Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, I was actually debating whether to put this in third person POV, or in first person POV. And I finally thought of the right plot, but for the first five chapters please enjoy reading six-year-old Percy and Annabeth:) I made them younger a bit.

~To the 412 people who have already viewed my story, I have to say that nothing new happened here, I just rewrote the chapters in the third person POV, but I did made some changes, so I don't know if you might get bored reading this or if you want to see the changes I made, well go ahead.

Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan and I don't own this story. I won't say this again.

Today, I will walk in the rain,

So that no one can see my tears falling.

Tomorrow, I will lock myself in my room,

So that no one can see that I'm dying.

Dark, cloudy, and crowded with people walking down the street. This is the perfect way to describe this happy day in New York.

Rain was falling down heavily, covering every inch of dirt on the ground. The clouds casted a dark blanket all over the dark sky. Muddy water splashed every time a car droves fast. People in rain coats and umbrellas rushed pass against the strong winds blowing heavily, knocking the leaves off trees and umbrellas off their hands. Just another busy day for the people with jobs and businesses.

A kid, no more than six years old, carried his little feet across the sidewalk. His messy, jet-black hair was wet, while his chubby little arms tried to cover his small body from getting drenched. He has huge, green eyes, shrouded by dark eyelashes and really chubby cheeks with dimples on the sides of his rosy lips. He definitely didn't look like a homeless kid living in the streets.

Percy was frustrated. He hated walking down the crowded street and almost being trampled by these strangers. He hated having to pull his jacket tighter every time it slips from his meaty arms. He hated being alone in the heavy rain. He hated how the air has drenched his raven hair and made it even more messier. He most definitely hated not having his mum walk him on the way to his job.

And by job, he means being a "pretend" assistant to his friend down the block, not a real profitable job. He was pretty sure his mummy would scold him and never allow him to go to "work" again if ever she finds out about his secret. But he loved his "job". Times are tight and sometimes his "boss" actually gives him a dollar or two. But most especially, it's the only way he could get out of the house and escape the beatings from his stepfather, smelly Gabe. It's summer and school doesn't start until tomorrow. He was pretty sure he would be a six-years-old-on-a-stick by the time that comes.

Don't get me wrong, Percy hated school. He doesn't have any friends and all the teachers dislike him because of his dyslexia and ADHD. Not to mention that he isn't exactly the sweetest little angel in his class. Yep, school was even more torturous than his mummy making him finish his vegetables off his plate. He sighed, there was nothing he wouldn't do than just be home with his mum right now.

Unfortunately, his mum was busy working her head off selling candy at the candy shop downtown, while his smelly stepdad will be slacking his butt off in their tiny apartment. Ever since smelly Gabe came to the picture, his life suddenly just stunk. Literally. His stepdad would leave cigars, empty beer cans and empty pizza boxes cluttered around the floor, making the whole place smell like a dead rat. Hence, he gave him the nickname "smelly".

He usually throws food at Percy when his mummy weren't looking, and takes away all the allowance mum gives him. Sometimes, he even tried to sell Percy to their neighbor next door by making him stand on the lawn while holding a sign "10 bucks for the little monster". His mum had to pick Percy up some random house and give the ten dollars back. Smelly Gabe said he didn't know what the sign said. Percy tried to get back by putting hot sauce in his pants, but he would only get beat up again. If only someone would buy smelly Gabe, Percy thought, he'd sell him for free!

So, he continued walking down the street no matter how dangerous it was for a little kid. A few blocks ahead, a large, stone-grey building stood, with large windows and two big doors shaped like an arc in the middle. The logo, a smiling sun, was carved on top of the doors. The sign below it, "Sunshine music Industries, where music comes to life", was written in huge gold letters. Percy wasn't really appreciative of architecture, but the building gave him happy thoughts, especially after living in a run-down apartment all his life.

As he reached the front, He stood on tiptoes to reach the handles. He hadn't had his growth spurt yet, and he could barely push the doors open. When he finally got inside, he noticed all the people rushing around the lobby. His "boss" was the manager of a music company, and all these music hopefuls filled the building every summer. The lobby was a simple, white room, with a few sofas on the left and a desk on the right.

