^Just saying :D ^
I apologise for not updating, but I have just received a laptop (YAY!) for my bday, so hopefully I will be updating some more. Enjoy!

I pushed my glasses back up my nose, glaring, cross-eyed at a stray golden curl that dangled in front of me.

"Oh, Annie, calm down. It won't be that bad. At least you have us this year." Hazel said in her quiet voice, hugging her books to her chest tightly.

"Yeah. I mean, yeah, Thals may have moved but you're definitely not alone. Don't worry about Luke, either. He's just a jerk." Piper said, slinging an around me as we headed up the hallway.

Her hair had feathers braided in to it, and faded skinny jeans and a sky blue blue tan tank top hugged her slim body perfectly.

I glanced down at my own jeans and hoodie, pushing my big, black framed glasses again up my nose out of habit.

Hazel skipped on the other side of me, her small frame was delicate and she wore a purple shirt and a gold skirt.

"Yeah. I guess." I sighed.

Thalia, my childhood best friend, had to move, upon her father getting a promotion for a job in New York.

And it was the first day at high school, and us being seniors, our last year.

"That's the spirit!" Piper said, hugging me again, and we finally found our lockers, each by the other.

"Yes!" Hazel cried, jumping up to pump her tiny fist.

I grinned at the two, already feeling my spirits lift at the good luck.

I opened my locker, shoving my books inside, and Piper and Hazel followed suite.

I slammed my locker shut, checking my table to see that Piper, Hazel and I all had science first.

We began to head to the science lab, when I suddenly slammed into something.

Hard.

"Hey! Watch where you're-" I began to growl, but then my eyes met sea green ones, and I froze.

Whoever I had bumped into was a boy, with jet black hair, and looked like he had just gotten out of bed, blue hoodie and jeans.

I stepped sub-consciously away from him, clearing my throat.

But he continued to stare at me, a dumb founded look on his face, his mouth hanging open.

"Close your mouth. You'll catch flies." I commented, hoping the surprise and nervous tremble didn't come out in my words as I reach a hand out to shut his jaw.

He shook his head, snapping out of his trance, then grinned shyly at me, before sticking out a hand.

"The name's Percy. Percy Jackson."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand, and I shook his outstretched one, replying politely, "Annabeth Chase."

"Annabeth." He repeated, and I smiled at him.

He reached out with two hands, and I almost flinched back.

He chuckled under his breath. "It's okay, just straightening those big black things that cover your beautiful grey eyes."

I blinked.

I blinked again.

What?

His hands adjusted my glasses, and he held them there for a second longer before smiling a crooked smile at me.

"Seaweed Brain." I murmured.

Before Percy could reply, I heard laughter from beside me.

I looked to my left to see Piper, chatting to some blonde haired guy up against the lockers.

"Piper!" I hissed, waving for her to come back over.

"Yes, my dearest Annie...?" She asked, coming over.

The look on her face read lovelovelove all over.

The blonde haired guy followed, and I looked him up and down.

"Name?" I asked expectantly.

"Annabeth!" Piper growled, a light pink sprinkling her cheeks.

"Uh...Jason." The boy said, and I noticed he had glasses, bronze rimmed ones that suited him perfectly.

I didn't stare into his eyes for too long, they were starting to creep me out with the purity of the blue.

But Piper was in love.

She began to chat to Jason again, and I glanced at Percy, who rolled his eyes.

Then I remembered Hazel, and looked to my side, hoping to the Gods that she hadn't wandered off too.

But she had in fact, and I growled quietly to myself, my eyes searching for the familiar mop of curly hair.

My eyes settled on the dark skinned girl, and I noticed whom she was talking to.

Her all time crush, Frank Zhang.

She had been swooning over him for years, and Frank was known as the shy but tall and handsome guy.

I sighed again. I really didn't want to ruin this for the girls, so I began to walk to class as Piper became occupied with Jason again.

"They your friends?"

Percy jogged up to me, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Best friends." I said, and Percy chuckled.

"Yep. Same. Love's pretty stupid, don't you agree?"

And at that moment, I froze.

I licked my lips carefully, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah," I breathed, trying to stop the memories from flooding back. "Uh huh."

I bit my lip, and Percy bent down a little, looking at my face.

"Hey, you okay...?"

I felt a tear threatening to slip from my eyes, the first tear since then.

What do I do?

I don't want Percy to see, I don't want to anyone to see.

I'm Annabeth Chase.

