Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO characters

Chapter Three

The lunch line that day was longer than Annabeth was ready to wait for. She grabbed an apple from her bag and wove in and out of the crowd to reach the same tree she sat at everyday. She unzipped her backpack and took out her biology test. Every wrong question her eyes scanned over made her heart skip a beat.

Annabeth would be lying if she said her mother, Athena, didn't scare her. Athena was a tall woman of thirty-three with blonde hair and the same piercing grey eyes Annabeth had. Athena's long legs always adorned a pair of stilettos and she never left her house without wearing a pencil skirt. The last time Annabeth came to her with news of a bad score, she spent her night crying in her room. It was unfair how much pressure Athena put on Annabeth.

But there was one thing Athena ended up being right about that Annabeth was too late to realise: Percy wasn't a miracle worker.

Leo bounded up to her. He held up his own biology test. "I got a thirty."

"I got a forty."

Leo swore. "That bitch. She wants us to die and crumble. Does she not know how many dreams she's crushing in the process?"

Annabeth didn't answer but she must've looked downright miserable because she felt Leo's arms snaking around her waist and pulling her closer to his chest. He was only an inch taller than she was and she fit into his grasp like a puzzle piece. Her shoulders dropped and she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

They were an unlikely pair to be friends: Leo was the class clown while Annabeth was the nerd. But somehow, forging past all the classmates they had in lessons, both Annabeth and Leo found themselves at the same tree every lunch. Some days, they spent hours after school at the mechanics shop Leo's dad owned. Leo himself was handy with a wrench and it had been useful tons of times Annabeth needed something fixed.

"Crush," Leo muttered in her ear. "Five o'clock."

"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something. Are you Annabeth?"

Annabeth shot to her feet. "Hi, hi. Hi. No, you're not interrupting anything. Ha. Hi. That's me. Annabeth Chase. Hi."

Luke Castellan raised a perfect eyebrow at her. His blue eyes and dirty blonde hair were perfect. His six pack was perfect. His chiseled jawline was perfect. Annabeth thought she might faint and it definitely wasn't because of the sun beating down on them.

"I'm doing a project on the Civil War," Luke started. His eyes darted to Leo who was brushing grass off his bottom. "And I was struggling so my teacher mentioned that you did a similar project first semester and got a near perfect score. I was wondering if there's any report or material you could give me for the project?"

"Oh, yeah," Annabeth blinked. "I have a report I can give you a copy of."

Luke broke out in a grin and Annabeth melted. "You're a huge help. Thank you. Can I meet you sometime for a printed copy or will you just share it to me digitally?"

"Oh, digitally is impossible," Leo cut in. "It's a huge project report thing. You'll have to come to her home to see it."

"But it's just a report?"

Leo said, "Nah. Dude, I'm talking an entire dining table huge cardboard board with lots of visuals and information. You want a near perfect score on whatever Civil War you're talking about and you'll have to go straight to Annabeth's home."

Luke turned to Annabeth. "Is there no way at all that you can bring the board to school?"

"No!" Leo supplied helpfully.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at her best friend. The Civil War project she did was a thirteen page typed report. There was no cardboard board as big as a dining table involved. She could print the report out and give it to Luke within the next half an hour.

"Okay," Luke said. "Annabeth, do you mind if I come around five-thirty after school today then? I'd like to take some pictures of the board. I promise it won't take more than five minutes."

"No, I don't mind."

"Give me your number? You can text me your address."

Annabeth dug her phone out of her pocket and dropped it in Luke's waiting hands. She exchanged a look with Leo who was wiggling his eyebrows. He was smiling a lot more than he would normally and it was all because of his new teeth.

"Well," Luke said. "I've put my number in there. Text me the address and I'll drop by after football practice." Luke gave her a heart-warming smile and walked away towards where his group of friends usually sat.

"Leo," Annabeth hissed. "What did you tell Luke? I don't have any board for the Civil War project. He's going to come over after school and then what? I'm going to look like an idiot."