He made his way through and was able to reach the front desk. A tall and pretty woman carrying an Ipad was busy talking to the phone while she greeted the clients. When she saw Percy, her eyes gleamed. Percy took off his jacket and placed it in a rack.

"Hello Mellie!" he greeted.

"Percy! There you are! Oh, quick, Apollo needs your help. I'm too busy with these phone calls to cater his needs. Please help him-" she stopped whatever she was going to say as the phone rang again. Percy took his cue and started to shuffle out of the lobby.

He entered Apollo's office, a small room with a desk in the middle, wherein Apollo was seated behind it. Apollo is in his twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes. He has this dazzling smile that he uses to pick up girls, which Percy thinks is gross. But more or less, he is way more nicer than his smelly stepfather, Gabe.

Apollo smiles at Percy as he enters, "Hey, kiddo, what's up? High five!" the six-years-old was too short to slap his hand."Too slow." Apollo grins as he moves his hand away.

Percy smiles wildly. " Mellie says I could help!"

"Hmmm...Well, I guess I could ask you this, but...no, it's too hard." Apollo frowns at the thought.

Percy starts to jump up and down. "Please! Please! Please! Mr. Apollo, I want to help!"

"Weeelll...Okay, fine, but listen closely." Apollo picks up something from his desk. "And you have to promise to deliver this back safely." He stops.

"Yes, I can! What is it?" Percy asked.

"I need you to..." Apollo hands him the mug. "Go get me some coffee." he says.

Percy grins happily. "Will do!" He starts skipping out the office.

"And don't get to any trouble!" Apollo shouts after him.

I was told to never play with fire,

but one touch and I lit up in flames.

I was told never to swim in deep waters,

but I'll swim the ocean just to see your face.

Percy skipped through the hall, counting out loudly the number of tiles he has skipped.

"One, two, three!" he jumped to the orange tile in front of him. He was very happy he managed to avoid all those lines. Just ten more tiles and he would reach the kitchen, where he would be able to complete his quest. He began to skip again.

He was about to reach the fifth tile when he stopped in his tracks. The long hallway was deserted, in which he only living thing there was Percy and the potted plant near the door. Weirdly, a sound, soft and melodious, yet very haunting, came from the music room.

Someone was playing the piano.

Curious, Percy stopped skipping, his quest forgotten, and started to tiptoe towards the door. It was closed, so Percy opened it slightly to get a peek. It was dark and Percy has to squint his huge eyes to get the image clearly.

A girl, probably his age, was seated at the chair placed in front of the huge, black, grand piano. All the other instruments where idly sitting on the sides. The girl has blond hair, which curled like a princess at the tip. She faced the piano, away from Percy's sight. He wondered what she was doing there.

The music flowed softly, with notes flying in the air, like a little bird taking flight for the first time. Percy could almost imagine the notes flowing from the piano, bumping each other in perfect harmony. A cacophony of emotions followed the notes, like a firework bursting with many different colors.

Staring with his mouth forming a perfect little "o", Percy could feel the melody in the song, and there was no denying the talent of the girl. The sound gave off the balance of happiness and sadness. Happy, as the sound reminded Percy of the songs his mother tells him at night. Sad, because it was clear it tells the story of a heartbreak, as the girl's fingers traced the keys of the piano softly, almost caressing the face of a lost loved one.

Percy was really, really sad when she stopped.

Trying to not get noticed, Percy shuffled backwards, but his feet hit something hard. The potted plant. he stumbled backwards, tripping over the pot and dropping the mug. It shattered into a million pieces.

"Hey! Who's there!"

Percy tried to pick up the pieces, but it only scratched his meaty hands. He decided to just drop everything and run away, back to the lobby. Unfortunately, a young, girly voice spoke above him.

"What are you doing?"

The girl, with long, blond and curly hair stood before him. She was the same age as him, six, and she was scowling so hard, her eyebrows were starting to join together. She has tanned skin, and rosy cheeks that makes her look prettier, if it weren't for the huge frown on her face.

