he had been studying in the library with Seaweed Brain's help when they had gotten off topic. When it happened.

4:47PM SEAWEED BRAIN
so obviously atlantis is where poseidon lives

4:47PM WISE GIRL
Obviously.

4:47PM SEAWEED BRAIN
have u ever thought about visiting?

4:47PM WISE GIRL
Me? In Atlantis?
Unlikely.

4:48PM SEAWEED BRAIN
how come?

4:48PM WISE GIRL
Well...

Annabeth considered the best way to answer. Admitting a grudge against a god, especially one as powerful as Poseidon, would not be wise.

4:48PM WISE GIRL
For starters, I can't exactly breathe underwater!

4:48PM SEAWEED BRAIN
ok lets say you can
there are ways for people to visit
would u want to see it?

She couldn't really say that she wouldn't be welcome as Athena's daughter.

4:48PM WISE GIRL
I don't know…
It can't be that amazing.

4:49PM SEAWEED BRAIN
r u kidding?!
a castle made of reefs, abalone ceilings, the cyclops forges!

Annabeth had no idea she would regret her next text so deeply.

2:23PM WISE GIRL
Gods I hate Cyclops

They were going over different sea monsters together, reviewing for an upcoming exam, when Atlantis came up. Cyclops weren't necessarily aquatic, but they were known for those undersea forges as well as their father, Poseidon.

2:23PM SEAWEED BRAIN
uh
they arent that bad

2:23PM WISE GIRL
Of course they are.
They're the worst sort of monster.

It had been on their trek to Camp Half-Blood that she had first encountered them, and to this day she couldn't get the creatures out of her head. They occupied most of her nightmares, and everything about them sent shivers down her spine, from their one eye to their ability to mimic voices. Thalia even almost died fighting them.

2:24PM SEAWEED BRAIN
i wouldnt say that…
theres good and bad ones
like people

2:24PM WISE GIRL
They're nothing like people!
How can you even say that?

2:24PM SEAWEED BRAIN
maybe u dont know everything, wise girl

Annabeth blinked at her phone, brow furrowed. What kind of person trusted monsters? And with his experience fighting them… it just didn't make sense.

2:24PM WISE GIRL
The only good Cyclops is a dead one.

Maybe she shouldn't have said that.

2:25PM SEAWEED BRAIN
you know what?
study on your own.

His "yous" were spelled right. That couldn't be a good sign.

2:25PM WISE GIRL
Are you seriously upset over this?

2:25PM SEAWEED BRAIN
yes, i seriously am
i thought you were a lot of things, but i never thought you could be a bigot
guess i was wrong

She gaped at her phone.

2:26PM WISE GIRL
Bigot?
They KILL people!

2:26PM SEAWEED BRAIN
and we kill them
indiscriminately, whether they deserve it or not
did you know a cyclops child was murdered last month?
or do you not care?

2:27PM WISE GIRL
That's different!
I mean it would have grown up to kill more

2:28PM SEAWEED BRAIN
thats fucked up

2:28PM WISE GIRL
You know what I mean!

2:28PM SEAWEED BRAIN
do i?
whatever.
im done.

Annabeth slammed her book shut with a noise of frustration, earning a "shush" from the librarian.

"Oh, get over it!" She snapped, triggering another glare but Annabeth ignored it.

She knew there were people who believed certain monsters could be reformed, live normal lives without the urge to kill, but she didn't think Seaweed Brain would be one of them! He went out and hunted monsters regularly for Gods' sake!

Annabeth's blood was running hot, flushing her face as she flung her phone away from her. He didn't know her experiences. He couldn't understand why she felt the way she did, so why did it matter so much what he thought of her?

It was over. And she didn't care. She couldn't afford to care. Caring meant feeling the sadness and loss, carrying it with her, and she refused to allow that.

And yet…

Annabeth snatched her phone back up, typing furiously.

2:31PM WISE GIRL
Are you really going to stop talking to me over this?
Hello?

She gnawed on her lip, wanting him to understand- to make him understand where she was coming from. She didn't want him to think less of her, but she was the one in the right!

Wasn't she?

Annabeth scrolled through their conversation, body tight as her own words stared back at her. Maybe she came across as harsh, or even mean. Maybe she should have tried harder to explain. Could he really blame her for being unreasonable if he knew just what they'd done to her?

