Roll For Initiative

by LostHeroGuide

High School wasn't looking to good for Percy, especially in the friend department, but maybe he's just reading into it too much. He wants to think he'll find those people that just... click with him. But that's a stupid thing to wish for... Right? When the note fell out of his locker, he assumed it was a mistake. When he finds out it wasn't, he's willing to give it a shot. D&D!AU

Hey Guys! Merry Christmas!

I mentioned this story idea a while ago, and I've decided to turn it into a four-shot. Maybe a five-shot, depending on how I want this story to go. If anyone is a fan of Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, or any other RPG, this is for you. It'll have story beyond that, of course.

If anyone is interested, me and my friends play an RPG called Re-Grenade, but we've changed it up a bit to accommodate for our... strange playing style. Instead of Dungeons and Dragons (fantasy), we play more of a 'Walking Dead' game.

I know some of you play. What's your favorite character that you've ever used (race, quirks, careers, etc)? In D&D, I've always been a Bard or a Rogue (he was a midwife. Long story), and in our Homebrew (that's what we call it) I'm an Albino Hobo named 8-12 (the world's equivalent to 7-11. There's a funny story behind that). He's basically a scavenger.

Anyways, I can't really explain how I created this fic's D&D (I call it Mythomagic, because yeah), but keep an open mind. Second chapter might go into more detail about the play style.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm not Rick, and I owe no allegiance to any RPG franchise. Would they even sue?

---

Freshman Year:

(First Day:)

Percy nervously ran his hand through his hair, frustration and nervousness becoming more and more noticeable with each passing second. He had thought his nerves had been shaken out of him when he went into middle school, but this was worse. Much, much worse. He knew that the 'back-of-the-class' tactic wasn't going to work. When had it ever worked before?

"Umm...What?" He asked, now looking towards the front of his class and hoping the teacher might pity him enough to let him off with a warning. It was only the third day of high school, and he was already being called out. In History class, of all places. Mr. Dion was supposed to be a 'nice' teacher, not a jerk who gave out homework on the second day in his class.

He'd talk to Grover about the importance of not lying to your friends later. He'd have make it through the rest of this class first.

A few of his fellow Freshman off to his left snickered, and more than a few eyes were pointing in his direction. The teacher, a portly, red faced individual wear a very loud button up rolled his eyes at Percy, and he felt a sense of dread in his stomach.

'Just like middle school. Will high school be any different?'

"As I was saying, Mr…?"

"Jackson." Percy said quietly, ducking his head down immediately afterwards.

"Very well, Johnson. I was asking you which came first: World War I or the Great Depression. Do you have an answer for that?" He asked, sitting at the front of his class by the projector.

Percy tried desperately to glean some sort of knowledge about the subject from the few posters that sat on the walls, but didn't see anything. Everyone was still staring, except for a handful of students who probably didn't care. He sympathized with those students best.

It wouldn't matter if he didn't know the answer, though, right? It was only his second day in this class, so it wasn't like he'd taught anything. Except… You know… The fact that the projector had been on before Percy had started to drift off. Percy bit his lip, trying to recall if he'd learned this in middle school or not.

He sighed, defeated. "I don't know. The Great Depression?" He guessed. Judging by the eye roll he received from a few of the other Freshman, he'd guessed wrong.

"See me after class, Johnson. Everyone, turn to page two hundred and forty seven, and try to stay awake for the next few minutes…"

…

It was hard, being a Freshman in high school.

At least, it was for Percy. He didn't try to even hide the fact he'd given up on his first English assignment after only picking it up once. The words had fallen off the page, just like every other homework he'd had in the past. It felt like years since he'd understood anything his teachers had talked about. And, really, why would anyone give out homework on the second day in class?

Percy put his hand on his locker, the old orange paint chipping away near the edges of it. He scowled, tugging at the handle and not even attempting to open it. The combination he'd been given must've been wrong or something, because he hadn't been able to open it yet. He watched, embarrassed, as Upperclassmen opened each locker easily, putting their stuff away and walking to their next classes without a second glance at him. His head hung, not knowing if it was good that no one paid him any attention or not.

Long after the bell had rang it's final warning for Percy to go to his next class (Phs. Ed), he still struggled with the stupid combination. He grit his teeth, violently turning the wheel several times to restart.

'12-3-16.' He recited in his mind. He'd memorized the numbers last night. He'd triple checked the paper the school had given him. He wasn't wrong about this. Still, as he inserted the last number, the door didn't budge.

He was just about to punch the wall in frustration when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He reeled around, just about ready to scream if this was a teacher asking him 'what he was doing'. It was obvious, and any teacher should know exactly what he was doing. They were supposed to help him, not tear him down.

He stopped short when he saw who it was. She was obviously a student, and as short as he was, which was saying something. He hadn't gotten his growth spurt quite yet, and she seemed to be stuck in the same boat. Blonde curls, jeans, a big sweater- her nose was red and she sniffled quickly, which probably meant she had a cold. Thick, square glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, making her giant grey eyes stand out more.

She took a step back, startled by his sudden reaction. Percy realized he still looked like he wanted to punch a wall, with his face covered in a scowl and fists clenched at his sides. He quickly cleared his throat, shoving a hand through his hair again and trying to swallow the lump of anxiety that was caught in his throat. He'd just been caught trying to open his own locker by a pretty girl.

He stood there awkwardly for a moment, wanting to step to the side and maneuver his way out of this situation. She stood in front of him, her hands cradling three or four books to her chest. In one quick movement, she wiped her nose and pushed her glasses up at the same time. Her eyes somehow got even bigger.

Finally, after realizing she wasn't going to speak first, Percy spoke up. "Can I-" his voice cracked. Oh gosh. He coughed, trying to cover it up. "Can I help you?" He asked, still trying desperately to stop his face from flushing in embarrassment.

She shifted from one leg to the other, still not speaking. Her head hung a bit low and she bit her lip. She didn't offer an answer.

Percy frowned, his eyebrows probably doing that weird scrunch-y thing they did that his mom would coo over. He shoved his hand through his hair again.

As if in answer, her nose scrunched up and her hand flew to her mouth and nose. "Ahh-chooo!" She sneezed, her whole body seemingly wrapping itself around the noise. One of her books- probably a History textbook -fell from her hands and directly onto his foot.

Percy blinked once, twice, three times.

That… Was the most adorable noise he'd ever heard.

The girl hurriedly bent over and retrieved her book, much to Percy's embarrassment considering he'd been taught better than to just stand and watch. She stood readjusting her glasses again. "Ugh." She said, stepping forward and nudging Percy out of the way. Wordlessly, he complied as she opened… His locker.

Her locker.

Oh.

The girl slowly put her books on the shelf, adjusting all of her stuff already inside of it. Percy say by, like an idiot, watching. He didn't exactly mean to, but he kinda peeked inside and saw quite a generous amount of fantasy novels inside, as well as a box of tissues. Stickers already decorated the walls, and Percy was glad he hadn't gotten into this particular locker.

'She has really, really pretty eyes.' He thought to himself.

Percy was snapped back to attention when the locker he'd been looking into was slammed shut, right in his face. He hadn't even realized he'd been leaning towards it until he felt the metal barely graze his nose. She was looking at him, obviously annoyed. She was holding the box of tissues in her hand as well.

"Sorry." He muttered, reaching into his back pocket while taking a step back. He knew he'd need the locker assignment paper again this week, just not for his locker number. "I thought-"

The girl huffed, reaching forward and snatching the paper out of his hands before he could blink. Before he could protest, she shoved the tissues into his now empty hands. Tucking a few loose curls behind her ears, she scanned each line individually until she nodded.

She looked towards him, barely glancing, and reached over to the locker beside her own. She gently tapped the metal with her fingernails.

Hers was 255, his was 256.

"I-" He began, still red faced. She cut him off with an eye roll, taking the tissues from his hands. Without waiting for a reply from him, she began walking down the hall, already blowing into one.

"Get well soon?" He said, more to himself than her. She probably couldn't hear him.

…

Percy sat alone at his lunch table, barely touching his 'food'.

He used the term 'food' loosely. Percy ate everything at home, but this wasn't food. His pizza might as well be made of cardboard, and the apple that came with it was more bruised than not. Even his milk was frozen- he barely got a sip.

The tables all around him were packed with other students- mostly upperclassmen -laughing and talking and all around having a better time than he was. It was only Wednesday, but these kids seemed more prepared for what was to come. There were a handful of girls and guys in these fancy orange jackets, jumping between tables and talking, but they never ventured to Percy's. He's pretty sure they were student council.

Besides him, there were these two brown haired kids, one of which Percy vaguely recognized from last year. The other had to be a sophomore, at the very least. They didn't talk to him. He didn't bother trying to talk with them.

He saw that girl again, barely catching a glimpse of her walking towards the entrance to the library. He was tempted for a second to follow her lead, but decided that he didn't want to surround himself with books if he couldn't read them well. And it wasn't like he really knew her, he'd just met her.

So he waited. He waited for the bell to ring so he could go to third period English. Maybe if he was lucky the teacher would be cool.

"Percy!"

Admittedly, he smiled.

Grover was, and probably would remain until the end of their lives, his best friend. Sure, he was kind of nerdy, and wore the same rasta cap everyday, and kept stickers all over his crutches, and wouldn't shave that ridiculous wisp of a goatee- anyways, Percy liked him. They'd both been bullied through middle school by the same guy, so they stuck together. They made a good team.

