Hello everyone! Thanks again for the positive reviews.

I have literally just finished writing this, so it's unedited. If there are any mistakes, please let me know and I'll change them ASAP.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

PART 2

Annabeth scribbled one more line on the paper in front of her before turning back to Percy, who was anxiously peering over her shoulder.

"Okay," she said. "I've come up with a list of ideas on how you can tell her."

Percy leaned back on the couch and ran a hand through his dark hair, making Annabeth's heart flutter. "What have you got?"

"Here we go. Number One," Annabeth glanced over at Percy, feeling his gaze on her skin. "Go up to her and ask her on a date."

Percy scrunched his nose in a way that Annabeth knew meant 'Nope. Never going to happen.' She breathed a silent laugh at how he was so childish at sometimes.

"Fine. We'll scratch that one." Annabeth drew a jagged line through the first bullet point. "Number Two: Serenading."

"What's that?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "You know: sing her a song, play guitar outside her bedroom window – actually, I don't think that will be much of a success either."

Percy grimaced. "I second that."

The thought of Percy singing had brought back memories from a karaoke night that the two went to when they were fourteen. Annabeth shook her head, remembering the way that the manager of the store ushered them out after receiving several harsh complaints about how Percy's voice sounded like a dying cat. Personally, Annabeth felt like that was offensive to the cats.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I don't think the 'waiting outside her window' thing would go down too well either."

After crossing that one off her list, she moved on to option Number Three.

"What about something big; making an announcement over the PA or hiring the cheerleading squad to do something. I know the glee club is always available."

"She wouldn't want the attention," said Percy, shaking his head. "Besides, it would be all the more embarrassing if I get rejected."

Annabeth nodded; his logic was reasonable. She looked down at the paper and saw that there were only two options left and she immediately scribbled out Number Five, which read Treasure Hunt, and Annabeth knew for a fact that organising a treasure hunt was the most least-like-Percy thing to do.

"What have we got left?" Percy asked.

Annabeth looked down at option Number Four. "Something from the heart," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, something really personal: nothing too extravagant, but symbolic and meaningful."

Percy put his chin in his hand, thinking for a few moments. Annabeth's heart, for an unknown reason, was beating rapidly as he turned his gaze away from her and looked at the piece of paper in front of him.

"What about you?" Percy asked suddenly, whipping his head around to look her in the eyes.

"What about me?"

"Well," Percy shrugged, fiddling with the zipper of his jacket, "what would you want? If someone was to tell you that they liked you? How would you want him to do it?"

Annabeth felt oddly flattered at his question. She felt her cheeks heat up, and was momentarily glad that Percy was as oblivious as a doornail. But she still had to answer his question.

"Well," she began, "I suppose that I'd like something simple; something that told me just how much I mean to that person." Annabeth paused. "I think a letter would be nice."

"Like a love letter?"

"If you want to call it that," she mused.

Percy smiled. "I like that idea."

"Huh?"

"Writing a letter."

Annabeth glanced at him inquisitively. "You'd actually write a love letter to this girl?"

"Why not?" Percy shrugged.

She gave him a broad smile and didn't answer. But that smile quickly waned as she remembered that the letter he was going to write was for another.

"Do you need help?"

Percy nodded his head slightly. "Please."

Annabeth checked her phone. "Okay. We have about two hours before I've got to get going, so we'd better get to work."

"What?" Percy asked. "We're doing this now?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "There's no time quite like the present, isn't there Seaweed Brain."

"I suppose not," Percy mumbled. He stared at her for a minute. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why aren't you writing anything?" he asked.

"It's your letter," Annabeth said. "I'm not writing it for you."

"But I don't know how to write a love letter."

Annabeth thought for a moment. "Well," she said, "it would help if you actually told me who she was."

Percy flushed a light shade of red.

"Fine. Don't tell me who she is," Annabeth grumbled. She had a feeling about who the girl that Percy liked was. Over the past two weeks, he had been spending time with Rachel Elizabeth Dare (who always introduced herself using her full name), an artist in the making who had the same Homeroom as her. Percy talked about her a lot, and Annabeth could understand why he'd like her. She was very pretty; you could spot her flaming red hair from a mile away.

