Hey! We are back in business! I'm going to have someone special do the disclaimer today. Guess who?
ME!
I, PandaBearPotter, do not own PJO, HoO, or anything from them (sadly, it's true). Let's get this show on the road!

Chapter One

I wake up to a pillow being thrown on my head. "Happy Sweet Sixteen!" someone shouted.

"Luke…." I groan. "It's my birthday. Let me sleep," I through the pillow at him, and it falls away to reveal a nasty glare upon Luke's face.

"Birthday present?" I ask sleepily.

Luke sits down on my bed. He has a serious look in his blue eyes, and his usual mischievous smirk is gone. "Annie, they're having a brunch in your honor, and King Frederick has invited all the lords and ladies to attend. Come down when you're ready. They'll be excited to see the bell of the brunch," He laughed, but his grin faded when I didn't laugh with him.

"And, Annabeth…" Luke said, looking nervous all of the sudden. "After the brunch, there's something I need to talk to you about. In private," he murmured. Then he stood up. "Well, I'd best be off. See you after the brunch, Annabeth." With that, he turned and quickly exited my room.

After a lady-in-waiting declared me presentable, I stood to look at myself in the mirror. I gasped at what I saw. Instead of Annabeth, I saw the princess of Crete. The person who my parents expected me to be.

My complexion was more even, my eyelashes longer, my lips fuller and pinker. A small silver tiara set with pearls was placed in my blonde curls, complementing my gray eyes. To match my crown, little pearl studs adorned my ears and a pearl necklace rested on my chest. Don't even get me started on my dress. It was floor length, and loosely fitted around my legs. The top was white, decorated with silver thread and small pearls, while the bottom faded into a pale peach-pink. I wore white flats under my dress, and I, in other words, looked stunning… and stunned.

"Wow," I whispered. The little girly part of my brain suggested that I should wear make-up every day. I could look like this every day, and-the sensible part of my brain put a wall in front of that train of thought, and I said thank you to the lady-in-waiting. She looked embarrassed as she left, with a hint of pride.

I smiled, and found myself examining how beautiful my smile looked with the pink lipstick.

Brunch was the worst. Everyone talked politics and boring adult stuff like that. Then we had a toast… to my dad. And then everyone talked politics again.

I mean, COME ON! Whose birthday is it? MINE!

Eventually, I decided that I 'had to use the restroom', or, in other words, escape.

Presently, I am in my room. Sulking.

My thoughts mill quietly over all the things that have happened today. First, I was brutally awakened by that well aimed pillow thrown by Luke. Then I- oh.

Luke.

I'm out of my plush chair, flying across my room to the mirror. Hurriedly, I check myself. Hair, good, dress, good, make-up-wait, when did I start caring about how I looked around Luke?

Does this mean… could I… have a crush on Luke? I banish the thought from my mind. I can't like the boy I found lying on the beach when I was only 13!

Can I?

It doesn't matter now, though, because I need to find him.

I thought I would find him in his room. Wrong. I thought I would find him in the kitchen. Wrong. I thought I would find him great hall. Wrong. I thought I would find him on the castle grounds. Wrong. I thought I would find him in my room. Wrong. There was a note in my closet though, that read in Luke's handwriting:

Annie,

Meet me at the highest point,
where you first learned my name.
Hurry, and hurry quick,
for this is not a game.
-Luke

The highest point… of course! Grande Spire, the tallest point of the castle, where some astronomers were sometimes welcomed to chart the stars. Grande Spire was the best place for stargazing in Crete, but… why would Luke be there?

Little did I know that I would find out soon.

I looked up the spiraling staircase. In Queen-to-Be class, I had learned that if there was a staircase that went from ground level to the top of Grande Spire, there would need to be 300 stairs. Having the stairs start on a higher floor was a good idea, for now we only had to climb 250 stairs. I was halfway up, with 125 to go.

The walk was painful on my legs, and when I finally reached the top I was panting. I scanned the large stone balcony for signs of Luke and found none. So, I did the obvious thing.

"Luke?" I asked, my voice ringing in the vast space.

Things happened too rapidly for me to process in time to fight back. Luke's hand clamped on my mouth and nose, preventing me from breathing. My head swam, and a large black bag was pulled over my head. I knew I was passing out from lack of air, so when the hand released me, I gasped.

Big mistake.

The sudden rush of air was too much for my body, but before I lost consciousness completely, I thought I heard Luke's voice.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth," he murmured, but in that moment, I knew I could never forgive.

I hope you liked it! Since it was my first, that might not have been the best, so tell me what I could do better in a review! No, this isn't really Lukeabeth, but I may hint some little pieces here and there. PM or comment any questions!

PandaBearPotter