How we became best friends is another story .

Let me tell you.

When school began I was all prepared.

I had read all the books and memorized everything. I did that just so that there is not so much pressure during exam days. I mean I still do it.

We were in first grade. There aren't many things to do afterall.

I was considered to be the nerd of the school(still am). I didnt have many friends.

But this time I was excited to go to school. I had a friend my first real friend. Plus we were in the same class. So I had some body to sit next to.

As always I didn't have to sit alone. I was happy.

On the first day of school I had gotten up even before mom woke me.

Excitement I guess.

I got ready so quick that we still had one hour to go before school.

So I decided to go downstairs for some breakfast.

Honestly I don't remember what I had for breakfast that day. I mean it was 10 years ago. I know you dont expect me to remember.

After 15 minutes we decided to leave for school cause I had to show percy around. So we had to be early.

Parents have this habit of clicking pictures before their kids first day in school. Turns out Percy's mom was one of them.

After our parents did that we were dropped off to school.

" Annabeth take care of him." Sally had said to me pulling me aside so that nobody else could her.

" Sure Mrs Jackson." I had said. " I got this."

She smiled and left with my mom.

We had to Mr D's office. He's our principal. He's got a chubby face, a red nose and curly black hair. He normally has watery, blue, bloodshot eyes.

" Here Percy is the office of Mr D . He's the principal of the school. We need to go to his office to get our schedules."

" Okay. Lead."

" Yeah. And one more thing."

" Yes?"

" He loves calling people by wrong names. So don't bother."

He looked confused- cute confused but nodded.

" Hello Anniebell." Mr D said as we entered.

" Hello Mr D." I greeted.

" You can get your schedule from my assistant over there." He said pointing to the other side.

" Hello Mr D." Percy said.

" You must be the new student Peter Johnson. Get your schedule from Miss Hestia both of you and then shoo."

" Actually sir its Percy Jackson." Percy corrected him.

" Yes that's what I said Peter." Mr D said.

I gave him a look that clearly said told-you-so.

We got our schedules from Miss Hestia and quickly left.

Then I showed Percy all around the school and we went to our class. We were the earliest in the class.

I was happy cause for the first time I wasn't the one sitting alone.

The students were starting to assemble.

Then she walked in.

The prettiest girl in first grade.

Stella Cox. She was taller than me. She hated me and I knew that.

She looked at me and then at Percy. She would have come to talk to him. But didn't cause the teacher came.

Mrs Dodds used to teach us till grade 3. She walked in and asked everybody to take their seats.

" Hello class. Welcome back. Shall we start?" She asked quite pleased.

" Yes." Half of the class murmured.

" Oh wait before we start we have a new student. You can introduce yourself." She said looking at Percy.

" Hi umm... I m Percy Jackson." He managed.

" Hello Percy. Welcome to our school. "

" Err.. Thanks." He said.

" Do you want some help? " She asked.

" No thank you. Annabeth here took care of that."

" Okay. That's good. Lets start then." She said smiling at me.

The classes were quite interesting. Percy kept disturbing me every now or then. I helped him happily.

After continuous 4 classes we had break. Mrs Dodds dismissed us.

" Percy Jackson you stay. Rest of you can leave." She said.

So I left for the cafeteria. Percy had said he'll join me there.

I was sitting with my friend Nico Di Angelo in the cafeteria. He has messy and shaggy black hair. He has olive skin and wears usually black clothing. We were having lunch when she came.

" Hey nerd." She said.

I decided to ignore her. I pretended to not hear and bent down to pull out a book.

As I was pulling out my book she snatched it from me and raised it higher where I couldn't reach.

" Hey give it back." I told her as I stood up.

" So tell me how do you know that Percy guy? He's cute." She said still refusing to return my book.

" Stella return Annabeth's book and leave." Nico said getting up too.

She was taller than both of us.

" Shut up, you." She said to Nico.

" You didn't answer nerd."

" Hey give it back to her." I heard a familiar voice. Next moment Percy was standing next to me.

" Oh Hi Percy." She said as she dropped the book.

" Stupid girl." I muttered as I bent to pick it up.

" What are you doing with these nerds? You should be friends with me not with them." She said to him.

" And who should you be?" He asked with a displeased look.

" Stella Cox."

" Anyway who ever you are. Annabeth and umm..." He was saying when he looked at me.

OH it struck me.

" Nico." I whispered to him.

" Thanks." He whispered back.

" Annabeth and Nico here are my friends. It would be better for you to leave." He told her sternly.

" But you-" She tried again.

" Please and I m not interested." He said in a voice that was firm enough to make her leave.

" Dude that was awesome." Nico said.

We burst out laughing.

Since that day we have been best friends...

I know its cheesy but we were just 6 and therefore easily impressed.

When did I find out about my crush?

It happened when we were in third grade. I was about 8 years old.

I had managed to make a few friends. There was Silena Beauregard , Nico's sister Hazel , Zoe Nightshade and Katie Gardener.

We had planned to have a sleepover at Zoe's house. Her parents were okay with it. So her house was chosen for the purpose.

I had gotten mom and dad's permission to go. They seemed pretty cool about it.

" You should go."

" Absolutely. Go get ready. I'll drive you."

The time was 7 pm. So I had gotten ready accordingly. Mom drove me to Zoe's. Hazel and Katie were already there. I said Goodbye to mom and walked in.

We waited for Silena to show up. She was late. I still remember.

Finally she showed up.

