Name

He called her Annabeth. Two "meaningless" names smashed into one because he didn't know what else to do. What else could he do? A baby had shown up at his doorstep, a gift from a goddess-like woman. He couldn't very will give it back.

So her name was Annabeth. The girl grew up blonde-haired and grey-eyed, as strikingly beautiful as her mother. She made friends with a boy named Percy a few days before her father married another woman. She found solace in the black-haired seven-year-old, the same age as her but much more happy. His mom had given him a real name, since she actually cared about him.

Annabeth never liked her name. Whenever someone called her by it, she cringed. That was why Percy called her Wise Girl and she called him Seaweed Brain. Nicknames were more affectionate than real names to the pair.

One day, Annabeth came home from school asking what her name meant. They had been studying etymology, and name meanings, and Olivia's name meant "a symbol of peace" in Latin. Annabeth wanted to know what her name meant, so she asked her dad while he was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Dad, did you know that Olivia's name means a symbol of peace in Latin?" There was no answer from Fredrick Chase. He continued to read the newspaper and ignore his daughter.

"You didn't hear me, Dad, did you?" Annabeth asked, poking her dad's shoulder. "I told you something cool. And Alexander is named after his great-grandpa. Who am I named after? What does my name mean?"

Fredrick Chase still didn't answer. He was too busy reading the newspaper to care about his own daughter. But after she had tried to get his attention at least five times to no avail, he slammed down the newspaper and glared at her. "Oh, are you suddenly all high-and-mighty enough to have a name meaning. Annabeth is literally just Anna and Beth mashed together. Do you think anyone cared enough to give you a name? Do you think I wanted you?" By this time, he was shouting.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth whispered. Then she ran out of the house, to Percy. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she continued to whisper. "I'm sorry."

"Wise Girl, I was eating a lollipop! What's up?" Percy asked, when she dragged him to their bush fort.

"You don't care about me either?" Annabeth wiped her tears away. She was seven, too old for tears, in her opinion. "It's okay, I'll just leave."

"Don't leave! I brought you a lollipop," Percy said sweetly, pulling out the piece of blue candy. "Is your daddy being annoying?"

"He's not my daddy," Annabeth said bitterly. "I'm disowning him."

"Is that even possible?" Percy asked. "Isn't he the one who's supposed to disown you?"

"Well, he pretty much did that," Annabeth told Percy. "H-he doesn't want me."

"And what are you going to do about that?" Percy asked. "My dad didn't want me either."

"Yeah, but at least you got a mom. Neither of my parents want me. I'm running away." Annabeth stood up.

"No! You can come to my house and hide in my room and―Annabeth?"

"Yeah?" She had to admit, Percy's voice saying her name made it a little better.

"Is that your dad?" Percy pointed, and Annabeth looked.

"Race you to your house!" she said, and they took off.

"You know, Annabeth," Percy said. There it was again, her name, not so bad anymore.

"What?"

"I could pretend you're my adopted sister. Then we could change your name to Atalanta, the Greek warrior." Percy smiled as they ran down the road.

Annabeth thought about it, really thought. "Actually, Percy," she made point to call him by his real name, "I kind of like my name. Especially when you say it."

"Annabeth?"

"Yeah?"

"I like when you say my name too."