So, strong response from those who read it. I thought this kind of story would be much more popular but I guess people are more into the whole high school Glee popular kid kind of thing. So just going to continue and see where it takes me. I hope that this appeals to a certain niche since it's a more realistic story that I feel that may be easier to connect to.


Chapter II: Complication

Percy spent the whole night emailing with Annabeth. His tired, somewhat grouchy attitude had been replaced by a bright and optimistic one. They started with a simple getting to know you chat. Percy talked about school, which wasn't anything special for him and he talked about baseball. Annabeth didn't seem very interested in his school or sports but at least she seemed interested in him as a person. Annabeth on the other hand had a whole host of topics, she was into graphic design and art, she loved history and literature and she was one of the top in her class.

Percy wasn't a big fan of art, even if she did draw buildings and he barely knew anything about history let alone literature. Even though he wasn't interested in anything he supposed that he should still ask questions about it if he wanted to get her to know better.

'So besides school and sports what else do you do?' Annabeth wrote asking. Percy was worried about that.

Percy's life wasn't exactly special. Now Annabeth seemed intimidating to him since she seemed to be multitalented. The one thing he did have was a whole lot of crazy stories. He hoped that Annabeth wasn't too put off by the insane things he had done.

'Not much…' Percy typed out. He was searching his brain for a way to phrase it. 'I do get into a lot of weird situations.'

'Like falling into the Hudson?' Annabeth wrote out again. This is why Percy hated emails, he could never gauge anyone's tone or mood from it. Not that he was good at it in the first place anyway.

'Yeah…' Percy replied testing her response.

'Well, my life is pretty boring.' Percy could not believe Annabeth's response. She was in most peoples dream school, well-funded with every facility imaginable. He couldn't imagine how she could be living a boring life. 'So what other insane stuff do you do?'

Percy cracked a small grin as he read that. At least she didn't think he was a functioning psychopath. 'Remember the time where the craze about Ninjas and stuff was going around?' Percy asked as he set up the background for one of his stories.

'Nope. There was a ninja craze?' Annabeth replied instantly.

'It was pretty recent.' Percy couldn't believe that she was oblivious to it. There were people dressed up as ninjas in the streets. 'I think it was in 2010.' Percy replied concealing his actual reaction.

'Nope. Nothing. I don't really follow things much.' Annabeth replied plainly.

'What? Then how do you do History and stuff. Don't they have a current events segment?' Percy thought Mrs Chase was right, Annabeth was weird in some ways.

'Yeah, I'm up to date on the important stuff. Not the pointless trends and other what not.' Annabeth wrote back, she clearly wasn't try to hide anything. She appeared to find coming across as boring.

'Well, back to the story.' Percy decided not to probe. 'So everyone was crazy about ninja throwing things and stuff. My friend decided to try it during shop class and cut the back of his own hand while trying to throw an X-Acto Knife at a block of wood.'

There was a long lull before Annabeth finally responded. During the time Percy was fearful that he had just scared her off. It was irrational but it wasn't entirely impossible. If he met a stranger involved in a freak knife throwing accident he would be freaked out too. If he met a stranger like Annabeth he probably wouldn't have bothered trying to start a conversation. But before he even started he felt like he was already emotionally invested in their friendship.

'What… You weren't kidding, that's pretty insane.' Annabeth wrote back finally putting Percy at ease.

'Well that's the only exciting thing about my life. Stupid things I do with my friends.' Percy said hoping to dismiss the possible suspicions that he was insane.

The conversation only ended at two in the morning. Percy wanted it to continue to whole night but he knew he had to get some rest of his baseball the next day. Before it ended he asked Annabeth for her phone number. If it had been another girl he would have been on edge since it conotated that he was looking for a date. With Annabeth it seemed to pass as a friendly question, although Percy himself was slightly tense.

Percy woke up early the next day feeling groggy. He had slept barely five hours before he had to leave. He knew he was going to be wasted for the remainder of the day but he didn't regret any of it. Percy left the house and took a wrong train heading for the baseball Field in New Jersey before he realized that the first practice after the summer was in school.

'Sorry I'm late.' Percy said as he burst into the classroom.

'Where were you?' Malcom asked as Percy sat down.

'Took the wrong train.' Percy sighed. 'Forgot we need to choose a new field.' Their years booking for the baseball field in New Jersey had ended at the start of September and now they needed to find a new place to practice.

'I say we use the ball park in the Bronx.' Grover said deciding to kick off the discussion.

'Too far, we should stick to the one in Weehawken.' Leo interjected, brushing off Grover's suggestion.

'But the price just increased. We can't afford it.' Malcom noted.

'Where's Beckendorf, Solace and the Stoll Twins?' Percy asked. There seemed to be took few of them here.