I'm strong and fierce.

But, as I chewed my lip further, I suddenly tasted blood, and that was the end of it for me.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, and then ran, ran to wherever my legs took me.

I found myself behind the school bike shed, and I collapsed on the ground, tears shaking my body, tears that splattered on the ground in puddles around me.

"Annabeth?" A small voice came from behind, and I my grip tightened around my legs at the sound.

"Go away." I whispered, and I heard retreating footsteps after a couple of seconds.

"Everyone...everyone I love is taken..." I whispered, and I stared up at the sun, not even caring that large spots danced in my eyes.

I heard footsteps again, I froze, furiously wiping my cheeks and eyes and nose, shoving my glasses on.

I looked out toward the grass, across the football field. (Don't even ask about this school)

I felt someone sit next to me, and I jumped at the quick appearance.

They chuckled, and I finally looked to my left, to see Percy, a soft grin on his face, and he held two ice creams in his hands.

He held one out to me, and I took it carefully, trying to hide my shaking hands by grabbing it quickly.

Percy just smiled, and leant back on his hands, in silence, not saying a word.

I looked to some seniors playing football, yelling in rage and triumph.

A light breeze came over us, and I glanced at Percy, only to almost do a double take as I stared at him in awe.

He had his head back, his black hair ruffling slightly in the breeze, his eyes closed, but peacefully, as he breathed in.

He looked at peace, with no care in the world, almost like a fish.

He looked free like a fish, swimming through the water, with no care at all.

Percy sat up, and I looked to my lap, shovelling into my ice cream.

He chuckled a little, but, he still stayed silent.

This silence, this silence that had fallen over us, was nice, and I could feel a weight slowly begin to lift off of my shoulders.

My step Mom being, well, my step Mom.

Thalia, oh Thalia, who had gone, and I possibly would never see her again.

Luke cheating on me.

I felt it all slowly lift away, and I felt alive, and carefree, just like...Percy.

My eyes widened in realisation, and I looked away which such force that I swear I almost got winded.

"Annabeth..." I heard Percy whisper, and in that one word, I knew he was asking one question.

I don't know why, exactly, I just knew.

I took a deep breath.

Here goes nothing.

"I-I had a best friend, Thalia, and we were best friends since we were about 7. But then, she moved away, and now all I have is Hazel and Piper, not that they're not great, it's just that, I dunno...they're not her, if ya know what I mean?"

Words began to gush out, like a waterfall, and I couldn't seem to make them stop.

"I have a Dad, and a Mom, and two little brothers. But my Mom isn't my real Mom, she's a slob and doesn't give a dam about me. Dad loves her, and she loves him, but sometimes I feel as if she doesn't love me, like I'm in between them or something. My little brothers are the highest rank of annoying, getting me into trouble after they put blue in the white clothes in the washing machine, then saying it was me. Despite my age, she believed them and now I'm grounded, so I can't call Thalia. Oh God, now she'll think she's ignoring me."

I breathed in, inhaling a gasp of air before shoving my face in my hands, tasting tears running down my face, as I once again threw my glasses off.

I felt so stupid, so helpless, so dumb.

But then I felt an arm around me, a reassuring arm, and stopped the whimpers that shook my body for a just a second, looking up through blurred vision at Percy.

He gave me a smile.

A smile that shone so bright, even through my bad vision; a smile that looked so perfect, so amazing on his face, I felt as if the sky above had cracked, a light seeping through, a light that gave me hope.

"Well," he said gently, using his jumper sleeve to wipe away a tear that rolled down my cheek. "Let's forget about everyone, everything, and go somewhere, just the two of us. What do you think?"

I hesitated. This boy, Percy Jackson, was a boy I had only known for a total of about ten minutes, and I was preparing to escape school for the afternoon and go somewhere with a stranger?

But, another part of my mind set in. If you go, you would have plenty of fun, probably even forget about everything. Hello, you're even letting him wrap his arms around you, for goodness sake. Isn't that a sign of trust?

My eyes widened in realisation.

I looked up at Percy again, who was recollecting my glasses that I had thoughtlessly thrown to the side, and he placed them with tender fingers on my face. (That sounds weird, I know)

I then came to a decision.

I looked Percy straight in the eye, in those perfect, sea green eyes, and sent him a determined nod.

In which he grinned to, and stood up, holding out a hand for me.

And that was the first time anyone has ever helped me get back on my feet.

Next one will up next week, guys! Hope you liked it! :)