Woot woot. Time to change the font on my Microsoft Word document, STERF (2)! (For anyone that was wondering, the word doc I write this on is actually called 'STERF (2)'. I also have 'STERF (1)' and 'STERF (3)' from the time I was writing three stories at once. Hint: this was in February-April, until I quit and deleted one story. It was called Children of a Huntress. It's gone now. STERF (1) was being used up until June when I finished up one story, called Percy and Annabeth's Life, and STERF (3) is mostly for one-shots and stuff now, but I digress. For anyone that was wondering what the font was before, it was Abadi MT. In 12.5. Now…it's Avenir in 10.5. Somehow, I don't think anyone was wondering, but I said so anyway.) Okay. Now that I've changed the font, it's time to actually write some stuff. Review responses.

Q: Well, J is a nice letter.

Reader12859: Thank you thank you thank you for the review! (If you can't tell, I really like reviews) But anyway. Yes. Percy and Annabeth are complete and utter idiots, some of the time. It's kinda funny. I'm glad that guy moved away and is no longer there with his toxicity as you seem like a great person and he does not.
Reviews that say 'this was nice' aren't really that good. Even though I might do that some of the time. But yeah, there isn't really a point to those.
Sad and funny at the same time? Hmm. That's good. I like sad and funny things.
As for how long this will be…I had a bout of obsessive-compulsive yesterday and made a big long plan. I originally wanted to end this on August 21. However, I think that you can see that that is not happening. So…I have moved it down to September 21. If all goes well. I am planning to do ten more chapters, that's twenty five chapters, and I made a schedule…so if all goes according to plan, over the next…six? weeks, I will post ten more chapters and end it there. So yeah. Anyway, that means there's nine more chapters left because this is number sixteen, yay!

ThatGirlWithaCat: Well, songs stuck in one's head really are a shame. They do suck. …why so many ehs? Thank you. The chapter is kind of sweet, I suppose, but really, it's sadder than anything…or at least that's what I'm telling myself. And yes. Four stories. That is what I have. It wasn't five, because that was a collection of one-shots from a story. Then I did delete it, because I didn't really like it much anyway and I was done. I know. You took screenshots. I was…bemused.
WELL, I AM BUILDING TO THE PERCABETH. And they have done Percabeth things! They went out to dinner. Well. Annabeth didn't eat anything, but I digress. And, ya know…they almost had a not-date at the park. That counts for something.
Do you not like fluff? I don't fancy myself as a fluff writer, I don't write very much stuff that I consider fluff. So I'll try not to. There will be fluffy moments. And awkward moments. And…other moments. Anyways.
Again with the eh.
I had a community since Wednesday. You just didn't notice until I announced it. Don't make me rename it now. JONI MITCHELL IS THE BEST. There is no doubt about it. :]
…(he and eh….)
Thank you. Yes. Back to role playing.
EH.

Well, now that I've finished responding to the few reviews, I need to get on with this to stay on track so that I can finish up on September 21st.

So, following up the bout of idiocy that was Percabeth on chapter fifteen, because seriously, we all know it was sad how they blatantly missed all the signals, we're going to start on the morning after.

This is a seriously long author's note. It's like 650 words and my chapters are 2,000. I'll make up for it, don't worry. This one'll be longer.

It ends NOW!

Annabeth's POV:

Annabeth's first thought upon waking up that morning was that she had been so stupid. Why this was her first thought? Well…for one thing, she'd gotten stood up at a park yesterday night.

For another, she had actually believed he'd want to see her. That was another no-brainer- that no, he would not want to see her. Why would he? It wasn't like there weren't a million other fish in the sea- to put it into a sea metaphor for his…seaweed brain.

Even thinking the words felt strange. She hadn't called Percy 'Seaweed Brain' in more than a year, now. They weren't even really friends- they were just pulled together by the rest of the Seven in a group, unable to leave for old times' sake, if they'd wanted to. They were with their friends after all.

Annabeth resigned herself to getting out of bed and not moping. School started soon, and break was almost over. She needed to start getting up early again, and Annabeth just looked up as she heard the lock turn in the door.

Piper.

Her roommate had spent the last night at her boyfriend Jason's apartment, leaving Annabeth alone, and while it had been nice, Annabeth knew she had only done so because she'd expected that Percy might be in some of time or something, even though the son of Poseidon was renting an apartment now, as he was staying until the end of the summer- at least, that was what Annabeth had heard.

"Hey." Annabeth gave her a tired smile, and Piper gave her a wave, turned to put her coat away, paused, and then turned and looked closer at Annabeth. Annabeth winced. Piper was good at this sort of thing she'd know something was up.

"So," Piper said slowly- fishing for information- "how did the date go last night?" Annabeth frowned.

"It wasn't a date!" Piper rolled her eyes, as if Annabeth couldn't be even more oblivious.

"Two people with a lot of history, going to a park- in the dead of winter- for no apparent reason, and you're telling me it wasn't some sort of convoluted date?" Annabeth stared at Piper for a moment. The logic there wasn't so much logic as Piper's Aphrodite heritage doing its thing and being romantic.

"Well, even if it was a date, he didn't even show up." Piper narrowed her eyes, really listening for the first time since she'd walked in the door. Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "So, if it was a date on his end, because it wasn't on mine, then the jokes on him, because you can't get stood up when it wasn't a date." Her voice cracked on 'date', though, and the momentary gleam in Piper's eyes worried Annabeth. She could almost envision the gears in Piper's head turning as the daughter of Aphrodite started plotting some sort of weird plan to get the two of them on a real date. Not happening, Piper.

