Okay, so probably not the best idea to be posting another story when I'm not doing the best keeping up with my other one, but I really like this idea, and writing it has been really easy and it's actually helping some with my other story. So, please tell me what you think of it and if you think I should continue it. All criticism are accepted, even really means one, because at least their honest. Unless you're hating to hate, then I don't see the purpose.

As always the character might be a little OOC, but I try to keep them to their most core character traits. OOCness is usually the cause of the story line or the fact that I'm not Rick Riordan and I can only write the characters as I understand them to be. For this reason I believe it is acceptable and should not cause too many problems. None of the characters are that wildly changed as I see it.

Anyways, as I said before I am not Rick Riordan, the credit for the characters goes to him. I claim no rights to any of them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy!

The city was hot. The heat of the summer hadn't quite left its blocks yet even though fall was rapidly approaching. However, something about that fact just made the heat worse. It wasn't even that hot truly. It was only in the low seventies, a moderate temperature compared to the summer average that ranged in the mid to high eighties, a lot of days getting even hotter than that. The anticipation of cooler weather though made even the slightest bit of heat unbearable. School was already starting. Couldn't at least one good thing come out of the ending of summer?

I stretched out across and isolated bench in Central park, soaking in the coolness of the shade and trying to forget that today was my last day of freedom before school. How had the summer gone by so fast? I hadn't even accomplished what I had set out to do. I thought I had eternity, but now the summer was gone and senior year was rapidly approaching. After that came college, and that was the most difficult part, right? Trying to stay close with all your friends even as they begin to move away, chasing their dreams. There's nothing you can do about because you know asking them to put aside their dreams to stay close to you would just be a dick move, even if you only had good intentions.

I guess during those times that's what I feared the most. That's the narrow vision with which I viewed the world. My only concerns were my life and getting through it happily and succeeding in school – a task all its own, believe me. Now, I can't help but wonder how I could define life so blandly. That's why I'm starting here though. So, you can understand the importance of my decision and why I had to choose what I chose. I only hope that you will be able to accept it… and forgive me.

There was something tapping on the tattered sole of my skate shoes as I lay on the park bench. It made me open my eyes and life up my head to investigate. At the foot of the bench stood one of my best friends in the whole world, Annabeth, looking as beautiful as she always did. She was dressed in her usual skinny jeans and t-shirt combo. Her curly blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail to keep it out of her face, but a few shorter strands by her temples hung freely. She had a notebook under one arm and a pencil in the other, which she was using to prod at my shoe. Her lips were turned up into smug little smile. I hated it as much as I loved it.

"Really, Percy? This is how you spend your first full day as a legal adult? Sleeping in the park, cuddling with your skateboard?" Annabeth's words were judging, but her tone was light. Ever since we were twelve she liked to pick on me like that. It wasn't until a few years ago did I realize she didn't truly mean everything that she said, only most of it.

"Well, I could be buying cigarettes and porn like a bunch of the other guys at our school." I swung my feet off the bench and pushed myself into a sitting position so Annabeth could sit down next to me. I set my skateboard, which I had been holding against my chest, underneath my feet on the ground. Despite the face she made at my comment Annabeth took a seat. "Besides," I continued, "that wasn't all that I was doing. I was dreaming, too."

"Were you now? And what were you dreaming about?"

I had to scratch my head at that comment, my brow creasing as I tried to remember. I knew I was having a dream. I remember the feeling of floating through space, so many different things flying past me that I could barely comprehend. There were people too, they seemed to be trying to speak to me, reach out to me for help, but they were blurry and I couldn't remember a thing they were saying. It felt so real I knew I had to be having some crazy dream, but as I tried to put it to words my mind went blank like it had never happened at all. Can someone imagine that they dreaming? "I can't really remember."

I don't know why, but Annabeth seemed a little disappointed. Perhaps my imagination was just going crazy that day. "It must have not been a very important dream if you can't remember it," she concluded in her absolute tone that left no room for argument. She could tell you anything in that tone of voice and you would believe her. She was usually a hundred percent correct, too.

"I guess so. Or maybe I'm still asleep." To emphasize my point I yawned, which wasn't entirely purposeful. I was extremely tired.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted too. I guess that's why you're supposed to go to sleep after the party ends instead of staying up later."

"It was worth it though." Last night was my eighteenth birthday party. Everyone had stayed up dancing and playing video games until one in the morning. Except for Annabeth and me, who instead stayed up until nearly five together after everyone else had left. We had gotten into an intense Super Smash Bros competition and we had lost track of time. In the end I won by default, because Annabeth wanted to get home to sleep. Normally we would have both just crashed on my couch, but she had something important to do in the morning.

"I was almost late for my appointment with my academic advisor this morning I was so tired," Annabeth complained.

"Why were you talking with your academic advisor the day before school starts?"

