Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns the Percy Jackson series and all its characters.

Suggested Songs: "Say" by John Mayer and "No such thing" also by John Mayer

Percy P.O.V.

"Percy wake up. First day at your new school. Come on! Up, up! Out of bed." I just groaned in reply to my mother's peppy wake up call.

"Don't make me get your father to come in here," she warned.

"Five more minutes." I rolled over and put the pillow over my head. Whoosh!

"Cold!" Cold water—what a great wake-up call.

"Percy, you're going to be late, son. It's your first day at your new school. Wouldn't want to be late, would you?"

"No dad." Paul was my step dad but he acted as my dad. My real dad left my mom and me when I was really small. My mom didn't like talking about him so all I knew was that he left for his job and never came back. My mom married Paul when I was around four, so he pretty much raised me. I love him like my real dad so it didn't matter that we weren't blood related.

Paul is a teacher and found a better teaching job here in New York as a 9th grade English lit teacher. I was going to the school he taught at—Goode High School. Today was my first day, and I was not looking forward to being the new kid.

My mom is a writer and worked from home. It used to be she worked at home because of me but now it's because of her health problems. She has cancer. Beckendorf's mom used to come over to our house and keep an eye on her but now we have to find a hired nurse.

I got out my towel from the drier and went to the bathroom to take a hot shower. The warm water loosened my muscles and woke me up like a cup of coffee would. I went over the dream I had been having for about a month. The one of me and my dad. The small tension started to build up so I got out of the shower. I went back to my room and dried off. I slipped on a pair of blue jeans, a black Green Day t-shirt and black Vans. I grabbed my navy blue one shoulderJansport backpack and walked to the kitchen. I sat down at the table surrounded by moving boxes and grabbed a plate. My mom laid down two warm bluewaffles. It was our family tradition because my real dad did it to all his food so it was our way of remembering him. I scarfed them down as quickly as I could. Paul came from my parents' bedroom and kissed my mom on the cheek.

"Come on, Percy, time to go," he called from the door.

"Coming," I called, kissing my mom good-bye.

"Bye mom," I said.

"Bye, Percy. Have a good day." I was already out the door and in the car.

We pulled into the staff parking lot and parked.

"Okay, Percy, I have to get my lesson set up for today, so I asked a girl by the name of Rachel Elizabeth Dare to give you the tour." Paul pointed to a red-headed girl by the entrance in ripped paint splattered jeans and a red Harvard sweatshirt. She looked smart and nice enough.

"Ok dad," I just sighed.

"Percy, I know you miss Beckendorf, but you can meet new people here. And, besides, we're going to visit them this summer, remember? Rachel is a nice girl. It will be okay, Percy, I promise. And who knows? You might find a girl you actually like here." I winced. He knew I was never going to love anyone other than Thalia. (I know ewwy but please don't shoot me I needed to put her in somewhere. There will be PERCABETH later.)

"Paul," I warned.

"I know, Percy, I know."

"Okay, I'll try to make friends. Just no love life. Got it?"

"Yeah okay, Percy." I got out of the car and took in one look of the big grey school I would be going to for a while. I took a deep breath and walked to the front entrance where she was.

"Rachel Dare? Hi, I'm Percy Jackson."

"Oh. Yeah. Hi."

"Hi." I reached out and shook her hand.

"So you up for the tour?"

"Sure, let's go." We walked through the doors to find a hallway lined with gray lockers. We walked down the hall way and stopped at a brown door with a square window that made it look like a detective's door that would be in an old black and white movie. The plaque on the glass window read, "Principal Chase" in gold letters.

"This is the principal's office. I advise never going in there for a bad reason. The double doors next to her office are the main office. Come on." She grabbed my hand, making me blush, and dragged me into the front office. The long room was lined with chairs on both sides and a desk at the end of the long room. On the right side of the room was another door that led to the principal's office.

"Hello, Mrs. Stevens, this is our new student. The one and only Percy Jackson." Rachel was talking to an old lady who looked about fifty, had white hair, and wore purple reading glasses.

"Why hello, Percy. I'm Mrs. Stevens."

