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:9 of 22

Note: AND A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOOOOUUU

wisegirl6 iv

san francisco 12/25/13 17:20 utc-8

annabeth chase

wisegirl6: Seaweed Brain?

wisegirl6: Hello?

wisegirl6: Are you ignoring me?

wisegirl6: Well, at least now I know how Thalia feels…

The Chase house was empty again, the only residences in it was a pretty blonde girl and her friend. Annabeth would be lying if she said that she was scared of the big ol'house. It was usually her alone in here, with her dad and the step-relatives out most of the time. Dinners, visits, and everything else she wasn't invited to because she didn't exactly fit in the formula of a perfect family.

(If she was being perfectly honest, Annabeth would also say that this is why she thrived to be so popular in school, it's the only sort of attention she'll ever get).

Annabeth would also be lying if she said that that was the only thing that was on her mind. Seaweed Brain's lack of response was unnerving her. He was just a friend, she kept telling herself, yet this seems more than a normal friendship. Normal friendship is what she had with someone like Silena or Rachel, yet Annabeth practically pours her heart out to Seaweed Brain half of the time. He knew of her real Christmas wish, not the present of make-up and jewelleries that Silena gave her this morning, and he knew of her family and problems better than everyone.

She'd also be lying if she didn't know why. Within the first day that he didn't reply, she went back to check her messages to see any hints of her ticking him off. Obviously, her snubbing his problem was totally an uncool mood. She was delirious that day, putting her needs before everyone else.

"It'll blow over by the end of the day." Annabeth told her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing dark blue, the dress that made her normally tan skin stand out like an orange (they were complimentary colors after all). She didn't bother very much with her dress, and now was slightly regretting it.

When she purchased this a few days ago with Silena, she didn't anticipate the mess she was about to get into. A few minutes later she would be in a car with Silena (she did not have a date either, as her heart belonged to someone in Arizona), but the driver would be someone she'd rather spend her life trying to avoid, but couldn't.

Luke Castellan was taking her to the dance.

"You look great!" He said to her as he entered the door, for some reason Thalia wasn't at his arm. Was she tired today? Or was she just not a dance person?

(Of course Annabeth knew the answer to that, she had been friends with Thalia since they were seven, quite a long time. Thalia was not a dance person, though Luke was. Number 175 on why they weren't compatible)

"Thanks." She said. Silena came out behind her in dramatic red dress, completely taking away all the attention from Annabeth to Silena.

"You too, darling Silena." Luke bowed to the black haired girl, who giggled, then at Annabeth's look, stopped promptly.

"I hope you feel ashamed of yourself." Silena scowled, but couldn't quite hide a small smile. Annabeth knew why, even Silena, who knows Luke by his faults and had a sweetheart boyfriend in Arizona, apparently, couldn't resist his charm. No, it was only Annabeth who was immune, as she was already diseased.

"Let's go quickly." She said flatly. Silena bounced out the door, taking Luke's car key in the meantime. Annabeth was just about to step over the threshold when Luke's hand stopped her.

"Annabeth." He said, and pulled her aside a bit, "I just want to formally apologize, again, for the whole Thalia thing." He smiled, stupid dimples on his stupid face, "I really didn't meant to hurt you, and I can only hope that we're starting to become friends again through this dance."

Okay, so she was hoping an apology, but maybe not expecting it. Luke, like her, was very much filled with pride, and one confrontation was all he could handle most of the time. This was why he just pretended the scandal didn't happen at all. Now, for him to formally apologize, it was really something.

"Thank you Luke." She said. She appreciated the gesture, but she also felt her skin burn uncomfortable at his touch, "But I can't forget you just yet. It'll take time, but it's a good start."

She didn't smile, but he grinned madly.

"I couldn't take all the credit." Luke confessed, "My mother told me from a charming young man she met in New York that when offending a girl, it is best to apologize no matter the circumstances, and especially now, as I've offended you greatly."

"That charming man is very wise." She nodded, and turned away swiftly. She couldn't think about Luke right now. Suddenly Seaweed Brain was in her mind again. He still haven't called her. Maybe the same rule applied for girls. She did make a horrid mistake.

The problem was, now that she was going to apologize, how was she going to do it? A simple text didn't seem write, but she couldn't very well write a whole essay knowing his dyslexia, it'll be like a slap to the face.

Her phone pinged as if to answer her troubles, Annabeth checked it enthusiastically, but it was only Silena telling her to hurry up. Her face fell, and apparently Luke noticed as well.

"Trouble in paradise?" He teased. Annabeth's head snapped back up.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your boyfriend." He replied, "I assume he is busy, which is the only reason you're coming with me, did you get a text from him?"

