"Okay! Whatever's going on here, I want no part in it!" Thalia huffed. "I can't deal with all this lovey dovey stuff…" Thalia muttered walking off.

Me and Percy turned and looked at each other, bursting out laughing at Thalia's antics. "Come on Beth, let's get to homeroom." Percy motioned for me to go ahead of him, like a gentleman. I started thinking about what Thalia said, are me and Percy being lovey dovey? Well I'd have plenty of time in homeroom to think about it. Would I mind if we were? I don't know, it feels like when I'm around Percy, all my problems seem to dissipate.

Let's see how the rest of the day goes, shall we?

Chapter 3

New Friends and Old Enemies

Annabeth POV

A light stinging radiated through my cheeks, the product of a small friction burn caused by a rubber band being shot towards me. I don't think that Connor had meant to shoot the band at my face, judging by his frightened reaction to my death stare. Nevertheless, I stayed my gaze, looking down at my lap and seeing the rubber band sitting there, placed by God, or more likely the Devil, for the sole use of revenge.

I looped the rubber band round my fingers, making sure it was tightly balanced, ready to enact revenge upon its previous owner. Taking aim towards the shorter Stoll, I readied my weapon and… PING.

The shot landed exactly where I had aimed it, flying towards the side of Connor's head and scraping the top of his ear, turning it read with pain. "OWWW!" He yelled, clutching his reddening ear. "Jesus Christ Annabeth! Never aim for the ear in a rubber band fight! It's an unwritten rule! God…" Connor mewled.

"I think you may have taken that one a bit too seriously Annabeth" Travis chimed in, caring more for the croissant he was munching than his brother, "Though I must say it was a cracking shot" He grinned, winking towards me before returning to his food.

"Bro! you're meant to back me up! Not side with the enemy!" Connor protested. "Bro, let this be a lesson to not start wars with Annabeth." Travis replied, "She will win, and you will lose, and it will hurt" Travis finished, again returning to his croissant, Connor conceding the point slumped, his head resting on the desk. I gave a satisfied hum when I was certain the war was won and returned to the boring reality of homeroom.

The class was almost full when we entered. If you are wondering who "we" is, I wasn't lucky enough to get put with Thalia, or Percy for that matter, in Homeroom. No, I got paired with the damn Stoll brothers. I'd have to go a whole year without Thalia to talk to in homeroom as well as having to avoid the Stoll's pranks. Though I wasn't the only one spited with not being with who I wanted to be. Sat next to me was a very gloomy Piper McLean, obviously disheartened with the fact she'd not being seeing Jason in the mornings.

Piper picked her head up off the desk and gave me a small smile, "Well at least you're here." Piper sighed, "and I won't be stuck alone with the Stoll's all year…" reducing her voice to a murmur before resting her head back on the desk. I felt pity for her, being separated from most of her close friends, and primarily her boyfriend. We were all sitting round bored out of our minds, playing on phones, reading, chatting, anything to create some form of entertainment. Normally in homeroom I would be doing some sort of studying, trying to wrap my mind around some form of algebra or be dissecting the works of Shakespeare but this morning my mind was distracted.

First day back at school and I already feel like I need a break, a holiday, some time to figure out the thoughts inside my head. The whole homeroom situation was more annoying than I let on, the only friend I really have is Thalia and I am definitely horrific when it comes to making new friends, so much so I have completely given up on the idea. Also, I was gnawing at my nails anticipating my first meeting with Rachel Elizabeth Dare, since it was almost a certainty that she had seen me arrive in Blackjack with Percy, fabulous. And speaking of Percy, I couldn't get him out of my head. He's just so…

"Annabeth!" Piper yelled, waving her hand in front of my face. I jerked my head back in reaction, zoning back in and forgetting any thoughts about a certain green-eyed, raven-haired boy.

"Yes Piper?" I asked, giving no indication in my voice that anything was awry.

"We're about to head to the auditorium and we didn't want to leave you here completely zoned out. I've been trying to get your attention for like, 5 minutes… Connor shot three rubber-bands at your face and you didn't flinch at all." Piper explained, much to my embarrassment.

"Ohhh, well… Thank you..." I whispered quietly, dying on the inside. "Let me just get my things…" I hurried, leaning down and grabbing my backpack before briskly following Piper and the others to the auditorium.

-[Line break]-

"What were you daydreaming about?" Piper inquired, trying to make conversation as we slowly slogged our way to the auditorium. Her voice sounded hollow, as if her heart wasn't really in the question, but I could tell that she'd rather make half-hearted conversation with me than walk in silence.

"I was thinking of how unbearably long this year is going to be" I sighed, slouching as I walked, our whole demeaner was self-pity at the moment, grovelling in the fact neither of us were with who we truly wanted to be. We looked like two children whose parents had told them they couldn't have ice cream before bed.

"Yeah…" Piper exhaled, "especially with the frickin' Stoll's in our Homeroom" she continued, running her hands through her hair. "I mean, what kind of cruel act of God would separate me from everyone else!" she finished, slouching her shoulders again.

