Backstreat's back bois. So... it's about to hit the fan... LOVE YA

Annabeth POV

"We're fifteen minutes early. Are you sure he's even ready?" Hazel asked, leaning forward from the backseat.

"You kidding? She's hoping he's not," Thalia smirked from the driver's seat. "Then she'll be invited in."

"That's practically sex for Annabeth," Piper chimed in from the middle row.

"Okay!" Annabeth interrupted, a blush forming on her cheeks. "I just figured we could go a little early and beat the crowds."

"Suuuure."

"Annabeth! Maybe you'll see his boxers!" Leo yelled from the back.

"Shut up!" she yelled back, her blush growing.

They parked on the curb across from Percy's house and Annabeth shuffled to get to the door.

"All I'm saying is we better not be sitting here waiting for him to get ready for fifteen minutes," Thalia called.

"Be back in 5!" Annabeth replied over her shoulder.

She walked up the cracked concrete steps to his door. Annabeth had to admit, she was nervous. She wasn't really sure why, though. She was just going to pick him up, he'd already said yes. Still, there were butterflies flittering in her stomach.

She also had to admit she was excited to see his house. Even if it was just a sliver as he slipped out the door. But she hoped he would let her in or maybe show her his room. She'd been wondering what it looked like. He always just slipped in the door so she never caught even a glimpse. And, well, she was a bit ashamed to admit this, but sometimes if she was driving around, she would purposely come this way just to see his house. Not to be a creep! Just to see if she could catch him outside or something like that. Though, the curtains were always drawn except in the room that she thought might be his.

She took a deep breath to steady herself before pushing down the doorbell.

She could do this! Best case scenario, Percy answered the door and greeted her. Then she would greet his mother and be introduced to his father, and she'd get a small house tour before leaving. Worst case scenario, he answered the door and told her he never liked her and never changed, but strung her along for his own amusement.

Oh god why did she have to think of that? The butterflies only got crazier and she squeezed her fist.

She turned back to look at the van full of her friends. He saw Leo lean out the window to point towards a room upstairs.

"I see him," he called in a singsong voice.

"Ooh, Annabeth he must be excited," Hazel said just loud enough for her to hear. "He practically sprinted away from the window."

She smiled at that thought. She hoped he would like the water slides. She knew he liked swimming and was super good at it, but she just wanted him to have a good time. If he did, he might finally work up the courage to ask her out, and of course she'd say yes. They could go to the movies, and they could finally share that first kiss. She thought she'd die if she didn't kiss him soon, especially after yesterday. If only she wasn't such a stickler for the-

She heard the heavy front door pull open, and she quickly turned with a smile.

"Who the hell are you?" ...uu...uuu..uuuuI just realized I totally should've ended the last chapter here :-l. Ugh. Would've been so good. Mistakes were made

She looked at the oblong, greasy man and felt her smile fall. His white wifebeater was full of stains, and his sweatpants weren't much better. His bald head shined like a filthy subway mirror. There was a slice of pizza in one hand and a Budweiser in the other. She crinkled her nose as she thought about how it was 7:50 in the morning.

She looked into his dull brown eyes that seemed to only show annoyance as she thought, is this really Percy's father?

Just then, she heard a skid and watched a panting Percy stare horrified at the two of them. He looked like he might be ill.

Percy's father turned towards him and she watched as Percy seemed to disappear. His agitated stance on the stairs morphed into a relaxed, careless lean over the railing. His swirling green eyes hardened to a misty emerald, and his mouth flattened to emphasize his bored appearance.

It made Annabeth uneasy how effortlessly he became almost unrecognizable to her.

"Boy," Percy's father started. His slithering voice made Annabeth uncomfortable. "Whose this?" He dragged out his words, and Annabeth felt chills go through her body.

Percy's eyes slowly glanced at her as he calmly walked down the stairs. They lingered on her for a moment before flicking back to the bowling ball of a man. He didn't stop walking until he placed himself in front of her as she stood by the front door. She could hardly see anything beyond his square shoulders.

