WITH OUT ANY FURTHER TALKING...ER TYPING I GIVE YOU (QUE DRUM ROLL) THE NEXT CHAPTER

"Shall we." Annabeth said.

"After you." I motioned for her. she took off running for Nico with me right on her toes.

Thalia's pov

After Annabeth and Percy took off after Nico the Stolls started making a bet on how damaged he would be.

"5 dollars says he comes back soaking wet." I interrupted their all stared like I they were trying to figure out where that came from, but knowing Percy he will probably want to dunk Nico in the pool and knowing Nico he will probably be stupid enough to hide where the school pool is.

"Alright, but when your money's gone dont come crying to me." Conner shrugged. I opened my mouth to reply when out came 'Hey' in a boyish voice.

Okay, I know my voice isn't high and squeaky but it's not that low. I turned around and saw Luke standing behind me. He had a grin plastered on his face as his blue eyes focused.

"Hey Luke." I said and I hoped I wasn't blushing. He took the seat next to me.

"What up Thals?" He said then turned to the others. "Hey guys, long time no talk."

"Umm Luke we just saw each other in swimming." Grover said. Jason and Leo nodded their heads agreeingly.

"Then I wasn't talking to you now was I ." He rolled his eyes.

"Hey man." Beck said.

"Hey Lukey!" Selina said. Yep totally Aphrodite's daughter.

"So what do you guys have planned for tonight?" Just then Percy and Annabeth came waltzing back in. They both had huge smiles on their faces and looked very satisfied. They were laughing their asses off so hard I was surprised they were even able to walk.

"Hey." Luke said and Percy's smile was dropped.

"Where's Nico?" Juniper asked. As if on cue a very wet Nico came walking in. Everyone in the cafeteria was most definitely watching his soaked body track water all through the cafeteria. When he reached us he just stood there for a second looking at our table, which was in in complete silence along with the rest of the cafeteria.

One second...two seconds...three seconds..Oh I cant hold it anymore! I fell out laughing, as did the rest of our table.

"Ha ha! Yeah, very funny!" Nico said plopping down in his seat.

"Looks like Thalia won't have to pay up Stolls." Piper said. They grumbled and started talking about how they 'ran the numbers'-whatever that means-but didn't foresee this. Nevertheless they still pulled out the money and handed it over.

"You made a bet on how we would punish Nico" Annabeth shook her head as she plopped back down in her seat.

"Yeah. Which begs the question to why he is wet exactly." Katie asked.

"The idiot ran right towards the pool." Percy said with a chuckle, but it seemed sort of forced, like he was consciously making a decision to appear totally fine. "As if he doesn't know who I am." Was I right or was I right!

"Are you just going to stand there for the rest of lunch?" Jason asked. " I kind of need you to sit. When people stand like that it makes me anxious." Percy shrugged his shoulders from his post leaning against the pillar behind Annabeth's seat.

"Well I would but it looks like my seat is occupied at the moment." He gestured to the chair Luke was sitting in between Annabeth and I.

"Oh, dude my bad. I'll get up." Luke offered.

"No It's cool." He waved a hand and reached between him and Annabeth to pick up his backpack. "I was actually about to head out anyways. I've got something to finish up on." Annabeth stood and caught him by the wrist before he could get two feet. A silent conversation seemed to have passed between them because she released him after a moment and let him go.

Oh they so like each other! I've watched them get closer, and closer over the past couple of weeks under the guise that they're just really good friends. I admit they'd actually be pretty cute together but they're just too oblivious to realize it.

"Was it me?" Luke asked looking around at our table, that had gone quiet from the clear tension.

"What? Oh uh, no!" Annabeth answered which so obviously was a lie. I don't know what Percy has against Luke. I've noticed how he gets when he's around but he is a really great guy. Funny, nice, sweet, cute and- wait forget about that last one. I think if he gives him a chance he'd like him the way he does the rest of the guys.

"He just needed to finish something he's been working on... and you know I should probably go find him and make sure he won't be late for Math." Annabeth started packing up her stuff.

"There's still 20 minutes left in lunch though." Beck said ignorant to the whole situation.

"Yep, uh huh." Annabeth called over her shoulder as she hurried her way out.

