Disclaimer: I don't own PJATO or anything related to it.

A/N: Aaaaah. I hate for being weird. Whenever I try to make a heart out of the "less than" symbol and the number "3", it never works. So that's why there was a random "3" next to Percy's name in Rachel's note. Hope that that clears up the confusion!

But I also have the same thing with smiley faces. Hence the usage of the "=]". Moving on to more important things... I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews! I posted a review to respond to them all, but the reviewers may not have seen it, so I'm going to repeat it here...

Thank you, everyone! I saw all of the emails from FF about the Fav. Story and Authors and Story Alerts, etc and I want to just say thank you so much. =]

Team Percybeth: Thank you for your advice! I'll take everything into consideration. =]

Storyteller1425: I really appreciate that! I am honored that you think this is one of the best. I promise that I'll update as soon as I can!

And I'm keeping true to my promise, because here's the next chapter! Sorry for the long authors note! D= On with the show! Love, SLTF. =]

..:..:..

"I'm sorry... do I know you?" Annabeth leaned forward a bit, her eyebrows low over her eyes. I panicked inside. I squeezed Red's hand in an attempt to reassure her. She glanced up at me and took a deep breath. I tried to tell her with my eyes to calm down, that I'm holding her hand.

She turned back to Annabeth and said, "No, you don't. But I know you. You're in Math with Nico, Percy and I."

"Oh!" Annabeth relaxed a bit but was obviously still aware of Rachel's negativity. "Well that's good. Another person that I'll know in class."

"Yeah. Great." Rachel held my hand tightly and pulled me down beside her as she sat next to Grover, which ended up with me being put on the end farthest from our new member. Totally unintentional. Right? Wrong. "Who's pizza is this? I'm taking some." She announced before biting off a piece.

"Mine. Go ahead – I'm not all that hungry." I told her, before crying out in pain and grabbing my shin. Nico had gotten me back for my earlier kick.

"Percy! What happened?" Rachel put her hand on my back.

"Nothing," I managed to tell her through gritted teeth. "Just hit my leg against one of the bars under the table."

"I hate those things." Nico commented, shaking his head in fake sympathy.

"I know what you mean," I smiled at him. "You just never know when you're gonna get hurt." His olive skin paled slightly.

"Fries, Percy?" he grinned and shoved the paper basket towards me.

I ignored him. "So Grover, what's up with Juniper? Are you guys dating yet?"

Grover grinned at me, leaning past Red. "Asked her out last night. And she said yes."

"Nice, man." Luke touched his fist to Grover's then Grover hit mine. He was seriously happy. He's liked this girl Juniper ever since he came to Goode High School.

"Oh, Grover! That's so great!" Bianca clapped her hands together and squealed. "You two are adorable!"

"Why isn't she here now if you guys are dating?" Red said sceptically. I nudged her and when she turned to me, I shook my head slightly.

"Um... she's working on her drama monologue with her group... it's due tomorrow." Grover mumbled, his shoulders hunching up. He chugged back his Pepsi and then twirled the can on the table.

"Wish her luck for me," I broke in, trying to save my friend's dignity. "I hope she does well."

"Thanks, Perce." Grover cracked a small smile.

"Same for me, Grover." Annabeth nodded. Bianca added her good luck wish along with Nico, Luke and Thalia.

"Thanks guys. I'll be sure to let her know."

"So when are you guys going on a date?" Rachel pressed. My brow furrowed. Why is she being so pushy? And she was completely out of line with how she asked where Juniper was.

"Sometime on the weekend." Grover shrugged. I noticed that he was turning ever so slightly away from my girlfriend. And I don't blame him.

"When? You should know that you need to be right on it. She'll think that you don't like her if you don't initiate or call or text or anything." Rachel nodded, like she was some sort of relationship expert.

"Rach, back off. The Grovester's got it under control." Luke laughed, lightly punching Grover's shoulder. "Let the man work."

"Yeah, you're really grilling him. It takes time. Especially if he just asked her out yesterday." Annabeth agreed, earning her a glare from Rachel. She surprised me by calling her on it. "Is there any reason you just gave me that look?"

"Uh – what?" Rachel gaped at her.

"Why did you glare at me?" Annabeth snapped, arms crossed. Her eyes looked like thunderclouds that were about to rain.

"Well you were being – "

"Practical. It's true. You're throwing all these questions around and it's obviously making him uncomfortable. That's all that I was trying to say."

Rachel fell silent with her lips pursed, but only after giving me a look that said Help me out here. I just shrugged. Probably wasn't the best idea since we just had a fight over me staring at Annabeth and now I was supporting her. I guess I was just begging to be dumped.

"So." Luke broke the incredibly tense and awkward silence that had fallen over the table. "I'm still having that party next weekend. Annabeth, you wanna come?"