"Oh. This is just Valerie," he said easily.

Valerie?

Valerie?

Who the hell was Valerie?

"Who the hell is Valerie?" his father asked, trying to look past Percy to get a better view of her.

Percy shifted so he blocked his father's view of her almost completely. What was he doing? And who the hell was Valerie?

"Valerie and I have Saturday detention with the others in the van outside. They're making us all do community service, so they're picking me up and we're heading to the school."

Annabeth was flabbergasted as Percy lied through his teeth. Was he embarassed of her and their friends? If he could lie this easily to his father, how easily could he lie to her?

She desperately wanted to look at something besides his firm back. She needed to search him for answers.

"Come on, Valerie. I need to grab my bag," Percy finally turned his body to look at her. His face was etched with a pleading gaze that she simply couldn't turn away from. His eyes were pleading with her.

"Okay," she said hesitantly. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she definitely needed to talk to the real Percy, and he wasn't here right now. She was hoping when they got away from his dad he would explain.

She was letting her imagination get the best of her as she imagined different reasons as to why Percy would lie. She kept returning to the idea that Valerie was some rebel chick that Percy liked whom she didn't know. She probably wore a bunch of leather and carried a pocket knife. She almost asked if he was cheating on her, but that wouldn't make sense. After all, they weren't really dating, right? She wasn't really sure what they were but she knew they weren't dating.

Percy's dad watched her follow Percy up the stairs. She felt herself shiver as his gaze travelled with her. This was not going as planned.

Percy led her through a hall with a few doors on each side. She saw a few pictures on the tan wall of young Percy and Sally. She was too focused on the dilema at hand that she didn't even get to examine the photos.

Valerie probably had so many piercings. Did Percy like piercings? She only had her doubles. Is that why he hadn't made a move yet?

Percy opened the door to the room at the end of the hall and walked in, letting Annabeth come in after him.

She looked around his undecorative room with its plain walls and clean floor. There wasn't a single thing in here that she could confidently tie to Percy. The observation made her stomach feel small and cold. He must really feel like he doesn't belong anywhere.

Percy shut the door, and as she turned to face him, he slumped against her in an embrace. His forehead rested on her shoulder with his hair tickling her ears. He released a breath he must've been holding and she felt the tension leave his body. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

After a moment, he lifted his head off her shoulder and put some distance between them. She immediately felt cold as his lingering warmth faded. She held her arms to her chest.

"So... um... Valerie?" she asked him, able to search his face now.

He looked up into her eyes and she knew her Percy was back. His soft green eyes echoed with apologies. He rubbed his hands over his face and paced his room.

"I know. I'm sorry," he began, stopping and facing her. "... He's... kind of shady and... intense. I don't want him to know your name."

"Shady? Like a criminal?" she asked, surprised. She didn't think Sally would allow something like that to happen under her roof.

He gave a small, tired smile that didn't change his stagnant facial expression and answered, "Something like that."

There it was again. That phrase. That stupid phrase that kept her up until the wee hours of the morning. Why wouldn't he just fully explain himself? She could tell when he didn't tell her the whole truth. He wouldn't meet her gaze and his voice seemed far away. It seemed like he didn't like being untruthful, as his facial expression always screamed I'm sorry, but yet he still did it. That was one of the main reasons Annabeth was still hesitant about this whole thing. What is he hiding?

"What does your dad do for a living?" Annabeth asked.

Percy looked at her with intensity, like he was desperate for her to believe him when he replied, "He is not my dad... He's my step father."

"Oh, okay." She was torn about how far she should push him. Should she ask where his biological dad is? If it weren't for their friends waiting for them outside, she might have tried opening that door with him.

He opened his closet to get a bag and began to throw different items for the day inside. His closet was full of dark clothing that all looked very similar. There was hardly a speck of light in his entire wardrobe. She watched him pull a swimsuit out of his drawers and he chucked it into his bag.

