Ok, a very well placed review caused me to rethink a little bit and expand. (Thanks Zoe Nightshade) This is the edited and expanded version of my first chapter. I'm also re-editing my next chapter, but I won't update until I have 10 reviews!

It started like this.

On the last day of the semester, I was depressed. Yes, I know, winter break, holidays, fun. But Annabeth... I hadn't spoken to her since the end of camp. I had sent her any messages, because I thought she must have a reason for ignoring me. I mean, Annabeth's a reasonable person, right?

I walked into my living room, looked around, and had an idea. Paper and a pencil were on the table, I decided I was going to use them.

"Dear Annabeth—no, no—Hey Annabeth. Um, ok. So just to tell you, I'm saying what I think and not going back on it. Here goes. I...I don't know why you haven't written to me, or IM'd me, or called me. Did I do something to make you mad? Are you just busy? Has your mom forbidden you to talk to me or something? Please contact me as soon as you get this. Love—no, why the heck did I write that—From, Seaweed Brain, aka Percy Jackson." I collapsed on the couch.

Just then, my mom came in. "What's wrong, Percy?" She sounded like she thought I was sick. I pointed at my letter. She picked it up, confused. "What—?" As she read the letter, an expression of understanding came over her. With a big smile, she put the letter down and went to her room.

**********************

I was so excited. Winter break had finally come! Everything was planned out. I would go to Olympus for a couple of days to check on the progress that had been made, then to camp for a day to see everyone there. After that, I was going home to San Fransisco for a week and a half.

Or so I thought.

"Ms. Chase?" My math teacher stopped me as I was leaving. I turned to her, surprised. "you have a phone call," she said, "from a Ms. Jackson." Oh my gods, Ms. Jackson! Something's happened to Percy!

"Where's the phone?" I spoke so urgently my teacher looked shocked.

"Um, right this way." As I walked a wave of emotions washed over me, with worry at the forefront. As soon as I saw the phone I ran to it.

"Hello?"

"Annabeth," Ms. Jackson said, "I need your help. Percy's missing."

I froze. "What are you talking about?" Then, "Percy?" I muttered, "He's such a Seaweed Brain, and now he's gone!" I didn't want to believe her. That Seaweed Brain had disappeared.

"He didn't come home from school yesterday, and I've looked every where that he might have gone. Except for camp, but that's why I need you. Maybe you can try to IM him, seeing as I can't."

"I'm coming straight to you place. Be there in ten minutes."

I left the building and hailed a taxi. As I rode, I thought about Percy's kidnapping. Who would have done it? Kronos was gone, the other titans were staying low, and enemy half-bloods that had survived knew better than to attempt anything, since their cause was lost. And why? Why would anyone want to kidnap Percy? It couldn't be a regular mortal, doing it for money, because the Jackson didn't have much. I decided to ask Percy more about it when I spoke with him, to see if he had any ideas.

Finally, the taxi pulled up in front of Percy's small house. I paid the driver and went to knock on the door. Ms. Jackson answered looking very concerned. "Annabeth, thank goodness you're here. Come on inside, I made some hot chocolate. I had to do something to calm my nerves."

"Thanks Ms. Jackson." I followed her inside and she gave me a cup of hot chocolate. I drank a sip, but my ADHD was kicking in and I wanted to get something done. "Do you have any clues as to where he might be?"

"No, only what I told you over the phone."

"Okay, well, let's set up an IM so I can talk to him." Ms. Jackson lead me over to the kitchen sink, which had a window behind it. I realized something. "Do you have any drachmas? Mine are in my suitcase."

"No, but Percy had some on his dresser. You can run get one."

I went toward Percy's room, but stopped just outside the door. After a moment of indecision, I opened the door and went in.

It was exactly as I would have expected. The walls showed the color of the sea on a blue day, and around the room I saw the Minotaur horn, a souvenir from Hoover Dam, and other various things Percy had found in his quests. I spotted the dresser, with a few drachmas on it, and went to get one. As I left, I looked down, and stopped when I saw my name. A letter was lying on the floor, addressed to me, so I picked it up.

Hey Annabeth. I almost frowned. He pretty much never just called me "Annabeth."

Um, ok. So just to tell you, I'm saying what I think and not going back on it. Typical Seaweed Brain. Doesn't think before he speaks.

Here goes. I...I don't know why you haven't written to me, or IM'd me, or called me. (He stuttered on paper?) I began to realize what this was about.

Did I do something to make you mad? No, Seaweed Brain, it's all my fault.

Has your mom forbidden you to talk to me or something? No, but I was half expecting her to.

Are you just busy? Well, yeah...but that was no excuse not to talk to my best friend! And now he was missing and I might never see him again!

Please contact me as soon as you get this. You can be sure I will!

From, Seaweed Brain, aka Percy Jackson

As I finished it, I realized how upset I would be if I never saw Percy again. With all of the other campers that had gone over the summer, I had mourned, and then put them at the back of my mind, not to be forgotten, but not at the forefront of my thoughts. Without Percy, I would never be the same. He had helped me out when I had almost given up hope, whether it was four years ago when he got his quest, two years ago when I had been trapped under the sky and felt like I was going to die, last year when he saved me in the volcano, or even this past summer, helping immensely with defeating Kronos, as he held the spirit of a true leader. He was my best friend, and no one was going to keep me from him.

I looked over the letter again, and something caught my eye. Underneath the word "From," another word was imprinted, as though it had been written there, but then erased. I looked closer, trying to decipher it.

When I did, I almost fainted.

Ok, a little bit OOC, but we'll work on that! R&R PLEASE!