"Oh, I don't know." She sighed, and put both elbows on the table with her chin on her hands. "I want to be able to catch up on the work I've missed, and there's homework, but – "

"Come on!" Thalia crowed, slapping a hand on Luke's back. He choked on a piece of fry and started hacking up a lung. "We have four guys and three girls. We need another! GIRL POWER!" she pumped her fist in her hair. Her piercing blue eyes danced and compared drastically with her spiky black hair.

"Yeah, c'mon, Wise Girl." I teased. Wise Girl? How lame can you get, Jackson? You're a total loser. Just go home and kill yourself.

"Wise Girl?" Annabeth and Rachel chorused, though Rachel's voice was harder and had a sharper edge to it.

"Where did that come from?" Annabeth asked with an amused smile on her lips.

"You're blowing off a party to study. You're obviously into your academics, so I'm guessing you're smart. Wise Girl." I scrambled to explain.

"You're just the king of nicknames, aren't you?" Nico laughed at me.

"What's my nickname?" Grover joked.

"G-man." I said, not missing a beat.

"Really? Wow. Not bad for a Seaweed Brain." Annabeth casually inspected her nails.

"Seaweed Brain?" I scoffed.

"Thalia and Bianca were telling me how bizarre you are because of your obsession with swimming. Pool, lake, sea, ocean, bathtub, pail, bowl, you'll swim in it. Also," she added. "You're blowing off school work for a party. You're obviously not into your academics, so I'm guessing you aren't the brightest crayon in the box. So why not Seaweed Brain?"

"Yes, Annabeth!" Thalia reached over and high-fived her. "I love it! Seaweed Brain..." She grinned, causing her freckles to spread across her cheeks even more. "I'm so using that now."

"Pfft." I waved it off. "That's lame."

"Yeah, yeah. You like it." Annabeth smiled at me, twisting her long blonde hair into a glossy curl. My heart skipped again.

"I agree with Perce. It's not all that good." Rachel shrugged.

"Rachel!" Holy hell. Seriously. What's her problem? "I was kidding. It's actually smart."

"You said it's lame!" she protested.

"Joking! I was joking! Honestly, I don't – " I was about to say I don't know why you're being such a bitch but I did know why. It was because of Annabeth. I threw up my hands in frustration. "Look, lunch is almost over. I'm just going to go get my things. I'll see you guys later." I stood up abruptly, shaking my head. I slung my bag onto my shoulders and stepped away from the table.

"Wait, Percy – " Rachel stood up quickly.

"Do we have English next?" Grover's voice overlapped Rachel's.

"Yeah."

"Do you have Mr. Ross? Academic English?" Annabeth piped up.

"Yeah." I shifted my bag to fit on my shoulders more comfortably. She's in my English class too. She's in my English class too!

"I think I have it with you guys."

"Great!" Grover and I said at the same time. Rachel glared at me, Luke and Thalia laughed, Nico snuck a quick look at Thalia, Bianca stole fries from her brother, Annabeth tossed her hair over her shoulder and I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck.

"Dude, I'll come with you." Grover hopped up and brought his soda can with him. "You wanna come, Annabeth?"

"Sure, I'll join." She gathered her food and dumped it in the trash nearby before joining us. "Let's go." We started towards the door.

"Percy!" Rachel called angrily, stomping her foot.

"Rachel," I looked over my shoulder. "I'll talk with you after school." Her mouth dropped open and I turned away and continued, leaving my flustered girlfriend behind.

..:..:..

"Can I ask you something?" Annabeth murmured in my ear as we waited a few feet away for Grover to gather his binders.

I jumped in surprise before staring into her stormy gray eyes. "S-sure." I stuttered. I noticed she was a bit shorter than I was.

"Please, don't take any offense or anything – "

"No, no. Go ahead. What is it?"

"How long have you and Rachel been dating?" she played absently with her necklace, her eyes never leaving mine.

My heart beat faster. "Just over two months." Should I ask why? Or would that be too weird? Would it make it awkward? "Why?"

"I dunno. Grover said before that she was upset about something and she wanted to see you, and then you guys came back and seemed happy. But then she was being a bi – " she stopped herself and continued. "She was being rude and then you guys got to fighting. It just seems like more normal behaviour for people who have been dating for a while."

"Oh." I said lamely. "Well... it's complicated. I was being a total dumbass earlier today, and so obviously she got upset and – "

"Can I ask how you were being a total dumbass?" Annabeth moved her weight to her left leg, one arm crossed while the other rested on top of the first. She was stilled playing with her necklace.

Yeah, sure. I was checking you out when you came into my Math class. So much so that Nico and my girlfriend noticed and was/still am considered on the edge of becoming a stalker. "I'd rather not say."

She shrugged. "No problem. Sorry if it was too personal. I'm kind of nosy sometimes."

"It's okay." I muttered. Grover finally came over.

"I need to go to my locker now, if that's okay." Annabeth's eyes darted between us.

"Sure."

"Okay."

"Alright. It's not too far down here." she led us down the hall, a few locker sections over from Grover's. She scanned the numbers before twirling the lock on number 1155.