"Well, do you know why he didn't show up? What if he got held up at work? What if you two thought you were meeting at two completely different times? What if he's in the hospital or something?"

Annabeth paused but shook her head. "Wouldn't we have heard something if he was in the hospital? So what. He didn't show up, so I went home freezing and disgruntled. All in all, it was a great night, how was yours?" she didn't want to be on this topic anymore than she had to be. She sometimes wished she'd joined the Hunters of Artemis when she had the chance to; and hadn't gotten into any of this mess in the first place because she was an immortal Hunter with Thalia and everyone. It would sure be nice to be sixteen again and just having had her first kiss with- no, nice to be sixteen again and frolicking in the woods and killing monsters and everything Hunters did.

But without Percy?

Yes, without Percy.

Piper didn't look convinced. "I'm just saying, you should get the whole story before you do anything reckless regarding the whole 'Percy-stood-me-up-on-our-not-date' thing." Annabeth rolled her eyes, but wasn't going to say anything else to Piper, who'd just take it as some sort of sign and give her more looks, and Annabeth didn't like Piper's devious Aphrodite girl looks all the time.

Even though she did have gorgeous eyes.

Taking advantage of Annabeth's silence, Piper spoke again. "So, you still on for tonight?" Annabeth looked at her quizzically. What was tonight? Annabeth hadn't heard anything about any plans tonight.

"What's tonight?" Piper gave her a look.

"You forgot? Jason, Leo, Hazel, Frank and Percy are coming over for dinner. We planned it weeks ago?" Annabeth shook her head and shrugged.

"Well, if so, nobody told me about this." Piper thought for a moment, freezing for a slight second, before giving Annabeth an apologetic look. Annabeth narrowed her eyes. Really, Piper?

"Sorry, sorry…I thought I told you, the six of us planned it a long time ago as a big reunion thing, and, well, I think we just took for granted that you were going to be coming since you live here and you don't really do anything besides sulk and study anyways…" Annabeth gave her a frosty glare.

"That is not all I do!"

"Annabeth, you know I love you, but it is all you do. I mean, you were bad enough before Winter Break last year-" she faltered, but kept going, "-but after Winter Break last year you got even worse. It's like we don't even know you anymore." Annabeth was stung and opened her mouth to retaliate, but Piper steamrolled over her. "No, seriously. You kept secrets- anorexia, that could have serious repercussions even now, in the future. You're not the same person, and we don't know the new person."

Annabeth paused for a moment, but then she started talking. "Well, it's not like you guys always made the effort either. People change. It's just a thing." Piper didn't look like she thought it was just a thing. But Annabeth didn't have the time to worry about Piper. She sighed. "When's it start?" from the way Piper's face brightened, Annabeth could tell she'd made the right decision.

"5:00. Don't be late!" Annabeth sighed.

"How can I be late- this is my own house." Piper waggled a finger at her.

"Technically, the lease is under my name and you're a tagalong. But don't worry, I need your help to pay the bills, you're here to stay!" Piper grinned, and Annabeth felt the corners of her mouth tug up at her infectious enthusiasm.

"Good."

Annabeth opened the door to Hazel's smiling face glad it wasn't Percy. If it had been, she wasn't sure what she'd do, though there probably wasn't much she was actually able to do anyways. "Hey," she said, opening the door and letting both Hazel, and Frank, who'd been behind the daughter of Pluto, inside. Annabeth found herself doing the same thing when Jason, Leo, and Percy showed up, except that this time, she avoided Percy's eyes, instead smiling at Jason and Leo only.

If anyone thought this was odd, they didn't say anything, for which Annabeth was thankful.

Annabeth avoided Percy for most of the dinner. She could see that he noticed, but he didn't say anything. Good. He shouldbe sorry.

Piper noticed this, and by some plot of her own, the rest of the Seven- besides Percy- all filed out of the kitchen/dining room and into the living room, leaving Annabeth stranded with Percy.

"Annabeth-" Annabeth stopped him.

"Save it. I get it. You had better things to do, and you just forgot to warn me, and you thought it would be funny to have me just go down to the park and wait for forty five minutes because I still thought you were going to show up. News flash: it wasn't funny." Percy looked confused now.

"Um, Annabeth, I wanted to say I was sorry I had to work…and I did warn you. I called your cell. Did you…not get it?" he looked confused, and Annabeth glared at him.

"Stop trying. It isn't funny." She didn't relent. "If you actually called me, well, you didn't call my cell phone, I can tell you that." Percy looked even more confused.

"Yes, I did. I called the number Piper gave me for you." Annabeth raised her eyebrows, reciting her cell phone number.

"Did she give you that one?" he paused.

"No. She gave me this one." He recited the home phone. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"You called the home phone."

"Well, I'm sorry! I thought I was calling your cell. Why didn't you hear it anyway?!" the anger bubbled up in Annabeth's stomach again, whether or not she had been wrong.

"Because I left early to go wait for you!"

There was a long pause. Annabeth grew uncomfortable. They stared at each other.

"Well," Percy said eventually, "I'm sorry I accused you and I'm sorry you didn't get the message."

"…I'm sorry too." Annabeth bit her lip and stared at him uncertainly- zeroing in on the small details of his face. The sea green eyes, a freckle on his left cheek next to his nose, the jut of his jaw.

She stared at his lips for a moment, but it was a moment too long. The silence between them was suddenly awkward. Annabeth pulled herself away, backing up.

"I should go," Percy said suddenly. Annabeth spoke immediately.

"Yeah, that would be best." She watched him go out the door and swallowed.

I need to take a walk. Clear my head.

What did I do that for?