Author's Note: Welcome, new readers. I first want to say thank you for checking out this story. I will try not to disappoint you. Next, for all my readers that have read my previous stories, this one will be a bit darker even though it won't seem like it at first. This will definitely be OOC.

Annabeth, Percy, AU, OOC-ness, sadness, rejection, high school, are they key words you need to know. Thanks!

Linebreak

The Scientist—Coldplay

Yeah, we grew up together. So what? It doesn't mean I like her. I mean, maybe I do. A little. Okay, okay, okay, maybe a lot. Okay? Maybe I am in love with her. Okay, maybe I have loved her since I was fifteen. But, why should I tell you my story? Because you're interested? Well, fine, but I'm telling the story, don't say anything negative. It's a working progress.

This story starts when we were in the second grade. Annabeth Chase was the smartest girl in the class. Blonde hair stuck up in a pony-tail and grey eyes that looked like they were storm clouds, she was intimidating. I used to call her a Know-It-All, then she'd respond with some witty comment that I couldn't top, and when I didn't answer, she'd just storm away.

It went like that, back and forth for months on end, until Valentine's Day when I asked her be my Valentine. At first she said, "Ew. No."

I was so hurt I didn't know what to say, so I said, "Those are fragmented sentences."

To this day, I swear, the look on her face was priceless. "But . . . You . . ."

"But, but, yes, I can be a little smart when I want to," I said. I wiped the palms of my hands on my jeans to stop them from sweating. "So will you be my Valentine or what?"

After that, all I kept thinking was, she's gonna slap me, she's gonna slap me.

She frowned before giving me a kiss on the cheek and whispering in my ear, "You're a nuisance, Percy Jackson and not nearly as smart as I am."

I think she expected me to say something back, but I didn't. I stared at her with wide eyes, my face turning a dark shade of red.

"You're such a Seaweed Brain," she said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you swim a lot so your head must be full of seaweed," she said it as if she were saying something completely obvious.

"Well, gee, thanks. Wise Girl."

"Wise Girl?"

"Yes, Wise Girl. I heard Clarisse call you that last week."

"Well, you're stupid for copying her and, yes I will be your Valentine."

"Come on, Annabeth," I said walking to the water fountain before I could get angry. So I guess after all of that we were friends. At least I thought we were friends, but I could never tell with her. It was kind of a tradition; she (even though we were young and just friends) would be my Valentine every year. We played a lot together and grew close. We always had the same teachers up until fifth grade, so we grew apart a bit, but she had trouble with finding good friends to stick with so I was always there for her when she needed me.

Of course other kids would always assume that we were "going out" which was completely false then.

"Stupid's going out with Brainy! Take a look at that!"

Annabeth got suspended for punching Logan in the nose, but it was only a day because she'd never done anything like that before. When she got back the first thing she said to me was, "You owe me, Seaweed Brain."

"What for?"

"For getting me suspended!"

"Whatever. I didn't tell you to punch him in the nose!"

"Well, sorry! I felt obligated to!"

I had no clue what that meant, but I just stormed away in anger.

My life at home wasn't great either. My mom married this jerk named Gabe Ugliano who was stinky, ugly and disgusting guy with a beer problem. He wasn't the nicest person on the planet. All right, he was total asshole to my mother and me. I was always mad because my mother deserved better than that jerk. But we didn't really have a choice. He had money and he was keeping us alive.

Speaking about choices, I didn't really make great ones when it came to school. I wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box, but I had common sense and wit. Annabeth helped me a lot with studying for tests and homework. She's dyslexic and ADHD like me, so she could understand the hardships of school for people like us, but it wasn't that difficult for her. Loving school was second-nature for her which made it hard for her to see it through my eyes.

Sixth grade came and went pretty fast so that was a blur for us both. I do remember seventh grade, though. It was a different experience, but we both made it. Eighth grade was good (other than the strange body changes and the awkwardness between the opposite genders). Eighth grade is like a landmark signifying a sort of realization that came to my mind.

I started to really like Annabeth Chase. The girl I'd known since second grade. It made it harder to look at her or have normal conversations that we used to have with no problem. Now, when I looked at her, my thoughts scattered and I would stumble over my words. It's an absolutely horrible feeling if you haven't had it yet. It's like you just look at that person and your chest hurts and you take a deep breath to calm yourself down while you wonder how someone so perfect has come into your life. Getting hit by a truck is how it feels to be in love. You don't see it coming.

Many others would argue and say, "No, it's a beautiful thing and blah, blah, blah." But that's only if that person loves you back. It's pure torture when you don't have someone to share your love with.

At that time, I didn't have it that bad. I would later though.

This is where our journey begins.