A/N: This story had a really positive response and that made me really happy, so thanks! Enjoy chapter 2!
Come lunchtime, Annabeth was even more cheerful than she was that morning. She ended up having her first three classes with Jess, so she didn't need Percy's help getting anywhere. When going to her fourth period French class, she did have to ask for directions though.
At lunch, Annabeth was sitting with Jess and her other friends that Annabeth had met in either second period calculus or third period gym class: Kimberlee Wilmer, Gabby Wayne, Lewis Waters, and Vincent Harrison.
"Seriously, another girl? Vincent and I are far outnumbered 4 to 2. We need more guy friends," Lewis complained as he sat down. He shot Annabeth a grin, letting her know that he was kidding and she laughed.
Kimberlee made some kind of comment towards Lewis, but Annabeth wasn't really listening. She did, however, notice Jess stiffen up beside her, and she looked over to her friend questioningly.
Jess shrugged it off, and suddenly Annabeth's attention was elsewhere when she felt a pair of hands start to massage her neck.
"You know, Seaweed Brain, you should really announce your presence. I nearly flipped you," Annabeth said.
She heard Percy chuckle and pulled him down beside her.
"You know, I was going to ask if you wanted to meet my friends, but I see you've already made some on your own. You're such a social butterfly," Percy joked.
"This is the last group of people a 'social butterfly' would choose to hang out with," Jess pointed out.
Percy laughed. "I know, but I also knew that Wise Girl, here, probably would have ended up liking you guys."
They all laughed, but Annabeth could tell they were a little bit confused at the nicknames. However, she couldn't help but smile. She hadn't been a part of a group so happy and easy-going since right after the Giant War at camp. It wasn't that long ago, but it was very brief for Annabeth, especially since the last time it had been that way was before Percy was sent to the Roman camp. Annabeth shuddered at the memory.
Percy apparently noticed. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, just thinking..." Annabeth trailed off.
"About?" Percy prodded, clearly concerned.
"Not what you're thinking," she reassured him and saw him relax.
Even though they had been pretty good at reading each other before Tartarus, they had become even better afterwards. It was more of a survival instinct rather than a skill.
"You should go sit with your friends. I'll meet them eventually," Annabeth said while nudging him.
"You sure?" Percy asked which roughly translated to 'are you going to be okay if I leave?'
"Go." 'I'll be fine. Don't worry.'
"Okay, I'll see you later, Wise Girl."
He leaned down to kiss her, and she smiled against his lips.
"Bye," she murmured.
Once Percy had left, Annabeth turned to her new friends to see them looking shocked and confused.
"Oh my God. You're the girlfriend," Jess groaned and then threw her head into her hands. "I feel so embarrassed now."
Annabeth laughed. Jess liked Percy. However, she was not the jealous type.
"Don't be. You said yourself that you were just admiring from afar. I don't blame you. He seems perfect to those who don't know him," Annabeth said with a shrug.
"Wait," said Gabby, "if he's your boyfriend, shouldn't you see him as perfect?"
"Not necessarily. We've been friends since we were twelve, so we already know each other's flaws. For instance, his head is so full of seaweed that most of the time he isn't very bright. He's also too loyal for his own good. He'd do anything and risk anything for a friend," Annabeth said while gazing over to where Percy was laughing with his friends.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Gabby protested.
"Not always," she replied. It's what's going to kill him someday, Annabeth added to herself.
Nobody else said anything after that, and Annabeth continued to eat her lunch in silence as did the rest of the table.
Soon enough, lunch was over and they all went to Physics. Annnabeth sat at a table with the girls and listened to the teacher drone on about things that she already knew.
The period passed by soon enough, and it went basically the same way in her AP cultures class.
Finally, the class she had been waiting for all day was about to begin: architecture.
She had this class with Vincent, so she didn't have to go off on her own in able to find the classroom.
"So do you want to be an architect, Annabeth?" Vincent asked her.
"Yes, more than anything. I'm sure my friends have found me designing things more than they've found me reading or doing anything else," Annabeth found herself babbling.
"Same her. Lewis always tells me that if there's something I love more than books, it's architecture and that I should definitely pursue it."
"So what do we do in this class? Do we study architecture or do we design?" Annabeth asked.
"A little bit of both. We'll study a certain type and then design something as project which would also count as our test," Vincent explained.
"What're we working on now?" she asked again.
"I bet I could answer that question," a voice from the front of the room said. The voice was a man who looked to be in his late twenties.
"Hi, Miss Chase, I'm the architecture teacher here at Goode. I also teach some math classes, but I'm sure you don't care about that. My name is Mr. Alvey," he continued. "Anyway, the class does not know our next unit yet because I like to keep it a secret. You came on the day of the big reveal. Can I get a drum roll?"
Some kid in the back started to band on his desk which made Annabeth giggle.
"Our next unit will be Ancient Roman architecture!" Mr. Alvey exclaimed.
Annabeth smiled to herself. She was almost glad he didn't say Ancient Greek. It would have been too easy for her. She would at least have to put a little bit of research into this. Maybe a weekend trip to Camp Jupiter?
The rest of the students were all suddenly happily chattering amongst themselves. She heard one boy jokingly ask if he could get away with drawing the Coliseum.
"Hush, now, children. I will spare you from taking boring notes for today. We're going to do that tomorrow. For now, use whatever technology you have on your person to look up Ancient Roman architecture and start to get a general idea of what you want to do for your project. We'll be doing notes and examining different buildings that were built in Ancient Rome, and I'll give you next week to work. Could someone tell Annabeth what that means this weekend is?" Mr. Alvey asked.
Vincent was called on and he turned to Annabeth. "It's 'Plan Weekend' which means that you do whatever it takes to get an idea of what you're doing. You need a definite idea by Monday in class, and you can only change it with Mr. Alvey's consent after that," he explained.
Annabeth was definitely trying to get to Camp Jupiter, or at the very least, IM Reyna.
"Very good, Vincent. Now, I know all of you have your phones on you. Look up stuff," Mr. Alvey said then sat at his desk where he started to. what looked like, grade papers.
Annabeth saw Vincent pull out an iPhone and asked, "You mind if I look with you? My phone isn't the best thing in the world."
"Sure," he replied and they spent the rest of the period discussing all of the Roman architecture.
How was it? I really enjoy writing this. I'm actually getting ahead of myself, which is rare for me.
QOTD: Do any of you play an instrument?
I play flute, piccolo, and oboe. I'm learning oboe, anyway. I'm not the best. I'm actually going to county band tomorrow on flute, and I'm really excited :D