AN: So lucky you guys (for those of you who actually like my story), I had begun writing the second chapter and it turned out to be way too long for what i like to read in one sitting. So, I've decided to take the first half and post it as some kind of prologue type thing. Enjoy.

Fuck, thought Annabeth after she had brought her coffee mug to her lips and finding only a dried brown ring at the bottom. She stepped off the bar-stool and walked around her kitchen island to the sink. On the way her knees and hips cracked an innumerable number of times. Annabeth paid no mind. They were not indication that she was unfit or unhealthy--she actually went running every morning when she wasn't pulling all-nighters working—they were simply indications that she had been sitting in the same position for too long.

Annabeth washed her cup and went over to the coffee machine to refill it. She found herself thoroughly disappointed when it turned out to be cold and hours old, but not disappointed enough to make a new batch or even microwave it. She walked back around the island and back to her bar-stool. She began looking at the papers in front of her, trying to get her mind-set back; trying to jog her memory of the idea that had previously inspired her.

Just as the idea was back in her grasp, it was scared away by a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. Then half the papers flew off the island. Annabeth cursed Zeus' domain inaudibly before she bent down to pick them up. Then her mind left the work-thinking-world and went back to her common-sense-world. Wind. In her apartment. When all her doors and windows were locked and closed because of the storm. Shit, Annabeth cursed again—she never was the nicest person when she was working and or busy—while looking for something heavy enough to prop against her door, though she knew it was already too late.

"Honey, I'm home," came an obvious female voice trying to imitate a deep male's. Annabeth braced herself, and for good reason, as a figure tackled her into a hug from behind. "Miss me?"

"Thalia," Annabeth groaned, "I'm busy. Shouldn't you be in some tree or something?"

"Annabeth," Thalia scolded, "I'm your best friend. I travel around the nation and the only time you ever get to see me is when we come to New York. Shouldn't you be a little happier?"

Annabeth sent her a look that told her she still wasn't convinced at all by the guilt trip—it had been the same one she had heard the last five times—and didn't change her displeased demeanor. "How did you even get in here anyways?"

Thalia expertly dodged the question by continuing on her last train of thought, "Besides, I'm in a new group now. Sitting in a tree to stop it from being bulldozed was not the smartest idea in the world. Now I'm all about feminism and nature and stuff." Another look from Annabeth: Get to a worth-while point or get out. "I brought hot coffee?"

"You should've started with that," was Annabeth's now enthusiastic response. She eagerly reached out for her Grande coffee and was pleasantly surprised when Thalia handed her an even bigger cup: a Trente. "This is awesome. I didn't know they started making a new size!"

"Right? I really never got the Starbucks sizes so I just said, 'give me your biggest coffee' and the guy said 'a Trente?' Sounded about right to me so that's what I got.

Annabeth had totally abandoned her paper and was facing Thalia, gingerly drinking her hot coffee. "You didn't get yourself a cup?"

"Eh. While I was in California, I found a shop called Peet's coffee and tea. And now Starbucks just tastes…well disgusting, I guess, to me."

"Yeah. Peet's is good. I used to drink it all the time when I was younger and lived with my dad. But then I moved to New York and Starbucks is on basically every street….So, what's been up with you?"

"Same old, same old. Protesting, traveling, protesting the same stuff somewhere else. Not interesting at all. What is interesting is your life. What's happened since I was last here?"

Annabeth hesitated. This was the exact thing she hadn't wanted to talk about with Thalia, though she knew she would have eventually—but for now, she did her best at dodging the topic. "Um…I spent a lot of it at Half-Blood, gained a few pounds, almost lost my job, lost the pounds, rebuilt Olympus, stuff like that."

"Olympus?! Annabeth, that's great. What a way for you to start your career….Half-Blood? Something special happen or something?"

"Mm, not really. There's just…beer."

Thalia was starting to get suspicious, "And what's with the change in weight? Do you have a disorder or something?"

You could always count on Thalia to be blunt, thought Annabeth. "Um, no. Just some…comfort food. You know how it is."

"So just a recap: lots of beer and comfort food." Thalia raised a perfectly curved,—not drawn on, natural—menacing eyebrow. "Anything you forgot to mention?"

"Oh," feigned Annabeth with surprise, "Did I forgot to mention that Luke and I broke up," insert fake laugh here, "Silly me."

Thalia glared, "That innocent thing is not working Annabeth."

Annabeth sighed; she could never get anything past Thalia. Besides her being Annabeth's best friend, she was also like her mother. Annabeth had been playing outside one day—which was not the safest thing to do in her neighborhood—and a big bunch of guys had seen her all by herself. They almost got to her, but Luke and Thalia had come just in time. And ever since then, Thalia had taken care of her. That was the first time she'd met either of them. "I didn't think it would."

"So what happened?"

"So you know how Luke's in that gang. One day he went to challenge the Dragon's boss, to try and up his group's status. That was like the stupidest idea ever and he got this long scar across his face. After that, he changed a lot…well a lot more from the original Luke we knew. He was really mean to me and one day I just realized he was a douche-bag. So I broke it off, but it was still hard you know?"

