A/N: Hey all, I'm back with a new story (oh no not again!). But seriously I want to try to get to the end of this…even though I've said this a gazillion times on my other stories and never actually have done it. I think I have a good idea for this one, so bear with me. Hopefully we can get through this…

Disclaimer: I don't own PJatO. Rick Riordan does.

Roommates – 1

Annabeth Chase is not the type of girl you'd expect to be standing at the doors of New University. Firstly, the name New is particularly pathetic considering that the university has been open and running for practically seventy years, which—though it wasn't even close to as old as Harvard—felt too old for the word 'new.' Annabeth Chase is not one to be pathetic. Secondly, New University wasn't even ranked in the top five universities; it was ranked a whopping seventh in the nation—definitely below Annabeth's standards. Lastly, it was a requirement for all alumni (limited to about only five thousand students) to 'bunk' with, or more precisely share a room with a roommate of either gender. Not that Annabeth wasn't one to attract those of the opposite gender, she just didn't see the purpose of 'drooling' and wasting her time over boys like those hormonal teenage girls she had been surrounded with all her life always seemed to do.

Why did Annabeth feel the necessity to go to New University, then? Simply because it was the school her mother had went to. She just felt that maybe, by going to the same school, she would feel more connected to her than she was now. Maybe, just maybe, she could get closer to who her mother was and live up to her standard.

After all, Annabeth Chase's life was focused on making her mother proud. Ever since Athena Chase had divorced Fredrick Chase, Annabeth just couldn't seem to reach her mother. The only time her mother would ever notice her was when she won some academic award or got praise from her teachers, amazed at what an excellent student she was. Her father was always proud of her, no matter what she did. He always gave her attention when she wanted, but it was her mother who didn't have the time of day for her. So Annabeth always challenged herself to try to get her mother's attention. The good grades, the amazing academic and athletic record, the multiple science and math trophies sitting in her room at home—they were all for her mother's attention.

New University was just another tactic for Annabeth's never-ending challenge.

She adjusted her neatly pressed skirt and blouse, took a deep breath, and opened the entrance doors, dragging her luggage behind her. Most of her other belongings had already been placed in her room prior to her arrival. An older boy was manning the front desk, absently twirling a white lanyard in circles. When he spotted Annabeth he slipped the lanyard in his back pocket and fixed his stance, standing straighter and taller.

"Hey, I'm Luke Castellan, junior, how may I help you?" He let his blue eyes fall on her grey ones, smirking somewhat mischievously. She took in his height and the scar above his eyebrow, as well as the slight upward lilt of his mouth. He cleared his throat, snapping her out of the trance she was in.

Annabeth felt her heart start to race, not sure if it was because of him, or her being nervous. "Oh, sorry, I was wondering what my room number was?" she sounded more breathless than she intended.

Luke smirked again, this time more knowingly. "Are you a freshman?"

"Yes, so what?" she replied hastily and somewhat gruffly. She really just wanted to get to her room and prepare for all of her classes and such. She didn't have time to chat with this agonizingly slow, yet attractive stranger.

"Oh, nothing. Name please?" he asked professionally.

"Annabeth Chase," she responded quickly.

Luke skimmed down a list, eventually locating her name and room number. "Ah, Annabeth Chase, room 555 on level 5. That's not a hard one to remember," he said as he continued to smirk (seriously, how can someone smirk that much?). He turned behind him to and searched through some drawers until he pulled out a pair of keys. She took them.

"One's for you and the other for your roommate. Just give it to them when they arrive," Luke explained.

"Okay, thanks for your help."

"Yeah, no problem. Pleasure meeting you, Annabeth," he said, still smirking.

"Same," she said, before leaving to find the elevator.

She found one not far away, opening as another girl was getting in. She looked to be a little older than her, and had that punk-rock girl thing going on with all the leather and multiple ear piercings. They both got in the elevator, Annabeth awkwardly with her luggage in tow. The girl hit button number five, then looked to Annabeth, who just smiled and said, "Me too."

"What room?" the girl asked.

"555, you?"

"556. That's crazy. I'm Thalia by the way." Thalia stuck out her hand.

"Annabeth."

"Cool. You know who your roommate is yet?"

"Not a clue."

The elevator dinged and the door opened, revealing level 5. They walked together to their rooms down the vacant aisles. Right before Thalia left to her room she laughed and said, "Just hope you don't get someone sucky, or freshman year is going to be horrible for you."

Annabeth took that into account. "I'll hope." Then they parted ways as unlikely friends. Annabeth felt she was off to a pretty good start.

She stepped into the room, which for the most part was huge. It was like a miniature house stuffed into a room. There was a tiny kitchen connected to a living room, a bathroom, a laundry room, and a bedroom with a bunk-bed and a desk. The room was painted a beautiful ocean blue. Annabeth started to get why the fees for staying at this school surpassed those of Harvard's. She began to organize her stuff, placing her clothes and supplies in drawers and making the bottom bed with her favorite comforter covered in silver owls.

After she finished settling in, there was a loud knock at the door. "Hello? Can somebody open this door?" said a voice.

"I'll be right there!" She called back. She walked up to the door, opening it slowly.

In front of her stood a boy looking to be about her age, with raven black hair and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. He holds a bag above his head and another in his arms, looking slightly off balance. He smiles and says, "Hey." But that's about all she gets to see.

Because next thing she knows the bag over his head comes slipping down from his hands and crashes with a thunk! on her head.