"Love is a game that two can play and both can win."

Percy recited this phrase in his head, over and over again.

So many quotes about love, how wonderful, how great it was. None of them mentioned how it could destroy someone who loved someone, but the feeling wasn't reciprocated.

Maybe all these scholars and poets wanted to trick Percy. They had, in fact, won the game–they did. Percy didn't even stand a chance against all the sappy love quotes, the books that made love such an immense treasure, just like A Fault in our Stars.

Karl Menninger once stated, "Love cures people—both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it."

Percy supposed that of course, with his luck, he was the one that was given the vile poison of love.

Love always won, at least that's what everyone said. Percy believed it, he truly did.

Until he got broken, and by the person, he least expected to hurt him.

Percy drummed his desk, ignoring the aching in his eyes.

He stared longingly at the computer screen, scrolling through depressing quotes that he couldn't do anything but relate to.

How many people had been manipulated by the notion of loving someone? How many people were just as broken as he was?

The sunlight shone through his apartment window, 5 floors above the streets of New York.

He looked up at his wall, a sticky note was pinned to it.

"You can't run from the shadow, but you can invite it to dance."

His shadow was Annabeth Chase–his best friend, and he'd done just that.

His shadow was his unwavering loyalty to her, his support, his precious, but now wasted time.

Percy should've known from the start that he could've never compared to a girl like Annabeth Chase. He should've never pined for her.

He growled, and tore the sticky note down, ripping it apart.

Percy never knew he was a poet, a master with words. But ever since Annabeth Chase–only 4 days ago, the only comfort he had was writing. That––and surprisingly, reading.

Unfortunately, Annabeth Chase had rubbed off on him, all the qualities that he loved about her.

Loved.

They had been best friends since the young, immature age of 11. As the kids would say these days, she was valid.

From the moment they met, they clicked. He fell for her when he was 15, and only confessed a couple of days ago. Of course, she didn't feel the same way.

Percy knew that their relationship would never be the same again, he'd taken the chance, a small light that he tried to grasp. But of course, he'd been stupid enough that he thought he could grasp the light. As soon as he had his fingers around it, it had disappeared. Only reappearing on top of his hand, a jeering, taunting motion.

Percy checked his phone, nothing from Annabeth. He wasn't surprised, she probably never wanted to see him again.

3 missed calls from Thalia Grace. He decided to listen to her voice message.

"Listen up, Perseus Jackson." He had never told her his full first name. "I don't know what Annabeth Chase did to you, but if you're still locked up inside your room, I'm going to bust down that old door of yours."

Percy chuckled, although forced.

"Meet me at the diner at three o'clock sharp, buddy."

Percy considered rain-checking Thalia, for the seventh time this weekend. He decided against it, maybe it would be good to get some sunshine on his tear-stained cheeks.

Coming. He texted her.

The raven-haired boy didn't want to reminisce over his times with Annabeth Chase, but his mind took over.

She was the one who taught him how to overcome his dyslexia.

He thought about the long nights, practically all-nighters he pulled with Annabeth. There was no telling how much he owed Annabeth for his chance to go to NYU next year, after graduating.

Still, he resented her for leading him on for so long, taking him on so many lunch dates.

Maybe he should've tried harder to keep their relationship entirely platonic, after all, what would a romantic relationship do when the girl was moving away to California. To study at Stanford, no less.

Once Percy pulled up to the diner, he was surprised by the number of people jostling in and out of it.

It was a Saturday, too late for lunch and too early for dinner.

He spotted Thalia sitting in a corner booth, on the far side of the diner.

"Fancy seeing you here early," the boy retorted, hiding all signs of earlier weeping emotion.

"Oh, hold your tongue," Thalia said. "I can see your tears. I told you Annabeth Chase would only hurt you more."

Percy sat down in front of her, he raised an eyebrow. "Please, you've never been in love before."

Thalia seemed fixated on seeing the darker side of Percy, the broken side that he had hidden his entire life.

"I know Annabeth Chase, she's my best friend," Thalia replied, steadily.

"I know that."

Her phone vibrated, and she read the text. "Annabeth isn't coming back."