"What were you guys talking about?" Grover asked, leaning forward.

"Nothing. Just small talk, I guess."

"Uh huh. You're turning red, Percy Jackson." Shit. He moved closer to me. "Percy, do you like her?"

"Grover," I scoffed, my veins turning to ice in fear. "Come on. I have a girlfriend. Plus, I barely know her, so – "

"You're not denying it, bro." Grover's eyebrows rose beneath his curls. "Oh man. You totally dig two girls at once. You player!"

"What is up with you? You aren't a gangster."

"Shut up, dawg. Whatchu talkin' bout, fool? Git outta mah crib!" Grover started pushing me.

I started laughing at his ridiculous vocabulary and shoved him back.

"What in the world are you guys doing?" Annabeth giggled, shaking her head at our idiocy.

"Being G's. Whatchu thank we doin'?" Grover made huge arm movements and grabbed at his crotch.

"You are so strange." I shook my head too. "Now to my locker. Come on, Snoop Dog."

We walked for a couple more minutes until we got to my locker. I quickly unlocked it and grabbed my English and Science binders. I hated going to my locker four times a day so I decided to take two binders for the two periods before lunch, and then two for the periods after lunch. I shut it and turned to Grover and Annabeth. At that moment, the bell rang for lunch to end. Grover led Annabeth and I to our classroom, which was on the second floor. When we got near, I stepped ahead of her and opened the door.

"Thank you, Percy. Look at you, all chivalrous." Annabeth smiled as she swept into the room.

"Dude, you got it bad." Grover whispered as he brushed past me.

Crap. Honestly, I'm such a retard.

I shook my head and sat between Grover and Annabeth, one of them on each side. We were one of the first people there. To break the silence that had enveloped the room, Grover started rocking his chair from side to side. Annabeth leaned forward to see him more clearly and laughed. Her long hair slid over her shoulder and became a golden curtain that framed the side of her face. I forced myself to look away.

More people started to file into the room, chattering. Two guys made a beeline for Grover and I, both grinning the exact same way. Travis Stoll, the older brother of the twins, slammed his hands on my desk before sitting right in front of me.

"Hey there, Perce, Grover. Speaking of, I heard that you and Rachel are in some sort of – "

"Fight," his brother, Connor, continued. "What's up with that? You guys have been sailing smooth seas for the last couple months."

"Not now, guys." I waved them off.

"Come on!" they both whined simultaneously. Connor sat in front of Annabeth, glanced at her and then looked back at me before doing a double take.

"Helloooo. And who are you?" Connor purred, taking Annabeth's hand. I gritted my teeth together and reached into my bag. I began pulling my binder out of my bag when she laughed lightly and took away her hand.

"Annabeth. And you are?"

"Connor Stoll, and this is my brother Travis. But may I ask, Annabeth, where have you been all my life?"

"Consciously avoiding you." She replied with a smirk.

"Oh ho! She's a smart one!" he said in surprise, a grin on his face. He turned to his brother. "She's witty, she is."

"We can see that, you dipshit." Travis smacked Connor upside the head.

"Go to hell!"

"I'll see you there."

"You giant turd." Connor muttered before turning back to Annabeth. "Excuse my language, Annabeth. It was uncalled for in the presence of a lady."

Annabeth giggled but still had that smirk. "Thank you, but you really don't need to worry."

"Alrightie then." He spun back to face his brother and kicked him in the shin. I guess shin-kicking is becoming a popular sport nowadays.

By now, the class was filled with sixteen year old teenagers and the noise was deafening. Finally, our teacher came in, looked around at the commotion and slammed the door. Loud.

A few girls screamed, some guys yelled and the room went quiet.

"Perfect. This is just how I want it to sound like when I walk in the room." Mr. Ross said in his booming voice. He was a big man, over six feet tall with dark hair and green eyes. He looked like he was a personal trainer. "Is that clear?"

"Loud and clear, SIR!" Travis and Connor responded in equally loud voices at the same time as they stood up and saluted him. The class burst into giggles.

"Stoll and Stoll. Unless you want to be beaten, I suggest that you shut up."

"SIR, YES SIR." They yelled, then sat down, grinning. They bumped their fists together.

Next thing I knew, I heard a whisper in my ear. "Are they always like this?" I turned to my right. Annabeth was leaning over and watching me intently.

"Basically." I managed to respond before looking away.

I then heard Annabeth curse. I glanced her direction. She met my eyes.

"Do you have any paper? I forgot mine at home."

I nodded and unclipped a chunk from my binder and handed it to her.

"No! This is too much. I just need a few pieces – "

"Take it." I pushed them onto her desk and she put her hand on it to pick them up when her fingers brushed mine. The heat that shot up my arm was so intense that I quickly pulled away and closed my binder, flipping it shut.

"Thank you, Percy." My heart skipped the moment my name left her mouth.

"No problem." I replied, cringing as my voice cracked on the last syllable.

This was going to be a long English class.