Annabeth felt clueless.

"Can you not read or something?"

Her heart stopped, the rushing of blood making it all the way up to her ears and Annabeth widened her eyes in bewilderment, her confidence wavering.

Dyslexia to her was like a curse, it was like the baby making factory decided to say ooh she'll be really smart . . . but let's make life harder for her and give her something that will definitely decrease her talent.

The teacher carried on staring at Annabeth, and Annabeth shamelessly stared back, trying hard not to stare down.

"I know how to read I just -"

"Honey, you were stammering and it took you two minutes to read one single word." The teacher pursed her lips. "How did you make it into this class, again?"

Annabeth was taken aback by her words, her mouth open.

"You can't say that!" Thalia shouted, making the whole class turn to her instead of Annabeth. Annabeth exhaled, glad that all those eyes weren't peering into her anymore.

"Thalia, sit down and stop shouting, this has nothing to do with you." The teacher clearly was angry, her voice calm though her face resembling a wrinkled elephant in labour.

"Nothing to do with- are teachers even allowed to say that?" Thalia shouted again, completely ignoring the teachers' stern glare.

Annabeth winced, looking down at her textbook and trying to take all the attention away from her. She just came here to learn, and now she was getting into an unintentional fight with a teacher.

"Thalia, make your way to the principal's office. No detours," the teacher raised her eyebrows, gesturing for Thalia to pick up a bright pink slip.

Annabeth's ears turned pink, and she promptly stood up from her seat and turned to the teacher. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was letting her friends getting in trouble without an actual reason, and this teacher was way beyond right.

"Why does she have to go to the principal's office?" Annabeth asked, her voice calm and collected.

"For disrupting the class and stopping their learning time."

"She doesn't have to go to the principal's office for doing that, I don't think he'll be very happy by sending her to his office without a proper judgement." Annabeth reasoned, still standing upright.

"Fine, both you and Thalia can both make your way to the principal's office if you insist." The teacher picked up the bright pink slip, ripping it in half and writing down some notes on each of it. "Here. Reason has been written right there -" she pointed at the messy handwriting. "Run along."

Annabeth looked at the teacher in bewilderment, the pink slip being taken from her hand. However, she knew there was no way out of it and Annabeth nodded at Thalia, who both came out of the classroom with a grim expression plastered on their faces.

"That woman had the decency to say that!" Thalia shouted, unaware of the 'NO shouting!' sign placed directly to the right of her. Annabeth winced at her volume, still agreeing with her words.

"How did she not know you had dyslexia? You have to write it in at the front of the admission slip, Annabeth. Did you forget?" Thalia rambled on, and Annabeth sighed.

"I didn't write it, it was my dad." She breathed in. "I gave it to him when he was on the phone, probably distracted."

"Distracted enough to not tell you that you have frickin' dyslexia?"

"Lower the volume." Annabeth hissed, giving Thalia somewhat of a glare. "Tell it to the whole world, why don't you?"

"Sorry, sorry. But seriously though, how could he forget? My own father didn't forget and he's an idiot." Thalia emphasised.

Annabeth walked alongside her, their shoes clacking on the ground as they slowly but surely made their way to the mahogany-clad door, the sign with the principal's name framed directly in front of the door tilted to the right as Thalia knocked lightly.

"Don't you think we should've waited?" Annabeth asked nervously as the sounds of footprints started to increase in volume. He was close now.

Thalia pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, muttering an,"oops," and knocking nonetheless.
The door swung open, revealing a rather large man, his face grimacing as he held a diet-coke in one hand. Annabeth wasn't sure whether to laugh or vomit at the sight of his leopard print suit.

"Oh, um sorry-" Annabeth checked the back of the door, scrunching her eyebrows as it clearly said the principal's name on it. "We're looking for the principal."

"Well done, you found me." He replied sarcastically, and Annabeth's eyes widened in alarm. The school's principal was a . . . well him. It was hard to describe him, sort of a mix between someone who was in rehab and a jailed convict. Either way, the man just didn't seem to fit in such a school and Annabeth found it hard to believe. This day was getting weirder and weirder. "Believe you've been sent here by your teacher? What did you do, eh?" He pointed at Thalia. "You were caught bunking and you-" he made a face at Annabeth. "You broke the dress code."

Her jaw dropped at his wide accusations, resisting herself to give him a glare and knock some sense into his obviously dim-witted mind. She was starting to doubt the education system, giving someone like him to control the school. "You're kidding right?" She blurted out. "You're not the principal, the principal's son?" She narrowed her eyes at him, though the dark stubble placed awkwardly around his chin forced her to think otherwise.

"Would've gotten yourself thrown into detention if you weren't the first to ask that, young girl." He gave her a stern look. "Call me Mr. D, not principal. I suspect I'll be finished soon and then I'll be off, away from you blasted kids. If that crazy short kid comes near me one more time -"

"Why would you be 'finished soon'?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "You're the principal. Unless you quit or manage to get fired, I don't think you'll be able to leave -"

"Do you know who I am? After all, I shouldn't have even let you in if it wasn't for your father. He really is one annoying man."
Mr. D rambled on, and the corner of Annabeth's lips started to turn in amusement. At this rate, it would seem that Mr. D would forget about why they were here, a detention never given.

