First fanfic. Gonna be a superb journey, folks. (R&R)

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO/HOO. Rick does.

It's the burn. We all wait for it. I think that we almost want it. When it comes, we're never the same. The pain is great, but the pleasure is greater. –A Man of Seduction

Do you ever wonder why you are where you are? Why the people next to you are next to you? What purpose do they serve? How exactly do you feel about them? Do you ever take the time to tell them how you really feel? Because God knows that everything will be gone tomorrow. And you aren't saying anything. Why aren't you saying anything? Say something.

It's kind of peaceful in Gaia University. Nobody really pays attention to the quietness of the campus life. Everyone is where they belong. So, why did she have an eerie feeling today? It was the feeling that could have ruined your morning, if you let it. But Annabeth knew she shouldn't overreact about the feeling. She eventually learned, if you wait long enough, it passes.

Posed rigidly in her usual spot of loitering, she sipped her tea. Annabeth found sipping Earl Grey with three sugar cubes relaxing, after an endless day. Her friends would never understand, she thought. Jason Grace maybe could. But she didn't really know him. So, she couldn't say. He was liked everywhere. Whoever liked him was either for his looks or power. His father had power, and so did he. Like father, like son, she thought. Annabeth found him reserved and open-minded, so no one ever pushed him.

She shook her head slightly and frowned. Her tea was nearly finished. She'd had what? Only four gulps? Wonderful, she exclaimed inside her already fuming head. Writing an Economics: Price Ceiling Benefits paper and reading Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body was miraculously hard. Strangely, she thought it would be a bit easier if she focused hard enough. But the entire world's concentration couldn't penetrate through to the 20 page paper and textbook. Annabeth enjoyed the challenges in her life, but surviving a double major at Gaia felt like the worst kind of survival.

She had no idea how wrong she was.

Annabeth spent too much time glaring at the teacup. Grudgingly she got up and paid the bill. Walking along the campus lines, she slowly sighed at her friends racing down Marilyn Lane. Hazel, sporting a Pikachu onesie, chuckling at something Frank Zhang had mumbled to her. Reyna was walking side-by-side with Jason, conversing something serious. But then again, Annabeth was never too sure with Reyna or Jason.

Jason was the first to spot her, he waved. Frank may have seen her but he was too busy being infatuated with Hazel Levesque's adorable manner. Annabeth waved back. Uncertainly, though. She wanted to be alone. Today was the day to be alone. But was it really? Jason caught that. He pulled back the group and seemed to talk to the group about going to West Side Ice Cream Parlor.

On her way to the Jones Private Library, she vaguely saw a wave of black hair and then-

PHOW!

"What the hell-"

She was cut mid-sentence when he then proceeded to double over and knock her back to the ground. Well, that was classy, she thought.

"What the fucking hell!" Annabeth blindly, furiously, grabbed guy by the shirt and blinked.

"Oh shit. I'm so, so sorry. Well, you should have been paying attention to my voice or the damn road…"

Annabeth tightened her throat and pulled him closer. The first thing she would ever notice about a person is what they say to her and their body language. But he was different. He was…he was drooling on her!

Annabeth quickly moved away from him and stared at his spit rolling down her shirt. Was she ever going to wear it again? Probably not, she decided.

"Crap. Wow, I really make an impression. Don't I?" Blushingly, he pulled a napkin out of his Jan Sport bag and wiped his spit. Unfortunately, it was a lot of saliva.

"Damn, you must really get around with the girls." She tried to keep light about this.

The guy slightly shrugged and got rid of the napkin. He smiled a smug troublemaker smile and said, "For whatever it's worth, your eyes are the real culprit for mouthwatering."

"Sorry for that. Well, not really."

"I'm-"

"Bye."

She was already past him when he came to his senses. Walking away, she carried annoyance, humor and a new sense she's never given into. Annabeth wondered if this was the first time in her life she's ever felt this.

Leo was a fool. He dived over the hotpot cart, grabbing the two poles on either end. Of course, he collapsed on the road. Road kill, should've been his nickname. Piper was too busy laughing and doubling over to help him. But she gave an attempt. The most pathetic one, he would say.

"Why did you think you could do that?"

Leo smirked, "I've been inspired."

Piper wiped the tears from her eyes, "That's never a good sign."

Leo made a face, "Eh. I was watching this girl on skates recently and she's a mad genius."

Piper squinted. "Such a liar, Valdork."

Leo pulled out the tiniest water gun she'd ever seen and aimed it at her, "McBeauty. I can only say the truth."

As Piper started to snort, Leo yelled, "Locked and loaded!"

And five minutes later she was soaking and he was victorious. If their friendship did not prevail in the darkest times, Piper thought she would not make it. Piper bid farewell to her friend and started her way home. Sharing an apartment with Hazel only made life more extravagant. Hazel preferred Piper home on Sunday's so she could rent a movie and talk about it over Domino's pizza later. Piper was suddenly in the mood to curl up in a ball and digest pizza. Pizza makes everything better, she lazily thought.

Instead of ordering, she decided to go to the Pizza Parlor nearby. What the hell, she thought. Piper must have looked insane marching inside. She hadn't dried much, and it didn't really both-

A junior, she thought. A cute junior. A blond superman style cute junior was standing right in front of her. Suddenly, she was atop of the line and blond superman was her cashier. So, maybe it bothered her. A little bit. He was obviously part of the student council, a scar was enclosed his lips and he had electric eyes. Something felt good about it. But it also felt sort of dangerous, as if the calm before the storm.

She shook it off.

"Are you okay?" His question caught her off guard. Anything he could have said would have caught her off guard, really.

"Uhh…" She nodded off, "Huh."

His lips twitched into an anticipated grin. "What can I get ya?"

If she had given any thought about her dignity, Piper would not have said this. But unfortunately, her voice complied with the devil.

"Pizzzaahh.."

The guy paused for a minute and the grin widened. "Sure. We do those. What kind, though?"

Piper made the most inhuman noises, before announcing, "Margarita."

He chuckled and nodded.

Crap. She was losing it. Piper shifted her eyes away from him and read the posters decorating the wall.

"Pizza = Solution."

She laughed, but in the corner of her eyes, she saw him instantly turn towards her and just stare. He swallowed. Piper couldn't help but smirk when she realized that he felt nervous. About talking to her.

"I spy with my little eye that you play MythoMagic." A card had slipped from this vest pocket and he blushed shyly. MythoMagic was a card game Leo spent his time on.

"Do you play?" He asked, enthusiastically she might add.

Piper hated to burst his bubble. She really, really hated it. "Um, no. But my friend does. He's like obsessed. It's a bit sad.'

"I'm obsessed too. Does that make me sad?"

"If obsessed means playing 24/7 and becoming a caveman."

He laughed. A hearty laugh.

"Well, I was like that until I felt I needed to do some community and service."

She nodded, "So you decided to work here?"

"Mhm. Community and service right?" He replied, his voice cracking with laughter. A ring drove them straight to reality and he slowly handed the pizza to her. Almost as if the night was better if she stayed. Amused him through it all. Piper thought it wasn't the worst punishment.

But everything betrayed her, "I should go. Got a hungry friend waiting."

He nodded, like he understood. "I'll see you."

She turned and walked a couple steps until she stopped dead on her tracks. Smiling to herself, she faced herself towards him.

In those few seconds, the ground beneath her shifted. She was hoisted into the air, then felt her body slam into a sharp edge. And everything was silent.