It was a Friday that I found myself sick with nerves, cuddled up on a couch reading a book in the library. The book was meant to bring me comfort. Was meant to transport me into another world, but I kept reading the same sentence repeatedly as I thought about my decision I had made a few weeks ago. The library was also meant to give me some comfort as it had always been a haven for me, away from the chaotic life in the palace. It had floor to ceiling bookshelves, ancient, fraying books lining them as well as new, shiny books that smelled so good. I've always been good friends with the librarian who was also my tutor. His name is Chiron and he's always welcomed me to borrow more books than I was meant to.

I closed my eyes and sighed. I was having no luck with not thinking about it. The Selection was a once in a lifetime opportunity for every young girl between the ages of sixteen and nineteen and if Selected, would come to the palace and try and win the prince's heart. This year marked Prince Perseus' eighteenth birthday, meaning he would hold a Selection of his own. As I placed my book down on the floor and I pulled my blanket up to my chin, he would be a few doors down picking out thirty-five names live on television. And gods, do I have to pray anymore that one of those names will be mine?

A few weeks ago, forms were sent out to all the ladies of Illéa. I had stared at the form as I sat at my desk, wondering if I should fill it out. The first problem that had come to mind was, was I even eligible to apply? In the rules book, it stated that: "No person who works at the palace is allowed to enter under any circumstances." My father, General Fredrick Chase, works at the palace as one of King Sally and Paul's most trusted advisors. So, did my mother, Athena Chase, before she died when I was only a baby. I've lived in the palace my whole life, but not worked and the rule clearly stated that if you worked at the palace, you could not enter.

I had found a loophole.

So, I filled out the form with shaking hands and had sent it in. My picture was taken at the Angeles Post Office and that's how I found myself wondering who had been chosen from my province to win my best friends heart.

The prince's name was Perseus Jackson, better known as Percy, and he had been apart of my life since he was born some thirty-five days after me. We grew up together as best friends and at the age of twelve, I developed a tiny crush on him. That tiny crush grew into a big one and now at the age of seventeen, the thought of him falling in love with someone else made my heart ache. And that is why I entered The Selection. I want to fall in love with him.

It was probably fifteen minutes after the Report, the weekly television show hosted by the royal family, had finished that the prince himself marched into the library with a bright red face.

His messy jet-black hair was even messier than usual, most likely because he was combing his hair with his fingers on the way, and his sea-green eyes scanned the library looking for someone. He had a black suit on but his green tie had come loose and his jacket unbuttoned making him look very cute. I blushed at the thought.

His eyes kept scanning the library until they set on me. He always knew where to find me.

He marched over towards me, his fists clenched. What happened? Was I Selected?

"Watch the book!" I pointed to my book that was on the floor.

He moved his foot that was about to step on it and sat down next to me on the couch. His shoulders were so tense I could see his muscles through his shirt and jacket.

I placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He brushed it off quickly.

"What's wrong? How did the Report go?"

"Oh, you know, fine." He said sarcastically. One thing that you needed to know about Percy was that every fibre of his body was made up of sarcasm and sass. "I just have to tell you something as I'm assuming you didn't watch the Report."

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. What is it?"

He looked at me briefly and then looked away towards the hundred of books. "You're the Selected from Angeles."

My jaw dropped. "Huh?"

"You heard me," I couldn't tell if it was dread, joy or anger in his voice. "You're Selected."

"I-I, oh my gods." My hands flew up to my mouth in shock as a thousand thoughts rushed through my head. Was he joking? Thousands of girls had applied, and I had been picked by luck?

"Yeah, oh my gods. Why did you even enter?" He asked, spinning around to face me. He looked like he had calmed down since he first walked in, but I knew my best friend. Everything about him screamed that he was not calm on the inside.

"I-um, well." I had never been so speechless in my life. What was happening to me? I started to fiddle with my fingers and tried not to make eye contact with him. "I've had a crush on you since we turned twelve." I blurted out.

An emotion I couldn't quite place rippled across his face and then it turned to stone.

"And then when we kissed when we were fifteen I started to have feelings for you that were more than a silly crush. And then when you told me that the Selection would be taking place this year I freaked out. I thought that if I entered no one would need to know, and if I didn't get picked then I would watch my best friend fall in love, and if I did, I thought maybe I would be the one falling in love. I found a loophole. The rules say that if you work at the palace then you can't enter. I don't work here, only my father does."

I tried to get anything from Percy, but I got nothing. He got up and left.

Curse words rang through my head as I watched his restarting figure. Had I ruined everything? Was our friendship going to be awkward from now on?

Oh, gods.

Did Percy not feel the same way? Am I the only one in the relationship that wants more than to be just friends? What if he'll never like me like that and then I've ruined everything? What if it doesn't work it?

