A/N: So, I've started a new story. summary: Annabeth returns to New York after two years in San Francisco. Percy, her best friend has just broken up with Rachel and starts to realize his feelings for Annabeth. Only, Luke thinks he loves Annabeth, too (in the later chapters). So what does Annabeth do? Read more to find out. And.. REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO.. Rick Riordan does.. and he won't give it to me..yet.

I looked around the New York airport, searching for anyone I recognised. I was nervous. I was gonna meet my mother, Athena, after 2 years and would be staying with her..and I was nervous. But that was how it had always been. She was always busy with work(she owned a large chain of bookstores and schools all over the country), was rich, famous, and could almost never make time for me. It had been the same for with my dad. It was why my parents had divorced when I was five.

Flashback

"I have to focus on my career!" Athena screamed.

"At the cost of forgetting your family?" Frederick yelled back.

They had these arguments daily. Athena would always go on trips and was never around for dad or me. One day it was just too much and Frederick had decided to leave. With me. Athena protested but gave in. They had a divorce and I went to live with dad. A couple of years later he remarried and his wife, although not too close to me, helped me get through life the way a mother would.

End of flashback

We'd moved to San Francisco a couple of years ago, when dad had got a job he really wanted. Now, I'd come to New York because he would be going on this world tour for Aviation Mechanisms(the company he worked for) with his family for a year. I could not go since I had high school, so as a last resort I had come to New York. I'd stay with my mother and go to school.

Anyway, at the airport, I was expecting a chauffeur to pick me up but imagine my surprise when someone else turned up and gave me a big hug. I was about to karate chop the person into bits until I noticed who it was.

"Thalia!" I exclaimed. "You didn't tell me you were gonna come!"

"I wanted to give you a surprise," she explained. "After all I am your best friend!" I smiled at that. We've been best friends ever since we met as kids. We even went to the same camp.

Guess, I didn't tell you about the camp. Well, basically, it was just a summer camp, "Camp Half-Blood", where we learned seriously cool Greek stuff, like swordfighting, horseriding, mythology and even the language. Thalia and I had been going since we were both eight.

"Come on!" Thalia said, steering me towards a car, "Let's go to my house!"

"Um, actually, Thalia," I faltered because I really wanted to go with her, "I have to go to my mom's house."

It seemed like she'd expected it. "Well, you can come later, right?" She asked.

"If Zeus doesn't mind," I teased. Her dad, Zeus, owned a big airplane company or something.

She rolled her eyes, "You know he doesn't care. At least let me give you a ride." I frowned. My mother had probably sent someone for me. "I've already talked to your mother," she added, seeing my expression.

"Sure," I agreed as I followed her towards her car, a Mercedes. 'Since when do you drive?" I demanded wistfully.

"I'm a little older than you, Annabeth," she reminded me. I still had 3 months to go for my sixteenth birthday. Thalia had turned sixteen last month.

"I know," I said, "let's go."

Page Break

Thalia and I were neighbors. We lived in this colony where everyone's parents had been named after a Greek god. They were all successful in their god counterparts' fields. It was kinda weird but once you get used to it, it seems pretty normal.

Coming to my mother's house, I was surprised to find her at home. She was just heading out for another of her business meetings.

When I arrived, she glared at me as if she'd been waiting. "What took so long?" she asked. "Traffic," I explained.

"I don't understand why you couldn't have come by my private jet," she muttered. "Its free for the evening and is much less troublesome." Well, maybe I like to be normal sometimes, I thought to myself. Aloud, I said nothing.

"Well, the butler's got the 3rd floor prepared for you. You can go unpack," she added before heading out. "Nice to see you,too," I muttered under my breath.

Did I mention how enormous the house was? It was elegant, too, but not really according to my taste.

The butler, Harry, led me to my room, er, floor, and I have to admit it wasn't that bad. I actually kinda liked it because it wasn't as expensively furnished as the rest of the house and it was exactly the way I'd left it last time.

Unpacking took rest of the afternoon. I was really tired, so as soon as I was done I fell on the bed. I decided to call my other best friend, Percy Jackson.

"Hello?" He sounded groggy. I wonder if he had been sleeping.

"Seaweed Brain, are you still drooling in your sleep?" I teased.

"Huh? How did you know I was asleep?" He demanded.

"I am your best friend, give me some credit. By the way, I'm back in New York."

"What? You didn't tell me! I'll come over right now! Are you at home?"

"Slow down, seaweed brain. I'll see you later. I'm really tired, right now, so I'm gonna sleep. Thought I'd surprise you."

"You did! Its the best news I've received all month!"

I yawned. "You'd better sleep, Wise girl. Meet me whenever you can. We've got a lot of catching up to do," He said.

"Sure," I mumbled, "see you later, Seaweed Brain."

"See ya," he said.

And so, I cut the phone and slept.

That night, I had dinner with my mom. She acted like it was no big deal, as if we did this everyday, but it felt kinda strange to me, sitting at opposite ends of the huge dining table.

She informed me that school started next week and since today was thursday, I decided it was time enough to explore the nearby areas. She was also giving me a car (that, too, a BMW!) but since I couldn't drive, it would just sit in the garage.

"Oh, and," she added casually, "We have to go to a party tomorrow."

"Not another corporate party," I groaned. I hated them.

"Yes, it is a business party of mine," she said icily.

"But why do I have to go?" I demanded.

"Because," she said, "you're my daughter and you need to learn how these things work. And this one is really important."

"But-"

She cut me off before I could even begin, "You will go. Because I said so."

"Fine!" I snapped in anger. "And go shopping for some decent clothes with Aphrodite," she added. Aphrodite, her sister, was a famous fashion designer.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" I protested. I was basically a jeans-and-t-shirt type of person, but it wasn't like I did not wear other clothes.

"There's nothing wrong specifically, but you need to be entirely presentable," she told me. Yeah, right. As if I wasn't already presentable enough.

"I- " I started to speak but, again, I didn't get the chance.

"Its just for the party. Do it for me, Annabeth. Please," she sighed, and left the table before I could begin to comprehend what she had said.

A/N: So, what do you think? REVIEW and tell me. 5 reviews and I'll upload the next chapter.