All Annabeth knew was that her head was about to split open. She thought it was just a headache, but now it needed some attention. It felt like a hangover, but ten times worse. Her alarm clock read 6:45, too early for a Sunday. Up, out of bed and into the kitchen she went. Searching her cabinets in vain for Advil, she swore. It wasn't that she didn't have the stuff, she got headaches every so often, she must have run out and not replaced it. She would have to pick some up. Grumbling, she grabbed her purse and phone and got in her car to head off to the nearest drug store.

Had she been in her right mind set, she wouldn't have driven past it. Her headache seemed to explode with her anger at missing her stop. She took a couple breathes and the pounding subdued. Driving on, Annabeth noticed a smaller, family owned store that she had never been to before. Pulling into a parking spot, she made sure it was open. It was.

"Hallelujah," she called, not really caring. Walking into the store, she quickly located the drug isle. Glancing up and down, she figured out which deal was the best price (at least she could still do math), Annabeth grabbed one bottle of Advil. As she left the isle and turned the corner to try and find her way back to the front, a sign caught her attention.

In front of red boxes were the words 'Buy one get one half off!' Coca-Cola© actually sounded really good to her brain. Annabeth usually never drank a lot of soda, but her mind was screaming, "LOOK CAFFEINE, AND IT'S ON SALE!" She put two packs into her basket and aimed for the checkout. There were only two registers; at one was an older woman and at the other was a boy that looked her age.

Yeah, she should have gone over to the nice-looking lady who had no one in her line, but in her hazy state, she kind of gravitated towards the people. Not to mention that normally she would have noticed the guy was decently attractive. She also would have noticed that she was in sweats and T-shirt with her hair thrown up in a bun and probably become quite self-conscious. But Annabeth didn't notice. She was happily content that her head wasn't combusting.

Annabeth stepped into line behind three other people. She was really out of it because she didn't even notice that she was next and the guy was already talking to her.

"Oh yeah that's a good deal. Coke tastes the best in the morning, I think." the cashier said. He was wearing a turquoise polo shirt and khaki pants, obviously the uniform colors. On his shirt was a name tag that read, 'Need any help? Hi, I'm...' She couldn't read after that, her headache wasn't helping her dyslexia. He had black, tussled hair that looked in-between styled and bedhead. Probably the latter. Then she noticed his eyes, which were currently focused on her purchases. They were a brilliant green. There was no way to describe them, but it left Annabeth startled. After she realized she hadn't answered him, she refocused.

"Hmm? Yeah, I guess." she agreed lazily. She set her items on the counter.

"You should try the cherry, it's actually really good."

"Okay."

"What's your favorite kind?"

Deciding the he was just too chatty at 7:00 in the morning, her brain decided to retort.

"Would you just check me out." she said angrily.

The guy had the nerve to smirk. She closed her eyes and smacked herself in the head as she felt her cheeks flush. You couldn't blame her, she was a little confuzzeled. Confuzzled? Really?

"I'm sorry. I have a giant migraine and I'm not thinking very clearly."

"No, no. It's fine. I would be happy to check you out, except I already have." he winked. Annabeth groaned internally. She was so not in the mood for this. She looked at the magazines while he (finally) checked her stuff. This was the longest trip of her life.

"That will be $17.39."

"Hmm? Oh, here."

She handed him the money. Exact change. Math again. He printing the receipt and circled her savings.

"You saved $3.61, come again soon! Hope the coke helps!"

The easiness and friendliness in which he spoke to her, as if they hadn't met only today, made Annabeth a bit uncomfortable.

"Yeah, thanks." she grabbed her bags and he handed her the receipt. She probably wouldn't be coming back to this store. It was like that comic she'd seen online. The one where the guy at the checkout handed the person their food and they said, "Enjoy your meal." and the person replied with, "Yeah, you too." and they think, "I can never come here again." Yeah, so she felt like that, a little crazy and a bit more than annoyed.

As she walked out of the store, she double-checked her receipt to make sure he had rung everything up right. She didn't need some guy cheating her in her unstable state. Annabeth noticed writing at the bottom of the flimsy paper.

"What the?" she said out loud.

Get well soon. -Percy :)

"Unbelievable." she thought. She was never going back. Annabeth wouldn't admit it at the time, but she found it kind of endearing. The fact that a complete stranger cared enough to try and make her day better. "So his name was Percy?" she thought. She might've smiled. But then again she was a little delusional.

She took two pills when she got home. Better safe than sorry, she believed. If it got really bad she could take more later. She popped a can of coke and sighed as the taste hit home. As her head cleared a bit, she realized that she had indeed bought two cases of Coke. She would never drink it all. She taped the receipt to the unopened one, deciding she wasn't ready to go back to the store just yet. After the craziness of the morning, she was ready for a nap. Curling up with her favorite blanket, Annabeth fell asleep.