2:32PM WISE GIRL
Look, you don't know me. You don't know what I've been through.
What they've put me through.

3:34PM SEAWEED BRAIN
youre right.
i dont know you.
not really.

He didn't reply again, despite her sending more messages trying to explain. Why did he have to defend Cyclops, of all creatures?! Frustrated, she slumped over the table. Something told her trying to study on her own would be pointless.

The next week was miserable.

She missed his good morning texts. She missed his flirtations, the little things he did to purposefully get under her skin and press her buttons in the best way- his jokes about tutoring her, his teases and light jabs at her "know-it-all" personality. She regretted ever bringing up the one-eyed monsters, but refused to admit she had been in the wrong.

The nightmares were worse. Her sleep was restless, and her head in a daze as she moved from day to day.

Then she got a C on her Marine Monster's quiz.

Annabeth stared at the paper in shock. She knew it would be difficult, with the curse and without her magic study buddy, but this was…

It was the worst grade she had ever gotten.

Dejected, she sat by the duck pond, going over the concepts in her book again and again, none of it sticking. Her mind was hazy, the information floating out of reach, and she wondered, not for the first time, what exactly it was about her text-friend that had helped her understand when he explained it.

Stupid curse. Stupid Cyclops. Stupid Seaweed Brain.

Annabeth slammed her book shut with all the force she could muster, tossing it to the side and hugging her knees to her chest. She wanted to text him, but that would be admitting he was right… right?

"You alright?"

The voice startled her from her thoughts.

Percy Jackson was once more before her, blue hoodie pulled up over his dark hair as he stood between her and her duck pond. Because of course he'd be the one to find her like this. Again.

Annabeth didn't have the energy to scowl at him. "I'm fine."

The déjà vu was intense.

It was clear Percy didn't believe Annabeth's words, dumping his backpack as he sat down next to her, legs crossed. "I may not be a genius, but I can tell when something's wrong. What's up?"

"Why would I tell you?" The anger came easily now, the stress that had built up over the past week spilling over. "You don't know me, our parents hate each other, and we're working on opposite campaigns- why would you even care if I'm not fine? Isn't it better for you if I'm not?"

He ducked his head, running a hand through his hair and pushing his hood down, a frown now evident on his face. "Uh, not really? I mean, don't get me wrong, I definitely want to kick your ass at this whole temple thing but…" His green eyes met hers. "I'd rather do it fair and square, you know? Which means you need to be in uh-" his eyes flickered down for a moment, "good shape."

Annabeth blinked, "... Did you seriously just check me out?"

"Not on purpose, no!" He laughed, a good natured sound, and despite rolling her eyes Annabeth fought a smile. This guy really was surprising her at every turn. Her dislike of him felt more and more unwarranted by the day.

"So I should reveal my weaknesses to you because you definitely won't use it against me, is that right?"

"That's the gist, yeah."

"And I should trust you because…?"

"Because I want our battle to be fair, yup." He grinned.

"It's hardly a battle!" Annabeth leaned against the tree at her back, watching the sky change hues, "Besides, I'm going to beat you anyway, so stop worrying about it."

"Fair enough. But then you shouldn't worry about telling me what's wrong, if you have such an upper hand."

It surprised her, how easily their banter came. She expected talking with Percy Jackson to be far more clipped and tense, yet here they were, going back and forth like old friends. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "How can you tell? That I'm not fine?"

Percy shrugged. "Intuition?"

Annabeth scoffed at the reminder of what she had told him barely a couple weeks ago.

"Hey, if it helps, you can hit me- I've been told I have a very punchable face," he joked, obviously trying to get her to crack a smile. It worked.

Her laugh cut through the remaining tension, legs relaxing to stretch out in front of her. "I'm sure that will actually solve most of my problems, thanks."

He leaned over, pointing to the face in question with a twinkle in his eye. "Come on, one hit, and you'll feel better, guaranteed."

"I'm not going to punch you!" Annabeth protested, shoving him away with another laugh, before catching herself. She composed her expression to one of cool indifference "But.. thank you, for trying to cheer me up." Again.

"Hey, it's no big deal."

