chapter 1 - chilton's staring contests

hey guys:) i was watching season 1 and 2 of gilmore girls and i just had to write this after watching the rory/dean/tristan love triangle, so i hope u enjoy!

side note: even if you haven't watched gilmore girls, a) it's one of my favorite shows and i highly recommend it, b) you don't have to watch the show to understand this fic, but it might make things easier:), and c) i'm not putting this fic up as a crossover with pjo and gilmore girls, but i hope u realize that chilton and the inspiration comes from gilmore girls

side note 2: if you're wondering about my other multi-chapter fics on my profile, please check my profile! thanks.

side note 3: final side note but i dont own any of the characters, places, etc. all of that are the works of rick riordan and the writers, directors, etc. of gilmore girls! ok, now enjoy the fic haha

I smooth out my white plaid skirt while looking at myself in my full-length mirror. I look more mature than usual with the skirt and my blue blouse, matched with a navy blue blazer and tie. With a final tightening of my blonde ponytail, I grab my bookbag and march down the hall to my dad's office.

I knock on the door before opening it and peeking my head in. "Morning," I say cheerfully, "I'm getting ready to go to, you know, my first day at Chilton."

My dad's only answer is a slight nodding, while still looking at his papers at his desk.

I try one last time. "Are you sure you can't drop me off? First day and all."

My dad finally looks up from the tests that he's grading. "I'm sorry, honey, I just have a lot of papers to grade today. I'm sure you'll have a great day regardless, okay?"

I bite my lip, trying not to look too disappointed. "Oh, that's okay, I'll just take my car then. See you at dinner?" He doesn't even eat dinner with me anymore, he just brings the food to his office, but it's worth the try.

My dad smiles all innocent, like he actually he believes that he's going to spend dinner with me. With that, I close the door and walk downstairs. I grab a piece of gum I find lying on our kitchen counter, grab my keys from our key bowl, and walk outside. I place my backpack in the passenger seat of my white Range Rover, before hopping in the driver's seat, turning on my playlist, and backing out of my driveway.

I breathe in and breathe out. I've been to the actual Chilton building before, to take the exam for acceptance, but seeing the building as the school that I'll go for the next two years makes the school seem more intimidating. Suddenly, I'm manually breathing and my backpack seems heavier on my shoulders. My feet feel stuck in their place right now, like they're placed into wet cement, and I finally build up the nerve to weave my way through the students who already know their place here.

"Okay, you can do this," I mutter under my breath, "Just go though things step by step. First, find the headmaster's office." My anxiety spikes when I realize that I don't even know where the headmaster's office is. I finally force my feet forward, towards a group of girls that look friendly enough.

I brace myself before I tap on a girl's shoulder. "Excuse me?"

The girl turns around, and I immediately regret my decision when the girl's shiny, straight, black hair whips me in the face and I see her sour expression.

"Um, yeah?" The girl sneers, eyeing me, and I'm shocked by how Mean Girls this is turning out to be.

Too late to back out now. "Hi, sorry for interrupting, but do you know where the headmaster's office is?" When they don't answer immediately, I spit out anything that comes to mind. "I'm new, by the way. If it isn't blatantly obvious yet, which I'm sure it is."

The girl smirks, and glances at the other smug girls in the group. She finally turns back around to face me, and I barely dodge the flying hair. "Yeah, um, make a right at that building-" she points with her polished fingernail, "-and the office will be the first door you see." She stifles a laugh.

I raise a mental eyebrow. "Oh, okay. Thanks."

She smacks her glossed lips. "Mhmm."

I turn around, and just as I'm about to walk towards the building that was pointed out to me, somebody taps my shoulder.

"Don't listen to Drew."

I swing around to look at another girl, with long, choppy brown hair and beautiful green eyes. "Excuse me?"

She laughs. "I mean, that was Drew you just talked to. And, I've been to this school long enough to know that the directions she gave you are complete shit."

I stare at her.

The girl gives me a confused look. "Is there food in my teeth or something?"

I break away from my stare. "Oh, no, there's nothing like that. It's just that I thought that rich girls were supposed to be all nice and proper and shit-less."

