Disclaimer: I don't own the PJO characters.

This is an AU! I hope it gets you interested :)

Chapter One

"I made my first wish."

Annabeth dropped the pen she held, whipping around to face her best friend who stood over her with a grin. The sun showed brightly behind him and she squinted to see the outline of his curly hair. They were at school during their lunch break, sitting on the ground by their favorite tree in the garden.

"What was the wish?"

Leo sat himself down next to Annabeth. "Look at my teeth."

When Leo was young, he chipped his front tooth by falling off a skateboard. Now, Annabeth was looking at a row of perfect, pearly white teeth. His lips curled over it and hid the teeth from her view. The shine in his eyes was enough for Annabeth to tell how his confidence sky rocketed. He had been insecure of his teeth for as long as she remembered.

"What happened?" Annabeth urged. "When you made the wish?"

"My genie, Hazel, went super bright and then everything around me went blurry. And then the next second it was all gone and I ran to the mirror and I saw these gorgeous babies!" He gestured to his teeth. "Now Thalia can't say no to me for the Christmas Ball!"

"I don't think your new teeth are going to change Thalia's mind."

"Nonsense. I'm perfect-er now."

Annabeth gazed out towards the park benches lined one after the other in the open-roofed area of the cafeteria. Thalia Grace, Leo's newest crush, sat with her teammates who were on the girl's gymnastics team with her. She was an odd ball on the team with her dark hair, heavily lined eyes, and fierce nature but one of the best the school had. Annabeth herself had never joined any sports.

"Now I just have to figure out how to ask her out," Leo babbled on. "How do you think I should do it? Come to school in a suit? Maybe make another wish?"

"You can't wish for love, remember?"

Leo deflated. "Ugh. I'll figure out something." He piped up a second later. "Are we going out today to celebrate your Coming?"

Annabeth smiled. She turned seventeen during the school holidays on July 12 and exactly four months after the seventeenth birthday, everyone got their own personal genie. Leo got his own genie, some girl named Hazel, a few months ago. He hadn't separated himself from her lamp since then. Even now, Annabeth could see his genie, Hazel's, silver lamp sitting out of the front pocket of his backpack. Overtime, people had started referring to the day seventeen-year-olds received their genies as their Coming.

"I don't know. Maybe I want to befriend my genie after I get him or her."

"It'll be great," Leo declared. "The first few days after I got Hazel, I was rubbing her lamp every second. I was so excited."

"Do you know what your second wish will be?"

Leo pursed his lips. "I have ideas but I don't think I'm going to be making another one anytime soon. Sometimes I wish I knew the future so I could use my wishes at the right time. I heard of this girl in our neighbourhood who used all nine of her wishes on the same day and her genie died. The next day, she was alone at home when someone tried robbing her house and if she had her genie, she could've wished for something to save herself with."

"Where'd you hear that bluff story?"

"Shh, everyone knows the story!"

"Oh?"

"Yep. Her name was Crystal. A cute one too. She was in our grade but got transferred to a different school after the robbery."

"How convenient."

Leo shook Annabeth's shoulder playfully and Annabeth batted his hand away. "You're so boring! Honestly, what are you even doing?"

Annabeth gestured to the biology book open on her lap. Diagrams of the human body were glossed onto the pages with definitions and names of parts that made her head swim. She wasn't even sure why she took biology in the first place. Annabeth's dream was to be an architect (because pillars and columns were totally designed on the ergonomics of a rat heart).

"Oh you have that biology test? I had it this morning."

"How was it?"

"I think I flunked it."

"So nothing unusual."

Leo pouted. "I tried to wish myself into becoming a genius the night before. Hazel said it was out of her ability."

Back when Leo had first gotten Hazel's lamp, Annabeth had been hoping to meet her. It was a genie, for gods sake, what else could've been more exciting? But Leo turned away when she asked. Apparently it was in the rule book everyone received with their genie: no one else can see or talk to your genie except for yourself or an authorised personnel. Annabeth's own parents never allowed her to meet with their genies. So, really, Annabeth has never seen a genie in real life (except for those badly animated ones in movies).

"I wonder how many people here have already killed their genies by making all nine wishes," Annabeth said, scorning the grounds. "People at this school are evil."

"Well, Luke Castellan probably killed his the first hour. He seems like an evil punk."

"Leo, he's not punk. He's kind of cute."

"You only say that because you've got a huge, ugly crush on him."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I have the same chance with Luke as you do with Thalia. Zero. He's too popular. She's too popular."

