This is not dedicated to Taffeh A. Llama. And I'm not a compulsive liar.

The secret glances remind you it's not a dream. What happens those every odd few nights isn't just a figment of your wild, vivid imagination.

It started months before when she gave you a sly wink out of nowhere in your English class. Your heart flutters without reason. Your brain has to register that, holy crap, Annabeth Chase just winked at you.

The next day she asks you to be partners on the bullshit project your teacher hands out so she can feel like she's a real teacher, and you say yes, completely forgetting that you are horrible at English. Really, it all escalates from there.

The first time she comes over to your house your mom isn't home. She notices that.

After twenty minutes of not actually working on the project, she yawns and raises her arms over her head. "I really want to lie down."

"Uh, I don't mind—"

"I was thinking more of a bed. You do have a bed, right?" She blinks owlishly, in a cute way. Her grey eyes capture your attention and it takes you a minute to reply.

"Uh, yeah." You say.

"Lead the way."

Annabeth takes up most of the bed, but you don't mind. You're sitting up against the wall while she lies down in front of you, resting on her elbows, giving you the perfect view of things besides her face.

She talks about the project a bit more, you try to concentrate on her face, but after a while, she sits up. She bites her lips and stares at you before getting closer, and closer until she's close enough that you can feel her breath.

"Look," She says, "I think you're cute."

It was probably the last thing you expect to hear, but you don't interrupt.

"I've thought so for a while, but I wasn't sure you liked me back. I thought maybe I wasn't your type… Maybe I wasn't good enough for you…" She lets it hang.

You stumble over your words, trying to get them out so fast. "I do! It's just… I thought—with, you know—"

"Luke?" She says. "Can you keep a secret, Percy?"

You feel bewitched. Annabeth is enchanting, so beautiful. She's perfect in every way possible.

And she's interested in you. You aren't much, and you know it. Your mom has to sleep with a jackass just to get you into the stupid private school you go to and you carry around the stupid plastic pen that was your dad's as a feeble attempt to remember him. But Annabeth Chase finds that attractive, for some reason.

"Yeah." You say. Your voice doesn't sound right. It sounds squeaky.

"Good." She leans in even close. You watch her pink lips form the next few words. "Because Luke doesn't have to know."

In the next week you actually finish the project, which surprises you because most of the time, you aren't working on it.

And over the next two months it happens over and over. And suddenly, you start getting invited to parties. People start to recognize you, which is surprising.

You start making friends, and at lunch, you don't sit alone anymore.

More and more parties happen towards the Christmas break, and you get invited to every single one. And at each, Annabeth finds time to slip away.

"We have to ease them into the idea," She explains one night. "If they found us locking lips, like right this second, they would beat the crap out of you."

You wince, because you know it's true.

"Everyone knows Luke and I have problems. I know they're taking bets on how much longer we'll last." She leans on your shoulder, even after all this time her touch gives you tingles. "And when we do break up, you can be the guy who picks up the pieces."

You're okay with that.

"But for now, it's our little secret, okay?" She says.

"Okay." She smiles and gives you a kiss while you wonder how much longer you'll have to wait.

Then her phone rings. "Oh God, it's Luke."

She holds it up to her ear and holds up her index finger, the universal sign for shut up for a second.

"I told you earlier, Luke, I'm at Thalia's. No, I can't—I'm busy." She rolls her eyes. "Don't tell me what to do, Luke. For God's sake. I—fine. I know, I know you're having a hard time, baby. I'll come over soon." She pauses. "Love you too."

Then she turns to you. "I say we have about twenty minutes."

"Thalia's, huh?"

Then she grins, "A little white lie never hurt anyone." She pecks you on the lips again.

"Remember— our little secret."

She promises that soon- very soon- she'll break it off with Luke. She says so every day, and you stupidly believe her.

That, of course, continues for a few more months. You don't even realize the vicious circle you're trapped in.

Thought I would try something new. If anyone actually reads this- I'm going to write 25WTPO soon. I didn't realized exams would be so hectic...

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