Percy's pov

I walked out of the cafeteria needing to get away. It wasn't just Luke that was bothering me, it was also...her. To be truthful I still can't even say why I really don't like Luke. I mean besides how rude he was to me, but It's just something about him that seems so familiar. And then there is also her again. I got the news she would officially be here next tuesday via text from Aphrodite this morning.

I didn't want to see her. I hoped I never would again, but I have to face the fact that my luck just isn't that good. I walked down the halls until I came to the empty music room I had passed on my first day. I still haven't found that girl that was singing. I was so sure I needed to find her, but its funny because its like once I met Annabeth I completely forgot until now. I liked Annabeth a lot! Without a doubt in my mind I was definitely crushing on her but I don't know how she feels about me and I'm scared of ruining our friendship.

I entered the room. It was a small practice room like all the others; an acoustic guitar sat in a stand next to a table with a metronome on it. There was a piano against the wall, two chairs, and a small portable speaker with a note on it that said 'SPEAKER FOR PRACTICE ROOM 1'. I picked up the guitar and strummed it a bit. It was out of tune, so I tuned it before fishing a guitar pick out f my backpack. I always have one on me. This probably wasn't even the only one in my bag right now. I strummed it again, satisfied with the way it sounded.

I pulled one of the chairs up to get comfortable. I considered what I was gogin to play when I remembered I had been toying around with a new track. I connected my phone to the speaker and pulled it up. played the beat i mixed the other day then started playing again.

(Countdown by Leon Thomas)

It started off with a the electric guitar, that what I was playing when I mixed this up. It was light though, nothign hard rock. I matched the notes on the acoustic guitar, which made the feel even more laid back, light kind of but not slow.

Yeah, yeah, yeah
ohhh oh oh-oooho,
yeah

All my attention baby

This is where the beat came it. I used a drum pad when making it so the it sounds like a footed bass drum and then claps. They're like hand claps but its machine generated so it still has a drum sound to the actual clap. The clap is consistent, ever second second clap...clap...clap but the drum goes Boom, Boom Boom da Boom da Boom. Over lapped the claps fall perfectly between the booms.

My extra time
There's nothin' I won't give you
Girl if you were mine

This is the song I was working on before Annabeth screamed her head off about the spider, and of course it was for her. I'm a nervous wreck when it comes to trying to tell her how I feel so I figured I could do what I do best and sing it to her. I tried not to think about how cliche it was and instead focused on just letting everything I thought and was feeling when it came to her, flow into the song.

Six million times I'm thinkin'
About your face

You know I'm crazy for you
Let me count the ways

There are so many reasons why anyone would be interested in Annabeth. The way her eyes light up with a challenge, the way she rolls her eyes at me and tries not to smile when I do something stupid, also the way she's so driven to excel at what she does. She really commits to it. I honestly couldn't say there was one thing about her that didn't make me fall harder everyday.

Too many girls I'm chasin'
I've had my fun
But all the time was wasted
Girl you know that you're the one

My time with 'Her' was wasted because she only stomped on my heart but, Annabeth wouldn't do that. She'd take care of it, treat it right. I don't know if I can say that she's the one, I think its a little early to say that, but I can say she's definitely my number one. No doubt!

It's a countdown

Into the chorus the electric guitar really picked up and asserted itself over the rest of the blend.

to your love You're my number one girl
It's a countdown
fallin' faster Don't think I'm gon' last now

Wait a minute
wait a minute, wait a minute (2x)

There's only one in your life
I want it to be me

Thinking about how she blushed when Luke called her Annie made me jealous. I hate to admit it but It did. I know its kind of selfish to say it when if she did choose to be with me she'd have to deal with love sick fans girls, but I didn't want anyone else to be able to do that to her. I didn't want anyone else to be able to steal her attention away from me because there was not one girl that could steal mine from hers.

Gon' set your heart on fire
Burnin' in the fourth degree

I switched up and momentarily turned into a soprano. I'm naturally an alto and can't sing this high consistently but I can do burts and runs here in there.

7, 8 can hardly wait
For you to come around
9, 10 back again

I went back down to an alto.