"How do you know my dad?" Thalia asked, her tone starting to turn more on the defensive side.

"Why, he's my boss of course." He smiled at her. "Used to work right next to him till he said I was misbehaving. And now, well now I work in this old manky place." His frown deepened. "He knows I hate kids and he brings me here. Your father is one cruel -"

"Man. Yes, I know." Thalia smiled. "Aren't you going to ask us what our names are?"

"Would you like a cup of champagne with that too, madame? Added ice as well?" He asked, giving her a grunt after and waving his hand. "I don't care what your names are."

"You told us yours, it's only fair for us to tell us ours." Annabeth decided. "I'm Annabeth." She pointed to her friend, giving her a small smile.

"Uh huh," he started stacking a pack of cards, pretending to start a game though the player opposite him was clearly absent.

"And I'm Thalia."

"Alright now that the naming business is done, you can go now girls." He waved for them to leave. "I've got to do some work- I've got to tell Chiron to do some work actually." He finished quietly.

"Who's Chiron?" Thalia asked right before she swung the door shut.

"Mind your own business, girl. And shut the door with a light thud, the sign at the back always drops to the floor and I can't get up."

Annabeth looked down at the chair he was sitting on, no glue between his bottom and the poor piece of furniture, nothing keeping them fixated. "And exactly why can't you get up?"

He gave her a look as if saying isn't-it-clear, and gestured to himself. "I'm in a comfortable position."

. . .

"He's delusional. Utterly delusional, I can't believe anyone in their right mind would have him as the principal." Annabeth told Percy after giving him a long talk of the past two hours. "Don't you agree?"

"Oh, um yes," Percy struggled to say.

"Have you been listening to anything I've been saying these past few minutes?" Annabeth raised her eyebrows at a very dull looking Percy.
It took her about thirty minutes to finish it off, but it was very detailed so for him to just stare out into space annoyed her.

It annoyed her a lot.

"Yeah," Percy answered, though he was still looking at the floor. A small part of her was sad, longing for him to actually listen.

Since being two months since Annabeth and Percy set foot into this school, well she of all people thought it would be amazing. Annabeth thought out of her and her best friend it would be him that would be struggling- sure that wasn't really much of a nice thought, but it was true.

Yet now, now it felt like she was struggling, and with every minute Percy spent talking to his new friends, a small teaspoon of jealousy was added into Annabeth's mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Annabeth asked.

"Nothing," Percy said. "Just tired from gym," Annabeth could tell he was lying, Percy never really was much of a liar.

"We didn't even have gym," Annabeth scrunched her eyebrows.

"Well then I guess I'm really tired." Percy answered, and Annabeth swore she could hear his tone change.

Annabeth let out a sigh, quiet enough for Percy not to hear. Scratch that, she could've dropped dead on the ground and he wouldn't even notice. Percy would notice Rachel, he'd notice Piper and Leo-

He'd notice anyone but her.

She took a deep breath ready to spit out the words that had swirled in her mind the past two weeks, and with a huge intake of air Annabeth decided to use some of the courage she was blessed with and speak up to what was troubling her.

"Do I seem -"

"Hey Percy!" Leo's annoying voice startled Annabeth, and she cursed as he came over to them. "Come on, we've got math soon and lunch is nearly over. Can't afford another late slip."

"Math?" To Annabeth's distaste, Percy's grovelling mood was soon transformed to his normal happy self. "I thought last period was finished, man."

Leo scrunched his eyebrows. "It's lunch, dude." He pointed at the cafeteria they were obviously in.

"Let's just go. Come on, let's go let's go," with every 'let's go' Leo circled around the table, and Annabeth yet again found his presence immensely annoying.

"I'm in the same class as you, Leo." Annabeth told him with a stern gaze. Whenever Percy talked to his friends, it always seemed to her that he forgot the other friend.

Leo jumped, turning to Annabeth with widened eyes. "Woah, where the hell did you come from?"

Annabeth ignored him, frowning as a note hit the back of her head. The paper was scrunched up, the messy handwriting concealed and Annabeth pursed her lips as she opened it.

Turn around.

She did as she was told, and Annabeth was perplexed to find Thalia beckoning for her to come. With a sigh, she got up from the table and walked over to her grudgingly.

"What's wrong?"

"Come on," Thalia walked away, turning around to give her a small smile. "I want to show you something."

"What are you doing?" Annabeth grumbled as she was dragged around the school, Thalia's arm held tight against Annabeth's, checking back to see if somehow she had run off.

Thalia led her to a small room, one broken broom and another fairly new one lay in the heap of clutter, some dry paint and more small equipment.

"Why are we here?" Annabeth asked, math was on the other side and her teacher definitely wasn't the nicest ones out of the bunch.

Thalia heaved a sigh as she picked up a huge red box, cursing as the bottom of it managed to trap her pinky. "I found this next to Travis and Connor."

