I think there should be a limit to how many times you're allowed to update a story in a week. Like, seriously, it's like I have nothing to do except write this. Which I don't. I'm twelve. I don't have to face atrocities of life like schoolwork and exams and stuff. So I sit on a website and write. Yay.

But, to justify, it only takes me about half an hour to write these because I don't proofread or think about what I'm writing in general because I'm lazy.

Anywho, review and tell me if you think the story isn't fast paced enough.


Chapter 2: Not A Word Of This

Percy bolted off the plane as soon as it touched the ground to go call Grover again. Well, after getting past the overly perky and annoying air hostesses saying "Enjoy your stay in L.A!", even though it wasn't a 'stay', it was a freaking TWO HOUR LAYOVER. Yes, he was a little cranky. You would be too, if you signed up for a dating show to get over your friend-that-had-a-boyfriend, only to realize that you were about to go date the aforementioned friend-who-had-a-boyfriend. Wow, was his life messed up…

He locked himself in yet another bathroom event though he had no reason to this time because he was just dramatic like that and dialled Grover's number.

"Hey, Percy… again?" Grover picked up after precisely one ring.

"What do I do?" Percy half whispered.

"About the show? You already told me you were going to get yourself kicked off…"

"No! Right now! Ryan is just about to come join the rest of the guys, according to you anyway."

"So…"

"WHAT DO I SAY?"

"Okay, the Bachelorette is going to kick up some major drama for you three if they found out that you had… history, right?"

"Right. Thanks. Bye."

"Wait, Percy, you-"

Percy hung up before he could finish and ran out of the stall before the others noticed he was gone. He spotted them a little way ahead of them and ran to catch up.

"Hey, dude, where were you? The last guy just turned up," The guy called Todd said. He gestured towards Ryan with his thumb.

It was the first time Percy had seen Ryan in seven years. Just looking at him filled Percy with jealousy and hatred, just like when they were in college, even though he wasn't with Annabeth any more. He hadn't changed a bit, well, except for that he had grown a little more muscular (ugh) if that was even possible. Plus, he had started growing a stupid scruffy beard thing. His eyes widened when he spotted Percy and he opened his mouth to say something.

"'Kay, I should go… introduce myself." Percy left a very confused Todd in the dust.

He grabbed Ryan by the shirt and dragged him off into a corner before he had time to say anything.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ryan muttered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Percy said.

"Look, I made a really big mistake cheating on Annabeth. She won't answer any of my phone calls and she's blocked me on all of her social media. This was the only other way to get her to talk to me."

"After, what, seven years?" Percy said incredulously. "So you signed up for a freaking T.V show? Why do you want her so bad? Didn't find anyone with boobs bigger than hers?"

"Don't talk about Annabeth that way!" Ryan replied so fiercely and suddenly that Percy almost jumped. "Dude, I want her because she's funny and smart and beautiful and, yes, I can't find anyone like her, okay?"

Percy was starting to get a little freaked out. This was not the Ryan he remembered. He actually… cared about Annabeth?

Damn.

"Anyway, why are you here?" Ryan said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Look, it was a mistake, okay? I didn't know she wasn't going to be the Bachelorette. I'm going to get myself kicked off at the earliest opportunity. I'm not going to compete with you for her."

"Oh. Good." Ryan looked like the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders (Percy should know, he'd actually experienced it) "'Cause I thought for a moment that she would pick yo- never mind."

"Oh, and, Ryan?"

"What?"

"Not a word of this. To anyone. You don't know me, alright? If the show found out that there was previous drama between us, it would be extremely difficult for me to get kicked off the show, which we both currently seemed to want," Percy replied.

"Uh… 'kay?"

"But I still despise you from the bottom of my heart. And I will do whatever it takes to get you as far away from Annabeth as possible."

Yeah, not so great on Percy's part. But, still, a couple nice adjectives to describe Annabeth on Ryan's side want not about to change what he did to her. And Percy didn't trust him to not do the same thing again.

"Likewise. Just so we understand each other." Ryan just seemed to remember that they weren't allies.

On that happy note, Percy re-joined the group and prepared himself for another (Yay!) five hour flight to Maui. With his friend's ex.

