Hey everyone! Back with a new chapter which I apologise took way way way longer than 2 weeks oops. But hope you enjoy this! And hope all of you who read my stories are doing well!

Jonathan Priest: My bad I forgot to reply your review from chapter 7 but thanks so much for the support. I really appreciate it and I'm super happy to hear you've been enjoying what I write. Hope chapter 8 was a good read and I'd love to have your opinion on it!

'12 things I learned in the 12 months after my breakup.'

This is going to be a sad journal entry, she thinks, but getting it over and done with will only do her good and help her to move on from how shitty the past year has been, and so she pushes on with her journaling.

'1. If someone really loved you, they would have seen it through.' That's true, because if Luke had loved her, he wouldn't have left simply because his college was too far away and long-distance relationships were statistically said to not work out.

'2. You're better off without them, I'm sorry but it's true.' Another truth, because she had found herself feeling so much more carefree after the break-up and realised that there were so many things she had been unable to enjoy, like the alone time in a coffee shop reading a book, or spending time strolling through Central Park and simply enjoying the atmosphere and her music.

'3. Buy yourself the flowers, oh, and the coffees too.' Luke never bought her flowers, saying that they were expensive and a waste of money because they would die within weeks. He didn't bother remembering her coffee order either, instead choosing to merely accompany her to Starbucks when she asked him to.

'4. Yeah a relationship would be great, but the only person you really need is you.' Despite Luke taunting her when they broke up about how she would not survive without him in her life, she had actually managed alright, finding ways to budget and spend money wisely, giving herself enough time for everything in her life by planning out her days and weeks. She learnt to enjoy the time she had by herself, spending time improving herself and following up on her hobbies

'5. You thought you wouldn't make it, but here you are surviving.' There were some months in which Luke's insults lived in her head rent free and she wanted nothing more than to give up on everything, but eventually she learnt to focus on the better and brighter things in her life, like her friends Piper and Hazel, or the really kind barista who has memorised her Starbucks order and makes her the best coffee every day before school, which help to lighten her mood and make her feel happier.

'6. You graduated from Yale this month, so I'd say you're even thriving!' And yes despite all the hardships and setbacks she has faced during her time in college, she managed to graduate with no less than a 4.0 GPA and as valedictorian, making her family immensely proud. The nasty comments and jealousy from her peers didn't faze her, much like how the biases against her from teachers had been unable to bring her down. All their efforts did was to make her work that much harder and make her that much better at her work.

'7. You started going on dates again, but your heart is still fearful.' Even after everything, what Luke did to her had left scars she could not remove. Try as she might, she couldn't move on from everything he said and sometimes she wondered if he was right. The men she met were often caring and respectful and sweet, but she couldn't help but wonder if they would, like Luke, one day do a 180 and turn angsty and ungrateful.

'8. So you leave it as just friends and guard your love to be careful.' Because of her past, she doesn't dare to fully devote herself to someone, and avoids baring her soul to the person sitting opposite her at the table. The fear that the person would one day exploit and leave her still lingers, and so she builds up the walls around her heart, controlling and managing the things she allows others to see. She refuses to expose herself around anyone except her closest friends, instead choosing to put on a mask and a facade everyday to hide her vulnerability.

'9. You've got some serious trust issues, but your heart stays open.' Even if she's failed to find The One who can break down her walls and make her fall head over heels in love again, she's gained a number of new friends through the dates she's been on. Although she can't find it in herself to fully trust someone with all her thoughts and emotions, she's found herself some people she enjoys hanging out with occasionally and just enjoying life with them. So she keeps not just her heart, but also her mind open, to finding the one person whom she can finally place her trust in, the one person who will help her push aside her trust issues and learn to believe in people again.

'10. Because your hopeless romantic self decides to stay unbroken.' Sue her, but the countless rom-coms Piper has forced her to watch and the multitude of romance stories she has read make her want to believe that the love she seeks will one day present itself to her. People may think it is hopeless and naive, but she believes in right time right place, and that leads her to keep her eyes peeled wherever she goes for that one guy who just might change her life. Hazel sometimes comments that she's being ridiculous and overly hopeful, but supports her venture nonetheless.

'11. You meet someone new, it took a while but it's true.' And one day when stormy grey eyes meet bright green ones, when a tight-lipped smile meets a warm lopsided grin, Annabeth thinks that Percy Jackson just might be the one to break down her walls. It's been a hot minute, but she can already feel him infiltrating and tearing down her walls. Try as she might to keep her guard up, it's tough fighting to wipe the smile from her face and act disinterested, when everything he says and does makes her burst out in laughter and makes her feel the cringey butterflies in her stomach. Seeing him never fails to make her heart skip a beat and maybe, just maybe, waiting for him was totally worth it.

"12. After years of trying and trying you finally fell in love…" As she glances over her shoulder to see the guy who finished her sentence, the one person who has managed to worm his way into her heart and squeeze his way past her walls to unlock her heart, her face lights up in a smile which he reciprocates, and she can only whisper two words to finish the entry and reply him.

"With you."