Annabeth looked down at her notebook, hesitantly poking the spiral binding with the end of her pencil. "There's a really big architecture conference coming up soon, and if I can get my portfolio and presentation ready by then I might be able to get a full scholarship to South Carolina."

"Oh," I stated dumbly. Now I understood why she seemed a little hesitant. Every time Annabeth tried to talk to me about where she wanted to go to college the conversation never went smoothly. I know she was really excited, but at the same time I didn't want her to leave me. What made it worse was that she didn't want to leave either, she had told me so, but it was also her dream. I don't know many twelve year old girls who know they want to be a world famous architect and work nearly every day of their life towards that dream. I would actually like to see it come true just for that if not just for Annabeth. That never changed the fact that I wished our dreams took us to the same place though.

"Anyways," Annabeth put in, forcing her voice to sound a little more chipper than usual. "Are you hungry? Because I was just on my way to lunch when I saw you lounging about like a hobo."

I put my hand against my stomach like I could feel the emptiness of its contents. "I could eat." As I stood up from the bench I got a head rush. My vision blurred and filled with black spots, but the spots weren't entirely black. They were filled with the broken images from my dream and I didn't feel lightheaded so much as if I was falling. It all only lasted a few seconds, however it was enough to throw off my balance. I fell to the ground, my skateboard shooting out from under me.

Annabeth chased down my skateboard for me and she came back with an amused smile on her face. "I thought you were supposed to be good at this."

"I am," I protested, rubbing my arm where I fell on it. "I like how you don't even ask if I'm okay."

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

The truth was I wasn't. It wasn't that I was terribly hurt from falling on my ass, but rather the strange feeling I got from my head rush unsettled me. It sent a light buzzing sensation through my entire body. I couldn't make sense of it though, so I didn't want Annabeth to know. "I'm just fine, thank you."

"You see, I didn't need to ask. I know you well enough to know that you're good."

Because Annabeth was with me I didn't get back on my board. She wouldn't be able to keep up if I was riding and she was walking. At least that's what I would have said if she asked me. The truth was I didn't even trust myself to be on it at the time. Each step I took felt weird, like my body wasn't really my body. I was just floating inside it somehow, but really I was in another place entirely. It was like watching myself in a dream. Whatever my head rush was, its effects were lingering. I tried to walk it off. I figured it was just some strange sensation that would fade away. Nothing to worry about.

As we walked through the park I tried my best to not think the strange occurrence. It wasn't really that hard with Annabeth walking next to me. She could always find something interesting to talk about. Even if most of the time I didn't understand a word. It didn't stop her though. She could have an entire philosophical debate with herself and equally argue both sides convincingly. That, and she always said she was trying to teach me stuff, so when I didn't understand something she never hesitated to give me a full in depth lecture on it. I even told her she should be a teacher instead of an architect, but she just looked at me like I had gone crazy.

"Are you kidding? You know I can't stand stupid people. They frustrate me too much. Honestly, some things just aren't as difficult as they make it out to be."

"Then how do you explain our friendship?" I countered.

"That's different." Annabeth waved me off. "You at least try, and you're really not that stupid either. Intelligence can be measured in multiple ways."

"And yet there's all those times you call me 'Seaweed Brain.' Or slap the back of my head."

"If you don't like it, then don't do so many stupid things."

I threw my hands out in front of me in frustration. "You just said I wasn't that stupid!"

"No, I said you weren't that stupid," Annabeth corrected. "You can still be dumb. I mean, seriously, who thinks a wad of seaweed looks like a brain?"

"Hey! I was twelve years old and really into zombie movies. It looked like a rotted, green brain. You know how they have those coil things that – you know what? Nevermind." I let my hands drop from making the vague hand gestures that I had been using to help describe how the seaweed looked like a brain to me. Annabeth just looked at me with an amused expression and I knew she was laughing at me silently.

"Whatever you say, Seaweed Brain." She had added the nickname just to irk me.

"You're right. You shouldn't be a teacher. You'd just traumatize all your students. I don't know why I even try to argue with you."

"I couldn't tell you. Maybe it's just one of those stupid things you like to do." I opened my mouth to protest, not picking up on her teasing tone, but she interrupted me by throwing open the door to the diner we had walked to. "Come on, I was just kidding. I'll even by you an extra order of chili fries to make up for it." Sometimes Annabeth could really annoy me, but then I was instantly reminded why she was one of my best friends. She just got me and she was really awesome about it too.

"Sure, alright," I agreed, immediately all my annoyance defused.

We took an open booth near the back without even questioning where we were going to sit. Annabeth and I had been going to this diner for so many years now we had a designated spot, we knew the entire menu, ate everything off of it at least twice, and we were really tight with the owner and all the workers. Of course, it also helped that I had held a part time job here for the last two years. I always told myself that I would stay away from getting a high school job in food services, but I love this place. The best part was that even after getting a job I still loved all their food. I don't think I could ever grow tired of the food here. It was just physically impossible. Even if I wasn't hungry I could eat three whole plates of deluxe omelet platters easily.