Leo grinned. "At least I got him to your house. Now you can go back to your asshole of a genie and make whatever wish you want to make it work. Doll yourself up and then give Luke a huge smooch on the lips when he's about to leave. Then invite me to your wedding and make a speech about what an amazing wingman I am."

"I don't want to waste a wish on Luke."

"Or maybe you could say that you lost the board and have just a typed version of your report."

"And look like an idiot in front of the guy I'm basically married to in my head."

"Ha. You'll look like an idiot anyway." Leo gave her a pointed look.

Annabeth shoved him to the side. "On another note, I met the potential new student today. I think she liked the school. It seems likely that she'll be joining us next week."

"Was she hot? That's the only reason I'll listen."

"She was…" Annabeth paused. She remembered thinking that Rachel was insane as the tour went on. The redhead sang her four-line song over and over again and gave Annabeth terrifying descriptions of how she was going to go home and draw genies. It almost made Annabeth feel bad for whatever genie sat inside her lamp. That genie had to deal with Rachel's wild imagination that conjured up images of genies in places no one wanted to be in.

But now, two hours after the tour ended, Annabeth wondered if it was right for her to call Rachel completely insane. Rachel was drifting in and out of insanity. Sometimes, she'd answer Annabeth with a straight face and a witty joke that made her sound like Piper. The next second, Rachel was singing and flapping her wings like a bird.

"Interesting," Annabeth settled. "Rachel was peculiar. Not like the usual student that's for sure. She was weirdly protective over her genie lamp. She forgot it in one of the rooms we visited and then blew up at me when I tried giving it back to her."

Leo's eyebrows knitted. "Maybe she's possessive over her genie because they're her only friend?"

"Yeah. We've heard of those kinds of people but I guess it stood out to me with her other behaviour. I mean, you let me touch Hazel's lamp all the time."

Leo pushed his backpack up to the tree and scooted downwards so he could lay his head on it. "If you're right about this new girl coming here, I'll meet her eventually. It's against the law to talk about your private conversations with your genie so I doubt we'll be able to find out a lot from Rachel anyway."

Annabeth nodded in agreement. There were bigger things she had to worry about like the stupid biology test in her hands and how she was going to tell Athena.

aoaoaoaoaoaoaoao

Annabeth got home from school after an entire day of grilling classes and ran up to her room. Thankfully, no one else was at home and wouldn't be home for a while. Percy's lamp sat on her window sill exactly where she left it, sparkling in the sunlight. She dropped her school bag on the ground and hurried across the room. This time when Percy came out there was no blinding light or curling smoke. He shot out and stood in the middle of her room at full height. A train of smoke still drifted from both his wrists and into the spout of his lamp.

"So," Percy said. "I just spent the day in my extremely hot lamp. You don't know how many ice cubes I've shoved down my throat to keep myself from melting. Thank you so much for leaving me out in the sun. I totally didn't boil inside."

Annabeth flushed. "I didn't know that would happen."

"Uh huh. I'm starting to think you hate my guts. How can you? I'm an excellent genie!"

"Well your first impression wasn't the best so my apologies."

"What do you want?"

"I have a wish."

Percy snorted. He walked around her bed and threw himself on it, curling up in her sheets and mumbling something about how cool they felt. Sweat glistened on his forehead and smeared all over her pillow. Annabeth yanked at his shirt and he yelped.

"I have a wish."

"I heard you the first time, sweetheart. Do you mind bringing my lamp closer to the bed? I'm not able to spread out properly since I can't go too far from my lamp."

Annabeth grabbed his leg, dragging him off her bed and he fell on the ground. "I have a wish and you're going to listen without making your stupid commentary."

"Mm. How about no? I love my stupid commentary."

"I swear I'll kill you."

"Violent. You should be locked up."

Annabeth groaned out loud and slumped on the ground in front of him. "You're supposed to be genie and grant my wishes."

"What wish?"

"First I want you to fix all the bad test scores I've had in high school as well as get me all perfect scores for every test I do from now on. I want my mom to proud of whatever I do in school and she's far from that right now." She explained her situation with the biology test.

