24.6.14 : Made some changes to ending:)

AN: I know, it's been so, so long, and I really need to post another chapter of the Life-Guard and the Supermodel, but inspiration struck me and I left everything, and couldn't stop writing this.

Its the longest thing I've ever written, and I've actually been so desperate to post it.

DISCLAIMER: All character rights to Rick Riordan.

Tangent

Percy and I had a peculiar relationship.

By other people, it was probably decided as a "love-hate" affair, but I can tell you now it was remarkably more hate than love.

Well, that's what I thought.

It wasn't that Percy was bad person. He just liked making life difficult for me. And in return, I'd bite back too.

It was just a system we had. Bickering and arguing and generally disliking each other, but in the end still forming this type of trust in each other, because we had always been there, even if all we did was exchange insults.

But systems, we discovered, were made to break.

Crash and fall.

...

My days were pretty routine. Percy tried to mix it up a bit, but in the end, even he had to conform to the beauty of my colour- coded laminated schedule of life.I'd start the day at my locker, pulling out books and assignments I'd need until lunch.

I'd talk to Piper for a bit; jokingly predicting about how late exactly Thalia would turn up to homeroom that day.

Then, as always, Percy would saunter along, and lean onto the locker beside mine.

And trust me when I say Percy would always come along. Percy didn't take sick days. Even if he was banging against the doors of death, wracking with coughs, he'd still somehow shuffle up to my locker, and systematically begin to piss me off.

Despite being exasperating, Percy was actually very dependable. I knew I could rely on him to start my day off with an annoying comment.

The boy who's locker Percy leant on, Michael Yew, would just stand by it, not even having the will to roll his eyes at Percy and I anymore, too used to this event every day. Just like everyone else, he'd give a knowing smirk towards us, occasionally adding his own side comments into our conversation.

Percy would irritate me for a bit.

I'd retaliate.

He'd smirk -always the same infuriating smirk- and enlighten me with another smartass comment, leaning into me as he did so.

I'd roll my eyes, bite back with a statement of my own, and we'd bicker a bit more, and then part ways to homeroom.

The same homeroom.

Thalia would come into homeroom at the time I predicted, and Piper would claim that the entire set up was a conspiracy: that I secretly agreed times with Thalia just to annoy Piper.

At this point Percy would come in, purposefully brushing anything of mine on the table to the ground, just to bend down and pick it up at the same time as me, making sure to make some sort of skin contact.

And when I'd glare at him, he'd claim that he was just being a gentlemen, because he just a "nice guy like that", and he'd manage to keep a straight face about it for 5 seconds, before shaking his head and winking at me, and then taking the seat behind me.

It wasn't his assigned seat. However, to my great displeasure, every single teacher and student in the school had established that the seat behind mine was unofficially Percy's.

Apparently, that's just the way it was.

For the rest of homeroom, Percy would twirl and tug on my curls pointedly, just because he knew how much it annoyed me.

If he was feeling in a particularly irritating mood, (which he usually was, mind you), he'd braid it or something, and I'd leave homeroom with a new hairstyle.

In all honesty, I didn't really want to know how Percy had acquired such an extensive knowledge of hairstyles, but it was mix of mildly disturbing, and placidly impressive.

After homeroom, I would have a gloriously Percy-free period of AP Calculus, in which everyone would hide their smiles at the state Percy had left my hair in.

I'd roll my eyes, excuse myself to the toilet, where I'd undo it, but not before taking a snapchat to send to Percy with a dry comment to express my disdain. (Somehow Percy and I possessed each other's numbers, which was helpful if we felt the sudden need to trade comebacks.)

He'd reply with an illegal snapchat of his own (because he was in class), and give me some kind of pout, and response about how he spent a lot of time perfecting his braiding skills, and he wished I'd appreciate them more.

We'd exchange a few snarky comments, until he'd reply back with the letters "GCD" standing for "Got caught- detention."

I'd roll my eyes because this happened nearly every day, and you'd think he'd have better hindsight than to repeat the same mistake over and over again.

I'd tell him this exactly, and he'd reply with the same three confusing words every time.

"It's worth it."

By now I'd given up deciphering what he meant by it, and would just make my way to AP calculus, the teacher not even caring that I had spent ten minutes of the lesson in the toilet texting Percy- which really wasn't any secret- because a) it was pretty much an everyday event, and b) she knew I could easily catch up in half the time.

After Calculus, I'd have English, in which Percy would sit behind me again, giving me a reproachful look about my hair, and then proceeding to "subtly" pass me notes all lesson- which I'd surreptitiously ignore. The notes would get increasingly irritating as class progressed, until the point where I'd have to reply with something. I'd toss it behind me, not even bothering to hide it from Mr. Blofis- everyone knew our routine – aiming for it to hit Percy in the head.

