Her body froze the minute she stepped off the Argo II.

He was there, he was right there – holding hands with another girl.

She was pretty. There was no denying it. Her wavy blond hair fell down her shoulders, her blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and her face was gorgeous.

Percy had moved on.

And, the hardest part was, as he talked privately with her, he remembered her. He remembered Annabeth. He remembered everything they did, all the quests they went on, all the battles they fought, all the kisses they shared, everything.

But he had found someone else.

He tried to apologize, saying that he hoped she'd find someone better and more suited for her than him. Their parents were rivals; they never would have lasted, right?

Annabeth didn't try to remind him that he had said the exact opposite last October, right after a visit from Annabeth's mother.

She can't bring herself to be jealous toward Emily, Percy's new girlfriend, either. All she could do was realize: the two of them were meant to be. They looked so perfect together; even the others noticed it. They didn't mention it in front of Annabeth, of course, but Annabeth could tell.

Piper tries to comfort her, but Annabeth just shakes it off. She should've seen it coming. No one stayed. Not even Percy. And why should they? She wasn't someone worth hanging on to. She was too complicated. Too prideful. Too expectant.

As she walks around New Rome with Reyna, glad that she escaped the dining area where Percy had his arm around Emily, she notices even she gives her a look of pity, like she could tell how her heart broke into a million pieces when those two were together. Annabeth knew she shouldn't make it too obvious. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Percy in front of his new home.

Oh, yeah. And he wasn't coming back to Camp Half-Blood either.

He promised he would visit, of course, but Annabeth knew they would be very rare. And she knew she wouldn't be around during those visits, anyway. Just looking at him would bring back all the thoughts Annabeth had on what they could've been.

First note at the bottom of chapter! Finally conquered my laziness... by the way, it's Annabeth. :) Sorry it's a little short, I wrote this a long time ago and just didn't know what to do with it. Then I was offered this amazing place in a FanFiction account. Well, how could I refuse?

Don't worry, it's not a one-shot. More chapters to come! And remember, review, review, review! (And favourite, favourite favourite, and follow, follow, follow!)