Authors note:
Hey people who actually read this (if anyone)! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time life's been crazy and I'm kinda just stressed. But I'm definitely going to finish this story. I'm making up for the lack of updates with an extra long chapter. It's a little dark at first (anxiety attack warning) and there's some depressing parts. But it gets fluffy so... till next time!

Annabeth POV

I stood in front of my mirror again, looking at the outfit I had on. I knew it was silly to overthink these things. Percy probably didn't care what I wore but I really wanted to look good tonight.

These past few weeks have been insane and I was so glad when Percy asked me out on a real date.

I don't know maybe I'm just hyping this up too much in my head. Why would anyone like him like anyone like me? We may be physically attracted to each other but I don't know. It's not we have similar interests in any way.

Percy is very interesting to talk to. His life philosophy is so much different than mine. He talks about traveling the world after high school and moving somewhere closer to an ocean that isn't always trashed. If he goes to college he wants to study ocean biology. And he wants to help ocean clean ups. Which is so nice and cute.

But he doesn't have a real set plan. It's not his fault, but he says he's not going to be able to afford college.

We have two completely different plans in life. Well, I have a plan. He doesn't.

"Ugh what am I doing?" I sit on the foot of my bed with my head in my hands, rubbing my eyes. I can't date Percy freaking Jackson. He must've been high or drunk when he asked me out. That's the only logical explanation to this whole thing.

How can someone like Percy like someone like me? He must have hundreds of prettier more outgoing girls hitting on him. And he chooses me?!! It makes no sense.

A part of brain is telling me to give in to the romance of this situation. That a boy likes me. That maybe I'll have one of those cheesy rom com stories and we somehow make it work.

Another part of brain, the more logical part, is telling me that I have to run. Percy's a boy that will break me. Like Luke. How am I going to pull myself back together after he breaks my heart?

He's not going to break my heart.

But he will. He'll use you. Abuse you. And blame you for everything he does.

No he won't.

He'll just make you hate yourself more than you already do. He's way out of your league. There's no way he's not going to cheat on you.

No no no no no.

Just like him!

"Stop!!" I scream. Suddenly I register that I was rocking myself and crying. I get up off of my bed and stumble to my bathroom to clean myself up.

"God, I can't go out looking like this," I sniff and clean up my face then redo my makeup. Then brush through my straightened hair. I look at the mirror one more time to make sure I look ok. I'm wearing a black dress that stops halfway down my thighs. It's tight and shapes me well. I'm also wearing high heals and a necklace.

I check the time, he's probably close. The real trouble is going to be getting out of here without my dad or my stepmom questioning me. We had agreed that no one would know about us. If people find out they're going to judge us. And gossip. We don't need that right now.

It's best if no one knows.

My parents will definitely question my dress so I put on my tall button jacket.

I go downstairs and am about to walk out when my dad calls, "Annie how bout we go out for Chinese?!"

Damn it! I thought he would be in the garage doing some shit on his car. You know what most dads do.

I turn towards my dad. "Oh I was about to go out." I say awkwardly, "could we get Chinese tomorrow?"

My dad looks confused, "what do you mean you're going out?"

"Well I have friends." I lie, honestly kind of offended by his tone. "We have plans to meet up."

"But you never do anything on Saturdays."
My dad points out.

I look at the time, "look dad I have plans to meet up and I don't want to be rude by telling them I can't. They're kind of counting on me."

"All right, go then." My dad looks strangely defeated. "I'll see ya when I see ya I guess."

"Okay bye! Don't wait up!" I shout as I walk out. The weather was very nice so I immediately take off my jacket and start walking down the sidewalk waiting for Percy's car for me to jump in.

I walk for about a block until a car finally slows down. Percy turns the window down, "you can get in the car I promise I won't kidnap you."

I laugh and get in. Once I'm in Percy checks my out and whistles. "You look beautiful as always." His voice is very low and it makes me want him right here and now. But we are on a real date. Plus he's driving. So instead I turn to look out the window, hiding my blush, and an utter a simple, "thank you."