He just always had the best luck ever.


Nine hours later, Maui, Hawaii

As Annabeth stared into the camera, she thought she might just have a nervous breakdown. She couldn't think of one plausible reason why her ex-boyfriend and the friend she turn down for her ex-boyfriend could have randomly signed up for the show where she was supposed to have a fresh start. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. And the red light constantly staring in her face and silently mocking her didn't help at all.

"Uh, Annabeth? Cut." The host said.

Annabeth suddenly snapped out of dreamland.

"Sweetie, I know you're nervous and all, but you're going to have to do better than that, because that was just…terrible. I get the shivers just thinking about putting that on television." He gave a dramatic shudder. "Take four. Do it again, and say it like you mean it."

Annabeth then started to read off lines from the teleprompter behind the camera in a chirpy voice and, while doing so, had a sudden epiphany. What did it matter if Percy and Ryan were there? She was here to find someone, and if she was really ready to leave her past behind, their presence should not bother her.

But why would they be there? That question ran through Annabeth's mind a thousand times an hour. Percy hated her, she was sure of it. And Ryan… she wasn't sure about Ryan. He had been trying to call her, but Annabeth wasn't having it. Part of the process of letting go of the past.

She was finally let go, where she had to change clothes yet again. She was sure she was spending more time changing clothes than she was actually being on camera. Her stylist obviously decided that they would absolutely have to go down the sexy route and chose a red dress that practically covered nothing.

Despite her stylists reassurances that her boobs looked great, she felt so self-conscious as she walked along the hallway yet again out to the beach, where she had to stand and greet all of the guys.

Annabeth started to loosen up the minute the first guy arrived. He was tall, very skinny and had tousled brown hair. He kind of reminded Annabeth of the Stoll brothers because he had a mischievous twinkle in his eye that was unmistakeable, even in the photograph.

"Adam," he said, kissing her hand. He kissed her hand? Annabeth didn't know that happened outside of T.V. Wait, they were on T.V. Never mind. It was still a nice gesture, though.

"Hey, I'm Annabeth. But you knew that." Oh. Gods. Did she just say 'But you knew that'? She was a wreck. A wreck with sweaty palms.

"I did happen to know that, actually." He gave Annabeth a mischievous smile that, for some reason, turned her legs to jelly. What was happening?

She laughed, marvelling at how calm she was being on the outside when she was an absolute mess on the inside. "Well, anyway, see you soon on the beach." She smiled.

"I will count the seconds." He whispered, fake-dramatically and walked away.

He was smooth. Annabeth usually didn't usually like smooth guys. But this one… all she could say was, if all the other guys were like this, she was in for an extremely hard time picking one.

Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice the next limousine pull up. She readied herself for another meeting.

"Hey, I'm Todd."

"Annabeth."

"Nice to meet you, you look beautiful."

"Oh, thanks. I don't usually look like this, so don't get your hopes too high." Annabeth was starting to have some fun now that she was forgetting she was on camera.

"Oh, no, if someone looked like this all the time, they would be, like, a goddess at the very least." Oh, the irony. It was half-true, anyway.

Annabeth started to size people up and fit them into categories, which she knew wasn't fair. People don't fit into boxes, she knew that, but she couldn't help herself sometimes. Adam: playful. Todd: gentleman. Chris: a little self-absorbed. Sean: really smart. Like, Athena smart. Yes, she got this from a couple sentences of conversation. No, that wasn't fair to them. She prided on herself on being intuitive, though.

The pauses between the men arriving were the worse part. They were excruciatingly long and there was no one there except her and a camera and she felt a strong urge to pull a face or something, just to have something to do.

There was the familiar sound of a limo pulling up and she looked up. She saw a familiar blond head.

Oh, crap.


Who's head do you think that was? I wonder, hmmm...

Review and tell me:

1. If the story isn't fast paced enough.

2. If my chapters are too long or too short.

3. If I should describe the dresses more. I'm rubbish at describing dresses anyway, because, repeat, I'm twelve.

4. Any other criticisms of my shoddy storytelling.

5. Who you think is going to win at the end :)

-YouCanCallMeSir