"At least tell me what she's like," Annabeth coaxed.

Percy sighed and mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

"Percy," Annabeth said, beginning to grow impatient. "We're never going to get anywhere unless you tell me something about her."

He leaned back on the couch. "She's got the most amazing hair."

Definitely Rachel.

"That's a good start," Annabeth praised, silently cursing Rachel Elizabeth Dare under her breath. "Anything else?"

"She has pretty eyes."

Rachel's eyes were green and framed by thick lashes. One would almost call them exotic.

"But she has a temper and scares me sometimes."

Annabeth thought of the way that Rachel's temper flare up, fiery enough to rival her hair.

Well, Annabeth thought with a sad smile, her heart twanging. At least we're getting somewhere.

"And even though she's way too good for me, I think that I'm in love with her."

Annabeth's world came crashing down right in front of her eyes.

"To the most beautiful girl in the world,

This is the hardest letter that I've ever had to write (not that I've written many letters in the first place) but I hope that you take the time to read it. You are –"

"Stop!"

"Why? I already know what you've written."

"I know that, but just don't read it out loud like that," Percy pleaded, sighing.

Annabeth nodded and put down the letter. They had worked for the past hour and a half trying to write a letter that sounded at least partially romantic and since Percy was quite embarrassed about his new-found crush, it took Annabeth quite some time to pull out things about the girl.

In the end, Percy was left with a completed love letter, and Annabeth hoped that Rachel appreciated just how much time it took for him to work up the courage to write it. Honestly, Annabeth didn't even know if he was going to give it to her. Percy wasn't exactly the boldest of types.

"I think we did good," Percy said, smiling at her.

Annabeth didn't even bother correcting him. "Yeah," she smiled sadly, "we did real good."

Suddenly, Annabeth's mind was filled with images of Percy and Rachel. Together. She saw them holding hands in the hallways and sneaking glances at each other during class. She saw them cuddling at the movies and kissing at her doorstep when they think her parents are looking.

It all suddenly became too overwhelming for Annabeth to handle, and she muttered a brief 'Excuse me' to Percy before getting up and rushing to the bathroom. She didn't know if Percy was following her but, frankly, she didn't care. Looking in the mirror and bracing herself over the basin, Annabeth studied her reflection with a calculating stare.

What did Rachel Elizabeth Dare have that she didn't? Was it her personality? Was she too cold and calculating? Was she too cooped up in her studies? She couldn't remember the last time that she and Percy had hung out together – just the two of them. Was she too plain? Was she too pushy? After all these years of being friends, was that how Percy saw her: just a friend?

Annabeth saw that her eyes were starting to turn red, and she forcefully choked back a sob. Annabeth Chase does not cry. Ever. She didn't cry when she was seven and fell off her bike. She didn't cry when her friends made fun of her when she was twelve. She didn't cry when her mom died when she was fourteen. She didn't cry when her first boyfriend broke up with her six weeks later. And she would not cry over Percy Jackson.

"Annabeth?" A voice jarred her out of her thoughts. It was Percy. When she didn't reply, she heard him knocking on the bathroom door. "Annabeth? Are you okay?"

Annabeth took three slow, deep breaths before answering, "Yeah. I-I'm fine."

"Could you come out?"

Annabeth didn't reply.

"Please?"

She slowly leaned back from the basin and unlocked the door. She opened it and slipped out of the bathroom without looking Percy in the eye.

"Annabeth," said Percy, softly, "are you alright?"

She nodded and continued to stare at the wall. She felt Percy's cool fingers on her skin as he cupped her cheek, making her look at him.

"Are you sure?"

She leaned out of his touch and he let his hand hang in the air for a moment before dropping it back down to his side. "Yeah," Annabeth said. "Just thinking."

"About your mom?"

Annabeth didn't know why, but she found herself nodding at Percy's question. Perhaps it was easier.

She found herself being pulled into Percy's chest as he wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in a hug. In turn, Annabeth snaked her arms around his waist, pulling him close. She lay her head against his chest and for some reason, it made her feel better. Now that was ironic.

Annabeth broke away from their embrace when she heard the sound of a key being twisted in a lock. Mrs Jackson was home.