Count the ways I love you now

It's a countdown
to your love You're my number one girl
I'ts a countdown
fallin' faster Don't think I'm gon' last now (2x)

[Oh, Oh] Wait a minute
wait a minute, wait a minute [2x]

Ooooohh Oooooohh (2x)

If I was to count all of the things about Annabeth that had me so enthralled it would take forever, so instead i'll stick with what strue and still rhymes.

10, you're beautiful
9, you're amazing
8, you're contagious Everytime I look at you

Her grey eyes are by far the most beautiful eyes i've ever seen in my life.

6, you're a star
5, who you are
4,3 who you wanna be

Don't you know that I want you 2
You're the 1 [Yeah] (6x)

It's a countdown
to your love You're my number one girl
It's a countdown
fallin' fast Don't think I'm gon' last now (2x)

[Oh, Oh] Wait a minute
wait a minute, wait a minute [2x]

There was a instrument break in the track. I stopped playing the guitar and tapped in time on it.

It's a countdown
to your love You're my number one girl
It's a countdown
fallin' faster Don't think I'm gon' last now (2x)

[Oh, Oh] Wait a minute
wait a minute, wait a minute [4x]

It's a countdown.

I finished the singing and with the last note let out a large sigh. I felt better. I think an outlet for directing my feelings helped relieve some of the noise in my head.

I contemplated going over the song again to make sure I really liked it when someone started clapping. I damn near jumped out of my seat when I saw Annabeth step forward.

Shit!

Annabeth pov

I know Percy wanted to be alone but I felt like I needed to talk to him. The only problem was i had no idea where he was. Think! Where would Percy be? There's the pool, but that would be the first place anyone would look for him, so probably not. Music! It has to be somewhere in the music department side of the school. Not the music classroom though seeming as how he wants to be alone so... my eyes widened. I knew exactly where to look.

I ran down the halls checking every empty practice room but thats all they were, empty. I started to give up and walk back to the cafeteria when I heard music. I followed the sound until I finally found the one Percy was in. I cracked the door a bit and peeked in. He had a guitar in hand and was singing and playing along to a beat that coming from the speaker.

7, 8 can hardly wait
For you to come around
9, 10 back again
Count the ways I love you now

It's a countdown
to your love You're my number one girl
It's a countdown
fallin' faster Don't think I'm gon' last now (2x)

[Oh, Oh] Wait a minute
wait a minute, wait a minute [2x]

As he sang the song I could practically feel the emotions rolling off with every lyric. He must really be feeling some girl, at least enough to pour his heart and soul into this song. For a moment, a small hopeful part of me hoped that I was that girl, but I mean Percy is...well Percy. The incredible hot, and talented lead singer from Connect 3 and I'm just the nerd that's too scared to even tell her parents about her singing. No. No way it's about me.

I opened the door as slowly and quietly as possible, but I don't think it even mattered. Percy was so wrapped up in the song I could have been the Nemean Lion but he still wouldn't have noticed.

I stood quietly against the wall as he continued singing. When he was done I saw a change in his body. He visible relaxed some. I knew what he was feelings. It was a moment of relief, of doing something that let you feel or get rid of what you were feeling.

I clapped which wasn't the smartest choice because it scared him and if he was acat he would have jumped sky high.

"A-anabeth?" There was a look of pure panic on his face.

"Nice song." I said walking and sitting beside him.

"Um...uh... thanks." He returned the guitar to it's stand. Were you here the whole time?"

"No just since '7, 8 can hardly wait'." I said.

"Oh." He nodded but to didn't seem to help lighten his turmoil.

"So, whoever the song's for must be pretty amazing." I said unable to meet his eyes.

"She is. She is the best." He confirmed. Not going to lie those words hurt like poison. 'She is the best?' Of course he has some amazing girl that he likes. I wonder who? I know it's not Rachel...oh god I hope it's not Rachel. I don't think i'd survive that one.

"Annabeth," He said and I looked at him. "I-I...umm...I..."

"Yeah...?" I urged him on.

"I..." He sighed. "fuck it!" In the most surprising, and bold move that i've ever been witness to, he kissed me. Using one hand he cradled the side of my face and pressed his lips to mine.

Okay what you think about that Awesome right I know go ahead and tell me! LOL jp just let me know what you think.