Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. All characters belong to Rick Riordan.

Chapter Ten

Percy

You gotta take some chances, you gotta risk losing it all, you gotta close your eyes and leap, because it might be worth the fall.

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I am hopelessly in love with Annabeth Chase.

Which is stupid, since I don't believe in love. Or, at least, I didn't. But now I can feel it running into me, hitting me full-force, when Annabeth does even the smallest things, like smile at me or twirl her hair. But there's no denying it. I can't keep pretending that this feeling inside me is just a passing crush. It's so much more than that.

I love the way Annabeth smiles and her entire face lights up. I love the way she always puts her hair up in a ponytail, no exceptions. I love her eyes, how they vary in color, going from almost a sky blue to the color of storm clouds. I love the sound of her laugh, which is indescribable. I love watching her draw at lunch or before school, her eyes staring intently at her sketchbook, drawing the same line over and over again, even though it was perfect the first time. I love the way her lips move whenever she reads, and the only thing I'm thinking is how much I want to kiss them. I love it in English class when she starts tapping the table and then I start and pretty soon we have a beat going that only gets interrupted by a dirty look from Paul. I love how her locker is so perfectly organized and not one thing is out of place. I love everything about her, from her hair to her locker, simply because I love her.

Be careful, I have to tell myself over and over again. Don't fall too hard. My mom made that mistake. She fell for my dad too hard, and when he left us, it was almost unbearable for her. She's often told me that the only thing that got her through that awful time was me.

Ever since I was a kid, I've sworn to myself that I'd never fall in love. I'd never even have a crush. But now, now I'm not too sure if swearing off love was a good decision. Because if what I feel for Annabeth is love, it might not be so bad after all.

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"Percy?" my mom calls from the sink, where she's washing pans. "Are you gonna eat your pancakes?"

I blink a couple of times, coming back to earth. "Yeah," I say. "I'm gonna eat them."

Last night, I stayed up until probably four in the morning thinking about Annabeth, college, and other things. As we get deeper into the year, school is getting more stressful. I have to get a B or more on every test, quiz, and homework assignment in order to get good enough grades to get accepted into good colleges. So far, the highest grade I've gotten is a C on an English assignment. And Annabeth isn't helping the situation.

"What's wrong, Percy?" my mom asks. She's looking at me concernedly, so I smile.

"Nothing. Just a little tired. Didn't sleep well last night."

She gives me a sympathetic look. "Annabeth?" she asks.

I jerk my head up to face her instead of my pancakes. "What? No!" I deny, praying so hard that she wouldn't see the blush on my cheeks. "No, it wasn't because of Annabeth. Where'd you get idea like that?"

My mom just chuckles to herself. "I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know." Then she goes back to washing her dishes.

I glare down at my pancakes. Girls. They think they know everything.

Wait. That's it! They think they know everything! Surely my mom would know about relationships. But do I really want to tell her about Annabeth? She'd tease me to the end of eternity, that's for sure. But, at the same time, I need to get some advice about this. I certainly can't ask one of my friends. They'd tease to me to the end of eternity and longer.

I start the old-fashioned way. "Mom," I say, "I have this friend."

"A friend? What's his name?"

I say the first thing that pops into my head. "Bill."

"Bill?"

"Bill."

My mom grins, like she knows I'm lying. "Okay. What about Bill?"

I bite my lip. "Well, uh, he's having girl problems right now, and I was wondering if you have some advice for him. For Bill." Then, for good measure, I add, "Only Bill."

My mom stops washing the dishes, dries her hands, and comes and sits across from me at the bar. She looks at me with an understanding smile on her face and says, "Percy, this is about you, isn't it?"

"No." She shoots me an I-can-see-right-through-you look. "Yes."

"I knew it," she teases, grinning at me. I sigh. "Now, what's the problem with Annabeth?"

"How do you know I'm talking about Annabeth?" I question, trying to keep what little pride I have left.

"I just know," she answers. "It's a mom thing. So what's the problem?"

I sigh. "I think I might be in love with her."

