Love and Hate

Luke Castellan loved Annabeth Chase.

But, it seemed like Annabeth didn't feel the same.

They had been dating for almost a month. Luke had finally gotten Annabeth away for a fraction of a millisecond long enough to ask her out.

For a fraction of a millisecond, he had gotten her away from Percy Jackson.

The entire school knew that Percy and Annabeth had been friends since they were kids, they were inseparable. They seemed to be attached at the hip. No one could distract either of them for long without them going back to each other.

It didn't help that they were the two hottest people in school.

Percy looked like a player, with his mischievous smirk, his wind-tousled raven-black hair that seemed so unruly. His incredibly toned muscles from his time on the swim team. But if you looked into his eyes, a brilliant sea-green, you could see more depth than the deepest part of the ocean. He wasn't cold, he was kind, he was warm. He had a silky smooth voice like caramel that made all girls swoon.

All girls except Annabeth Chase.

Annabeth was a different case in her own. Her curly blonde hair like a princess's, her California tan, and her fit and toned body made her look like a stereotypical "dumb blonde", but Annabeth was far from dumb. You knew that as soon as you looked at her eyes. A stormy gray, calculating everyone and everything. Eyes of someone intelligent and strong, which is what Annabeth was. One glare from those gray eyes and all boys went cowering.

All boys except Percy Jackson.

They were a team. They were partners in crime. They never left each other's sides.

And somehow, Luke had managed to make Annabeth his girlfriend.

The first day of freshman year, everyone had judged the book by its cover with Percy and Annabeth. They assumed Percy was a typical full-of-himself jock with Annabeth as his dumb run-of-the-mill California blonde girlfriend.

And, boy, was everyone wrong.

Annabeth had proven herself the first day she was at Goode High School. She was talking with Percy near her locker, when up sauntered the most popular guy in school. The captain of the football team, the head jock, and the guy with an ego the size of Africa, Dylan Thompson. He was known for his good looks and his ability to get any girl he wanted, boyfriend or not.

That is, until he met Annabeth Chase.

"Hey there, darling," he said as he walked up behind the blond, "You really want to be talking to that guy, when you got me right here?"

The girl turned around and met Dylan's prideful brown eyes with her intelligent gray ones. "Yes." She answered simply. Then she turned back around and continued her conversation with Percy.

"You sure?" He asked smoothly, regaining his composure. "I bet I've got a lot more to offer than your boyfriend over here." He slipped one arm around her waist.

That was a bad decision.

Annabeth immediately tensed. In a flash, she had removed the guy's grip from her waist, grabbed onto his wrist, and flipped the most popular guy over her shoulder in the middle of a crowded high school hallway with more grace than a gazelle.

As Dylan lay on his back, groaning in pain, Annabeth pulled him up by his shirt and aimed a fist at his face.

"Hand's off." She growled, her gray eyes had storms flashing through them. Storms that were about to wipe out a ship full of sailors. "You may be the popular one here, bucko, but that doesn't mean you get to touch me." She put her fist down and released his shirt, making the guy's head smack against the tile floor. "And, by the way," She said, "Percy isn't my boyfriend."

She and Percy walked away, Annabeth was still slightly fuming, but Percy had a triumphant grin on his face. That taught him not to mess with Annabeth, he thought.

Percy earned his place in a much more passive way. He had gone around to basically everybody in school and introduced himself, making sure to know their name, birthday, and favorite color. He wasn't trying to get rid of his label as a typical jock, he was just naturally really kind and caring. The assumption that he was a player died quite quickly after he unconsciously made himself known as the guy who was nice to literally everybody.

Everyone in the school knew about Percy and Annabeth. Everyone liked them. Almost every girl and a few guys had at least a small crush on Percy, and almost every guy and a few girls had at least a small crush on Annabeth. But, no one could ever get any one of them alone to ask them out, they were always together.

And somehow, Luke had managed it.

But he didn't manage it for long.

Dating Annabeth was the best and worst thing that had ever happened to him. Luke was dating the girl he had fallen in love with the first time he saw her. That part was great. It was just everything else about their relationship... wasn't as great.

Annabeth didn't even seem like his girlfriend at times. There were days when she wouldn't even talk to him. Instead preferring to hang out and talk to Percy. They had hugged a couple times, but they never kissed. They would hold hands occasionally, but that would end as soon as Annabeth spotted Percy. She talked to Percy more than she talked to her own boyfriend, and Luke wasn't quite sure he knew how he felt about that.