Percy sat up. "Are you sure you want to waste a wish on school and test scores?" For once, there was no amusement in his tone but genuine curiosity as if he couldn't believe she was using her first wish to fix a bad test score.

"I've got eight other wishes. I'll be fine."

"No. Not for school you don't." Percy glanced around her room and grabbed the rule book off her bedside table. He flicked through the pages as he spoke, "You haven't read this, have you? It clearly says at number eleven that you can't use more than two wishes for school and work related things. And you call yourself a nerd. I thought all nerds were automatically attracted to books and manuals. Then again, I thought all nerds got good grades."

Annabeth frowned. She snatched the rule book from Percy. He was right. Number eleven sat clearly in bold where it listed out the maximum numbers of wishes she had for each aspect of her life. Three wishes maximum for changing appearance. Five wishes maximum for something you want but don't have. Her eyes went to rule number twelve and her heart plummeted. Number thirteen didn't make her feel any better. The rules for making wishes were far too restricting. Genies were always advertised to be life changing but really they couldn't do anything but sit next to you to talk out your feelings.

"Okay, whatever. I can deal with my life on my own without wishes if I can get this one granted." Annabeth took a deep breath and looked Percy directly in his sea-green eyes. His almond eyes were watching her closely and she felt shivers go up her spine. "I wish all the tests I have done and will do in high school school and university are scores above ninety percent."

Annabeth held her breath, waiting for her world to spin like Leo described.

Nothing happened.

"I can't do that, angel," Percy said. He looked rather cross. "It's out of my ability. Choose one subject and decrease the time frame. Maybe change it to all the tests you've done and will do in this year for biology. Or math. Whatever."

Annabeth gaped. "What kind of a genie are you that you can't even grant that simple wish? I used to hear stories that genies could create armies and stop a five hundred year droughts with the snap of their fingers. You're a loser."

Percy's expression hardened and Annabeth's voice went high-pitched on the last word. He leaned forward, startling her, with his narrowed eyes and clenched fists. "I'm a loser? I hope you realise what you humans are doing to genies one day because you sitting here insulting my magic is incredibly ironic. I've grown up as one of the most able genies among my age group."

"Must have been very low standards of magic then."

Percy grabbed her wrist forcefully and Annabeth flinched. "I can do much more than I'm allowed to because of these stupid rules. Rules that your leaders put in place. I can build you a castle of the highest luxury and put a diamond tiara on your head to make you the most powerful queen in the world. I can stand on the ground and raise buildings from the dirt and metal buried miles below with nothing but my mind. I can destroy entire lands with a wave of my hand. Do not insult what I'm capable of."

Annabeth scowled, ripping her hand away from him so his grip on her wrist fell. "No one is going to come peeking around and looking for whether we followed the rules."

"Every wish I grant is heard by your leaders. We'll be taken away instantly."

Annabeth's throat closed up. She was staring at a completely different genie to whom she met yesterday. Percy seemed far more cruel now but there was a sense of angst he was carrying. He lay sprawled on her ground and she was sitting between his legs from when she tried and failed to get him to stand. The smoke trail from Percy to his lamp was directly next to her.

"Okay," Annabeth said softly. She was desperate. "I wish all the biology tests I have done and will do this year scores above ninety percent."

A wind fluttered through the room and Annabeth's hair ruffled. Her skin prickled in the breeze. Percy's lips were pressed in a thin line; he looked so much older and mature in that moment. Annabeth wasn't sure whether it was the yellow lighting of her room or something else.

"Your wish is my command."

aoaoaoaoaoaoaoao

Annabeth opened her eyes. She didn't feel any different but she stood to dig through her bag for the biology test she knew her mother would be asking for within the next week. To her relief, the forty had become a ninety-two. She hugged the test, squeezing her eyes shut. Annabeth hadn't realised how heavily her mother's impending reaction was affecting her. An entire building had been plucked from off her shoulders.

"Well?" Percy said, smug.

"Thank you," Annabeth rolled her eyes. "But it's kind of your job as my genie."

"Ah yes. Couldn't do it for yourself so you humans put genies on a leash to do it for them. I wonder how long until dog shows become genie shows. I'd win first place, angel, better sign me up."