"Let's make a pact. If we're both single for the Christmas Ball next month, we're going together. Then after the ball, we're going my place for an entire night of movies."

Annabeth shook his hand. "You have a deal, Leo Valdez."

"Ah, Ms. Chase, don't get your hopes up. Thalia Grace is still in my eyes and I have eight wishes left to somehow capture her heart."

The students at the tables start standing up to leave for class and Annabeth's chest tightened. Every second that ticked by was pulling her closer to when her stepmother would pick her up from school and take her to the center where she'll be getting her own genie.

Wow.

Annabeth had a whole list of wishes she wanted granted. It was endless: her hair, her eyes, her skin, the situation with her family, her confidence, and so many more. Of course once she narrowed the list down to nine wishes, the issue she had was when she'd actually make those wishes. If her genie turned out to be an asshole, she'd make all nine wishes by tomorrow. If her genie turned out to be amazing, maybe she'd make eight wishes throughout her life and never make her last one so they'd never die. Despite the excitement pounding through her veins, she was terrified to make the wrong wish and regret it for the rest of her life.

aoaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaoao

Her biology test went terrible. Annabeth spent an hour sitting on the table, her eyebrows dancing in confusion, trying to figure out how to spell the different parts of the body. The most frustrating part was the insane amount of time she spent studying for the test. She hated the idea of getting bad grades but Annabeth couldn't figure out even one answer.

Annabeth's classmate, Piper, was having the same problems. She gave Annabeth a side ways glance when their teacher wasn't looking and lunged to drop a note on her desk.

Answer to Question 3?

Annabeth sighed, scribbling back her answer.

Beats me.

Piper made a crying motion with her finger and snapped her attention back to her own test when the teacher turned back around. Others in the classroom had similar reactions, even that nerd genius Frank Zhang sitting at the front of the classroom was dumbfounded. At least it wasn't just Annabeth who didn't understand a word.

A few minutes later, Annabeth set her pencil down for the teacher to snatch her test. She watched it go, dreading the zero she was going to get back. How was she supposed it to her mother who was extremely insistent on good grades?

She pushed it out of her head. Today was the one day Annabeth refused to think of her mother. Right after the biology test, her stepmother was supposed to pick her up early from school to take her to the center. The teacher dismissed a class and Annabeth stood up so fast her chair fell over.

Piper raised her eyebrows at Annabeth stuffing her pencil case back in her bag. "You're in a hurry."

"I'm getting my genie now!"

Piper squealed, throwing her arms around Annabeth and squeezing her tightly. "That's so exciting! Congratulations! I still remember when I got my genie a few weeks ago. He's a cool friend even though we're complete opposites. I promise you'll love your new friend!"

Annabeth's phone went crazy. Her stepmother's face appeared on the screen and Annabeth sent Piper an apologetic look which she waved off. Swinging her bag on her shoulders, Annabeth went the opposite direction of her next class. She broke out into the fresh air of her high school where her stepmother's car was waiting on the curb.

"Seatbelt on," her stepmother, Helen, reminded her.

Annabeth did as she was told.

"You're practically jumping out of your seat," Helen laughed.

"I can't help it. I have so many things I want wish about. Starting with my hair, gosh, it's always such a mess. Even Leo made his first wish last night."

"Oh? What did he wish for?"

"Perfect teeth."

Helen said, "Oh. Sounds nice. I don't think you should make any wishes today, though. Spend the time getting to know your genie rather than making wishes. Trust me, I made that mistake."

Helen had made seven of her nine wishes with her own genie. Annabeth didn't know much about Helen's genie. Sometimes, Helen left its lamp out on the kitchen table while she was baking but otherwise, the lamp would stay hidden from view. Annabeth loved the way Helen's lamp looked. It was rose gold, shaped like a curvy bottle with a hole at the top. Its slim, delicate handle was attached to the side. It almost looked like a beautified water jug.

"Why not, though?" Annabeth asked. "A lot of people I know made their wishes on the first day."

"Your genie is a bit like your guide. Maybe what you're wishing for isn't what is best for you. I changed the shape of my nose on the first day and I've regretted it every since. My genie warned me not to and I didn't listen. I've learned my lesson now, though, and I take my genie's advice for everything I want."

The car pulled up in the parking lot of the center. It was a large building made of white concrete with gorgeous stained glass windows making a prodding dome above the front door. A doorman stood nearby, greeting the few people making their way in and out of the building. Some guy came out of the building with a plush, velvet box in his arms. The smile on his face lit up the whole world and Annabeth gazed at the box hungrily. She'll the boy soon, walking out with her own genie lamp in the box.

