Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of Rick Riordan's characters. The same goes for any song that I may use in this story.

Chapter 6 Presentation

Annabeth's POV

Stupid, incredulous, preposterous, there are so many words , simple and complex, that could describe that little menace, Jackson, that has been bugging me. There is so many ways I could demonstrate my boiling hate towards that dumb creature that had the nerve to be born as the same species as me.

I chose to run home after he had gotten his out of the library. The trek home that would have usually last twenty five minutes lasted only about 7 minutes, and once I had made sure the twins were not in earshot of me I grabbed a pillow and screamed until my lungs were greedy for air. I would usually do this when the mental bottle I kept unpleasant thoughts in overflowed with loathe. That loathe would usually be built over many months ranging between two til seven months. Never in my life have I felt hate towards someone so fast.

I literally just met him and had a weird sensation in my stomach, which my brain quickly placed as hate at first sight. Some have that fictional metaphor they call love at first sight, I have my 'hate at sight' metaphor. Love was overpriced anyway.

Some time later I erased the pillow from my face and decided to rather do something productive with my life. And so starts my work for history. Athena the goddess of wisdom and war strategies was one of my favorites. I was fascinated with Greek mythology since I was a kid, it only became more interesting when I found out that the Greeks worshiped not just men, but also women. I always hated how people minimized the importance of females throughout history. The Greeks seemed like an exception.

I loved how the monsters didn't seem too made up, like you could actually picture them as clear as day. The thoughts and philosophers from that time, the people who made various parts of today's math. The architecture and just the style itself was alluring me into reading those stories. The characters in those stories weren't half bad either. Sure the gods were assholes but at least the story wasn't about a damsel in distress getting saved by a prince and then ends with a happily ever after.

These stories were tragic, heart wrenching and would always be remembered through the star constellations which had Greek backstories behind them, or just simply pages adorning in ink in those old books that would be passed down the generations in families.

Athena was the last child of Metis, Zeus first wife the Titan of Wisdom. She had been pregnant with Athena and her twin brother when a prophecy that claimed that the son of Zeus would be his downfall, just as he was to Kronos, and just as Kronos was to Ouranos. Zeus had turned Metis into water and had drank her up. Later on he had headaches and when his other son Hephaestus split his head open to find the cause of those problems, Athena had jumped out of her father's head clad head to toe in armor and fully grown. She had gotten the title goddess of wisdom passed on from her mother and proved to be a great fighter, that being the reason she is also referred to as a goddess of war.

I looked up to her. Her existence was proof enough that women could be smart and could fight, something I wish I would of done my entire life instead of just running away from my problems like a dog with its tail between its legs.

I set to work. Thirty minutes later I wrote down my thoughts in a proper way, the way that would guarantee me another A+. I had written why Athena was such an important goddess and why Poseidon and Jackson could suck it for both being lame.

My presentation would be so flawless, I would put his ancestors to shame. He would shut his gods damned mouth and stop giving me those not so subtle stink eyes. I couldn't blame him for that though. The guy probably hates me as much as I hate his guts. It was normal cat and dog behavior for us. He was the popular guy who didn't give school two flipping shits and I was the academically advanced student with a perfect record.

Since I had nothing left to do I decided on picking up my guitar, I hadn't played in a week and my fingers itched for something to do. Gina, my well named guitar, was a black beauty that only had a simple silver circle around the hole. I had played guitar for almost twelve years now. It was one of the only things that got me through my parents divorce. I would feel the soothing vibration flowing through the smooth wood of the guitar and the relaxing feel of tugging the strings. I wasn't half bad at playing either, but now I can safely say i'm good.

I just blocked my thoughts for a second and started to strum while also singing the familiar lyrics of the song I have played since I was a kid.

(Family portrait by P!nk)

Momma please stop crying, I can't stand the sound

Your pain is painful and it's tearin' me down

I hear glasses breaking as I sit up in my bed

I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said

You fight about money, 'bout me and my brother

And this I come home to, this is my shelter

It ain't easy growing up in World War III

Never knowing what love could be, you'll see

I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better

Mommy, I'll do anything

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better

Daddy, please don't leave

Daddy please stop yelling

I can't stand the sound

Make momma stop cryin', 'cause I need you around

My mama she loves you

No matter what she says, its true

I know that she hurts you

But remember I love you, too

I ran away today

Ran from the noise, ran away

Don't wanna go back to that place

But don't have no choice, no way

It ain't easy growin' up in World War III

Never knowing what love could be, well I've seen

I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?