'Beckendorf had to help his dad at the auto shop. Stolls have detention and Will has a family thing.' Grover replied.

Percy was happy after hearing this, less people meant their decision would be streamlined.

'What about Corona Park?' Percy asked.

'You kidding? That's all the way in Queens.' Grover responded.

'So? It's cheap… well cheaper.' Percy persisted.

'The one in the Bronx is just as Cheap.' Grover said countering.

'But it's the Bronx, I don't want to get robbed.' Leo replied.

'All our trainings end in the afternoon on a Saturday… I don't think muggings happen often in broad daylight.' Grover said.

'Weren't you always the one scared of being mugged?' Nico said quietly from the corner of the class. He had been there quietly observing the whole argument.

'Yeah… But it's near my house.' Grover said finally divulging his ulterior motive.

'Malcom, how much budget to do we have for the year?' Percy asked deciding to settle the argument.

'Urm…' Malcom pondered. 'Well… Let's just say it's not enough.'

'So Weehawken is out of the question, anything in Manhattan is out of the question. So that leaves us with Bronx and Queens. Correct?' Percy said stating everything out.

'Pretty much.' Malcom nodded

'I say Corona Park at Queens. It's a nicer neighbourhood.' Percy replied plainly.

'Well, what choice do we have?' Grover pouted.

'Sorry man. So Corona it is?' Percy said finally ending the argument.

'Wait, what about Brooklyn? There are like three fields there and their so much closer.' Malcom suggested reigniting the argument.

Percy hesitated for a moment. Malcom was right, there was a cheap and closer alternative field in Prospect Park. But he had almost convinced everyone to agree on Corona. He asked himself why he was reluctant to change. Percy realized why he wanted Corona Park, Annabeth lived nearby in Elmont and he was hoping to run into her. Was he really willing to subject the whole club to a year of hassle just to meet a friend? Sadly, he realized that just maybe he was going to do it.'

'No time, we have to finalize it by today.' Percy insisted trying to mask his nervousness.

'But, we haven't looked at all the options yet.' Malcom protested.

'Look Malcom, I'm the Captain and I know the timeline we have. We need to start some practice now for the fall competition. After that we can go back to recreation.' Percy said asserting himself.

'Fine, Fine.' Malcom replied. 'We only have half the budget now so we can only book a field until October.'

'Good man, I knew I'd picked a good treasurer.' Percy said smiling.

The rest of the practice was spent in the small school field practicing some pitching and batting while Malcom finalized the booking. Percy felt bad for what he'd just did. He had just inconvenienced all of his friends just to meet with Annabeth. It scared him, he hadn't seen her in seven years yet he was so intent on meeting her. He just chalked it up to the need for closure or continuation of the friendship he valued so highly when he was younger.

'Grover, can you help me with something?' Percy asked as they sat down at the bleaches.

'Sure thing.' Grover responded before continuing to gulp down his 100plus.

'I need you to spread the message to everyone else. I didn't mean to antagonize Malcom or anything. Just make sure everyone knows.' Percy said in a disappointed tone.

Malcom Faulkner had been his classmate since they were eleven. He may not have been one of Percy's top friends, sometimes annoying him, but he still was a nice guy.

When Percy finally got home he felt even more tired than the day before. He knew his mom was due back in a few minutes and he needed to help her with house cleaning. There was no point in going to take a rest or taking a shower. He would be sweaty and feel even worse when doing chores later. Out of boredom he decided to message Annabeth and strike a conversation. It would give him something interesting to do later during chores.

He left a short message complaining that he shouldn't have slept so late. It seemed redundant and a pointless rant but it was an innocent attempt at making conversation. Percy proceeded to do his chores after his mother got back. Still no reply. Percy and his mother ate dinner. Still no reply. Percy waited for two hours in his room doing nothing. Still no reply. Finally he was getting agitated. Even he replied after at least six hours and he was considered unresponsive.

'Percy, are you free now?' Sally asked from the dining room.

Percy was tempted to say no, but it didn't seem a reply was going to come anytime soon. 'Yeah mom, I'm free.'

Percy sauntered out into the living room and dropped himself into one of the chairs. 'What do you need me to do?"

'Nothing sweetie, I just wanted to talk to you.' Percy's mom said while typing on her laptop.

'About what? Everything is fine.' Percy replied. He asked himself why he was letting Annabeth affect him like that.

'I just had a nice lunch with Mrs Chase.' Sally started. Just like that Percy perked up a bit at the slightest possibility. 'She told me all about Annabeth and what their family had been doing recently.'

For the next half an hour Percy listened intently about every little detail about Annabeth. Percy heard the fleeting mention that Annabeth had problems when she was younger. He heard that she was actually quite athletic, she just didn't like sports as a hobby. Finally he found out that the only reason Mrs Chase recognized him was because of his sea green eyes. Apparently Annabeth had talked about it non-stop when they were friends.