Annabeth laughed awkwardly. Seaweed Brain wasn't her boyfriend by a long shot, and barely a friend, by the looks of things recent.

"He's just someone I met recently." Annabeth said vaguely, "We're going through a rough patch, actually, he's not replying to my texts."

Luke ruffled her hair (not only was she annoyed because it took her an hour to do, but also because he was patronizing her again, she wasn't a child for gods' sake!), "I'm sure it'll be alright."

"I don't need your pity." Annabeth glared, "I haven't forgiven you just yet, in case you haven't realized."

"Nope." Luke's grin was still there, which unnerved her greatly, "But it's a start."

Her phone was ringing off the charts now, but those messages belonged to Silena, not Seaweed Brain. Annabeth was both puzzled by Luke's cryptic smile and her online friend's absence. She can only pray that the night will get better from here.

It didn't.

It turns out that for one thing, Thalia Grace turned into a party girl within the few weeks that Annabeth had stopped coming to her. She was wearing this killer black dress that Luke can't take his eyes off of. At least Bianca wasn't here.

Annabeth knew that she should just clear up the misunderstanding. No, Luke wasn't her boyfriend, and no, Seaweed Brain wasn't either, but something got in the way of that. Call it her pride, but Annabeth hated apologizing for things, perhaps that was why greek3fire was ignoring her.

Paradoxes are quite annoying, Annabeth thought grumpily. She stood by the punch table, looking out at the faces of her classmates with a certain pang. This was her last Snowflake Dance before she graduated, the future of university applications suddenly loomed onto her like an oncoming storm. Something stirred in her stomach, and Annabeth drank down another cup of fruit punch to chill it for a while.

Yeah, university, the only thing in her life that was more pressuring than her image. It wasn't that most universities wouldn't take her, she was Annabeth Chase, student council leader, straight A since kindergarten, and head cheerleader, most universities are lucky to take her, but the choice of which one?

She shook her head out of that, it wasn't time to dwell on the future, especially since she's got to deal with the current. Bianca di Angelo walked in with her dark coal colored dress, standing awkwardly next to her brother, who was sullen and Nico-ish again. Annabeth felt bad for the duo, they were siblings, yet they haven't spared each other a second glance. Was that better than what she had with Bobby and Matthew? Annabeth didn't feel so.

"B!" She called, waving at them against her better judgment, her mission tonight was to blend in, not to stand out, but it was too late. "Hey di Angelos."

"Chase." Nico waved half-heartedly.

"Where's Luke?" Bianca glanced at Annabeth, completely ignoring her brother, "Washroom, or…"

"Yeah, he couldn't make it." Annabeth lied cleanly. Luke was dancing somewhere with Thalia, and hopefully, wouldn't bother her, she only needed to stay for a few more minutes, have a chat with Bianca, and get some needy freshman to take her home real soon, "Shame though."

"I would've liked to meet him." Bianca smiled. She reached past her brother for a drink. Nico didn't say anything, but blended into the shadow. Annabeth stared between the two.

"You two had a good night?" She prompted, "It's been two days, what's been going on?"

"My dad took be around San Francisco, the golden bridge and all that jazz." Bianca said, "It's been nice."

Annabeth noticed that she left out Nico.

"You?" She turned to the younger di Angelo, "Are you having fun Nicky?"

He glared at her with his coal eyes, matching Bianca's dress. Annabeth felt the urge to take a step back, but knew that she would fall into the punch bowl.

"Well." Annabeth decided to stop trying to amend the two siblings, it wasn't in her place, "It's been fun, I've got loads to do before the school starts again, and I've got to get up early tomorrow for a meeting, so I'm just going to call it a ni—"

"Annie!" Thalia called. She walked over in her two inch heels with no problem, while it took Annabeth about a year to master the art. She noticed Nico and Bianca, "Is this your sister Nicky?"

Nico shrugged.

Thalia's smile looked slightly forced now, it wasn't an easy crowd to please, "Well, Luke and I were thinking that—"

"Wait, Luke?" Bianca interrupted, "Isn't he Annabeth's date?"

Thalia looked confused for a moment, but quickly recovered, "Well, Luke just drove her here really."

"Yes." Annabeth continued off from there (she ignored the stabbing annoyance of Thalia announcing her date with Luke, as always, she was on the short end of the stick), "We're all in a group really." She was forced another smile, wondering what on earth did she get herself into, "You see, Silena didn't have a date, and neither did I, really, so we just all sort of grouped together."

Thalia looked over to her now, a bewildered expression upon her face. Annabeth wished that they were still friends, for a millisecond, because friend!Thalia would be able to read friend!Annabeth's mind.

