Building crammed together, houses crammed together, and even the sidewalk was crammed with people, some ready for business and meetings, others for a huge coffee run, but one man stuck out of the crowd. He had windblown raven hair and red cheeks. He was running, pushing the excess of people out of the way and sometimes he even had the courage to push them to the ground. But he was running to something important, someone important.

And this running, this sprinting with heavy breathing, was because of a stupid impulse. He didn't need the exercise he just wanted-no- he needed to stop her from making this stupid, stupid decision. He could stop, he could stop and take a really quick breath and just faint. He wanted to but whenever the voice inside him told him "STOP (BLEEPING) AROUND, I'M SUPER TIRED", he thought of her.

Of her twisting curls, her stormy eyes, her perfect voice always telling him "Percy, you're drooling." And then she would grab a kleenex, wipe his face (unless he had gotten to it first) and roll her eyes like thunder clouds, careless and happy where they were.

And he, he was a dumbass for not recognizing the signs she had showed him before. He didn't notice that her childhood was him. He had always thought that she had wanted to be friends, which was mostly true, she had wanted to be friends but still wanted more. And then they finished high school, they went their own ways. He went to school to be a marine biologist and study with his father on the seas, while she stayed on land, building skyscrapers.

And that was 7 years ago, when they had last seen each other, the blue graduate caps flying in the air. But, a few months ago, he walked into a cafe that was open 24/7 on Main and Cliff or maybe Cliff and Applewood, he forgot. But when he walked into the cafe, he was cold and wet and very hungry. He had just gotten off the boat he had been traveling in a few days before and he was in need of a New York coffee…

The door jingled, the glass pane protecting the man in the entrance from the pelting rain. "Can I get you anything?" the man at the counter asked, tapping his finger lightly on the counter.

"Yeah, can you get me a…..ummm….a…...ummm…" Percy stumbled, not done reading the coffee, "Well, just get me straight black coffee right now."

The man behind the counter nodded, returning to the back of the shop. Percy looked around, noticing one other person in the shop. She had her back to him, but her blond curls bounced with her shoulders as they shook, while she made little sounds in the back of her throat. Just here to get coffee, he thought, but she's crying. So he took a few steps to her table, clearing his throat, "Sorry to disturb you but are you okay?"

She wiped her cute nose, turning her head to the man behind her. Annabeth could've died of shock when she managed out a "Percy Jackson?"

"Annabeth" He breathed,"I-I havent seen you in a long time." he smiled, inching his way up the side of the table to face her.

"You can sit down if you would like," she wiped her nose again, "I'm not waiting on anyone."

"Are you okay?"

Her smile faded, a tear escaping her eye, "Well, I'm fine, it just that I had this- I'm fine. So why are you here at," she checked the clock on her wrist, "11:12 in the night?"

He shrugged, "I just wanted some coffee, you know, with everything."

"No, I don't know," she wiped her eyes again, "I don't know where you, my best friend, has been the past 6-

"7."

"7 years." She sniffled, looking down at her hands,"It's been 7 years?"

He folded his hands on the round table, smoothing one thumb with the other. "Yes-Yeah, I think it has."

"Oh my goodness, 7 years," She marveled at the number, then looked at him, "So, what have you been doing the past 7 years?"

"Well , I graduated college a few years ago, like you may have - Did you graduate college? No- wait," he stopped her from opening her mouth, "That is stupid question, of course you did. You're Annabeth Chase, valedictorian and Wise Girl, you probably were top in your class."

She blushed, giggling lightly, "I was second in my class, actually, behind, umm, Luke Castellan." she sighed, "But I asked you about your life, not mine."

"Oh, my life- well, I've told you about college and, umm, where do I start?"

And the rest of the night was perfect and light. She laughed at his funny stories and he laughed at hers. It was perfect.

That was until she mentioned her engagement, her engagement, to Luke Castellan. Percy didn't linger on the subject, but it was on his mind the rest of the time. Luke Castellan, a dick without feelings but had brains, was engaged to Annabeth Chase, a girl with martial arts in her back pocket and brains in another. But the more Percy thought about it, the more it made sense, they were made for each other.

Luke Castellan had enough muscle and same amount of brains. Annabeth had reflexes like a cat and more brain than Luke. But if Percy pictured them together, they just fit.

And the running was becoming tiring. He had to stop or his slight asthma would catch up to him. So he stopped and almost rolled on the round like a blind and fat guinea pig. How did he even have a six pack?

"Perseus?" a deep, familiar voice questioned him, while Percy swallowed his life.

There was a small amount of people who called him by his full name, the total at three, and one of them was his father, his biological father in this case but he did have a stepfather- there is no time for a lecture on his home life. Maybe later.

Percy straighten up, breathing in and out before turning to his dad. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

Poseidon laughed lightly, turned to the building and back to Percy, "Perseus, this is my aquarium. You've been here many times, what is the matter?"

"Nothing." He coughed, then recovered. Recovery is key in these fragile situations.

"You're going to the wedding, aren't you?" Poseidon raised his eyebrows, sighed and said, to Percy's relief, "Take the car."

"What?"

Poseidon cleared his throat, "Take. The. Car."

Percy grabbed the keys from his fathers hands and grinned from ear to ear. No. More. Running. It was music to his ears.

He grabbed the car door, a classic car form whatever-whenever, with a shinning black hood and floating wings on the sides. He put the keys into the car door, opened the winged-

Wait. We have to back up or else none of this will make any sense. It just won't do good to read the ending of a book. You first have to read the beginning and the middle, then the end. It is almost like life, you 've got to read the whole the thing before you know how it turns out.

So, to the beginning.

SO i am thinking that i might not even write the rest. Just be an unfisnished project. BUT i might so cross your fingers.

-SweaterMence