I've slept like shit this week and woke up today for work and was like "I need a nap" but when I got back to my room I decided to write CH6 so I could post CH4 for you all. Trying to stay 2 chapters ahead to give me some cushion. Finals are coming up in like two weeks so who knows when shit will hit the fan for me.

Review responses:

AnnaUnicorn X2: Well here is that next chapter. Hope it lives up to your expectations. :) Thanks for reviewing!

Alicia Olivia Mirza: Trying to show how she might have been different as a mortal but the differences aren't coming out of left field, I promise. All shall be explained in due time. As for the existence of other demigods, that will be addressed, but not for quite some time. But you will get your answer. :)

persin: Is this soon enough?

The more reviews I get the more motivated I am.

REVIEW and READ ON

CHAPTER FOUR

Two more classes passed. In third hour Annabeth had had to bullshit a spanish test and in fourth hour she'd had to dig through her folders for an essay that was due and found only a partially completed draft that was sure to earn an F. Mara, who sat next to her, laughed at her distress.

Lunch was next and, to be honest, she wouldn't have even known it was lunch if Mara hadn't steered her towards the cafeteria. Like a dutiful puppy, Annabeth followed her to the cafeteria and into the lunch line. When Annabeth realized she didn't have an ID to scan for lunch, Mara laughed and offered to buy it. "You've done it for me plenty of times," was her reasoning and Annabeth was grateful.

Their lunch table was pretty much center in the chaos and Annabeth tried not to curl into herself as she passed a dozen different people waving or saying high or patting her shoulder in passing. She didn't know these people. She didn't even know herself. Annabeth usually sat at a table towards the edge of the cafeteria with a book or a couple of classmates that she really didn't know much about outside of school. The table they sat at was full with people talking and yelling and throwing food.

"So," Mara started, biting into an apple, "Percy, huh? How the hell did that happen?"

"Can we not talk about this here?" She asked, glancing around again at the crowd surrounding them. If her 'liking' Percy was a scandal, she'd rather it not spread through the school and make this whole endeavor any harder than it had to be. Besides, Mara didn't know how far past the 'crush' stage Annabeth was when it came to Percy Jackson.

Mara shrugged. "I'm just saying it's an odd pairing."

"Who's an odd pairing?" Some guy asked, roping an arm around Mara's neck.

"Me and your mom, but that didn't stop us last night," she said immediately.

The guy laughed. "Oh, kinky. Didn't know you swung that way, Mars."

"I swing any direction that isn't yours, Trent. Shove off." Mara accentuated her command by actually shoving him away from her.

Dana just stared at her. "From the way you act sometimes, you'd think you were the gay one in the group."

"Don't you worry, Danes, my girl. The Token Gay Friend slot is all yours."

Annabeth had stopped listening a while ago. Percy sat at one of the edge tables where Annabeth would've usually sat at. He had his earbuds in again and was scrolling on his phone. Not a single person was sitting next to him. He didn't have a lunch in front of him. Annabeth frowned.

For the second time today, Dana snapped her fingers in her face. "You still with us?" Dana glanced to where Annabeth was looking and sighed. "Man, you do have it bad."

Mara snorted. "Not the first time." She gave Annabeth a dry look. "You'll get over it."

"Where did this even come from?" Dana asked. "Last week you were actually complaining about Jackson." She turned to Mara. "What was she saying?"

"'If you're going to be fifteen minutes late to class then why bother to show up at all?'" Mara snorted. "An Annabeth Chase motto if there ever was one."

Annabeth picked at her food, uncertain as to what to say. This alternate universe was starting to give her a headache and it was only day one of who knew how many.

It was Dana who changed the topic. "So, Tyler's having a party this weekend."

"Tyler Brant?" Mara asked.

Annabeth raised his head. "The one I supposedly drunkenly made out with?"

Mara cackled and clapped her hands. "Oh, man, I had almost forgotten about that. Oh, sweetheart, there's no supposedly about it. I'm pretty sure I still have a photo of it."

Annabeth cringed, holding up a hand to stop her. "That's alright. I don't think I need to remember that."

"Yes. That Tyler," Dana continued. "Saturday night. We're going, right?"

"Well," Mara said, "it's get wasted with a bunch of dumb shits or eat dinner with my parents so, yes. I will be there, way too drunk off my ass."

"Don't your parents make you go to church on Sundays?"

"We've reached a mutual agreement. If I can pull myself together Sunday morning, they don't care what I do Saturday night. How about you, Annabeth? You in?"