We had dinner and went to Zoe's room. What a magnificent room she has. I wont go in the details. All you need to know is that it was big and beautiful.

It was decided that we would watch movies first. So everybody picked up their favourites.

That was a long row of movies. Silena narrowed it down to 5.

" Woah that's long too." I had said.

They had shushed me. I rolled my eyes and got into watching with them.

Once we began how time passed I didn't come to know. I enjoyed the horror movie the most. We ate so much pop-corn that I had sworn not to eat it for the next 3 months.

" Its 2 am." Zoe informed.

"We should probably sleep." Hazel suggested.

" We should." I agreed.

" But we still haven't played Truth or Dare yet." Silena said.

" Yes we have to play that before going to sleep." Katie supported her.

When everybody agreed the game was started. Zoe got a bottle from the kitchen and it was spun.

" Hazel truth or dare?" I asked.

" Dare me." She replied.

" Alright. Let everyone here style your hair and take photos. And we get to show it to all our friends."

" Fine." She said.

" That's awesome."

We made weird hairstyles for Hazel and clicked pictures. That was amazing.

" Next." Hazel said and spun the bottle.

" Zoe. Truth or dare?" Silena asked.

" Dare of course."

" I have a nice one. You have to go to the terrace and shout on the top of your lungs " Heeeeeeey ! Its me Zoe. Hear me people." "Katie said with a smirk.

" Its 2:30 in the morning. People will call the cops." Zoe said with a hint of fear in her eyes.

" That's the fun." Katie said smirking again.

" Scared? " Hazel teased.

" I m not."

" Yes you are."

" Fine I'll do it." She agreed.

So went to the terrace.

We all hid behind a drum and Zoe walked forward boldly.

We waited and then out of nowhere she started yelling.

" HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY ! ITS MEEEEEEE ZOEEEEEEEE . HEAR ME PEOPLE."

Then she ran past us down the stairs like anything . We followed her lead. We couldn't stop laughing for a while. Soon we were gasping for our breaths. Zoe had told us that there were two people standing there on the corner of the street drinking. They were so startled on hearing her that one of them dropped his bottle.

After we had calmed down it was my turn.

" So Annie truth or dare?"

I tried to play safe.

" Truth." I had said.

" Playing safe nice. Tell us the name of your crush." Silena said.

"Umm... Crush?"

" Yeah a person you like?"

" I like a lot of people." I said.

" No not the friend like. The other like. The one like in the movies."

" Oh that one." I said trying to understand.

" Yes that one."

" I certainly don't like anybody that way. And I certainly don't have a crush." I said firmly.

" Everybody has them. You just don't realise that yet." Silena said.

" Alright. Enough about it now. Next." Hazel had said.

The game continued for a while and then we slept. Next day we all left for our homes.

I didn't think about that conversion for like a week.

How did the crush begin? I'll get to that.

We were in school doing our work. That's when it began.

" Hey Annabeth ?" My best friend called.

" Yes Percy."

" Help me out, will you?"

" Yes what is it?"

" This problem. Is it correct?"

" Let me see."

After a moment

" It is correct. The method and the formula everything."

" Thanks." He said and smiled at me.

That's a cute smile.

' Where did that come from?' I had never thought it before.

Next day I saw Percy talking to a pretty girl in our class Alex Cinders.

I don't know why it got me all jealous. She was laughing at all his jokes. I had this feeling of hatred towards her.

I still couldn't get it why. Why would I feel that way.

' He can talk to whoever he wants Annabeth. You don't own him.' I told myself.

Over the next few days I thought I was losing my mind.

I would often find myself staring at my best friend.

I would smile without a reason whenever we had a conversation and the smile won't go away even after the conversation was over.

Sometimes my I would get a mini heart attack whenever he would touch my hand or my heart would beat faster when he would talk to me.

I thought I was losing my mind. I needed to talk to somebody.

Is it how you feel when you have a crush?

Soon I got the opportunity. I found Silena in the cafeteria on Friday.

" Silena I need to talk to you."

" Sure. Tell me."

" Umm... not here. Some where private."

" Oh okay. Lets go." She said as she got up and told her friends that she'll she them later.

I took her to an empty class room.

" So tell me."

" Umm... I umm... don't know how to say this."

" Come on. You can tell me."

" Okay." I said determined now.

" Go on."

" There's this guy I've known for a while."

" Oh my god. DO you have a crush on him?"

" Well... I think so." I admitted finally.

" Who's that?"

" But I think I m losing my mind. Is it normal that your heart beats like anything when he's around or you get all jealous when he talks to another girl or you're thinking about him all the time?"

" Annie its perfectly normal. Don't worry. You definitely have a crush."

" I guess."

Though she pestered me a lot I never let it slip to anybody except for Thalia. That's another story. I'll tell you some other time.

I didn't know it would be so hard to face my best friend after the realisation.

Everything got weird for a while.

I used to stutter so bad talking to him.

" Hey Beth. Do you wanna hang out later?" Percy had asked me one day.

" Oh um y-yeah. Its-its per-perfectly fine." I had said.

" So I'll see around 6?"

" Yeah. Of-Of course. Any-Anytime you wish." I managed.

Even though everything went normal soon. I had trained to control myself.

Though I used to get distracted some times. Doesn't matter now.

I guess somebody just called my name.

" Annabeth where you lost?" Percy was asking me waving his hand in front of me.

'Just thinking about you. '

" Just thinking." I lied.

~~~~ Thank you for reading~~~~~~~~~~~