Hey guys! I'm unbelievably sorry for not updating for so long – so many things have been happening in my life that I've been trying to deal with it all and keep up with writing. This chapter I cut a little short but, now that finals are almost over I can finally get back to that!

Also, no matter how long it takes me to update, I'm not going to abandon this story! I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my own writing, and I don't like updating with something I don't think is good. Also I do have a life outside of writing, and balancing the two can be difficult sometimes. So please hang in there with me! With summer coming it should be a lot easier to update regularly. But thank you to those of you that have been supporting me this entire time – I love you guys!

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R&R!

Chapter 6

After a good 10 minutes of negotiations, we agreed that I would tutor Percy every Wednesday night for two hours, starting that night. After a quick phone call to my dad explaining where I would be and for how long, Percy all but dragged me out of the library.

"I'm starving," he groaned as I turned the key in the lock. The rain was still sheeting down, and lightning split the sky above us in a flash of brilliance. I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

Percy, about to step out into the rain, stopped as he saw my hesitant expression. "What's wrong, Wise Girl?"

I fingered the hem of my white shirt hesitantly. "Um, well –"

A slow smirk spread across Percy's face as realization dawned upon him. He appraised me, that infuriatingly sexy smirk playing across his lips while his eyes turned briefly more emerald than sea green. I felt extremely self – conscious under his heated gaze, clearing my throat as his gaze finally settling back on my eyes. "Well that certainly wasn't the right shirt to wear today," he said with a smile – that look in his eyes all but gone. Thalia's words echoed in my head: "I know my cousin, Annie. He's falling for you." I decided that the best thing for me to do to prevent myself from melting into a puddle at his feet was to dismiss the look as a typical teenage boy reaction – even though I knew that Percy never, ever looked at a girl that way – unless it was his girlfriend.

"No kidding," I managed to choke out, and he laughed, his eyes lighting up with happiness. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand, sending a jolt running through me. I gasped as he tugged me out into the rain and my hair, up in a ponytail, was immediately soaked. I sprinted through the rain, Percy still tugging on my hand as we finally reached his car. I stood, shivering, while Percy fumbled with his keys, awkwardly turning them so that they fit in the door. The lock clicked, and Percy swung it open with a force I was almost sure would rip the door off its hinges. Moments later, my door unlocked and I jumped in, closing the door in a hurry as Percy did the same. He buckled his seatbelt at lightning speed, turning the ignition and zooming out into the parking lot. Pushing my own seatbelt into place, I gripped the handle as Percy barely checked the road before turning onto it, the windshield wipers flicking back and forth across the plexiglass windshield at top speed as rain continued to drum on the roof of the car. Outside, I could see the sidewalks already filling up with water as we zoomed by. I glanced at the speedometer. "Percy, slow down! You're going to get us killed!"

Percy smiled a bit sheepishly, easing his foot off of the accelerator. "Sorry Wise Girl," he said, eyes focused on the road. "I'm just in a hurry to get out of this rain."

"Well can you do it without killing two innocent young teenagers?" I gasped, face ashen and eyes wide. Percy just smirked again and rolled his eyes. "Whatever Annie," he teased.

"Don't call me that!"

We pulled up to Percy's apartment complex after what seemed like ages, although it was probably only 10 minutes. I glanced down at my shirt and groaned – my entire back was soaked, along with my hair. The front of my shirt was only slightly damp, which I was immensely grateful for - I wouldn't be flashing anyone anytime soon.

The rain was still coming down as Percy ushered me into the apartment building, closing the door as a loud rumble of thunder sounded above us. I jumped reflexively, goose bumps appearing on my skin. Percy smiled slightly and took my hand, leading me towards the staircase, chattering about something. There it was again: that now familiar jolt that seemed to run through me whenever Percy and I came into contact. I blushed slightly as we ascended the stairs, trying to listen to whatever Percy was saying but failing miserably. I was nervous about meeting Percy's family. What if his parents didn't like me?

When we reached what I assumed to be Percy's apartment, Percy fished around in his pocket, the slight smile on his face turning into a grimace. He turned to me, smiling sheepishly. "Well, it appears that I forgot my keys," he mumbled, a faint blush spreading over his cheeks. I just laughed at him. "Typical Seaweed Brain."

He lifted up a portion of the carpet by his door to expose a gleaming silver key, quickly unlocking the door before replacing it under the carpet. "You don't have to be such a know – it – all, Annie," he chastised, opening the door for me.