Annabeth knew that she should say yes. That's what this Annabeth would say, but Annabeth, the real Annabeth, felt uneasy. She'd never been to a school party, never even gotten drunk. She spent most of her life at a camp where you had to pay someone just to sneak in soda. She was too busy when she was outside of camp studying and saving the world and being a homebody when she wasn't with Percy to develop much of a social life. Especially after recent events. "I don't know…"

"You're kidding, right?" Mara complained. "The great Annabeth Chase is turning down a chance to get shitfaced?

"I have homework. My parents would kill me if I started slipping." Annabeth had used this line before to get out of social events and it usually took. Mara rolled her eyes but Dana nodded sympathetically.

"Do what you gotta do, Annabeth. Parents can suck."

"Yeah, well, you both suck," Mara said right as the bell rang. "Annabeth, if you don't feel like being a total closeted nerd on Saturday, I'll pour you a shot."

Dana rolled her eyes. "And then drink it for her, I'm sure. See you guys later."

"Bye losers."

As everyone scattered around her, Annabeth stood still. People brushed passed and bumped into her and suddenly Annabeth realized she had no idea which direction she was supposed to go in. She was about to let out a growl of frustration when someone bumped into her hard enough to send her flying.

"Excuse you," Annabeth turned to say, but the culprit had already disappeared. To make matters worse, Annabeth's backpack hadn't been properly shut so her zipper ripped open and all of her folders fell out. Annabeth swore under her breath and reached for a folder, only for a hand to beat her to it. She looked up and froze.

His eyes were as green as ever.

They were also more wary than ever. She'd never seen him look at her like that. Sure, she's threatened his life a few times, held a wicked sharp blade to his throat, and told him that he needed to study for an upcoming test. These all earned her wary looks from Percy Jackson, but this was different. And it almost broke her heart.

"Thanks," Annabeth said, her voice small and almost unrecognizable to herself.

Percy seemed to realize they were making some really intense eye contact and coughed, readjusting his gaze back to the folders and notebooks. "Uh, no problem. People suck." He stood and and held out his hand. "Looked like you could use some help."

Annabeth took his hand. It was softer than she was used to, not worn and calloused from years of sword fighting. "Guess I did."

"It's, um, Annabeth, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "And you're one Percy Jackson, correct?"

"Had to one up me with the last name, huh?" He laughed nervously, a hand running through his hair. "Can't say I know yours."

"Chase," she said gently, trying not to lose her smile. "Annabeth Chase."

Percy nodded. "Well then, Annabeth Chase, I believe we have history class starting in about-" He was cut off by a bell. He chuckled and nodded like he should have seen that coming. "Now, I guess." It was only then that Annabeth realized they were the only ones left in the cafeteria. He nudged his head vaguely in the direction of one of the hallways. "You feeling like going today or...?"

Great. Even Percy thought of her as a ditcher.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna go today. How about you?"

"Go? Yes. Stay conscious?" He shrugged. "Only time will tell." He started to turn and Annabeth moved quickly to fall into step with him. For a minute or so they walked in silence and Annabeth wracked her mind for anything to break it.

"So, um, English this morning. Did you actually read the book?"

Percy looked at her deadpanned. "Do I look like a guy who read Frankenstein over the weekend?"

"We're reading Grendel."

Percy shrugged. "Same difference. It's got a monster in it, doesn't it?" He frowned. "It does, right?"

"Yes. He's kind of the titular character."

"See? I'm good. I can BS a paper on how him being a monster is a representation of the inner monster inside of us and how we all combat it or whatever. Could probably pull a C."

Annabeth felt herself smile. She's had conversations like this many times before with Percy. "Until you're asked for textual evidence."

"Alright. Maybe a D."

Now Annabeth actually laughed because thank the gods this Percy didn't seem that much different than her own. She could work with this.

Percy stopped in front of a door, presumably their class, and motioned in a very Ladies first kind of way.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "You just want me to get yelled at first, don't you?"

"Nothing like a human shield to protect yourself."

Jumps into Tartarus for her. Lets her get chewed out for tardiness first. Apparently, 'personal loyalty' had its limits, Annabeth thought with a half smile. "Chivalry's dead," she muttered, opening the door.

The teacher stopped mid sentence to see who was walking in. When she saw Annabeth and Percy she had that fake, unamused smile that teachers got when they reprimand students. "Ah, Ms. Chase. Mr. Jackson. So glad you decided to join us."

