College will be the death of me. For the past several weeks girls had been making themselves known to me. It was quite annoying especially since I had Annabeth.


"Hi," a pretty blonde (not as pretty as Annabeth) said to me pne day. "You're that swimmer, right?"

I only nodded and kept walking. Unfortunately, she caught up.

"I'm going to this party tonight," she said. "Would you like to come with me?" She batted her dark brown eyes at me and I shook my head.

"Can't. Plans," I shrugged and that was that.

She walked away scoffing.


A few days later, a brunette showed up at my dorm.

"Can I help you?" I asked, thinking she was there for my roomate, Micheal. He always had some girl over.

"Hi," she smiled. "I heard you were excellent at essays, and I was wondering if yuo could help me?"

I only laughed and said, "You've got the wrong guy. I can't do any of it. Half the time I don't even turn it in on the deadline." I tired to close the door, but she blocked it.

"No," she said firmly. "I believe I have the right guy."

This only confused me more. I could hear Anna say, 'You're such a seaweed brain,' when it finally clicked.

"Sorry, I have a girlfriend." I wasn't sorry. I had the best girl in the entire world.

"Oh," she said and walked away.

I sighed and shut the door.


After that incident, for some reason, girls seemed to want me more. They were practically throwing themselves at me. They were all over me until I started gushing about Annabeth then they shut up quick.

The phrase, 'I have a girlfriend,' became my motto any time a girl flirtted with me. Sometimes I'd even use the excuse to get out of certain things.

Movies? I have a girlfriend.

Dinner? I have a girlfriend.

Hang? I have a girlfriend.

Even with my friends.


A few months after this phrase became a habit, Annabeth stopped answering.

I called and texted her all night, but no such luck. Because of this, I was enraged that afternoon.

Micheal and I were walking to class when I heard, "Sorry, he has a girlfriend."

I turned around to see who it was and to my surprise, it was her.

"Percy!" She screamed when she saw my face and ran into my arms.

"Annabeth!" I cried into her hair. "Oh gods, I thought something had happened. Don't scare me like that, okay?"

She nodded and I held her for a few more seconds before putting her down.

"You were saying?" She asked Micheal.

He stood there, dumbfounded, and said, "Sorry, didn't know."

She nodded and kissed me. It was a soft kiss, but I could tell there would be more later. I slipped my hand into hers and brought her to class with me.


A few months later, Annabeth had enrolled at the college I attended and we were happily living together off campus.

I was never bothered by those girls again because most all of them had met Annabeth by now, one way or another, and she had made it clear who she was.

Life was good and with Annabeth by my side, I knew college wouldn't be the death of me any more.