A/N Hey world. Ash here. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to click on my story and reading it. I have no freaking idea what this story is about. And to Rick Rioridan: I love you...r work so much. So I have to steal your characters. Sorry, man, but your characters, who I love so much, are about to be screwed up beyond repair (by a sixteen year old girl with a fictional-character obsession). Thanks, Ricky!

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My name is Percy Jackson.

If I could give myself a middle name, it'd be something badass like Razor or Quince (that name is soooo badass). But my lovely, lovely mother (Sally Jackson) decided to make my middle name Paul. Just plain, old, boring Paul.

And then she goes and marries a guy named Paul. Huh, go figure.

Oh, you're wondering about my dad? I'd take your questions, but I can't answer them. I guess he was the sort of guy who sees a hot chick, has a one night stand, gets her preggers and then gets the hell out. My mom said they got married, but my dad's last name was most definitely not Jackson (it was some weird Greek name that I couldn't pronounce for my life). Mystery solved (aka my mom doesn't want to admit she had a one night stand with a stranger).

When she found out she was pregnant with yours truly, she quit her job as a bartender (that was how she met my dad in the first place). She'd had cravings for candy, wandered into Central Park Candy and has worked there ever since. She never needs to buy perfume because she always smells like sweets.

Anyways, my best friend Grover knows all about my life. I think he knows more about my family than I do. He was the one who told me my mom worked at a bar. When I'd asked him how he knew, he'd just shrugged and said, "My mom went to high school with your mom."

That's true, but why Grover's mom would tell him those things is beyond me.

Now that you know more or less about my background, I'd like to drag us to present day. It's a burning hot day in July, and Manhattan apartment complexes offer little means of shade at noon. There's not one cloud in the sky. It's times like this that I'm glad swimming is my sport.

I reach the Goode High pool and shrug out of my shirt. I jump into the pool and shiver. Compared to the outdoors, the water's freezing. A welcome feeling, but I'm grinding my teeth.

"Yo, Percy!"

I look down the pool and see my friend, star football player Luke Castellan sitting at the other end of the pool. His blonde hair is sticking up with sweat, and his face is grimy. I grin and swim over to him. "Rough practice?" I ask, shaking my head to get rid of the water in my hair.

He groans. "So...freaking...hot."

"I have an extra pair of trunks in my bag over there," I say, tilting my head towards the opposite wall. "Care to join me?"

He grins. "You're the man, Perce."

"You better hurry, you look like you're going to melt."

He walked over to the other end of the pool, having already ditched his gear by a bench. I did a couple of flips underwater, waiting for Luke to jump in. I felt the ripples of Luke's jump reach me, and I pop up seconds before he joins me.

"It's freaking cold!" he complains, shivering harder than I was. "So cold, but so good."

"Relax, it gets better," I say before pushing off the wall to start my daily fifty laps.

"Aw Percy, you're gonna swim laps?" Luke shouted, his deep voice echoing.

I paused at the other end. "I'm here to practice, not screw around," I told him, kicking off the wall to swim.

After fifty laps, I start screwing around. Luke and I race at least ten times; me being the victor all ten times. We messed around, had a splash fight and even tried to swim in synch (we failed miserably).

We were climbing out of the pool when Annabeth Chase walked in.

A bit on Annabeth Chase, before you meet this enemy of mine.

When I first saw her, I was ready to get down on one knee and ask her to the winter formal (ha, you thought I was going to say "propose", didn't you?). Her honey blonde curls wreathed her face perfectly, and her stormy grey eyes were twinkling almost dangerously. She looked tall and athletic, like she did track or something.

And that's when she opened her mouth.

It ruined everything. I mean yeah, her voice was absolutely mesmerizing and I wanted to lose myself in it, but the conversation we had three years ago on the first day of freshman year are still burned into my mind.

"How about you shut your mouth, blink a couple times, and stop staring at me like I'm your toy or something."

Of course, those words were a blow to my ego, and there was only one option: defense.

"Someone's touchy, hmm?"

Annabeth glared at me. "Please, don't even try and flirt with me. I don't want to make breaking your heart any harder than it could be."

She. Did. Not. Freaking. Diss. Me.

