(Credit goes to AllegraAnonymous)

Percy's POV:

How? How could I let my heart break again? How could the first time I let myself hope for love, or at least like, again, how could she do this to me? Well, now she is crying because Luke slapped her and told her he never liked her. I know most guys would be like, 'good, she deserves it for hurting me.' But that's just not me. I ruined the friendship that was so delicately built that one mistake had it toppling and crumbling to the ground.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not a stalker. I just wanted to make sure Luke (who I found out was the blonde guy I saw earlier) didn't do anything I would make him regret. I hid out in the bushes and I saw everything. Annabeth. She curled up in a ball and shielded herself from the rain with my sweatshirt. Now, from what I know about Annabeth, she isn't going to go to her house. She would stay here all night. But I can't let her do that. I take a deep breath, and walk over to her. I hope she thinks that my tears are just raindrops.

"Hey, it's me again. I know you don-" I don't finish.

Annabeth launches herself onto me and cries into my shirt. She sobs loudly.

"I-I *hic* can't g-go h *hic* ome t-today. *hic* " She insists.

I know that anything I do will not change her mind.

"Ok. But I'm going to take you to Thalia and Jason's house." I tell her. But she shakes her head wildly.

"No. I don't *hic* want them to see me *hic* like this." Annabeth cries even more. Fine.

"Okay. But can I take you to my house? I am not going to to leave you here in the rain. We have a guest bedroom. It's really comfy. And my mom is the nicest lady you will ever meet. Oh gods, my MOM!" I shout.

Before she can answer me, I pick Annabeth up and carry her to my car. She is so light. But I know from personal experience that her punches hurt like Hades. I put the pedal to the metal. Annabeth and I both left school early. The school probably called my mom. And let me tell you, my mom won't bake blue cookies if she is angry. And that is unfathomable. (yes, big word!) A world without cookies is a world I can't live in.

We roll into the parking lot of our apartment. I jump out, simultaneously hitting my head on the roof of the car.

"Yeeeouch!" I exclaim. I hear Annabeth giggle at me.

I huff. It's not funny! But we need to get inside. At this rate, Annabeth and I will have hypo whatever it's called in a few minutes. I run to the other side of the car to get her. I pick her up again and carry Annabeth into the building. We are both dripping wet. I wave to Bob the janitor with his cat, Small Bob. Small Bob mewls.

"Bob says hello." Big Bob tells me.

I dash into the elevator and press the 5th floor.

"You can put me down now Percy." Annabeth tells me softly.

I hesitate. I don't know why. But I oblige. Her feet hit the floor gracefully.

"Thank you Percy." Annabeth tells me.

"Aw. No problemo. You are light as a feather." I shrug it off.

"No. I mean for everything. You are so kind and helpful to me when I was just ghastly to you. I kissed you, and then told you it was your fault. You didn't mean to bodyslam me, it was an accident. And I called you an idiot. And at the very beginning you were at blind corner. You couldn't see me. I am so so sorry. And thank you. So much."

I almost cry. I hug her tightly. "It's fine. Let's just start over. Hi. My name is Percy Jackson. Nice to meet you." I hold out my hand.

Annabeth gives me a watery smile. "Hi, I'm Annabeth. Nice to meet you too." She shakes my hand.

For some reason the elevator took extraordinarily long, because it finally opened. We step through and walk to number 582. I take out my key and open the door.

"Mom! I'm home! And I brought a friend!" I yell.

My mom steps out of the kitchen, a livid expression on her face. Every fiber in my body was telling my to run like Hades, but I didn't move.

"PERSEUS REEF JACKSON! YOU LEFT SCHOOL EARLY AND COME HOME LATE??! WHERE WERE YOU?" My mother booms.

She turns and notices Annabeth.

"Oh, nevermind. Hello dear! I'm Percy's mom, call me Sally. Let's get you some warm clothes." She shoos Annabeth towards her room while I breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank the gods for Annabeth. Like, jeez mom. Bipolar much? My mom isn't very tall, and Annabeth is, so I'm guessing Annabeth will fit in some clothes that are too small for my mom.

"PERCY! I'M OUT OF SHIRTS! GOT ANYTHING ANNABETH CAN WEAR??" My mother of the year yells down the stairs.

"YEAH!" I scream back up. I dash to my room. I maneuver around the piles of clothes and junk on my floor to get to my drawers. I find one of my old swim team sweatshirts. If it's too small, it should fit Annabeth. I take off my shirt and reach for the sweatshirt. When I lean over, I catch a glimpse of color in the mirror. I back up, and try to see what it is. Even though I know exactly what it is. I see a grey owl right next to the blueprints.

But, the only person I've had a lot of contact with is, oh gods. Oh gods oh gods oh gods. Annabeth. Annabeth is my soulmate. But soulmates, they don't just change. How? O. My. Freaking. Gods. Luke. That little pile of crap. He was lying to Annabeth for their entire relationship. I should have realized.

*le flashback*

I watched Luke walk away from Annabeth. He had slapped her. It was down pouring by now. I could barely see a thing. But Luke walked right by me. The only thing I saw was a smudge of bronze on his evil hand.

*le flashback over*

That little devil! He had faked his soulmate tattoo! I didn't even know that was possible! But what I did know, was that I could never tell Annabeth. She already hates herself. I don't need her beating herself up because, 'she was so stupid!' or 'She should have known!'. Because she was so in love with that rat that she didn't see the signs. Why? Why me?

(Added 7/20/2020 for parts of the story to make sense)  Waitt... this doesn't make sense at all. Annabeth already had a tattoo. This must mean that Luke really was her soulmate and she just wasn't his... what was I even thinking??? Annabeth as my soulmate? Gods, I'm being crazy. It can't be Annabeth. She hates me and soulmates are supposed to love each other from the moment they meet, right? It has to be Luke if she had the tattoo before I got here. Annabeth and I will never be anything more than friends. Even getting to that point will be a struggle, but I will keep try because for some reason unknown to even the gods, a part of me really wants to be friends with Annabeth Chase.