Annabeth chose to ignore him and sat on the edge of her bed this time.

For some reason Percy went from calling her sweetheart to angel. Soon, she bet, he was going to call her cauliflower.

Her phone went ringing off the hook. She whirled around, trying and failing to locate where the phone was buzzing until Percy found it in the sheets he was tangled in. She snatched it from him and he gave her another one of his arrogant smirks that made Annabeth want to pull her own hair out first time she met him.

"Leo?"

"How's my girl?"

"Leo, why are you calling? You said you were going to spend all afternoon in the shop with your dad, repairing that truck someone brought in."

"I'm taking a break," Leo said. The sound of metal clanging against metal on the other end skittered through the line and Annabeth backed away from the phone momentarily before putting it back to her ear. Leo continued, "Hit me with the plan."

"What plan?"

"The plan of what you're going to do when Luke comes around? It's five-fifteen, Annie. He's going to be there within the next fifteen minutes and we both know Luke has a reputation to be on time."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "I completely forgot Luke was coming."

Leo laughed in surprise. "You forgot? Oh, god, this is gonna be hell for you. Just say you lost the board or something. He'll be annoyed for the first two minutes then he'll forget all about it."

Annabeth said her byes to Leo in a hurry before jumping onto her laptop and slamming her printer to get it started. While her report was coming out, she shrugged off the hoodie she wore and hoped her tank top would suffice. She played with the straps of her tank top, wondering if she should change into something a little nicer.

Percy made a crude joke about stripping in the corner and she threw a book at his head.

Stapling her report, Annabeth checked the clock again. Eight minutes left. "Percy, get back in your lamp."

"What's going on?"

Percy reached for a pile of Hershey's kisses on her bedside table and Annabeth dove over her head to slap it out of his hand. She grabbed the bowl from near him and scooted off the bed on the opposite side he was on. He scowled and snapped his fingers and the bowl of chocolates went flying out of her hands. A couple Hershey's kisses floated out of the bowl and wiggled around in the air as if they were mocking her. Annabeth glared at Percy who was fist bumping another kiss in the air before its wrapping fell off and the chocolate fell in his open mouth.

"Can you make something appear?" Annabeth asked. She crawled back up the bed and watched him eat another chocolate from where he lay on the ground. "I've seen you do it before with the mirror."

"That's easy stuff."

"Without a wish?"

"Wishes make things permanent. I can conjure up anything without a wish and it can last anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours before disappearing."

Relief flood through Annabeth. "I need your help." Seeing his expression, she added, "I'll buy you all the chocolate you want."

"Angel, I can give myself all the chocolate I want with a snap of my fingers."

"Please, Percy. I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

Annabeth glanced at the clock again. Four minutes left. Luke's image popped into her head and suddenly she was drowning again. "Anything. I just need you to conjure up a board of the American Civil War." She described it to him loosely and hoped he understood.

Percy mulled it over. "Fine. Where do you need this board?"

Annabeth grabbed Percy's lamp and he stood up gingerly. "Downstairs." Grabbing his shoulder with one hand, tucking the lamp under her arm, and the stapled report with the other, Annabeth darted out her room with Percy at her heels. He protested as she made her way down the stairs loudly. He wasn't wearing shoes, Annabeth realised. Percy's toes skimmed the wooden stairs but he was floating down instead of walking.

The door bell rang and Annabeth squeaked. She tripped down the bottom stairs and regained her balance before darting towards her dining table. "Board on the table! And get back in your lamp. He can't see you."

Percy stuck his tongue out at her childishly. Annabeth prayed the board would be on the table when she returned and ran to unlock the front door.

"Hey," Luke said. He was wearing his football jersey from school along with a pair of basketball shorts. His blond hair stuck upwards and a trail of sweat glistened on his neck. "I'm sorry, I'm a mess. I was at football practice."

"You're not," Annabeth reassured him. "Come in."

She could barely control her heart leaping as she led Luke down the hallway. To her relief, a board sat on the table with Percy nowhere to be seen. His blue lamp, however, sat next to the board.