"Yeah sweetie I know. It's just hard to think that Luke could turn into the Luke now." Sometimes Thals is so understanding, thought Annabeth. "But," And sometimes she needs to learn to stop talking. "I tried to warn you. I mean when he first joined that gang it was obvious and the—"

"Thalia. I get it. I've had for months now. Please, stop being my mother."

"Oh. Sorry. Habit. Ok then. As your best friend who can kick ass, do you want me to kick his?"

"Well…I kind of already had that taken care of. And in a way that wouldn't get anyone arrested."

"…Annabeth, do I have to keep asking you questions, or are you ever going to volunteer information."

"Right sorry. Last Friday I was at Half-Blood. Getting drunk. And then I saw Luke with a pair of bimbos. And I couldn't let him see my like a total wreck and loser right? I'm the one who broke it off. So I went and found this guy, named Percy, who agreed to be my boyfriend for fifteen minutes." Thalia gave Annabeth an incredulous look. "What?! I was half-drunk. So he agreed. And he showed Luke up by talking about how he was a fireman and about how he used to be a cop. And intimidated Luke out of his mind. So, yeah."

"Hm. Very impressive. What's this Percy like?" Annabeth blushed. "Oh my Gods Annabeth. Stop leaving details out. Tell. Me. Everything."

"Well…Percy agreed to it by kissing me and we started making out for like five minutes before Luke showed up. And then afterwards, we danced."

"Dancing or grinding?"

"Grinding. And then after fifteen minutes, he asked me to be his girlfriend for fifteen minutes. And I did. And I helped him get back at his ex. And then he said he owed me a favor so I got his number. And we hung out the rest of the night. He was kind of amazing…"

Thalia's jaw dropped. "No you didn't Annabeth. You went that far?!"

Annabeth's eyes widened when she realized what Thalia was implying. "No. No, no, no, no. I kind of wished…but no. I wasn't that drunk. I just meant that we got along really well. We had that spark. We connected. And he was a really really good kisser."

Both girls grinned wildly at each other. "So, what happened next?"

Making the rare occasion of Thalia's visits even rarer, Annabeth had a blank expression. "Huh?"

"What happened next? You got his number…and then what?"

"Umm…I came home. Woke up with a hangover. Got assigned a new project…which, by the way, I was doing before you can and interrupted."

"I brought coffee, but not the point. Let's asses the situation again shall we? You met some guy—"

"Percy."

"Right. You met Percy at Half-Blood. You make-out. He helps you get back at Luke. You dance. You help him get back at his ex—"

"Rachel."

"Yeah, whatever. You guys have this amazing night together and you don't even call him?!"

"Well, in my defense, I'm Annabeth. I'm a workaholic. I get obsessed with my projects. I finish way before deadlines."

"Right. Ok, since you're Annabeth, you're way ahead of schedule. You have time to go call him up and set up a date."

"Um…no I don't. It's already Saturday night which will make it last minute—and you know Annabeth does not do last minute. Tomorrow I have a company party. And we both know that the second you're out of a fifty-mile radius of me, I am going straight back to work."

"Fine. New battle plan. You ask him to be your plus one for that party."

"I can't do that! I'm not taking him to my company party!"

""Why not? Aren't you allowed to bring someone?"

"Yeah, but…it'll just be weird."

"Sweetie, let me tell you one thing: It's a company party, no matter what you do, it's gonna be weird. You don't even know anyone there except for your receptionist and your boss. Maybe one or two other architects. And out of those people, it's not like you're the bestest of friends with them. The only type of conversation you'll have are the ones that are like: 'Hi I'm…'/ 'I'm Annabeth.'/ 'Oh so you're Annabeth. You redesigned Olympus right? I love that restaurant. Everything is amazing, including your designs.'

"Then everything will either go with you complimenting their work or with it being awkward because you have no idea in Hades who or what the other person did. Think of Percy as your savior."

"I don't need saving."

"Then think of him making that favor up to you by enduring the torture with you." There was a long stretch of silence while Annabeth analyzed the possibilities of what Thalia had suggested. Lucky for Annabeth, Thalia's stomach grumbled then, and she quickly pounced on her escape opportunity. "Are you hungry? We should go eat."

Thalia knew Annabeth was avoiding making a commitment, but she didn't care. She had seen this turn in their conversation and would just follow the path. "Sure. What should we eat?" She would pick this up before she left…

AN: Also, i have decided to make this a full story. Kind of. I will keep writing a bunch of vignette-kind-of-things that are different parts of their relationship. And when I run out of ideas or I feel like it should end, I'll end it. Ideally I would like to put each chapter up with a song, but I might not be able to find a good song. Any suggestions would be great, just leave them in your review or PM me. You guys have made my whole week by favoriting my story, or reviewing, or just knowing people actually read it. Thanks so much.