"I was just picking up these glass." Percy tried to look innocent but was cut off when a voice shouted behind him.

Apollo was walking towards them, a few meters away. He looked worried and at the same time a little frustrated.

"What are you kids doing there?"

We stare at each other, then we shook hands.

I smiled at the thought, as we are now friends.

But the word that my brain has given,

My heart decided to change completely.

The girl, which Percy still didn't know who, looked scared. Apparently, she was smart enough to realize what is happening. Percy was still sitting on the floor when the girl grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards the other end of the corridor. She ran fast, with Percy almost tripping on the way out.

"Come on! We're gonna get in trouble!" She yelled as they went to the fire exit. The girl easily grabbed the handle, as she was taller than Percy. He didn't like it one bit that a girl was taller than him.

They went down the stairs, which Percy thought was very dangerous, and his mummy would definitely kill him when she finds out. Okay, maybe not, his mum was way too nice. But he would definitely have to endure the sad look on her face, and that would kill him.

They managed to reach the end of the staircase and into the back of the building. He definitely didn't like walking here. The place was absolutely deserted and trash were littered across the ground. The dumpster smelled, but not as much as Gabe, with the weeks trash piled inside. Percy didn't feel happy at all they were here. He wished he had just gotten caught with the girl by Apollo.

Speaking of the girl, she started glaring at him again, "Why were you spying on me?" She put her hands on her hips.

"I was not." Percy pouted. "I was just wondering why someone was playing the piano that Apollo told me not to." He said innocently.

The girl huffed at him, the stuck out her tongue. "That's none of you business!" she turned and started to walk away. Percy decided to do the most logical thing, for him, and follow her. His foot got caught up in one of the trash and he fell face first to the ground. The girl turned.

"Are you that clumsy?" She said as she pulled him up. "At least you got punished from eavesdropping."

"But you play really good!" He said truthfully.

The girl's face was suddenly shocked, her eyebrows raised excitedly.

"Really?"

"Really."

She blushed and smiled. A real smile. She looked really pretty, and Percy didn't miss that. He stared at the girl in awe for a while. The girl seemed to really like the compliment.

"Do you want to be my friend?" Asked the girl, her eyes waiting for an answer.

Percy pouted. "But my mum told me it's a big 'no-no' to talk to strangers."

The girl pondered for a while, lost in thought. Percy imagined a chariot being pulled by a little pony inside her head. Then the chariot stopped. The girl smiled widely. She led out her hand towards Percy.

"I'm Annabeth Chase, I'm from California!" She grinned happily.

Percy smiled wildly too, his cheeks getting chubbier. "I'm Percy!"

They shook hands, two little kids being friends for the first time, not knowing the story that lies ahead.

"Where did you learn to play the piano?"

When your hand touches the piano,

the stars come down to hear you play.

But when your hand touches mine,

I no longer have any words to say.

The two six-year-olds happily walked together. Annabeth and Percy held hands as they made their way again in front of the building.

They completely forgot the trouble they were in.

"What is the meaning of all this?" Apollo, looking tired was standing in the doorway, looking down at the two kids. He was holding the broken pieces of his mug.

Percy, flustered, stared at his shoes, wondering how to get out of trouble when Annabeth raised their hands that was still connected. "He's my friend!" she said cheerfully.

Apollo smiled at her. "Hey there! you better hurry, your mom's looking for you." Annabeth frowned at Apollo, but she grinned again.

"Okay! Come on, Percy!" She pulled him even before Apollo could protest. They walked back into the lobby. It was still full of people. A tall, Asian woman with red hair and white dress was standing among the crowd, near some other people who were probably her relatives.

"Annabeth! Where are you? It's time to go home!" She looked around the crowd. Percy pointed at the woman.

"Is that your mum?" He asked Annabeth.

"Yes." She said, but instead of going to her direction, she pulled Percy behind a potted plant, and started making their way back to the hallway.

