Second commenter: MoonyRulz
Third commenter: @ElephantGoddessRocks
Fourth commenter: @SophiaGrace1225
Fifth commenter: @Wise_Girl_2004

Percy's POV

"This is great," Annabeth said, looking out from their seat on the restaurant at the view of the beach.

"Really?"  I said hopefully.

"Of course," Annabeth said.  "I wouldn't lie to you. The view is amazing, and the food is great."

"So the unoriginality of the idea doesn't bother you?"

"Simplicity has it's own beauty."

I smiled. "I am constantly being reminded of how wise you are, not that I ever doubted it."

Annabeth smiled back.  "You're the best boyfriend I've ever had."

My smile dissipated for a split second before I forced it back.

"Is something wrong?" Annabeth asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb. Annabeth just raised an eyebrow, her usual confidence just as prominent as ever. She wouldn't be tricked into thinking it was nothing, that's for sure.

I sighed, my smile fading away. "Nothing ever gets past you, does it?"

"It is rare that anything does," Annabeth agreed.  "Now, why did you react negatively when I said you're the best boyfriend that I've ever had?"

I was silent for a moment, and she watched me patiently.

"You promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course."

I took a deep breath, and then I said it before I could stop myself. It was like ripping off a band-aid.  Rip it off quickly and get it over with, or don't do it at all.

She looked at me curiously. No judgement.  "Do you mean that you're transgender?"

I shook my head. "I'm biologically female and identify as a girl."

"So why do you tell people you're male?" She asked, confused.

I sighed. "It's complicated. And a long story."

"We have time," she said softly.

"I...This is ruining our date, isn't it?" I said, looking away, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

"Percy." I didn't respond. "Percy, look at me." When I didn't, she put a hand under my chin and lifted my head so that I had to meet her eyes.

"First of all," she said, "you've done so much for me, as I have for you. The fact that you're a girl isn't going to change that. And you aren't ruining this date by telling me this, but if you want to wait until later to talk about it, that's okay too."

"We can talk about it later then," I said quietly.

Annabeth smiled. "Okay. Good. Now, let's finish up our food."

I nodded, and we finished our food in silence.

~•~Timeskip~•~

"You ready to talk about it now?" Annabeth asked, once our date was over and we were at a table at Mom and Paul's apartment. My mom was making blue cookies.

"I guess so," I replied hesitantly.  "So... How do I start a story like this?" I stared at the table, but I wasn't really seeing it.  "Um... So, you remember the rare times I willingly talk to you about my old stepfather?"

"Yes," Annabeth said.

"Well, I left out a lot of stuff, predictably," I said. "For example, he needed someone to hurt when my mom wasn't around, who he promised me he wouldn't hurt but he did anyway, and–"

"He also promised me that he wouldn't hurt you," said a voice from the doorway. I looked up, and saw my mom.  "But he never was very good at keeping promises."

"He made me pretend to be a guy, " I said.  "I guess he felt more comfortable beating up on his step-son than his step-daughter.  Not to mention he was homophobic, though I guess not transphobic."

I glanced at Annabeth for her reaction. She didn't really make too much of a reaction, probably trying to keep it together for us, but I could still see that she was shocked, angry, and saddened for us.

"Anyway, everyone I've known since he became my step dad has known me as a guy. Most people I knew before didn't accept me suddenly being male, not that I ever actually had many friends to begin with, since I've been kicked out of pretty much every school I've ever went to and was never very popular anyways."

I looked Annabeth in the eyes.  "Have you ever been in that position where everyone has some predetermined image of who you are, and you feel like once they have an image of who you are, that you can no longer change? That you are stuck a certain way because that's who people think that you are?"

"I kind of do," Annabeth said.  "For me though, it's because of my pride. I take pride in being who people think I am, like I'm taking pride in some fake person that other people made up for me, but these days I usually try to make sure that who people think I am is who I actually am, especially once I was able to accept that who I actually am is someone that I can really be proud of."