No matter what the comment- however degrading it was- Percy would still smile at it victoriously, just because he knew he was the only one who could possibly get any sort of distraction out of me in a lesson.

Straight after English, we both had Gym. Percy was on the swim team, but every semester he opted for Gym instead of an extra practice. ('He didn't really need the practice anyways; he was pretty much the best swimmer to ever grace the halls of Goode', is what he told me whenever I brought it up.)

When I'd walk out of the changing room, Percy would wolf-whistle at me- every single time- and I'd roll my eyes, going up to him and shoving him off the stand, much to everyone else's amusement.

Through his bullhorn, Coach Hedge would yell at us to "Stop flirting cupcakes.", and then grumble about teenagers who couldn't control their "raging hormones".

Percy would yell something mildly entertaining back at him, and Coach would narrow his eyes and tell us both to run a couple of laps at punishment.

We'd spend the entire time competing against each other, overtaking each other and calling out taunts.

And to my exasperation, whatever sport we were doing, Percy would occasionally somehow manage to accidentally to land on top of me, offering me an anything-but-innocent grin.

At the end of gym, Percy would tug the hair band off my hair, letting the curls cascade free, and dangle the hair band in front of me, offering me a grin in response to my death-glare, having the sheer audacity to not even flinch at the glower. He'd pocket the hair band, saving it for his growing collection of them, and would wink, telling me he would soon have enough to use for some voodoo magic against me.

Science, I'd have without Percy, but I'd spend the entire lesson cursing him silently because he'd stolen my hair band and the curls would keep falling dangerously close to the chemicals during any sort of experiment.

At lunch, Percy would intentionally walk past my table every few minutes, under the pretence of using the trash can near it, despite the fact there were several bins closer to his table.

He'd linger around for a while, joining into the conversation, making annoyingly obnoxious comments about everything. Sometimes he'd sit into the space opposite me, which was always left suspiciously free, and it would eventually turn into a one-on-one conversation. Percy's friends would join us on the table, everyone watching our sparring back and forth like a tennis match.

After spending all of lunch trading insults with Percy, I'd have Spanish, in which Percy would spend the entire time loudly proclaiming things in Greek- in which he was somehow fluent- which I didn't understand. The teacher would smirk to herself, not even caring about his interruptions, because as Percy pointed out several times, "he was technically taking part in the lesson since he was still speaking a foreign language".

Then I'd have art. Inexplicably, Percy had chosen art as his elective too, despite the fact he was terrible at it to the point of a second-grader.

Percy would accidentally get some paint on my face, and I'd unintentionally dump pencil sharpening on his head. We'd leave the lesson looking like crudely done pieces of artwork ourselves.

After school, I'd go to the library, like I usually had to because my Dad picked me up late, and Percy would head off to detention, which would coincidentally be in the library too.

We'd argue in hushed voices for a bit, progressively getting louder, and the librarian would hide a smile, feebly telling us to be silent, her heart not in the admonition at all.

We'd leave school at the same time, my dad offering Percy a ride "because he was such a nice boy," and because he lived a few houses down from us. Percy would graciously accept, smiling at my dad like he was an angel, and spend the entire ride back texting me annoying comments from the backseat.

Dad would jokingly ask me who was so desperate to talk to me, and Percy would intervene and reply with something along the lines of "It's probably some guy who has a crush on her. She's such a heart breaker."

I'd text Percy back a string of profanities and his stupid grin would widen, like nothing brought him more joy than to piss me off.

My dad of course would stay clueless the entire time, absent-mindedly starting a conversation with Percy about his new shipment of plane parts.

Percy would nod, interestedly commenting occasionally, but would secretly play with my fingers for the rest of the journey.

He'd go home, I'd do the rest of my work, he'd text me, I'd have dinner, he'd irritate me with a few more snapchats, and I'd go to sleep.

My life, in a nutshell.

...

In the end it wasn't even Percy who messed up the routine.

No, it was me. One action, that I did one morning, a few stupid puns, one look in the mirror, which sent us spiralling off on a tangent.

Which turned us into an Us.

...

"5 minutes."

"After the bell?" I asked Piper.

She nodded. "Well obviously. Thalia only gets out of bed 5 minutes before the bell."

I laughed "True."

"You?" She raised an eyebrow.

I looked up at the hallway clock. "Just a minute before." I decided.

She smiled. "Done." Piper tucked a strand of hear behind her ear and nudged me, gesturing to the black haired boy walking towards us. "And just in time too." She whispered.

I rolled my eyes at her suggestive smirk. "Oh shut up."

"Don't you find it cute that he comes every morning just to irritate you?" Piper grinned.

"So cute." I told her dryly. "All I've ever dreamed about is for guy to go out of his way to piss me off."

"So in way," Percy interrupted, leaning against the locker next to mine, "I'm the man of your dreams."

