Five years ago: Sometime during senior year

18 years old.

"Have a good day kiddo," my dad tells me as I climb out of the station wagon. I sling my bag over my shoulder and turn to close the door.

"Yeah," I say. "Bye, dad."

I slam the door and turn back to head into the school building. Goode High School. Also known as: Hell. My shoulders slump as I advance towards the building. I'm thankful that it's a Friday, but all I want is for this day, this year, to be over so I can get the hell out of this town.

I keep a tight grip on my bag as I make my way through the halls to my locker. I keep my gaze down so hopefully they don't see me. Of course, I'm not that lucky.

"Hey!" someone shouts. "Annabeth!"

I hear a girlish squeal and my stomach lurches. I pick up my pace just a little so I don't look like I'm trying to get away.

Suddenly a pair of brown Ugg boots come into my field of vision. I stop dead in my tracks and raise my head.

Rachel Dare, the school's most popular bitch, is standing practically five inches away from me with her boyfriend Percy Jackson, the school's most popular guy, and the boy I've secretly been in love with since freshman year. Rachel's got perfect, fiery red shoulder length hair and these bright green eyes. She's tall with a killer body and guys always drool over her. She's wearing her Uggs, a pair of denim skinny jeans and a crop top with some french words. I definitely cannot compare to her with my waist length golden hair and ratty Converse and yoga pants and my white I HEART NY tee. Percy has this mop of midnight hair with sea green eyes. He's wearing Air Jordan shoes, dark jeans and a Nike shirt. He's the definition of perfection.

"Rachel," I say, a tight smile plastered on my face. She's got one hand latched onto her hip and the other one is gripping one of Percy's hands. Rachel smirks and reaches out to grab a lock of my hair.

"I see you still haven't done anything about these split ends of yours," she says, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Yeah, well, some of us have other things to worry about other than our appearance every single second of the day," I retort. Her smirk immediately falls.

"Whatever." She turns to Percy and grabs his face and smashes her lips to his. I feel my heart drop just so slightly at the scene, despite the lip smacking sounds and the tongue action. I huff out a breath and push past them. When I look back, they're still in a lip lock.

Present Day: Chase Architectural Firm

23 years old.

"Hey, boss!"

I whip my head up from the computer and look towards my office door. Silena Beauregard, my receptionist, is standing in the doorway with two cups of coffee in her hands. I motion for her to come in.

She plops down in one of the chairs in front of my desk and puts one of the cups on the surface.

"Vanilla macchiato at your service," she says. I look up and shoot her a smile.

"Thanks, Silena. I need this." I take a sip of the hot drink.

"How are the designs going?"

I sigh. "They're going. Just not as fast as I like."

Silena sighs too. "You need to get out more, Annabeth. All this work isn't good for you. We gotta get you a hot date." Silena grins and runs a hand through her chocolate hair.

I shrug. "It's a stress reliever. And no thank you, I definitely do not need a 'hot date'."

Silena shakes her head and stands up. "You're hopeless. I'll be at my desk if you need me."

I give her a wave without looking away from the computer screen.

"Thanks for the coffee," I say just as she exits my office.

A while later, while I'm still working on some designs, the phone rings. It's Silena.

"Yes?" I say.

"Annabeth, I have a woman on line one for you. She says it's important that she talk to you specifically," Silena informs me.

"Alright, put her through."

A moment later, the phone rings again and I pick it up.

"Annabeth Chase, Chase Architectural Firm, how may I help you?"

A squeal comes through the line. "Omigod! Annabeth! Hey!"

My jaw drops and I freeze. No. No. Please tell me this isn't happening.

"Rachel?"

"Omigod Annabeth, I need your help!"

I shake my head violently. "Rachel?" I ask in disbelief. "Why are you calling me?"

"I need your help with something very important."

I'm silent for a moment. "And that would be?"

She squeals loudly. "Ineedyoutodesignourhouseplease!"

I cough. "Say that again?"

She takes a deep breath. "I need you to design our house. Could you do that for me?"

House? What house? Since when did Rachel have her own house? Our house? Who is she getting a house with? Is this a joke?

"Wait. Who's house?" My eyes are wide and my stomach is doing flip flops.

"Our house. Mine and Percy's, Annabeth. We're going to buy a house and we need you to design it." She says this with all sincerity.

My heart stops beating. WHAT THE HELL?!

"You and Percy? You and Percy are buying a house? Seriously?" My voice is dripping with excitement.

Rachel huffs. "Yes, Annabeth. We are. Can you design it for us?"

No no no! NO! SAY NO!

"Uhm. I don't know Rachel. I'm working on other designs these days. Can you find someone else?"

Rachel groans loudly. "Nooo Annabeth, we need you! We were looking for architects and then Percy remembered you and how you always used to draw those silly designs during class and he said you were ah-mazing at them so we found your number! Oh, Annabeth! Please!"

My heart fluttered lightly. He remembered me? He remembered that I used to draw?

"Ah, I'll think about it." All the thoughts of Rachel and Percy taunting me during high school come flashing through my mind. All those times she called me ugly, and fat, and weird, and pathetic, and no no no NO!

"Puh-lease?! We'll pay you 50 grand and you can come to the housewarming party when it's ready!"

50 grand? 50 grand would really help me. Where does she get this money? Oh, that's right. Her father likes to ruin nature.

The more greedy side of me pops up along with my more innocent side.

50 grand, Annabeth. You can do a lot with 50 grand.

My innocent side glares harshly at the greedy side.

Yeah, but think of how bad she treated you! Why should you do anything for her?

The greedy side glares back. Money, Annabeth. Do it for the money.

"Alright. Fine. I'll do it."

Rachel screams loudly. "OHMYGOD! YES! THANK YOU!" She starts rambling on excitedly about how this is going to be so great and wonderful and how she's so excited to see me again.

All I can think about is Percy.

AN: I'd like to thank anyone who has read to the bottom of this page and finished chapter one lol. I will probably revise this chapter later, but I suppose this will suffice for now. R&R? If anyone would like to see any changes made please let me know! I AM aware that a 23 year old having their OWN firm is a little out there BUT for the sake of the story, please bear with me :p it's a story. anything is possible. and i find annabeth to be a very determined, strong willed person.