Hey, guys, I'm back! So after How Love Feels, a lot of people wanted me to do another Jasper story. Well, this is kinda it. It's also got a lot of Percabeth in it. Piper and Jason don't show up in this chapter, but they will eventually. Don't worry.

So I kinda/sorta got this idea when I was watching The Help (Awesome movie, by the way XD) but it's not going to be exactly like that. I'll be doing this story alongside with Nostalgic in the Percy and Annabeth category so...yeah.

This story probably won't be as big as How Love Feels, maybe only a couple chapters. But that might change if I get an idea. But I still hope you guys like it!

I do not own PJO.

Enjoy reading!


"You cannot clean dishes right! Look at this mess!" The woman with shaky hands, trying to find something to murder, screamed. She looked as if she was going out of her mind with her stringy and greasy dark hair hanging messily around her face. She ran a hand through it. "Annabeth, after all these years I've known you and I come home to a mess!"

Annabeth felt terror and anger surge through her. She gripped the towel in her hands. She was going to get around to washing the dishes but she had been too busy helping her boss's kids getting cleaned up from finger-painting. But the mom—this woman—came earlier than usual, and that was much unexpected.

Her eyes widened and her eyebrows went to her hairline. "I can't clean dishes right? After one day, and that's the result you come up with?"

"Oh, don't talk all smart with me!" She yelled at Annabeth. "I'm sick and tired of that and you thinking you're better than me!" at the emphasized word, she threw a towel at her.

Annabeth gasped sharply and stepped back. Tears started to sting her eyes and she couldn't believe that she was saying this to her. Annabeth has been working for her for almost two years, with a perfect house and meal and the kids all nice and cleaned up—everything ready and exactly how she liked it when she came home from a long day at work.

Annabeth threw the towel on the ground. "I don't think I'm better than you; I know I am," she sneered, "whereas you can't take care of your own children!"

Now the other girl was the one to gasp. "How dare you! You work for me!"

"Not anymore!" Annabeth cried with a smug look and she spread her arms out wide.

There was crying and screaming from the other room as she heard her boss's husband try to calm down their five kids.

"Because I quit!" Annabeth screamed and started to put together her things. She had been so faithful to them that they even let her have a room to stay overnight if she had to. "You know, I'm not even sure why I bothered working for you anyways! Such a huge family in a huge house! No one else would've wanted to clean it all up!" She waved her arms around.

It was true. The family lived in a two-story mansion with over five bedrooms and five bathrooms—and that only meant more to clean. None of her other friends (who were maids) wanted to clean all that up.

"I guess," Annabeth paused and said with sarcastic innocence, "maybe it was because it would be more in the pay check!"

The woman growled and started breathing heavily. She had evil in her eyes and that was when Annabeth no longer saw the sweet woman. She saw the dark monster that her boss really was.

"You're not quitting! No, you're gonna get it! You are fired!"

"Oh, please," Annabeth scoffed, "I already quit so save your breath!" she zipped her bag up. "I'm out of your lives forever!"

The woman started screaming and fuming so angrily that she started stomping her feet like a little kid having a temper tantrum. She grabbed the closest thing to her—which was a dirty pan, and raised it high above her head like she was going to throw it.

Annabeth stopped and gestured to herself. "Yeah?! What are you gonna do, hit me?! Throw a pan at me?! Bring it!" She dared. She was angry and she finally just couldn't stand this place or this madwoman.

She could see the thrust beginning to form in the woman's arm, but suddenly, her husband jumped in front of her and put her arm holding the pan down. "Honey, listen, this isn't going to solve anything!"

The woman gave him a glare and started cursing.

"Look," he said, "I know you feel bad because you got fired—"

Annabeth halted. Her boss got fired? This was the reason for all of this? Even though she had to deal with all the messes and fights and crap with this woman, she still thought she could still take everything out on Annabeth?

This made her blood boil.

"Fired?" She asked.