"Why doesn't she look like you?" Percy asked, but Annabeth ignored him. They continued walking until they got out of the lobby and into the deserted hallway. She turned to him.

"Last one to the piano is a rotten egg!" And before Percy could react, she bolted across the hall. After a few seconds of staring, Percy ran after her. When he got inside the music room, Annabeth was already sitting in front of the piano, grinning triumphantly.

"Ha, you lose! Beat you again, slow poke!" she stuck out her tongue, Percy did the same as he bent. Percy was still panting when Annabeth pulled him beside her. She started playing the piano

She moved her fingers on the keys again and music started flowing across the room. Once again, Percy couldn't help but fall in its melodic grasp. It felt like you plunged into space, haunted with the mystery in its darkness. Percy didn't know what to say, Annabeth just kept playing.

She looked pretty with her eyes focused on the piano, which Percy couldn't help but notice. Her face, that was in a permanent scowl, looked innocent. Even for a six-year-old, she looked like she's been through much, with the hard edge on her face. Percy didn't know if it was okay to ask why she looked so sad, or why she kept playing that sad song. It was obviously a song of heartbreak by the way her fingers flow slowly across the keys. Notes floated remotely in the air, like the leaves during autumn, falling slowly until blown by the wind again.

Suddenly, the music stopped and Percy blinked as he got jolted back to reality. She looked at him with her beautiful grey eyes, staring at Percy wildly as if asking for a comment. He blinked again, "Wow." He managed to blurt out the only word that was on his mind. Annabeth looked away, but he could tell a red mark covered her face.

She looked at him with a frown. "Well?" she said while pointing to the piano.

Percy stared at her blankly.

She nudged him in the arm, "Do you wanna learn how to play?" she pointed again to the piano.

"Yes!" he exclaimed excitedly. Annabeth took Percy's fingers in hers and started placing them in the proper keys, which Percy has no clue what it was.

"This is a key." She points to the white bars with smaller black bars in between. "When the keys are pressed, a chain reaction occurs to produce the sound. First, the key raises the wippen, which forces the jack against the hammer roller. The hammer roller then lifts the lever, carrying the hammer. The key also raises the damper; and immediately after the hammer strikes the wire it falls back-" Percy's brain wandered off to other stuff, like how pretty Annabeth would look in blue, his favorite color.

She starts to grip his fingers more tightly, putting them on specific keys. She said something about Bach's well-tempered clavier? Percy have no idea. Mostly, he just stared at their hands, weirded out by the touch. She starts making him press the keys, some lightly, some with force. Percy couldn't help but be awestruck. Nobody has ever made him feel warm before, except for his mum. But this? It makes him feel all gooey inside, like the flames are eating up his stomach. But it felt nice.

A flutter of sound flew out from the piano. It was closely followed by several more, like birds taking off after a great rest. Percy grinned happily.

If you could see, what I see,

The fireflies lighting up the night.

If you could feel, these magic in me,

It only works if you hold me tight.

Their fingers touched each other in perfect harmony. Annabeth leads, while Percy follows. It was slow at first, like a trail of droplets causing tiny ripples in the ocean. Then Annabeth's fingers take a step forward, almost leaving Percy behind, again. He catches up. She chuckles as his fingers almost stumbles with the faster pace. Percy knits his eyebrows, trying to concentrate.

The drizzle of sounds started to rain heavily. The droplets started drop faster, pouring down soulful music, Percy didn't know could be that beautiful. His eyes were wide open, with his mouth forming a perfect "O" as he looked at Annabeth's smile while she guided his fingers to each of those white bars. Percy could almost hear a spark in his brain as it processed something.

Annabeth suddenly stops, and Percy didn't know where to go, so he did the same. All the sounds start to fall to the ground and disappear. It was heartbreaking, yet happy that it could start anew again.

I am dancing in the rain, soaked and wet.

I couldn't see, through the blur of water and air.

If you're the one, that I am dancing with,

Then the world could end, and I won't care.

"Wow, you catch up fast. For a boy." She remarked. Percy grinned triumphantly, then stuck out his tongue at her. She just glared at him. "Lessons over!" She said as she started to stand up.