I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything

I promise I'll be better

Daddy, please don't leave

In our family portrait

We look pretty happy Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally

I don't wanna have to split the holidays

I don't want two addresses

I don't want a step-brother anyways

And I don't want my mom to have to change her last name

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

We look pretty normal, let's go back to that

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

We look pretty normal, let's go back to that

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

Let's play pretend act and like it comes so naturally

In our family portrait we look pretty happy

We look pretty normal, let's go back to that

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave

Turn around please

Remember that the night you left, you took my shining star?

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave

Daddy don't leave

Don't leave us here alone

Mom will be nicer

I'll be so much better, I'll tell my brother

Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner

I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right

I'll be your little girl forever

I'll go to sleep at night

Somehow this song sounded like my life. I would listen to it everyday. I would listen to every word carefully and compare it to my situation. The only difference I ever did find was that we never had a family photo, and if we did then my mom would have burned it the second the divorce papers were signed.

I had been trying to play guitar by then and with all my family members scattered around different places I started practising. Practised hours with no stop until my fingers bled. I had then mastered the song and after months of stopping mid song because of my sobbing I had strummed the last note and finished the song with no more tears left to ever shed again.

Four years later I had decided on playing piano. I hadn't liked it at first since it was hard moving my hands around, but I got the hang of it. The light brown haired and blue eyed piano teacher was also my guitar teacher. Her name was Daphne. She could be called my parent figure. With my dad gone I had no adult friend that would patiently explain the workings of the world to me. And my mom was busy drowning herself in her company. Daphne would have been 40 by now. I wouldn't know how she would be doing though.

Gina was one of the last meaningful presents from Daphne. She gave it to me when I told her that my mom had forgotten my eleventh birthday and that she wouldn't be able to be home because she was on a business trip in Paris. Malcolm had a friend over there so he went with her and left me in our penthouse with the cook and maid. Two other special people for me.

Colette, the maid, was sixteen and apparently an orphan asian that was in need of a place to sleep and money. We had run into each other while I came back from school in the pounding rain. She had gotten a big scratch on the knee when she fell and I instantly brought her into the penthouse. We ended up talking and when my mom arrived I begged her to let Colette stay. Her only condition was that Colette would be a maid and that she would have to follow house rules. You wouldn't believe how big her brown eyes became when I told her that my mom let her live and work here. She had hugged the life out of nine year old me and suffocated me in her long straight black hair that was in dying need of a trimming. She became the older sister I never had.

Luis, the cook was another story. He had cooked for us since I was born. The french man knew the whole family drama and thankfully he didn't need to pry it out of me. He would always cook something I loved when I was having a bad day and would write funny notes on my napkin. He too isn't around anymore though.

Moral of the story is: You can only be hurt by loved ones.

xxx

One week and a day later it was Tuesday the 25th of September. It started to get less warm, but luckily it wasn't windy, so no worries. Precisely a week ago the track team and captain was posted on a poster along with other school teams. The hallway was overcrowded with students trying to catch a glimpse of the selected.

When I finally got through the crowd of gossiping girls that wanted to know which guy on the american football team was the best kisser, a weird choice of gossiping anyway, I got to overlook the large white sheet.

My grey eyes quickly scanned down the paper for my name, and I let out a breath once I saw I made it on the team. What I didn't expect though was to find that I was made captain. Thalia always said I was fast, but I always deadpanned with the fact that compared to her anyone was fast. I dont get how she could eat so much unhealthy food and then still look small and slim.

Apparently boys who couldn't keep their worthless mouth shut would joke about her height of 5'1 and she would laugh a fake laugh and sucker punch them in the face and then laugh for real. Boys should really shut their mouths more often. A lot of peace would come out of it.

The school day went on as normal. In the last 3 weeks I have been with Rachel and Thalia. We would take turns on going to somebody's home, cough mansion cough, Thalia's dad Zeus owned about 75% of Airports throughout the world and even designed some planes, he called Ventus.