So, even as Grover hurried past upperclassmen and tripped over multiple backpacks, purses, and duffle bags, he still had that mad grin plastered onto his face when he sat next to Percy. "You will never guess where we're going after school." He said.

"My house. Your house. GameStop." Percy said monotonously, taking a nibble of his pizza with each statement. "The Moon. Area 51. The beach-"

"I figured the beach would be before Area 51 and the Moon." Grover said, lips immediately turning into a frown. "What's up? Something wrong?" He asked.

Percy sighed, wishing he could rest his forehead against the table, but that would mean moving his plate and ugh. "Mr. D wasn't a good idea. Why did you say I should take him?" He asked.

Grover frowned. "Percy, I told you not to take him. Didn't you read the list I emailed you?" He asked, going to bite his thumbnail. Percy immediately smacked his friend's hand away from his face. He'd promised to help Grover break that bad habit.

Percy remembered reading the list. They'd picked out teachers that some of Grover's Sophomore friends had said would help Percy through his learning disabilities. They'd narrowed down classes and Grover had made his friend a list. He'd followed it to the letter. "Yes, I read the list! I copied it and everything. I thought I was lucky they all had so many seats left in their classes." Percy grumbled. "No such luck."

"Gimme your schedule." Grover ordered, hand outstretched. Percy pulled it out of his back pocket, crumbled up and flattened. Grover quietly unwrapped it while Percy ate his 'food' silently. His friend's face morphed into complete confusion before clarity washed over him. "Dude. Bwa-ha-ha-ha!" He bleated nervously.

Percy looked over at his friend. Bleating Grover meant seriously bad situations (usually. Grover was a worry wart). "What happened? What did I do wrong?" He asked, suddenly feeling what little appetite he had left dissolve.

"I wrote two emails. Did you read the first one I sent, or the second one?"

Percy frowned, trying to remember. "Ugh, second, I think. Why?"

Grover re-crumpled the paper in his hand, and almost tried biting his nails again. Percy stopped him before he could. "The second email was in case the other classes were full. It was a 'do-not-pick-these-teachers' list. Why did you use the second email?"

Percy groaned, this time completely okay if pizza grease smeared his forehead. It's not like pimples didn't already cover his face. Still, Grover pulled the plate away and Percy's forehead hit the table with a loud Thunk! "I thought it was, like, a revised list or something. Are you telling me I picked all the worst teachers for Freshman year?"

Besides the constant talking that surrounded them, Percy felt like the word has stopped turning.

"... We could always ask the counselors? I mean, they could switch you into the good classes-" Grover began, trying to be optimistic. Percy appreciated the effort, but stopped him.

"They can't switch me into classes that are already full." Percy said, groaning in despair. He went to run his hand through his hair, but Grover stopped him. Grover had promised to break his bad habit, too. Percy settled with clenching his fists underneath the table. Why was it always like this?

Grover remained silent for a few minutes out of respect for the soon-to-be high school dropout. When he did speak, his voice was resigned. "I guess we aren't picking clubs today after all, huh?"

"What?" Percy asked, head still on the table. He tried to curb his self-loathing and move it into his clenched fists. Maybe when he let go, the anger would go, too.

"School clubs. They're having a club fair after school. I figured we could pick today, and then try to get a pizza or something." He said, frowning.

Percy sighed, nudging his plate to Grover. "You can have mine. I'm not really hungry anymore."

Grover had a faraway, sad gaze as he began eating Percy's food. With each bite, Percy saw his friend's good mood disappear. Sighing, Percy mentally went through his schedule.

Home after school for chores. He needed to pick up his room and wipe down the kitchen before his mom got home from her double shift. The living room needed to be vacuumed… But hey, he could do that all later tonight. "Right after school, you say?"

Grover smiled excitedly.

…

"That was bad."

"You're telling me."

"I didn't even know you could go full splits."

"Grover, I can't."

Percy limped painfully towards the stairs, trying very carefully not to move his legs too far apart. He had a flier to join the Dance team stuck to his backpack, and another from the Ballroom team taped to his leg. He didn't think he'd be accepting either of their invitations.

Grover was actually faster than Percy, now that his little… Slip up had happened. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the climb, Grover noticed his friend's pale face. He gently tapped Percy's foot with his crutch. "C'mon. I haven't given back my key to the elevator." He said, and Percy gratefully followed.

"I'm still surprised you took out the entire cheerleading team when you fell." Grover commented as Percy reached his locker.

"I'm surprised no one else tripped on those stupid fliers. Why were they all over the ground in the first place? It's a serious hazard!" Percy complained, trying to get the combination right. He double checked to make sure this was his locker.

"Just because we didn't see anyone else slip doesn't mean no one else did. I'm sure someone else fell earlier." Grover assured him, though he sounded half-hearted when he said it. Percy sighed heavily, frowning.

"High school is going to suck, isn't it?" Percy asked. Grover didn't give an answer.

This time, before even attempting to open his locker, Percy made sure to check the locker's position again. That girl was right beside him to his right, and Grover was twelve off to his left. He just had to remember the fact that his had a bunch of scratches all over the center of the chipping paint. He could do that. He just needed to-

His thoughts were cut off by the paper that fell out of his locker when he opened it. Neatly folded and creased, completely symmetrical, looking alien on the floor between him and his best friend. Percy, with great difficulty, bent over to pick up the paper.

"It has your name on it." Grover said, lightly pressing into Percy's shoulder with his closed fist. Percy's frowned deepened as he looked it over, not opening it yet. Sure enough, thinly written in pen was his name. And it was fancy. Grover whistled appreciatively. "Ooh. Calligraphy."

"But what's it doing in my locker?" Percy asked. Grover rolled his eyes.

"Open it. Maybe it's a girl's phone number or something." Grover encouraged. Percy doubted that possibility completely, but began to carefully unfold the paper.

Okay, so it wasn't a phone number. Percy still knew a piece of art when he saw one. On this paper was the most amazing drawing he'd ever seen. A coiled snake- no, dragon -wrapped around the border of the paper in an intricate design. Each scale was drawn in, and fire even spewed from it's mouth. Even cooler, at each corner of the paper was a knight in full armor fighting the dragon. The detail was amazing, and Percy wished he could read the words in the center.

Grover whistled appreciatively again, looking over the paper himself. "Dang. This is cool."

"What does it say?" Percy asked, biting his lower lip. What did this mean?

"Uh, 'room 239, 3:30'." Grover recited, still looking at the paper. "Man, this was hand drawn and everything." Grover said.

Percy looked above the lockers where one of the many school clocks sat. It was already 3:25. "But what's it for?" He asked, re-checking the paper to find any details. He doubted he'd find anything that Grover hadn't already seen. "Is this for a club, or…?"

Grover shook his head. "Only one way to find out. 239… That's at the end of the hall." Grover said. Percy shot a glance towards the end of the hall, a very far ways away. It seemed an even harder walk when Grover pushed him forward. "Well, good luck. I need to meet up with the gardening club if I want a spot." Percy jerked his head towards his retreating friend.

"Wait- you're leaving me to go alone?" Percy said, sudden panic seizing his heart. Grover didn't even turn around.

"What are friends for?" He said dryly. "Try to have fun! I'll talk to you tomorrow!" He said.

…

It was an English class.

He couldn't read any of the fancy names that sat outside of each door too well. You would've thought the school's would've had big, bold, blocky letters so he could at least know his teacher's name. But Goode didn't seem to understand that. He judged each class by what was in it.

So bookcases, fake plants, and inspirational quotes scattered across the walls? Okay, quotes and plants were everywhere, but bookcases? It was with English or some sort of elective class or-

Percy just hoped it was English. As long as this wasn't some sort of 'English Club'.

"Oi, you're Jackson, right?"

Percy's head snapped to the left of the room. He hadn't even known anyone else was in the room until they'd spoken. There was a big, round table sitting off to the side. Percy hadn't even noticed it, but it was huge. At least six people could easily fit around it, with room to spare. Still, only three people were sitting there.

Percy could only describe them all as misfits. At least, if they were inviting him to… Do whatever it was they were doing, they had to be.

Farthest from him, and straight across, was the definition of 'Punk Rock'. Short hair, fair skin, and sharp features. Even her scowl, like he'd just walked into the wrong room. Her leather jacket rested on the chair she sat in (one of those big, comfy wheely ones) and her tank top left her shoulder tattoo sticking out. Her eyes seemed familiar though, even if they were a startling electric blue.

To her left, and his right, was your typical 'California Beach Dude'. Maybe a bit stereotypical, but he reminded Percy of a surfer he saw in a movie once. His blond hair was a bit on the shaggy side, and his chin had a bit of stubble on him. He wore cargo shorts and a t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off. Finally, as if he didn't look the part, his tan and 'toothpaste commercial' smile tied it all together.

Finally, the last person at the table, closest to Percy, was a really, really pretty girl. Long brown hair, bright red lipstick, 'darker-than-midnight' eyeliner… Models could be that young, right? She had to be a Junior, at least. She was a bit more casual, but stood out more than the other two. Either way, she smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Yeah, that's me." He said, accidentally speaking in a whisper. He cleared his throat, trying not to squeak when he spoke. "Yeah. That's me." He repeated louder. "But my name is Percy."

He stood there, shouldering his backpack with a little more force than necessary. He was a bit nervous, and more than a bit confused at what this was. "Well Percy, we prefer sitting over standing, so choose a seat." The 'Punk Rock' girl said. Percy noticed an earbud in between her fingers, like she'd just plucked it out a second ago.

