A/N: This is my first fan fiction so please feel free to leave me reviews telling me what I can do better! This story is told from Annabeth's POV.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything!
Chapter 1:
I bite my bottom lip and grip the armrests even harder than before. As the car gives a sudden jerk to the left I feel the butterflies in my stomach explode and take flight. It's not the horrendous driving that's making me anxious, although it truly is terrifying, but the fact that I am currently driving to the large brick building that is Goode High School. A couple of years ago I would have never imagined that I, Annabeth Chase, would be going to a public high school. I had thought I was done with school forever. That I had permanently traded in my textbooks for swards and daggers. Yet here I am, steadily speeding towards my doom. It's not that I don't like learning; in fact it's one of my favorite things to do. It's the actual going to school part that I can't stand. Schools are crowded, chaotic, and full of judgment. They are no place for a hyperactive, dyslexic, and deadly demigod.
"Brooke!" I scream, as our car narrowly avoids taking out a stop sign.
"Sorry," Brooke replies sheepishly, "I didn't see the sign."
I just sigh and shake my head. I wasn't allowed to leave Camp Half Blood and attend Goode High School without a responsible adult to look after me. Which is ironic since I've traveled to the underworld and fought Titians before, and, well, Brooke isn't exactly the most responsible 24 year old I've met. Never the less I'm grateful that she's letting me stay with her in her apartment for the school year. I glance over at my cousin and watch as the morning sun reflects off her short dark hair. She catches me staring at her and gives me a reassuring smile.
"You'll be fine Beth," She says, as we pull into the Goode parking lot.
I resist the urge to snap at her for calling me Beth and just nod my head in return. I run a hand through my soft blond curls before opening the car door and placing my combat boots onto the hot pavement. Allowing myself one deep breath to calm my nervous, I stand up and swing my backpack over one shoulder.
"See you after school," I tell Brooke just before I swing the door shut.
It's rather embarrassing that I'm a senior in high school and have to be driven around by my older cousin, but I was a little too busy saving the world on my 16th birthday to worry about passing a driving test. I scan the parking lot that sits just in front of the massive school for a large oak tree. My eyes finally rest on its towering trunk and blanket of green leaves and I hastily make my way over to it. Percy had promised me we would meet under this tree before school starts so he can show me where everything is. I hate feeling so lost and helpless but I'm glad Percy's here to help me.
Percy is really the only reason that I'm here today. For some reason he was determined to finish high school, even after all we have been through with the gods these past few years. Since this is the first time in a while that I'm not being chased across the country by monsters, he was also determined to have me come with him. And how could I say no to getting to spend a whole year with Percy? Considering the fact that he dived into the depths of Tartarus with me, I kind of owe him.
I lean back against the tree trunk to wait for Percy. Just when I am starting to get nervous that that seaweed brain of his forgot, I see a tall boy with windswept black hair heading towards me. His face displays his usual goofy grin and the smell of a sweet sea breeze follows him where ever he goes.
"Hey Annabeth," He says, joining me in leaning against the trunk.
"Someone's a little late," I respond, smirking up at him.
I can tell by the look on his face that he's thinking really hard of an excuse for why he's late.
"Just show my where my classes are," I say, rolling my eyes and pulling him towards the school.
Once we're inside the building I am no longer dragging Percy behind me, but staring open mouthed at the massive swarm of people. My battle training kicks in and I immediately think that this would be an awfully good place for a monster to ambush us. Percy must have realized what I was thinking and leads me into a more peaceful hallway.
"Annabeth, we aren't going to be attacked by monsters here,"
"Ok even you know that's not true," I retort, my eyes nervously flicking towards a suspicious looking clump of girls off to my right.
"They're just cheerleaders Annabeth," Percy laughs, pointing toward the clump of girls, "The worst thing they're going to do is tell you that your outfit is ugly."
I instinctively look down at my old, but well-fitting jeans and simple grey V-neck.
Percy immediately blushes, "Not that there's anything wrong with your outfit, I was just-"
"Percy!" yells an unfamiliar voice from down the hall.
We're interrupted as a small brown haired boy runs up to Percy, his glasses slipping down his noise as he skids to a halt.
"What's up Mark?" Percy says, slapping the boy on the back.
Mark grins back up at Percy and the two start having a conversation about some game that I've never heard of. I decide that this must be one of Percy's friends, but find it hard to believe that Mark is old enough to be a senior. After a couple minutes of me listening to them talk in what sounds like gibberish to me, Percy seems to remember that I'm here and stops to introduce me to Mark. He explains that Mark skipped a few grades and that they were both all alone in their math class last year so they became friends. I smile and say hi to mark, feeling giddy when Percy introduces me to him as "my girlfriend". It's already been several months since we first started dating, and we've definitely been through more together than most teenage couples have, but I'm still not used to being called his girlfriend.
Mark tags along as Percy helps me navigate my way through the crowed hallways and to my first period class. Once we reach the door I feel the nervous butterflies from earlier this morning creep their way back into my stomach. Before Percy and Mark head off to their own classes Percy gives my hand one last squeeze.
"You'll be fine," he says, repeating the words that Brooke told me in the car.
As I watch the two boys make their way back down the hallway, Percy slouching slightly and Mark walking with a hop in his step, I get the all too familiar feeling that I will be far from fine.
