Thank you for the reviews last chapter! I'll try to update once a week, though that may not work out once school starts next year.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson

Annabeth's POV

Rumour Has It

Mythology and Pre-Algebra were over before I could blink. I hadn't had one class with the boy I saw in the hallway before, but maybe that will change later.

I headed toward the gym were we practice volleyball, which I was the captain of. The girls on the D1, or the more experienced team, get credit so we don't have to go to P.E. Except on Fridays, when everyone is forced to go outside and 'get active'. Apparently the gym isn't good enough.

Today I decided to have the team practice our over-hand serves. Everyone could technically do it, but only a few actually got it over the net most of the time.

I wrangled up the team and showed them how to do it for the millionth time. The ball smacked the ground hard on the other side of the net. Not too low, not too far. Perfect.

I told them to get into their usual groups. I was observing the girls, giving pointers here and suggestions there when a girl in a bright red ponytail screamed. "Watch out!"

I turned my head quickly and saw a volleyball come right towards the side of my head. Instinctively, I moved out of the way. And just in time too.

It sailed past me and hit my best player, Piper, right in the gut. I had no idea that someone was behind me. She yelped in pain, clenching her stomach and groaned.

My face turned red. My entire fault, I probably could have stopped it.

I helped Piper up off the ground where she was kneeling and twisting her shirt with her hands. "C'mon, you can do it." I encouraged her.

"Clarisse, you're in charge for now. I don't want any complaints from the team like last time." She rolled her eyes at me. Clarisse may be mean, but her volleyball spikes are seriously badass. That was the only reason why I hadn't kicked her off of the team. She knew it, too.

"Whatever you say Princess." Clarisse gave a mocking bow. Before I could go I stuck my tongue at Clarisse in a very mature manor, if I do say so myself.

I waited in Nurse Hestia's office with Piper and some other injured kids. Piper laid down on a cot eating gummy bears which supposedly help all means of stomach issues.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked her, aware of the awkward silence.

"I'm okay, I think" Piper chewed off a green bear's head.

"I'm sorry. I could have stopped that if I really tried." I hung my head shamefully.

"It's anyone, but your fault. That girl had horrible aim." Her braid swung as she turned her head to look at me.

I sighed. The white painted door opened and I saw a boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes walk in. What was his name again? I knew he was in our grade, but Yancy was such a big school…

"Hi Jason" Piper spoke in almost a whisper.

Behind Jason was the boy I saw in the hallway. He looked even worse than Piper did. His tanned skin was a shade lighter and his eyes were partially closed. Jason was carrying the kid over his shoulders. The second Jason set him down the boy fell asleep.

"Dodge ball." Jason shook his head. "Poor kid. It was pretty much the whole court against him."

"What about you?" Piper asked popping a gummy bear in her mouth.

He pointed at a sprained ankle that was wrapped in a black stretchy band. "Couldn't play." He paused for a moment. "Why are you here? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine now." She blushed slightly when he reached for her hand to pull her up.

They started heading for the door when Jason turned around. "Aren't you coming?"

"I think I'll stay here for a while." I said. He shrugged and kept walking. "Hey." He turned around. "What's his name?"

Jason blinked in surprise. "Percy Jackson." Him and Piper left the room and quietly shut the door behind them. Before he left I could have sworn I caught a mischievous smile spread across his face.

Nurse Hestia came around to check up on her patients. "Mm hmm." She scribbled notes down on her pad. "Mm hmm…Mm hmm!"

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"Deep tissue bruising on his forehead. Also he has a dislocated shoulder." She tossed me a pack of Milk Duds and continued to the next bed.

"Doesn't he need to go to a hospital or something if he has a dislocated shoulder?" I called.

She turned around. Her reddish colored eyes sparkled slightly. "Don't worry about that sweet pea. He'll be fine."

That definitely reassured me. (Sarcasm intended.)

I sat thinking about what I would say to…Percy when he woke up. I liked that name. It fit him so well.

I caught myself staring at Percy with interest. I didn't even know this kid! And I already wanted to become friends with him. How awkward would that be if he woke up right now?

And he did. I shoved a mouth full of Milk Duds down his throat. He gave me a chocolaty grin and fell back asleep.