Percy stood there, like an idiot, until her words finally processed in his head. He looked between the two hard seats he had to choose from, taking note of their cooler, more comfortable soft chairs. The one beside the surfer dude was a bright yellow, and the one beside the pretty girl was a dark blue. No contest, he sat beside the brunette.

Still, even when he took a seat no one spoke. He'd ducked his head to avoid their gazes, but looked back up when the silence became awkward. They were all staring at him. "What?" He asked, instantly wondering if he might have a flyer stuck somewhere, or if he had something in his teeth. That would just be great.

It was the surfer dude who spoke up. "Sorry. We just figured you'd introduce yourself, or something." He admitted.

Percy frowned. "Why?" He asked.

This time it was the brunette to Percy's left. "We all did. When we first came here." She explained, still smiling slightly.

"Oh. Okay." That made sense to Percy. He sat up a little straighter, clearing his throat again. "I mean, there isn't much to tell… I'm Percy Jackson." He said.

The Punk Rock girl rolled her eyes. "Yes. Yes you are."

Percy felt a wave of heat roll into his face. Right. They probably knew that. "I, uh, live with my mom… I like to swim?" The last part came out as more of a question, and he winced. He wasn't making a good first impression.

Just then, the door opened to admit someone else. Percy had to crane his neck to see them, but was surprised when he recognized her. It was the blonde from earlier, the one with the cold. She was carrying a new box of tissues, though, and she wasn't carrying any books. She saw him, too, but didn't hesitate to take the last seat.

"Hey Annabeth." The Punk Rock girl greeted, sounding… content? Pleased? "You just missed meeting the new guy, Percy. Apparently he lives with his mom and doesn't know if he likes to swim or not." She said, making Percy blush to the tips of his ears again. The surfer dude saw him as he ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Aw, come on Thalia. Don't give the new kid such a hard time." He said. Thalia. He could remember that name. He just had to think of Green Day or leather and he'd think of this girl. The surfer dude knocked his fist on the table, bringing everyone to attention. "Okay, okay. So, we've need to set everything up still, but I figured today we could introduce the new guy-" 'me,' Percy thought bitterly "-and get him a character sheet ready."

Character sheet? What was that?

Before Percy could voice his question, the surfer dude spoke up. "Introductions. I'm Luke-"

"Hi Luke." Thalia and the pretty girl chorused sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.

"-Luke Castellan. I will be this year's DM, as we all voted on last week. And to my right-"

Thalia stood up, whooping excitedly. She threw her head back and raised both of her hands in peace signs. "The great, the powerful, the unstoppable Thalia Grace is in the house!" She yelled, sitting back in her chair with a thunk. "And my character, Tiana Grudge, is an Elvish Huntress."

The girl with the brown hair rolled her eyes. "I thought you were making a new character this year."

The 'unstoppable' Thalia smirked devilishly. She began wringing her hands together. "I'll make a new character when this one dies. Try to kill her, I dare you." She said, making eye contact with everyone in the room. Everyone rolled their eyes, so Percy guessed this was normal for them.

Still, what was a DM? Or a Huntress? And were they talking LOTR elves, or, like, Santa's elves?

The really pretty girl spoke up. "I'm Silena. Silena Beauregard. My character, Silence Beatrice, is a Human Sorceress."

Finally, the blonde on Percy's right spoke. Her voice was surprisingly inexpressive, even bored, when she spoke. "Annabeth Chase. Athena Chaze is a Halfling Protector." She said crisply, looking directly at Percy through her giant-framed glasses. He kept eye contact with her, confused as to why she looked so angry, looking at him.

Realizing he was staring, and being watched, he quickly averted his eyes. He chose to look at Luke, because at least he was polite. The blond seemed pleased by this. "Okay, any questions so far?"

Percy took a deep breath, looking at everyone around the table. They were all staring back.

"What exactly are we playing?"

…

"Mythomagic?!" Grover whispered incredulously, eyes as wide as Percy's had been. "As in, swords and dice? Elves and Dwarves? The really nerdy game that no one actually knows what it's about?"

Percy was suddenly very glad that he'd pulled Grover into the nearest Janitor's closet for this conversation, because his reaction to the news would've been disastrous for if anyone had heard. What little (good) reputation he had would be destroyed. Percy went to run a hand through his hair, but Grover stopped him.

"Yeah." Percy replied, frowning thoughtfully. Grover shook his head, pacing, but didn't speak for a minute.

"And… Did you have fun. Did you like playing it?"

Percy thought for a moment, remembering yesterday. Thalia and Luke had explained everything they thought necessary to him about the game. Silena had been pretty nice. Even Annabeth, who had been put in charge of helping him make his character sheet had been understanding of his confusion (sometimes. Other times she'd roll her eyes).

"It wasn't… bad." Percy said. "I mean, it has a lot to do with numbers, and I'm not the best with numbers, but they all seemed nice."

"What'd they have you do?" Grover asked, curiosity evident in his voice. They sat on the ground, facing each other.

"Well, the girl our age helped me make up a character-" Percy pulled out a character sheet from his backpack, handing it to Grover. "-And then they showed me how to buy stuff." Percy pointed out the bottom of the page, showing off the weapons he'd bought, then, taking back the paper, Percy showed Grover his inventory. His friend raised his eyebrows.

"Soap, a backpack, a bedroll, and seven meal kits?" Grover recited, looking over the list. "What exactly are you doing in this?"

"They've all been playing for years." Percy said. "And some of them still have characters from when they started, like, four years ago. I'm the new guy in the group, so they're going to pretend that my character just joined in."

"Pretend?" Grover asked, frowning. "Like, 'cheat' you in?"

Percy sighed, thinking of how Annabeth had explained it to him. "It's all role play, G-man. They have one group member, Luke, in this case, in charge of making a campaign. You can do whatever you want in this campaign, but you still have follow basic rules. That includes buying everything you need for a long journey."

Grover looked over the paper again, nodding along. "Okay. But… What are you doing in the game?"

"I get to make that up." Percy said. "I've made a character, but I have make up his past, and his story."

"Okay, that's kind of cool." Grover admitted. "So… What now? Did you actually join their game yet? Or just bought everything?"

"They played a round. They started their campaign months ago, so they gave me an example." Percy said.

"And they just make it up as they go along?"

"They went into a town, Silena's character bought stuff while Annabeth and Thalia set a building on fire." He said. "And now they're currently running through a forest being chased by Rat-people."

Grover whistled. "That certainly isn't written in a script."

Percy went to run his hand through his hair, but stopped himself. "Anyways, I'm supposed to make up how I join them, and I don't have a clue with what I'm doing. Could you help me?"

Before Grover could answer, the bell rang. Students began moving towards their classrooms, and Percy helped Grover stand so they could leave. Percy could've named a dozen other places he'd wished he could be than go back into his stupid math class.

Still, Grover nodded. "You're meeting again next Wednesday? I'm sure we can come up with something cool for you to do before then."

Percy let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thank you. Really."

Percy saw his friend's sideways look. "You're still a geek. I'm not letting you forget it."

…

Athena Chaze wasn't happy.

It had not been her intention to go into the building the small town of York called a tavern. It had not been her idea for Tiana, her older adoptive sister, to start a bar fight with a Minotaur. A Minotaur Mercenary, in case you were wondering. And it most certainly wasn't her idea to be dragging a drunk Tiana by the belt while they ran through briar bush after briar bush after Silence had desired to try a new spell out on the tavern.

But, like most of her life, Athena had no control over her own life. Or, at least her luck.

To make matters worse, the Mercenary was chasing behind them much faster than his stubby legs should be able to carry him. And his small band of Ratfolk were not far behind.

"Tell me you have another fire spell up your sleeve!" Athena yelled, yanking desperately on Tiana's belt buckle. It was hard enough trudging off path while wearing all-metal armor. But Tiana's leather butt was dragging her down. She had half a mind to leave her sister in the middle of the forest for the Mercenaries. Her fingers twitched at the thought.

But no, with Tiana's luck she'd live. She'd fight a small army of Ratfolk drunk, and still manage to win. With a knife. Against tail blades.

Silence, a close friend and valued Sorceress, was already ten steps ahead of her. And although her cloak caught on a few snags every now and then, she still managed to sheepishly smile behind her without tripping. "Sorry! Fresh out of spells for today! I'm drained!"

"You fought an Orc before coming into town with us! One Orc! How could you possibly be out of magic for the day already?" Athena yelled, hearing the bellowing (and belching) of a certain Minotaur drawing nearer. He was speaking Bull, which out of the four languages she knew she'd never bothered to study too well. She understood a few minor curses.

And how was it Silence wasn't tripping over herself?

"Tiana needed me to heal her over a dozen times that fight, remember? And the tavern fire was no small feat!" She exclaimed, still gracefully staying ahead of Athena and Tiana.

Athena fully admits, that tavern fire had been spectacular. She'd add it to the mental list of other buildings they'd destroyed.

"We can't outrun them forever! They're already outpacing us!" Athena yelled. She could hear the claws scraping against stone and wood behind them. The almost melodic sound of tail blades slicing through the air. She doubted she'd have as much appreciation for her enemy's weapons when they were disemboweled by them.

It wasn't even two seconds after saying those words a knife passed directly to the left of Athena's face, glinting in the moonlight. There was a sapling beside her, but it exploded into splinters as the knife tore through it.

