/0\0/0\0/0\

*clueless*

CHAPTER 1

By Lavenderblossom74

"Please, I gotta know! Her favorite thing to do, her favorite color, her favorite food, what she's interested in, her favorite type of tree… Anything!" He tone was stubborn and desperate.

She rolled her eyes at him. "If your urge to know is so bad, why don't you go ask her yourself?"

"Annabeth, please!" You're her best friend—you should know something!"

"Just because I know the answers to your burning questions Percy, that doesn't mean I have to actually answer them." She smugly answered.

"Anna-"

"Plus, how do I know you're the right guy? Rachel's my friend and she deserves the best"

"I feel greatly offended," At this, he gave her the best 'offended' look he could, pointed a finger at himself, and with pride said, "I am the best"

An exasperated expression was directed at him, "Exactly my point"

Annabeth started to walk away before Percy- in a very rash, crazy, likely to get him killed decision - dropped down to one knee.

Since they were in the middle of a busy intersection, a bunch of people turned and looked:

"Awwww"

"How romantic!"

"Way to go dude!"

"You better say yes girl!"

Annabeth's eyes widened to the point of being huge stars. Then they narrowed to tiny slits.

"Percy. Jackson. What do you think you're doing?"

"Ummmm… Asking your hand in marriage?" He answered brightly.

By this point, more people has turned to stare. Some even seemed like they were thinking about whipping out their cellular devices and videotaping the whole exchange.

Percy smirked, "And I am also blackmailing you into helping with my whole wanting-to-learn-more-about-Rachel-so-I-can-ask-her-out thing.

Annabeth sent him a scathing glare that screamed painful murder but then her eyes darted around around. At all the people.

And back at Percy who was literally on his knees and pleading.

"Fine," A grin started to envelop Percy's face but Annabeth firmly cut in, "BUT– We do things my way. I set the terms. I make the rules."

Percy nodded in understanding. He remained on his knee, "Soooo…" His gaze went to the crowd around them.

Her ears turning as red a strawberries, Annabeth quietly answered. "Yes"

He jumped to his feet, eyes shining with bright happiness.

Before he could even register what he was doing, he was hugging the girl in front of him and lifting her clean off her feet.

Cheers roared from their surroundings.

"Thank you" he whispered.

Annabeth arms came around his torso hesitantly but they were gone almost immediately after.

"Ummm…"

His hands dropped, "Oh! Right, sorry!"

Suddenly, an ever increasing chant began:

"Where is the ring? Where is the ring? Where is the ring!"

Percy sputtered. He looked at Annabeth who smirked in amusement.

"Help!" He hissed under his breath!

"Nuh uh" she hissed back.

"Annabeth!"

"Percy!"

"WHERE IS THE RING!?"

In a very awkward gesture, Percy took Annabeth's hand. Why did he always get himself into these situations?

"I- er- I'll be giving her the ring- uh- officially at uhhhh- a fancy seafood place!"

With that, he took off, tugging Annabeth along with him.

A few minutes and whole lot less people later, he stopped.

Dropping Annabeth's hand, he chuckled nervously. "Well that was… I- ummmm- interesting? Who knew proposing produced such a rowdy crowd? At least now I know how to get people's attention… Right?"

To his complete and utter surprise, Annabeth bent over and her shoulders began to shake.

"Um. Annabeth?" Had she finally gone off her rocker?

Then he realized she was laughing—at him.

"Hey!" He protested.

After a few more indignant moments, the blonde straightened and wiped her eyes.

"Wow Percy, you sure have a way of preventing me from killing you."

"I- what?" His indignation was suddenly converted into fear.

Annabeth smirked, "After the stunt you just pulled, you had to be ready to choose the flowers you wanted for your funeral"

"But I prevented that," there was an uncertain pause "Right? If not, I demand blue roses, a blue coffin, a blue tux, and a blue cake" He stubbornly declared. "Oh and everybody had to attend wearing only blue instead of black"

Annabeth just shook her head at him in amusement. "For now, you have delayed your inevitable murder thanks to your brain being full of seaweed."

"Sooo… That means you'll follow through with your promise ... ?"

With a dramatic show of disappointment, Annabeth nodded.

Percy punched the air, "Oh yeah! One point for the Seaweed Brain!"

Walking in front of Annabeth, he started to ramble on and on about everything he was wanted to known about Rachel and how excited he was to finally be able to ask her out and actually know what to talk to her about on said date.

He never saw the painful expression Annabeth wore as he rambled.

Or how she tried to muster a brave smile as he literally went head-over-heels over Rachel.

Because if he hadn't noticed Annabeth's feelings for him during the past 5 years, why would he now?

So Annabeth simply pressed her lips together and shook off the aching throbs that pierced her heart.

She was going to be a good friend. She was going to help Percy. She owed it to him after all the embarrassment he went through.

When she first refused his desperate plea, she'd done it in order to see how far he would go. And far he had gone.

If he truly loved Rachel, she wanted him to end up with her.

Because sometimes love makes you give up your own happiness in exchange for another's.

/0\0/0\0/0\

AN: What was I thinking starting this? I don't know.

Should be working on other updates? Yep. Should I at least be working on stuff I actually have a full plan set out for and not just a random bunny? Probably. Am I doing either? Nope.

Do I at least have an idea as to where I want to go with this? I think so.

Hang on people, it's gonna be a bumpy ride and I'm going to love every second of it!

~LB