Holy crap! I covered my face in my hands. What the heck? I'm freakin' creeping on this poor kid and then I almost choke him with candy! I face-palmed over and over again. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

I don't know how long I had been sitting there thinking about absolutely nothing when something clear, whitish-colored leaked from his mouth. I started laughing. Really laughing like I haven't in a long time.

He stirred a little and I bit my hand to stop the laughing. His eyes opened and I swear, the world literally just stopped rotating. His sea green eyes looked into mine and he rubbed them tiredly.

"You drool in your sleep." I walked out of the nurse's office not giving Percy a chance to respond.

I turned around and clicked the door behind me. My breathing sped as I heard footsteps come close. Class started minutes ago, no one should be in the hallways right now unless they had permission.

"Hey Annabeth, haven't seen you in a while." Luke smiled and my heart skipped a beat.

(I was going to end the chapter here, but changed my mind)

My heart started pounding in my chest like crazy. "Hey Luke, how've you been?"

"Good." But he looked so pale. "I got to skip electives to come and help Nurse Hestia. She's just been so busy lately. Hey…Can I tell you something?"

Uh oh. I knew that voice, that was the 'something bad happened' voice. "What's wrong?" He gave me a sad smile and hugged me. I could have sworn I felt tears run down my back.

"It's Thalia…She's transferring back to Yancy Academy. I don't know what to do! Now that the group is all broken up I have no idea what I'm going to do when she comes back! I already told Nico this morning and he was as lost as me!"

I stood stiff as a board. She was transferring back? Thalia had gone to Yancy from Kindergarten to fifth grade. Even though she was two grades ahead of me we were the closest friend each other had. (I know, the ages are completely off I'm sure, but let's just ignore that.) Until I had decided that I had had enough of being made fun of for being smart and laughed at every time I joined a sports team. Since I left, the rest of our group faded away: Thalia, Luke, Nico, Grover…Juniper had stayed with me the whole way. I think she was afraid of being left alone too. I had left Thalia in the dirt and she had no one to call a friend anymore. She started wearing black punk clothing and hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Her parents were worried and took her to an all-girls boarding school called Artemis's School For Young Girls. I hadn't seen or heard from her since. She was the one I felt worst about dumping. And now she was coming back.

I buried my face in my hands. "I don't know what to do Luke! If we leave her on her own again she'll just do the same thing as last time." He patted me on the back.

"It's okay. Everything will be alright. I promise." I smiled through my wet tears and hugged him tighter. All of this had been my fault. If I hadn't been so scared of being all alone when Luke, Thalia, and Nico left Yancy we wouldn't be in this mess.

"Well." I swiped my tears away. "I better be going to class. Got health next." I started heading towards class.

"Wait! Do you want to come to my house this weekend? I'm throwing a beginning of the year party. Anyone's allowed to come, but beware; most of the people will be eighth graders."

"I'll be there." I laughed. "Thanks. And thanks for telling me too"

"It's no problem." He winked at me and walked into the nurse's office.

I sighed. I wonder when Thalia is coming back, I'm sure Luke doesn't know either so I didn't bother asking him. I scurried to classroom 6B being stopped by teachers left and right to show them my hallway passes.

Someone or thing ran over my heel from behind. "Hey! Watch where you– Grover!"

"Sorry." He said sourly. My stomach twisted a little by the way he was talking to me. I took a deep breath. He did have a good reason.

"Has Luke told you about Thalia?" He shook his head. "She's coming back to Yancy for her eighth grade year. We both decided to stick with her or things will just go downhill like last time."

Grover furrowed his eye brows. "That was your fault. Not mine, I would have stuck with her when she came back even if you hadn't come up with it."

"That means we're going to have to get along on some levels…" I looked down at my shoes. This was the first time I had talked to Grover in years and I felt awful.

He sighed. "I know that. And I'm sorry for treating you like crap recently" A hand reached out below my face. An offering.

"Really?" He nodded. "I'm sorry for treating you like crap years ago." I shook his hand, then yanked him into a hug, crying for the second time in one day. I guess I missed my friends more than I thought I did.

Wow, how much I can relate to this chapter is insane... Rumour Has It: Adele.

Review if you want some Percy!