I hummed in agreement, noting the fact she hadn't said "us", reminding me that I'm not part of the group, I'm not part of the gang, I'm just a nobody that was lucky enough to be introduced by Percy Jackson, and then placed in the same homeroom as Piper McLean. It was all just luck, it's not like any of them wanted me to be there. These thoughts effectively ended my conversation with Piper, as I fell behind, walking slower until I was left alone, walking solo at the back.

I was content walking on my own, hell I'd got used to it over the past couple of years of not really having any friends other than Thalia, and even then, I rarely saw her because she was with the rest of the gang. So needless to say, a solitary environment was one I was used to.

Plugging in my earphones, I continued walking to the auditorium, now with the sweet sound of the Arctic Monkeys blaring into my head. I was nodding my head back and forth to the tune of "Baby I'm Yours", letting my body start to channel the ebb and flow of the song. Assuming that no one was around I began to sing, echoing the voice of Alex Turner.

"Baby, I'm yours…" I began, "And I'll be yours until the stars fall from the sky…" I continued, now singing louder than I should probably be, considering where I was.

"Yours, until the rivers all run dry…" I mirrored, exactly copying the pitch shifts of the singer in my ears. Now, swinging myself round one of the support pillars in the hallway, like a scene from "singing in the rain", I was completely and utterly transfixed on the song. Until someone decided to turn it into a duet.

"In other words, until I die… Baby I'm yours" A masculine, yet soothing and ranged voice completed the verse, shaking me out of my own personal music video.

"Jesus Christ Percy! You scared me!" I lightly yelled, now watching him emerge from the small side room he'd been hiding in.

"I didn't know you could sing so well Chase" Percy stated, a tone of surprise and admiration present in his voice. He moved along the corridor until he was standing next to me, leaning up against the wall.

"Yeah… well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me." I sighed. "Shit" I cursed remembering where we were meant to be, before I got caught in my musical parade. "We're gonna be late to the Auditorium, come on…" I said with haste, as I began to briskly walk in the direction of the auditorium.

I took a few steps before realising that Percy wasn't following, he was still leaning up against the wall, his head bowed, looking at his feet. I couldn't see his face but I could feel the emotions radiating off of him. I timidly walked back over to him, stopping directly in front of him. Looking directly into his face, he raised his head and his eyes met mine. He gave me a light smile, dropping whatever dark façade had fallen on him, I must remember to ask him what was wrong later, but in the meantime, I grabbed his hand and we ran for the auditorium.

-[line Break]-

After a minute of jogging and sprinting, me and Percy managed to catch up to the back of the queue entering the auditorium. "What do you reckon this is for anyway?" I asked panting, trying to catch my breath.

"I don't know" Percy replied, "Probably something dumb that could've taken about 5 minutes of Homeroom, yet because it's school they have to make it all unnecessarily long" he ranted, taking me by surprise with the amount of venom in his statement. Maybe this had something to do with his little falter a minute ago.

"Woah, where'd that come from?" I questioned.

"Annabeth, look…" he turned to look at me, his sea green eyes like lasers burning into my skull. "I know we have the rest of our lives to live, but right now… do you not feel like this is pointless, that we could be doing so much more?" He finished, looking into my eyes for approval, but there was none. My stormy grey eyes signified to him that I didn't know where he was coming from. My main problem with school was that I was always too advanced for my classes, I could easily do everything the teachers asked of me, so it just made the whole experience a drag. Yet, it was a drag that I was willing to sit through, I understand that I need my grades if I want to be a successful architect one-day, so I plough on.

My lack of an answer WAS my answer, and by the look on Percy's face, it wasn't the answer he was hoping for. He turned, looking away from me, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Whatever Chase, I'm sure those math and English classes will keep you entertained." He quipped before going to sit with the rest of his group in the auditorium, dejectedly walking away from me, not bothering to meet my eyes. I saw Piper and Jason look over at me and smile, waving for me to sit with them. But sitting next to Percy after he just blew me off like that? And what if Rachel saw me sitting with them!? No, I gave Piper and Jason a sheepish smile and a small wave before going to sit at the back of the auditorium, on my own.

The assembly flew by with me paying attention to everything that was being said or announced, especially listening for a few things. The introduction speeches for all the students were long and monotonous, but I listened. The usual "hope everyone has a great time at Goode!" and "you respect us and we'll respect you!", I was sat there reciting the assembly along with the headmaster having remembered the speech from my first year at Goode, God that's sad isn't it? Boring, Pitiful Annabeth actually pays attention to what the teachers say?! Yes, I do. For as much of an unshared opinion as it may be, I believe that School is extremely important In perspective, school doesn't last very long at all, and it prepares you, or at least provides basic knowledge for most things that will happen in life. So yes, I do listen, I do pay attention, and I do strive to do well. Unlike some people…

-[End of Chapter]-

(Authors note edit):

Originally this is where I abandoned the story - but since I've now come back to it, I thought I'd edit it out as I didn't want to confuse anyone hahaha, so please proceed in an orderly fashion into Chapter 4!

S.B