I rolled my eyes at his grin. "More like nightmares."

Michael coughed in the corner, "Rejected."

Percy stuck his tongue out at him.

"Ouch." Percy said, holding a hand to his chest. "That hurt my heart."

"Your heart," I told him moving his hand, "Is on this side, Percy."

He grabbed my hand and held it in his own, swooping in close, "I think," he said softly, "my heart's here." And he moved my hand to my chest, putting his own hand on top.

He'd been doing this a lot more recently; coming out with things that made my heart hammer against my chest, things that made a burning feeling erupt in pit of my stomach.

I felt heat rising to my cheeks, and for a moment I was confused by the way Percy was looking at me, his swirling green eyes searching my face.

Then the moment was shattered like a glass and the clattering shards were blown away, and Percy was back to giving me his signature smirk, like he was proud of himself for getting a rise out of me.

I shook my hand out of his, glaring at him. "If you're done trying to grope me, Percy."

He grinned again, "I'm never done with that."

"Creep." I muttered, shoving a folder into my bag. "I'm going to get you put in for harassment." I told him.

"Technically," Percy told me, "it's less of harassment when the harasser in question is hot."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's not how the law works."

"Ahh yes," Piper quipped in, shooting me a devious glare, "But you didn't deny he was hot."

Percy rewarded her with a high five.

And as much as I regret to say that I was not going to deny Percy was in fact pretty damn hot, I glared at Piper.

"Go flirt with Jason." I told her.

A bright red blush coloured her cheeks, and she narrowed her eyes at me, "I will." She smirked, "I've got enough pointers from you and Percy now anyways."

She walked off.

Michael snickered.

"Shut up." I told him.

Michael grinned. I turned to Percy, glaring, "I hate you."

He gave me a strangely fond look at I slammed my locker shut and walked away.

"I hate you too." He called after me.

...

True to my prediction, Thalia came in just a minute before the bell rang.

"Ha." I turned to Piper, who handed me 5 dollars.

Piper shook her head at Thalia. "For once, could you please just come in the time I predict? She's going to leave me broke.

Thalia looked at her. "And that children," she said patronizingly, "is why you should never gamble."

She turned to me, grinning "Now where's my cut?"

Piper stared at her, open-mouthed, "You all suck." She announced.

Percy walked in as the bell rang; breathing a sigh of relief when he realized the teacher hadn't shown up. He elbowed my books off the table as he walked past.

"Whoops." He grinned, getting to his knees and collecting up sheets of paper.

"Everyday Percy, really?" I asked him, bending down to pick up my stuff, "You're getting predictable."

"And yet," He told me brushing our hands together as he handed me my calculus textbook, "You still leave stuff on your table." He paused. "One might almost say you secretly enjoy it." He grinned.

"Well from tomorrow," I told him, "I'll make sure not to."

He pouted. "What? No! It's a ritual. You can't not do it."

And it struck me that it was ritual of sort, and that's what it all was.

How long had I been doing this for?

Years, now.

"Exactly." Percy said, looking pleased with himself, and settling himself into seat behind me.

I didn't get a chance to reply as Mr. Brunner wheeled himself into the room, telling us we could get on with whatever.

To Percy, this was translated as, "Begin Phase Two of annoying I."

Deciding he was in fact in a particularly trying mood today, Percy tugged the hair band off my hair, and began to braid it.

"Sometimes, Percy," I told him as he weaved a strand of my hair, "I wonder how exactly you manage to master all these different hairstyles."

I could feel his grin radiating off him. "YouTube tutorials." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

"I'm serious you know." He told me.

I turned around and faced him, an eyebrow raised. "So you're telling me, you go home and watch how-to videos just to piss me off?"

He winked. "Every night."

I rolled my eyes and turned back around, feeling oddly gratified, despite it being a joke.

...

When I walked into calculus, Katie smiled at me. "Someone did a nice job today." She said, gesturing at my hair as I sat down next to her.

Her boyfriend, Travis, poked his head in from behind us and smirked at me, "It's adorable." He sighed. "Ah, young love."

"We are not in love." I said hotly.

"Yes," Conner piped in from next to him, "But young sexual tension just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?" He said grinning.

"We do not have sexual tension!" I spluttered.

"Sure." Katie muttered, and I glared at her.

"You're meant to be on my side." I told her.

"I just don't see how you don't see it." Katie sighed, smiling.

I excused myself to the toilet, ignoring Miss. Kerr's knowing smile.

I looked at my hair in the mirror. I recognized the style from other girls, but it was a new one for me.

This one is new. I captioned the snapchat.

He sent me a picture of himself grinning back.

For a while I thought you weren't going to send me anything at all.

The another.

It's my favourite one so far. Guess why.

I rolled my eyes, humouring him. Why?

It's called a fishtail plait. He replied, looking very pleased.

