Let me explain. Percy is in ninth grade. (14) while Annabeth is in eighth grade (13) Percy and Annabeth are my mirrors for this story. I'm giving y'all a taste of my past. Even if it's bittersweet.

Reasons. So many reasons. Here I am, standing in front of the fence, that is currently separating us. Her. Doing something with a girl. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would do this. I let the smoke enter my mouth. Ugh. Already I feel dizzy. The girl looks at me with her red, puffy eyes. The ones that just leaked tears. She feigns a smile. I return the smile. Even though both our emotions are fake. We still give each other a real laugh. Her laugh...

Her wonderful laugh.

I sometimes wonder why she keeps it to herself. Her beautiful laugh. There were many times. Hell even now! Where I just want to go up to her and hug her, tell her grateful I am. Tell her I love her, but no. We both don't have those feeling towards each other. I only love her as my sister. She thinks of me as a brother. I want to keep it like that. She vents her feelings through a cigarette. I drown in them.

I breathe out, letting the smoke ascend.

She opens her mouth to talk. She speaks with her beautiful voice. That voice that can free me from my emotional jail. I recall what she told me over a text. That i'm her most trusted friend. I chuckle at the thought. She looks at me questioningly. I tell her about the time we met. The time me and another friend left school early. Specifically Homecoming. She smiles. Two months, and here we are. Best Friends. We've told each other secrets. The reason we're even here is because we just had an emotional episode at her house.

Even as I look at Annabeth, as she withdraws the cigarette from her mouth. I feel the need to hug her. TO THANK HER! To just tell her how important she is to me. SCREW EVERYTHING ELSE. This lovely girl in front of me. This girl in front of me smoking a cigarette, in the chilly night. The night of November. This very night. Marks about the 55 days we've known each other. That faithful day. The day me, Piper and her crush Leo; were sitting on his steps. When Annabeth walked by. Leo and Piper were friends with her. Hell if it wasn't for Piper asking me to ditch, I would've never met her. Thanks Pipes.

Nothing could ruin this moment. The girl in front of me passing me the cigarette. Breathe in. I once again let the smoke escape my mouth. I watch it.

The girl in front of me. She is the reason. She is my new reason. She is my anchor. She will be my angel, and also my devil.

I just hope...

To never find her scars of her blade...

To never look under her sweatshirt's sleeve...

And find that opening in her beautiful pale skin...

Annabeth closes her eyes. I stare at her while I let the cigarette's front burn close to my fingers. I give her the cigarette. She finishes it.

We feel calmer. More at ease. Relaxed.

We start to depart. As she turns. I hug her from behind. I feel her tense up. I whisper to her. "Thank you for being there, good night." I let go of her. She tells me she'll always be there. I run back to my apartment. I stop in front of the school. I look at her retreating figure. She also stops. We look at each other.

I don't know about her, but I smiled.