Disclaimer: Setting belongs to J.K. and characters belong to Rick Riordan!

Chapter two:

Five years later… (Annabeth's sixth year, Percy's seventh)

The meadow was covered in green grass. The sky was blue with only a few skittering clouds. Annabeth turned her face to the sun, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on her face when she heard her name. Annabeth! She turned towards the sound of her little sister's voice, and spotted her running towards her from across the field. She stretched her hand out, smiling. Her sister's face was filled with joy. She stopped in front of Annabeth, holding a bouquet of sunflowers- or were they daisies? Annabeth reached forward to take them, but they were pulled away. Her sister was shaking her head, and pointing to the sky. The blue sky fell away, replaced by rolling black clouds. The grass beneath her feet turned yellow and died. Suddenly her sister was yanked away from her. NO! Annabeth cried, trying to move forward, but she was suddenly stuck in place. She watched helplessly as her sister's expression changed to fear, unable to help. His face flashed in front of her laughing. Annabeth! Annabeth! Anna-

"-BETH"

"AH!" Bright light invaded her closed eyelids, turning them bright red. "You evil little!"

"Me? You're lucky I woke your sorry butt up! We're both late for our first class you idiot!"

16 year old Annabeth Chase glared at her best friend, Thalia Grace, with half opened eyelids and made to lie back down, before she registered what her friend had said.

"LATE?! WHY DIDN"T YOU SAY SO?" It was like a light switch had suddenly flipped on in her head. It took less than thirty seconds to throw on her robes, and another to pick up her books. In less than two minutes, she was ready to go. She turned and faced Thalia, and was confused to see her bent over at the stomach, laughing.

"Thals...? We have to go!"

By now she was rolling on the floor, unable to take another breath. Annabeth stood there dumbfounded- until her brain clicked.

"It's a Saturday, isn't it," She said slowly.

Thalia confirmed this with a nod. Then saw the look on Annabeth's face. Slowly, she backed away towards the door, before turning and sprinting out the door all the while screaming, "I'M SORRY I'M SORRYYYYYY!"

Onlookers would have seen normally punk and cool looking Thalia screaming and flailing her arms while running as fast as she could, being chased by quiet, sensible Annabeth, screaming bloody murder.

Annabeth chased her best friend out of the common room, down the stairs, and into the hallway that led to the Great Hall. Suddenly, Thalia skidded to a stop. Annabeth almost bumped into her, and caught onto her shoulders to stop herself.

"Wha-?" Thalia turned Annabeth abruptly around and started marching her the other way.

"Let's go back, I'm not that hungry anyways."

"What?" Annabeth rolled her eyes, trying to shake Thalia's hands from her shoulders, "Thals, you're always hungry!"

"Let's go back!" Thalia insisted, and they almost got around a corner when the source of Thalia's sudden change of mind made itself known.

"If it isn't the Princess and her royal knight," A voice drawled from behind Annabeth.

Annabeth gritted her teeth while Thalia let out a groan. "Annabeth, don't answer him lets just-"

They turned around anyways. "Percy Jerkson! Your face is that last thing I need to see this morning, so please get it out of my line of vision."

Percy smirked. "Wow Princess I didn't think your hair could look any worse but," He gestured to the rats nest sitting on top of her head, "It appears you've proved me wrong!"

Against her wills, Annabeth blushed. She was usually such a tidy student. Did her hair really look that bad? Then, seeing Jackson's raised eyebrows, she realized that she had hesitated for too long. Just as she almost opened her mouth to retort, a hand laid itself on her shoulder.

Percy's expression turned cool. "Castellan," He nodded, "Fancy seeing you here." Annabeth turned around to see whom other, but her crush for 5 whole years, Luke Castellan, with his hand on her shoulder. Her blush turned even more vivid.

Luke greeted him with a grim smile. "Jackson, bothering Annie again?" Annabeth couldn't help but cringe. She hated that name, but how could she complain when Luke was touching her shoulder?

"Not at all," Percy turned and made to walk away before, "Good luck on the game tomorrow, you'll need it."

"That jerk," Thalia muttered under her breath. Annabeth inhaled slowly, and then exhaled, making sure that she was absolutely calm, before turning a sunny smile onto Luke.

"Thanks for stepping in Luke," but then she couldn't help but add, "But I probably could have handled it myself."

It happened so quickly she thought she imagined it. Luke's expression turned cold, and in that split second she thought, Oh no, what if I said something wrong? What if I blew my chance to ever talk to him again? What if- Then it was gone, an amiable grin back on his face. "Of course you could have," He said in a tone that could have passed for condescending, if Annabeth hadn't been paying more attention to the fact that he just ruffled her hair. She stood in a daze, before snapping out of it and following Luke like a lost puppy into the Great Hall, leaving an exasperated Thalia alone in the hallway.

Hey this one's slightly longer. I need to know if you have any advice for me, suggestions, or thoughts on this story, so pleaaassseee review :) it would really mean a lot to me.

~FieryandSassy