The first day of school was always the worst. Percy was going to walk and did not expect his dad to be standing by his door when he opened it.

"What are you doing?"

Poseidon ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to give you this. Your mom said you skated and I figured my old board could be used again." He brought out a skateboard with blue wheels, and the back had a trident on it. Percy took the board and flicked the wheel.

"You're just going to let me have it? Are you sure?" He could feel the smile growing as he looked back up at his dad.

"Keep it. It won't be much use sitting in the garage. Consider it a belated birthday present. Now go get some breakfast and get to school. You should also call your mother. She misses you."

"I will. Thanks!"

Percy shouldered his bag and trudged downstairs. He left the house quickly after eating a bagel. He placed the skateboard down and carefully skated into a glide. He hadn't skated in months, and he wasn't about to fall on his face in front of the house. He heard the door next door slam closed, and he smiled as Annabeth waved at him.

"Are you walking to school?" He asked.

"Yeah want to walk with me?" Percy slowed down and popped the skateboard up, and he caught it with ease.

"Sure. Dang, what do you have in that backpack?" Her bag was stuffed, and she had to lean a bit. He held out his hand, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't need help."

Percy just wiggled his fingers, and she sighed as she handed it to him. He grunted as he hefted it up his shoulder. Damn, what did she have in here?

"I packed a few books and brought my textbooks. I wanted to be prepared."

Percy's lips turned upwards in a crooked grin that made Annabeth's heart stutter. "Okay Wise Girl."

"Is that supposed to be an insult, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy laughed. "Where did you get Seaweed Brain?"

"Your eyes are sea green and your skateboard has a trident. Plus Thalia said you love the ocean so much that your brain is full of kelp."

Percy huffed a laugh. "She would say something like that." They walked in comfortable silence. He couldn't help but glance at her every now and then. Her hair shined in the sunlight like an angelic glow. He handed her bag back before they stepped on the school grounds. She insisted that she carried her own stuff, and he was willing to obey. That bag was heavier than his suitcase when it was packed full of his belongings, which wasn't much, but still.

"Perseus Jackson!" Annabeth seemed to freeze at the voice, and Percy looked around, his eyes meeting a group of guys hanging out on the side of the school.

"Do you know them?" Annabeth asked, her hands clutching her bag straps.

"No." Percy clenched his skateboard. Octavian said his buddies knew his face, and they knew where he went to school.

The blonde kid walked over, his eyes trailing up and down Annabeth. "Annie, do me a favor and go inside. I need to talk to Perseus here."

"Luke leave him alone." She scoffed. Annabeth looked at Luke with such dismay that even Percy felt the tension between them.

Luke swung his arm around Percy's neck, making him stumble. "We're friends right?" His tone deepened, and Percy looked at Annabeth.

"It's okay Annabeth. I'll be fine." She nodded and walked inside. She looked back once and left in a rush.

"Octavian told me about you and I wanted to introduce myself. These are my friends, Ethan, Mark, and Gavin. I've been waiting for you."

"I'm not talking to Octavian. Whatever you are about to offer me, the answer is no."

Luke clicked his tongue and pulled out a small bag that made Percy's eyes widen. His heart hammered against his chest.

"Consider this my first and only gift, Percy. You owe Octavian money but I settled your debt because he said you have been a loyal friend."

Percy clenched his jaw as Luke put the bag in Percy's pocket. Luke removed his arm around Percy, and Percy retreated a few steps. He pulled the bag out of his pocket and released a shaky breath.

"I don't want it." When he went to hand it back, Luke shoved his hand away.

"It's not nice to refuse a gift."

Percy looked at the bag. He could practically feel the rush. He shoved it back to Luke, "I. Don't. Want. It."

Ethan stepped forward. "Why you..." Luke held up a hand.

"Ethan settle down." Luke took the bag. "I will hold on to it for you. When you are done with playing the good son you can come back and the offer still stands. Consider it a gesture of good will. I know you need a break from thinking about how you were a little plaything for your mom's old man."

Percy shoved Luke against the wall, "how do you know about that?"

Luke grinned, knowing he had hit a nerve. "You told Octavian one night. Or maybe it was that girl named Drew. Either way, I know you don't like to tell anyone about that, and I can't blame you for telling Drew. From the images I have seen of her, she's very distracting."

"Shut up. I'm done talking."

Luke smiled. "Yeah you better go inside before Annie comes looking. She's smart and I'd like to keep her far away from my business. Hate to see anything happen to her." Without saying another word, Percy rushed into the school, his hands shaking and face burning with shame.

"Percy!" Annabeth and Thalia rushed over to him. He kept walking, not wanting to talk to anyone.

