Story Name: The Iris Network

Author: turquoiserainlilies

Disclaimer: Do not own Percy Jackson or anything related, just the plot (really, not even that original). THANKS RICK!

Summary: He's a gamer. She's the Queen Bee. Percy struggles with unwanted fame from his father. Annabeth can't forgive her best friend for falling in love. Living miles away doesn't stop two people's fate from meeting, after all, the best thing to fall in love with are someone's words. AU!AH.

Chapter: 6 of 22

Characters introduced: Nico di Angelo (appearance), Rachel Elizabeth Dare (appearance)

wisegirl6 ii

san francisco 12/13/13 11:48 utc-8

annabeth chase

wisegirl6: You know what I wish for this Christmas?

greek3fire: A limo and a basket of Barbie dolls?

wisegirl6: Remind me again how you ever had a girlfriend in the first place.

greek3fire: Ha-ha, Wise Girl, tell me then

greek3fire: What do you want for Christmas?

Annabeth knew something was off when Nico di Angelo sat next to their table at lunch. Other than the fact it was Friday and he only sat with them on rotating Wednesdays, he also wore the expression of odd glee, which did not look good on the normally sullen kid. Well, Annabeth was just glad that Nico didn't bring some random eye ball to lunch again.

"What's got your whisker shaker?" Silena spoke her odd lingo, but for once Nico did not give her a death glare.

"My sister's visiting for the vacation." Was all Nico had said. Annabeth and Silena exchanged looks. They weren't sure what this meant, they didn't even know Nico well enough to know that he had a sister. But one thing's for sure, two Nico di Angelos does not equal a merry Christmas.

For the first two weeks of the breakup, Annabeth had no trouble avoiding her ex-friends. Thalia pretty much left her alone during school time, sensing that Annabeth would most likely cause a scene, but her phone call and texts were never ending. A simple press of the block button was all Annabeth needed on that part. Luke was more tricky, he didn't exactly come at her directly, but tried to slip in little conversations like they never broke up, like they never dated, like they were always friends.

Thankfully, there weren't many opportunity for that. The only class they shared was algebra, which thankfully was usually too busy for converse as Annabeth and Luke both had to try their hardest to decipher Mrs. Kerr's handwriting on the board. She'd be gone before he even get the chance to say goodbye, hurrying to her meeting with student council.

He was there too, but she always managed to sit as far from him as possible.

It was true that the student council had been quite busy. The usual holiday festivities including winter hamper and non-perishable food can collections. Fundraisers with hot chocolate and scarves, with candy cane gifts. The gingerbread gift cards selling in the main hall, and singing Christmas carol telegrams heard all around the school. Annabeth spent a good part of the week helping to decorate the twenty feet tall Christmas tree in freezing San Francisco winter weather over the week, but now their attention turned elsewhere, the Snowflake Dance.

The Snowflake Dance at Summerville High was like the equivalent of the Sadie Hawkins dance everywhere else. Girl asks the boys, and not as formal as prom, just lots of people crowded in the gym trying to get some fruit punch. Annabeth's date was always Luke, but of course, this year was going to be an exception. It wasn't for the lack of trying on the guy's part to attract her attention, but Annabeth just didn't feel like picking any of them. like she told her Seaweed Brain, they were all too superficial to want to go with her to the dance for her.

Maybe she was asking too much, Annabeth thought as she hurried down the hallway towards the student council office, maybe guys are just not meant to be sensitive or anything, maybe she just have to pick one and hopes that he turns out pretty nice. That sounded horrible, like picking cattle, but unless she wanted to stay home by herself, Annabeth had no other choice.

In her thoughts, she didn't realize that Luke was right in middle of her until her butt hit the floor.

"Sorry." Luke helped her up. She was almost going to say thank you until she realized who it was. She scowled instead.

"I'm busy." She said snappily, but tried to side step him. Unfortunately for her, he was the football captain (cliché much?), which meant that he was three times her width, and therefore was like a wall.

"So am I." Luke smiled, "I'm going to the student council meeting, you're there too right? Maybe I get drive you home afterwards?"

"Silena's driving me home." Annabeth quickly said. Lie, her new best friend already left the building. It was years of being picked up by Luke or Luke's parents that made Annabeth think that getting a driver's license was totally unnecessary. Now she had no choice but to walk the five miles to her house.

"I just saw her car leaving the parking lot." Luke said quickly, "You're with me."

Annabeth pushed him to the side, though admittedly it hurt her wrist a bit, and walked towards the student office, and deliberately sat in a squished area, so that Luke had no choice but to sit somewhere else. Their student council president, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, called the meeting to order.

"The theme of the dance is obviously snow." She spoke, "But we still needed to provide everything else. Snow themed music, food, decoration, sort of like that-Annabeth?"

"Forget the winter wonderland thing, it's overused." Annabeth said. The entire room's focus was on her, and she loved it. "Try something more realistic, like a backyard snow fort. The more the unexpected, the more the event will be talked about."

Katie Gardner gushed, "So true Annabeth!"

"Adding on that." Luke raised a hand. The entire room now shifted to him. Usually they'd be sitting together in one of these meetings, but now, like the attention Annabeth was used to getting, they were split up. "My dad took me on vacation in Canada over spring break, they've got some awesome maple syrup farms in Quebec."

"You want the dance to be maple syrup based?" Annabeth scoffed. The eyes were on her again, "That's ridiculous Luke."

He shrugged. Annabeth hated how he could be so nonchalant about this. "Not really, they did this cool thing were they poured fresh syrup on snow, which made a little crystal like candy, perfect for refreshment. Also poutine, and all sort of Canadian cuisine."

