Okkkkaaayyy! The reviews are pretty interesting. Don't worry about Percy much, he can be bad sometimes but he isn't inherently evil, now is he? He was pretty sweet in the chapter before the last.

And to answer the question about Percy's behavior. I have based his character in a disturbed childhood scene. If you haven't been through one, it is hard to actually even think about it. Imagine. A child. Five-six year old. When the mind is at the threshold of a developing character and ready to learn and mould itself into what it is going to be for the rest of its life, what will happen to it if it is oppressed, brainwashed into feeling its not wanted and that it is trash? It is very difficult to pull such people out of their depressed state. (I am a student of biology and psychology, please forgive me if this was a little heavy.)

Okay. Anyway. Let's not go into extremes right now. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. PS If you want to read more about such a thing. Read about Marilyn Monroe. Poor girl.

And yeah about my age. I am older than fourteen. (No, I am not fifteen. No, I am not sixteen, either, just in case) :P

So... My prank had been a disaster. I mean, I didn't think he would react that way, now did I? But I had to face the facts. He had. So back to my checklist.

Declined politely? Check.

Declined not so politely? Check.

Tried to reason? Check.

Fought? Check.

Made up? Once. Check. Okay, so this wasn't supposed to be on the checklist but what the hell.

Really tried to make him hate me by messing with his work and taking the fight to the next level? Check.

Nothing had worked. So there was only one thing left.

Breaking his heart. Somehow I don't think that was going to work. It might, if he had a heart, then yes. So I guess I don't have anything to lose. Other than Percy, of course.

And yeah, I had absolutely no idea how to do that.

We have been living in denial for the past eleven days. We hadn't talked about it. We hadn't talked about anything much. Just pretending nothing happened and acting like total strangers and offering to do the dishes.

I didn't have anything to say to him in the matter. I am not sorry for what I did and I am not a fool to continue my tirade against him in that manner and I had been trying to ignore his presence for the past fifteen minutes until his voice disrupted my internal babbling.

'How long are we gonna stay like this?' Ha! just what I had been thinking. I am glad he said it first. So should I try breaking or not?

I need a flower.

'Hmm... I don't know,' I replied lamely. Should I or should I not?

'Look. I just talked to you that way cause I didn't want that kind of thing to be repeated again, you know?' He said, looking at me. I could see him from the corner of my eyes but I wasn't in the mood for regarding him directly especially when I had that question in my mind.

'Yeah, I know,' I said and added, 'you shouldn't have tried to threaten me again.'

'Which threat?' He asked in utter innocence. I stared at him. He didn't know? He didn't KNOW? How could he not remember it? Or was he just playing? Doesn't look that way. I should, I decided. I had been worrying about that for the past eleven days and he didn't even remember it?

'Oh that?' He replied his own question. 'That wasn't supposed to be put out that way. I didn't mean to threaten you like that. I was really angry, that's all.'

Okay I was seriously not liking this conversation now.

'Look,' he continued. 'Let's just forget it, alright? You seem to be farther away than ever these past few days. Let's put it behind us and move on like adults. Besides, my phone had been on mute at that time. I had been reviewing, so all I had to do in that call was listen.'

What did he just say?

Oh, I am so doing it. This is outrageous.

Farther away from him? I'll give him farther away from him.

'Percy, you want me to be completely honest with you, right?' I replied putting on my best poker face.

'Of course,' he replied instantly, smiling a little.

But I wanted out. I wanted out right now.

'Since you noticed how I seemed to be drifting away these few days,' I paused. Drama.

'Okay, I do not like the tone of your voice,' he said eyeing me suspiciously. 'But go on.'

'Its because I realized that I have been in love with someone else,' I said. Bombshell. His face changed from it former apprehension to confusion.

'I didn't know there was someone else in your life,' he said, hesitating.

'Well, neither did I. But since we got engaged, I realized that my heart had always belonged to someone else,' I said. I didn't like what I was doing, but I didn't know what else to do.

Confusion changed to disbelief which changed to panic, I think.

'Are you saying this because of what happened? Because of what I said to you?' He asked as he switched the television off.

'Well yes and no,' I said. "I mean it has been going on for a while and that incident and what you said kind of sealed the deal.'

'Annabeth! I didn't mean for it to come out that way!' he said, clearly flustered. 'Who is this guy, anyway?'

'You'll screw him over, wouldn't you?' I said, bitterly. 'Threaten him. Threaten his family. I am not telling you his name.'

'I am not letting you go,' he said tightly, not meeting my eyes.

'Yeah that is what I thought, too,' I said trying to blink back tears. I hated him. And I hated myself.

He didn't say anything after that. Just sat there, looking at the blank television screen.

I got up and went straight to my room, locked the door, then went into my dressing area, locked the door, then went into my attached bath, locked the door, and found the corner farthest from the door and sat down and started crying.

I had mixed emotions. I didn't know what I should've done. At one hand, I was okay with it but my conscience said otherwise. I had been excessively heartless. But he shouldn't have any problems with that. He was Percy.

I wanted my mother. Worse than ever. She would tell me what to do. She always knew the right thing.

I don't know how long I stayed there like that, taking out my anger, confusion, irritation, hopelessness and helplessness, irritation at feeling hopeless and helpless, but when I came out, the sun had gone down and when I saw the time, I realized that I had been that way in there for three hours.

I didn't want to face Percy after what I had done.

I didn't know how he had been reacting to it.

Was he cool and composed and had forgotten it already and was currently reviewing something with his phone on mute? Or was he laughing mirthlessly at my condition?

But my inner voice, call it my guardian angel, his guardian angel, my intuition, my womanly instinct, whatever cheesy name you can put on it, told me to go out there and see what he was doing. And nothing, I repeat NOTHING could have prepared me for what lay in front of my eyes when I walked into the living area.

This chapter is comparatively short. :/

I love what I have in mind for the next chapter. Hope you'll like it too!