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Hope you enjoy! This is just a filler chapter basically, so sorry if you don't like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

Chapter Four

Percy

When I first met you, I never would have imagined that I would have such strong feelings for you. I never would have thought that I would have dreams about you or miss being by your side or get butterflies in my stomach when someone mentions your name. When I first met you, I never would have thought that I would love you.

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Eventually, everyone finds that one person that they can tell everything to. Some people call it an accountability partner. Others call it a best friend.

I don't know what I call it. All I know is that Annabeth Chase is that person.

I don't know why I can talk so easily to her. It come naturally. I find myself telling her stories about Thalia of Grover bickering, Piper and Jason's terrible flirting, Frank barrelling into something (as he does on a daily basis), and Hazel cheering us all up when we're down. She laughs at appropriate times and comments. The entire time we're walking, I ask myself I'm opening up so much to this girl. With strangers, I only make polite small talk, as I was taught. It's like Annabeth has a magnetic force that's surrounding her that's pulling the stories out of me.

"Won't we get into trouble for being late?" she asks me. I had just finished telling her about the time Piper dared Jason and I to try on a wedding dress at the mall.

I look around the empty hallway, then down at my watch, realizing, indeed, that we are going to be late. One minute to the bell. "Nah," I answer. "Not from Coach. He usually just gives you a lecture, then forgets all about it. We won't get into trouble." I remember when the Stolls had to do twenty laps around the gym in socks for being late, and I add, "I think."

Annabeth snorts. "That's reassuring."

I laugh and agree with her. We walk in silence for a few minutes. It's a comfortable silence, a silence between best friends. I decide to break it, though, and ask, "So why'd you come to New York?"

Immediately, she answers, "The architecture program you have here."

She answered too fast. It's a rehearsed answer too. I can tell. Again, I begin to wonder what she's hiding. I contemplate asking her. But from the way she's tensed up, and how her eyes are wide, pleading with me, I can tell she wants me to drop it. So I do.

"Really?" I say, changing the subject. "You like architecture?"

Annabeth relaxes and nods. She begins to ramble about it, and I listen, although I have no idea what she's talking about. I just like how her mood changes and she lets her guard down. I like how it's me who's made her happy.

We arrive at the locker rooms. I can hear the giggles and the hushed whispers of the girls as they change and the deep voices of the boys as they get ready.

"Here we are," I say. "The gym is across the hall, and by the sounds of it, everyone is still changing."

"Well, thanks for walking with me," Annabeth says. Her voice softens. "And, you know, standing up for me."

I smile at her embarrassment. "No problem." I wave and walk into the guys' locker room, her gaze following me.

I walk towards my locker, trying to figure out how a girl who I've known for a few minutes can get me talking like we're best friends.

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I walk into the gym and immediately groan.

Everyone is standing around talking. We're allowed to bring our own clothes for gym, so all of the guys are in Under Armour shirts and wearing Nike Elite socks and Jordans. The girls are decked out in multicolored Nike shorts and t-shirts advertising different singers and bands. Annabeth is standing off to the side with Reyna and Rachel. All three are in Nike shorts: Reyna, purple, Rachel, red, and Annabeth, black. I notice all of the guys are sneaking glances at Annabeth. I don't blame them.

But that's not what makes me groan. It's what's on the gym floor. In the center of the gym, in a perfectly straight line, are rubber balls.

Dodgeball.

I hae dodgeball. There's something about hitting people with balls and being hit by balls that not's very appealing to me.

Annabeth walks over to me. "Hey," she says, smiling.

I smile back. "Hey."

"So is this normal?" she asks, gesturing to the rubber balls. "Or is this an exception?"

I shrug. "Usually, we run laps or do push-ups to the death." I glance at the balls in the middle. "I'd rather do push-ups."

Annabeth laughs. "Oh, it won't be so bad. I'm sure you're good at throwing balls."

I shrug again. "I don't know."

Annabeth smiles. I find myself smiling with her.

"Alright, cupcakes!" Coach Hedge says into his megaphone. "Gather 'round!"

I glance at Annabeth. "Time for an hour of pure torture."

Annabeth laughs again. ""Oh, come on. It can't be that bad."

"Or it can," I mutter. I follow Annabeth towards Coach.

"Today, we're playing dodgeball," Coach announces. "LaRue, Nakamura, captains."

Clarisse LaRue and Ethan Nakamura walk out in front of everyone. Ethan looks pretty pathetic next to Clarisse. He's a short, wimpy kid with shaggy black hair and sad blue eyes. He's pretty tough, but nothing like Clarisse. Clarisse has long, stringy brown hair and dark, demonic eyes. I swear, she has not one ounce of fat on her body. She's completely muscle. She's a bit intimidating, especially next to Ethan.

The two captains begin choosing their teams. Clarisse chooses her friends, who also happen to be ruthless and pure muscle. Ethan chooses me, the Stolls, Rachel, Reyna, and a few others. The last person left is Annabeth.

"Come on, blondie," Clarisse demands. "I guess you're mine."

Annabeth walks over to Clarisse's team-a bunch of muscular, mean kids who were grinning evilly at out team, like they couldn't wait to beat us to pulp. She seemed out of place with them.