Oh my god. I sent him a face palm, but I couldn't help but smiling a little.

I'm shore you like it really. He sent me a wink.

Another.

Did you sea what I did there?

I couldn't help my turning up the ends of my mouth.

Your obsession with water is borderline creepy.

Oh god, then what will you say about my obsession with you? He asked.

I paused, unsure of how to reply to that statement but somehow, felt heat rushing to my cheeks.

He sent me another one.

Seriously though, don't take it out. It took me like 5 tutorials to learn.

I shook my head. Like he was serious about the tutorials. Like he was serious about anything.

And then another.

Oh shit, GCD.

I rolled my eyes. You get caught every day, and you still carry on. Really Percy?

I knew what his reply was going to be before I'd even opened it. I'd memorized the smile he'd make every time, and those three words still confused me to no end.

It's worth it.

I looked at the carefully woven fishtail braid in the mirror one last time, and against my will, smiled.

...

When I walked back into calculus, everyone stared for a moment. I handed the hall pass back to Miss. Kerr, who shook her head, and smiled down at the paper's she was grading.

"Annabeth?" Katie asked, hiding a smile as I sat down.

"Yes?" I responded, ignoring the smirks of the Stoll Brothers behind me.

"Your hair looks nice." She said.

"You told me that this morning." I pointed out.

She smiled properly now, "That's because it still looks nice." She raised an eyebrow, "Any reason for that?"

"Not really." I said in a non-committal voice, tugging on the end of my still intact fishtail braid.

...

Percy's grin practically lit up the entire room when he saw me in English.

"Your hair looks nice." He muttered smiling; repeating the words Katie had told me.

I shrugged. "It's alright."

The first note Percy sent me was: You know, I don't mind you breaking tradition sometimes.

I rolled my eyes.

It's actually sort of sweet.

I copied down the title Mr. Blofis had put on the board.

Oh tin man you do have a heart.

I let out a small laugh.

I think I'm softening you down a bit.

I underlined the date.

It's nice though.

This one was confusing.

To be the one to break down the walls.

I froze. What?

To be able to see you, properly.

I took a breath. How did the air get so intense?

It's hard too, sometimes.

The hastily scrawled on the bottom, almost like an afterthought:

Because you push everyone away.

He passed me another note. I stood up abruptly.

"Mr. Blofis," I said, "Could I please go to the Nurse's office?"

His eyes momentarily flicked to Percy. He nodded. "Sure Annabeth."

Without bothering to grab my bag, I left, the note still clutched in my hand.

The seven words replayed in my head as I leant onto the hallway wall, my heart thudding a little faster than usual.

I shut my eyes tightly.

I wish you'd stop pushing me away.

...

When I walked into the classroom ten minutes later, feeling considerably less nauseous, I did my best to hide the fact I was a swirling mess of emotions inside.

"Are you alright now, Annabeth?" Mr. Blofis asked carefully.

Avoiding eye contact with Percy, I nodded, "Yeah," and sat down.

For a while, I tried to get on with the work, but I couldn't sort out the thoughts jumbled in my head.

What was going on? Since when did Percy Jackson even say anything mildly meaningful to me?

And then, I realized with a jolt, that recently, that's all Percy did. He'd drop a few comments here and there, with a split second of emotion, before pulling the same infuriating smirk on his face and carrying on.

What I couldn't understand was, why?

I was broken out of my thoughts when Percy gently passed me another note.

Hey :)

I stared at the smiley face, confused. What?

He sent another.

You know, Mr. Blofis is my step dad.

I nearly dropped my pen. He was his step dad? Hastily, I scribbled a note on the other side.

No way.

Percy replied. I could feel him smiling for getting me to respond.

Yeah.

I wrote back. No wonder he lets you pass notes to me all the time.

No, Percy replied back, he lets me do it because it's you

I didn't know how to reply to that, so I didn't.

...

"So you left the braid in then?" Piper grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes, tying up my laces. "Why," I sighed, "is everyone so obsessed with that?"

"Probably," Thalia said, buttoning up her gym polo, "Because it's never happened before." "And it's adorable." She added under her breath.

"Thalia!"

"What?" She shrugged as we walked into the gym, "It is."

I elbowed her. "You-" I was cut off by Percy's cat call.

"Looking good, Chase." He called out.

"Looking stupid, Jackson." I retorted.

His friends laughed.

"Told." Coughed Jason from next to him.

Thalia grinned, putting an arm around me and Piper, "Oh look. Your boyfriends are bonding." She told us. Piper blushed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Not my boyfriend." I said under my breath, walking up to the stands.

"Hey, Annabeth." Jason said, as we sat behind them.

"Uh, hey, Jason." I said, surprised he didn't address Piper first.