Percy went back to him room feeling a strange mix of emotions. He was disappointed that Annabeth hadn't said anything yet he was happy to have heard something about her. Percy decided to email her in hopes that she would respond. Maybe she just wasn't free earlier in the day, maybe her phone had been out of commission.


A full week had past and Percy was getting agitated. He wondered if he story really had freaked her out and that she was just being polite. Finally she replied in the middle of dinner a full Saturday later.

'Sorry! I got really busy with school. So what's up now?' The message read. Percy dislike how it seemed so casual, but then again it wasn't like it was anything major. Percy was starting to think he may have a problem judging from his reaction.

'Urm… Sorry for all the spam.' He wrote down. He may have sent five more message over the week out of concern. 'Nothing much, just a little anxious that the talking stopped.'

'That's a little… well weird, but I think it's also kind of sweet.' Annabeth replied. Percy felt relived, he hadn't come off serial killer creepy.

Percy wanted to ask to meet in person but he couldn't come up with a good way to ask. He sat awkwardly in front of his computer for a good five minutes try to decided what he wanted to do.

'Annabeth, I don't think emails are a good way to get to know each other again. Can we meet up sometime?' Percy typed out, after meticulously proof reading it he sent it out satisfied that it didn't seem too creepy.

'Sure, I'll have to ask my dad though. Where do you want to meet?' Annabeth asked. Percy was a little apprehensive about her dad know about it since he bought into the stereotype that all fathers were protective of their 'little girl'. Percy wouldn't blame him, he probably would be doing the same thing in twenty years. He just hoped that Mr Chase was as nice as he remembered.

'Urm… Monday after school? Times Square?' Percy sent suggesting the soonest timing and the first thing that came to his mind.

'Really, Times Square? You're a New Yorker but you suggest the most touristy place to go to?' Annabeth responded in disbelief.

'What… Since you live in Elmont I was thinking you don't come into town that often. Besides, you have a better idea?' Percy sent back defending himself.

'It doesn't seem fair that I need to go all the way to Manhatten to meet you.' Annabeth worte, it seemed like she was pouting slightly to Percy, or at least in his imagination.

'I'll willing to go to Elmont, but is there really anything to do there?' Percy wrote back, he wanted to come across diplomatic.

'Good point, I'll get confirm everything soon. Time square it is.' Annabeth sent back.


Percy was elated for the next day. But throughout the day he while thinking about what would happen with Annabeth. Surprisingly never once did he stop to think why he was elated in the first place. If he was going to meet Grover on Monday he wouldn't have spared a though about it until right before they were supposed to meet. Yet with Annabeth their meet up was all he could think about.

Percy was excited to meet Annabeth. He waited outside the subway station for here even arriving half an hour early. Percy being a boy eventually got bored and his mind started to wander.

'Hey! Percy!' A female voice called out.

Percy snapped up to see a beautiful blond girl with long flowing hair that cascaded down like liquid gold. Her eyes were still that stormy grey he could never read and she walked with a confident stride.

'How did you recognize me? I didn't tell you what I was wearing.' Percy said in surprise. It turned out he had forgotten that they hadn't seen each other in seven years and had definitely changed. Then again, Percy felt that there was a good part of it. If he had known Annabeth was wearing a sun dress he wouldn't have been as pleasantly surprised as he was now.

'Like I could forget those green eyes.' Annabeth said smiling. 'I always thought they were cute when we were younger.'

Percy didn't want to be associated with cute. But it was better than think he was a maniac. 'Well, I was scared of your eyes for a while. Now I realize how unique they are.' Percy said casually, making Annabeth chuckled.

'I can tell this is going to be fun. Good thing I talked my dad out of asking Malcom to come with us.' Annabeth said.

'Wait? What!' Percy replied instantly now confused. 'Malcom, as in Malcom Faulkner.'

'Yeah, you go to school with him right?' Annabeth asked, now it seemed she was mildly perplexed by his reaction.

'Yeah, he's my treasurer in the baseball club.' Percy replied dumbfounded. 'What does he have to do with anything?'

'I never told you? Well he's my cousin.' Annabeth said thinking she had cleared things up.

Only one thing ran through Percy's mind at that point. Crap.


The plot is starting to develop now. I know Annabeth seem unbelievably civil and slightly stiff but just bear in mind that this is the first time they have met in years. I believe it is human nature to put on a bit of a show when try to give a first impression. Later on the interactions between Percy and Annabeth will get more candid.

As for Percy's friends they won't be play too much of a major role. Of course Malcom will cause issues but his intent isn't to spite Percy. Instead he is acting in Annabeth's interest since they are family. Grover of course will be acting as Percy's best friend.

I hope you like the story so far. Just a more realistic take on the average romance story.