I just smiled slightly at him, mumbling a thank you before stepping through the threshold of the apartment. The smell of fresh – cooked spaghetti and marinara sauce instantly assaulted me from where I stood, making my mouth water. Percy chuckled as he pulled the door closed behind him, ushering me further into the apartment. "I'm home, Mom!" he called, running a hand through his wet hair.

"Yes I know Percy, I can hear you!" a woman's voice called back, full of warmth. A second later the speaker emerged from a room to our left – her blue eyes, much like Tyson's, glittering with happiness, and her brown hair pulled back in a loose chignon. She eyed me with a thoughtful smile. "Who's this?" she asked Percy, smiling reassuringly at me. I was instantly soothed by her presence, her warm gaze and bright smile. Any worries I had about meeting her vanished, and feeling emboldened, stepped forwards and held out my hand. "Hi, I'm Annabeth – it's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Blofis," I said with a shy smile, remembering that Percy's mother had been remarried. Mrs. Blofis grasped my hand in hers, shaking it firmly. "It's lovely to meet you, Annabeth – but please, call me Sally."

I nodded dutifully, making a mental note in the back of my head to do just that as Sally turned to Percy, a sly smile stretching across her face. "So, is this your new girlfriend?"

I was gratified to see that Percy's cheeks turned a bright red, although mine did the same. "No, she's just a friend – and my tutor."

Sally raised an eyebrow. "Tutor, huh? Are you aware that Percy has dyslexia?"

I nodded. "I have dyslexia too."

Seeing the slight skepticism on his mother's face, Percy hurriedly explained. "Annabeth is the top student in our class – she's in all AP classes with a perfect ACT score."

"And SAT score," I added, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

Sally looked impressed. "That's amazing, Annabeth," she said with a proud smile. "I know how hard it is for Percy sometimes with his dyslexia, but for you to do all of that with yours – " she shook her head. "That must've taken a lot of hard work."

I nodded. "It did – I spent countless hours with a special tutor when I was younger, and spent most of my time in my room reading to practice. It paid off, in the end."

Sally smiled. "Clearly – and I'm so glad that you've agreed to help Percy, Annabeth."

I just blushed again while Percy nodded emphatically, his eyes lighting up as he glanced at me, a smile on his face. Sally caught the look and smiled, before she took in my sopping hair and clothes. "Oh dear, you're soaked," she stated sympathetically, leaving the room and returning with a fluffy blue towel which I gratefully wrapped around myself. Sally looked me up and down, sighing. "I'm not going to leave you in those wet clothes," she said decisively. "Unfortunately you're taller than me – I doubt any of my clothes would fit you."

"She can borrow some of mine," Percy offered. "Though I suspect they will be a bit big on her."

Sally just shrugged. "It's better than catching a cold – or being cold," she said. "I'll just put your clothes in the dryer, Annabeth – you can have them back when you leave."

I nodded in thanks, blushing at the idea of wearing Percy's clothes. Still wrapped in my towel, I followed him up the stairs to his room, where he pushed open his door and ushered me inside.

The room was small and dimly lit, with a twin bed tucked into a corner and covered with blue sheets. A desk sat in front of a window that looked out onto the street below us, and the rain ran in rivulets down the glass. A small closet sat opposite the bed, and a nightstand with an alarm clock and lamp sat beside the bed. The walls were covered with pictures and posters, and I caught sight of a picture of Percy, Sally, and Tyson standing on a beach, wide smiles on their faces. Percy caught me eyeing the room and fidgeted self – consciously, opening the closet door and fishing out a t – shirt and some flannel pajama pants. "Here," he thrust the clothes at me with a small smile. "There's a bathroom down the hall."

In the bathroom, I stripped off my wet shirt and shorts and donned the shirt and pants. The shirt was a bit too long and hung off my slender frame, giving my torso a box – like appearance. The pants had to be rolled up several times. Toweling off my hair, I emerged from the bathroom to find Percy waiting for me. He took one look at me and burst into laughter. I frowned at him. "What?" I asked testily.

He just shook his head. "Those fit you very nicely," he managed over muffled guffaws. I wacked him on the shoulder. "You're 6 feet tall, I'm barely 5'9. What did you expect?"

Percy grinned sheepishly. "Certainly not this!"