"So," Jason started, ignoring Percy's feeble attempts to shut him up, "Percy and I were just talking, and don't you think, if a certain someone likes another certain someone, then the two should just tell each other, get together and kiss it out?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, distinctly aware of the blushing Piper next to me. "Uh, yeah?"

Jason gave Percy a victorious look. "Did you hear that?" He said to Percy, who was repeatedly banging his head against the wall next to him. "She said yeah."

"I know what she said, Jason." He said still banging his head, "Why do you think I'm doing this for?"

"Maybe you should stop Percy," I suggested, "You really can't afford to lose anymore brain cells."

Jason nodded grinning. "It's true. And if you keep doing that, then your head will swell up, and it really can't afford to get any bigger." He added as an afterthought, "Although, you do have a thick skull."

Percy looked up at Jason, and glared at him. "You know Annabeth," he said loudly, "your answer was exactly what I was telling Jason a few minutes ago."

Jason stared at him.

"You see," Percy carried on, "when two people like each other, they totally should go and kiss it out. But Jason here refuses to listen to me."

"Jason doesn't want to kiss you?" Thalia questioned. "Good call, bro." She said, patting Jason on the back.

Percy nodded, "Apparently, he'd rather kiss Piper."

The effect was instantaneous. Jason's head whipped around to face Percy, his face going a great shade of fire-truck red, and Piper's jaw dropped, a blush rising on her cheeks.

"I don't-I-" He spluttered, looking round at Piper. "Pipes, I-"

Piper recovered from her shock, and choked out a, "We'll talk, Sparky."

"Translation," Percy coughed, "We'll have a hot make out session in an empty classroom."

"Yeah," shot back Jason, smirking, "I'm sure you and Annabeth could suggest which one."

I shoved them both off the stands.

...

After Gym, Percy cornered me outside the changing room.

"So," he started, "now is usually the point where I take your hair out of its pony tail. I'm not sure what to do instead." He told me, tucking a stray curl behind my ear.

"Percy," I said dryly, "While I simply love to come up with new ways for you to annoy me, I'm getting late for science.

He grinned at me. "I knew it."

"That I'm going to be late to my lesson because the late bell is about to go?" I mocked him. "You must be telepathic or something."

"No." Percy said, leaning closer, "That you secretly do love it when I bother you."

"What gave it away?" I ask him, "The swooning? The endless love letters? The part where I told you to screw off?"

"You didn't tell me to screw off."

I smiled sweetly. "Screw off." I told him.

He grinned. "Ah, romance."

I rolled my eyes. "Bye Percy." I told him, hiding my smile and walking away.

"Bye Annabeth." I could hear the grin in his voice.

...

You're in science right? Percy texted me.

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, it's not like I just told you I had science five minutes ago.

Well, he replied, here's a fun fact that I bet the Great I Chase didn't know: the human body has enough bones to make an entire skeleton.

I could say that I didn't smile. But I'd be lying to myself if I did.

...

We didn't get much homework in Science. For once.

In hindsight, it was evidently something good life decided to throw at me, to help to balance out how screwed up everything was going to get at lunch.

...

Lunch started out normal enough.

Percy had already walked up to the trash can twice, and was making his way for the third time, when he stopped at our table.

He picked up one of my fries and ate it. I glared at him. "Don't you have your own food?"

He sat down opposite me, next to Katie, placing his elbows on the table. "Ah, Annabeth, I do." He nodded, smirking, "But it tastes much more rewarding when I take yours." He took another one.

I kicked his leg. "Stop it." I told him.

"You know," Piper said, as Percy swiped another fry, "If you cared that much, you'd take it out of his reach."

"But," Percy said, brandishing a fry in the air, "she secretly enjoys it, Piper, so she won't."

I glared at both of them. "Don't you," I pointed to Piper, "have to go have hair ripping sex with Jason round about now?"

Piper choked into her salad. "No!" She spluttered, as Percy stifled a laugh.

"That's my brother you're talking about." Thalia said, looking grossed out.

"Oh rubbish." Leo piped in as he came over from Percy's table and sat down, "You're just jealous you're not getting some like them." He pointed at Percy, Piper and I.

"I am not getting some!" I cried out.

"Evidently." Leo said, taking a bite from his pizza. "If you were, you definitely wouldn't be so high strung at the moment. Take her away Percy." He looked at Percy expectantly, who had just plucked out another fry and plopped it into his mouth.

He grinned and reached for another fry, "Yeah, yeah, I just need to build up some stamina first." He winked at me, to which Leo whooped.

Before I had a chance to dump my orange juice on his head, Jason came over from Percy's table. "So what are we all talking about?"

"The hair ripping sex you're going to have with Piper soon." Percy told him solemnly.

Jason slipped off the edge of the bench, startled.

Percy grinned, reaching for another fry.

I swatted his hand away. "Stop that. That's your sixth one."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You've been counting?"

