1: I fall in love with the wrong person

I never knew that this would happen. If I did then I would have never went out with Annabeth and accepted her love for me. Already two summers had passed since Luke's death and I no longer felt the same way about her as I did then. However, my conscious forbade me from doing anything that would cause her pain although breaking up was inevitable. It was beyond cruel to not end our relationship when I wanted nothing more than friendship. I couldn't pretend anymore. Not when I was so in love with someone else.

I suddenly remembered Aphrodite's brief visit from years ago and groaned as her words rang in my mind. She had promised to make my love life a tangled mess just because she had taken a liking in me. How very kind of her.

Feeling bitter, I crossed my empty room to a glowing fountain in a corner. I had received it as a present from Tyson, my half-brother, for my seventeenth birthday last year to replace my old one. The craftsmanship was praiseworthy and the little fish carvings looked as if they were about to move. I sighed, realizing how much I missed him. I hoped he would be able to visit soon.

I placed a hand in my pocket and fished out a golden drachma which I flicked up into the air. The coin disappeared before it hit the water.

"Show me my mom in New York City," I said in a clear voice. The mist shimmered and took the form of my mom's living room. She was sitting on the couch, a skinny black notebook on her lap.

My grin was huge as I cried, "Mom!"

She looked up from her laptop and returned a smile. "Percy!" she exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I'm great. You?"

"I'm fine as always. Paul's out buying books. I was just finishing up the latest chapter of my novel," she informed me. Admittedly, she was a very good writer and I was really happy that she was doing something that she enjoyed.

"So, what's up?" she asked me. I hesitated in thought before responding.

"Um, Mom, I need some advice."

She grinned and I could tell that she was very interested in what I had to say. "Okay, shoot."

"What would you do if…" I started and searched for an easy way to explain my situation. "What if you were going out with Paul and—" she raised an eyebrow "—you suddenly found out that you were in love with his best friend, Fred or whatever his name is—"

"It's George, Percy," she corrected.

"Okay, George," I quickly said. "So what if you found out that you just wanted to be friends with Paul because you were in love with George? What would you do?"

She looked at me curiously then shook her head, understanding. "This is about Annabeth, isn't it?"

I nodded slowly.

"Oh, Percy," she said, suppressing a smile at my worried expression, "you're only eighteen. Did you really think you were going to marry her?"

I was stung by her comment.

"I mean she's a very lovely girl," she continued, "but what I'm trying to say is that at your age, most relationships tend to only last a few months, maybe even a year or two like in your case. Some do end up getting married but we're talking about a very, very small percentage of the teenage population.

"I'm sure she'll understand, honey," she comforted. "It'll be hard for both of you at first but eventually you'll both move on. Time will heal."

"You really think so?" I questioned, doubtful.

She nodded, giving me an encouraging smile. "She'll at least appreciate your honesty."

I was almost convinced now. "What if Paul was in love with Jessica?" Jessica was like the sister Mom never had. They had always been together since high school until Jess got married and Mom met my dad.

She seemed to think about it for a moment and then winced. My heart dropped.

"Never mind," I murmured in a defeated tone. How was I ever going to tell Annabeth?

Someone rang the doorbell on my mom's side. "Oh, I think Paul's back."

"Yeah I gotta go. I think Annabeth's at the door," I lied lightly. I didn't want to feel like an intruder when my mom was spending time with my stepdad.

She winked at me. "Okay, honey. Good luck and take care of yourself."

The connection ended and I was alone again. My cabin was one of the quietest; the other cabins were packed since all the gods and goddesses were busy keeping their promise to claim their kids. Zeus and Hades were probably the busiest people in the world based on how crowded their cabins were. My dad, Poseidon, was occupied with rebuilding his enormous underwater palaces at the moment but I knew it would only be a matter of time until this cabin became as packed as the others. The only other cabins that were emptier than mine were of course Hera's and Artemis's which brought me thoughts of her…

My mind became cloudy as I imagined her and her perfect features. She was so beautiful, so lovely. I smiled at the thought of her silky black hair, her deep blue eyes that reflected the clearest skies, and her tough personality that could send any grown man crying home. I liked the fact that she was so rough, so brave, and so similar to me. Even Annabeth had once commented on how alike we were. Her face was of an angel's even with her skull earrings and her lightening spear that could shock anyone silly.

I was in love with Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

But that love was impossible for so many different reasons. First off, she was one of Annabeth's closest friends and being the kind girl she was, she would never ever do anything that would hurt her. Secondly, she was a huntress meaning that she could never date a guy. We could never be, fate would never allow it.

And besides, she couldn't possibly like me. But a guy could always hope.

My lie to my mom turned to reality when my thoughts were interrupted by an impatient knock on the door.

"Seaweed brain!" someone called. A wave of guilt inundated me.

I opened the door and in a flash, Annabeth threw herself in my arms. "I missed you, dummy!" she cried and pecked me on the cheek. I caught myself stroking her soft blond hair out of habit and sighed.

"Annabeth," I said her name and pain shot through me. Could I really bring myself to hurt her?

She gave me a huge grin and hugged me tightly. I grimaced. Gently, I pushed her away and held her by the elbows.

"I need to talk to you," I whispered. I couldn't bring myself to look at her in the eyes.

"Um, okay," she agreed, her voice confused and uncertain.

With a heart that weighed heavier than lead, I took her by the hand and slowly led her to a quiet place by the ocean where I would break her heart into tiny fragments.

Okay that was the first chapter of my first Percy Jackson fanfic! Hope you enjoyed. Tell me what you thought and if any corrections needed. Review please :) It helps a lot.