"Look, chick," I snapped. "I was looking at you, sure. Is that a crime? I wasn't sexually harassing you, or raping you, or even talking to you. So what's your deal?"

She rolled her eyes. "First of all, you were mentally raping me. Not so good. And second off, you're my deal. I didn't move from California to have some creeper sophomore check me out."

I laughed. "You think I'm a sophomore, babe?"

"Don't call me babe," she snarled.

"Whatever. I'm a freshmen."

She smacked her forehead. "Great! Now there's a possibility I'll have a class with you and I'll have to see your hideous face and hear your annoying voice every single freaking day for the whole year!"

I grinned. "You so wish."

"Whatever. What's your name?"

I was surprised into answering. "Percy Jackson."

"I'm Annabeth Chase. Let's stay out of each other's way, okay?" With that she stomped off to lunch.

So that's how we started. Sophomore year we became civil and somewhat acquaintances. Junior year we became friends. And I actually started to like Annabeth. Like, love her. Which is bad, because I have a girlfriend. But I don't cheat. I might mentally rape girls, but I don't cheat. And I don't dump girls either.

She's dating my buddy Luke here. So basically I've been friend zoned.

"Hey, Luke, Percy," she says as we towel off. "Swimming?"

I hate her so much for wearing those stupidly adorable shorts and a simple grey top that match her eyes. "No, we're doing cartwheels," I mutter while Annabeth gives Luke a hug. He bends down and kisses her, and I look away. I really like Luke, because he's cool and honest. I hate myself for loving my best friend's girlfriend.

But it's times like now where I'm so tempted to grab her in my arms and kiss her like Luke is.

After a moment I cough pointedly, and they break apart. Annabeth's face is a bright red, and she keeps her eyes on the pool. We slip on shirts and exchange a bro-glance, which is when you have a secret conversation. Girls think only they do it, but we guys do it too.

"I'll give your trunks back later," Luke says, looking wistfully at Annabeth, who's now sitting at the pool's edge with her feet dangling in.

I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder, draping my towel over my neck. "Sure, bro. Have fun," I add in a lower voice, and Luke grins.

"Sure."

As soon as I leave, the blistering heat of the sun hits me. My wet hair is dried in the fifteen minute walk home.

Once I'm in my air-conditioned apartment, I dial my girlfriend's number and wait for her to pick up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rachel, wanna come over? I'm bored and hot as hell."

"Sure, I'll be over in a minute." Rachel hangs up, and I lay on my bed, pining for Annabeth's love. Ugh, that sounds so gross. But I guess love is gross. That's a new one.

"Hey, baby," Rachel says, walking into my room and sitting next to me on the bed. "You need to lock your door. Neighbors might break in," she says with a wink."

I smile. "You're the only one I need to worry about. Mrs. Jenkins won't be a problem."

She smiles and moves forward. Automatically, we both tilt our heads inward so our lips are barely brushing. "Okay?" she asks, still smiling.

I answer her by pressing my lips against hers. I feel bad for Rachel, because in a way I'm using her to ease my pains.

She seems to taste my anguish and kisses me harder, her fingers tangling into my hair. "What's wrong?" she breathes against my lips and I just shake my head slightly.

"Nothing. It's just so hot."

She pulls back and laughs. "You're upset because it's hot?"

I shrug. "The heat sucks out my badassness."

She laughs again, louder this time. Her bright red hair shines in the sunlight. "I think your badassness is still here. You kiss like a badass, anyways." Seeming to want more, she leaned in and pressed her mouth against mine.

Our lips move together softly. The way Rachel and I are together is perfect. I lied about the heat taking away my badassness: it really is Rachel. She calms me down so I'm almost a normal person again.

"I love you," I whisper, and I mean it. But I also love someone else, which hurts me. Why can't I just let Annabeth go?

I have one year to tell her how I feel. Otherwise I would forever hold my peace. I'm smart enough to get into the same college as her. Unless we got together, there's little chance of meeting Annabeth again after high school.

I can't let her go.

Rachel sighs and draws back again. "I love you too, Percy. I love you too."

I love Annabeth. I love Rachel. Annabeth loves Luke. Rachel loves me. If I was smart, I'd just love Rachel and forget about Annabeth. But, since my heart won't cooperate, because it's its own thing, I can't.

What's a guy to do?