I do not own Percy Jackson and the book series' characters

Annabeth-

How could my life be so miserable and misfortunate to run into the one and only Perseus Jackson. Ugh, during school, too! Meaning I can't get away from him.

"Annabeth! Wait up!" I heard Piper yell behind me.

"Am I so misfortunate that I cannot even go into school, practically the only thing I'm good at, in peace? It's not like I barge into anyone else's territory!" I yell, back at her. I was frustrated by this boy… this Seaweed Brain because of something that shouldn't even bother me! But it did! And I don't know why! And that's what frustrated me most! I don't understand! Finally, Piper caught up to me.

"Can you please explain what happened? Why are you soaked in water and food?" She asked, grabbing my forearm, causing me to stop walking.

"That insolent boy! Perseus happened!"

"Normally, you'd brush it off! Why so different?" I don't know what, but I think something in my eyes gave her something. "Oh."

"What?"

"You like him, don't you?"

"Like him?" I scoffed, "Like him? Never in several eons will I like that boy! In fact, I hate him! I hate Perseus Jackson!"

"Please. You'd brush it off if you hated him, like you do with Clarisse!" She pointed out.

Right, let me explain. I'm Annabeth Chase. And I've been going on about a guy. His name is Perseus [Percy] Jackson.

And with all of my soul, I hate him.

•Flashback•

I was just having a normal school day, until I bumped into him. Perseus. He had sea-green eyes, my favourite shade. It reminded me of the ocean. He was putting his hand through his jet-black hair. Did I like it? To admit, it did look like a good combination. Just not on him. I wasn't a new student, but I can tell he was.

"Hey!" We both said, standing up and dusting ourselves off.

"Watch where you're going!" He said, I picked up my books.

"You watch where you're going!" I said.

"What?! I was watching where I stepped!"

"If it weren't for you running in the halls, then we wouldn't have a problem! I was watching where I stepped! You were reckless!" I accused. I shoved past him and continued off to my next class.

~*~
I then saw him again in Greek. I mentally groaned. Out of all people! During my favourite period, I had to be with him?!

"Ah, Perseus Jackson, you will be partnered up with Annabeth Chase," Mr. Brunner said, gesturing for me to go to him, so I did. "She is my best student, today, we'll be doing debates, in Greek. I'm sure she'll help you through it." He said, leaving me and him. I went to my seat, he followed and sat on the chair next to mine. "Everyone, stand and begin!" He instructed, we stood up.

"I can't believe you're still upset after just bumping into each other." He said, in Greek. The whole time, we spoke in Greek.

"Me? Upset? Rumours spread fast. I'm not upset about that, Perseus. You think you have everyone under your spell. Not me. You're little charade won't work on me."

"I don't understand."

"You have everyone wrapped around your finger. Every girl falling for you. Every boy wishing they were you. But you'll never have me fooled!"

"You sound like a paranoid freak!"

"Paranoid?! Excuse me for getting into this school fair and square! I know you're rich. I know you've been kicked out of a bunch of schools for bad behaviour and bad grades! Put them together, Seaweed Brain!"

"Seaweed Brain?"

"It means instead of having a brain, you know that place where your brain's supposed to be? It's full of Seaweed."

"At least I'm not a smart-aleck!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Enough, everyone!" Mr. Brunner said, and we were back to English. "Class Dismissed." Everyone rushed out for lunch. I was minding my own business with my friends when Grover comes up with him.

"Guys, this is Percy. Percy, this is Jason, Leo, Thalia, Nico, Piper, Hazel, Frank and Annabeth." I stood up,

"You." He said,

"You." I glared daggers at him. One thing led to another and we got in an argument.

"At least I'm real! Not plastic!" I said,

"As if! I bet you're just a pathetic loser!" I was a little hurt by that. Getting ready to leave, I got my tray. I didn't want to deal with it. I'd rather eat in the library alone.

"Loser? Look who's talking!" He then took my tray and pushed in onto me, food and water getting all over me. Ooos and ahhhs came from everywhere and I put down what was left of the tray, got my bag and stormed out.

•••

"Tell them I'm sick or something, because no way am I going back there ever again!" I said, Piper sighed and left and I got home, and ran up to my room. Humiliated. In front of every one of my schoolmates and friends. How can I ever bring myself to ever go back there? I locked my door. I changed out of my dirty clothing and put on a brown tank top and put on a brown sweater over it. I changed out of my jeans, only to put a clean pair on. There was a knock on my door.

"Annabeth honey?" My step-mother. She was sweet and all. We got along quite well, but she just wasn't enough to replace my mom. "Can you open up and tell me what happened?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not up to that." I said, quietly, my voice shaking.

"Something happened, honey."

