I wrote this chapter, hated it, and then redid it.

I'm feeling kinda crappy right now and I'm struggling with some things so bear with me this chapter, it's going to be angsty ride. If Percy seems a bit OOC in this chapter, it's because from Annabeth's point of view, he's not the person she thought he was – his actions WILL be explained as the story unfolds, so bear with me.

Read/review/enjoy! (hopefully)

Chapter 11

The door slammed behind Sally, the bang as it hit the doorframe echoing in the silence that suddenly fell between us. The air seemed thick, with an unseen tension that I felt would suffocate me, suffocate us, before a single word could be spoken.

After awkwardly standing in the living room glancing anywhere but at each other, Percy finally cleared his throat. "Annabeth, I think we should talk."

I blinked, focusing on the boy in front of me, trying to ignore the piercing blue of his eyes. "We have work to do," I said briskly, side-stepping him on the way to his room. Halfway to his door, I realized he wasn't following, and turned. "We don't have all night – and if you don't want to study then I have no reason to be here."

Percy scowled. "Well if you'd stop being a five – year old for two seconds so we could actually talk about what's wrong –"

That was the last straw. I stalked back to him, a fire burning in my chest, making my heart pound so loud I was sure Percy could hear it through my chest. "There's nothing to talk about," I said icily, and I could see Percy flinch at my tone. "You played me – like a flute, making me think –"

I choked, feeling the sting of tears. "No, Annabeth –" my inner voice practically shouted at me. "You are not going to cry in front of this boy – don't give him the satisfaction."

Percy stared at me, his face pale. "What – what are you talking about?" he rasped.

I laughed then, a bitter cackle. "You know exactly what I'm talking about – making me think there was something here, between us, leading me on, to what? Help you pass English this year? To have some 'fun' on the side? Just to entertain yourself? This may have all been some sort of sick, twisted joke to you, but my emotions are something to never be toyed with. You should never toy with anyone's emotions! What kind of person even does that? That's revolting, is what it is. And I'm not going to let you do that again."

I paused to catch my breath, feeling the fire inside me calm slightly, settling back into an unhappy roar. Percy was just staring at me, his mouth open, eyes wide, seemingly at a loss for words. We stood, an awkward silence stretching between us, before I shook my head.

"I think I should go," I murmured, quickly glancing around the small living room to make sure I hadn't left anything behind. I wanted to be sure I'd never have to come back to the place again, as there was no coming back from whatever had just passed between us. "I can give you the name of the tutoring service that helped me, because I don't think that it's a good idea for us to see each other in any context."

Percy seemed startled, as if I had shaken him out of a stupor with my words. "Wait, Annabeth – please, let me explain, or apologize at least."

I studied him, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, and he tracked the movement with his eyes, the green finally resting on my own grey. He looked earnest, pleading – sincere, and so I nodded. He took a deep breath, and began.

"Please believe me when I say that I didn't play you – honestly, that was never my intention. You may not know this, but in school you're always so – above, in a way, everyone else. Untouchable. And we've always run in different circles, had different friends…" he trailed off, running his hands absentmindedly through his hair, making it stand more on end than usual. He continued: "when I saved you, that day, of course I noticed how we seemed to click, how comfortable things were right from the start. And as we've spent more time together, I've noticed – some things. About you, or us." Percy blushed then, his cheeks going softly pink as he rushed on. "And then Calypso was asking me about us and I didn't know what to say and I said some stupid, stupid things, because –"

"Because you can't decide." I finished for him, and the guilty look on Percy's face seemed to deepen as he nodded sullenly. While a part of me wanted to feel excited, elated even, that Percy seemed to return my feelings, I was mainly just disappointed.

I looked at Percy then, and all I saw was someone who had let me down more than I even thought possible.

"Okay," I said, turning to go. I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind me as Percy stuttered. "Wait, no – I'm sorry. Annabeth, I'm so sorry."

"I accept your apology," I turned slightly to look Percy in the eye. "But that doesn't make what you did to me, or really even Calypso, alright. So I'm going to go, we're going to go our separate ways – if you can't decide, then I will decide for you."

It was then that Percy moved – faster than I could register, and kissed me.

It was pleading, scared, desperate for me to understand something, but what that was I didn't know, or care. All I knew what that the boy I had liked for years was suddenly kissing me in his living room.

And I was completely and utterly… repulsed.

I shoved him backwards, pushing him into the living room coffee table. Percy winced as his calves made contact with the table with a loud bump, as I stepped backwards, reaching for the door.

Percy's eyes widened as the full weight of what had just happened came crashing down on him. He reached for me then, his eyes pleading with me. "Annabeth – I can explain, please just let me explain!"

I shook my head, impatiently brushing blonde curls out of my face. "No, no – don't come near me, just leave me alone, find another tutor, find someone else to play with – I'm done."

And with that, I turned, wrenched the door open, and fled into the night.