Tiana didn't think twice, grabbing the knife as they passed it. She started making dragon noises with her mouth as she played with it. Athena had to grit her teeth and think about all the ways Tiana would have to pay her back when she was sober again. It was the only reason she hadn't let go of her adoptive sister.

"Heads up!" Silence yelled, tossing a stone back behind her. Athena caught it easily, swiveling quickly on the ball of her feet, aiming, and throwing. She didn't stand around, she kept moving faster, trying to drag her sister onto her back. Tiana was tall, and she was short. They were lucky to be alive, and Athena was even luckier to score a hit. She heard a metallic doink, followed by a squeal.

'One down, another nineteen to go.' She thought grimly. She hoped it didn't come down between her and Tiana. She didn't want to even think about what would happen if she had to throw the annoying elf to the mercenaries.

There was a sudden scream, deep and bellowing, and Athena was knocked off her feet. Naturally, her sister landed safely in a raspberry bush, her cloak not only disguising her but cushioning her fall. Athena hit a tree. Hard. A knot of some sort dug between her shoulder blades, and for a minute she saw stars.

What brought her back were the Ratfolk. She barely drew her sword in time to dodge the long, scythe-like blade of one before running him through. She had to get shakily to her feet and parry a stroke off of her own blade, then slice through another unfortunate enemy's ankle. Long tails flicker at her like scorpions, trying to hit the link of her armor between her neck. A few Rats lost their tails.

Silence was up in a tree. The Ratfolk faced a skilled knife if they tried to get to her, and she didn't fool around. Every blow hit their mark.

Tiana was stuffing her face with raspberries, and Athena didn't really expect any help. For a ranged-based warrior, Tiana sucked. Her luck was bought by the devil, for sure.

Athena's luck was running thin, as if she'd had any to begin with. That high-and-mighty Minotaur was now trying to batter her into submission, screaming some form of profanity in his native tongue with each stroke of a hammer as big as Athena's head. Her armor was taking the brunt of the damage, but her guard was slipping. She was losing ground.

And then a figure suddenly tackled into the Minotaur's chest.

Athena had blink in surprise, because that was a big guy. Sure, she was small, and most elves were looked like giants to her, but this- this guy had to be an actual giant. The Minotaur was stopped mid-sentence, and only had a moment to realize what had happened before he was falling backwards, giving off an indignant belch.

The warrior that had tackled the beast stood tall- taller than most of the figures in the forest at the moment. Each step he took made the ground shake- each movement was horribly large. The ratfolk in the area all watched in what Athena assumed to be horror as the giant… whatever grabbed the Minotaur by the horns. The Bull began to stir, but a fist the size of Athena's shield slammed into the creature's face. The Bull crumpled under the blow, and one of his horns even broke off.

Athena watched, half dazed, as the remaining ratfolk began to retreat back the way that they had come from squeaking in terror. Slowly, Athena stood up. She used her sword for balance as Silence joined her on the ground, jumping from the tree and landing gracefully beside her. Tiana, as drunk and giggly as ever, was already taking things from the deceased ratfolk around her.

The warrior in front of them was well over twelve feet tall, towering over each of the women in front of him. He wore a large blue tunic, covering most of his chest. His brown pants were leather, large enough to build a tent out of if they wanted to (they didn't want to). A large wooden club was strapped to his back. A small pouch was attached to his belt, and as they watched he put the Minotaur horn beside it.

When he turned to them, his one, big green eye stared back. His smile was uneven, and unnerving. Athena almost drew her sword on him. He looked between them and the Minotaur, finally pointing at it with a meaty finger. "Bad cow."

…

Luke whistled appreciatively, smiling over at Percy from where he was around the table. He had a laptop in front of him, keeping health scores of all the Rat people and the Minotaur. Percy isn't sure how it all works, but Luke controls all the bad guys, like how Percy controls his Cyclops character. "It was good, but I'm afraid Silena still takes the trophy for best character entrance." He said.

Silena nodded. "I turned a man into a woman, then made him suffer through extreme and rapid hormone change." She said, grinning at Percy. Percy could feel his cheeks flaming, so he decided to look at anyone but Silena- that left Thalia or Annabeth, and Annabeth was still angry at him for some reason. Or maybe that was just how she looked at others.

No, she smiled at Luke and Thalia often enough. She just had a problem with him…? He had no idea.

Thalia was still rolling for luck to see what was in all of the dead people's pockets. She always rolled a high number. Always above 13, and that wasn't counting whatever skill points she had, or something like that. The game was… confusing, but Percy was having fun. He'd even laughed with everyone at Annabeth's unbelieving expression when Thalia's character had landed in a raspberry bush.

"Ha! That's a 19! And what did this unfortunate rodent have in his pocket?" Thalia asked Luke, smirking cockily at her boyfriend. Percy saw Luke's smile twitched. His fingers tapped against the table. From what Percy had gathered, Mythomagic Dungeon Masters (Luke's job) were in charge of making a campaign that the characters can follow.

And Thalia liked to make all the wrong decisions. Or completely ignore the campaign entirely.

Luke looked trapped. The dice had spoken, and Thalia was going to get good stuff because of her impossibly good luck at rolling a twenty sided die. "Two hundred gold coins, thirteen silver pieces, and his tail-blade was made of steel. It's worth nearly six hundred gold."

Thalia immediately looked at everyone around the table, lifting a finger in an 'I-have-the-floor' gesture. "I propose we immediately make our way to the nearest town and sell everything from these poor dead rat-people." She said.

No one even bothered to argue. It wasn't like they were planning on doing anything else, anyways.

Percy watched as Silena and Thalia haggled back and forth with Luke (who was playing the shop owner) when he decided to give up. He didn't even know there was a difference in currency in the game. He honestly barely understood what he was even supposed to do while the two girls were shopping until Annabeth spoke up.

"Athena and Patrick are going to visit the local pub." She told Luke, who simply nodded. Annabeth then started to stand from her chair, giving Thalia a stern look while doing so. "And we aren't burning it down." She specified. Thalia smiled, sending her a wink.

Annabeth turned her glare to him. Percy furrowed his brow, confused. What could she possibly be angry about now, he wondered. She rolled her eyes, but motioned for him to follow after her. Wordlessly, he stood and did just that. He didn't understand why they had to leave the classroom, but Silena sent Percy a wink as he left. His face began to turn an embarrassing shade of red.

When the door had closed and Percy was alone with Annabeth in the school hallway, he watched as she started pacing next to some lockers. "What're we doing out here? Don't we have to buy drinks from Luke-"

"Just shut up and let me think for a minute." She said, pacing in the hallway. She was biting her lower lip, her facial expressions switching every few seconds. Percy didn't know what she was doing, but he noticed she kept making this angry face every few seconds. I was kind of starting to make him feel uncomfortable. Just when he was about to voice his discomfort, she spoke. "You chose to be a cyclops. Why?" She asked.

Percy blinked, his confusion probably becoming noticeable. At least he hoped. He had no idea what Annabeth was getting at, and maybe she'd help him understand if she saw he wasn't sure what she was asking. Or she'd just roll her eyes again. "Uh… I mean, he's a big guy, right? So when we fight-"

Annabeth put a hand up, shushing him. "Me and Thalia are fighters. We can handle fighting, and we don't need a big, brutish monster following us around and causing trouble…" She kept going on and on about how 'monsters scare people' and 'He'll just get in the way' when Percy started to zone out. This girl was crazy.

"It's a game." He said, his eyebrows dipping as low as his frown.

That must've been the wrong answer. Annabeth's glare was murderous. "I know that." She spat. "You think I don't? But in order to play a game correctly you need to set up a team- people who complement each other and provide useful skills." She said, already drifting past Percy while making large gestures with her hands. "What we don't need-" She said, turning back to him. "-is a big, nasty monster scaring people and getting us chased out of every town we visit!" She argued.

"But… what about when you do need a big, scary cyclops?" He asked, and really, was it weird to think that a cyclops could help when it came to… came to… Percy was drawing a blank. What few examples Grover had helped him come up with now sounded stupid. Annabeth stood directly in front of him, arms crossed in front of her and foot tapping against the ground. Her expression wasn't optimistic.

"Cyclops' are not helpful. You can't do anything quietly, and you're going to eat everything." She said, wrinkling her nose. Percy wondered how she could make a certain category of creature in a role play game sound like the worst mistake he could've ever made in his life. Percy's fist clenched at his side as he got angry. Who was she, telling him what he should and shouldn't do?

"Then why would they put one in the game, huh?" He challenged, pointing an accusing finger at her. "They're huge, and strong, and… and… I don't know!" He said, throwing his hands up in frustration. He sat down in the hallway, suddenly really fed up with how Annabeth had been treating him for the past few days. He'd already lost all hope in History, gotten F's on two assignments in English, and made a fool of himself at the club fair. He didn't deserve to get yelled at for making a decision he was supposed to make.

Annabeth didn't say anything, huffing and standing above him in the hallway. She kept tapping her foot against the floor and it was starting to give Percy a headache. Percy sighed, looking up at her. "Why invite me to play in the first place? I don't even know any of you." He said. Annabeth shifted her stance from one foot and back to the other. Her arms went from crossed to folding across her chest in what Percy guessed was discomfort.

"Ask Thalia. She's the one who invited you." Annabeth said, her foot ceasing it's annoying tapping. Percy felt his heart plummet into his stomach, thinking about why Thalia might want him to play. He decided to think about that after the day was over. Right now he apparently was letting his team down.