"How does that concern me?"

"How does that- come on Annabeth, use that brain of yours and work with me." Thalia suppressed a smile. "Heard them talking about how they were going to get some of the girls in the bathroom." She opened the box, revealing about a hundred bright red water balloons, soaked to the brim. "And guess what? They knew that I was going to bunk art and I usually go to the bathroom." She pursed her lips. "I'm going to get them back, and I need you to be on the lookout."

"Where?"

Thalia smiled hesitantly. "In the boy's bathroom- "

"No, absolutely not." Annabeth crossed her arms. "I am not taking away my dignity and going over there. I don't even like pranks, Thalia. The ideal person is Percy, I mean he likes to be irrational, and he's a boy. Why don't you ask him?"

"He's too busy talking to his friends." Thalia didn't realise what she had said till Annabeth gave her a face, one that clearly said don't.

"Oop!" Thalia covered her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," Annabeth sighed. "Now, are we going to just stand here or are you going to wait for me to change my mind?"

"Really?"

"One . . . two . . ." Annabeth held out each finger as she counted slowly.

"Are you serious?"

"Three . . . -"

"Ok, Ok fine!" Thalia grabbed Annabeth's hand and led her to the bathroom, making sure she had her phone.

"Why are you giving it to me?" Annabeth held it up as if it was royalty. Well, royalty to a teenager anyway; her father had managed to buy her the latest iPhone and although Thalia practically hated anything he gave to her, that thing was pricey as heck.

"As compensation?" Annabeth asked herself more so than Thalia and Thalia quickly jumped, pursing her lips.

"No, I was gesturing for you to hold this," Thalia confirmed, and Annabeth nodded. That was way more reasonable. "So you're going to go to the bathroom and set it up. I'll distract the boys and make sure they come in here once you're done."

"Hold up," Annabeth put her hand up. "Why am I the one that has to be in the bathroom?"

"Hurry, Annabeth." Thalia pushed her into the bathroom. "Someone's coming!"

"Hey!" Annabeth shouted as she was pushed in, the smell hitting her almost as hard as a dodgeball. Out of impulse, she closed her eyes and prayed that no one was using it. Overall, it wasn't as bad as she thought it was. Just as clean as the girl's, except with added urinals and Annabeth blushed at the idea of that. I'm going to kill her, she decided to take her mind off of things by contemplating what was the most painfullest way to die. All for a stupid prank, I'm basically breaking the law all for a stupid prank.

"Hello? Thalia open the door!" Annabeth was banging on it really hard, her voice cracking and she wanted to get out of there fast. The idea of a girl being in the boy's bathroom would make anyone want to throw up. It would give everyone the wrong idea, not that anyone really liked Annabeth in this school but ruining her small rank on the reputation line would definitely be the last straw for Annabeth's sanity.

"Thalia!" Annabeth's knuckles were starting to ache, and she decided to act desperate. "Thalia Grace, open the door now!" The door behind her creaked. Her heart stopped, Annabeth reminded herself that once she left she would read the law book and see if murdering someone that locked you in the toilet was okay. Maybe the smell was making her think irrationally, or maybe because she was about to miss math with a very inferior teacher.

"Hello?" Jason's voice startled Annabeth, and she felt her face blush.

Making herself seem like a boy? Definitely fishy. Annabeth decided to close her eyes and try not to stutter as she spoke.

"I um . . . I got locked in here," she tried not to make her voice waver. "The door's locked."

"Uh huh," he didn't sound like he believed her.

"Thalia!" Annabeth shouted, hoping to prove her point. "I swear, if this is a prank it's not funny!" Either she was deaf or wasn't listening; both thoughts angered Annabeth.

The door opened after ten minutes of her shouting and standing awkwardly while Jason repeatedly pretended to tie his shoes. Thalia opened the door with a guilty look on her face and the red box on the floor beside her. She opened her arms as if trying to say let-me-explain. What confused Annabeth the most was the janitor standing next to Thalia with the keys held in his hand.

"I'm so so so sorry!" Thalia gushed out, turning to Jason who was still in the toilet. What looked extremely wrong was the fact that Annabeth and Jason both had seriously red faces, and Annabeth's hair was everywhere after shouting and pacing the room, trying not to have a mental breakdown.

"Woah, were you two -"

"No!" Annabeth shouted, making both of their faces even more red than before. "Now come on, I have math."

"We're in the same class," Jason offered, and Annabeth tried to give him a glare.

"Good to know," she replied, turning and running to her class, which conveniently was kind of close to the toilets.

Jason was right at her heels, not noticing as she came to an abrupt stop. The force of his momentum caused Annabeth to stumble and crash down onto the floor, until a pair of arms held her from meeting a hard end.

Both their faces turned red at the close proximity, and Annabeth quickly went into the class, forgetting that the class had windows. Wide, long windows that meant everything that had happened between the two of them two minutes ago was availed to the class of thirty.

And a few of her classmates were not amused.

So so sorry for not uploading for two weeks. Hope you guys didn't forget about this book lol.