After one of the waitresses took our orders and we exchanged a quick conversation about my birthday with her, we fell into an easy conversation about all our memories in this place. It was hard not to feel a little nostalgic at times. If you had a friend who tried so hard to be chivalrous for a girl he liked that he ran into the door and cracked the glass just trying to beat her to it, wouldn't you laugh every time you walked through that door? We certainly did. Of course, then Annabeth started to tease me about the time I had fallen asleep here and my oh so great friends decorated my face with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. I got her back by reminding her of the time when she tried to drink every milkshake that they had on the menu, but eventually it made her throw up and she couldn't make it to the restroom, so it ended up on the shoes of our history teacher. There are seriously times where I'm surprised we're not kicked out of this place.

Our border line too loud laughter didn't quiet down until our food was brought out. There was nothing that could shut up a couple of teenagers more than food. I immediately attacked my French toast, bacon, over easy egg sandwich, barely giving the waitress time to get her hand out of the way. It was a bit of an odd creation, but damn was it good. Annabeth thought she'd try being cute and steal one of my chili fries, but I slapped her hand away, causing her to drop some chili onto the table top.

"Oh, nice going there," Annabeth commented like it was my fault.

I picked up the exact fry that Annabeth had been fishing for and hovered it just outside my mouth. "This mess is all you. After all these are your apology fries, taking back your apology only causes more trouble." I popped the fried into my mouth, anticipating the great satisfaction of eating it right in front of Annabeth. It wasn't just that the fires were one of my all-time favorite things on the menu, it was also the weight they carried with them. It wasn't too often that I got a victory over Annabeth like this. Victory tasted good with chili fries. However, sweet deliciousness was not what I got.

As soon as the fry was in my mouth I was attacked by another strange head rush. This time my vision wasn't spotted, but it went entirely black like I had been pulled away from the conscious world. Then I could see again like nothing ever happened. In that second I had felt like I was falling even though I hadn't moved at all. The fry got rested on my tongue tasteless and heavy. I felt the muscles in the back of my throat constrict and I knew I was going to vomit. I quickly slapped my hand over my mouth and stumbled out of the booth to try to make it to the restroom, nearly knocking over two people in the process, but I had made it. I retched out all the contents of my freshly eaten meal back out of my stomach. Once it was all out I felt like complete shit. My legs felt weak and cold. I didn't even try to get up. I just knelt there by the toilet hanging my aching head.

"Percy?" Annabeth called softly from outside the door. I hadn't closed it so Annabeth could clearly see me in my sickly state. At least her body was blocking the customers' views, although I knew they were all looking this way. "Percy, are you okay?" Annabeth knelt down beside me and rubbed comforting circles into my back.

I shook my head, but I weakly responded, "I'm – I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Somehow I'm not convinced." Of course she wasn't. There was obviously something wrong. Truth be told, it freaked me out, seriously. I didn't know what was happening or why, but whatever it was I didn't want to concern Annabeth. I knew she would have been more than willing to help, but I didn't want her to see me like this, to know how scared I was.

"I just think I need to go home. Get some sleep." I stood up slowly, trying my best not to wobble too much. Annabeth hovered by me ready to catch me if I decided to suddenly collapse. I fished some cash out of wallet and threw it on the table. I probably overpaid, but I could care less at the moment. I just wanted to get out of the diner and back home where I could be alone and safe from all the watching eyes.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your apartment?" Annabeth asked, handing me my skateboard for the second time that day. I couldn't meet her grey eyes. If I saw just how concerned she was, I knew I would break. My defenses weren't too strong when it came to her, but I could be pretty stubborn at times.

"No, it's okay. I think I manage to get back on my own."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah, Annabeth, don't worry. I'll be fine." I gave her a weak smile. "Finish your lunch and enjoy those chili fries for me. I'll call you later tonight."

Annabeth stared back at me, assessing me to my core. Her eyes gave away her disappointment and she pursed her lips. "Alright. Just be careful, Seaweed Brain." When she used my nickname affectionately I knew she was really bothered. She was just trying her best to play it off, make the situation lighter. I hated holding back on her, but I knew it would only worry her more if I was honest.

"I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." I could have almost smiled for real. That was such a typical Annabeth answer.

I give her a couple more reassurances before I made my way out of the diner. My apartment complex was only a short ten minute walk away, but at the pace I was moving it was most likely going to take me closer to twenty. I was worried that another head rush was going to get me. I wanted to be careful where I was if I collapsed. Luckily, I made it all the way back home with no issues, only a slight weakness running through my limbs. My mom and stepdad were at work, so there was no one to question or bother me as I stumbled through the apartment. I went to the bathroom and washed the sick out of my mouth and stripped off my shirt which had gotten a little bit on it. Then I climbed in my bed and prayed that whatever was happening to me would be gone when I woke up.

As I know now, that was only the beginning, and sleep was not the solution.