"I thought Canadian cuisine was just moose meat." One boy in the back said vaguely.

"That's gross." Rachel exclaimed, "But Luke's on to something. Annabeth's right, the more unusual thing we put into this dance, the more people will talk about it, and it will be the talk of the school over the holidays."

"I can also hook you guys up with some fake campfires." Luke continued, "My uncle works at shop in Arizona that specialized in weird creations like this. He's pretty obsessed with fire."

"Awesome!" Rachel's smile was growing by the minute, but Annabeth's was dimming. Less jealously, but more envy. Luke can be so cool about their break-up like it didn't affect him at all, not even realizing what it had done to Annabeth. He's the one who cheated, which means despite all the sympathy on her, he's the one who found happiness at last. What did that leave her?

"So you're sure you don't need a ride?"

"For the last time, I'm fine." Annabeth snapped. Luke had been following her since after the meeting. Usually she made sure she is held back to talk with Rachel or something, but as luck would have it, Rachel had a dentist appointment, leaving Annabeth with Luke, alone.

"You're sure." Luke asked again, "It's pretty cold for a San Francisco winter this year."

"Yes." Annabeth did not look at him.

"Please?"

Annabeth hesitated.

This was her first mistake. Hesitation gave Luke hope, and hope is the only thing stronger than fear. Now she knew that he would stubbornly probe at her until she was all but forced into the car. The only way to save her dignity is by convincing him that this is the last thing she'd ever wanted to do (it was true), but it was an awful obligation she had to fulfill.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. Luke's red Mercedes was just across the parking lot. Of course he was rich and good looking, and of course he was the football captain. Annabeth's life was just one big story book cliché after the other.

Except, she thought in triumph, she broke up with this oh so wonderful guy, and she was free to pursue whatever she want, no restraint. Forget the fact that she did not know what she wanted to do, that'll come in later.

"Passenger seat." Luke narrated unnecessarily, "Don't forget the seatbelt."

"I know how to ride a car Luke." Annabeth rolled her eyes, ignoring the hurt expression upon his face, "I've done it since I was a kid."

He laughed against all determination Annabeth had put into making him uncomfortable. Out of spite, she pulled out her phone to check her messages, or pretend to while playing Cut The Rope, she was stuck on a difficult level too, great.

The drive from Summerville High to Annabeth's almost-mansion in the downtown was twenty minutes, usually passed by their stimulating conversation about the school day, or just contently listening to the car's radio. Sometimes Thalia or Silena was there, or one of Luke's other friends, and they'll talk about the party.

Annabeth watched enough movies to know that road trip (however short) among friends included karaoke contests (usually to ridiculous Disney soundtracks), yet her group of friends always seemed to cool for that. Out of spite for Luke, Annabeth almost wanted to sing along to the Katy Perry song blasting through the speakers. She decided not to. For all of Annabeth's great intelligence and drawing skills, she wasn't a good singer.

"How's life?" Luke asked, making small talk. Annabeth couldn't ignore that without being childish.

"Life-ish." She shrugged. That should be enough to get anyone else off her back, but Luke was never anyone else.

"Cool." He said, "Are you trying out for cheerleader in the spring time?"

Annabeth sighed, "Maybe, but the university applications will be swamped, I'd be better off studying instead."

"Have some fun in life Annabeth, life isn't about regretting what you did, but what you didn't do."

No, life is about living to the fullest and NOT cheating on your girlfriend, Annabeth wanted to yell, but thankfully was avoided the ping at her cellphone.

greek3fire: Are you going to answer my question?

wisegirl6: What do you mean?

"Who are you texting?" Luke broke Annabeth out of her trace. She sighed exaggeratedly.

"A friend." She said flatly.

"Didn't look like it." Luke mumbled.

A ping rang in Annabeth's phone, but she didn't answer Seaweed Brain's next question, "What do you mean?"

"You were smiling like that, Annie, I know what it means." Luke replied simply. Annabeth was in process of trying to come up with an explanation, but words rang out as multiple pings came from her cellphone

greek3fire: Are you ignoring me?

greek3fire: Wise Girl?

greek3fire: Hello?

greek3fire: HEELLLLOOO?

"Wise Girl?" They reached a stop sign, and Luke was looking past her shoulder at the phone, "Cute nickname."

All he and Thalia ever called her was Annie. She didn't like that, it seem to patronize and label her as the 'younger sibling', though she was the same age as the pair. Wise Girl was nice, it meant that this mysterious stranger respected her intelligence more than her old friends ever did. Annabeth did not reply but determinedly stared at her phone.

wisegirl6: Never

greek3fire: Okay, what do you want for Christmas?

wisegirl6: Why do you care? Are you going to mail me a gift? I'm not telling you my address over the internet.

greek3fire: Of course not, just curiosity

Annabeth thought for a moment. She'd really like for Luke and Thalia to leave her alone, but then again, she'd hate to waste a wish on the pair of them. thoughtfully, she typed out her answer.

wisegirl6: I'd love for my mom to come home, she's been in Greece for quite a while, but I doubt she's free over the vacation.

greek3fire: That sucks, your parents are divorced?

wisegirl6: For a couple of years, my dad even got remarried and had two kids.

wisegirl6: You?

greek3fire: Same. He's got another son now, Tyson's a cutie, but he's not my brother

wisegirl6: Bobby and Matthew are nightmares, I'd rather take one than two

"We're here." Luke announced. Annabeth looked up to see her house. The drive was made much more bearable thanks to Seaweed Brain, and Luke didn't even speak to her once. She smiled in triumph and kissed her phone, something finally worked out well today.

Next Update: December 15, 2013, and anticipate for a special surprise!

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