But it was a big deal. No one knew about her text-friend, so no one knew about their fight. Thalia guessed something was up but Annabeth wouldn't tell her what. Luke was busy on some project at work, and Grover- well, she hadn't spoken to Grover since that day in the plaza. Which was her own fault. She had ignored his attempts to reach out, and the guilt was eating her alive.

"It is a big deal." she insisted, softly.

He didn't press the issue, and she was grateful. A few moments passed, and she spoke again.

"I got into a fight."

"With Grover…?" He guessed and she shook her head.

"No, no, with… a different friend." Annabeth sighed.

Percy nodded, looking thoughtful. "I have experience with fights… what was it about?"

"Something stupid," she mumbled.

"Maybe it wasn't stupid to them," he offered, brow furrowing in thought. "Maybe what seemed small or dumb to you was actually really important to them."

"You think so…?" She glanced at him again, trying to discern what exactly was going on in that brain.

It wasn't hard to see why Percy Jackson was popular with the girls and the guys. He was kind, and the well defined jaw didn't hurt either. He had the cheekbones of a male model, thick brows, and defined lips- oh and his eyes! Sea green and bright with laughter, the eyes of someone who smiled a lot, still pretty despite the minor shadows that had appeared underneath since last they'd spoken.

He was definitely handsome.

"Who's checking out who, Chase?" he teased, and she was snapped out of it, heat creeping into her cheeks.

"I was not- am not checking you out!" she huffed, tossing her head to stare straight ahead once more, "Just… I didn't think you'd be so-"

"Smart? Handsome? Wise? Genius?"

"Thoughtful," she finished.

"Ah. That too." He stood, offering her a hand, though she didn't take it, instead standing on her own. He didn't seem bothered, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"So this friend… Do you think they'd accept an apology?"

"I'm not the one who should be apologizing!" she protested, gathering up her things.

"Maybe not," Percy conceded, tugging out his phone and playing with the device in his hands, "but sometimes…. sometimes it's best to swallow your pride and just do it, for the sake of friendship and... stuff."

Friendship and stuff. Poetic. And yet...

Annabeth huffed. She didn't want him to be right, but… he was.

"So I should apologize even if I wasn't in the wrong?"

He stared off into the distance, something seeming to dawn on him. "I mean… who's to say you weren't?"

"What?" She blinked. No one ever implied she was wrong.

"From their point of view, I mean. You never know how what you said might have hurt them."

She stared at him.

"Are you always like this?"

He tilted his head to the side, resembling a confused puppy. "Like what?"

"Always trying to solve problems, even for people you don't know." Annabeth tucked her books under her arm, facing him head on. She was dismayed to find he was at least a head taller than her.

Percy shrugged, a coy smile coming to his face. "I guess I am… though you especially seemed like you needed it."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she frowned.

"You had that look on your face."

"What look?"

He laughed, "You know."

"I don't."

"Forget it." He shook his head, turning and pulling his hood back up. "See you around, Annabeth. And hey," he smiled back at her, "thanks."

Annabeth blinked, "Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?"

"You helped me figure out some stuff of my own." He gave a small wave, trudging back toward the school. "Like I said, see ya."

She was left standing in the grass, watching his retreating figure disappear among the gardens. She wasn't sure what to think about their conversation, or what to think of him. Percy Jackson continued to surprise her.

So… now what?

If she thought about it from Seaweed Brain's point of view, she could kind of, maybe see how her attitude towards Cyclops might be offensive. Lots of people these days were fighting to reform their image, and it wasn't completely unbelievable he'd be one of them- he seemed to have a big heart, and that was part of what she liked about him after all. Could she really hold it against him?

And what of her own views? Was she as prejudiced as he said?

Annabeth had to admit, she had never met a Cyclops that didn't want to kill her, but that didn't mean nice ones didn't exist. Many of the Gods employed them.

She pulled out her phone and turned it on for the first time in a several days, long having given up on hearing from him. Just as before, there were no new messages. The blonde fiddled with it in her hands, debating what to do.

Her pride was nearly impossible to set aside. She knew it was her greatest flaw, as much as she wanted to pretend it to be her strength.

Finally, she swiped the device open, searching for his contact and typing those words that she somehow now had the power to say.

2:22PM WISE GIRL
I'm sorry.

AN: New cover art by windbyfire on instagram! She was a joy to commission, be sure to check her page out for a full size image!