The girl looks at me dead-serious for a moment, then bursts out laughing. "Well, you have got the whole entire 'rich-kid-scene- wrong. I, for one, have a horrible habit of cursing."

I smile at her. "We have that in common. I'm Annabeth Chase, by the way."

"Piper McLean, nice to meet ya."

My eyes bulge. "McLean? As in, Tristan McLean?"

"The one and only." She sighs. "How 'bout I walk you to the headmaster's office?"

I consider it. "How will I know that you're not fooling me?"

"Does Drew and her clique really look more trustworthy than me? Cause if you really think that, I really have some self-awareness to do."

"True," I say, nodding slowly.

"Exactly." Piper flashes her pearls at me, and leads me towards my new school.

After going down a small case stairs, turning left, and walking towards the end of the hall, Piper and I stand in front of a white, wooden door with a plaque that reads, Headmaster Dionysus.

Piper turns to me before I knock on the door. "Just a heads up, Dionysus is kinda… what word can I use that wouldn't get me expelled? He's a little… eccentric."

"Um… okay?"

Piper gives me a sympathetic look and pats my back. "I'll be right here, waiting for you outside."

"Okay," I reply, and I knock on the door before opening the door and sliding in.

"Hello." A secretary greets me from a desk on the left side of the room.

"Oh, hi. I'm looking for the headmaster?"

The secretary gets up from her chair, and walks over to another set up doors on the right, with her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. "I'll tell him that you're here. I assume that he's waiting for you right now. I'll get on that right now." She disappears into the doors, and when she comes out, she leaves with the doors wide open. "Headmaster Dionysus may speak to you now."

I thank her and enter the room. I'm surprised by the beer-bellied, scruffy man I see, leaning back into a leather office chair. He's clicking away on the computer in front of him, which makes me think he's playing an online game instead of typing an email or something that a proper headmaster should be doing during work hours. I carefully sit down in the chair across his desk, as if he is a sleeping bear that I'm afraid to wake.

"And who are you?" He drawls out, after he pries his attention from his computer.

I'm taken aback, but answer as promptly as I can. "I'm Annabeth Chase, sir."

"Annie Belle?"

I keep back from rolling my eyes at the common mistake. "Annabeth-"

He waves his hand, interrupting me, "I don't care what your name is." He slides a filing folder towards me on the cherrywood desk. "Bring this to the secretary at the main office."

I tentatively pick the folder off the desk. "Oh, okay, um, thank you." My voice picks up at the end, making it sound like I'm asking a question.

He doesn't answer, just goes back into playing the game. I quickly slip out of his office, not before thanking his secretary. She nods in return.

As soon as I'm outside, Piper stands up as fast as a bullet.

"What kind of headmaster is he?" I say, exasperated, "I thought Chilton is supposed to be one of the most prestigious schools around here! Why is he allowed to be headmaster? You could clearly tell that he doesn't want to be there."

Piper agrees, and says, "True, and I told you so. There's a rumor that the only reason why Dionysus only sticks around because Zeus-"

"Zeus? Jupiter Zeus? The multi-millionaire?"

"Yup, that Zeus. Anyways, Dionysus and Zeus are supposed relatives. I heard that before Dionysus had this job, he was a bad alcoholic, so Zeus helped him out by paying Chilton big bucks to get him the job. I mean, he's still an alcoholic, but at least he drinks somewhere other than his empty house."

"He drinks on the job?" I'm appalled.

Piper giggles. "He plays solitaire too. Just a little added bonus."

"May we settle down to take attendance?" The teacher, Mr. Chiron, asks. He's sitting in a wheelchair with a small blanket laid on his legs.

"He's a great teacher, which is why it's horrible that some people give him shit for his wheelchair and all." Piper had told me, "Nobody knows exactly what got his legs paralyzed, but he doesn't deserve all the crap he gets."

"Now, Nico?" Mr. Chiron starts, and goes down the short amount of names until he gets to mine. "Annabeth Chase?"

I raise my hand. "Here, sir."

Mr. Chiron peers at me. "Ah, you're the new student?"

