Alright. So. I know what you are all thinking. But I honestly just don't have the energy for anything lately. There's more bad days than good, and things are seriously messed up, and I almost got expelled from school, and I'm not allowed to talk to my best friend but ugh I'm sorry I'll stop ranting.

flyingzuzu14 :I copy/pasted that so Idk if I did that right, but I'm so glad to hear you like this! I agree, love isn't the only answer, people need help sometimes and there's nothing wrong with that. Therapy seriously needs to be normalized, because honestly it's just so important.

LadyHW :This seriously made me smile so big, like you have no idea thank you so much, your encouragement literally made my day. Thank you, and I'm so happy this makes you smile, that's one of the biggest reasons why I'm not giving up writing this, because sometimes I just don't have the energy to but reviews like this remind me how much I love it. Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely try to keep that in mind, and your mom is very wise :)

Multi fandom geekerello :Thank you thank you thank you, you always make me smile and you always review and seriously you're so amazing so if I haven't said it enough, thank you. The best friend thing is honestly something I was seriously feeling at the moment, so I'm so happy it makes sense and that you enjoyed it. Also I still don't understand the beta reading thing. Please help and also what did I forget, thank you!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Annabeth's POV

"Thanks, Perce, I really really needed this." I breathed out as I gazed out to the shores of Montauk Beach. As surprised as I was when he showed up screaming 'It's June twentieth! We have to do something!' I can't help but be so grateful. Lately it's all so hard, with Thalia refusing to talk to me, and Luke and I acting so weird around each other, and Jason's been telling me he might break up with Piper, and then Matthew. Stupid Matthew who ruined our friendship by telling me he liked me. I don't like him like that. I just don't. However, I don't want to lose him and I'm only thirteen and honestly this is all just stupid drama and we're too young for ANY of these feelings and I think something's going on with Leo-

"It's cool," he said, kicking the waters off of his sand castle. "Stupid waves. I'm trying to build something."

A laugh bubbled from my throat, having seriously missed my best friend. "I told you not to put it so close to the ocean!"

He glared at the waves menacingly, as if they were doing him personal harm. "Well they should know better." He sighed and turned to me, scowling. When he saw me, his eyes twinkled and a soft smile came upon his face. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Seaweed Brain," I smiled up at him as he came and sat next to me, staring glumly at his ruined sand castle. "It's okay, I'll help you build a new one."

His eyes watered with tears. "But it won't be him."

"Are you crying?" I snorted, leaning over and grabbing his hand. I tried to wipe the wet sand from his fingers, but it was especially sticky today.

"I'm not crying." He sniffed angrily. "It's just a lot has been going on, and I really needed something to go my way today."

I looked up at him slowly, for the first time assessing the bags under his eyes, and his shirt put on backwards. He looked paler than usual, and his lips pressed into a thin line as he turned to look at me. "Gabe's out, Annabeth."

"What do you mean he's out?" I said angrily, immediately clenching my firsts. I hated that man. No, he isn't even a man, he's a pathetic excuse for a human being and deserves to rot in hell for what he's done, and you're telling me he's out in one year?

He gulped forcibly, reaching for my hands and slowly unclenching each finger. "Someone paid his bail, and apparently he was going to be let out in two years anyway." His head dropped onto my shoulder. "Not six."

"Not six..." My breath stuttered as I looked down at him. He'd grown a lot in a year, actually. He's about my height now, and he lost his baby fat that used to cling below his chin and cheeks. It was weird to see him more toned, but apparently he'd been swimming every day at his dad's, on the days he didn't hang out with this friend he made. I don't know much about him, but I know he usually brings tacos for them to eat together. The point is, he's doing good. He doesn't need this right now. Seeing him in this debilitated state makes me so angry, and I just- I want to do something, but what do you do in this situation? "Percy," His eyes took on a blue tint as he looked up at me, glinting with specks of white as the sun shined slightly in them. He squinted, so I put my hand up to to his forehead to block it for him. "What can I do?"

He sighed, laying back on to the sand, and pulling me down with him. His arms instinctively wrapped around me, and I almost cried when I felt them snake slightly. I tried to snuggle closer, but there wasn't really a 'closer.' "I don't know, Beth. I just really missed you."