I wait for a gasp. A laugh. A lecture about how I'm only eighteen and can't be in love yet. I don't get any of those. Instead, my mom nods. "You should ask her out."

I blink. "What?"

"Ask her out," she repeats. "Isn't that what kids your age do? Go out?"

"Well, yeah," I say. "I think I just expected more of a reaction from you."

My mom shrugs. "I expected this sooner or later. I've seen the way you talk about her."

I blush. "So you think I should ask her out?"

"Yes."

"What if she says no?"

"She won't. You're an incredible boy. She'd be crazy to say no."

"You're obligated to say that. It's in, like, a Dummy's Guide to Being A Mom or something."

My mom laughs. "Yes, maybe it is, but it's true. Trust me, she won't say no." She starts to get up, signaling the end of our conversation, but I have to ask her one more question.

"What if we do start dating, but we have a horrible breakup and I end up hurt?"

My mom looks at me and slowly sits back down. When I look at her, I see that there are tears in her eyes. "Oh, Percy," she whispers, "this is about your father, isn't it?"

I shrug and stare at my uneaten breakfast.

"Percy, I loved your father, and yes, when he left, it was hard on me. And, as I've said before, you were the thing that got me through that time. But that doesn't mean that I regret meeting him and falling in love with him. In fact, it was probably one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me. Besides you, of course.

"What I'm trying to say is don't let the fear of getting hurt keep you from falling in love. Falling in love is one of the greatest things you'll ever experience. Don't let my past with love keep you from it. Because sooner or later, you'll regret it."

I don't look my mom in the eye. I can't. Because what she said is true. "What if it turns out badly?" I ask, not wanting to give in yet.

"But what if it turns out good?"

I groan. "Why is love so complicated?"

My mom laughs. "That's just the way things are, Perce." Her expression softens and she looks me straight in the eye. "Tell Annabeth that you love her. I know it's risky. I know it's scary. But sometimes in life, you've gotta shut your eyes and jump. Yes, you could crash and burn, but that's just part of life. But there's also a chance that it might be worth jumping."

I crack a grin. "Thanks, Mom. That really helped."

And it did. Because when I walk out of the apartment a few minutes later, hurrying to get to school, I'm determined to tell Annabeth how I feel today.

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"What's a relative pronoun?" Annabeth quizzes me.

"Uh..." I drawl. Stupid grammar. Why do I have to know this stuff? It's not like I'm going to be a writer or something. "I don't know."

Annabeth rolls her eyes and laughs, then tells me the answer. I nod, as if I understand, even though I don't. I can't focus, much less understand something. Annabeth is sitting so close, whether on purpose or accident, I don't know. All I know is that there's only a couple inches of space between us that could be so easily closed.

It's fourth hour, free period for us, and Thalia and Grover, yet again, have ditched us. Not that I mind. I would rather be alone when I tell Annabeth I'm in love with her. After chickening out this morning, I'm determined to do it now.

"Shouldn't you know all this?" Annabeth asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Shouldn't English be your best subject since your stepdad is the teacher?" Annabeth clarifies. "I mean, you can get tutoring basically anytime you want."

I shrug. I hate it when people ask me this question, but coming from Annabeth, I'm not really all that annoyed. "It probably would be, but I'm dyslexic."

Annabeth looks up from her notes and meets my eyes. "Me too," she states plainly.

I stare at her. "Really? You're dyslexic. I never would've guessed."

Annabeth gets a sparkle in her eye. "Why?"

I blush. "Well, uh, I guess, um, because you're such a good student," I stammer, not sure why the words are hard to get out. I guess it's different complimenting the girl you like.

Now it's Annabeth's turn to blush. "It's really not that hard to notice if you really watch me. It's why I mouth the words when I read. I'm also ADHD."

"Okay, now I'm really creeped out."

Annabeth gives me a weird look. "Why?"

"I'm ADHD too."

"That's really weird," she murmurs, not really paying me much attention anymore as she reads through notes. Paul's giving us a big grammar test today, which is going to be hard for the both of us because of our dyslexia.

