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:13 of 22

Introducing: Ethan Nakumura, Frederick Chase, special guest star (duh I won't tell you spoilers!)

Note: hey hey hey, the book I referenced in this at the beginning is from United We Spy by Ally Carter, sixth in the Gallgher Girl series about spies. It's bloody awesome and pretty cool.

Oh, if anyone watched the Sherlock series 3, my PM box is opened for chat. Seriously, I'm sorta freaking out here.

wisegirl6 vi

san francisco 01/13/14 12:37 utc-8

annabeth chase

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Annabeth sat in the cafeteria, and held a book in her hand, and while the obvious thing she is trying to accomplish here is to read, she is having difficulty because of a certain sound.

Tap.

She looked at him and shook her head, smiled a little as she told him, "You are so like your father."

Tap.

Then she looked past me and Zach, past Bex and Abby, to where Agent Townsend stood by the door with his arms crossed.

Tap.

"Seriously Silena!" She yelled, "What's up? You've been jumpy all day!"

Silena Beauregard fixed her eyes something absurd in the cafeteria, as far as Annabeth could tell, she wasn't looking at anything specific (unless she had an obsession with the vending machine?). Annabeth pondered for a moment before sighing.

"Leonardo DiCaprio is here."

"Wait, what?" Silena's eyes turned wide, "Seriously Annie? Is my hair okay? OMG what about my outfit—"

"Hey, it's Annie." Annabeth corrected, "And Leo D. was at the Golden Globe's last night, how could he have come to San Francisco so fast."

Silena pouted, "That was cruel."

Annabeth just shrugged, "You weren't responding to my usual tactics."

"So you went and lied about Leonardo?"

"Okay, you're so not on first name basis with Jack Dawson." She argued, "And also, stop changing the subject!"

Silena simply pouted and stole one of Annabeth's fries.

"'Lena, talk to me, it's been like this for the entire day." Annabeth frowned, then gasped in realization, "Did you fail that math test earlier? Oh I know how your algebra teacher is such a bitch, but you really shouldn't—"

"Not the freakin' test Annie!" Silena exploded, "Everything's about marks with you!"

She pouted, letting her upset friend call her Annie once in the billionth year they've known each other, "Well then, what's up?"

Before Silena could (or could not) speak about it, Nico di Angelo sat at their lunch table. They've been okay friends ever since Bianca's visit, when Annabeth single-handedly fixed their relationship, sort of. As far as she knew, they've been regularly Skype-ing.

Like you and Seaweed Brain.

Gods, shut up inner conscious.

You know you want to think about him.

Not the time.

"Hey." Nico greeted. His presence caused several stares from the tables next to him, wondering why a guy wearing aviator jacket was sitting with girls in matching plaid skirts, "What's up with Beauregard?"

"She failed her math test." Annabeth said matter-of-factly.

"I did not!" Silena flamed.

"Then tell me what's up!"

Silena eyed Nico uneasily, causing the junior to pout. "I'm hurt, honestly." He said flatly, "Is this about girl stuff, are you on your p—"

"Don't even end that sentence." Silena threatened, "I tell you, teenage girl's stress doesn't just come from PMS-ing, there's actual problem involved, with actual people! Sometimes you're just having an okay day when you realized that no one really cares whether you live or die, okay? That's just the way the world works!"

Annabeth's eyes widened at Silena's proclamation. "Nico, maybe you could sit with other people today."

"Are you encouraging me to spend more time with Castellan and Grace?" Nico raised an eyebrow.

Annabeth's chest squeezed at his name, and more because of hers. "Just leave." She said tightly, and turned back to Silena, "'Lena, what's up?"

"Charlie hasn't texted in a few days." Silena said miserably, "At first I thought he was just busy—he works at his dad's mechanic store you know—but I checked his IrisProfile, he's going on a road trip."

If it wasn't for the situation and tension, Annabeth would've laughed. What sort of people still take road trips? Those were only for movies and crappy plot devices. "So? He probably doesn't have Wifi or something."

"We exchanged phone numbers!" Silena protested, "You're telling me he hasn't went anywhere with services in two days!"

"Outer state coverage is a bitch."

"Really Annabeth!" Silena yelled, "Just because your life is going so fabulous doesn't mean you can rub it in everyone else's face!"