To start the date we went to a pretty fancy restaurant that neither of us could really afford so we ended up both getting chicken fingers and coke. It was a lot of fun. We laughed and talked about stupid stuff. Our waitress and older couples who were also on dates judged us hard, but we really didn't care.

After dinner we went to a park and walked around. Percy had his arm tightly around my waist. The autumn air was so nice and Percy was so warm against me that it almost made me forget all the anxiety I had been feeling before.

We sat down on a bench and talked more for hours. We talked deeply to each other about our childhoods. Our parents. Siblings. I learned that his real dad was in the Navy. He had left his mom, but they had ended on good terms plus they were never married so it wasn't that terrible of a break up. He heard from his dad every once in a while but not as much as he would like to. I told him about my mom. How she had left almost immediately after I was born and I never saw her again. She was apparently a prodigy. She went to Harvard and designed many amazing buildings all over the world.

"I think she might be in Paris right now. At least that's the last I've heard." At this point I was sitting in Percy's lap my head resting on his shoulder, "occasionally, she'll write me an email. She always sends me a birthday and Christmas present. Like I get it she's important and she has a lot of responsibility, but I guess she just doesn't think being a mom carries any responsibility at all." My voice comes out shaky.

"I'm so sorry, Annie." Percy's voice is sincere and he pulls me closer. I never ever ever want to leave his arms. "I guess we just have to work with what we got."

"Yeah," I mumble, "hey I'm sorry too about your dad."

"It's nice that he's doing something for our country, but it's still hard because it's like he never even tried to be a father. Like did he not even love my mom?" His voice breaks, "I just don't understand who could leave someone who's as amazing as she is?"

I wrap my arms around him and we just stay like that for a while.

I look at my phone. "Shit. It's 1:33. How did we loose track of time? This is bad!"

I try to get up but Percy tightens his grip on me. "No don't go. I like you here."

"Percy." I giggle, "let me go."

He reluctantly lets me go and I get up and he does too and then we are walking back to the car.

"So that was nice and really fun." I say once we're in the car, "other than fact that it's 1:40 I would say that this evening was perfect."

"Well it doesn't have to be over."

"Percy."

"What? Why don't we make a run for it? You and me against the world, Annie. What's the worst that can happen?" The way he speaks makes his ridiculous plan somewhat appealing. But as much as I would love to run away from my problems, I've got two AP tests I have to study for tonight. I can't run away.

"As nice as that sounds. I've got college to worry about. Maybe in five years." I tell him this with a laugh so that he doesn't take it too seriously. Five years? That's way too far in the future to think about us.

"Yeah, I knew it wouldn't be that easy for you to run away with me. But that won't keep me from trying." He looked over and winked then quickly turned his attention back to the road.

When we got to my house we just sat in the car for a while.

"Well this was nice." I finally say.

"Yep you mentioned that." Percy said with a smirk.

"Is this going to change our umm... unspoken agreement that we have previously had but... don't really mention. Or since we are technically dating now is that off?" I stuttered and slurred trying to sound cool but failing miserably.

"You mean can we still meet up to hook up?" Percy put plainly and I nodded. "Well, yeah. I guess we can technically do it more now since we are in a real relationship."

"Well I guess if we have to do it more, we should." I remarked barley containing the laughter rising in me.

"I think we're obligated."

"Well if we're obligated. Then meet you at your apartment after school Monday?"

"That can be arranged."

I smiled and we lean in to kiss each other. It was nice and warm unlike any we had before. There was so much behind the kiss that neither of us would've been able to express in words. So much that we would never think to admit so soon.

As I got out of the car and went on up to my room I felt weirdly happy. Is this what it's like to be in love? This isn't what I had felt with Luke. It's too soon to be in love. There's no way! But as I tried to fall asleep the only thing I could think about was running away with Percy and how hard our lives would be but how happy I would be to be with him. God. I'm falling hard.