"Yes Percy," I said in clipped tone, "some of us actually know how to count."

"Every time," Jason complained, interrupting as he picked himself up from the ground, "I come over to you people, I regret it."

"Stop coming over then." Leo told him.

"Well you see," I told Leo, "he would, but he can't stay away from Piper that long."

Katie nodded. "He's like a lost puppy without her." She paused, sipping on some water. "Like Percy is without Annabeth."

Leo laughed.

"The difference is," I cut in, "is that Piper and Jason actually like each other."

To my surprise everyone looked at me tersely.

"What?" I asked.

Percy coughed awkwardly. "I'm going to get some water." He stood up and left.

I stared at everyone. "What?" I repeated.

"I think," Leo said carefully, "you may have hurt his feelings."

I looked at him. "What?" I said, disbelief lacing my voice.

How could I have hurt his feelings? Everyone was aware of the fact Percy and I disliked each other...

He squirmed in his seat, scratching the back of his neck. "It's just that...you know..."

"No," I said slowly, "I don't."

He looked around for help.

"What he's trying to say is, it's Percy." Jason told me.

I blinked. "I know who he is."

"Annabeth..." Piper trailed off.

Confused, I said, "Why is everyone acting so weird? It's me and Percy. We always argue. " I added, "That's what we've always done."

Katie looked at me before shaking her head. "Yeah, but Annabeth, you-" She paused, "you left the braid in."

I stared at her. What?

"I left the braid in?" I looked around. "Is this what this is all about? Why is that such a big deal? It's a hairstyle."

"You haven't ever done that before." Piper said softly.

My reaction was a little harsh. But I was done with everyone staring at me as if I had just kicked a puppy.

"Oh for god's sake." I said. "It's a hairstyle, and suddenly everyone has it up on some damn pedestal or something."

"Annabeth." Thalia said.

"So what if left it in?" I continued. "It's not like it means anything."

"Annabeth." She repeated.

"What?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that it might mean something to him?" She asked me.

I stopped.

"You're kidding me right?" It's Percy." I said, my voice getting louder. I was starting to attract attention. "Since when did he care about anything?" I asked bitterly.

"Maybe," Jason bit his lip, "he always has. And you just haven't noticed."

"Have you not noticed?" I asked Jason, "We don't like each other! Everyone knows we don't. He knows, I know. I tell him I hate him all the time. He's there solely to irritate me when he gets bored, and that's all it is." Everyone was staring at me now, the cafeteria near silent. I pulled the hair band off. It snapped. I shook my hair, letting the curls fall free.

Softer, I said, "That's all it's ever going to be."

"Annabeth." Katie sighed, looking behind me.

I whirled around to see a stiff Percy behind me, his mouth slightly open, in one hand clutching a water bottle, and in another a container of fries.

I blinked at him, out of my element. Inexplicably, a choking feeling settled on my chest, guilt seeping through me.

He shook his head, and looked down at the fries in his hand. When he looked back up, I wished I hadn't said anything at all, not being able to bear the look in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Percy cut me off.

"You heard Chase." He said in a carefully controlled voice. "Glad you're not under some stupid delusion anymore." Each word was razor sharp and I winced, despite myself.

"Percy..." I trailed off unsure of what to say.

Percy looked at me briefly, before looking away. "I'm gonna go to swim practice." He announced. "Coach wanted to see me anyways."

He shoved the container of fries at me. "I'm not hungry," he muttered, slinging his bag over his shoulder. I looked down at the fries, lopsided ketchup winking face drizzled across them.

"Percy-" I started again, but he was already leaving, tension in his shoulders visible.

I watched him leave, wondering what had just happened, what I had just done.

Looking down at the snapped hair band, I realized that that wasn't the only thing in my life that had snapped.

...

If I hoped that things would suddenly become magically better during Spanish, I was severely deluded.

Sitting in my seat in Spanish, I could feel people around me, shooting tentative glances and occasionally muttering about what had happened at lunch. It was relatively small school, and the people who hadn't known who Percy and I were previously certainly knew all about us now.

When Percy strolled into the room a few minutes later, the whispers died down, but the looks intensified. At the moment Percy walked up to my desk, people looked between us, waiting for the dam to break and the water to burst out.

I wish that had happened. I wish something had happened. But nothing did. Percy just walked past and took his seat behind me.

I didn't have the courage to look back at him.

...

Percy was silent throughout all of art. He didn't talk, he didn't acknowledge me, he didn't do anything except draw freehand circles over and over and over again on the page, a fiercely determined expression on his face. When he finally did manage to draw a perfect circle, he contemplated it for a moment, before ripping the sheet of paper from his sketch book, and tearing it in half and shoving the halves into his bag.

...

He didn't show up to detention either.

I waited in the library for him to come. He didn't.