Wow he really wasn't ready at all. She began to feel bad about coming early for such selfish reasons.

A blue fabric caught her eye in the back of his closet. It was probably the only thing in there that wasn't a shade of black or dark red. It was also the only thing in his closet that wasn't put away somewhere. She was shocked at how organized he was. Or maybe he cleaned up his room because he'd intended on showing it to her.

No, the meeting downstairs proved he wasn't anticipating her coming into the house.

She approached his closet and wrapped her fingers around the soft, ocean blue fabric. She pulled it out and was surprised to see it was a zip up hoodie. She had never, ever seen him wear a jacket that wasn't leather.

"How come you don't wear this?" she asked him, holding it up to show him.

He turned away from the dresser he was currently searching through, and she watched his eyebrows clinched together as he examined the jacket.

He gently ran his fingers over the material and stared at it with a soft look.

"I guess it's not really my style anymore," he said sadly, gently taking it from her and putting it back in the depths of his closet.

This was such a strange start to the day. Everything seemed to be making him act outlandish and emotional. She'd love this if he'd just talk to her about it.

"Okay. Let's head down so the others don't get anxious." He grabbed his bag and opened the door. She nodded and followed him closely, taking this second walk through the hallway to examine the photos.

There were three in total. One was of a baby that she assumed was Percy. He was so cute and chubby. The next one was of Sally and Percy when he was probably around 5. They were holding each other in a tight embrace, showing how much they loved each other.

The last one was of Percy when Annabeth guessed he was about 12. He wore a giant grin on his face and a blue hoodie. Not unlike the one she just found in his closet. She stopped for a moment to analyze it closer and saw that he had the green tint of a bruise on his cheek.

She was sure if she asked him about it he would make up some lie about adolescent gangs or boxing matches. Maybe he was just a wild kid? From his mischevious and gleeful smile in the picture, she would bet he was a bit boisterious.

"You coming?" Percy called to her from the top of the stairs. She blushed a bit and resumed her trail behind him.

As they walked down the stairs, she saw his stepdad sitting in a recliner, watching TV and sipping what seemed to be a new can of beer. His beady eyes shot to them as they descended towards the front door.

Percy opened the front door and opened his body, signaling for Annabeth to go out before him. She stepped outside, and Percy take a step out as well.

He paused when Gabe called, "We'll talk about this more later."

Percy took a deep breath before fully stepping on the front steps and shutting the door behind them.

Percy POV

He couldn't believe it. After all his precautions, he still saw her. Why did she come so early anyway? He had a plan! None of this would've happened if she hadn't come so damn early!

And yet...

He couldn't stay mad at her. It's not like she knew what she was doing. He was just so worried. Not about what Gabe would do to him later, that was inevitable and sure to contain his new favorite tool: his belt. But what if Gabe looked into her more? Surely he'd be curious about her. He could not let him learn anything about her. He could just imagine him going to her house, or coming up to her when she was walking as she often liked to do.

He squeezed his eyes shut and took a breath. Everything would be fine. He would protect Annabeth from anything and everything, especially that monster of a man.

The car ride to Coral Cove was fun. Everyone else in the car was excited and scream singing to the music blasting from the speakers near his ear. Annabeth sat in the middle seat of the backrow, smooshed in between him and Leo. He was very aware of his leg pressed up against Annabeth's in the tight seats. Her hair was thrown into a loose bun with little strands of curly hair framing her face. He watched her happily sing along and glance at him throughout the whole ride. Checking if he was having a good time. How could he not be? Being with her was a dream. Everytime she would look his way, a smile would creep onto his lips, just for her. She drove him crazy.

He was happy to be with them, for sure, he just needed some time to separate himself from what happened. Thankfully, the long car ride with more singing than conversation did just the trick.

Upon arriving, they split up put their bathing suits on in the park's locker room's. Percy only felt slightly awkward as he walked alongside Jason, Frank, Leo, Grover, and Nico to the bathroom. He wasn't sure if he should thank them for inviting them, or if that would just make it more uncomfortable.