Annabeth's game plan was to quietly slink into an open seat, but Percy, however, was on a different page. "It was real touch and go for a moment there but then I remembered how you are my favorite teacher and, since it's senior year and all, I need to make the most of my time with you." Percy walked past Annabeth and took a seat. Numbly, Annabeth took the one next to him. "Now, I am so sorry to have interrupted. I eagerly await to see what you will teach us today."

Annabeth stared at Percy. He'd always had too much sass when dealing with the gods, but as far as she was aware he was pretty good around teachers. Well, while he's been at Goode, at least. Although Annabeth supposed that having your stepdad as a faculty member was a good motivator to not snip at teachers. Either way, she was pretty sure Percy didn't usually (purposely) sass his teachers.

Thinking of Paul, Annabeth wondered if he was here. She hadn't seen him yet.

"Well, Mr. Jackson, you and Ms. Chase missed the beginning instructions for our next project. And you missed partner assignment, so you'll have to work together."

Percy turned to look Annabeth up and down. He frowned. He turned back to say something to the teacher but she'd already placed the outline for the project on their desks and moved on topic-wise.

Percy and Annabeth didn't get another chance to talk until class ended. Percy seemed eager to leave but Annabeth rushed equally to catch up with him. "Hey! So, uh, this project…" She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, she just knew she wanted to talk to him again.

Percy nodded, not looking at her. "Right. This project."

Annabeth's stomach churned. He didn't want to do this project with her. He looked uneasy the moment the teacher made them partners and had ever since. "If you want I could try to talk to the teacher? Get us new partners?" It physically hurt to say, but she was thinking she might have to ease into this with Percy if she wanted it to work out.

"Is that what you want?"

Annabeth tried hard not to narrow her eyes as she read into Percy's voice and studied his posture. If Annabeth was right it sounded like he was...self conscious. "No. I mean, unless that's what you wanted but, I don't know. We haven't worked on a project together before," Annabeth guessed, "and I wouldn't mind mixing it up. That good with you?"

He nodded again, looking a little more at ease. "Yeah." He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, of course it works for me, Annabeth Chase, brainiac extraordinaire."

"You're aware my attendance record sucks, right?" Because Annabeth had certainly been made painfull aware of that fact today.

"Yet I'm sure your grades don't." Percy glanced over at her, his mouth tipped in that troublemaker smirk of his. "You've got every try-hard and slacker green with jealousy. The student who can somehow bullshit their way to an A while just barely paying attention."

Annabeth shifted uneasily, but she wasn't sure why. She supposed it was because she'd spent her entire life battling ADHD and dyslexia, not to mention monsters and prophecies, that the idea of something coming easy to her seemed so foreign. But something about that explanation didn't feel like the whole truth.

Percy rolled his eyes at her silence. "Don't worry, oh wise one, I'll keep up." When he looked at her again, his face was more serious. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." She coughed, realizing she was staring and smiling a little too intensely for two people who are having their second conversation possibly ever. "So, uh, you wanna meet up sometime after school to work on this? We have tomorrow as a work day at least but I don't know if that'll be enough. We should also meet up again before we present next week to go over who's gonna say what and everything."

Percy stared at her and blinked. "Um. Wow. We're jumping right into this project." He nodded, looking like he was gathering his wits. I won't let you down, he had said, and Annabeth was sure he'd live up to that. "Yeah. Yeah, okay, sure."

"When are you free?"

"Um...Not today after school for sure. Mr. Carter wrote me up for detention first hour. Maybe Wednesday?"

Suddenly Annabeth had a great idea. "You have a phone, right?"

Percy pulled an IPhone that was a couple generations outdated out of his pocket. "Is that a real question? Who doesn't have a phone?"

Annabeth held back a snort as she held out her phone to him, using her fingerprint to unlock it. "Put your number in my phone and I'll put mine in yours." She paused, remembering a flaw in her plan. "Actually, just put yours in my phone and I'll text you so you have my number."

He nodded and did she said. Annabeth found herself smiling. Here she was, asking the boy she really, really liked for his phone number. Maybe this whole trip wouldn't be that bad. Maybe this really was a chance for her to be happy and mortal with Percy.

He handed her phone back. "See you in PE?"

So that was the third class she had with him. "Yeah. I'll see you then." Annabeth walked away, hoping it was the right direction and grinning to herself.

REVIEEEEEEW (please)