"Oh, this is great," Luke said. "You don't know what a relief it is to get some help on this stupid project."

"It's not a problem!" She passed over the stapled report and Luke sent a grateful smile. "I… um… like helping people."

Luke laughed.

Percy's lamp jumped.

Annabeth clenched her teeth, staring the lamp down. Luke was reading through her typed report, biting his lip as he muttered the words she wrote.

"This is great," Luke repeated. "I can see why it got such a high grade."

Percy's lamp jumped again. This time, it made a strange buzzing sound and a spark escaped from its spout. The spark burst like a firework.

"Your genie?"

Annabeth chuckled nervously. She grabbed Percy's lamp to keep it from hopping. "He… likes to play practical jokes. We're quite close so he finds it funny to annoy me."

"That's a sweet friendship. I never had a good relationship with my genie. I barely talk to her except for when I want to make wishes."

"Oh. Have you made any wishes yet?"

"Three."

Annabeth resisted the urge to smirk. Leo was going to eat his words: He thought Luke was one of those people who had already made all their wishes to leave their genie to die. "I've only made one so far."

Luke tucked his phone back in his pocket. "Thanks for the photos and the report. I should be going now. Thalia's waiting for me for dinner."

Annabeth's heart plummeted. "Are you guys dating?"

"It's complicated," Luke shrugged. "I'm not saying no but I'm not saying yes either."

Percy's lamp went insane. It dragged itself across the table towards where Luke was standing, hopping all over the civil war board. To Annabeth's horror, the board itself started flickering and then it was gone.

"My genie," Annabeth told Luke who was staring at the empty dining table stoically. "He's quite mischievous with his pranks. I guess sometimes he takes it a bit too far. I better go see what's up with him. Give me a minute?"

Annabeth didn't wait for Luke's answer. She caught Percy's lamp mid-jump and stormed off into kitchen. She rubbed his lamp vigorously and Percy flung out of the spout.

"What the hell, Percy? The one time something in my life is going right and you mess it up?"

Percy gawked at her, open-mouthed and stuttering.

"Great," Annabeth hissed. "Now I'm going back out there to say bye to Luke and you're going to stay right here."

"Annabeth," Percy cried out. He grabbed her leg. "Annabeth, wait!"

"Let me go, idiot!" It barely registered that it was the first time she heard Percy say her name.

"You don't understand," Percy said. He rose to his knees and grabbed Annabeth's hand to keep her from leaving. Annabeth stared at Percy whose entire face had gone red. He was near tears and his breaths were coming out sporadic. He clung to her as if she were the last living thing on the planet and his only hope for survival. This wasn't the Percy who Annabeth met a day ago. She quit struggling. Was he having a panic attack?

"Annabeth. I… knew him growing up. Luke Castellan. That voice, I'm never going to forget that voice. Some things he said to you out there he's told me himself. He has blond hair. Blue eyes. I got a peek of him. It's definitely the Luke from my childhood."

Annabeth numbly knelt down to Percy's level. She never told Percy who was coming over. His entire body swayed dangerously to the side and his grip on her arm tightened. She wrapped her own hands around his trembling one. Her voice came out soft as she rubbed the side of his hand with her thumb. "Hey. It's okay. Deep breaths. What about Luke scares you?"

"It's not fear. It's… disbelief. I may not remember much about where I come from but I remember enough. Luke isn't human. He's a genie."

I'll be honest, I was not expecting so many ppl to follow this story! It was a nice surprise haha. Now the mystery part of this story really kicks off and I promise the romance is coming soon! So far, my plans for this story haven't got anything to do with Thaluke but if you guys want to see that, let me know and I'll try to put it in. Percabeth promised but idk for sure about other couples yet.

Also, just an important note. Some people were marking the story as a fav (i love you) but not following it. As far as I'm aware, you'll only get alerts of a new chapter if you follow it so don't forget to hit both fav and follow.

I'm gonna be following a weekly update schedule now! I'll be updating every Friday (starting next week)!

Review, Fav, and Follow!