Helen checked her watch. "We've got a few minutes to spare before we have to go inside for your appointment."

"Or… we could go in now?"

"Actually, your mother wanted to talk to you first before you got your genie."

Annabeth's mouth went dry. She had a complicated relationship with her mother. Annabeth lived with her father, stepmother, and two little half-brothers. They were mostly fine on their own (define fine) but Annabeth admitted that if her billionaire biological mother wasn't in the picture, the family she lived with would suffer. Money was an issue for her father who was a college history professor. There were five people in their family with too many mouths and necessities for his small salary.

That was where Annabeth's mother, Athena, stepped in. She graciously paid for the expenses her father couldn't cover and sent Annabeth and her brothers to a private school. In return, she wanted (more like demanded with the threat to throw Annabeth over the cliff if she didn't deliver) Annabeth to follow in her footsteps where she worked as a real estate agent. It was a somewhat fair deal: her entire family gets to live a gorgeous penthouse her father couldn't afford in a million years but Annabeth had to stick with her mother.

If only it didn't tramp Annabeth's own dreams for the future in the process.

Helen dialled Athena's phone number into her phone and gave it to Annabeth who held it to her ear gingerly.

Athena's came through crisp and stern. "Annabeth. You're about to get your genie."

"I am."

"I want to to warn about these genies before you get your own and get smitten by the curtain of friendship they pull over you. They are not miracle workers. If you want to be a successful lady as I am, you need to work hard on your own."

"I know, Mom."

"Your father told me you had a biology test today. How did it go?"

Oh yes, Annabeth thought miserably. That's why she took biology. Because her mother didn't believe in the woodworking classes Annabeth wanted in place of her science elective. "It went fine, Mom."

"I want see an A+ for Biology this term. You got an A last time. That's not enough."

I'm going to fail. "Of course, Mom. I'll be embarrassed myself if I got anything less than the top score in the class."

"Good. Now go get your genie. But remember what I said."

Annabeth hung up. She sat there for moment, hand wrapped tightly around the phone. Then, she shook her head. Not today. Athena wasn't going to ruin today for Annabeth. She returned the phone to Helen who gave her a sombre smile. Helen was more of a mother to Annabeth than Athena would ever be and she knew all about Annabeth's tight relationship with Athena.

Helen leaned over her seat and kissed Annabeth on the temple lightly. "Come on. Let's get your genie and then celebrate your Coming back at home."

The doorman greeted them full-heartedly when they passed. He congratulated Annabeth for her Coming and gave her a wide smile. The man pulled the jewel encrusted golden handle of the glass doors with a gloved hand and bowed as Annabeth walked through.

The inside blew Annabeth's breath away. Intricate paintings of old myths and stories covered the light flooring of the dome the foyer was. A large chandelier hung from the very top of the dome and occasional pillars were scattered around the area with small mirrors spiralling up its length. Couches and fancy lamps stood in a cluster in one curve of the dome and on the opposite side was circular registration area where a preppy woman sat behind a screen.

"Excuse me? We're here for Annabeth Chase," Helen said to the woman.

The woman broke out into an abnormally large smile. "Annabeth! Hello! You are absolutely beautiful. Congratulations on your Coming! What an exciting day for you."

Annabeth blushed. "Thank you."

"I'll just get my colleague to take over," the woman said. "You can call me Aphrodite. I'm going to be briefing you on meeting your genie then I'll leave you sometime to meet and get to know them. And you— you must be Helen Chase. I'm going to ask you to take a seat here. I'll take about an hour for Annabeth to be done." She stalked away to get her colleague.

Helen hugged Annabeth tightly. "You're going to get an amazing genie. A friend for life."

"I hope I don't get one like Dad did."

Helen snorted. Annabeth's father had a genie who according to him was the 'trashiest thing on this planet.' He made his ninth wish a year after he got his genie and has been roaming free since. "You won't get one like your father did. Good luck!"

Aphrodite steered Annabeth down a hallway close to the registration desk. Helen disappeared behind Annabeth as they continued walking. Aphrodite hummed as she led Annabeth past the doors and rooms. Eventually, she pushed open a door and ushered Annabeth inside. The room was just as luxurious as the foyer was. The walls were red and the floor was dark brown. The lighting was fairly dim but it just added to the entire mysterious gist the room was bringing out. Two couches sat in the middle of the room with a small glass table between them. At the edge of the room, mugs and an array of drinks sat neatly on a rectangular table.