"What do I do then, huh?" He asked. "I thought this game was about having fun. You treat it like… like you have to do everything your way." He said, not caring if it was rude to point that out.

"I'm always right." She said, raising her eyebrow in challenge. "I know what I'm doing, and I know how to win. You're new, and I get that you don't know much, but you'll learn." She said, and each word made Percy feel worse. A lump was starting to form in his throat, and he desperately looked down the hallway, towards the where the gardening club was supposed to be. Maybe Grover could get him in there.

Percy thought of his backpack full of half-finished homework. He thought of his copy of Hamlet that his English teacher had given the class to read. He had to be able to comprehend Act 1 scene ii before tomorrow. His mom was counting on him getting good grades. He couldn't disappoint his mom.

Percy looked back up at Annabeth, trying to see if he could see… anything that might make him want to still be here. If he was even having any fun. He couldn't.

Percy picked himself up off of the ground, dusting off the back of his pants while shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He still had to look up at Annabeth to talk to her, but he didn't feel like it mattered to her if he'd been looking at his feet when he spoke again. "I don't think I want to play anymore. I don't think Mythomagic… is really for me."

Annabeth's expression was one of shock, which, okay, Percy didn't expect at all. Afraid he'd maybe insulted her, he started to make his way towards his locker. Maybe he could wait outside the gardening club until Grover left.

He almost expected to hear Annabeth call him back, or something. But when he reached the end of the hall and looked back, she was already back in the classroom.

…

(2nd Semester:)

It was a bad day to be walking home from school.

Actually, to Percy nothing was that bad. He was… okay with everything. He was 'okay' that Grover was already popular in gardening club, even if Percy walked home alone now most days. He was 'okay' that his grades were slipping, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted for himself. He was 'okay' when he'd gotten D's instead of C's and B's during the first semester.

So yeah, he could be okay walking home in the rain while it was windy. He'd smile if he could fool himself, but then his teeth might start chattering and he doubted he'd be able to stop shaking until long after he got home.

Step by step, Percy tugged his jacket closer to his body and his backpack further onto his back. He hoped the math homework didn't get wet. It was bad enough trying to read wet words with dyslexia, but adding numbers into the mix? He might as well put the 'F' at the top of his paper himself.

Percy was just about to round the corner when he heard the sound of someone running behind him. He immediately stepped off of the sidewalk and onto the grass beside him. The last thing he needed was someone running into him and making him drop all of his stuff into the road.

Someone smashed into him. Percy's stuff ended up in the mud instead of the road, which really did nothing to make himself feel better. In fact, Percy was starting to feel less than 'okay'.

Worse still, when the person smashed into him, Percy managed to fall onto the pavement, not the soft grass (or mud. whatever). His left elbow stung, along with his forehead. Oh, and he was pretty sure by the weight on his back and the high pitched squeak! Someone had fallen on top of him. And that they were a girl.

Percy waited for the person to get off of him before standing up himself, brushing off his pants and jacket. There was now a hole in his jacket's elbow, but he was pretty sure it had been close to tearing for a long time now. He was soaked through, so it wasn't like it really mattered. "Sorry. I thought you were going to use the sidewalk." Percy said, already starting to walk ahead again.

"Well, I didn't think you were going to move."

Percy hesitated while picking up his backpack, already starting to wipe off the mud that had gotten onto it. He sighed, declaring it a lost cause and giving in to the fact that he'd get another 'F' in math. Meanwhile, he couldn't tell if rain was dripping off of him and onto the pavement or Annabeth was tapping her foot impatiently again. He turned to see that- yes -she was folding her arms over her rain jacket and looking at him.

Percy didn't have anything to say. At least, not to the bossy, 'can't be a cyclops' Annabeth Chase. He started walking.

Annabeth fell in step beside him, her backpack was a purple leather, over-the-shoulder carry bag, so nothing inside was getting wet. She must've seen the forecast and planned accordingly because she was even wearing boots and wool socks. Percy's feet felt like he'd need to thaw them when he got home.

"Do you walk home everyday?" Annabeth asked after a few minutes of silence. Percy hesitated again before nodding, unsure if she was just trying to break the ice or if she was just being courteous. The rain continued to fall, without any sign of it letting up anytime soon. He ran a hand through his hair, getting it more wet than it already was. She nodded as well, as if accepting his answer, instead of seeking another.

They walked a full block before he spoke. "Do you walk? Home, I mean." He asked. He didn't ever remember seeing her on his way home, but maybe he just wasn't paying attention. She could still be playing Mythomagic, or perhaps she was walking home when he was in detention or making up an assignment. You never knew.

She shook her head. "Thalia or Luke usually give me a ride home after Myth, but they skipped school today. Silena went out with her boyfriend after school ended, so I couldn't ask her, either." She explained, still keeping up. She wasn't even shivering, and Percy had never wished for a better jacket so much in all of his life. His eyebrows furrowed, as they usually did when they spoke (not that they ever really did).

"Myth?" He asked.

"Mythomagic." She explained, as she usually did. Percy bit his lip, remembering how that had turned out for him. They must've thought he was a wimp, skipping out on them like that. He could've just gone into the class after Annabeth's… pep talk? Lecture? Whatever, he should've politely explained he couldn't juggle clubs and school. He needed to focus on what was important.

"How's that going?" He asked, feeling awkward. He kind of expected Annabeth just to say 'good' and leave it at that, but instead she gave him a bright smile that had his stomach do a flip.

"We found this sword yesterday…" And so Percy was dragged into a story that started exactly where he'd left them to the day before, when all of them had gotten together last and played. He got really confused halfway through her explanation, but didn't interrupt her to ask what she meant. She continued for a while, until they were a block from Percy's house and she still hadn't left.

She finished the story, and even though Percy hadn't understood half of it he really liked the way that Annabeth seemed to be really excited about it. Percy lost all sense of how cold and miserable he was and where he was going up until the very end. Then, she managed to almost knock him onto his back when she spoke again. "You know, they all really wish you would come back and play. We still have your character with us." She said.

Percy gave her a weird look, stopping in the rain. His house was just a few doors down, but he needed to fully process what Annabeth was saying. "But… I thought you said that cyclops' were stupid." He said, trying to remember exactly what she'd said (it had been a long time). "Why keep my character- wait, how is he still there if I'm not?" Percy asked, confused.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, although the motion seemed less hostile than it had at the beginning of the year. She didn't seem to mind standing in the rain, either. "Thalia and Luke both insisted he stay a part of the group- probably to make me feel bad." She said, and as if she hadn't had him confused before the fact that she was giving him an apologetic look made his throat close up. "Luke rolls the dice for him now- so he's still playing, kinda." She gave him a sly look. "But we'd love it if you-"

Before Annabeth could finish her sentence, lightning flashed across the sky right above them. The hairs on the backs Percy and Annabeth's necks stood up on end, and they both froze, wide-eyed, as thunder exploded around them not a second later. The rain, already starting to fall more aggressively, began to turn to hail. Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand in his own, taking off in a sprint towards his house. Annabeth followed closely behind, half-dragged by Percy.

Percy struggled with the key for a solid minute before Annabeth took it from his hand and placed it into the keyhole with little effort. Percy rushed her inside quickly, following after and slamming the door behind him. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, and his cheeks were a bright red. Annabeth seemed to be just as shaken, her back against the wall and eyes closed. The tip of her nose was nearly glowing red, and Percy had a flashback to when he'd first met her.

"I hate lightning." Annabeth admitted, straightening up from off of the wall. Percy nodded in agreement, walking further into his house and into the kitchen. Annabeth followed him, although she took off her shoes at the entrance. Percy quickly took his own off and tossed them into the living room before she could see.

"I hate thunder." Percy said as another flash illuminated the window above the sink. It was almost immediately followed by an even louder crash of thunder than the first, making Percy shudder. "Storms in general kind of suck." He said.

Annabeth nodded from where she stood beside him in the kitchen. He quickly tore off his jacket, throwing it into the laundry room and putting Annabeth's on top of the washer. He invited her to sit when she awkwardly just stood there in his living room. He quickly excused himself to change into something not dripping wet while she simply nodded, biting her bottom lip and looking around the living room. Percy switched into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, throwing his wet clothes over his jacket as he passed by the washroom again.

When he re-entered the living room, Annabeth was still sitting on the couch in the exact place he'd left her. He frowned at her uncomfortable expression, picking up the TV remote from the coffee table and sitting beside her. "I don't mind if you want to turn on the TV, you know." He said, to which she replied with an 'oh' while blushing. Percy simply turned the volume up until it drowned out the thunder outside.

They watched something off of Netflix for a few minutes before Percy noticed she still seemed a bit uncomfortable just sitting there. She tensed ever so often, when the lightning picked up and lit the room they were in. He bumped his shoulder against hers. "You want some hot chocolate?" He asked. She accepted.

Percy made sure to close the drapes when he passed by the windows. He noticed, as he made them each a cup of his mother's signature hot chocolate, that she seemed to relax a little. When he handed her a cup and she took a sip, he could immediately see her shoulders drop completely. She sighed into her cup. "This is… really good." Annabeth said, taking another sip.

Percy, as he always did when someone complimented any of his mother's many recipes, smiled brightly and felt his heart swell with pride (that, you know, wasn't really his). He leaned against the counter while she sat across from him. "My mom mixes the powder herself every year." Percy explained, gesturing to the glass container full of the brown mixing powder. "She makes the best stuff during the holidays- candy, cookies- that kind of stuff." He said.

