PLAYING THE PLAYER:
Annabeth's P.O.V:


"Chill out, whatcha yelling for? Lay back, it's all been done before. And if you could only let it be, you would see. I like you, the way you are, when we're driving in the car. And yoiu're talking to me, one-on-one, what you've bcome. Somebody else 'round everyone else, you're watching your back, like you can't relax. You're trying to be cool, you look like a fool to me. Tell me, why'd you have to make things so complicated? The way you're acting like your somebody get me frustrated. And life's this. You fall and you crawl and you break and you turn it into, honestly, promise me I'm never going to find you faking. Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?" -Avril Lavigne, Complicated.


CHAPTER ONE:

I eyed Thalia. We exchanged similar glances of fatigue.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing.

Was it cruel of me to be slightly happy that it was over? I blamed Percy Jackson's track record of dependability on my contentment, although I knew the countless envy that flared whenever they kissed was the real source of my bit back smile. For a while, I assumed that Rachel had finally gotten to his head. I recalled finding it unfair, and the news that they were still together always managed to make my stomach twist. I always thought that either Thalia or I would be the one to pull him back, to rip him out of this stupid façade. I knew this wasn't him. But it was who he had been pretending to be since middle school, and slowly, disappointment took over me. It didn't matter who changed him. It mattered that he had changed. I blinked. I knew that soon I would see him, this disgusting womanizer, as who he was. Sooner or later, the boy I knew would be gone for good. It didn't make me sad. I had accepted that a long time ago.

I just thought...

I didn't know what I thought.

"I don't know why he broke up with me!" she sobbed hysterically through the stall. She sniffled moments later, and another whimper had worked its way up through her throat. I pursed my lips tightly together in response, feeling slightly annoyed with my red-headed friend. It was mean of me. But I could see Thalia's faux mask of sympathy and knew that I wasn't the only one who felt this way. She should've expected this from the beginning. Granted, it took me by surprise too. Hopefully she'd work her way out of this funk and forget all about her summer fling with Percy. "I mean, things were going so well! Nico even told me he that Percy was in love with me!" Thalia huffed, blowing a piece of raven hair from her forehead as she did so. We both knew this was going to happen, the moment that Percy had asked Rachel Elizabeth Dare out. I tried to warn her about the heartbreak, the scandalous life of the popular, bad boy, Percy Jackson. She had listened at first, skeptical and cautious, but eventually he wormed his way into her head. Now she was paying the consequence. The consequence of heartbreak.

It wasn't that I blamed her. My irritation was mostly sent towards Percy and myself. Percy, for being the douche-pants that he is. And me, for not trying harder to stop it. But it was like a wild-fire. You had to wait until it burned out.

"I know, Rachel," Thalia said, tapping a black fingernail on the stall door. "I'm kind of sorry." I sent her a reprimanding glare. She shrugged sheepishly, darting away from my gaze. "What do you want from me? I don't know how to be comforting," she whisper-yelled to me. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to either. I'm the girl in the back of the classroom, the one who actually focuses on her schoolwork and grades- instead of partying senior year out.

"...and on the first day of school! What kind of person does that? God, I've never been so humiliated in my entire life!"

"Let it out, honey," Thalia murmured, coughing awkwardly, then blanching as she forced out the word 'honey.' "You know it was bound to happen." You see, any sane person at our school knows who Percy Jackson is. The most popular boy at school, besides a few others. The bad boy who gets detention almost every week. The player who jumps from girl to girl. And honestly, I was even surprised that Rachel and Percy's relationship had lasted this long. Normally, it would just be one week or less; but they dated for three whole months. That was why I thought for a while that Rachel had done the unthinkable. She captured Percy Jackson's heart. Now I know that's not true. I felt a twinge of anger. There was a part of me that was jealous over their lengthy relationship, then a sad part, that had wanted him to be healed. But then there was anger directed specifically at Percy. He did this. Whether or not we knew it was going to happen or not, it happened. And now we have to deal with that.

"Rachel, come on out now," I exclaimed. "It's the first day of senior year. I won't allow you to spend the entire time in a toilet stall. Besides, we can't exactly comfort you if you're in there." I looked for the right words, fumbling with my sentences. The last thing I wanted to do was to offend her. "I know he hurt you, but the best thing to do is move on. Not to retaliate with some schemed plan of revenge." Rachel had gone to sad, to mad, to completely pissed off in the past ten minutes. She had cried, then rambled to us all the horrible things that she was going to do to him. And now she's crying again.

I stared at Thalia again. She was wearing mid-length, ripped up black jeans. A spiked bracelet, heavy eyeliner that made her electrifying blue eyes stand out, and a T-shirt that said in big letters: Death to Barbie. Her spiky hair was pulled in a small pony tail, so her bangs hung in her eyes.

She wasn't goth, nor emo. She was just... Thalia. My best friend since Pre-K.

"Stay with her, I'll be right back."

"Annabeth..." She replied back, her voice cautious, still low. "Don't do what I think you're going to do. I can take care of my jackass of a cousin."

I brushed my blonde braid behind my shoulder and gave her a phony smile. "I'll be right back," I repeated. I walked out of the girl's bathroom pushing the door open. I half-expected Thalia to follow me out, but she didn't and I was glad.

He was dead. He was so completely dead.

The only issue was...we had history.

Percy Jackson and I go way back. In Preschool we were best friends, along with Thalia, thn in Elementary school our friendship followed. And at the end of Middle School, it shattered completely. He hurt Thalia and I. He broke off all connections, and slammed the door in my face. I sometimes think it was because of how different we were. Perhaps that caused the schism in our relationship.

It worsened in High School.

He was the bad boy, player. I was the good girl, genius.

