of half-bloods and happenings
incalculable
.
He was a mathematical problem that she just couldn't solve.
When they'd met, Annabeth was sure she had Percy Jackson figured out. He seemed to be a stupid, naïve, look-before-you-leap little boy. She looked down her nose at him because that was the natural thing to do. She assumed his success with the Minotaur came about through sheer dumb luck.
And then the toilet incident. Suddenly, Annabeth found herself sizing up this scrawny not-yet-a-teenager as a worthy opponent. She had to shake herself from this mindset - literally. Percy Jackson is beneath you, she told herself. So what if he has powers over the plumbing? It doesn't mean he knows how to use them, and they don't make him any less idiotic.
And then Annabeth heard through the grapevine of Percy's triumph in the arena against Luke. Her heart seemed bang against her ribcage double-time, because nobody could beat Luke, not even her, not even Thalia (when she wasn't a tree, anyway). The next time she saw Percy, she found herself examining him as she had done when he'd first come to camp. She scanned him with an analytical eye, searching for something, anything that set him apart from everyone else. But there was nothing. He was still plain old Percy Jackson, dumb as ever.
She decided to test out her theory of his utter worthlessness during Capture the Flag, and once again, he surprised her - but not in the way she expected.
A son of Poseidon? Annabeth kicked herself. That was why he was such a mystery. She knew nothing about the sea god and didn't really want to learn anything either. He was her mother's mortal enemy - and suddenly Annabeth's heart felt a little heavier at the comprehension that maybe Percy would have to become her enemy, too.
But then they started the quest, and she was able to forget about old grudges and family disputes. Instead, she just focused on getting to know Percy, and what she learned rather shocked her (though by know she shouldn't really be surprised). She knew he was a mystery, but not this much of a mystery.
It took Annabeth several years to get to know the real Percy Jackson, and when she finally did, she was drawn to a conclusion: Percy was absolutely and unequivocally a hero, and there was nothing anyone would ever do or say to dispute that.
And the thought made Annabeth smile, because Percy was no longer an incalculable being. Her was her Seaweed Brain, and that's all there was to it.
.
Author's Note: Again, I felt guilty for not updating, so here's something only a little more than adequate. Sorry. :P OH YEAH. And anyone who wants to check out a little aside PJO metaphorical piece, you're welcome to read sea, sky, earth and flame.