Hey guys!

Surprise! A very early and fast update! I am so, so, SO happy to read all of your reviews (they were all so sweet and nice and amazing :D ) and see all of your follows and favorites. I couldn't stop smiling after seeing all of them! :)

Because of that, I really felt inspired to write another chapter, and while it normally takes me a bit to get things flowing, I pretty much cranked out the chapter in no time– it's a little bit of a filler, but with some important pieces in it. And don't worry! There will be some quality Percabeth time next chapter, which I am going to begin writing as soon as I post this and will hopefully have up by Saturday!

Also, to address the matter of side couples: this will mainly be a Percabeth story, as will most of the PJO things I write. However, I will definitely include some side romance in some of my other stories (if any of you have read 'RED' (which I will update soon – I just need to edit and tweak it) there are various mentions of Jasper. In the sequel (yes, there WILL be a sequel to this story after I finish it! Which won't be for a while, don't worry) I will include some other cute couply stuff for other couples. I'm not saying there won't be any in this, but this is more about Percabeth's development as a couple, so there won't be as much.

Anyways, please R&R, and enjoy! :)

Chapter 5

As much as Thalia's words made my insides feel like a melting Popsicle in the July heat, they also kind of disturbed me. I'd never really been the object of anyone's affection, aside from a couple of boys on the chess team who found every opportunity to stare at me while I was pondering ways to annihilate them on the field of battle. However, those were just minor crushes on their part, and so I had never really paid attention to them. In addition, I never returned those feelings – I'd been too wrapped up in schoolwork, and besides, my heart belonged to Percy. Always Percy.

And now, according to Thalia, my feelings might be reciprocated.

Thalia had balked at my discomfort. "How long have you been waiting for Percy to notice you, Annie? Come on, you've been head – over – heels for the guy since the eighth grade and I'll be damned if you just sit around and do nothing about it!"

"Percy has a girlfriend, Thals. I can't just waltz in and disrupt their relationship – that wouldn't be right. If Calypso and Percy do break up, I don't want to be the cause of it," I had retorted, my arms crossed defiantly over my chest. "I'm not going to be called the 'relationship wrecker' at my own expense."

Now, only the day after our argument, I was beginning to doubt my own words. Thalia had been right when she said that I'd been waiting for this for so long. Why couldn't I interfere?

Because you know it isn't right, a voice in my head told me. Because you know it would hurt too many people to do any good. Percy will come around – you'll see.

A clap of thunder directly overhead jerked me from my reverie. I jumped, dropping the book I was holding. It fell to the ground with a loud thump, and I sighed, grabbing it from the floor and placing it back on the countertop. Usually I didn't work two library shifts within the space of two days, but my co-worker Katie was home sick, and I'd volunteered to take over for her. Now, looking out at the darkened sky and pouring rain, I was beginning to doubt my decision.

The clock on the wall opposite the librarian's desk read 5:30 PM. All of the other librarians had already gone home, citing the bad weather as an excuse to get off early. I had stayed, partly out of some sense of duty and commitment, and partly because I was the only employee that didn't have a car. Everyone else working with me had their own, and no one wanted to drive home in the pouring rain. I lived within walking distance of the school and the library, so naturally neither my father nor my stepmother were particularly eager to get me my own car, much less let me drive one of theirs. I had my license, and I had passed my driving test with a perfect score, but neither one of my parents trusted me to drive.

"You don't need to senselessly put yourself at risk," my stepmother had told me with a sweet smile. "Driving is dangerous, you know."

I had only gritted my teeth and stayed silent. My stepmother and I got along about as well as Snow White and the Evil Queen – and she used every opportunity to make sure that I knew that I was the outcast in the family. My father hardly took notice – as a professor at a nearby college, he spent most of his time in his study, while I spent most of mine in my room. Needless to say – my stepmother got away with pretty much whatever she wanted.

The rain began fall in sheets, and I could hear the tap, tap, tap of the water hitting the window. I glanced down at the white button – down shirt I was wearing and groaned inwardly. Unless I wanted to show my bra off to the world, I would have to make a dash for my house. I had at least thought to wear tennis shoes – I wasn't really a flip – flops kind of girl – but they were brand new, and I didn't want to think about what the muddy puddles outside would do to them.

The door to the library opened, and to my surprise, Percy walked through them, his hair soaking wet and dripping onto his green t-shirt, his eyes sparkling. "Well, look who it is," he teased, and I rolled my eyes at him. "Library closes in 10 minutes, Seaweed Brain," I retorted, brushing a blonde curl behind my ear. He nodded, muttering a "I know", before scurrying off to a part of the library and vanishing from sight. The only other person in the library, a girl by the name of Lou Ellen, got up quietly and headed over to me, handing me a book that she wanted to check out. I glanced briefly at the cover. "Harry Potter, huh?" I said with a wry grin. She nodded. "This will be my 5th time rereading the series," she said with a smile. I scanned the book quickly and handed it back to her. "Happy reading!" I called to her retreating back, and she flashed me another smile before disappearing out the door.

I drummed my fingers anxiously on the desk, waiting for Percy to return whatever he was looking for. 5 minutes past with still no sign of him, and I slowly began turning off some of the lights and checking for the library keys. I returned to my desk and sighed. What was taking Percy so long?

Just then, the boy in question practically leaped out from behind the bookshelf and dashed towards me, a book clutched tightly in his hand. Running up to the front desk, Percy smiled sheepishly at me and held out the book. Glancing at the cover, I noticed that it was a book on dyslexia.

Percy caught my gaze and blushed slightly. "Um – uh," he stammered, but I waved my hand dismissively. "It's okay," I said with a small smile. "You may not know this, but I have dyslexia as well."

Percy all but gaped at me, his green eyes wide with surprise. "But – but you're the smartest girl, no, the smartest person in school!"

I shrugged. "It took me awhile, and a lot of special tutoring, but I finally learned how to work around it. To master it. Now I can read as well as anyone else – maybe even better than some people."

Percy whistled softly as I handed the book back to him. "That's very impressive," he said, then hesitated. "Do you think… well, what I mean to ask –" he blushed slightly, staring straight into my eyes.

"Would you teach me?" He finally blurted out, and I could tell that even he was surprised that he'd asked such a question. My heart sped up as he looked at me hopefully, his eyes shining in the dim lighting of the partially dark library. I felt my cheeks turn pink under his gaze. "Well, sure," I said, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. From the way Percy had been hesitant to ask – or even talk – about his dyslexia, I could see that he was a bit embarrassed by it – he thought that it made him not as smart at the other kids in our grade. However, I knew from personal experience that dyslexia wasn't something to be ashamed of – it was something unique – something that made us different, and that we just needed to be taught a little more carefully and closely to finally get it right.

Percy grinned, and I'm sure that if I hadn't been standing on the other side of a desk, that he would've thrown his arms around me and crushed me against him – not that I would've minded in the slightest. "Thanks Wise Girl," he said with a softer smile, his eyes trained on me with an expression that I couldn't quite identify. "That means so much to me."