I watch Annabeth as her eyes scan the page. Now that I know she has dyslexia, it is easier to spot. She slowly mouths the words, like she's sounding them out to herself. I still can't believe that such a smart girl can have a disorder – two disorders, actually – that causes so many kids to barely get a D. It amazes me.

"Oh, this one's easy," she says suddenly. "Name the four types of sentences."

Finally, one that I actually know. "Declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory."

"Good." She looks up at me and smiles. Our eyes lock for a second too long. I become intensely aware of how close we're sitting – well, not that I wasn't aware before, but now I'm even more aware. Before I know it, I'm leaning in, and to my surprise, Annabeth is also. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her hand shaking. A blush is rising on her cheeks. I know that mine are probably red as well. Our lips are only a few centimeters apart. Just a bit closer -

And then suddenly, Annabeth turns her head away. I jerk back also. I don't know what I was thinking. Of course I can't kiss Annabeth. Not here, anyway, in the school library. A very inappropriate place for an intimate moment.

"Um, give me an example of an interrogative sentence," Annabeth says, her voice small. My stomach sinks.

"Why do we have to take a grammar test?"

Annabeth grins, which makes me feel better. "Imperative?"

"Go clean your room." Something I heard way too much as a child.

"Exclamatory?"

"Wow, Percy, you're so handsome and strong!"

Annabeth laughs. "In your dreams," she teases. My stomach flip flops.

"Declarative?"

Suddenly, my heart speeds up. It's so easy. The perfect opportunity. I could tell her right now. I could tell her I'm in love with her. I'm in love with Annabeth Chase.

"Percy?" Annabeth asks. "Do you remember what declarative means?"

I swallow. "Yeah. It's a statement, right?"

Annabeth nods. "Yup. For example, 'I had scrambled eggs for breakfast.'"

I'm in love with Annabeth Chase.

"I want to go to college next fall," comes out of my mouth instead.

Idiot, I scold myself. Coward.

"Right," Annabeth announces. "Well, it looks like you're somewhat ready for the test."

"It's not gonna get much better than that."

Annabeth laughs. "I figured."She moves to put away the notes.

Her phone, which is still on the table, starts vibrating. I glance at it. A picture of a guy our age is on it. I only see dirty blonde hair and tan skin that matches Annabeth's before she grabs the phone and declines the call.

"Who was that?" I ask.

Annabeth's face is pale. Suddenly, it all clicks. How her face pales when I ask her something about her past. Why her hand shakes whenever I get close.

"Just someone from back home," she answers, her voice small.

"Did he hurt you?" The feeling that I got when Peyton flirted with her and with the guy at Starbucks comes over me again. I feel protective of Annabeth, and the idea that this guy hurt her badly and still has the nerve to call her makes me want to run all the way down to California and teach this guy a lesson.

Annabeth bites her lip and doesn't look me in the eye. "No," she answers. "He's just a friend."

I don't stop watching her. "You know you can tell me anything, right? I won't tell anyone else."

She's silent for a long time. A nervous feeling boils up in my stomach. Did I pressure her too much? No, I couldn't have. All I did was tell her she could trust me. That's okay to say, right?

"I know," she finally says. When she looks at me, her eyes are heartbroken.

All I want to do is hug her and tell her everything will be alright, but I don't. I don't know what happened or who hurt her, but I know that the only thing that will help her right now is to change the subject.

I clear my throat. "Do you want me to quiz you?"

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Fourth hour ended all too soon, and fifth hour came and went. I actually did pretty good on the quiz, thanks to Annabeth.

"How'd you do?" I whispered to her after we finished.

"Pretty good. You?"

"Better than I thought I would."

"All thanks to me, of course."

I frown. "Hey, sass is my thing!"

Annabeth giggled. "Okay, Seaweed Brain."

Now it's lunch and I can't get the way she called me Seaweed Brain out of my head. Despite it being an insult, I don't find it mean when Annabeth says it.

Oh, Percy, I think. You are in way over your head. Be careful.

