"Percy, wake up!" Mom shook me, rather harshly.

"No," I grabbed my pillow like it was a life line. "Sleep. Percy sleep."

"No," Mom was admant about getting me up. "Percy get up."

"Percy sleep."

"Percy, get up."

"Percy sleep!" I yelled, curling up in a ball.

Mom sighed and went to the door. "I guess you'll just stay here while I go get Annabeth, then she can wake you up. Or maybe I'll just take her to camp, you can always stay here and get eaten you know." The door closed.

I sat up in bed. Gods was that woman being evil. Bribing me with Annabeth was the lowest of the low, and she knew it too. I climbed out of bed faster than I would have thought possible. I pulled on jeans and a white t-shirt.

I glanced at my hair in the mirror. I probably should attempt to do something with it. I mean, I looked like I had an afro, and I don't even have enough hair for an afro! I padded into the bathroom and stuck my head under the tap. Then, I shook my hair out in the bathtub. An effective way of getting my hair to stay down and waking me up.

I went downstairs for breakfast, but, changed my mind when I saw the clock. I went downstairs for lunch. After twelve you have to switch from breakfast.

Mom handed me and bagel. "Are you packed and ready to go?" She asked.

"Uh-huh." I murmered.

"Good, you go to the park and find Annabeth, I'll be there in about a half an hour to pick you both up." I knew I was dismissed, so I left.

I wandered aimlessly in the general direction of the park.

"HI PERCY!"

I groaned. "How can someone be that awake this early in the afternoon?"

"Silly Percy. I've been up for hours. Honestly, our maid got me up at five." Rachel was literally bouncing up and down. The fact that she looked like a wad of bubblegum and had sparkles in her hair didn't help my bleariness much.

I muttered something unintelligable to even me. I think it included the word 'nutty' though. I can't be sure.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked, hopping up and down beside me.

"To find Annabeth."

"Annabeth's in New York?" I felt her change in emotion. there was something going on between them that I didn't fully understand. Neither was I sure I wanted to. Did that make sense to someone? If it did, I'd really like to know.

Silly boy, this is your head. No one else is going to know. There was that voice again. I have to admit, I do like this one better than the other. The other one was to . . .holy and proper. This one sounded strangely like Annabeth. A fact I enjoyed very much.

"Yeah, Mom's driving us to camp today."

"Oh, I was hoping you were sticking around longer this summer." We entered the park and I sprawled on a bench, hoping I could fall asleep to Rachel's chatter and Annabeth would spot me before long.

"Rachel, I can't stay longer."

"Oh." She was quiet. Sweet salvation. Don't get me wrong, Rachel's okay as a friend, but she likes me more than that. She keeps flirting with me, and frankly, it creeps me out. After a few minutes of that perfect silence, she ruined it.

"Percy?"

"What?" I sounded more irriatated than I probably should have, but I was getting a little tired of her.

"Why do you have to go to camp?"

What had brought this on? Whatever. "So I can learn to stay alive." I answered, keeping my answers short.

"But you've been on a lot of quests! You know how to stay alive. Why won't you stay here with me?" Where had that come from? I thought. Oh my gods. She didn't think I liked her like that, did she? Oh, Hades, I hope not. I sat up, going to give her more of an answer this time.

"The monsters have been getting worse and worse. I have to go to camp to train. Half of these monsters . . . I have know idea what they are!" I had to say it. I had tried to get a hold of Chiron, but I lost all of my drachmas.

"But you know how to fight them." Rachel said, batting her eyelashed. Oh gods! She was flirting with me! She puffed out her lips a little bit. I think she was waiting for me to say something. Of course, I shouldn't have really been all that surprised, she's been flirting with me year, and I've been ignoring it all year.

"PERCY!" She yelled, shattering my eardrum. I'd been lost in thought, gazing around the park.

"Yes?" I asked, shaking my head.

"What are you looking for?" She put emphasis on the 'what' even though she knew fully well who I was looking for.

"Annabeth," I sighed. This was going to be a long wait.

She muttered something that sounded like, "It's always Annabeth." That wasn't true! It wasn't always Annabeth. I didn't think about her when I . . . when I . . . when . . . when . . . Fine! Maybe it is always Annabeth. So? I think I'm in love with her.

And there's not a darn thing I can do about it. I don't wish to die at the hands of Athena. It was a miracle we were allowed to be friends.

"Why are you looking for Annabeth?" Rachel asked. Didn't I already tell her that? I decided to answer her anyway.

"She was supposed to meet me here so me and my mom could drive her to camp." I looked around the park again. Where was she?

"Oh." Rachel was quiet again for a few minutes. "I think she's over there." Rachel pointed at a blonde kid. She could, from a distance, pass for Annabeth, to a normal person. But, I was just short of a stalker when it came to Annabeth, so, I knew the difference, but, to shut Rachel up, I nodded.

"She'll be over in a few minutes, it looks like she's helping that kid get his kite out of the tree." I heard myself say, looking for the real Annabeth.

Rachel shifted on the bench, I looked over at her. Her eyes were serious and she was staring right at me."Percy before you go . . . will you do something for me?"

Oh no. That had almost gotten me killed a couple of times before. I had to be cautious, but this was also Rachel, and I'm pretty sure that, unless she was possessed, she would not impale me with a spear. Clarrisse. I sent a mental threat to my enemy.

"Sure, but, it really depends on what it is."

"It's not much." She assured me. I should have known better. Any word with 'ass' hidden inside it couldn't be good.

She kissed me. Like, tongue and everything. Damn that girl was strong, I couldn't get away from her. Finally, I kneed her in the gut and ran to where my mom was waiting.

"Annabeth didn't show." I panted.

"That's too bad. Maybe she's already there."

We drove in silence.

When I got to camp Annabeth was disembowling a dummy in the arena. I stopped to talk to her, but she completely ignored me! It was as though . . . as though she knew.

But there was no way she could.

Right?

Here is your chapter, my faithful readers. Just a heads up, all information may not relate exactly to Inner Turmoil but that's okay. If this has happened would you please tell me, because I want it to be as close as possible. Thanks. And, I do not think that this will be as great as the original. For those of you who did not want this story to ever exist. Don't read it.

I don't own it. I love reviews! Review or my ghost cat Mittens will be after you. She has no mercy.

~DI4MGZ~