Rachel's dad was CEO of Dare enterprises, and he basically just claimed land that he could sell to other companies. Rachel was disgusted with how many forests and animal habitats had been destroyed at her father's command, that is why she would usually help with charity. To prove she didn't want to follow in his footsteps. Mr Dare just ignored her actions and claimed that her doing charity seemed like a good way to make the press believe his family were saints.

I also found an empty table in the cafeteria and claimed it as my own. Thalia, Rachel and Piper would sit with me. I was surprised when Nico decided to sit with us, but I can't complain. He didn't seem like one of those dumb boys that would irritate the schist out of you, no matter how much Thalia claimed that he was actually one of those boys. He seemed to radiate pain, not a sad type. More like one of those wise pains in which you have come to terms with the hell that has been your life. I would have radiated the same emotion if I wasn't so hellbent on keeping up my calm and cool facade. Nico seemed much older than the age he was also. His words would sound like philosophy and he did cuss, a lot...But with whatever trauma he's been through I wouldn't think he would be all sunshine and flowers.

Everything else aside he was an awesome guy. I could seriously say that he was a good friend, someone that you don't need to talk to but just be in the presence of and you would feel much better.

Track was tiring. Our coach Victoria Nike was hellbent on us doing the best we could. She told us how winning was an important thing, I agree with that, and how each one of us better make her proud or she will skin us alive and hang us from the Empire state building. There were a few people I recognized on the team such as the Stoll brothers, the others seemed approachable and easygoing. Hopefully I nobody will get on my bad side.

"Yes, run Annabeth! Run like the wind and win" Coach Nike screamed. She would usually make these kind of comments and scream 'Death to the losers' or 'Free laurels to the winner'. That woman was on a new level of crazy that most adults should not be on. At least it suited her Black A-line bob and wild eyes that strangely reminded me of a gold medal color.

So most days my schedule was school that started at 8.00 and ended at 15.30 then the school's sports teams from 16.00 to either 17.00, 17.30 or 18.00. I had track Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. From what I understood the football team and swim team had the same schedule while basketball and volleyball were on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

No one has practice on Friday's unless some important competition is nearing.

Homework wasn't too hard anyway. I would get home and eat dinner with the family and then do some assignments. The weekends were used for music and the occasional hanging out at one of my friends places.

Soon enough Friday the 5th October came around. We had used all week to perform our History presentation and today me and Jackson would have to show our presentation. Chiron had said that Emily and Celaena would go first, afterwards Tommy and Jacqueline and then me and Jackson. Some people like Samirah put a lot of work into their school projects and assignments. Others like Jack would just wing it. Jackson, I thought would just come up with something on the spot. He actually did come with something, it didn't surprise me though. He will probably only do the effort because it's the start of the school semester. I bet he won't do any homework in a few weeks time.

He and I walked up to the front of the class. Confession time. We haven't talked to each other since we were screaming in the library. So we argued about which presentation to use. I won after he, and I quote 'Had, had enough of my talking'. The presentation started okay. Noticed how I said started.

We did throw each other glares and sneers the first 5 minutes, but people didn't seem to notice this. Then five minutes later all styx broke loose.

Jackson had pronounced Parthenon wrong and I had corrected him. That resulted in him snapping back at me.

"Damn, can you cut it out with the correcting miss show off"

"I wouldn't have to correct you if you actually knew shit, dumbass" I scoffed

"Not everyone need to be a know it all!" He said with his arm wide as if to demonstrate

"I'm not a know it all, Watch your tone with me Jackson"

"Why should I, Chase!"

"Because I said so, asshole!" don't you dare call me childish.

"Not everyone need to listen to you, smartass"

"Go to hell!"

"Go back to where you came from!" he was getting deeper on my bad side.

"Douchebag!"

"Bitch!"

"Bastard!"

"Skank"

"Numb skull"

"Barbie"

"Seaweed brain!"

"Wise girl!"

"What kind of insult is Wise gir!? Its sounds more like a compliment. Seaweed brain really does suit you!"

Jackson looked at me as if I had grown another head

"What kind of insult is Seaweed brain supposed to be? It doesn't even make any sense!"

I'm just about ready to bark a comment back when someone else raises their voice "Children, stop fighting!" Chiron had spoken up "Class will end early today, you may all go. Except for Mr Jackson and Miss Chase, have a good day." all the students packed their school bags and some said their goodbyes to Chiron while glancing quickly at us and then go.