Annabeth nodded, as if he'd just issued her a challenge. "I'll have to try some of them, then." She said, and Percy nodded in agreement. It'd be hard, of course, but he supposed he could share some of his mother's goodies. Annabeth gestured to the oven. "Do you ever cook? Or bake?" She asked.

Percy took another sip of his drink, prolonging the answer. When he spoke again, he made sure to use his most serious voice and only look into his cup. "Not unless you want something burned. Or if you want the house I'm cooking in to burn down." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I guess the food gets burnt either way, though… so no." He finished. He thinks Annabeth hid a smile in her cup.

They both talked a little, but it was mostly about school or food. Percy enjoyed staying on the topic of food mostly, but Annabeth kept asking about classes so they eventually ended up steering in that direction for most of the conversation. When he thought they might be running out of things to talk about, she surprised him. "Any teams? Sports or anything like that?" She asked, and there was something in her tone that made him feel weird.

Percy shook his head. "No. Just school. I'm trying to focus on my classes this year…" He let his answer drift off when he saw her confused expression. It was the first time he'd ever seen her look at him like that. "Does that surprise you, or something?" He asked. She quickly voided her face of emotion.

"Thalia said that you liked to swim. I just assumed you'd try out for the team, or something…" This time she was the one trailing off, giving him an expectant look. Percy didn't know what she might be expecting, but he went with the honest truth.

"No. Just school." He repeated. She looked like she was going to ask him something when the window- still covered by the drapes -was suddenly illuminating the room. Annabeth's eyes went really wide again, and Percy shivered when thunder proceeded to make the ground feel like it was shaking. They both lost the ability to speak for a minute.

"Thalia loves storms." Annabeth suddenly said, biting her bottom lip again. "When we were younger, she'd drag me and her little brother to the park- while it was raining -and we'd sit in the tunnel, listening to it." She explained. She stopped, tilting her head to the side. Thunder rumbled again. "I kind of hated it." She admitted.

Percy nodded, but didn't offer any other words. They sat in silence for a few minutes, cups empty. Finally, Percy tapped his elbow against hers. "C'mon." He said, taking her cup and putting them both in the sink. What he'd do for a dishwasher right about then, seeing the various dishes he'd have to do when Annabeth left. "I'm pretty sure they just added the last season of The Walking Dead to Netflix last week." He said. Annabeth nodded, shoving her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.

"Sounds like a plan."

…

Percy didn't know if she really meant for Mondays to become a thing for them, but they… just kind of did. Percy gave her an awkward wave the next week after school, not really expecting anything back from her. So wasn't he surprised when she jogged up behind him, falling in step with him. He didn't complain when she did.

So that's how Percy ended up spending Mondays after school with Annabeth for a full month. They usually ended up just watching TV, or playing stuff on Percy's Wii (it's not a bad console, gosh dang it), but she didn't seem to mind. He even sometimes got her to laugh, though it wasn't easy.

(After hearing her laugh for the first time, Percy made it his personal goal to make her laugh at least once every Monday. He made it happen every time, though it wasn't always on purpose. He embarrassed himself. A lot.)

Then, suddenly, she'd pop up randomly during the week. Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays (never Wednesdays. That was reserved for Myth) and she even came over on a Saturday once. Any day was fine with Percy, but Tuesdays were days that he hung out with Grover. She didn't seem to mind, which Percy was grateful for. He even had them both over one day, although he had gotten this really uncomfortable itch under his skin when they had all been together. He tried to avoid that.

Grover made fun of him. He told Percy that Annabeth was his girlfriend, that they he liked her, and all the other embarrassing stuff that best friends like them held over each other's heads. Percy then mentioned the name 'Juniper,' the girl from gardening club he'd seen Grover sneaking glances at during lunch. They made a silent truce, but still mentioned the names every once in awhile.

But now, almost three months since Annabeth had walked with home during that storm, Percy was worriedly glancing between the library doors and his homework, hoping she didn't see him.

Percy had this really big project due in history after Christmas break, and knowing him he wasn't going to spend a single second of his vacation doing anything school related. It was Wednesday, two days before the break, and Percy had opted to just do everything before he went home. The library was open extra late today, so he could pick up multiple books and get his project out of the way quickly.

… That had been the plan, but then his math teacher had surprised him with a six page packet of parabolas and his English teacher had so graciously offered extra credit to anyone willing to put forth the effort. He had, reluctantly, risen to the challenge.

He was twenty minutes into studying and was already close to exploding.

He just couldn't, which was such a stupid excuse because no one believed him. He could say it to the teachers over and over again, but the word 'dyslexia' and the abbreviation 'ADHD' seemed to mean nothing to his core class teachers. It was like they conspired against him, all trying to knock him out of school before sophomore year even started.

He sat at a table, the last person in the library besides the librarian herself. His math textbook was open on his left, the packet untouched so far. His history project was off to his right, books strewn across the table and seeming to spill all over the wood. He'd tried to stay focused, but the small print of the actual paper was messing with his mind. The extra credit, now in front of him, was starting to swirl together, making it impossible to read.

Percy ran his hand through his hair in frustration, picking up the math packet and just glancing at the word parabolas. His heart plummeted when he couldn't so much as understand where he was supposed to put his name. He slammed the paper back onto the table, cursing lightly under his breath. The librarian gave him a glare.

This was getting him nowhere. He wasn't going to be able to finish the extra credit before the break and his grade wasn't going to even scratch 'C' range. His math paper wasn't going to get finished, and odds were he'd be given an automatic '0' because it wasn't done- and the history project? He didn't even know where Vietnam was, how was he supposed to write about the war that took place there?

His frustration began to manifest itself, forcing him to clench and unclench his hands in an attempt to rein in and take control of his emotions. He wanted to pack everything up and just go home- never come back from Christmas break. Another part of him just wanted to flip the table- get himself expelled and have an excuse for not coming back. But the most influential voice- the voice of reason -was longingly looking out at snow just outside of the library. He could just go take a break for a few minutes, then come back in.

"Percy?"

At the sound of his name, Percy nearly gave himself whiplash when he saw Annabeth standing in front of his table. He must've really looked panicked, because her face instantly morphed into concern. She sat down, pulling up a chair from the table in front of his and sitting directly across from him. She scanned the papers in front of him briefly before looking back at him. "Percy, what's wrong?"

Instead of answering, he blurted out a distraction in a voice much too loud for a library. "I thought you had Myth today." He said, suddenly noticing that his history folder was wide open and the 'F' from his last assignment clearly displayed in red ink. He nearly pounced across the table to snatch it up, but ended up pushing it off the table and directly into Annabeth's lap instead.

She picked it up, but didn't look at it. Instead she gave him a quizzical look. "It got cancelled. Luke and Thalia both got mono this week." She said, still looking out over the assignments in front of Percy. "But what's all this-?" She was cut off by Percy reaching forward in an attempt to grab his folder from her hand. She jerk it away instinctively, confused. She looked at the paper in the folder, and Percy's heart sank.

She switched between looking at the paper, to him, back to the paper. She looked under the first paper to see his last few assignments, which were no better. He bit his lip, a lump forming at the bottom of his throat and rapidly rising to the top. He could barely breath.

Annabeth put the folder down, standing without so much as a word. She started walking around the table, analyzing each paper as Percy's face grew redder and redder in shame and embarrassment. He winced when she was directly behind him, and he closed his eyes. Maybe she'd just leave, and pretend that she hadn't seen this. They could both act like this didn't exist.

Instead, when he opened his eyes a minute later, Annabeth was sitting beside him. She was bent over the extra credit paper, pencil in hand and tongue stuck out in concentration. When she noticed his eyes on her, she spoke, almost to herself. "This print is way too small. How do you even read this?" She asked, pushing her glasses back up onto her nose.

Percy opened his mouth, but she held her hand up for silence. His mouth closed with an audible clop. She, graciously, pretended not to notice. She quickly read through the extra credit, then switched her attention to the math packet. Her frown deepened. Immediately, she switched to the history paper. She shook her head in disbelief. "Do they even know you have dyslexia? Or ADHD?" She asked.

Percy shook his head, looking back at the paper in confusion. "I've told them, but they haven't really…" He trailed off when he saw her expression of anger and disbelief. Not at him, but at the papers. She looked like she was insulted by them.

Her expression switched to that of determination. Her eyes hardened as she started to write something at the corner of each paper. When she was done, she placed all of the different papers in front of him and handed him the pencil. "Which class are you struggling the most in?" She asked.

Percy went to protest. "Annabeth-"

She immediately cut him off. "If we don't argue, I guarantee we'll be out of here before five o'clock." She said. Percy's mouth closed, and the part of him that wanted to go outside begged. Begged.

She looked into his eyes, searching for something that he couldn't seem to find himself. Finally, he nodded towards the English extra credit. She reached into her own bag, pulling out a pencil and underlining parts of the instructions at the top of the page. "Alright, so we can google the definitions easily enough…"

…

Percy sat in stunned silence, his mind spent and energy levels at an all time high. He was almost certain that he hadn't seen a desk this empty since… well, elementary school. He actually reached forward, running his hand along the wood of the table in front of him, awestruck at the tan color. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a table's actual color so… fully.

Annabeth sat beside him, looking at her phone and nodding to herself. She was all packed up and ready to go, probably waiting for him to stop gaping at an empty table and walk her home. "4:53. Told you we could be out of here before five." She said, sounding quite proud of herself.