With that exclamation, Silena dramatically got up from the table and stalked off. Annabeth stared at her friend, wondering what went so far. She was just trying to lighten the mood, she sighed, obviously Silena doesn't have the cheer up with laughter sort of anger, that was more Thalia…

Stop it. Annabeth frowned, you're still mad at her, sort of.

Speaking of the witch…

"Hey, Nico said that 'Lena's blowing up a shit storm." Thalia Grace graced the scene with her presence. Annabeth did an interior eye roll (or was it exterior, oops).

"I'm going to find her." She scooped up her backpack and made a motion to leave the caf, when the worst of all things happened, Thalia followed.

"You're not coming." Annabeth huffed, "I didn't invite you."

"As your friend and her friend, I have a motive to want to help you guys." Thalia snapped.

"You're not my friend." Annabeth said simply, "Honestly, I'm not sure if you've ever been my friend."

"Honestly, I don't know why you're still so angry about that!" Thalia exclaimed.

"One month and a half Thalia!" She completely lost it. How dare Thalia speak so simply about something that was of momentous weight on her, "I'm the laughter of the entire school. That girl who got dumped by Luke Castellan for her best friend. You think I can just forget that?"

Thalia's face twisted, "That's always the problem Annie, you care too much about what people think."

"It's Annabeth!" She yelled, throwing her hand violently and alarming a passing by freshman, "And maybe less that my reputation is ruined, but that my best friend made it happen. You fucking lied Thalia, and that's not fucking okay!"

"You forgive Luke!" Thalia's voice was raising too, "Obviously, the boyfriend is forgiven first."

Annabeth turned on her killer heels. She could not do this right now. She could not be so selfish that she pick her own fight over Silena's. she wasn't going to be like Thalia.

"You know, maybe he dumped you because you're not a brainiac Annie, you're a fucking drama queen!"

wisegirl6: Are you free anytime soon? I need to talk to you

She found Silena by the chemistry room. That's where their next class was held. By then Annabeth had somewhat dried her tears and gathered herself.

Of course she saw the parallel between Silena's problem and her own, both having to do with (stupid) boys. But Annabeth was going to put her own feelings aside and help Silena, because Thalia didn't recognize what a big deal lying was to Annabeth, and Annabeth wasn't going to brush away her friends problems for her own.

Thalia Grace was the last person she wanted to see.

With a slightly forced smile, Annabeth sat next to Silena, not even minding that her skirt was going to be dirty.

"Seriously, talk to me." Annabeth said firmly, "You're my only friend now."

"The whole school loves you."

"Yeah, but they love you more. You're in love with love and they love that."

"Try saying that five times fast." Silena sighed. She was quiet for a moment, so quiet that Annabeth wondered if she was going to speak at all, "I gave Charlie my address."

"I know." Annabeth shrugged, "I would've done the same with…Percy." She knew his name now, it was weird.

Silena paused, "I keep forgetting that you guys Skype-d."

She tried to downplay her inner giddiness and desire to analyze the entire conversation. "Sure."

"Don't trust him Annabeth." Silena whispered. "Don't trust strange guys on the internet. They'll just break your heart."

Annabeth thought to Percy. His green eyes and black hair and how he can make being a video game nerd look somewhat hot. He seemed so real and genuine that she can touch him right through the screen, but she reminded herself, Silena's reminded her, that it was just a screen.

Annabeth Chase could not be in love with a screen.

"He didn't reply back." Silena said. Annabeth broke from her own thoughts to realize that her friend was talking about Charlie. "I gave him my address and he didn't reply. Now I'm just waiting for this 'road trip' to take a turn to San Francisco so he can kill me in my sleep."

"He's not gonna do that." Annabeth assured, because really, even if that's actually possible, she can't say that, "You've Skype-d too."

"But that Charlie could just be faking it, an actual psychopath in disguise." Silena protested, "I've read articles online."

Annabeth bit her reply. So why didn't you be more careful, and said instead. "If there is a genuine connection between your words, then I don't think he'll kill you."

Silena snorted, "That's poetic."

She got up all of the sudden, taking the impossible task of brushing out her skirt. "What are you doing?" Annabeth asked, struggling to get up as well.

"I can't be down all the time." Her smile was bright, almost blinding, and definitely weird. "Like you said, I'm too in love with love to be miserable, it's exhausting."