"Then you can understand sort of where I'm coming from. After so long of Gabe being in my life, eventually it kind of became part of who I am. Not that I really thought I'm a guy or anything, because I do identify as a girl, but I guess I thought that I—or anything about me—was not someone or something that anyone could be proud of. That it's somehow wrong to be a girl."

Annabeth tilted her head slightly in a confused manner, probably not even noticing that she did it, but remained silent to allow me to continue.

"Well, I phrased that wrong," I said, thinking.  "I never thought that it was wrong to be a girl, since I'm perfectly fine with other girls and the existence of girls in general, but I felt that it was somehow wrong for me to be a girl."

"I think I might get it," Annabeth said slowly. "Is it sort of like those parents that are okay with gay people or transgender people until their kid comes out? I mean, like that, but instead of an issue of accepting the kid, it's about accepting yourself?"

I nodded after a second. "I think that's a good parallel.  I couldn't accept myself, because it had been forced into my head that it was wrong. That I was wrong.  And... in a way, I still feel that way.  That I'm some kind of mistake or something."

My mom had gone to get the cookies from the oven at some point during the conversation. She came back in now, with the warm, fresh cookies, and I immediately grabbed one of the heavenly, amazingly amazing food that made me feel somewhat better just about no matter what. I shoved one in my mouth happily.

"And being a demigod didn't exactly help my state of mind much," I said with my mouth full. "At least, not at first, until some of the gods and goddesses found out and supported me, me and you got together, and I was suddenly popular, or at least not hated, for once in my life.  I didn't feel as much like a failure as I did before."

Annabeth smiled for a moment, probably happy I was better than I used to be, before it faded away.  "Why are you speaking in past tense?"

"Well, then I got my memory wiped, found a whole new camp, was thrown into another major quest right after a big battle, had to see you go off on that Mark of Athena thing after pretty much just being reunited with you, and then when I saw you again we fell into..."  I stopped myself, looked away from the others. I was aware that I was practically shoveling cookies into my mouth, trying to calm myself down, but I couldn't stop.

I didn't even notice the tears trailing down my face until my mom wrapped her arms around me, holding me close and stopping me from getting anymore cookies, or really moving my arms at all. I couldn't breathe. Or maybe I was breathing too much, gasping for breath but not really getting any air.

(The cookies probably didn't help much with that.)

I hate not being able to breath. It made me panic even more.

"I need a-" I managed, my words almost incomprehensible as I fixated on one thing in a desperate attempt to keep myself focused on reality. "I need...cookie..."  I couldn't think aside from one thing. I told myself getting them would be worth it, even if I end up choking on cookies, or being teased for eating so much...

I was aware of the tears still falling down my face, and that Annabeth was watching.  I could feel mom holding me close. I was staring at the cookies, but my vision was growing darker. Was it from lack of air? I was vaguely able to focus on a conversation that I could hear, though understanding the words was above my capabilities at the moment.

"Annabeth,  the pocket that Percy keeps Riptide in, she also has some pills. Could you-?" She wasn't able to finish, having to focus on restraining my arms so that I don't smack someone in the face or choke on cookies or something.

"I'm on it."

I felt someone reach into my pocket and flinched slightly.

"Now we need her to take them if we can, but if she won't we might have to just let her pass out."

(from cookie suffocation... sorry i'm editing and i should be sleeping)

I wasn't able to understand what was really going on–or maybe I was fully aware and just somehow blocking it out from myself. It wouldn't be the first time–but either way I could tell a couple things. I was having one of my anxiety attacks, and my vision was gradually darkening.

That means it was almost over. I would be unconscious, or unaware, or whatever it is that always happens. It's hard to describe. I just had to make it through the last few painful moments. The most agonizing moments of all, where I would be painfully aware of the air I lacked, and all of the emotions that I never want to feel being the only things I would be able to think of.

I felt wave after wave of panic, each one given next to no time to recede before the next crashes down. They continue to layer on top of—her—me, growing exponentially, until suddenly, - I – she , -was gone.