"Percy? Are you in here?"

Percy walked down the hall towards the kitchen. "Yeah, Mom."

Annabeth followed suit. "Hey, Sally."

"Annabeth!" Mrs Jackson cried. "I haven't seen you in almost a week!"

"It's been too long," Annabeth laughed, giving her a hug.

"Are you going to stay for dinner? I can set another place at the table if you like. Paul should be back from the shops in a minute. We're having pasta –"

"Actually, Sally," Annabeth said, apologetically, "I was just on my way out."

"You were?" asked Percy, looking disappointed.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. My dad wants me home in a couple of minutes."

"Oh, that's a shame," said Sally. "Well, come by again soon. Paul will be sorry that he missed you."

"I see him every day,," Annabeth laughed, gathering her books. "He's more likely to want to get rid of me."

"Nonsense!" Sally exclaimed. "You're one of his favorite students!"

"Goodbye, Sally," Annabeth said, giving her another hug. "I'll come by on the weekend if that's alright with you."

"That sounds wonderful, dear," smiled Sally, returning the embrace.

Annabeth slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way to the door, with Percy following closely behind her.

"Thanks for the help today, Annabeth," he said, opening the door for her. "I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

"What are friends for?" Annabeth smiled, trying to slow the beating of her heart.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to drive you home?" Percy asked, his eyebrows furrowing in a way that made Annabeth's heart flutter.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I'll enjoy the walk."

Percy's face fell slightly. "Oh, alright. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Definitely," Annabeth replied. "And, er, let me know how it goes with the letter and everything."

"You'll be the first. You really are the bestest friend ever, Annabeth."

"Thanks," she smiled, giving him one last hug. "See you tomorrow, Seaweed Brain."

Annabeth waved goodbye and made her way down the stairs of the apartment building, trying with all her might not to look back. She smiled at Argus the Doorman and made her way down the busy streets of New York.

She wasn't exactly paying much attention to where she was going and it seemed like her feet were on autopilot, guiding her home. All Annabeth could think about was the way that Rachel's face would light up when she read the letter.

Sighing, she made her way up the steps of the front porch of her house and unlocked the door, suddenly wishing that she had taken up Sally's offer of staying for dinner.

Annabeth had a hard time sleeping that night. She felt like too much was on her mind. Throughout the course of the evening she had decided that Percy was an absolute imbecile, which wouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone.

It wasn't that the boy was stupid. Because he wasn't. Annabeth was one of the few people who actually understood his full potential, and it was a lot more than most people would expect. Percy was quite bright, but just didn't apply himself. Ever since they had started high school Annabeth had tried to get him to focus, but he just didn't want to. He had seemed...distracted.

But even so, Percy remained as oblivious as anyone could imagine.

Annabeth found it quite hard to fathom how her 'crush' on Percy had gone unnoticed by him for so long: three years and two months to be exact. Not that she was counting or anything. Because she wasn't. Annabeth remembered how, at Percy's fourteenth birthday party, their hands had brushed and her heart had leapt. At the time she didn't know what it meant, but ever since that moment, she felt flushed whenever she was around him.

Many other moments crossed Annabeth's mind that night. She remembered their first day of Middle School together; two scared pre-teens who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. She remembered the times that she cheered him on at his swim meets that she went to. Annabeth had pretended that she hated going because they clashed with her chess club gatherings, but she was secretly glad that he dragged her along. Besides, it's not every day that she got to see Percy wearing nothing but his swim trunks.

Annabeth had always admired Percy's connection with the water, and had only hoped that someday she'd find something that she was as equally passionate about. Annabeth remembered how happy Percy was when he found out that he had been voted Swim Team captain, and he'd taken the responsibility far more seriously than Annabeth would have expected.

Countless more memories flooded Annabeth's mind that night: their first year of summer camp together, their yearly trips to Montauk and the Christmases that they spent tucked in Mrs Jackson's lounge room.

Annabeth blushed through the darkness as she remembered one particular Christmas. She and Percy were fifteen and after Christmas dinner, they were somehow caught underneath the mistletoe. Percy's ears had turned red, the way they did when he was embarrassed, and had pulled her in for a very awkward kiss. Annabeth, on the other hand, could feel her heart beating so hard that it was almost jumping out of her chest.