Coach Hedge blows his whistle. "Let's get started!"
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It was a pretty even game.

Our team got out quickly. The Stolls were the first to go, along with a few girls who aren't very atheletic. Travis seemed pretty miffed about it, but Connor flirted with the girls on the sidelines. Now, it's just Ethan, Rachel, Reyna, and me left against about ten body builders.

Ethan throws a ball. It narrowly misses a guy named Bruno. "Nice try!" I tell Ethan, dodging a ball.

"Thanks!" Ethan calls back.

I pick up a ball and throw it at Bruno. He dodges it narrowly, the ball whizzing past his ear. I get an idea. "Ethan!" I call. "Throw the ball the same time as me!"

Ethan nods and gets his ball ready. "One...," I say, "two...three!"

Ethan and I throow our balls at Bruno at the same time.

I was right. Clarisse's team lacks one thing: agility.

Bruno gets hit right in the stomach. He doubles over, clutching his stomach, and tumbles to the ground. I high-five Ethan.

Reyna and Rachel have teamed up against Annabeth. They're both holding balls and grinning evilly at her. Annabeth stands in front of them, her feet spread slightly apart, ready to dodge at any second. I let them stay there, figuring Ethan and I can get the rest out. Then we could all team up on Annabeth.

Ethan and I did pretty good. We easily got out most of the opposing team. And with Reyna and Rachel distracting Annabeth, we narrow it down to the four of us against Clarisse, Annabeth, and a guy named Butch.

"Percy," Ethan says, nodding his head towards Butch. I nod in understanding. We slowly move towards him, balls at hand. What we don't realize, is that Clarisse is left unguarded. She moves towards us and throws a ball at Ethan with all of her might. He throws his at her just as he's hit. The both fall to the ground.

"Dang it," Ethan mutters.

In all of the commotion, Butch's attention leaves me and turns to Clarisse and Ethan. I take advantage of this and throw my ball at him, getting him out. Now, it's three against one.

I run over to Reyna and Rachel. "Hey," I say nonchalantly.

I've had a rocky past with Rachel. We used to be good friends. Then she began to hit on me and when I rejected her, she left our group of friends and became best friends with Silena and Reyna. We still talk, but not like we used to.

Reyna's pretty cool too. When she first came to Goode, everyone thought that we would make a cute couple. But neither of us were interested, so people stopped their matchmaking after a while. Reyna and I talk a little bit, but not much.

Rachel glances over at the sidelines, where Clarisse is giving me a death glare. "Nice," she says, flashing me a grin.

I pick up a ball. "I really want to stop playing now," I say to the girls. They shir their balls in their hands and smile at Annabeth, who smiles back. "On three," I say. "One...two...three!"

Three balls come barrelling towards Annabeth. She dives to the right, catching one. Reyna huffs and walks off towards the sidelines, muttering about how she should've aimed lower. Meanwhile, Annabeth takes the ball she caught and chucks it at Rachel. It hits her in the gut and she falls on her butt.

Now, it's just Annabeth against me.

"Not very good at dodgeball, huh?" Annabeth taunts.

"Right back at you," I tease, picking up a ball. Annabeth picks one up too.

I hear my team cheering for me from the sidelines. Annabeth's cheer for her also.

"So how long do you think we're gonna be standing here?" I ask.

Annabeth shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe the rest of the hour?"

"Hope not."

We stand there, pacing and eyeing each other, for the next twenty minutes. I don't take my eyes off of her and she doesn't take her eyes off of me.

"Ten minutes," Coach Hedge calls. "Hurry up, cupcakes!"

I spread out my arms. "Throw one at me."

Annabeth smirks.

We stare at each other for the next five minutes. I begin to think that we'll keep going until the end of the hour. But then Ethan screams, "Percy!"

Everything happens really fast. I turn to look at Ethan. Annabeth throws the ball at me. I turn just in time to catch it as I fall backwards.

Annabeth groans. My team comes out to congratulate me. I turn to Ethan. "What was that about" I ask.

Ethan shrugs. "I just got tired of standing around waiting for you or the new girl to throw a ball, so I figured I'd cause a distraction so that someone could win."

"Well, it worked," I conclude. Ethan walks away, and I make my way to Rachel, Annabeth, and Reyna. Rachel and Reyna are taunting Annabeth about losing and Annabeth is looking quite pained.

"Hey," I tell her. "Good game."

"Thanks." Annabeth smiles at me. Her friends shoot her pointed looks and I roll my eyes. When will they realize that I'm not interested in dating anybody?

"So, Percy-" Reyna starts, but she's cut off by the bell.

"I've gotta go, guys," Annabeth tells her friends. She turns to me. "Bye, Percy. It was nice meeting you."

I smile. "You too. See you tomorrow."

Oooo! Do you guys think Percy has feelings for Annabeth? Does Annabeth have feelings for Percy? What's going to happen? :)

So, just so you all know, I'm changing my pen name to Aria Taylor. It sounds a lot more sophisticated than crazylove27. And it sounds cool. So yeah. I'm changing it.

"Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God." Matthew 3:8 NLT