"Annabeth told me Luke stopped you. What did he do?" They were trying to match his pace as he walked to his locker.

"He knows Octavian."

Thalia cursed. "Of course he does. Did he try to give you drugs? He's been arrested for it before. I honestly don't know how he's still allowed on campus."

"His dad is a huge donor, that's why. He's practically untouchable." Annabeth said, her arms crossed. "He didn't give you anything, did he?"

"No. He just threatened and I don't want to talk about it." A familiar flash of red caught his eye, but he continued walking to his locker. He wanted nothing more than to run back to Luke and take the offer. Percy stopped at his locker, fumbling with his combination. He shoved his skateboard into it and jumped when Thalia was staring at him with Annabeth at her side.

"You're acting all jumpy. What did he say?" Percy sighed and leaned against the cool metal.

He kept his voice low. "He knew about Gabe."

Thalia clenched her jaw. "How did he know?"

"I guess Octavian or Drew told him. He was who Octavian wanted to have me go to."

"Percy I told you Drew was a bad idea."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Percy stared at his scuffed shoes. "I was high when I told them. I-I need a meeting after school. Can you take me Thals?"

Percy glared at Luke, who walked by. Luke had the nerve to smile at him. Annabeth put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay seaweed brain. We will just avoid that side of the building. I don't like Luke either. He used to be our friend but turned into bully."

"I'll take you Percy. Just meet me after school in the front." Thalia said.

The three went to their first class. Nico sat with Percy in the back. Both preferring to stay inconspicuous and not in the front.

Lunch was a welcomed reprieve. Percy's eyes widened when Rachael sat next to him, smiling wide. "You are very hard to track. I've been trying to see you all morning." She looked at Nico, "I am guessing this is Nico and your other cousins." She met everyone's stare. "Hi, I'm Rachael."

Nico looked between the two. "How do you know Percy?"

Percy rolled his eyes, "I met her in..." he looked to Rachel, and she rolled her eyes.

"We met in AA. You can say it, Percy. It's not like it's a bad thing." Percy only nodded and looked at everyone who stopped talking to watch the two.

"What?" Leo went to open his mouth, but Piper shoved a cookie into it.

"It's nice to meet you Rachael." Piper introduced her to everyone. Percy looked up and met Luke's eyes as he glared at him across the room. School was always full of bullies, and Luke was just another name in the crowd who was one. Percy wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of winning. He broke first, looking back at the food he mindlessly moved around. His hunger for something else made the food more unappealing.

Annabeth looked across the room and noticed Luke. "Ugh I hate him. Back stabbing jerk."

Annabeth loathed Luke. She had been his best friend until he turned his back on her. Rachael leaned toward Percy. "Why is Luke giving you a death glare?"

Percy didn't say anything as he shoved his food away and walked out of the lunch room. He wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve and sagged against the cool lockers. His head banged on the metal once, and he took out his sobriety chips. He looked at them. All representing the times he tried and failed. He didn't react when Annabeth sat next to him. Her shoulder touched his.

"I know you are just going to tell me you are fine or that you don't want to talk about it, but..." she trailed off as she noticed the sobriety chips. All worn and the newest one in his hand. "Whatever Luke offered you. I'm proud that you didn't take it."

Percy smirked. "I'm proud of myself too. Thank you by the way."

"For what?"

Percy looked at her and nudged her shoulder with his. "For not telling my cousins that the first time I met you I puked my guts up in front of you."

Annabeth threw her head back and laughed. "You're welcome. But now I know the perfect thing to blackmail you with."

"You wouldn't dare, wise girl." She blushed at the nickname.

"Oh I would seaweed brain." Percy looked back down at his lanyard. "Why do you keep them if it makes you so upset?" It was an innocent question but a loaded one. Percy didn't really know when he decided to keep them as a reminder of all his failures.

"I tried to pawn them off to the guy who leads AA. He told me it was part of my journey. I look at these and it makes me realize I need to try more this time because these are how many times I've let my mom down. This one." He grabbed one with a three for three months sober. He sucked in a breath. "This one is the last one I received right before I overdosed. It was the longest I've stayed sober and I ruined it by going on a binge because it was the anniversary of when my previous step-dad first decided to take his abuse further. I didn't want to feel or remember what that day makes me think of." He huffed a laugh as he realized the ironic timing as he got sober again around the same time as last year. "Funny enough, if I can get to the week of Thanksgiving, it would be a year to date when I overdosed, and I'll be on my third month of being sober like last year."

"Let's make it different this year then."

"I'll do my best. I'm trying." Percy rested his head on his knees. He didn't feel like talking anymore, and Annabeth sat with him while reading a book until the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Percy and Annabeth went their separate ways, and he looked back as she disappeared into the crowd of students.