She was sure that something would have changed with her and Percy's relationship – that perhaps he'd kiss her again, that he'd ask her out on an awkward first date to the movies or that he'd profess his undying love for her, but it was all wishful thinking. Nothing changed; their kiss was never spoken of again.

Outside her window, Annabeth could hear the sound of car horns in the distance – the sound of busy people with busy lives who were out and about at that ungodly hour. She had no idea on how long she'd been awake, and her thoughts trailed to the day ahead of her.

That was a mistake, as she immediately thought of the letter that she and Percy had written, and that lead to thinking about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, for whom Annabeth had discovered a newfound hatred.

Rubbing her eyes and trying to free her mind from the vivid image of Percy and Rachel kissing, Annabeth rolled over to look at her clock. 3:04.

Great. She was lying awake at three A.M. with an English Literature test that morning, while the rest of the world slept soundly. And they probably didn't have an English Literature test either.

Annabeth was not having a good morning.

She had gotten no more than three and a half hours sleep due to her overactive consciousness, she had stubbed her toe on the end of her bed twice and her twin brothers had spilled their breakfast all over her new shirt, meaning that she had to get changed, and that meant that she was running late. She also had an English Literature test during third period (one which she had forgotten to study for) and, to top it all off, today was the day that Percy was going to give Rachel the letter.

Oh and it was raining too.

Normally Percy would have picked her up for school, but he happened to have swimming training that morning, which Annabeth was secretly glad about. She didn't exactly want to talk to him at the moment.

So, Annabeth was now trudging through the pouring rain without an umbrella, unable to avoid getting mud in her shoes, her hair looked like a dripping blonde mess and she couldn't get Percy out of her mind.

Stupid Seaweed Brain.

Scowling like there was no tomorrow Annabeth walked into Goode High, where she could see the faces of her smiling classmates. She thought about how strange it was that people seem a lot happier when she is not. That didn't really help her mood; thinking that just made her scowl even more.

Drudgingly, she made her way slowly to her locker, bumping into countless people in the process. Annabeth shrugged her bag up higher onto her shoulder and turned down the hall.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw a certain someone standing at a certain someone else's locker. Percy was smiling and Rachel was beaming ear to ear, talking excitedly to him about who knows what.

Well, Annabeth knew. There was only one thing that they could be talking about. And from the looks of things, Percy's letter worked.

Annabeth choked back tears as she stormed past the two, trying furiously to open her locker and trying even harder to get the image of Rachel's had on Percy's shoulder out of her head. She banged furiously on her locker door, which caused it to fly open and hit her elbow.

It really wasn't her day.

Biting back countless curses, Annabeth stuffed her bag into her locker and slammed the door so hard that a piece of stray paper got caught. She plucked the paper from the locker door and went to shove it in her jacket pocket, and absentmindedly looked over her shoulder.

Percy was leaning against the lockers, staring at her, and Rachel was nowhere in sight. The tips of Percy's ears were starting to go red.

Great, Annabeth thought to herself, turning away from Percy and marching down the hall. Percy and Rachel have a date, and the day hasn't even started.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and felt the piece of paper rustling against her fingertips. Stopping outside the classroom, Annabeth pulled it out and unfolded it.

Annabeth froze and the paper fluttered to the ground. Nothing made sense. And yet, everything did make sense. She knelt down and picked up the paper with trembling hands, praying that she hadn't been dreaming.

Her heart stopped as she read the first line that was written on the paper. She read it over and over again.

To the most beautiful girl in the world…

The End

There you go. Were any of you expecting that?

Please let me know what you think. All reviews are welcome and I appreciate the feedback.

Oh, and one more thing. If you guys want me to, I was thinking about writing a Percy POV for this story. So basically, have the story again but with Percy's thoughts and feelings and stuff. Or would you like an epilogue? I know I didn't exactly give you the 'Percabeth get-together' scene, so if you'd like me to write it, let me know and I'd be more than happy to!

Thanks again to everyone!

Kisses,
Daphne