"Just some guy brought trouble and all… I know this is irrational but can I take some time off school? I promise my grades won't slip and−"

"You don't need to promise anything, honey. I'll call them now and tell them you're ill. But you do know that you will have to go back there, right?"

"I know. And I will. Once I'm ready." I heard footsteps getting quieter and quieter, meaning she must've left.

Thank goodness. A tear slipped out and I quickly wiped it away. Stay Strong, don't be weak, Annabeth. I told myself.

Sometimes, you need to have a good cry, darling. My mother once told me. But I wouldn't fall for that.

But I let myself lie down, and go to sleep.

Percy-

After school, I had to admit, I felt a little guilty about it. No one deserved to be humiliated in front of the entire school.

But still, everyone was giving me a pat on the back. I felt good. Well, everyone except for her friends, who were staring daggers at me. I guess they knew why she would act like that. They understood her. But I didn't and she didn't give me a chance. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't stand there and take it. I'd have a reputation as a wimp. But now… to them I have a reputation of being a douche.

I guess all that matters is one question only I can answer: Was it worth it?

Honestly, my ego thinks so. She had it coming. She was being mean. But then again, something about her seemed off. More on the defence than on the offense. Like something was taken for her and her reputation here, her friends, were all she had left. And she just didn't want me to take it all away. She was defending her territory. Her home. Maybe I was wrong about her.

Maybe she didn't deserve it and she's misunderstood. By me. The new student.

"Dam right she didn't deserve it." Her friend said, Thalia? "She lost something and someone important to her. This was all she had. She was just afraid you'd take it away. She wasn't always like that, though. But it's happened to most of us. Some ignore her, some hate her, some end up being her best friends and get to know the real her." She said, looking me in the eyes. Now, I felt bad. No one deserved what I just did. I just made a horrible mistake.

She was just being protective of what was hers. And I just humiliated her in front the whole school.

"Question is, which one will you be?" Thalia asked me and left with the rest of her friends. I need to apologize.

I made it a goal to do tomorrow. Once I see her. But she never came. I waited and waited but she never came. I didn't see her at lunch, or Greek, or anytime. What have I done?

Annabeth-

Minutes passed, minutes turned to hours, hours to days. I knew I couldn't avoid it forever and Friday came. I woke up and changed into jeans, black boots, a button up white shirt and a magenta sweater over it. My hair in a ponytail, I got my bag and made my way to school.

Suddenly, the tables have turned. My friends with Perseus. I'm alone. As I walked the halls, people made fun of me.

"You got a little something." Some said, pointing to their heads and torso. "You need some tissue? It seems like you got yourself food issue." More said, and my oh-so-favourite. "Food girl." I, Annabeth Chase, was a laughing stock. I sighed. I knew it would be like this for the whole year and that I would just have to deal with it. But, I don't know if I can. I've lost so much in my life. My relationship with my mother, my mother, and then my father right after. My father eventually stopped caring about me after my mother died. Just thinking about it… I knew I shouldn't take it so hard, so personally, but I couldn't help myself. I was lost. I practically didn't have a family, my friends were all I had. This school was like my home.

I tightened my grip on my books that I held to my chest. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying and falling apart because that would do nothing to get my friends and the school back. I don't know how I felt. I guess, I felt…numb… in one way or another. I didn't have anything anymore. I needed someone. Someone who I could spill this all too and whoever that was would keep it a secret. I sighed again. I'm too unlucky for that to happen.

Someone grabbed onto my forearm and caused me to sop walking, I got out of the grip to her it was him.

"What do you want?" I said, softly, and I saw his eyes soften.

"An apology."

"From me? No way."

"No. I want to give you mine. What I did was un-called for, stupid and out of hand. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. But it wouldn't do much. Look around, Seaweed Brain. Sorry won't do anything. I'll be the laughing stock until the end of the academic year." I said as one passed by calling me Food Girl.

"Knock it off." Percy said to the school mate, who just scoffed.

"Face it, I'm ruined. A lost cause that nobody cares for. Just go hang out with my old friends, I can make it." I said, "I don't really care." I murmured, and turned around, he blocked my way. "Move."

"I care. You're not a lost cause. Not to me. Not to your friends."

"Sometimes, things are meant to be understood as what they seem to be. This is one of those things. It seems I am a lost cause. So, I am."

"It doesn't seem like that to me."

"Why? Why doesn't it? Why do you, out of all people, care so much?"

"Because it seems that I care. So, I do." Why, though? I asked myself. "Look, I understand what you were doing. You were just trying to keep what was yours. You were threatened." I had to give the guy some credit. Anyways, it was only right to forgive him. Perhaps I should apologize too.

"It was wrong for me to say what I did. So, I'm sorry, too. But sometimes, you have to learn, sorry doesn't do much." I said, walking away. And he let me.

I think there's hope for us to be friends. And I guess that's one thing I needed.