He looked at us with a small frown on his face and his eyes narrowed just the slightest bit."Do you mind telling me what just happened?" He raised an eyebrow.

I am a calm collected take-no-shit-from-anyone person with no shame, but being stared down by Chiron was intimidating and I would rather have my ass out of trouble. "Chiron, I know what I did was childish, but i'm not the one who started the fight." as I said that I looked at that seaweed brain who got me in trouble.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders "What are you looking at me for!? You caused as much problems as I did"

"How am I to blame!?" Gods, we were about to start debating on whose fault it was when Chiron yet again had to stop us. This time with an ear piercing whistle. "That is enough. Annabeth you can't put the blame on Percy, and Percy stop glaring at Annabeth." We both stopped annoying each other to look at Chiron again. "Now, I have to say i'm disappointed. I expected much more from you both. You acted childishly and used an inappropriate vocabulary in front of the whole class, not to mention that you didn't follow the instructions I gave you for this project. I said work in pairs to get a better communication with each other, not have a name calling duel. You both called each other some horrible names, I want you guys to apologize to each other so we can get past this." He looked at us expectantly, and right now I don't feel like the seventeen, soon eighteen, year old girl I am. Jackson just gets on my nerves.

Jackson spoke up first "Sorry, for calling you a skank" I could tell he wasn't completely telling the truth, but he did regret a bit. Now it's my time to prove that I am the mature young women I think myself to be. "I'm sorry for calling you a bastard"

Chiron looked at us as if thinking of something before he opened his mouth. "Since that is settled I will have to tell you that with this presentation you will fail my class" that woke us up from my thoughts and whatever day dream Jackson had.

"I'm sorry, but did you say fail?" My heart's pace started quickening, and I was sure I was about to hyperventilate. Chiron nodded with his eyes close "Yes Annabeth, with that little scene you guys made you cold be expelled for three days, luckily for you two I don't resort to punishing for just a quarrel, I see potential in both of you when it comes to this class, so I will give you a choice."

He looked us dead in the eyes "You two can do another project, but this time you are going to present each other. You will have to explain each other backstories, what you like and dislike, your hobbies, families and et cetera. You will also have to take pictures so I can see what you guys have been doing to get to know each other and for proof that you have actually talked to each other without an electronic device. I will give you til Monday to decide on this option. I hope you chose this. It would pain me to fail two of my favorite students. I have to go now, see you on Monday." he started wheeling out to the door and just before going out in the hallway he uttered a few words that sounded like. "And don't tell your classmates that I called you my favorites!"

Me and Jackson turned to look each other in the faces. Neither one of us wanted to work together again but I have never gotten anything below A and I would like to keep it that way. For the first time since we met we didn't cast nasty glances at each other or throw some rude comment. We just stood there in the empty History class wondering how we were going to get out of this mess.

Oh how I wish Monday's didn't exist.

A/N

OH MY GODS. I'm bursting with excitement at the fact that I have 13 fricking followers and 7 favorites (not to mention the views). I have school and that is...well, lets just say its boring. How are you guys!? I started this precisely 1 month ago, its actually a coincidence that in the story timeline a month has passed (I swear on the river Styx I noticed this actually a few hours ago). Six chapters in one month, (damn, cant belive it has been a month). Funny story actually. I published this on my birthday so I get to celebrate my monthaversity with publishing this chapter. I do really enjoy writing. The only problem is that I tend to procrastinate (you all know its relatable). School is a pain. I'm trying to understand how electricity works, and i've got the basics, but honestly! Whoever understands that shit deserves a pat on the back. I also have Algebra but its not that hard as some people make it to be, I used to be very confused by just looking at it and now I have A+ in math. Over here we have characters based on numbers and six is the highest, but six out of six means A+ so that is what i'm going to refer it as to. Gym has been okay, more or less. It doesn't hurt as much. If I come with a chapter later than two weeks then I allow you to shame me. My grades are important to me, so just in case I do come late this might serve as an explanation. Sadly school doesn't set itself on pause just because I want to write this story. Please review, I love it so much when you guys do, and if you can spread the story around that would be appreciated. Feel free to ask whatever your heart's pleases in those reviews and give me constructive criticism (I love it when you do that) and any thoughts you guys may have. Maybe even ideas for the plot. That is all, see you next week (take or give), bye.

-Annie