As they entered the changing room, Jason turned to Percy and said, "Hey man, I'm really happy you were able to come."

Percy fought to contain his gigantic smile. His heart filled with joy. He was happy he came? He couldn't remember the last time someone said that. Usually nobody wanted him to go anywhere, as he was known to be quite the asshole.

"Yeah, me too." Percy smiled and felt his whole mood soar. They truly were his friends, weren't they? It was a great feeling to have friends again.

They quickly changed into their bathing suits, Percy with his swim shirt on. He didn't want to risk a scene with his scars. Gabe always worked harder on the parts of his body that couldn't be seen, and with the belt lashes, Percy knew his entire torso was a mess.

They waited for the girls outside of their locker room, chatting amongst themselves. Percy couldn't believe how easily he fit in with them. It was like he was always meant to be a part of their group.

"Let's go!" Piper jumped through the door and marched off towards the water. The rest followed her out the door in suit.

Percy lost his breath at the sight of Annabeth in her gray bikini. More of her hair had fallen out of its bun, and framed her face loosely. Her sun-kissed skin glowed and her eyes popped with her suit color. And of course her curves were accented, though he tried not to dwell too much on that fact. His stomach ached with the butterflies that exploded inside it. His heart ached to be closer to her.

She noticed him staring, and looked away, embarassed. A blush creeped up her cheeks, and she moved an arm to cover her stomach. Was she seriously self-conscious? Percy had never seen anyone look as amazing as her.

Percy soon realized he was being creepy, and a blush of his own bloomed on his ears. His hand flew to the back of his neck sheepishly and he moved himself so he could walk next to Annabeth.

"I, um," Percy stuttered, "I like your suit." Both of their blushes deepened and Percy began scratching his neck out of embarassment. He was hoping she would read into that and hear that he was actually telling her she looked hot. She needed to know it.

She chuckled nervously and responded, "Thanks." She dropped her arm and bore new confidence. Percy beamed at her. He would be just fine if he always had to tell her how amazing she looked to keep her self-assured.

The day was filled with laughter as the gang traipsed around the park. He never wanted to leave this place where he could truly be himself and be with these amazing people.

Of course he couldn't be happier to spend the entire day with Annabeth. They would teasingly splash each other in the pools, ride together in the tube rides, race each other in the slides. His heart was soaring. He loved being close to her.

The car ride back home was a peaceful one. Percy and Annabeth talked for awhile, but she quickly fell asleep. He watched her full eyelashes close shut as her breathing slowed down. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and though her hair tickled his neck, he kept incredibly still so as not to wake her up. He let his own head rest on hers, which was a little uncomfortable for him since she was a good amount shorter, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible.

He let himself doze off to the sound of chatter and Annabeth's soft breathing.

Far too soon, the van parked outside of Percy's apartment, and he begrudgingly woke Annabeth so he could move.

He stood outside of the van door, ready to pull it shut when Annabeth called, "Percy!"

He looked up at her and saw her hair was a bit crazy from sleeping. She looked so cute.

"Thanks for coming." She smiled at him.

"Yeah man, that was fun," Frank chimed in.

"We should definitely do that again!" Hazel added.

"I'll beat you on those slides next time!" Piper called.

"The pleasure was all mine, guys." Percy laughed and pulled the door shut. He felt like he was on air. Finally, after four years, he had friends. Annabeth waved to him out the back window as they pulled away, and he waved back with a smile that just wouldn't quit.

He began to walk up his front steps, well aware of what waited for him inside, but he couldn't give a damn.

So it's a really big van, okay? XD. GUYS I'M SO PUMPED. I HAVE THE REST OF THE STORY TOTALLY PLANNED OUT!

That means... there will be 2 more chapters! 2! Well 2 and a half because I'll leave you all with an epilogue. :D.

I can't tell you it will be a pretty ride, but we'll get there! I love you all! Review pleaseeeee

Gotta go pump out two more chapters! XD