"Well I'm glad." Annabeth said, though instead she was slightly freaking out. The only thing more scary than a piss off Silena Beauregard is a plotting Silena Beauregard. She checked the symptoms, phantom smile, deliberate happiness, and evil-ly rubbing hands together. She was definitely up to something.

But then Annabeth's phone ping-ed.

"Go on, talk to your boyfriend." Silena laughed, "Couples are wonderful."

greek3fire: Are you hospitalized?

wisegirl6: No…

greek3fire: No fire, no wire, no gas, no glass, no thug, no bug?

wisegirl6: Surprised that you know that rhyme

greek3fire: Part of the lifeguard training, I am a swimmer

wisegirl6: Oh

greek3fire: You just had a vision of me shirtless right?

wisegirl6: Gods your flirting is awful

greek3fire: You liiiike it

wisegirl6: Stop with the 'i's

greek3fire: Seriously though Annie, I'm going to have to call the San Francisco Police Force or something if you don't tell me what's up

wisegirl6: It's Annabeth

greek3fire: Are you always this touchy about your name?

wisegirl6: You have no idea. I gave it to you in confidence, don't fail me now

greek3fire: Wouldn't dream of it Wise Girl

wisegirl6: Anyways…Percy…my friend Silena's behaving oddly, actually she was really moody before but now she's sort of just really happy

greek3fire: Are you sure you're not PMS-ing?

wisegirl6: UGH YOU SOUND LIKE NICO!

greek3fire: Who's Nico?

greek3fire: Annie?

greek3fire: IS THERE A BOYFRIEND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT!

wisegirl6: It's Annabeth

greek3fire: ARGH ANSWER MY QUESTION

wisegirl6: Definitely not, Luke broke up with me a month and a half ago, I'm not healing that fast

greek3fire: Sucks for me

wisegirl6: Advice about Silena, please?

greek3fire: Well, you really should just give her space. I dunno, I'm not good with advice

wisegirl6: Such a way with words

greek3fire: Really?

wisegirl6: Nah

wisegirl6: It sort of helped though, I mean, Silena can't really listen well, it may be best to leave her be

greek3fire: That's my girl

wisegirl6: I'm not your anything

greek3fire: Not yet

greek3fire: ;)

wisegirl6: UGH your flirting sucks

After school Annabeth sat at the foot of the building. Since she is still pitifully in lack of a driver's license, she's gotta wait for Silena to drive her. Part of her wondered if her inability to drive on a highway is going to haunt her later, but then shook her head.

"Heeeyyy."

The voice vaguely sounded like Silena when she is drunk, or maybe in love. Either way she's pumped with perkiness and totally frivolous. She looked up, expecting an explanation to her sudden change of mood, when the scene totally hit Annabeth's sideways.

"It's Ethan from French!" Silena giggled, wrapping her hand around a Japanese boy that Annabeth had never seen before. "Say hi Ethan."

"'Sup Annabeth." Ethan nodded, trying to do that cool thing where they jerk their head up quickly but end up looking like a wannabe gangster, "Who are you waiting for?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to say Silena when, once again, the words are stolen right out of her.

"Annabeth." Her father was here, wait, her father was here? "We have to go."

She blinked. As far as she's concerned there wasn't a meeting of any sort with anyone in the next week, and no balls, galas, dinners, gatherings, parties, or bonfires she needed to attend with her family at all. So why is her father at the school?

He was never here. Something was wrong.

"Silena." She waved goodbye to her friend, "I'll umm…talk to you later?"

"Yeah okay." Silena made googly eyes at Ethan, who kept his eyes on Annabeth. She squirmed in his gaze and quickly made a getaway. She followed her father across the parking lot, where a limo was waiting for them. In a normal school it might've attracted some attention, but Summerville High was specifically for the rich and famous, there were about five other limos in the stretch.

"Just get in." Frederick said gravely.

"Are Bobby and Matthew all right?" Annabeth said worriedly, "Because I know I'm supposed to make them take their vitamin on Thursday, but it was sort of hectic, you know?"

"Annabeth." A voice floated from within the car. Annabeth froze. Her limbs worked on their own as she climbed into the limo, and looked into a face that she haven't seen for an entire year.

"Hi mom."

Next Update on Jan 18, 2014

Remember, that's Percy's POV

Question time: if you were a monster to be killed by a demigod from Half-Blood or Jupiter, who do you want to kill you?

Yeah I'm not really creative with these questions.

Also, chapter 13 on the 13th? yeah I don't believe in concidences