Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Percy sighed. He was sitting in his next classroom, tapping his pencil on his desk as the teacher spoke about several upcoming assignments.

As much as Percy wanted to listen- needed to listen, he couldn't get his mind off of the conversation he had during lunch with Annabeth.

"Thanks Percy. I-I really appreciate that. It means a lot to me. More coming from you." She'd said. It made him feel really… nice, happy. Special, that was the word. It gave him the kind of warmth inside you only get from specific things, things you really care about.

But of course he'd responded with something stupid. He stuttered and then ran through his trash away. God, why was it that sometimes he was so care-free looking, so charismatic, a social pro, and then other times, he stuttered around like an idiot.

And then, just as he was about to respond to what she had said before, say something kind to her, letting her know that he liked her, but not in an obvious, creepy way, the bell had to ring.

What was he doing? It would be so much easier for both him and Annabeth if he just stopped. Yeah, he'd seen Drew's glare at her. He couldn't let Annabeth become a target. It would be all his fault.

He rubbed his eyes. God, I didn't get any sleep last night, did I? He thought. I hope no one noticed. His thoughts continued, bouncing from anxiety to anxiety, before he was snapped out of his senses by one of his (many) acquaintances.

"Hey Percy." Frank- that was his name. He was dating Hazel, Percy remembered.

"Hey man," Percy replied, leaning back in his seat as to get closer to Frank. Percy looked around the room, trying to eye what was going on. He finally deduced that they were picking partners for a project.

"I was wondering if you'd like to be partners for the worksheet?" Frank asked nervously, and quickly, as if he thought someone was going to interrupt him. And it seemed like someone would have. Many people were slowly turning from him, to other people, seeing that someone else was now his partner. Percy rolled his eyes at them. It was ridiculous, these people wanting to be his partner. They should see his grades.

"Oh, sure." Percy replied. Frank was nice. He never made fun of anyone, and as far as Percy knew, did so much as to flick someone being rude to him. Frank smiled, and motioned over to the worksheet on his desk. Percy looked down on his own, and saw there was a replica on his table.

"We have the rest of class time to look through, so why don't we just get started?" Frank asked, and Percy nodded, scooching his desk back, so it was closer to Frank's.

They worked through the problems and questions on the sheet. Whenever Percy got confused, Frank made it surprisingly easier, with his kind and patient manner. It was nice, because Frank didn't make him feel dumb either. Frank messed up a couple of times too, and some of the times, even Percy noticed. Maybe he wasn't doing as bad in this class as he thought.

By the time class ended, Percy had reassured himself there was at least one person he could trust in this class. Even if the entire class admired him, liked him, that didn't mean they would necessarily be honest towards him. Percy had learned it the hard way that you couldn't trust everyone.

He left the class, and continued on his way through school. By the end of the day, he had a stack of work, and swimming practice to go to. He added the load of papers into his binder, and put it into his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hey Percy!" Several voices rang out into the hallway.

"Hey!" Percy shouted back to them, responding to all of them with one word.

"Percy!" He heard footsteps walking toward him faster, and the signature smell of designer perfume finding its way to his nose. "Percy, wait up." Called Drew once more. Percy put on his best smile and turned to her.

"Drew! What's up?" He said, trying to hold his tongue back from commenting on her rude behavior towards Annabeth during lunch.

"Nothing much," Drew side, smiling with her bright white teeth. Her long black hair swayed around her shoulders, and a piece of it hit Percy on the side of his neck, she was so close. "What's up with you?" She said leaning in closer.

"Nothing much too," Percy forced himself to laugh. "Just heading to swim practice."

"Oh?" Drew said, "Anything after swim practice?" She preened, a bit more flirtatiously.

"No, I don't think so." Percy smiled awkwardly. "Lots of homework."

Drew giggled. "Oh same," She said. "Keep up the good work handsome!" She continued, turning the corner. "Have fun waterboy!"

Percy laughed again, awkwardly (as always), and continued on his way to the pool, exiting the building and heading to the neighboring one next to it. He caught up to a couple of his friends on their way to the same building, which not only held the pool, but the basketball courts and the entrance to the football field.

"Dude," Jason, a football player he was friendly with said. "This may not be the most accurate, but I heard from Piper, who, you know, is Drew's half-sister that Drew is going to ask you to go to the party with her." They were a conversation about what the party would probably be like, debating whether or not it would include a large wedding style cake, or punch and regular snacks. With Drew, you could never know.

"What?" Percy said. No offense to Drew, but he wasn't interested in her. Sure, they had shared a couple of drunken make-out sessions in the past, but he hadn't lead her on to think it would become something more.

Shit, that wasn't what Percy wanted at all. He'd have to work this out somehow.

"Yeah," Jason continued, "Pipes wouldn't tell me anything that wasn't true." Piper was Jason's girlfriend. "Bro, maybe you should talk to her? You two have had a couple of things right?"

Percy reluctantly nodded. "It's not going to happen again… I don't like her like that."

"Really?" Another guy shouted- Travis, a basketball player. "I'll take her."

"Yeah," His brother, Connor added on. "She's hot."

"Seriously guys?" Jason rolled his eyes. "It isn't about looks, and Travis, that's derogatory. Anyway, I personally think Percy's got a thing for that blonde girl, what's her name?"

"Annabeth." Percy murmured.

"Right, Annabeth. I've seen them hanging out a lot." Jason continued, bringing his eyebrows up and down.

"I'm walking right next to you. I can hear you guys." Percy mumbled, opening the door to the building, and letting the other athletes in before him. "And I don't want to talk about this right now. I gotta go to the pool. Bye guys."

"Bye Percy!" Each voice rang out, and Percy went to the locker rooms to change into his suit, ready to swim, and get his mind off of his troubles- just for a couple hours. Then he'd get this whole thing sorted out, and he'd be fine.

Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate all the support. Every review, favorite, and follow really means a lot to me. Thanks so much! (:

Also, how are you liking the relationship dynamics so far?