Ok, I wanted to state that some facts in the book might be different with the ones in this fanficiton. For instance, the schools Percy and Annabeth go to. I have read the books several times. But I can't remember all the details and it would be extremely troublesome to check the books. (What book to refer to? What page? Et cetra.) So I googled for information on the characters. It might not be accurate.
In this story, Annabeth and Percy will be normal mortals. Not demigods.
Also, I am not native to America, so the geography might be a bit off in this story. Please bear with me. Thank you.
This takes place in an alternate universe, which explains for some of the tweaks in the story. I guess. Please bear with them. But Percy will still be Percy and Annabeth will still be Annabeth.
Right… ON WITH THE STORY. Enjoy.
It was just another Thursday afternoon in Annabeth's Architecture school, Rosewood Cross High. Annabeth glanced skeptically at her classmates.. It was evident that she was the only person even remotely paying attention. She sighed. When where they going to learn? Paying attention was the crucial for getting the top grades! Did they think they could slack off in class and get straight As for their subjects?! Certainly not! What a preposterous idea!
'Brighten up, class.' Mr Harret sighed. He was a man in his sixties with a prominent bald spot on his head. A pair of black glasses rested on his nose. 'The school has assigned all of you with a project that will count for 10% of your total grades, if you do it well. And it's ridiculously easy. Really, it's like we're giving away marks.'
'How?' Danko, the boy who sat two rows behind her asked greedily. He was a borderline failure, and Annabeth guessed that he was excited at the prospect of getting a boost on his total percentage. She shook her head mentally. She did not like the prospect of this project. No sweat, no gain. That was the way things worked. This project sounded too true to be good.
'Besides,' the dark side of her thought,' This might gives others the edge over me. I will not allow that to happen, after all my hard work. Hell no!'
Mr Harret sighed again. 'You are to write letters to convicted youths in a reform camp in Texas, where they labor day and night to make up for the crime they committed. The project is called 'Letters of Hope' and the main aim is for the letters to encourage the delinquents not to give up on tomorrow, and to encourage them to be better citizens.' Mr Harret spat out the word 'delinquent' like it burnt his tongue.
Annabeth's jaw dropped, just as Rae Parling, the diva of the class, who sat three seats horizontally in front of her, spluttered and stood up angrily, her chair scraping the tile of the classroom. She pushed her platinum blonde hair out of her blue eyes fashionably, like the diva she was. Many boys (and a few girls) drooled at her perfect complexion and 'natural beauty'. Everything about her screamed 'Fake!', well at least to Annabeth. She was perhaps the only one in class that thought so. Why come to an Architecture boarding school if you have no interest in school?! Rae constantly spent her time flirting with boys and checking her reflection in the girls' room.
"I will not communicate with uneducated criminals!' Rae said simply, tossing her hair. Annabeth snorted. Rae thought the delinquents were uneducated? Please! Rae was the most shallow and dumbest girl she knew.
Even though the school had a set uniform which all the girls had to wear, Rae still managed to customize hers in such a way that her attire was different from everyone else's in a good way. Her skirt was exactly 5 inches above the knee, no less no more, not breaking the school rules, but showing as much skin as possible. Annabeth supposed Rae had the occasional brain wave as to how to look as attractive as possible.
'Miss Parling! Please sit down! The youths at the camp are not uneducated! They… They have lessons every day too to keep up with their education! Please do not be so rude. Also, this counts for part of your part of your English grade, Miss Parling!' Mr Harret said impatiently.
Rae swept the hair out of her eyes again ('Seriously?' Annabeth thought exasperatedly. 'Who has hair that falls into their eyes every 10 seconds?') and sat down gracefully, earning more love-struck glances from the boys and a few girls of the class.
'I don't need the 10% percent.' Rae said coolly as she crossed her legs.
Annabeth fumed. How dare Rae! Each and every percent was important! Each percent made up to form the 100 percent, which Annabeth was aiming for. That was the reason she stayed up way after lights-off, hiding under her covers with her wind-up flashlight, reading and re-reading her textbooks and panicking when she heard footsteps approaching her room.
Mr Harret seemed to feel Annabeth's anger. 'This project is compulsory.' He said coldly. 'Even if you want to throw your grades out the window, which I cannot help. You, and only you are responsible for you learning. At this age, no amount of chiding will help.'
Annabeth nodded, completely agreeing with Mr Harret. Each person can only take his learning as far as he or she wants to. It was sad that most students in her class did not take their studies seriously. Some of them had serious potential to do well and be a useful member to society.
Mr Harret looked sadly at his class, most of which were resting with their heads glued to the desk, with the exception of Annabeth and a few others. 'At least Annabeth is excited,' he thought, encouragingly. He reached under his table and produced a small box, along with a pile of paper and set it on the table.
'You will draw names in this box. The name in this box belong to the delinquents of Section E of the camp. The other classes are writing to Sections A, B, C, D, F and G of the camp. There are exactly, thirty of you in this class, including Brian, who is absent. There are thirty names to be drawn. Brian will take the remaining name that is not drawn. Now-
'I'll go first,' Rae interrupted, brushing her hair out of her eyes again, and rising from her seat. Mr Harret usually gave in to her unreasonable demands because he didn't want to deal with her temper and drama. She could really whine and complain when she wanted to. But not this time.
'No.' Mr Harret said simply, folding his hands against his chest sternly. 'Not this time, Miss Parling, no. Miss Chase will go first. Unlike you, she has been paying rapt attention the whole time. She has a immaculate record, unlike you. And she actually cares about her studies, unlike you. I think she deserves to draw first, unlike you. Now, Miss Chase, if you would.'
Silence fell over the class. A few glance impressed glances at Mr Harret and Rae gave Annabeth the death glare, while her fanboys and fangirls glared at Mr Harret.
Annabeth blinked uncertainly, then a wide grin spread over her face. Mr Harret thought so highly of her, and had said her records were 'immaculate'! She felt unbelievably happy. She had wanted this day to come for a long time! A day when Mr Harret would praise her and recognise her hard work.
Rae looked shocked and hurt. 'I'll… I'll complain to the principal! I'll make sure… I'll make sure you get… Get… Get… Fired!' She swept her hair out of her eyes ('Again?!' Annabeth thought.) and smirked at Mr Harret, with all her admirers looking at her with shining eyes. 'How dare she threaten Mr Harret?!' Annabeth thought angrily.
Mr Harret shrugged. 'Miss Chase, if you would?'
Annabeth had new-found respect for her teacher and his nonchalant attitude. She walked up to the front of the class confidently and stopped in front of Mr Harret's table.
'I won't let you get fired,' she promised.
'I've been teaching here for thirty years,' Mr Harret said, grinning. 'Draw a name.'
Annabeth smiled back and reached into the box. Her fingers danced around the slips of paper, wondering which one she should take. Finally she settled for a piece of paper that seemed right to her. She pulled it out and stared at it with wide eyes.
'Perseus Jackson,' Mr Harret whispered in horror. He looked at Annabeth with concern in his eyes.
'I'll be fine,' she choked out. Why him?! Anyone but him, oh anyone really! Why Jackson?!
'Good luck.' Mr Harret said sadly.
AHA! Finished the prologue! Woo! :D
REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE REVIEW :3 Thank you.