Luke started noticing things about Annabeth and Percy's relationship. He noticed how they both looked completely drained of energy when the other one wasn't by their side. He noticed how when they saw each other, their faces would light up like a Christmas tree and they immediately would run toward each other. They would dash to the others side and meld together, standing next to one another like two halves of a whole. Like that was how they were meant to be.

Luke didn't particularly enjoy noticing these things.

And he definitely didn't enjoy another thing, as well.

The dates.

They only had one throughout the course of their relationship. It didn't really go as planned.

When he asked Annabeth if she wanted to go to the local fair, she agreed and immediately and ran over to Percy.

And asked him to come as well.

Luke swore these people didn't even know the definition of a date. Or, he thought, they just don't know how to function properly without each other.

Luke wasn't very happy with this newfound revelation.

The day of their date came and Luke was waiting at the entrance to the fair when he saw them. The two drove up in a blue Prius, parked it, and got out laughing hysterically. As they got closer to Luke, he caught pieces of their conversation in between the laughs and gasps for breath.

"I can't believe he said that!" Percy laughed, "And live on radio!"

"I think he was trying to be 'hip' and fit in with 'our generation'." Annabeth gasped.

"But he's, like, forty!"

When they stopped their conversation long enough to catch their breath, Annabeth spotted Luke. She tapped Percy on the shoulder and they walked over to him.

"Hey, Luke." Annabeth managed, "Sorry we're late." She gave him a hug, then walked by him and into line to buy tickets.

Percy waved a hello and joined Annabeth in line. When he reached her, he whispered something in her ear and they both erupted into laughter, evoking strange looks from the people around them.

They got their tickets and entered the fair. For the next three hours, Luke felt like a third wheel, mostly because he was one.

Annabeth and Percy ran around together laughing and exploring. They competed against each other in numerous minigames, all of which Annabeth won. At one point she had won a giant stuffed panda about half the size of her body, that she made Luke hold. They shared cotton candy and churros, went on the ferris wheel, ventured through gift shops and got those incredibly unhealthy fried Oreos. The entire time, Luke was trailing behind them, attempting to keep up and match their level of enthusiasm. But their energy could never be matched by anyone except themselves.

As Luke was hardcore third wheeling, he watched Annabeth and Percy interact. As they ran around, having what seemed like the time of their lives, Luke saw two things clear on their faces. Absolute bliss and happiness. He saw that when they looked at each other, both their eyes held something deeper than just friendship, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

The entire time they were at the fair, Annabeth and Percy hardly said a word to him, they were too absorbed in their own world. Luke thought it was supposed to be a date between him and Annabeth, not a date between her and Percy. He realized at that point that his and Annabeth's relationship wasn't going to work out, and he took a moment to process the inevitable truth, which really, given his current situation, didn't take that long.

Finally, their adventure at the fair wound down to a close and the three exited to the parking lot.

Annabeth turned to Luke as he handed her the giant stuffed panda. "Thanks for inviting me here, Luke. I had a really great time. See you at school!" And with that, she and Percy turned away and walked back toward their car. Luke could see they were practically glowing with happiness from merely being near each other.

Which was why Luke wasn't really surprised when Annabeth broke up with him two days later.

They had been dating for around three weeks, and Luke was standing at his locker, wondering when the big break up was going to happen. He didn't have to wait that long, because he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Annabeth with a solemn look on her face.

"Hey, Luke. I don't really know how to say this easily," She bit her bottom lip with uncertainty, but continued. "But, I think we should see other people."

She drew her wandering gaze up to Luke's eyes and spoke quickly, "Please don't be mad! I just didn't really think it was working out and it's not you it's-"

Luke stopped her with a finger to her mouth, quietly silencing her. "Annabeth, it's fine. I was wondering when it was going to happen."

She looked down, "Sorry." She mumbled.

"Don't be. Really, it's fine." Luke gave her a sad smile. He was saying these things to console her, but none of them were true. Of course it wasn't fine! The girl he loved was breaking up with him! And he's quite sure he knew what caused it. No, more like who caused it.

Annabeth smiled apologetically at him and ran to the end of the hall where Percy was waiting for her. The looked at each other and smiled, and Luke finally realized what was in their eyes that was deeper that just close friendship.

It was love.

Luke Castellan hated Percy Jackson.