"But you didn't answer my question!" Percy managed to catch up with her.

"What?" Annabeth stopped in front of the door.

"I asked where you learned how to play the piano." Percy repeated.

She just shrugged. "I guess I taught myself." Percy's eyes widened.

"Really? No way!" He exclaimed.

"Well, I kind of learned it from my mum." She started looking to the sides, as if she was getting uncomfortable.

"Your mum? The tall woman?" Percy cocked his head to the sides.

Annabeth swallowed. "No, my mum died yesterday."

Percy couldn't believe it. He felt sorry, really. He couldn't imagine his life without his mum. "Sorry."

She nodded, but a single tear ran down her cheek. "I just thought she would come visit me at my birthday next week." More tears came down, and she started crying for real. She rubbed her little hands against her eyes, but it only made her eyes puffy. Percy looked around, trying to see what he can use to help. He took out his favorite handkerchief, a sea-green one with a trident on the corners. He started wiping Annabeth's tears.

She blushed at the gesture, then taking the handkerchief, she began wiping the tears away. "Thanks." She said sheepishly.

Percy grinned. "No problem!"

Annabeth still looked sad. "Daddy rarely pays attention at me. He married my stepmom after he and mummy got divorced. Then they had these twins who were toddlers now and they annoy me. Mummy said she was gonna come to my party, since she rarely get to visit. Then they called us yesterday and told me she was dead." She began sniffing again.

"It's okay, I could attend your party!" Percy suggested.

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Percy rubbed his chin. "Only if there was blue cake!" he decided.

Annabeth thought for a while. "How about blue muffins?" she asked.

Percy grinned, "Happy birthday!" he said raising his hands.

If I could have one wish granted,

I'll ask for all things blue.

But what I truly wanted,

Is to give them all to you.

Annabeth smiled happily, but before she could say anything, a voice sounded across the hall.

"Annabeth! There you are! I've looked everywhere for you!" The woman from the lobby, Annabeth's stepmom, was walking down the hall along with Apollo. She didn't look very happy.

"But moom!" Annabeth whined.

"No buts, time to go now." She grabbed Annabeth's hand, then they walked towards the lobby.

"Hey, kiddo. What were you up to?" Apollo asked, picking Percy up.

"Annabeth taught me how to play piano." He grinned.

"Oh did she? You want to say good-bye to your friend?" Apollo asked. Percy smiled and nodded. They walked down the hall, back to the lobby. It was beginning to get dark, and almost all the clients have left. There were only a few people, so it was no longer crowded.

Annabeth and her stepmom were with some other adults, who were probably her stepmom's relatives. They were still busy packing up the instruments, which the relatives brought to record their song. Annabeth was standing in the corner. She turned and saw Percy, and she started to run towards him.

"Percy! Are you still gonna go to my party?" She asked.

"Yes!" Percy said. Annabeth smiled and handed him a card. It has owls all over it, and when he opened it, pop-up letters saying "You're Invited" was inside.

"My address is in there." Annabeth said.

"Okay!" Percy replied.

"Annabeth, hurry up!" Her stepmom has just finished packing, and was already sitting on the driver's seat.

"Bye Percy!" Annabeth said. She gave Percy a wave, but then she leaned and kissed him in the cheek. Percy could feel his blood rose to his cheeks, and he couldn't stop smiling. Annabeth walked away and stepped inside the car. She gave a last wave to Percy. Percy covered his face shyly, sure that he still looked like a tomato. He managed to gave her a small wave.

As her car drove away, Apollo ruffled Percy hair. "So the little kid's a ladies man, eh?" he teased, making Percy pout ant stuck his tongue out at him. Apollo just laughed.

Percy grabbed his jacket from the rack as he decided to go home. It was too bad he couldn't tell his mum about his job. She would've loved to hear the two new things he learned today. The first one was how to play the piano, but he was sure he liked the second one better.

He wondered if there would be a time he could tell everything to his mum. That would be nice.

~The end of the first chapter. I don't know how it got this long. Really.