The librarian gave me a light smile as I finally left the library, giving up on waiting for him.

"It was quieter than usual today." She said. "I'm not sure if I liked it."

I wasn't sure if I liked it either.

...

My dad met me with a raised eyebrow as I got into the car.

"Percy's isn't with you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No."

"Did you have a fight?" He said tentatively.

I bit my lip. "I'm not sure."

He shrugged. "Well whatever it is, I hope you don't break up." He said mildly.

My mouth dropped open. "Dad," I exclaimed softly, "we aren't dating!"

He brought the car to a stop. "You aren't?" He asked me, surprised. "But you're always together!"

"I don't even think we're friends." I told him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that what he thinks?"

I paused. "I think," I said softly, "that I may have made that the case."

My dad looked at me, and gave a small smile. We sat there in silence for while, before he said. "Well, if you ever do decide to go out, I think I wouldn't mind."

He restarted the car, and we drove home.

...

Percy didn't come to school the next day.

I waited by my locker until a minute before the bell went, in a futile hope that he'd turn up.

"He's not going to come." Piper told me softly.

And he didn't.

I collected Percy's assignments for the entire day. It wasn't because I was exceedingly concerned about his school work, (okay, I was a little concerned) but I was feeling particularly pathetic and I needed an excuse to go see him after school.

I spent the entire day planning exactly what my excuse was for grovelling over to see him, and the precise words I was going to tell him.

I was out of the classroom as soon as the last bell went.

...

I had met Percy's mom several times before, and she beamed when she saw me at the door. "Annabeth!" She exclaimed when she saw me, "Oh it's been so long since I've talked to you, dear. How have you been?" She asked kindly.

"I'm good." I lied. "I just uh, came to bring the work Percy missed today." I finished off lamely.

She didn't seem to mind. "Oh, of course. He's just been sitting in his room moping all day. I keep trying to talk to him but he's just flumped on his bed face first." She smiled, patting me on the back, "I'm sure you'll be able you cheer him up." She added, "You always have."

...

When I entered Percy's room, he was on his bed, looking down at his phone.

"Mom," He said softly, "go awa-" He looked up and stiffened, and went back to his phone, his shoulders rigid with tension.

We stayed in silence, and I looked around Percy's messy room. The walls were a soft blue colour, and he had a small fish bowl in the corner, a few textbooks laid across his desk and clothes strewn everywhere. On his bedside table, I noticed, the perfect circle halves that he had drawn in art had been taped back together.

"It's rude," Percy said stiffly, getting my attention, "to look at other people's private things."

I winced.

"You didn't come into school today." I blurted out.

"Didn't I?" He asked sarcastically, not looking up at me.

"You skipped detention yesterday too." I said.

"What is this?" He scoffed. "20 Questions?"

I bit my lip. "I uh, brought you your assignments because w-we have a lot of the, um same classes." I stuttered, holding them out.

"Do we?" He said coolly, still looking at his phone. "I didn't notice." He grabbed the sheets from me, making sure not to touch my hand.

"Percy, I-" I stopped, swallowing.

"Do you know," Percy said suddenly, finally looking up at me, "how we somehow have most of the same classes?" He looked at my face searchingly.

I looked at him, confused, and he shook his head, tensing again.

"So, bye." He said flatly.

I slung my bag on my shoulder, and took a breath. "Are you angry with me?" I asked him.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Now why," he drawled, "would I waste my time being angry at you, Chase?"

That hurt. I looked up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were glinting, as if he was challenging me, with hints of anger, but more...betrayal.

"Since when did you call me Chase?"

"Since when did you come to my house and piss me off stupid questions?" He shot back.

"Percy..." I trailed off.

"Why are you still here Chase?" He asked me.

"I-" I stopped. This was a bad idea.

I turned to leave when he spoke again.

"I did it on purpose." He said quietly, "I-"

"What?" I pressed, because I had to know, I had to know.

"I took those classes on purpose. Art, Spanish, Gym instead of extra practice. Because that's what you took..." He swallowed.

My mouth opened a little. "Percy..."

He shut his eyes. "J-just go."

"Percy."

"Go, Chase." He said more forcefully.

"Percy." I repeated.

"What?"

"Just let me talk!"

"Why?" Percy asked, his voice shaking, "What could you possibly have left to say to me? What-" He faltered, "I've heard everything already." He said his voice hard.

"Percy I didn't-"

"You've said everything you wanted to say Annabeth."

"Just give me a chance!" I yelled at him.

"WHY SHOULD I?" Percy yelled back. "YOU NEVER GAVE ME ONE!"

I froze.

Percy laughed. A short bitter laugh. "God. The Great Annabeth Chase stumped."

"Percy stop it." I said sharply.

"Stop what?" He asked me.

"Stop," I closed my eyes, "Stop acting like that. Like-like you can't even bare to be in same room as me."

