Chapter 1: Trials and tortures

Annabeth's Pov

Hi my name is Annabeth Chase, I am 17 years old and am currently in the middle of court, waiting for the jury to decide my punishment for 'vandalising' my school. They call it vandalising I call it making the school look better. All I did was spray paint a picture of a rose on the side of the building and now I'm in the middle of court. People tend to look down their nose at me because of my choice in clothing and makeup. I had curly blond hair with electric blue highlights. I had on bright red lipstick, and black eyeliner all along and around my eyes. I was wearing a black-t-shirt that said, have my own attitude, with ripped, grey skinny jeans and gold studded black rider boots. I like how I look and don't care what anyone else thinks of me.

I looked around the court room, and saw Thalia and Nico, my bestfriends. They had a similar style, to me they both liked dark colours, especially the colour black but we were all different in our own way. Thalia is the outspoken one she always speaks her mind, and has no filter in her brain, so some of the things she says, she really shouldn't. Nico is the shy, secluded one when you don't know him, but when he gets to know people he will open up to you. He is absolutely hilarious. He is also gay, and has a secret boyfriend that no-one knows about but Thalia and I. His name is Will they are soo cute, so different but that just makes them work more. The keep their reationship a secret because they don't want anyone taking the mickey out of the just because they are gay, and then there is me.

I am the know it all. I am the smartest in the whole school but I do well to hide it, not many people know that I'm smart apart from Nico and Thalia, they make fun of me all the time because of it. They also that I am very sarcastic, which I can sort of understand but of course I argue and say I'm not.

Thalia and Nico smiled and waved at me bringing me out of my train of thought.

I smiled and waved back, and was about to mouth something to them, but the judge walked in. He looked stern under his wig. He walked up to the podium, and said to the audience.

"The jury has made a decision."

The audience quitened down and gave their full attention to the judge.

Thalia and Nico gave me reassuring smiles. I smiled back.

"Since Annabeth Elizabeth Chase, has already admitted to her crimes, she will not be sent to prison, but she will wash all the graffiti off and do community service for six months." he said.

I was so relieved that I wasn't going to jail but I was a bit annoyed about having to wash it all off. Thalia and Nico looked relieved as well.

He whacked his hammer a few times closing the case and making the punishment official. He left and walked out the door.

The security guard led me out of the podium and took the handcuffs off me. I was glad to have free hands again. Thalia and Nico ran up to me and gave me huge hugs. I hugged them back and then smirked.

"Did use miss me guys?" I asked.

"Pfft you wish." Thalia says.

Nico just nodded.

"Well, I missed you to Nico, Thalia not so much." I said while smirking.

Thalia put a hand to her heart and started smirking. "Im hurt Annie, i'm hurt." she said.

Nico and I just laughed at her attempt to be dramatic, because it failed sort of terribly. She was the worst actor we knew.

"I can leave but first I have to sign some forms, and then they will tell me where I will be doing my community service." I said.

"Ooh you never know, you could meet someone hot." Nico said, looking up.

"Yeah..no that wont happen it will probably be litter picking or something." I said.

"Yeah, knowing you, you probably will..although your luck may change." Nico says.

"Yeah I suppose." I said.

Thalia and Nico laughed and then they pulled me along to the desk.

I saw my step-mum Helen already there signing the forms.

Helen and I had a good realtionship. She agreed with what I did to the school, of course she was annoyed, but she did think it made the dull, grey building look better. My father was a completely different stroy though. He went ballistic. He grounded me for three months and took my tablet away, until I have paid back the money, but I still have my phone, laptop and books soo,it doesn't really matter.

I walked up to Helen and she hugged me.

"Annabeth, I get why you did it, okay but I just don't want you to do it again,okay?" she said.

I nodded. Helen knew how much I wanted my fathers attention. Ever since my mum left us when she was younger, he changed. He would barely even acknowledge me. I basically had to look after myself. Then he met Helen and apart of the old him came back for a while. He would watch movies with me and play with me, and then his parents passed away. He turned back into the person before but at least this time I had Helen, we became close. Since then I've been acting up to get his attention. I changed the way I dressed partly to get his attention and partly because I knew it was more me, but still dad never noticed me. Then I did bigger things like put graffiti on the side of the school wall, partly for my own pleasure and partly to get the attention of my father. To put it short I ceratinly got his attention but it wasn't in the way I thought.

I looked at Helen and she came over and hugged me.

"Are you okay?" She said.

"Yeah I'm fine." I said.

"You have to go over to that desk in the corner and they will tell you what you have to do for community service, Thalia, Nico and I will wait here." she said.

I nodded and walked over to the desk. There was two people in front of me so I had to wait for a while.

When it was finally my turn the man at the desk asked for my name.

"Annabeth." I said.

"Oh, Annabeth Chase, right?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said.

"Well, you are put down to volunteer at the local charity shop for six months with.. ah right Mr Jackson." He said,

Great, stuck with an old man for six months, I thought.

"Okay thank you." I said.

The man just nodded.

I walked back over to Helen, Thalia and Nico.

"So what did you get landed with?" Thalia asked.

"Im volunteering at the local charity shop." I said.

"Least it's not tha bad." Helen said.

"Yeah, I suppose." I said.

"Maybe we should go their now, so you can get introduced." Helen said.

"Yeah, we might as well." I said.

Helen turned to Thalia and Nico and asked if they were coming.

They said yes, because they wanted to take the mickey out of me.

I just sighed, and gave them both evil looks.

Helen took us to the car which was parked outside.

"The charity shop is only like a ten minute drive from here." Helen said.

"Okay." I said.

The rest of the way I was silent, but Thalia and Nico definetely weren't. They were full on blasting American Idiot by Green Day.

I think they bursted my eardrum.

As soon as we parked the car in front of the charity shop I jumped out, and drew a big sigh of relief.

"Thank the Lord, that was the longest ten minute car journey I have ever been on!" I exclaimed dramatically.

Thalia and Nico just laughed and Helen chuckled.

I walked into the charity shop and all I could smell is dust, and I began to cough.

"Miss, are you okay?" Someone asked.

I looked up to find, a guy maybe around 19,20 looking at me. He was broad shouldered and lean. He was about a foot taller that me. His raven, black hair covered one of his eyes, which is a shame, as his eyes were gorgeous. They, were a bright sea-green colour, like the colour of the sea, in the Carribean, and a strange thing is he also smelt like the Sea, mixed with mint and cologne and let me tell you this it smelt good, really good. He was gorgeous.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Oh, how can I help you then?" He asked.

I was shocked.

"What?" I asked.

"How can I help you?" He asked again.

"Do you work here?" I asked in disbelief.

"Why?" He asked.

"Well, I have to community service in here for six months." I said.

"Oh, your Annabeth, then right?" he asked.

"Yeah, but you still haven't answered my question, do you work here?" I asked.

"I own the place." he said.

After he said that I couldn't help but agree with what Nico said earlier, maybe my luck had changed.

Hey guys, here's a new fanfic, I had to write it, it popped into my head.. I hope you like it. If you like it please review as I need to know whether or not I should continue so... yeah! :D

~Abooknerdandproud