Percy's POV~

As I make my way through the streets to Roosevelt park, the street lamps come on, and the daylight wanes.

I pull into a parking space near the duck pond, and look around.

I spot Annabeth sitting on a bench at the pond, looking at the sky. She must be thinking through how she's going to handle this situation. Annabeth thinks everything through.

I get out of the car, and make my way towards her.

She doesn't notice me.

I clear my throat, causing her to look up at me.

"Hi." I say nervously.

"Hi." She answers, seeming just as unsettled.

"You wanted to talk?"

She nods, and scoots over on the bench to make room for me. I take a seat next to her.

There's a silence.

"Look, I'm really sorry-"

She cuts me off. "Don't apologize."

I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry I ran out." She looks me in the eye. "I was just...shocked."

I smile softly at her. "Don't apologize."

She smiles softly back.

Another silence fills the night.

"Is that all you wanted to say? Or…?"

"No there's more." She answers, playing with her fingers. "I wanted to say that…Well, I'm not exactly sure what I want to say. It's just that...I like you Percy."

My eyebrows shoot up and a grin covers my face. "Well I like you too. A lot."

She smiles,but her eyes are sad. "The problem is, The Plan specifically restricts any boyfriends."

There's a heavy silence as I let that sink in.

"Okay...what is The Plan anyway? I've heard you and Thalia mention it in passing, but I've never gotten a full explanation."

"The Plan is basically my insurance." Annabeth answers,sitting up a bit straighter. "I made it last year, when I was dating this guy and my grades dropped...a lot….It's the rule-book and guide to my having a successful and productive senior year. I'll show you copy sometime, if you want."

I nod, honestly curious as to what this plan contained.

"Well, how about this." I say, thinking through my next words carefully. "You like me,and I like you."

She nods.

"What if we try dating."

I let those words sink in, gauging her reaction.

The corner of her mouth tips down a little, but there's a wistful look in her eye.

"But if your grades drop,or it causes problems for you, we'll go back to being just friends."

I go silent, letting Annabeth think my proposition through.

She smiles. "I like that."

I grin, and take her hands.

"So, Annabeth Chase."

She giggles and grins.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Her smile grows and her cheeks flare a soft shade of red.

"I'd love to." She answers.

I smile at her before leaning in and kissing her softly.

After a minute she pulls away, both of us grinning like idiots.

I pull her into my arms and she leans against me as we watch the ducks swim around in their pond.

We sit in silence for a while, enjoying the peacefulness.

"So," she says, leaning back to look at me. "Are we going to tell people?"

I grin. "Heck yeah, we're gonna tell people!"

She giggles, and settles back into my arms.

I look up at the stars.

"You know, if this were a Disney movie, one of us would burst into song right about now."

She laughs, a beautiful sound. "Get on with it then."

I chuckle and shake my head. "You don't want to hear me try."

She smiles and shakes her head, then looks up at the star-speckled sky.

Her phone buzzes. She pulls it out of her pocket and holds it up, allowing me to read over her shoulder.

From: Mom

Hey sweetie, where are you?

Annabeth hits 'reply' and texts back.

At the park..why?

A minute later, the answer comes.

From: Mom

It's just that it's a school night, and you're really grumpy without your sleep…can you wrap it up and come home now?

Annabeth and I groan in unison.

Sure.

Annabeth sighs and leans back into my arms, closing her eyes.

I wrap my arms around her stomach and stare the stars, not believing how well this night is going.

All too soon, Annabeth opens her eyes and puts her hands on top of mine, letting them linger there for a second before pulling my hands gently off of her.

She stands up and extends her hand out to me, pulling me off the bench.

I keep hold of her hand as we walk to her car.

"If it's okay with you, I'll pick you up tomorrow."

She nods. "I'll text you my addess when I get home."

She leans up and pecks me on the lips before opening up her car door and starting the engine. She waves goodbye and drives off.

I watch her leave, then get into my own car and head home.

Hi! So not a very long chapter, but I've got the whole weekend to write more :)

Oh, and basically just ignore all the stuff I put in the AN for the last chapter….I can barely keep up with my own instagram, so it's very unrealistic that I'll be able to keep up with another one. I finished House of Hades. It wasn't cliffhanger ending, but it was a heartbreaking one! Seriously, that last paragraph brought me to tears! Also, check out my profile? I added some stuff that you guys might want to see...QOTD: If I were to write another story, which of the following pairings would you like it to be mainly about?

A: Calypso and Leo

B: Jason and Piper

C: Frank and Hazel

D: Jason and Reyna

E: Thalia and Nico (Idc what Rick Riordan says, I still ship it!)

F: Something else (put in review :) )