PERCABETH

Chapter 2

ANNABETH POV

I stretch on my new bed, and I snuggle on my new sheets. My new room is themed white and modern, with a light yellow and cream sheets and a modern looking white desk. Even though my room is barely furnished, I love it already. On my desk is my brand new laptop Selena bought me as a leaving present. I miss her with my entire heart.

My new room has a balcony. There is a glass and wood door in the window leading to the balcony. The view from the balcony is not very good, but you can see through into the neighbor's house. There is a string of cute Christmas lights hanged on the wall of my room that I think is cute. My family is downstairs furnishing but I just lay in my bed, thinking. Thinking about my new life. Thinking about fitting in.

There is a full-length mirror in the side of my room next to the dresser. The rim of the mirror is black and I like the mirror because I can make clothes out of cloth and try them on in my mirror. I like architecture and designing. I consider myself a nerd. In another corner of my room is a modern looking bookshelf that I have already filled half with books. I just love reading.

I twist my wavy blonde hair with a finger as I look outside. From where I can see, the house next to me has a balcony in the same place I have mine. Inside their room from the big window I can see a sports themed bedroom. The room is cute, and the light is on, but nobody seems to be inside.

The house seems to be bustling with life, almost every light inside on. My dad had installed a hammock into my balcony where I can read and think. I take one of my favorite classics, Anne Of Green Gables and go outside onto my hammock. I enjoy the newfound peace and quiet of my new neighborhood. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something happening in the house next to mine. In the sports bedroom across from mine, a boy steps into the room. He is wearing a college hoodie, and all I can see before he turns is dark black hair. He turns, obviously on the phone with someone.

PERCY POV

I pace in my room, anger bubbling inside me as my fingers clutch my phone. "I can't wait to see you, Percy!" A girl named Clarisse's happy voice exclaims into the phone. I answer through gritted teeth, trying to stay kind. "Clarisse, your nice, but I don't like you. At all. Please stop calling me." Is all I can manage before I angrily press the stop button on my phone. I sigh and flop onto my bed.

Being popular is supposed to mean your carefree and happy, surrounded by friends, but being popular is awfully hard. You always have girls calling you. By girls, no I don't mean the real beautiful type that have a wonderful personality and a hilarious sense of humor, but the fake type that wears layers of makeup and V neck shirts that show their enhanced chests. So far, there are only a few real wonderful girls at my school like Thalia, Piper, Calypso and Hazel, but Thalia is in love with Nico, Piper belongs to Jason, Calypso is flirting with Leo, and Hazel is madly falling for Frank. That leaves me, the so called most popular boy in the school left out. Overall, being popular is annoying.

I dream of the day I meet my dream girl. I close my eyes on my bed and imagine a girl with a crazy sense of humor, a generous personality, and a kind heart. I don't care about how pretty you are or how many blonde hair extensions you got over the summer, I care about your inside.

I shiver as an incoming phone call from just another admiring fake girl, Drew calls my phone. "Percy, we have to date! Soon!" Her drippy honeydew voice echoes in my head. "Drew," I say as kind as possible. "I'm not trying to be mean. But I do not want to be with you." I bite my tongue to keep from shouting at her. "Well, I will get to you, Percy. Just wait for me!" She giggles and hangs up.

I stare at the ceiling. School starts tomorrow. Maybe the entire girl situation will be different. Maybe starting off as captain of the swim, soccer, and basketball team will make a real, beautiful girl fall for me. Just maybe.

As I stare at the ceiling for what seems like hours, I decide to sit on one of my chairs on the balcony. As I squint out the window, I see a moving truck pulling out of the neighbor's driveway. We have new neighbors! I feel excited. I walk outside and sit on a weaved rocking chair my mother got me. I enjoy the peace and quiet of the afternoon, and as I look into my neighbor's house, I gasp. A girl, looking about my age with a flower crown sitting on her blonde hair sits on her bed, her face down, sketching on a notebook. I admire as she doesn't even look up once, but keeps on drawing. Her determination tells me to never give up, whether your drawing or fighting or even in my case, looking for a girlfriend, never give up.

I haven't seen this girl before. Maybe she's new. As I study her from far away, something in my heart pounds. I've never admired a girl this much for such a long time. Something about her long natural blonde hair and modest clothes strikes something in me. I want her to go to my school this year. Maybe… we can be friends.

I go back inside, it's starting to get cold. My raven black hair gets into my eyes, and I brush it away. I sit on the spinning chair next to my desk, and I actually growl as a girl in my grade, Gaea calls me. I silence my phone. I'm not in the mood to answer any other girl's calls.

As I sit on my chair staring into nothing, all I can think about is Zoe.

Zoe, Zoe, Zoe,

Her beautiful name echoes through my head, and I sigh. Zoe Nightshade. My beautiful, courageous, smart, loving girlfriend. "I miss you." I say to nobody, Zoe is gone. Everything has changed. Zoe had been my old girlfriend. A real girl. Not only was she stunning with looks, beautiful dark brown hair and those stunning black eyes. Not only that, but her personality shined like a star. A wonderful, kind way of thinking, a generous personality, her amazing sense of humor, and what she will be remembered most for her selflessness. She would instantly give her own life for someone's. And that's how she died. My beautiful Zoe.

Zoe had always loved hunting. She was a master with her bow and arrow, and she and some friends made a hunting team. They are truly sensational. Her friends claimed Zoe could hit a target on a tree from a mile away with her eyes closed. Her team had been on a bear hunting trip in Ark's Forest, in Michigan. Everything had been going well, the hunters sprinting through the forest, finding bears.

And they found one. A vicious beast, looming seven feet high, growling at the girls. They had tried to hunt it, but they realized even they weren't strong enough. The bear went after one particular girl, Bianca. Bianca with her small body and scared eyes was an easy target for the large bear. It had sprinted after Bianca, but Zoe, being the hero she was, shouted and ran in front of the bear just as the bear raised his razor sharp claws to kill Bianca, but Zoe jumped in front of her, and the claws hit Zoe, and killed her. She was rushed to the hospital, but no use. Zoe had died. Died a hero. At least she died how she wanted to die. Her wish was to die a hero, and she did.

Tears stream down my cheeks as I think of my bold, beautiful girl. "I love you Percy," her lovely voice echoes through my head.

I miss Zoe more than the moon misses the sun when it rises up into the sky. She was my queen, the jelly to my peanut butter, the key to my kingdom. Without her, I feel like an empty bottle that used to be filled up with love. I know what Zoe would have wanted from me. She would have wanted me to move on. She would have wanted me to find another girl, someone better. That's what we said.

I remember that one day when we were lying outside in Zoe's backyard and we talked about our future together. "When I die, I want you to move on. Find someone new. Do it for me, if you love me." Zoe had said. I agreed, and I will keep my promise. I will do it for Zoe.