"Hello, Mrs. Stevens." I shook her wrinkly smooth hand.

"Percy, I do have to ask you to get this sheet signed by all your teachers and bring it back here at the end of the day. Here is your schedule and a map of the school. Have a nice day, dear," she smiled kindly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Stevens; you have a nice day as well." I smiled back at her. Rachel and I walked out of the office and turned right. We walked into a courtyard full of benches and trees.

"Okay so school starts in about an hour so I'll show you all your classes, the library, the gym, and if we have time the cafeteria."

"Okay," I sighed out and kept walking trying to keep up with her up beat walk.

She showed me my classes and introduced me to most of the teachers, who were actually in their classrooms. We walked to a big red building with grey stripes that said in big bold black letters, "GYM." She led me through the squeaky double doors to a basketball court.

"Okay, this is where P.E. will be held if it's raining. We have boys' basketball tryouts next week and the boys' lockers are to your left," she explained in her peppy soprano voice.

"Where do I sign up for tryouts?" I loved basketball. Beckendorf, Thals, and I used to play all the time. I was the captain of our team back home in Maine. I missed them both so much. Thals even more now than when she died.

"You get the sign-up sheets from the principal's office."

"Could I go there after school and get them?"

"Yeah I guess. If she isn't there just ask Mrs. Stevens."

"Okay." I stared at the nice clean bleachers and clear lines.

"So we're off to the library." She turned around and walked out. I followed reluctantly.

"So did you have a girlfriend back home?" I winced again at the unwelcome memories I tried to shut out. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah I did."

"How did she take it? I mean when you moved."

"She didn't," I looked towards her.

"What do you mean? You left without saying good bye?"

"No she wasn't alive to see me move."

"Oh I'm sorry, what happened to her?" Wow did she care at all.

"Well her mom was taking us to the movies when a drunk driver hit her side of the car. The cars met in the exact spot she was sitting. We were taken to the hospital. She died in the ambulance truck as they were pulling her out of the back of it." A traitor tear escaped my eyes. I wiped it away. It hurt so bad to re-live the memory of our car crash but it also felt good to get it off my chest.

"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. I don't know how it feels to lose someone but it must have been hard."

"It was," I forced a smile in her direction hoping she wouldn't worry. We stopped in front of two double doors.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah I'll be fine," I smiled again. We walked through the doors to find a square room with tables and shelves.

"Well this is the library," she said in a tired out voice. I looked around and that's when I spotted her. She was sitting down at a table reading "Secrets of Greek Architecture." Being dyslexic made it difficult to read but not impossible. She had curly blond hair that fell to her mid back and had beautiful stormy grey eyes. Her skinny blue jeans and grey B.Y.U. t-shirt showed off her athletic figure. She didn't wear make-up but did wear a silver owl necklace. She was beautiful. Wait no; you promised you would never love anyone else. Don't even go there. I had to.

"Who's that?" I asked Rachel.

"Oh, the blond," she replied in disgust. I just shrugged it off.

"Yeah, who is she?" I just stared at her, my mouth open like an idiot.

"Annabeth Chase, the principal's daughter. Captain of the girls' soccer team, straight A student, trying out for the lead role in the next play, and says no to every guy who asks her out, which is almost everyone." My heart sank. So I didn't even have a chance? Why would you want a chance? You love Thalia, remember? The bell rang.

"Dang it, sorry I didn't get to show you the cafeteria. We have fifth period together so just meet me outside the classroom. Oh, by the way, we have lunch after fifth so I'll show you where it is then. Bye, Percy, see you later," she smiled at me then headed for her first class.

"Bye," I called after her. I watched Annabeth get up and out of the chair. She slung her black backpack over her shoulder and held the book in her hand. I turned around and walked out, tripping over the door cell. I thought of her the whole way to my first class. I felt like I was cheating on Thalia. The guilt ate me up inside, but also something inside me felt she wanted me to move on. Almost as if she sent me and my family here for a reason.

HA! There it is. I apologize for the previous grammar mistakes. Normally not so horrible but I was being lazy since its summer. I would like to thank 'September Sorrows' for beta-in my story. Well there it is. Thanks,

Stars