"Don't you say anything," The woman spat from behind her husband.

He gave Annabeth a look saying: You should listen to her this time.

Annabeth scoffed and wasn't going to take this the easy way. "So that's why you came home early," she said sweetly. "That's why you took everything out on me because you just couldn't stand the fact that another person thought you couldn't lift a finger." She spat back.

She started to glare at Annabeth and the husband had a look on his face like: Oh, great. Here we go. And he gripped the countertops so that way he could trap his wife so she wouldn't murder Annabeth.

"That's why and I bet anything that you had already planned to fire me because if you didn't have a job, neither could I!" Annabeth then said in a lower voice, "So I guess I am better than you,"

She thrashed out at Annabeth, but her husband held her down and Annabeth stepped back and walked swiftly out the door.

"I will make sure you never get a job as a maid again!" She screamed. "You will never walk into this house ever again!"

"Wasn't planning on it!" Annabeth hollered over her shoulder and then she climbed into her car and drove away.


"Wow, you really handled her," Thalia said as she slumped back in her chair.

"I can't believe she would do that to you," Hazel said as she and Rachel were standing by the counter, fixing sandwiches for them all.

"I could," Annabeth said tiredly. "It's not that hard to believe."

"You'll find someone else to work for," Thalia said as she flipped out a card, playing solitaire by herself.

"I don't want to work for anyone," Annabeth said as she leaned forward and put her chin on her fists. "I feel like a savage when I do. Like I'm owned. And they treat me like they own me and can order me around."

"Well…I hate to break it to you, Annabeth, but you do work in a maid service." Hazel said, "People are gonna order you around whether you like it or not."

"I know and I hate that. Why do they have to be so cruel, too?"

Rachel said, "I know how you feel, Annabeth. One wrong move and I get ten dollars cut from my pay check. It's ridiculous. They think we have no other talent." She walked over to their small table and sat down with a plate of sandwiches. She had her frizzy red hair tangled back into a knot. "But we do and they just don't care."

"I'm sure there's someone who cares about our lives other than being a maid," Hazel said as she made her way to them with another plate of fruit.

"Well, I've had it with people who just scream and bark orders at me all the time." Annabeth leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. She reached forward and plucked a strawberry from the plate of fruit. "This time, when I find someone to work for, I want them to be like my friend. Someone who's actually nice and cares."

"You're crazy," Thalia said, "a stranger won't be nice to a maid. Suck it up."

"No," Rachel said as she nibbled on a sandwich. "Annabeth's right. I've had enough of it as well."

"Do I hear someone quitting?" A deep voice asked and they suddenly appeared at the kitchen door. It was a man with sandy blonde hair with a scar crossing over his eye.

"Annabeth did." Thalia said without looking at him.

"Annabeth?"

"I didn't really, Luke. I quit and got fired from the Jefferson's house."

"Oh…" Luke trailed off as he sat down in a chair next to Annabeth and he put an arm around the back of her chair. This made Annabeth blush, thinking that Luke was so close to her.

"Do you need help finding a new place to work?" Luke asked.

Annabeth was about to say yes, just so she could spend time with him, but then she stopped herself. There were more important things than wanting time with someone you like. She shook her head. "I can do it myself."

"I'll do it; I can help, it's no big deal," Luke insisted.

"No, it's okay. I want to find someone myself."

Luke opened his mouth to keep protesting, but Thalia said, "Luke, she's got it, okay? Stop babying her."

They looked at her, shocked.

"I know you're our friend and all, and you're trying to help us find people to work for, but…" Thalia trailed on.

Annabeth filled in, "I wanted to find someone on my own. She's right; you need to stop babying me."

Luke blushed and he leaned back against his chair. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Annabeth looked away and a silence hung over the table.

"Right, so anyone want any fruit?" Hazel asked with a smile.


A couple days later, Annabeth stood in front of her mirror and smoothed down her blouse. She wore jeans and the light purple, button-up blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had made some calls and her friends were even mentioning her to the families they worked for in case they had a friend that needed a maid.