"Cool." Bianca decided, "Hey, I'm going to get a song request in, anybody want to join me?"

Thalia shrugged, "How about your brother, you don't want ol'Nicky to be a wallflower all night." She ruffled Nico's hair, who looked like he was trying to kill them all with his glare.

"He's fine." Bianca's voice cracked, "You're fine, Nico."

"Yeah." He muttered, and stalked out of the gym. Annabeth felt a certain sadness as she watched him leave. It was the sign of a neglected child, something she can relate to as she thought of her empty house.

"Wait." She called after him, "Nico, join us for a drink?"

"He's fine." Bianca insisted, "Aren't you Nico?"

He glared, and swiftly disappeared into the wall, as if he travelled by shadows. Annabeth looked back at Bianca, who had a mixed emotion of sadness and satisfaction.

"Okay then." Thalia ignorantly broke the tension, "I'm going to find Luke somewhere, you two have fun!" And waved off without another care.

The two girls were left, standing awkwardly to some Katy Perry song blasting in the background.

"So I'm guessing Seaweed Brain isn't really Luke." Bianca said slowly.

"And I'm guessing you're avoiding your brother for some reason." Annabeth shrugged.

"And I'm guessing that the black haired girl wasn't really your friend."

"Touché." Annabeth said. Bianca was easy to talk to, she find, almost like Seaweed Brain, though admittedly her presence at Annabeth's school did make her a little cautious about the information she wanted to spread, "Let's just say that I had a history with this 'Luke', but Thalia was a reason we broke up."

Bianca widened her eyes, "He cheated?"

"In so many words." Annabeth shrugged, "Seaweed Brain, he's, umm…he's a friend from online."

Now, if she was to admit this to anyone in her school, especially to Katie Gardner, it would be absolute social suicide. She could see the headlines now, Annabeth Chase: Desperate enough for a cyber-boyfriend? But Bianca wasn't from here, and she was going to leave in a few days, Annabeth thought that she might as well leave with no lies."

"I've been talking to him for a while." Annabeth sighed, saying it was easier than she imagined, "But I didn't want to admit that, so I made up the fact that I still had a date, Luke."

Bianca smiled sympathetically, perhaps the only person to do so since the break-up that hasn't made Annabeth want to punch their lights out. "I'm sorry about the pressure, but you could've told the truth."

"That'd be easier." Annabeth admitted, "I do tell what I feel, to Seaweed Brain at least, to people at Summerville High…" She looked over at Rachel Elizabeth Dare, shrieking at Conner Stoll for ruining her emerald green dress, "…it's very superficial."

"You think that New York is differently?" Bianca laughed, "My best friend's ex was only dating him for his money. People are going to be cruel everywhere, you just got to know who you can trust."

Wise advice to a not-as-wise-as-she-should've-been girl, Annabeth smiled genuinely for the first time in the night. Something ticked in the back of her mind though, "What about Nico then? What's the deal?"

Bianca's smile turned instantly from supportive friend to longing sister, "I haven't seen him in forever." She confessed, "I thought he might change a lot, and let's face it, he did." She crinkled her forehead, "He just wears…a lot of black…he used to be such an easy guy, happy even. Now it's impossible to imagine."

Annabeth thought to the way Nico lit up like a Christmas tree when Bianca landed in the airport, "Not so much, he's the same guy he's always been, only in guyliner." She shrugged, "He's still your brother."

Bianca nodded, more to herself than to Annabeth, "Guess we both got to do some apologizing."

Bianca walked out the gym door, presumably to find her brother. That left Annabeth to her own disarming thoughts. Apologizing? Luke had done it, so did Thalia, so why couldn't Annabeth?

Well, she knew at least one person she's got to apology to tonight, but sadly, the distance between the two made it a lot harder. She knew just what to say though. She supposed she always did, but actually admitting something oppose to thinking it is always harder.

With a smile on her face, and a bit of a buzz in her head, she was not in her right mind doing so, but she didn't care now. Annabeth took out her smartphone and tapped at her camera app, taking a picture of herself in the Snowflake Dance.

Grey eyes, blue dress, and all.

wisegirl6 sent an image

wisegirl6: I'm sorry about the ignorance on the whole present ordeal, I was just too caught up in the dance. It won't happen again. I have this fatal flaw of hubris, I can't do apologies very well. But that's no excuse for my actions. I value you too much to let you ignore me Seaweed Brain.

Then, as a crazy after thought to her already crazy action, she typed three more words.

wisegirl6: See you soon

Later that night, she smiled at the response.

greek3fire: What's a hubris?

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