I nod. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Chiron smiles. "No need for that 'sir'. Call me Chiron; Mr. Chiron seems too formal. Now, why don't you stand up at the front of the room and tell us a little something about yourselves?"

"Kill me now," I mutter to Piper as I stand up from my desk and walk silently to the front of the room.

"Hi, I'm Annabeth," I address the class. Some look bored out of their minds while others look mildly interested. "Uh, I moved here from California a few months ago." I give Chiron a quick glance, and he urges me to go on. "I… love reading and playing sports. I guess that's it."

Chiron nods, which is enough for me to consider approval for me to go back to my seat.

"Nice going," Piper whispers to me.

"Shut up," I reply, rolling my eyes. It's really surprising how well Piper and I get along. Even if we've only known each other for a good thirty minutes, we've already bonded as friends.

Just as I slide into my seat, the classroom door opens.

"Percy, nice to see you in class."

A tall boy walks into class with swept, black hair and ruffled uniform. "You too, Chiron." The boy looks at the clock. "Would you look at that! I'm only two minutes later than the bell."

Rather than being irritated like I expected, Chiron chuckles. "That's right, Percy. I'm glad you can read time."

Percy laughs. "I'm glad too." He closes the door and walks to an empty desk. I stare at him; he's absolutely gorgeous, there's no way to deny it. His eyes flit across the room until they land on me. I don't back down.

After staring at each other, both of us refuse to lose. He finally smirks and takes a seat two desks behind Piper. I huff, not entirely pleased that I didn't win the little staring contest we just had. I turn back around to give my attention to Chiron.

"What was that?" Piper leans over to whisper at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Piper says, "That little eye contact you and Jackson had?"

My eyebrows curl. "Jackson?"

Piper gives me an exasperated sigh. "Percy Jackson. Now stop stalling, and tell me what that was about!"

I turn around to give Percy a second look. I'm surprised when I find him already staring at me. He smirks again, and I turn around quickly and swiftly. Facing forward, I roll my eyes. "It was nothing. We merely just glanced at each other. I'm the new girl, remember?"

Piper punches my arm lightheartedly. "Okay, whatever. Just know that Percy's the flirt around here."

I smile at her, glad she likes me well enough as a friend to warn me about the stereotypes at Chilton. "Thanks, but I find it very unlikely that I'll date anyone in this school, especially the school's player."

Piper gives me a knowing smirk. "We'll see about that."

It's me giving the punch this time before looking forward to start the class.

I close my locker to find Percy leaning against the lockers. I practically jump three feet high.

"Holy shit!" I say, and other students stare at me. "What are you doing?"

Percy shrugs, and with closer proximity, I get to find out what color his eyes truly are: a sort of sea green that I didn't know existed or was possible for a human's eye to be. I feel uncomfortable being in the spotlight of them, and his unnerving good looks and cocky attitude sets me off. Not a particular bad feeling, just a bizarre one. "I'm just introducing myself to my new classmate." He brings a hand in front of him. I narrow my eyes at his hand, like it's a body part of an alien. "C'mon. I don't have some sort of taser in my hand, you don't have to be scared of my hand." I reluctantly shake it.

"I already know who you are." I walk through the hallway, towards the dining hall where I'm supposed to meet Piper for lunch.

"You do?"

"I do. You're Percy Jackson."

As if on cue, a guy approaches us. "Hey, Perce."

Percy slaps the guy on the back. He looks the same grade as, asian, and large, but kind, like the Big Friendly Giant. "Hey, Frank."

"Hi," I greet him, so I don't appear rude.

"Hi," He repeats me, looking shyer than he was when he was talking to Percy.

Percy seems to voice my thoughts. "Frank, this is Annabeth Chase. Chase, this is Frank Zhang."

"How do you know my name?" I demand him. He entered the classroom after my introduction, and I don't have any more classes with him besides Chiron's class, which is History.

Percy winks at me. "I have my ways."

"I'm disgusted."

Percy dramatically puts his hand on top of his hard. "And I am hurt."

"And I don't care, so if you will excuse me, I have someone to meet." I smile at Frank. since he seems harmless enough, and I don't give Percy a second look.

What I don't know is that Percy is staring after me with a small smile on his face.