Percy looked over at her from his chair, completely in awe at the girl next to him. He had finished it… all of it. Five pages on the Vietnam war, the math packet, and even the extra credit from English. And it wasn't even five.

Annabeth put her phone away, looking over at him. She rolled her eyes when she saw his expression, but the action didn't hold any malice. She bumped her elbow against his, standing. "C'mon. It's getting dark." She said, and Percy silently stood, hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders.

Percy didn't speak, didn't so much as look at Annabeth until the school was behind them. His voice was as awestruck as he felt, completely disbelieving. "I don't think I've finished homework before it's due since seventh grade." He admitted, finally allowing himself to look at this… this miracle worker that was slowly becoming his best friend.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him, and again started searching for something. Something he couldn't exactly find himself. Whatever she was looking for, she must've not found it. She sighed, looking down at the sidewalk. "Percy, why not just tell me? I could've been helping you since the start of school." She said, pulling the strap of her backpack further up onto her shoulder.

Percy was struck by the memories, suppressed after a long two years. The sting of a palm across his face. The burn of cut across his stomach.

The feeling of complete uselessness, being told getting help was a weakness.

Percy shook his head, physically tearing away the visions, the memories, away. He grit his teeth, his need to punch something becoming nearly unbearable. His head started to pound, like he had a serious migraine that he'd need something prescription-grade just to quell it. His whole body shook for a just a moment, but only a moment. Annabeth didn't seem to notice, which he counted as his lucky break for the day.

He just finished his homework, and he counted this as his lucky break.

Percy shrugged, his fist going white as it gripped his backpack. How to explain it, that painfully taught lesson that getting help could hurt others? How did he try to explain that? Would she take it well?

Percy deflected instead. "I told the teachers about the dyslexia and the ADHD. I thought that might help…" He seemed to be doing a lot of trailing off in the past few hours. He ran his hand through his hair again, his nervousness needing an outlet.

Annabeth noticed this time, pushing his hand away and fussing over his hair. She stopped the both of them, her tongue out in concentration as she pushed her hand through his hair. His stomach did that weird flippy thing, making him feel a bit sick, but he didn't stop her. Satisfied with her attempt at taming his hair, she let go of his head and started walking again. Percy missed the feeling.

The rest of the walk was in silence, the cold weather making Percy's teeth chatter and his fingers to go numb. It was starting to get dark out, and Percy was vaguely aware of his breath coming out in misty clouds. He glanced at Annabeth, noticing the same thing happening to her, but she didn't look uncomfortable at all. He wondered why that was.

When they got to Annabeth's place, he walked her all the way up to the door. He'd never actually been inside, but guessing by the brightly lit windows and the sound of laughter leaking out from inside, it was probably really nice. But this was Annabeth he was talking about. She would tell him if it were bad.

Right?

Before Percy could turn to leave, Annabeth grabbed Percy's arm. He, very briefly, feared that she was trying to take him inside to meet her parents (give him a warning first, at the very least) but relaxed when she merely stopped him from walking off. She had that determined look in her eyes, like she was about to take over the world, yet still manage to keep Percy out of Summer School.

"I have a proposition for you, Jackson." She said, pushing her glasses up again. Percy eyed her warily.

"What kind of proposition?" He asked, not sure he wanted to know.

"Next Wednesday, Thalia, Luke, Silena and I are going to meet here to play Mythomagic." Annabeth explained, starting to smile. Percy sighed.

"Annabeth… I liked playing it, but I really need to focus-" He began, but she lifted a hand for silence.

"If you come, I'll tutor you for the rest of the year, and guarantee you get an 'A' on your end of year finals." She said, her smile widening. Percy's eyes widened, but quickly deflated. He bit his lip, trying to work it out in his head.

"Annabeth, I suck at school. I'd need help every day with homework, and there is no way you could be there twenty-four seven to hold my hand when I have the test the next day, or-" He started, but Annabeth stopped him again. This time, her smile was even bigger.

"I think I heard a challenge in that statement." She said, and Percy realized his mistake too late. His Mario Kart high score was beaten only days after doing what he just did. Annabeth Chase was just challenged to do the impossible, and now she wouldn't stop until it had been fulfilled. "How about this- every Monday and Thursday, we go to your house and study. I help you understand the subject and then check up on you every week." She said.

She stuck out her hand for a shake, but Percy was already biting his lip skeptically. Could he really do that to her, make her come over to teach him what he'd just been taught? "Annabeth, that's too much-"

She cut him off again. "Just be here at noon. Luke's bringing food, I think." She said.

Percy realized there was no way out of it, at least not yet. He'd have to somehow get himself out of this…

"I'd still be playing as the cyclops. I thought you hated cyclops'?"

Annabeth nodded, her expression becoming serious. "I do. But I don't hate you, so maybe you can change my mind."

Percy sighed, bringing his hand up and shaking Annabeth's. He tried not to seem too excited when she gave him a quick hug before going into her house.

Percy was left to walk home alone when the snow started up that night, but he felt like someone was walking beside him the entire time.

…

Athena Chaze was currently in a bind.

In fact, she was actually bound. Hands behind her back, fire a few inches from her face… it was almost comical, the way she'd ended up here. At least, from anyone else's perspective, she was sure. The elf was in the crowd currently, giving her a small wave and pickpocketing all the townspeople currently attending her execution.

You see, the town had been plagued by wraiths, evil benevolent spirits, for some time. From just before they actually got into town, for that matter. And the townspeople were angry, and desperate, and basically hired herself, Tiana, and Silence to get rid of the wraiths. They, of course, discovered that the Baron was an evil Sorcerer, bent on taking over the town for some unknown villain (whom they would no doubt have to fight later) in an attempt to gain his favor.

Athena would focus on the details later. Right now, she was trying to convince the townspeople their Baron was killing them all off one by one. "He's deceiving you!" She screamed, the flames roaring as loudly as the angry mob. "We are not the ones you want to kill! Silence isn't even skilled enough to summon a wraith!" Athena yelled.

Silence, who was next in line for certain death, yelled out in indignance. "I'll have you know, I am a very skilled Sorceress! I just prefer keeping my victims dead after killing them!" She said, the guards holding her each went green, but kept a good grip on her.

Tiana, somehow lucky enough for everyone to forget she even existed, was still weaving between the townspeople, hopefully looking for a weapon. Athena was skeptical, and therefore continued trying to talk her way out of the situation. She had to somehow win the crowd's favor.

The Baron, a thin, pale man with dark hair and a darker demeanor, was standing off to the side, his clothing dark but fancy. His eyes were maddening- as if he'd been in such a rage that his eyes hadn't quite calmed down yet. He was addressing the crowd now, the fire to his back and casting dark shadows across the crowd.

Honestly? Athena had no idea how the the people didn't know they were being led by a Sorceror. He certainly looked the part.

"Today, we kill a witch!" The Baron said, pointing an accusing finger at Athena and crowd roared in approval while Silence raised her arms up, palms outward in a 'what-can-you-do?' kind of gesture. Athena tried speaking again.

"We haven't done anything wrong! Your Baron-" she tried to say, but said (self) elected official snapped his fingers. The guards holding her tied a gag around her mouth.

"A witch," he repeated, glaring at Athena. "And her Mistress!" He said, and the crowd roared around her. Athena rolled her eyes, officially giving up trying to talk. Instead she shook, trying to loosen the bonds around her wrists. 'You've got to be kidding me.'

Silence, her voice as smooth as honey, leaned over to speak in Athena's ear. And her guards let her. "For the record, I know you have higher standards." She said, and Athena rolled her eyes. But then a rather sharp object was placed in her hand by the Sorceress. The guards didn't notice as Athena started sawing at her bonds.

The Baron started going on a long tangent about how the town needed to be 'safe' and that only through praying to Hades to free the spirits (yeah right, the sorcerer probably just wanted to kill them all during a communal prayer, or something) and that they would meet later that night to do so (called it).

Athena, in the meantime, continued to use whatever she'd been given to cut herself free. Her wrists were starting to get tired already. The gag tasted horrible.

"-but now, with the blessings of Zeus to perform this holy cleansing, we will sacrifice these servants of evil!" He said, and Athena's guards began pushing her towards the giant bronze pot she was about to be forced into. Oh, did she mention it was on fire?

Athena struggled, and finally she was rewarded with a snap! as the ropes tore in half. She immediately punched the nearest guard in the crotch (eye-level to her, sadly) and took his sword as he doubled over in pain. She gripped it in both hands, cutting down the other guard holding her hostage and jumping at the guards holding Silence.

Tiana, somewhere in the crowd, began calling out in a loud voice: "Oh no! The Baron's letting the Sorceress and her mistress get away!" Some of the crowd began stirring, looking to their leader as he only watched his guards be overtaken. Athena could see the people looking between herself and the Baron in utter contempt.

Silence and Athena made short work of the guards, and with very little effort at that. The sword in Athena's hands wasn't well balanced for a Halfling, but her glare and the flames jumping in Silence's hands would keep the people wary from attacking them. At least until backup arrived.

In fact, Athena could already hear the sound of 'backup' trampling small trees in the forest.

Meanwhile, Tiana casually reached into someone's wallet while speaking up again. "If the Baron can't kill some lousy Sorceress, how can we trust him to keep us safe?" She asked, withdrawing a few gold coins without drawing attention to herself. Athena rolled her eyes again, keeping the grip on her sword tight.

The Baron, cloaked in his dark robes and standing taller than Athena by three whole Halflings, growled. He grabbed the sword from the nearest guard and began stalking towards them. When he stood in front of Athena, she smiled.

