Hi guys! Sorry for the late update! I've been writing a story about the new ps3 game "last of us" and recently completed it, so i'm back! :D

I have exams around the corner, so i won't be able to write that quickly. And i'm planning to wrote a type of post-apoalyptic story in percy jackson.

anyway, hope you liked this chapter! :D

Pls R&R!

Percy's POV

She knew. She had spotted it. I cursed myself for letting the slight waver of control. Grover and Nico probably wouldn't have noticed.

But Annabeth was a whole different story. She was smart, she was sharp, she was intelligent.

And for the past two years, she had been the closest friend I had ever had.

I mean, every time I recalled about the past two years or so, I would find out that I had spent way more time with Annabeth than anyone else. Okay, maybe it was reasonable since she was my neighbor, but heck, I spent more time with her than even with Thalia, who was, even now, currently living under the same roof.

I gritted my teeth in frustration, my hand snatching the one and a half litre bottle of coke off the fridge and closing the door with a little more force than needed.

I was frustrated, not because of her, but because of the way I was reacting to the whole situation.

I had known that one day, Micheal would come back, and when he did, the whole gang would be infatuated with him. I had thought I was prepared for the loss, for the shift of attention, even with all my close friends.

They didn't know a thing about what had happened between him, Rachel and me. No, they had no clue at all. And I had planned to keep it that way. Telling them about the whole event would cause them to take sides. Some would support Micheal, as they would think Micheal would never do such terrible things.

But, maybe it was because I was, deep down, convinced that no one would ever believe me, would take my side, and I would lose their friendship and trust forever. So I refrained from spilling out the truth, deciding to keep quiet and rather have them enjoying his presence as well as considering me as a friend than taking his side and totally hating me for "making up stories".

However, when he had returned, I found out that I wasn't as prepared as I thought. I had tried to block all the emotions-jealousy, hate, pain- from my heart, but when I saw the gang flock around him, treating him so well and friendly, anger and jealousy had exploded in my heart.

But I still kept quiet. Even as I saw Thalia drifting away from me to him. Even as I saw Beckendorf and Silena fawning over him and not even noticing my presence.

I had actually been utterly astonished that Grover and Nico had came back, and secretly overjoyed that they did. Annabeth too, though I had a feeling she wouldn't exactly trust Micheal straight away. She wasn't stupid, which I am greatly thankful for.

The only thing I couldn't do, the only time I lost control of my mouth, was with Annabeth. I couldn't stop myself from warning her, from telling her to be careful around him. Why I did that only to her, I don't know.

Perhaps over the years, she had grown on me so much, that currently; she's the most important person in my life.

Way to make it sound like I am head over heels in love with her, huh? Fact is, I have no idea. Ever since Rachel, my heart had grown numb when it came to that department.

And I can't start loving another girl. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"Food's ready." I announced with a wide grin as I set the tray of food down on the table. There were four cups, filled to the brim with cold, gassy coke. There was a large plate filled with quite a number of French fries too, with some cheese in a small bowl beside the plate.

After setting down the tray, I took a seat beside Annabeth. "I thought you guys just had lunch?" I asked, my eyebrow raised as I watched them eat the fries like a starved animal. Grover chuckled, miraculously not spitting out any food out of his mouth by accident.

"Well, Jack's place is a place filled with meat and stuff…I didn't have much." He explained, his words barely able to make out due to it being distorted by his filled mouth. Nico leaned away from him with a disgusted look on his face, and Annabeth laughed at their antics.

"Stop. I'm quite afraid you'd spit all of that stuff in your mouth onto me." Nico said in a wary tone, his hands pushing Grover away form him slightly. Grover chuckled again. Once again, nothing came out of his mouth but distorted sounds.

"Grover, seriously, cough on Nico all you want, but not in my house." I said in a lighthearted tone. Grover almost guffawed, but managed to swallow all his food-more like chocked down all of it- and laughed loudly at my comment. Nico glared at me, whilst Annabeth merely smiled in amusement.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Percy." Nico said sarcastically as he slowly moved to seat properly on the couch. I grinned at him cheekily and shrugged.

"So, what did Micheal talk to you guys about?" I asked, trying to keep the displeasure out of my voice, forcing myself to sound upbeat as I asked them. The curiosity was genuine, so it made the job a little easier.

Grover and Nico winced. "They were way too loud for their own good," Grover commented as he ate another fry, this time one by one and not with a whole mouthful at one go. "Nico, Annabeth and I generally stayed out of the conversations as we didn't want to be involved if any trouble happens."

"Yea, but I guess they had a good reason to," Nico said. "It's Micheal first lunch with the gang in years. Bound to get overexcited, huh?"

"I guess. So that means you guys don't know what they talked about?" I asked them, pretending to casually pick up a fry, while in fact, my alertness was at its peak, trying to catch every singe detail, every shift, every expression that the three of them had.

"Not a clue. Maybe something about music?" Grover chuckled at that. "Wait, its always about music. So yea." I gave a wry smile at that.

"Micheal's always been crazy about music, and the gang were always crazy about his music." The others nodded in agreement. All except Annabeth, who had not even said a word yet. Figures, since she never knew Micheal from before.