Percy and I never got along, and that was okay with me. After a while, it was simply the way things were. We were now enemies. Complete opposites.

And in this scenario, opposites do not attract.

Or so I thought.

"Nico!" I called out to him in the hallway, spotting his brunette flop of hair. Nico di Angelo and I were friends. The only reason this existed was because Nico, Percy, and Thalia (along with her brother Jason) are all cousins. I didn't know how he managed to do it, but he was friends with Percy and Thalia. At the same time. After Percy left us, Thalia detested him with every fiber in her being. I was trying to follow her footsteps, but I found myself wavering from the path every time I saw Percy.

But then he did something like this and the Earth spun back to its axis.

His face brightened when he saw me. I never knew his older sister, but she had died a while ago. It was in middle school. A car accident around Christmas. I remembered how crestfallen he had been when she died, like his entire world had been destroyed around him. It took years, but he was finally back to his usual self. He had his moments, but over time, his depression improved tremendously. "Hey, Annie," he said handing a freshman something that I couldn't make out. "Want to buy some hair?"

Nico was so weird.

"As appealing as that offer is, it'll have to wait. Can you tell me where Percy is?"

"So... I'm guessing you heard about the breakup." I nodded my head curtly, anger flashing through me once more. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and a pregnant pause filled the hallway.

"Yeah, I did," I responded, glad to be breaking the heavily filled silence. "So where is he?"

"Erm... promise me you won't kill him?"

"No promises in that department." I glanced uneasily at the clock in the corner, hoping that I wouldn't be late to homeroom on the first day back to school.

"He's in his usual hookup spot," Nico's eyes flittered down the end of the hallway. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you. him and Drew are going at it pretty heavily. I could hear their moans-"

I held up a hand, signaling to stop him. "I don't need all those details. I'll just wait for him to be done...How long does it usually take?"

"Depends on the girl," he flashed me a crooked grin. "And Drew... damn."

"And what does 'damn' mean?"

"Means a long time, Annie." He patted me on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion. "Now are you sure you don't want to buy any fake hair? I'm sure you can put it to good use."

"I think I'm good."

"Alright. You know where the hookup spot is?"

"Everyone does," I replied truthfully. The hookup spot was the place where Percy Jackson took all of his girls. The closet in the A-wing hallway. Even teachers knew where it was, let alone students. Thalia and I cringed anytime we passed by it. I rounded the hallway, and dodged the mob of students who were just entering the building. Sidestepping to avoid getting decked by a tall junior, I made my way to the end of the floor. And right there, next to a row of few lockers, (I felt sorry for those poor students who had to listen to that while getting out their supplies) was the dreaded closet. I crinkled my nose in disgust, and stepped up to it. I could definitely hear moans and groans from the inside.

I knocked softly on the door.

What? It wasn't like I was going to open it.

The activity in there took an abrupt pause, and the moans ceased. There was shuffling. I was pretty sure I heard a belt buckle and was glad Percy was getting changed to answer the door. Apparently, according to Silena, he often times just opens the door without clothes. That would be a nightmare.

"Who is it, babe?" Drew's familiar, high pitched voice rang out. Her voice sounded smothered and flustered. "Is it a teacher? I can't afford another detention!"

"Would you relax? It's probably Nico or Connor."

I hugged my book "Wuthering Heights" up to my chest. Fictional characters, grant me strength.

The door pulled open, and there stood Percy Jackson. "Hello?" I tried to look up and stare at his face, but it was Percy. The swimmer. He was lean and skinny, but slightly muscular. You do the math. A pink flush worked its way up to my nose and cheeks, but he could easily just mistake it for anger instead of embarrassment. His gaze finally connected with mine and a lopsided smile formed on his face. "Hey," I began heatedly, my eyebrows narrowing. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Ah, Wise Girl. I was wondering when you were going to show up."

He covered the doorway, as I heard Drew cursing and pulling on the clothes. "What can I do for you? Would you like to join Drew and I? Three way?"

I gagged at the image that flashed through my mind.

"Screw you, Jackson."

"When and where?"

"Shut up!" His messy raven hair fell in his eyes like it always did. If he lived with me, Athena would always be pestering him to get a haircut. "And you obviously know why I'm here," I spat out, restraining from punching him. The only reason being that I knew it wouldn't be too effective.

His face softened, and for a moment I thought I saw a glimpse of guilt, but it vanished as soon as I spotted it out. "Spare me, Annie. She was just another girl who thought if she dated me, that she could get me to change. Well, she couldn't. I'm just a player, Annabeth. And I find it very satisfying."

"You're disgusting." I turned to walk away but he grabbed my shoulder gently and tugged me back. I gave him an expression of exasperation, my expression contorting to a look of irritation. "What?"

"Come on, Annabeth. Look, I'm sorry alright? I really did like Rachel. And I only broke up with her because I thought we would be better off as just friends."

I scoffed, and his eyes met mine, grey on green. "Who the hell do you take me for? I know that's a load of bullshit."

He tugged on the edge of my braid. "See," he explained, his phony saddened expression vanishing. "You know me so well!"

I jerked away from his hand, recoiling as if his touch had burned me. I fidgeted, tugging on the edge of my school skirt. "Bite me."

"Wrong choice of words, Chase."

My patience grew slim."Just stay away from Rachel, okay? And stay away from Thalia. While you're at that, never talk to me again."

His eyes narrowed, like I actually had sparked anger in him, and I glared back. Our gaze was intense, and I was finally the one to break our eye-contact to storm down the hallway.

I remembered when we used to be friends...when we used to do everything together. But before long, he started sleeping around and ignoring me. He changed his kind ways into something terrible. He ruined himself, and that was the truth.

He was a horrible person. He made all the wrong choices, and all the wrong decisions.

But that didn't stop me from being in love with him.