Annabeth was sorry to say that she'd skipped into first period so giddily that someone asked her if she was high on drugs. She did, however, remember not being sorry enough to resist offering the person a stuck-out tongue before plopping down her desk just as slap-happy.

In retrospect, that had not been the best idea. It was only a matter of time before someone sparked a rumor that perfect Annabeth Chase did drugs.

Though Annabeth guessed that being happy was sort of like a drug. You just want more and more, more than the world can yield. But this drug, unlike others, wasn't hurtful. If anything, it was the opposite. It fanned you as you grew and helped you muster the courage to be more… yourself. It had no similarity to any drug she saw starring in the news.

Though she did get it from a hidden stranger in a dark alley, so maybe it was a drug. Who knows.

She bounced her leg, scanning the room aimlessly until Perseus plopped down next to her, his binders causing a quake on the desk. Her pencils rattled and rolled as she reached to stop them from flying off the, pointedly ignoring her hab partner's sigh and mumbled apology.

Annabeth readied her papers. "Experiment Saturday, this classroom," she said, deciding not to even spare a glance at her partner, "Have you been keeping care of the plants correctly?"

"Yeah. Exactly what you put on the outline," Perseus replied, "Word for word."

"You sure?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow, torn between being relieved or trying to give him a hard time. She should give him a hard time, just to match how he treated her the other day, but the strange dullness of exhaustion in his eyes made her think again.

"Yes. I may not be a design with wise in its name, or a design at all, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."

Perseus turned his back to her so she could only see the wrinkles on his shirt. Her eyes drifted to the strange redness on his ears- anger, maybe? - and stopped at his ruffled hair, which had a little residue of gum, as if someone had stuck gum and then took it out. Her mind pieced together a series of events logically, coming to…

"Someone stuck gum in your hair," she said stupidly, dumbly, idiotically, "I have peanut butter for lunch."

Perseus glanced back at her. "So?" he asked, a little biting, a little curious.

"Peanut butter gets it out," Annabeth said, pulling her lunchbox from her bag, "Ask to go get a drink of water and go do… whatever in the bathroom."

He almost reached for it, almost, but his hand snapped back to him. "Nice try," he scoffed, "You'd never help me before. Now isn't all that different."

She looked at him incredulously, disbelief glinting in her eyes. "What, do you think that I poisoned it?"

"Wouldn't be under you."

See, this is why Annabeth wasn't nice to people. She'll try, they'll lash out instead of taking her helpfulness, and she goes back to the wicked bitch even she realizes she is sometimes. Annabeth's smile faltered- did he really think that?- before she scoffed and turned away from him, doodling on her paper.

Annabeth had just barely finished her crude stick figure when her mind started wandering. It kept tracing back to the alley boy like a paperclip returns to the magnet. So much so that Annabeth started comparing it to a crush.

Her ears heated up and her neck warmed. Maybe it was a crush. Maybe, against all odds, perfect Annabeth Chase formed a crush on a guy she couldn't see.

It was irrational, stupid, and idiotic. Check, check, check.

She bit her lip as she thought about it deeper. She really did have a crush on the alley boy. He made her happy, he made her tolerable. Sometimes, Annabeth thought, being around him made her love herself. Even if she didn't even know this guy's design, much less his name.

Yeah, Annabeth was screwed.

Perseus' elbow jostled her thoughts, her blush disappearing as her attention turned to a much more disliked person. He seemed a little apologetic, a little remorseful, a little guilty. A small part in Annabeth's head sneered, Damn right, while the other side, the side that probably had developed as she spent time with the alley boy, said, It's alright.

"Hey," Perseus said, clearing his throat sheepishly, "Um. Sorry about… that. I was in a bad situation this morning and… I shouldn't have done that either way."

She paused, surprised, before calmly saying, "Damn right you shouldn't have." Annabeth saw his face fall the slightest bit before she stuck her arm out, her lunchbox's strap clenched between her fingers.

His face brightened, a twinkle returning to his eyes, a grateful smile hanging on his face as he took it and rushed to the bathroom. Mr. Brunner stopped him from practically falling through the doorway without a pass, and Annabeth couldn't help but laugh. A warm feeling layered in her gut.

Days ago, Annabeth wouldn't have dared help an imperfect. Why would she? It would only inconvenience her. And invite rumours, of course.

Days later, Annabeth realized that the inconvenience might be worth it, to see that smile and that expression on faces. Maybe this is why people help each other.

… Maybe, she could learn to do that.

A/N: Sorry this is so late and short! Only about 830 words, but this was crucial to the plot. Updates will be more frequent than… last time. And hopefully around 1000 words like the other chapters.

This is dedicated to Da Girl There Reading. I loved and still love you, Thria. /3 I wish you could've lived to see the end of this story that you liked so much.

Please check out my other story too! It's called Shards & Stitches and has a very different mood than this one, so please check it out! :DDD

Thank you guys for sticking with me. This years has been hectic, but I hope I can still update again.

xeeda