I heard the library door opening again. Hastily, I wiped away the few tears that had escaped as I looked up, hoping to see if it was Percy coming back, but no. It was his mother, Queen Sally.

She looked beautiful in a big emerald green dress with a small, glistening tiara on her head of lush brown locks, a few grey strands here and there. In her arms were a big pile of books.

She walked over to Chiron's desk and dropped the books in the return box. She turned around and her eyes met mine. I tried to give her a convincing smile though it came out weak and she could see that I wasn't okay.

"Annabeth, honey, what's wrong?" She asked, sitting in the same spot that Percy had been sitting in no more than twenty seconds before.

"Percy."

"Oh, what did he do this time?" She opened her arms, letting me lean on her for a hug.

"It was me who did something stupid this time," I explained as her calming scent washed over me.

Sally had always been a mother to me when I needed it the most. My mother, Athena Chase, had died tragically before my first birthday. My father said I have her looks and intelligence. My blonde hair I get from my father but my grey eyes, body shape and tan skin are from my mother.

"What did you do?" She rubbed circles on my back as I leaned on her shoulder. I tried to keep the tears at bay by biting my lower lip.

"The Selection."

"Ah, yes. I thought so. You should have seen his face on live national television as he looked at your name. It was quite funny."

I laughed a little bit at that, imagining his face.

"Do you want to know a secret?" She asked. I pulled out of the hug to see her face. I nodded weakly as she cupped my face and used her thumbs to wipe away my tears.

"A few weeks before the forms went out, he came barging into Paul and I's office demanding that we call off the Selection."

I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. He wanted to call off the Selection? I thought he wanted it to happen.

She nodded, her smile growing wide. "Yeah, he came in telling us he didn't want it, that he had strong feelings for someone else. We eventually calmed him down and asked him what was really going on. He said no matter what he would come back to this girl. I asked him who she was and he looked up at me and said your name."

I stared at her in shock.

"Yes, Annabeth. He has feelings for you too."

I rubbed the tension out of my forehead as the words rang out in my head. Percy had feelings for me too. He wanted to be more than friends too.

"How could I have been so oblivious?"

"You were both oblivious. It was kind of hard to watch." She laughed. "I wanted so badly to sit you two down and demand you to tell each other your feelings. Paul told me not to but even he was getting frustrated."

I laughed. We really had been oblivious.

"But he seemed so angry at me. I told him my feelings since we were twelve and then when we kiss ho-"

"Wait, what?" She interrupted.

"Uh, we kissed when we were fifteen?" I shrugged my shoulders as I watched her face light up.

"Yes!" She squealed.

"Anyway," I put my concern for Sally at the back of my mind. Why was she so excited we kissed? "After we kissed, I started to like him more and more, and now I'm not sure what he's feeling or thinking."

"Oh, honey," She placed a hand on my knee. "I know one thing, he could never hate you, even if he tried. I think he's just scared and angry."

Seeing my confusion, she explained. "Well, he's scared because now he has to welcome thirty-five girls into his home and I think he's angry at the Selection. Angry that he might find someone he could love more than you."

I tried to process this. Percy Jackson loving me as more than a friend?

"Try and get some rest, sweetheart. You'll need it. The next few months will be crazy."

I gave her one last hug. "Thanks, Sally. I needed that."

"No problem, Annabeth." She got up and kissed the top of my head, then left to go back to her room.

I picked up my book slightly dazed, waved goodbye to Chiron and left the library.

On my way back to my room on the third floor, all I could think about was Percy.

Did he really have feelings for me? Or was it just Sally saying that stuff to make me feel better? What if he chooses to marry someone else? What if he falls in love with someone else?

I opened the door to my room and gently placed the book down on my desk. I picked out my pyjamas and quickly got changed, slipping under the covers.

Before I turned off the lights, the picture above my desk caught my attention. In particular, the one of Percy and I. It was taken at the beach, at one of Percy's birthday parties. He was shirtless and smiling at the camera, me beside him giving him a kiss on the cheek.

I decided then and there that I would fight for us. I would fight for a romantic relationship between the two of us and if that failed, I would fight to keep him in my life. Even if he married someone else, because I couldn't lose him. He's my Seaweed Brain, and I'll always have him, just like how he will always have me.

Right across the hall, Percy would be staring at the ceiling thinking about the same thing I was.

Could I fall in love with my best friend?

Hi! 

Thank you for trying out A Loophole!

Please keep reading. The story and my writing gets so much better as you go on, as do the chapter lengths. One chapter late in the book has close to 8000 words! The first few chapters are experimental, but have faith! You will, hopefully, love this fic by the end, as have many readers. 

I promise that you will squeal your voice hoarse because of Percabeth feels, and that you will cry and laugh at the same time. 

Thank you again and I hope that you enjoy A Loophole as much as I enjoyed writing it (which was a lot!)

- Squirrel