"By the way," Annabeth suddenly cut in, and I could hear the seriousness in her tone. I knew that trouble was coming. The frown on her face, the crease on her brows was enough to tell me that. "Tell us, what feud do you have with Micheal?"

"Nothing." I winced mentally, noting that I had answered a little too quickly, a little too hastily. She looked at me with those grey, stormy intelligent eyes.

"I know its not "nothing" Percy," She stated forcefully, and I could hear the frustration in her voice. "I want to know what happened between you and him? I may not have known your relationship with him in the past, but according to the rest, you, him and this girl called Rachel were inseparable in the past!"

I stiffened up as I heard Rachel's name, and for a moment, I lose control of my expression, letting pain, anger and guilt wash over it, before managing to control it again.

"Nothing." I repeated, my tone leaving no room for argument. The atmosphere had tensed up dramatically, in a matter of seconds. Annabeth stared, and stared, trying to discern my reaction, trying to spot a hint of anything at all. After a few seconds, she sighed and leaned back, giving up.

"Whatever." She said grumpily, wearily, as she closed her eyes. I suddenly felt guilt again, and it was directed to her. She was just worried. Why did I act so cold to her?x

Unfortunately, what's done is done. The house was filled with silence until only the sound of Grover munching his fries away could be heard.

"Can you eat more quietly?" Nico snapped at Grover after ten awkward seconds. Grover took a big gulp form his coke.

"Sorry," he whined. "I'm just so hungry!" He reached out and took another fistful of fries from the already emptying plate. I glanced to the side, and was relieved to see that Annabeth was smiling, seeming to forget what had just happened.

"Want me to make more fries?" I asked. Grover shook his head, waving his hand frantically.

"Oh, no, don't go through so much trouble. I'm getting full already anyway." He said.

"That's because you almost ate everything. I wanted some too, y'know!" He growled at Grover in annoyance. Annabeth and I chuckled.

"Sorry bro. Maybe next time." Grover apologized, chewing on his fries. Nico's eye twitched as he watched Grover eat.

Just as he was about to knock Grover down, the main door opened, revealing a very cheerful and joyful Thalia. She had a grin like a chesire cat plastered on her face, and her face almost beamed radiantly. I hadn't seen her that happy in years, except for when she was with Nico.

I felt a small twinge of jealousy. Micheal had made her so happy in a matter of days, while I had failed to do that for a long, long time. Nico didn't count, as he was her boyfriend after all.

"Nico!" She proclaimed, surprised. "I didn't know you'd still be here!" Nico smiled widely at her and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, decided to stay for a while. You guys done with the outing?" he asked curiously. Thalia nodded enthusiastically.

"Yea! Hey, I'll walk you home, yea? I have so much to tell you about what happened today!" Thalia almost squealed. Squealed. Squealed.

What the fuck?

Nico nodded warily. Even he was a little weirded out by her behavior. She rarely acted like that.

"Fine. Fine. Lets go, then?" he asked, walking towards her and offering his hand. She took it as fast as lightning and pulled him through the door.

"I'll be back later, Percy!" She shouted behind as she dragged Nico along he pavement towards his house. Grover, Annabeth and I stared at the open doorway, not able to react. It had happened so quickly.

"Well…" Grover started. "I guess I'll be going then. See ya around, Percy, Annabeth." He said, nodding at both of us.

"Yea. See ya around. Next time, you owe me a plate of fries." I teased. He looked at me with mock hurt.

"I thought we were friends!" He exclaimed, a look of hurt and horror on her face, which was replaced by a playful and teasing one a second later. "Fine, fine. Next time. Bye!" He said, waving his hand as he walked out of the house.

The house suddenly fell into an eerie silence. I sighed and scratched the back of my neck, finally taking a sip from my cup of coke. Annabeth did the same.

"You working tomorrow?" I asked unnecessarily. She always worked on Fridays, and Mondays, and Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

"Of course." She replied.

"You really need to take more breaks. You work too much for a girl your age." I stated. She sighed and twirled her hair.

"Do I have any other choice?" She said quietly. I didn't know how to reply to that.

I could tell her that I had no problem paying for her funds. I could tell her that she didn't even have to work if I were to take care of her.

But that would make her think that I see her as a weakling. She would think I'm helping her out of pity and sympathy, and that would destroy whatever friendship, relationship, whatever-ship that is between us.

I certainly didn't want that to happen.

"I guess I'll be going." She stood up after draining the remnants of the coke in the cup.

"Will you come over for dinner tonight?"

"…Maybe. And we'll discuss whatever…you've forgotten to tell me, okay?" She asked, and my heart sank. She wasn't going to give up. I exhaled wearily.

"…See you later, then." I replied in a tired voice. She nodded and walked out of the house. Just before she left, she said something.

"Thalia never asked you why you didn't come," She said, her back turned towards me. I winced at her statement. "I want to know the past Percy. At least, since I've shared my problems with you, can't you share your burdens with me?"

She then walked out, her words echoing in my brain, over and over again.