Abruptly, he stood up. "I can't, remember?" He told me harshly. "We hate each other."

"Percy-"

"Stop it!" He said angrily, "Stop saying my name! Can't you see how much it hurts? To be in lo- in a room with someone who hates you?"

Each word was weighed me down, like I was holding the burden of the sky.

"Percy, I didn't mean that. I'm so, so sorry. Please." I pleaded.

"Then why did you say it?" He asked me. When I opened my mouth, he shook his head. "No Annabeth." He said softer, "It's true anyways. That's all it was ever going to be." His voice hardened again, "And you wouldn't have said it if you hadn't meant it."

"Percy-" I started.

"I don't want to hear it." He snapped.

"Percy, since when did you care what I said?" I shouted at him, frustrated. "SINCE WHEN DID YOU GIVE A SINGLE SHIT ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL?"

"SINCE I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU!" He yelled back.

And just like that, the ground was pulled from underneath my feet.

He grabbed my hand and held it in his own, swooping in close, "I think," he said softly, "my heart's here."

He'd been doing this a lot more recently; coming out with things that made my heart hammer against my chest, things that made a burning feeling erupt in pit of my stomach.

I felt heat rising to my cheeks, and for a moment I was confused by the way Percy was looking at me, his swirling green eyes searching my face.

"Can't you see it?" He continued, his voice shaking. "Haven't you seen it for the past three years?"

My hands trembled.

"I just don't see how you don't see it." Katie sighed, smiling.

No, Percy replied back, he lets me do it because it's you.

"Has it ever occurred to you that it might mean something to him?" Thalia asked me.

"Maybe," Jason bit his lip, "he always has. And you just haven't noticed."

"I'm sure you'll be able you cheer him up." She added, "You always have."

"I haven't gotten a detention for two years Annabeth." He told me quietly.

It's worth it.

I swallowed, a lump in my throat.

He gave me a strangely fond look at I slammed my locker shut and walked away.

"I hate you too." He called after me.

"But everything else I've told you was true." He said softly. "Everything."

He grabbed my hand and held it in his own, swooping in close, "I think," he said softly, "my heart's here."

"YouTube tutorials."

I wish you'd stop pushing me away.

"It's probably some guy who has a crush on her. She's such a heart breaker."

And he would secretly play with my fingers for the rest of the journey.

"I didn't know." I said my voice breaking.

"Of course you didn't." He said bitterly, shutting his eyes tight. "Of course you didn't."

I stepped forward, lessening the gap between us. "Percy..."

"Don't," He said lowly, "Please don't Annabeth."

I took another step forward, blood roaring in my ears. He took a gasping breath.

"I- I can't." He said softly. He looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine. "You don't understand how much it hurts. Please. Go." His voice cracked. We were nose to nose. From a distance, you couldn't even see them, but this close I could count the specks of blue in the swirls of sea green.

Things that made my heart hammer against my chest, things that made a burning feeling erupt in pit of my stomach.

I paused, unsure of how to reply to that statement but somehow, felt heat rushing to my cheeks.

I'd memorized the smile he'd make every time.

I looked at the carefully woven fishtail braid in the mirror one last time, and against my will, smiled.

The seven words replayed in my head as I leant onto the hallway wall, my heart thudding a little faster than usual.

"Bye Percy." I told him, hiding my smile and walking away.

My heart hammered against my chest.

Looking down at the snapped hair band, I realized that that wasn't the only thing in my life that had snapped.

I stepped closer to him, even though it shouldn't have been possible. Just a tilt...

I didn't have the courage to look back at him.

His breath hitched.

Softer, I said, "That's all it's ever going to be."

I closed the distance.

And then my lips were on his and I was kissing him and god it was nothing like I'd ever experienced before in my life, and I was being swept away by the sea, and I didn't care, I didn't care.

Because for the first time in my life, I didn't care at all, and yet I cared with every fibre of my being.

His lips were unsure against mine, and for a second I stopped and almost pulled away, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. But then he surged forwards and cupped my face in his hands, capturing my lips, his mouth moving desperately against mine.

And running my hands through his hair, I kissed him back with just as much force.

I wasn't sure if we broke apart because Sally could come in to Percy's room any moment, or because we were running out of oxygen, but I pulled away and looked up at him, running my thumb over his cheekbone.

"I-" Percy stopped, his voice cracking, and leant his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, his eyes were a brighter green then usual.

What?" I asked, breathless.

"Somehow, " he told me "I think I've fallen even more in love with you."

"The fact that's even possible scandalizes me." I teased him, smiling.

"Oh god." He breathed, his face breaking into a smile. "I'd kiss you again- oh god I want to so badly- but," he said softly, his eyes still alight with happiness, "I can't stop smiling."

I kissed him anyways.

FIN.

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