"Your sword isn't going to do much against my friend." She said, keeping her I guard up but not considering the Baron much of a threat. At least, that was as long as his magic had to be kept in check. If the townspeople knew the truth, Athena doubted he'd be able to summon enough wraiths before he was overwhelmed.

He snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. Like, magic dangerously. Out of the corner of her eye, Athena could see clouds forming above their heads. Mist began to leak out of the forest, and whispered, incoherent words echoed around the town. The townspeople started to nervously shift their feet, not knowing who was causing this.

Always a bad scenario: one way or another, Athena would bet Silence would be framed for magic spirits entering the fight. Then they'd have a real riot on their hands.

But as the ground beneath their feet started to tremble, the townspeople were thrown into confusion and panic. Something big was coming out of the forest, and no one wanted to stick around to see what it was. Tiana was quick to capitalize on the situation.

"Quick! The Baron is summoning a beast to kill us all!" As if they'd all thought of the same exact idea at once, the people began to run in the opposite direction of the forest- right into town. The guards dropped their swords, following.

Tiana, now standing in an empty clearing, drew her bow with a cocky smirk. Athena rolled her eyes, but her own smile was threatening to break through her stoic demeanor. Silence stood right beside her, wiggling her fingers as fire danced in her palms. Sword pointed directly at the Baron, he didn't notice the figure standing timidly in the treeline.

"Fools." He said, his own evil smirk casting shadows against his pale face. He raised his hands, and already the clearing was filling with ghostly individuals- wraiths. The whispering from earlier became harsher. More aggressive. "You've tied your own rope now, Halfling. Even now, my strength is too much for you. It will take more than your swords and spells to defeat me."

Tiana released an arrow, but as it approached his face he flicked his wrist and the projectile was set off course. Without breaking eye contact with Athena, he said. "Arrows will not work, either."

Tiana shrugged. "Worth a shot. What about blunt-force trauma?"

The Baron frowned, confused. "I don't-"

"Patrick, would you mind coming out here and giving our friend here a little love-tap?" Asked Silence in a rather sultry voice. Without any other hesitation, their cyclops friend stepped out of the shadows, his tunic stained with mutton grease and big green eye wide in anticipation. He checked behind him, as if disbelieving, and then pointed to himself. "Yes, you." Silence said, her smile wide.

The Baron, his full attention now turned to the brute right in front of him, didn't see Athena's hidden smile. No matter what challenge they faced, it was still funny to see their enemies' eyes bug out of their skull when they met Patrick J. Admittedly, Athena had opposed to the addition of a brute like Pat on their team, but she was starting to understand how she could be wrong about them only being a disadvantage.

And the fact he carried a broadsword as big as the Baron himself was quite worrisome for their adversary. It was a bit rusty, but like Tiana said, blunt force trauma usually did the trick if the sharp edge didn't.

"We'll take care of the spooky ghosts while you handle the bad guy, okay big guy?" Tiana said. Pat's smile was too wide, and the speed at which he nodded was probably killing brain cells, but his enthusiasm was appreciated. Athena nodded back, looking instead at the wraiths beginning to solidify around them. She gripped her sword tighter, smiling evilly.

While Athena, Silence, and Tiana all started hacking their way through the cursed spirits, Pat's loud laughter and wide swing started to descend on the Baron. The man gulped. Athena's smile widened.

…

Percy sat in the kitchen in Annabeth's home, trying to understand what he was seeing.

He'd been invited, and just as he'd said he would, he'd come. During winter break, that very Wednesday, Percy made his way back to Annabeth's house, retracing the steps he'd taken the week before.

And, admittedly, the first interaction with Annabeth's parents had been less than expected.

He'd knocked on the door quietly, much more gentle than he'd intended to. Immediately, he re-knocked, louder this time. He then felt like an idiot, because if Annabeth heard him knock the first time then he'd… he didn't know why it mattered. It just mattered to him.

Percy frowned when the door didn't open. He shifted his feet, looking around him at the snow that had fallen just a few days ago. His breath fanned out across the wreath decorating the entrance, but still no one answered. Discouraged, Percy re-checked to make sure the lights were on inside the house (they were). Voices were talking inside, barely audible.

As Percy raised his fist to knock on the door again, it opened abruptly. Percy blinked a few times, once for the light suddenly in his eyes and the rest to make sure he wasn't seeing double. Two boys, identical, were looking up at him. Peaking past them, Percy could see their mother in the kitchen. None of them looked like Annabeth in the slightest.

"Oh, uh-" He began, about to stutter out an apology for accidentally knocking on the wrong door. He pointed limply down the street, trying to back out of this situation before the one on the left turned and shouted up the stairs. Maybe he accidentally knocked on a neighbor's door.

"Annabeth! One of your nerd friends is here!" He said, and the boy on the right giggled conspiratorially beside his brother (right?). The one on the left turned back to him, frowning. "You haven't ever been here before." He said, not phrasing it as a question. Percy could only stand there, stupidly, as Annabeth had run down the stairs and pulled him past her brothers(?).

Something had been nagging at Percy since he'd gotten here. Since he'd been dragged up the stairs and scolded for not getting there earlier.

And now, sitting in the kitchen with a cup of water, he was starting to figure out what it was.

The kitchen was really open- the only place you couldn't see on the main floor was the sitting room, and that was because of the stairs blocking the way. Percy had been up on the second floor with the rest of the group. They'd had some Mountain Dew up there, but Percy had decided to ditch the caffeine. He didn't want to annoy them after they'd just invited him back.

Over in the living room, through an archway that went under the stairs, Percy could see what had to be Annabeth's family. They were all just sitting in the living room, doing… He guessed family things. Her dad was sitting on a recliner, shuffling through papers and marking them with a pen (must be a teacher). Her mom was sitting in on a couch, watching a Christmas movie and eating popcorn.

Even her twin brothers, who looked nothing like Annabeth or her father, by the way, were sitting side by side on the couch with their mother, arguing quietly and messing around with lego minifigures. It was really domestic and Christmas-y, but to Percy… something felt wrong.

Annabeth came down the stairs, her glasses pushed up onto the bridge of her nose and her giant red Christmas sweater nearly reaching down to her thighs. She was smiling brightly, something that he used to think was a rare occurrence now so familiar he could probably draw it (albeit, horribly). When she took Percy's cup from him, she only smiled brighter as she cleaned it and pulled a carton of eggnog out of the fridge.

"So, do you regret coming here tonight?" Annabeth asked, taking a sip of her own drink. The entire house smelled like nutmeg, but she must've been wearing perfume or something- she smelled like peppermint. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of these strange observations. It was starting to get creepy.

"I told you before- it's fun." He gave her a pointed look. "Especially since no one is criticizing me on how to play the game." He said, taking a sip.

Annabeth lightly slapped his arm, but he saw her lips twitch. "Constructive criticism is how people get better. If you can't take what anyone says with a grain of salt, how can you ever expect to get better?" She asked, bumping his shoulder with her own.

Percy rolled his eyes, admitting that that made sense. Still, he wasn't going to let her win so easily. "And what about you, huh? Do you still think that cyclops' are useless, knowing that we just beat the bad guy?" He asked, looking back at the living room. Mr. Chase was giving him an odd look, but immediately averted his gaze when their eyes met.

She cradled her cup in her hands, frowning. He's pretty sure saw her father looking at them. Her smile was suddenly back in full, bright and beaming. "First off, that was a bad guy, not the bad guy." She said, beginning to list off her fingers. "Secondly, there is just as much chance we could've won without your help, so don't get too excited." She paused. "But I'm still glad that you were there."

Percy knew she was just talking about the game, but he still found himself hiding his face in his cup. His cheeks were probably bright red. There was something in her voice that really confused him, and when he went to talk again he realized she wasn't looking at him, but at her family sitting in the living room. She was staring intently at her family, biting her lip and frowning. She looked down at her glass rather dejectedly.

Percy, looking between the four Chases in the in the living room and the one in front of him, made the realization much clearer. First off- Annabeth's real mom wasn't here, and the woman and her two sons weren't Annabeth's full brothers. Secondly- there wasn't a place for Annabeth in the living room. Every chair was taken. Where was she supposed to sit?

He'd had a few questions when he'd first entered the Chase household, and a lot of it was starting to become clearer the longer he was there. He remembered asking her what time she needed to be home a few weeks after her first visit. She'd been eating some of his mom's cookies, and at the time he'd thought she'd been hiding a smile into her cup.

"They won't care. As long as I get home."

At the time, Percy had thought she had some really cool parents. His mom was the same way, most of the time. If she needed him home, she'd tell him before school.

Now, the answer meant something different to him.

Percy put his cup down, looking over at the girl that had quickly become one of his best friends, if not his best friend (don't tell Grover). She was still looking over at the living room, as if trying to work up the nerve to get up and take a seat next to her family.

She sighed, looking back down at her cup. Percy's heart broke just a bit watching the exchange.

He reached over, bumping his elbow into her ribs and shocking her out of the moment. She must've forgotten he was there, because her eyes widened and a deer caught in car headlights and her cheeks dusted over red. He pretended not to notice. "C'mon. I think I heard Luke talking about a Drakon when he thought we weren't paying attention last." He said, standing. He offered her his hand, which she simply looked at.

Annabeth took it after a moment, something close to gratitude flashing in her eyes as he helped her up. She smiled at him. "Well, I know how to take care of that." She said. They both walked up the stairs, not looking back.

---

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