Some people had returned the calls and asked her to come to their house for an interview. She was so excited to finally meet someone new and they sounded like good people on the phone, but you could never be sure.

Annabeth quickly grabbed some breakfast and then walked out the door.

The house was almost as big as the Jefferson's and when she pulled up to it and saw how big it was, she let out a groan. Annabeth stared exasperatedly at the house and then softly thumped her head against her seat. She whimpered and asked to herself, "Why do I always get the big houses?"

She groaned and then heaved herself out of the car. When she finally walked up to the door after the long and winding driveway, she knocked on the fresh white paint.

The door opened and a lady with blonde hair wrapped up in a neat bun and wearing a white skirt and blouse, stood behind it. She had a smile on her powdered face. "Hi, you must be Annabeth,"

Annabeth weakly smiled back. She felt more out of place than the last house. But nevertheless, the woman said, "Well, I'm Mrs. Smith," she held out her hand and Annabeth shook it. "Come on inside."

Annabeth stepped inside and followed Mrs. Smith to the kitchen where she prepared tea and Annabeth sat awkwardly at the island.

"So, how long have you been a maid?" Mrs. Smith asked.

"About…five or so years by now,"

"Hmm...So you have experience."

"Well, I'd like to think I do," Annabeth smiled.

Mrs. Smith laughed and brought Annabeth a cup of tea. "So who was the last family you worked for?"

Annabeth took a sip of her tea and the almost choked on it. "Pardon?"

Mrs. Smith blinked. "Who was the last family you worked for?"

Annabeth knew that if she gave the right answer, she probably wouldn't get the job. She took one look at her cup of tea, knowing that it was probably the last she'd see it.

She looked back up at Mrs. Smith and smiled. "The Jefferson's,"

Mrs. Smith's smile faded. She blinked again. "But their last maid…" she trailed off and then comprehension spread across her face and she clenched her jaw.

"Well, I should be going now," Annabeth said and distastefully set her cup of tea down and walked out of the door without another word.


Annabeth couldn't believe how fast word went around after that. Mrs. Jefferson must've been friends with Mrs. Smith, and after she had heard that Annabeth had gone job-looking after what she had done to Mrs. Jefferson, word spread to everyone else.

When they opened the door and found Annabeth standing there with a smile on her face, they'd say that they already found someone and close the door on her with her smile fading. And then she'd walk back to her car, her heart feeling heavy with exhaustion and anger.

"They didn't think I would notice that they were lying," She said to herself through gritted teeth in the car. "But they were wrong. I know it was that monster, Mrs. Jefferson," Her nostrils flared and she shook her head.

She sighed and decided that she needed some coffee. Annabeth drove to a café and ordered it and then slumped in her seat, closing her eyes and wishing it was all a dream. She almost drifted off to sleep, but then there was a huge crash.

Someone cursed.

"I'm sorry!" a man said nervously.

"Look, you hold it with both hands for the rest of the day, okay?" a woman said. She looked like steam was about to come out of her ears, she looked so angry.

They were behind the counter and it looked as if she were the manager. The man, who apologized, looked as if he had just started. He had black hair, and that was all Annabeth could see since his back was to her.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Gosh," the man said.

"Now, go give the girl her coffee."

"Which girl?" The black-haired man turned around and Annabeth's heart seemed to stop. The man's eyes finally set on her and she quickly looked away. "Oh, her," he mumbled.

He took a small tray with a coffee cup on a saucer and walked over to her like he was balancing on a tightrope.

"With two hands!" The woman who was teaching him scolded.

"Uh-huh," he said and pretended like he was holding it with two hands, but Annabeth could really see that it was still one hand.

The man finally got to her and she said a small thank you. She finally looked up at him in the eyes and found that they were a strange sea green.

"One coffee," he said.

