I'm dreaming, I have to be. My email is full of follower notifications, which is a definite first and I thank you all dearly for that. And the reviews! There may be four, but they're really nice ones so thank you so much guys I promise to try and update this as quickly as I can. And thanks Tori Daughter of Apollo for telling me, I do get carried away sometimes in writing :) so I'll shorten the paragraphs for you all, I think they're a little too long as well. Well here's Chapter Two and I hope you like it!

Ok change of plans, I've decided the quests and everything happens, but they were only best friends in it. Well, they think they were just that but Percy comforts Annabeth about Luke and everything as usual.


Annabeth

"Bye Mom, bye guys!" the front door slams behind me and I walk down the street to school, only half an hour away. I can see Percy leaving his apartment. He gives me a quick wave before setting off the other way. It's a school day today, so we can't talk to each other or even walk together. It was me who insisted, I didn't want to harm Percy's rep. He had no problem with it but I knew his friends would tease him for life and probably stop being friends with his, Percy would become 'unpopular'. And Helen. (A/N: so sorry about this, I decided to change it not to be Rachel, Rachel's still the oracle and nice etc. This is Helen Dare, daughter of Mr. Dare's unmarried sister, still a Dare) She would ditch him for the next new thing that came along.

I turn up my music as I reach closer to school, blocking out the noisy New York bustle from reaching my ears. I see the kids, walking around in packs. There are a bunch of girls, giggling and stalking guys, clutching shimmering bags and makeup kits. Awkward loners like me drift aimlessly between laughing groups of students, usually reading or listening to music.

And there's Percy. Smiling as his friends laugh, probably at some joke he's said. And Helen, in ridiculously tiny clothes, kissing his cheek. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I feel the desire to go over and slap Helen. She doesn't deserve Percy, not with a face buried in make-up and tiny clothes. I can't even imagine why Percy's with her, why he doesn't realize who she is. I can't believe she's Rachel's cousin, though Rachel was the only one who is decent from that family. Helen's like the snob Rachel never was, spoiled and who went to like an elementary+ middle school version of that finishing school Rachel went to.

I'm fantasying about what I'd like to do to Helen and how I want to tell Percy about her for a few minutes, going to school forgotten. I stand there staring into space, how I want to tell the whole world her secrets. But I can't hurt Percy. Never Percy, I will never ever hurt Percy.

WAIT.

Why am I doing this? What's it to me about his relationships? Even if I am his best friend, these thoughts are running in my mind for the first time. Suddenly I'm worrying and feeling uncomfortable with Helen. No, not uncomfortable. I can't place the word, which is unusual for me, a Daughter of Athena. I leave it and start jogging, making up lost time.

I'm very nearly late. I rush into class, Art, just minutes before the teacher. I plunk my stuff down, ignoring the stares. Annabeth Chase is never late to class, she's usually early. That's what they're thinking, I'm sure. Instead, I train all my focus into listening to Miss Edwards, as she explains our new project. Brilliant, it's to make a cityscape model.

I'm chuckling inwardly as I get started, since I'm wondering what would happen if Miss Edwards knew that her quietest, yet best student is the official architect of Olympus, the home of the gods. This project will be a piece of cake.

The lesson's over before I know it, I've been so lost in drawing plans that I don't realize that the teacher's dismissing the class. I rush out of the art block and make my way to the next class we have.

The morning travels like that, pretty smoothly in my opinion. Then it is lunch and I'm sitting at my usual table in the corner, alone, reading a book. I'm so absorbed in the writing of Jules Verne that I don't notice what I'm eating, scoffing it down uninterested. I chance a glance at the center table, my gaze locked on Percy. I realize he's watching me with a smile as his mates eat. I smile back and give an almost unnoticeable wave, and he returns it. Then I finish and leave.

When I open my locker, a note drops out. I pick it up, surprised. No one gives Annabeth Chase notes, not if they want the whole popular group to shame them in front of the whole school. I then catch a scent of the sea. Cautiously I take a whiff of the blue paper and smile, my doubts of it being a prank resolved. Percy. I quickly open it, aware of the ticking time and it reads:

Your place tonight, Wise Girl, I want to do homework first. Then arcade night!

Seaweed Brain

I smile and tuck the note in a pocket, then rapidly grab my books, close the locker and head to French.

I drift through my afternoon periods breezily, gaining full marks in a History test as usual and again, before I know it, I'm going home. How does the time go so fast? I wasn't really concentrating in the last class, thinking about Helen again and all her dirty little secrets I've managed to discover. It's amazing what you hear sitting invisible (not literally) at the back of a classroom with the populars and Helen Dare.

"Oh, hey Annie!" a sickly sugared voice calls. Ugh. Think of the devil and there she is, large as life. I roll my eyes and carry on, stuffing earphones in my ears so I don't have to listen to her. But then I stop. Helen doesn't call me Annie, heck Helen doesn't talk to me. The word sounds unmistakably like what Mr.D purposely calls me. It sounds like the way he says it. It's like the person knows. I slowly turn and find a new nightmare at Goode High. Drew Tanaka.


*evil laugh* cliffhanger for you guys hehe. You'll have to wait now ;) oh and MERRY CHRISTMAS! And don't worry, I'm in a good mood since my aunt got me Red for Christmas :D so I'll update real soon I promise. My cousins have school tomorrow (I'm in India for a holiday) so I'll do it then, I promise. Until then, I'll leave you to imagine what trouble Drew will stir… and btw sorry for not updating sooner, my cousins had a holiday today so we were out for the day xx