I pressed a small kiss to his cheek, trying to convey that I missed him too. He kissed my cheek back, and we smiled at each other sadly. "You know I love you, right?"

His nose was pressed against mine, and I felt his arms tighten around me. "Of course. We love each other, it's our thing."

I let out a halfhearted chuckle as he kissed my cheek again. I kissed his back. "Good."

He looked so sad still. I didn't know how to help. I felt so helpless, so undeserving of his friendship. He's so great, so amazing, and I'm just me. I don't even know what to do right now. I don't even know how to help him. "I'm kind of scared," he breathed out.

"I would be too. In fact I am," I smiled at him and nudged his nose with mine to see him smile. He didn't.

"Do you ever feel like everything is out of your control, and you're just too inadequate to figure out an answer?"

"Ooh, inadequate. I'm rubbing off on you."

"I'm serious," He said, his lips brushing against my cheek as he spoke. "I can't protect anyone. Not my mom, not my friends, not you..."

My chest tightened at seeing him this way, and I felt my eyes water at the fact that he genuinely felt this way. I tangled our legs together and made sure to wrap my arms around him extra tight. "You're the best person I know," I told him firmly.

"That's sad for you, then," He pursed his lips, one of his fingers, cold from the harsh wind around us, marking a circle against the warmth of my neck.

"Shut up, Percy," I told him, my voice strained. My eyes connected with his, and I saw the hard lines etched into his face soften as he smiled slightly.

"Okay," he muttered, and then he slowly leaned in, letting his lips brush softly against my own. Almost before I took in what had just happened, he pulled back, eyes wide. "I-uh- I didn't mean to do that."

I was still in a state of shock, so I just nodded. "It's okay."

We stared at each other for a moment, his eyes glancing down at my lips again. Eyebrows scrunched together, he let out a small breath before speaking. "Can I-?"

I nodded, watching as he leaned in and slowly pressed his lips to mine again. I found my eyes closing on their own, and I felt myself holding my breath slightly as my lips began to move against his softly, and we slowly got the hang of it, learning to move with each other. It was weird, and my stomach felt funny, but I...kind of liked it. He pulled back after a moment, breathing shakily. "Huh," he looked up at me and we both giggled slightly. He smiled at me softly, nestling his head into my neck as if embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's okay." I breathed out, laughing slightly.

"Um, let's not talk about it." He asked, and I ignored the tingles in my stomach as his lips brushed against my neck.

I gulped, the tingles in my stomach not going away. "Okay."

We haven't talked about it. Soon after that, Percy had stood up, said he had to go to the bathroom, and then all but ran into the cabin. Since then, it's as if it didn't happen. Almost as if I imagined it all. I didn't though, because now whenever he gets closer I feel myself getting that tingling in my stomach again, and when people mention him I blush, and when we talk on the phone I get nervous and I think about what I'm going to say next to the point where I start feeling as if I'm an illiterate fool. It's horrible, but it isn't, and I kind of want it to go away, but I don't. We don't talk about it. He got back for the start of eighth grade not too long ago, and we both ignore when he blushes when I hug him, or how holding his hand feels differently now, and let's not even mention the first time he saw Matthew come near me in the halls, because he'd angrily huffed and walked the other way. It's weird, these feelings all came out of nowhere, and I haven't told anyone, and it's killing me because the one person I want to talk about this with isn't alive anymore.

"Hey, Beth, did you understand number six? Cause I'm reading it over and over and my head is kind of turning to mush." I turn towards Jason next to me, and explain the problem to him quickly.

I feel as if someone's staring at me, so I turn around, catching as Percy's head swivels the other way.

What the hell just happened?

HUAHAHAHAHAHA. Bet you didn't expect that. I decided to make my updates shorter, that way you get them faster since they're easier to write. I'm not promising anything anymore because before this I was a woman of my word, and now I'm having trouble keeping my word. HAHA DID YOU GET IT THIS STORY IS CALLED KEEPING MY WORD I'M A GENIUS. I apologize for that. Okay, Bye.