"Take a seat, dear," Aphrodite said. "I'll brief you about your genie and then you can have half an hour to get to know who they are."

Annabeth made herself comfortable on the couch, slinging one leg over the other, just as Aphrodite dropped a book on the glass table.

"This is the rule book," Aphrodite said. She flicked through the twenty-page manual. "The simplified version, that is. You should know most of these rules already from your family and friends but I'll still talk you through the ones people often get confused with."

"It's very detailed."

"It has to be. Otherwise, we don't know how many loopholes people can find. Rule one you must remember: you can't ask any questions to your genie."

"What?"

Aphrodite tapped a manicured finger on the first page of the manual. "Genies are sensitive. We're blessed to have them with us but they don't take well to questions. Sometimes genies can react quite unpredictably. So if you are confused about something and you want to tell that to your genie, you need to phrase it in a way that it isn't a question."

"Not even things like asking how they are doing that day?"

"No. I know it may seem like a small question but among genies, many could take it the wrong way and believe you are prying in their lives. They are extremely private. Their world can get dangerous and violent with the wrong move. They are genies and grant you wishes so it makes sense they ask you questions. But it doesn't make sense for you to want to know about them and their lives because there's nothing they need from you."

Annabeth swallowed, grasping for the new information and trying to make sense of it. "Okay, I think I got that."

Aphrodite scanned the rules. "Most of these you can read up in your own time. There are the usual ones: nine wishes only and then your genie dies. You can keep the lamp after they die but of course they will be there no more. No one else can see or talk to your genie. You can't wish for something out of their ability to grant. You can't wish for more wishes, or to control someone else."

"Okay."

"And most importantly," Aphrodite said. "You mustn't fall in love with your genie. These rules, especially this rule, is in place for your own protection and you should follow them if you don't want to end up dealing with the consequences."

"What consequences?"

"Dire consequences."

Annabeth hesitated. Her skin crawled. She had been so excited to meet her genie but suddenly a sense of dread was inching its way up her throat. "You make it sound like genies are dangerous creatures. Why do we each get one then?"

"Oh, they aren't. Most of them aren't. Nothing to worry about, dear. Only one in a billion end up with the evil genies. As long as you don't fall in love with the genie, they could end up being your best friend. But love… love is something all genies, evil or not, have the ability to exploit. So make them your friend and nothing more. They're amazing creatures if you know how to handle them."

"Oh."

Aphrodite clapped her hands together. She was a beautiful woman with dark hair falling over shoulder in ironed waves. Her high cheekbones complimented her slender body making Annabeth box herself in. She's always wanted the hair and curves that Aphrodite showed in her silicone dress.

"So," Aphrodite said. "You can settle down with the drinks over there. I'm going to and grab your genie's lamp! Aren't you excited?"

Annabeth sat up straighter and blood rushed to her face. "Yeah, I can't wait to meet them."

Aphrodite slipped out of the room. Instead of making her way to the drinks table, Annabeth stayed where she was. She drummed her fingers on her knee in anticipation. The adrenaline running through her body was uncontrollable; Annabeth couldn't sit still. The room was awfully silent after Aphrodite left and it was bordering on creepy until the door opened Aphrodite slipped back inside.

A velvet box rested in Aphrodite's hands. She put it down on the glass table in front of Annabeth and put her finger to her lips. "You know what to do, dear."

Once again, Annabeth was left alone in the room.

Annabeth undid the latch on the velvet box. Her hands were trembling, clammy. She opened the lid and inside in its glory sat her genie's lamp underneath masses of black sponge. Annabeth reached in to pick up the lamp.

The lamp was beautiful. It was small and fragile in her hands. It had an aquamarine, metallic coating. It looked like a teapot but its spout was stretched out to make it longer. The handle was on the opposite side from the spout. The hole through which her genie would come out sat at the top of the spout. Carved patterns of curved lines followed along the sides of the lamp, curling over the handle and disappearing underneath.

Annabeth turned it around in her hands. Her heart hit her ribs with such intense pressure she struggled to breath.

This was it.

Who was her genie?

Who was this magician promised to change her whole life?

Annabeth rubbed the side of the lamp.

HOW WAS THAT? I have so many ideas for this story! I hope you guys liked it, leave a review to tell me whether you did enjoy it. Also, I'm trying to get a tumblr account but I can't seem to figure out how the Frick you're supposed to be social on tumblr lol can someone help with that? I feel so dumb asking that but oh well...

I gotta go die doing homework now :(

Review, Favourite, and Follow!

~Ami