Annabeth

I tap my fingers on the desk in front of me. My teacher's reviewing again, one of the most pointless things she could do in an A.P. Calc. class. I roll my eyes as the nimrod next to me, Cleo, asks the same question she asked yesterday. I have to bite my lip to contain my amusement when she looks confused at the exact same answer she's been given twice now. You know that's Einstein's definition of insanity. I think.

I normally wouldn't mind that Cleo didn't get it, what irked me was that she had been avidly doodling Luke's name when the teacher explained it the FIRST time around. If it hadn't been for that I would've offered to help. When Ms. Small tried to explain it again without rolling her eyes or acting too condescending, the bell rang.

I head to honors Greek 3, nervously, though I'm not sure why. It's not as if anything's changed, I'm still the same person I was last year, and everyone else is exactly the same. Same football jocks, who are certain they'll go pro right out of high school, same truants who don't think any farther ahead than the next party, and the same awful people who are suddenly my best friend when they start failing a class. I bite my lip, shoving those thoughts away; it wouldn't do to get fed up on the first day of school.

I stand frozen in the doorway of Ms. Olsen's class. Someone was in my seat, well I guess that sounds arrogant but, oh well, first row next to the door had been my seat in every single class. It wasn't like it was a written rule or assigned seats, but everyone knew that it was my, Annabeth Chase's, seat. It's the perfect seat for an uber nerd, and proud of it! Apparently not everyone knows that, I correct myself as I study the intruder, tall and handsome with messy black hair that was falling in his eyes can't entirely mask their bright green color. It takes me a moment to realize that studying had turned into to ogling. I mentally shake myself, what was with me and long hair and bright eyes? Gods, it was my kryptonite in the cheesiest sense.

After a moment's hesitation, I sit down next the new kid. I yank my blonde hair out of it's ponytail and toss it over my shoulder, in a not so subtle effort to keep some distance between us. I can almost sense him staring at me. I run my fingers through my long curls, they are pretty when they're shoulder length but I tried a bob once and looked like a blonde mushroom.

Thankfully, Ms. Olsen walks in before I could recall the harsh words of one of my 'friends.' Without any prompting, she spots the new kid as if picking out spots on a die.

"Percy! Did you have any trouble finding your first class?" She asks him. He lifts his head a little and smiles slightly.

"A little… but-" He admits, refreshingly modestly, but Ms. Olsen cuts him off.

"Oh then, how about… umm… Annabeth, would you mind showing him around?" She suggests politely, but I've had her as a teacher long enough to know it's not a suggestion, it's an order. I nod and spare a glance at a bewildered looking Percy; its obvious he hadn't meant to get assigned to a guide. He blinks a few times before smiling shyly at me. I immediately look away.

As Ms. Olsen starts handing out worksheets, I can still feel Percy's eyes on me. I stare at my desk hoping he'll look away. He doesn't. Ms. Olsen let's us talk as we fill out our review sheets, I hear the general "Oh My God! I love your hair!"s etc. and roll my eyes. I slowly start to relax, and then I feel a tap on my shoulder and flinch.

"Hey" Percy says as I turn to look at him. "Annabeth, right?" He checks; I nod. "You don't have to show me around, if you don't want to, I can handle it." He blurts. I shake my head, and resist the urge to sigh.

"No, it's no big deal," I say through my teeth and run my hands along the smooth denim of my jeans.

"Thanks I appreciate it" He promises. His bright green eyes are shining and his bright grin is infectious; I ignore it resolutely.

"Really… don't mention it." I say, making my meaning clear, I don't do well with gratitude. He just raises an eyebrow and shrugs like 'okay, be rude if you want to'. I feel guilty for a second then shook my head, stupid conscience.

After the bell rang and the class started flying out, I finally look at Percy again. He's watching me carefully. I bite my lip and push my hair out of my face.

"So where's your next class?" I ask, breaking the tension.

"Um… Room 305, Sports and Society, with Mr. Mason." He reads off from his schedule. I grimace. "What?" He asks. I blush, realizing how transparent that must've been. Subtle Annabeth, real subtle.

"Nothing, just a head ache," I lie. "I have that class too, so let's go."

…

Percy

Annabeth looks like she's in pain as she sits down in Sports and Society. I sit down across the class from her, knowing when I'm not wanted around. Annabeth seems like the kind of girl I'd have hated in my old school. Star student, teacher's pet… the whole act; but I'm not stupid, I saw her squinting at her Greek paper and tapping her fingers all class: ADHD and Dyslexia most likely; same as me. She barely looked at me but when she did, I could see that she wasn't the classic California girl, I had pegged her as when I first walked in. Her eyes were a strange intricate pattern of grays, like storm clouds... eerie.

"While I appreciate you picking out your own seats… I already have a seating plan for you." Mr. Mason announces as he walks in. No one complains, though I'm sure we're all thinking it. Mr. Mason strolls around tapping desks set up in groups of threes. "Katie Gardener," he calls as he taps the first desk. "Travis Stroll." He orders. A devilish grin spreads across a guy's face as a girl sighs. "Clarisse La Rue." He points to the desk next to Travis's. Travis looks petrified as a girl in combat boots sits down next to him but Mr. Mason just moves on.

"Luke Castilian," He announces and taps the next row of desks. A tall guy, who I assume is a Senior sits down. "Annabeth Chase" Mr. Mason announces as he touches the next desk. He smiles at her and her stormy grey eyes lock onto his blue ones as a blush rises on her cheeks. Irrational jealousy hits me full force but I shake it off, geez I've known the girl for an hour…

"Pers-" Mr. Mason starts but I leap to my feat to cut him off.

"Percy, just Percy" I correct and take my seat next to Annabeth. She frowns for a minute before looking away. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew what Mr. Mason had been about to say. It must be the eyes; it was like she was slowly unraveling your secrets when she looked at you. She looks at me again for a moment, as if sensing me staring at her. She blushes and yanks her hair out of its ponytail… again.

For the rest of the class, Mr. Mason talks to us about the curriculum and some upcoming projects, typical first day of school stuff. I spend the class alternately tap ping my foot and shaking my leg. Annabeth fidgets with her hair and nervously taps her fingers on the desktop; most surprisingly Luke spends the class drumming out a beat on his books and cracking his knuckles. What's the chance of three kids with ADHD sitting together?