"Put your cap back on," He said. "Get out!"

"What?" I shrieked "No! I'm not leaving you."

"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider- maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

"But you'll be killed!"

"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice." (Pg. 203, The Battle of the Labyrinth, Rick Riordan)

I glared at him, thinking about punching him. And then I did something that surprised both of us. I kissed him. "Be careful, Seaweed Brain." I put on my hat and vanished.

I did as Percy said. I followed the spider. All I could think about was that kiss. I did it because he was going to die, right? Not because I have feelings for the son of Poseidon. I am the daughter of Athena. We are supposed to hate each other, but over the past few years, we have become friends. After Percy has saved my life and I have saved his life, we have become friends. I start to realize that maybe I do care about Percy differently. I do have romantic feelings for the son of the Sea God.

"You better survive this, Seaweed Brain," I murmur as I continue chasing after the spider to keep up. The floors begin to shake and I run after the spider. The clicking noise is hard to hear over the shaking of the floors and ceiling, which starts to make rocks and dirt fall. I am worried about Percy. This cannot be good. I am shaking and it's not because I am scared for my own life, it's because I am scared for his. I start to turn back for him when I realize that if I do and I am killed and Percy survives this he will never forgive himself. Against my better judgment, I follow the spider. I am far enough away now that the floors aren't shaking. They still vibrate but I believe I am safe. Then that is when a big expulsion hits me. It shakes my chest and knocks me off my feet. I pick myself up and continue my mission, scared that he has just died.

I am not sure when I realized that Percy had died, but when he didn't make it back to camp the first day I had hope. I had hoped after a week, but sometime after that first week, I lost that hope. I cried at night when my cabin was asleep. I kissed the boy I had a crush on and now he is gone. Luke left me alone and now so has Percy. Today we will burn his shroud. I am supposed to speak about him. What do you say about someone you lost? I can tell them how brave he was but that doesn't explain who Percy was to me. I have to be strong for the camp because they look up to us…. me.

"It's just you now Annabeth. Time to be strong." I say this trying to be strong but the tears start pouring down my face as my heart breaks over losing the boy I cared for more than friends.

I start my speech about Percy. I look like crap and my eyes are puffy from crying, but I do this in honor of the boy who was my closest friend. I am in the amphitheater and lit his shroud as I continue with my speech. "He was probably the bravest friend I ever had. He…." I look up and my heart drops when I meet his face. Percy is here. "He's right there!" Everyone turns to look, some gasp. Many circles around him. I am unable to hear anyone's voice over the ringing of my ears. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" I wanted to punch him for doing this to me, but like before in Mount St. Helens, I did something that surprises both of us. I hug him. Everyone falls silent, even the mad campers that I shoved out of my way to get to him. I am making a scene in front of everyone. "I- we thought you were dead, Seaweed Brain!"

"I'm sorry, I got lost."

"LOST?" I yell. "Two weeks, Percy? Where in the world-" (Pg. 227, The Battle of the Labyrinth, Rick Riordan)

Chiron interrupted me saying we should talk about this somewhere more private. We went to the Big House. I am glad that he did. Percy told us he was on an island. I knew that it wasn't any ordinary island. He was on Calypso's island and if Hephaestus didn't come to him he probably would have stayed on there with her. The boy I kissed did not want me. He wanted a Titaness. To add salt to the wound he wanted to use the mortal girl he flirted with before around me. Mad I stormed out. I was mad that he wanted to use the mortal, but even more that it took him two weeks to decide to come back from Calypso's island. He took too long to decide to come back to me and I was supposed to be his best friend. I was jealous about this and that made me even angrier. I left Percy in the Big House walking away from him to clear my thoughts, but the only thing that kept repeating in my head: He doesn't want you. I cry again, able to feel my heartbreak again but this time for a whole other reason.