Okay, so one of my reviewers at 'Surfaced Memories' told me I should write one in which Percy bumps into other people from his past. I decided to take the challenge. (REWRITTEN) This is the first chapter, Matthew Sloan

Matthew Sloan stopped at a red sign.

He groaned, instantly relaxing his muscles from the tension of driving. He was kind of embarrassed that he, Matt Sloan, Channel 5's star, was a mess while driving. He was just…afraid of crashing.

He leaned back against his Ferrari, mumbling to himself that he did not have time for this. He looked at the 'Welcome to San Francisco!' signs, with a girl with a smile and a t-shirt that said WHERE FUN IS GUARANTEED, and sighed. Every morning he had to drive so much. Too much.

And yet Matt was lucky. His life on the street had been hard but, thankfully, when he was thirteen, he'd managed to get in all the papers. After, the TV interviews, the reality shows, showing off a white smile (he'd gotten his orthodontic treatment with the money), the mansion outside the country, his mother, tears in her eyes as she hugged him, after believing all her life she'd never have money, saying "I'm so proud, Matthew,"

He smiled. He owed it all to someone he hadn't liked at all. Someone he had picked on and fought with, and yet he was grateful, 'cause now he was living the high life, baby.

Speaking of the devil.

Matt could not believe it.

But it was him all right. And he saw him.

He was running, looking terrified, grabbing a stuffed panda? Nevermind.

And he was coming straight at Matt.

He could only stare in shock as Percy Jackson himself ran.

He got out of the car, deciding that heck, the channel would forgive him, he was their star, after all, and ran after him.

He grabbed him by the shoulders, staring at him in wonder "Percy Jackson?"

Because he certainly did not look much like him.

He was no longer the scrawny, tall, awkward thirteen year old with uncombed hair and alert eyes. His skin wasn't white. He didn't always smell like pens and cookies. He didn't wear baggy clothes with always pockets.

No, this guy had changed.

His hair was, without exaggerating, beautiful. It shone and reflected the light, making it look like dark blue, and it was not long, but not so short either. His eyes, before so small-looking, now seemed to look at you, inside and outside, and they were a color Matt wasn't sure had been there before.

They were the color of the sea. Ever-moving, ever-changing.

His skin was tanned and his muscles were strong, Matt could tell. He had scars all over his skin. He smelled like the ocean, so strongly that Matt's nose wrinkled. His clothes were battered and dirty, and they were so broken you could see his muscled chest in between the orange t-shirt's gaps.

Matthew stared.

"Um, yeah, that's my name. Percy Jackson, all right. Now, can I go?"

"It's Matt Sloan!" he cried

"Huh?"

And yet, he was still, forgive him, dumb.

Matt rolled his eyes "You know, seventh grade, my crazy friends who played with us and almost killed us, you destroying school property, the crazy southern teacher…"(*)

Percy just stared at Matt blankly "I'm sorry?"

He was starting to doubt this was worth leaving his car in the middle of the traffic, but he shrugged it off. He was seventeen, and officers went soft on teenagers, right?

"Well, what are you doing running like that? It's been a long time since I saw you. Did you know I got rich?" he gestured towards his Armani suit.

Percy just squinted "What? I don't...I don't remember you."

"Please, have you hit your head or something? I hope you still got the number of that cute blondie in the picture. She looked hot for being what? Fourteen?"

Percy widened his eyes "Someone blonde? A girl?"

"Yeah, you've forgotten that too?" Suddenly, Matt was worried "Are you okay?"

"Annabeth," he thought he heard Percy Jackson whispered. "I'm sorry Max Smith, I have to run."

"Wait!"

This guy had given him his fame. He was not letting him go.

He looked behind him, and he saw two women with funny colored hair chasing them.

"Run!" said Percy, doing so himself.

Matt did.

But, as Percy and him had to stop because there was a wall in their way, the guy just freaking took out a knife from his bag and killed the women.

"What the fuck, man?" Matt asked, horrified, "Who are you?"

"No, don't be scared. They'll reform in no time. I have to go, Max."

"It's Matt, you deranged lunatic! Get away from me!" he shrieked, and ran away.

Percy Jackson shrugged, moving on. Have to keep moving. He needed to find a safe haven.

That Matt/Max guy had called him a lunatic, but he had seen Annabeth, had he? He was so confused. Was he one of his friends?

He hoped so. Maybe he could find Annabeth and bring her to him.

But he didn't have time to think about it anymore. Percy picked up his Panda, whom he liked very much, and ran, leaving the gorgons irritated shrieks and Matt Sloan behind him.

(*) In my story 'The Percy Jackson Case' I make one of their teachers southern and completely crazy. :)

Anyway, I hoped you liked it and review :) Also, Matt takes the picture from Percy in the book, that's how he knows more or less how she looks like.

-ChocolateIsMyDoom