Our table is two times as big as it was. Ever since Monday, when I invited Annabeth to sit with me after we ditched, her and her friends have been sitting with us. The two groups get along surprisingly well, which pleases the both of us.

Annabeth is sitting next to me, as usual, and because there are so many of us, she's pressed up real close to me. I hope she can't feel my heart beating rapidly.

"And then he shoved a donut in my face," Grover said solemnly. He's telling the story of the showdown before school the day that Annabeth arrived.

Everyone laughs. I feel Annabeth's body shaking with laughter next to mine and I bite my lip. This, her being so close to me, feels so good and right.

"So, Percy, Annabeth," Thalia says once everyone's calmed down, "what did you guys do when you ditched. Which I still can't believe you did."

"Seriously," Silena murmurs and everyone giggles.

"Well," Annabeth begins, "we went to Starbucks and then we went to Central Park." I notice and am grateful that she didn't add in the details of our fight about the cashier and our failed escape from her mom. Annabeth assured me that her mom wasn't really that mad about it, but when you get grounded for a month, your mom has to be a little angry. I still feel bad.

"That's it?" Jason asks. He seems unimpressed. "You ditched to do that?"

Annabeth and I exchange glances. "Yeah," we say in unison.

They all shrug and go back to their individual conversations. Annabeth looks at me and laughs, obviously remembering our ditch day. I grin.

"Close call, huh?" I tease.

Annabeth goes along with it. "Almost too close."

We laugh and fall into an awkward silence. I know it's now or ever. I have to ask her out now if I'm going to ask her at all.

But do I really want to date? I spent so long – eighteen years, to be exact – avoiding love, dating, and everything that came with it. Am I really going to throw all of that away now and go out with some girl who've I've known for barely two weeks?

Yes, my mind answers for me. Yes, you are.

"I'm gonna go get something out of the vending machine," Annabeth says suddenly. She begins to get up.

"Um, I'll go with you," I say, suddenly seeing the perfect opportunity to ask her without all of our friends around us.

Annabeth gives me a questioning look, but doesn't argue. We head, together, to the hallway outside the cafeteria, where the vending machines are located. I can feel our friends' stares following us outside the cafeteria, but I don't care. They can come up with their own theories on what we're doing.

We enter the hallway. The sudden silence is unnerving. I feel the need to fill it. But right as I'm opening my mouth, Annabeth beats me to it.

"So why'd you follow me out here?"

I stare at her. "Huh? Oh. Just wanted to get away from that cramped table."

"Uh huh." Annabeth's tone tells me she doesn't believe me. "No, really. Why?"

I sigh. It's now or never. "Are you free tomorrow night? I was thinking we could go out to dinner."

Annabeth's expression stops me dead in my tracks. She looks like she's torn between smiling uncontrollably and barfing. And it looks like barfing is winning. Her hands shake just like they did early when we almost kissed and her face is pale again. She doesn't look me in the eye.

You are an idiot, Percy Jackson. An idiot.

"We don't have to," I say quickly. "I was just asking. If you don't want to, that's f-"

"No!" Annabeth interrupts. Her expression has changed and now she's smiling. "No, I'd love to."

"Really?" I ask, kind of surprised. Sure, I'd hoped she'd say yes, but I didn't exactly expect her to. She's this pretty, smart girl, and I'm just a guy who can swim fast. I didn't think she'd actually want to go out with me.

Annabeth laughs. "Yeah. Really."

And that smile, that laughs is what made this all worth it. All of the nerves and stuttering. Just seeing her happy, laughing and smiling, makes me feel like I'm at the top of the world. And I haven't even gone on the date yet.

I just might give love a shot.

Eh. Not so sure about this one. I liked the study scene though. That was pretty cute.

Guys. One month and eight days until the HoH releases. Why is it that the closer we get to the release date, the farther away it seems?

Oh. My. Gods. Did you guys see the Divergent trailer?! I just saw it today! I am flipping out! So freaking awesome! Can't wait for March!

Okay. Enough of my mindless fangirling. Sorry for the late update. Although it's nothing new. But review, please? It'd make me happy. Oh, and have a great Labor Day!