She nodded and took the coffee that he was handing her. "Thanks, Percy,"

He stopped and stared at her and blinked uncomfortably. "D-Do I know you?"

Annabeth looked up from her coffee. "No,"

"So how do you know my name?"

"Your nametag," she nodded to his apron.

Percy looked down and realized that she was right. He laughed nervously, and a little relieved. "Oh, yeah; right,"

Annabeth smiled a little.

"Right, well enjoy your coffee," he said.

"Um…thanks,"

Percy walked back to the counter. "How was that?" he asked his manager.

"Better than last time," she grumbled.

Annabeth couldn't help but chuckle. She sipped her coffee to try and forget all that Mrs. Jefferson has ruined for her. It was hard to do seeing that she was the reason she didn't have a job even after multiple families.

Percy handed another customer their drink and they payed him and then walked out the door. He began to wipe off the table.

Annabeth set her cup down on a coffee table in front of her and then put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Percy's voice asked.

Annabeth didn't know that he was talking to her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked again but Annabeth realized no one answered. So she lifted up her head to find that he was looking at her.

She blinked and stuttered. "I'm fine,"

Percy rose and eyebrow. "Wow. I didn't know that putting your head in your hands helplessly was the new definition of 'fine'."

Annabeth glared at him. "It's none of your business."

He shrugged. "Hey, don't get onto me about it. I was just trying to cheer you up."

Annabeth looked away.

"So what's wrong?" He asked.

She gave him the glare again.

"What, now that I know something's wrong, shouldn't I at least know what's wrong?"

"No," Annabeth said like he had gone crazy.

"Well, why not?"

"Because you're a stranger. I don't even know you. You don't even know my name. There's no reason for you to know what's going on with my life." Annabeth snapped at him.

Percy was quiet for a minute and he jumped over the counter because the manager wasn't looking. He put away his towel and began cleaning off the cups. "So what is it?" he finally asked.

"I told you—"

"Not that," he interrupted her. He looked back at her and his green eyes were twinkling. "Your name,"

She stared at him. "Annabeth,"

"Annabeth? That's different," Percy smiled. "I like it."

Annabeth blushed. "Thanks,"

Percy nodded with a smile. They were quiet for a minute until Percy asked, "So you're not going to tell me what's wrong?"

Annabeth took a moment to suppress her smile. "Nope,"

"Ah, I figured."

She stood and walked to the counter, bringing her drink with her. She moved it across the counter to him and the coffee sloshed a little.

"You didn't even finish your drink? Come on, I spent forever making that, you know," Percy complained as he ringed up the cash register.

Annabeth shrugged. "I just didn't want the rest of it."

"That is a waste of coffee." Percy said as he dumped it in the sink. "But it's still a dollar fifty."

Annabeth gave him the money and he put it in the cash register. The receipt rolled out and he began to write on it. Her eyebrows furrowed at him and he gave it to her.

"Unless you ever want to talk about what's wrong." He said.

Annabeth looked at the receipt and found a number was written on there. She smiled. "Thanks, Percy, but I don't think I will."

"Will I ever see you again?" he asked.

"Maybe; if you don't get fired,"

"That would be bad. This is my first day."

"I figured."

"Is it that noticeable?"

Annabeth gave him a look.

"Yeah, well, I guess coffee-making isn't really my thing. I just needed a job, and this was about the only one I could find and my mother approved of."

"Your mother?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

Percy shrugged. "I don't live with her but you know how moms are. They still look out for you even when you're old."

Annabeth blinked and looked away. She didn't exactly have a mom. She nodded and Percy didn't seem to realize anything.

"I gotta go," Annabeth said and she walked out the door.

"Oh, okay…bye," his voice faltered. He was about to turn away from the counter to learn more about making drinks, but then something caught his eye. "Hey, wait a minute," he called, "you forgot your receipt!"

But Annabeth was already out the door.


So there's the first chapter. How'd you guys like it? Tell me and review!