The Goode Life

Chapter Two: The Truth

I awoke to six faces hovering above me, one of which belonged to the gorgeous Percy Jackson. Stop that Annabeth! You have a boyfriend! You can't just go around saying how gorgeous other guys are. "Was I really that scary, Chase?" I heard Percy ask. "No. It's just that Piper and I hit heads just a few minutes ago. And don't call me Chase ever again." He flashed a smile and lifted me off the cafeteria floor. When I was on my feet again, I was nose to nose with Percy. I whispered a small thank you and we both grinned. I could have stayed like this for hours. Me right up against Percy without a care in the world.

My thoughts were interrupted by Piper clearing her throat and saying, "We never finished introducing ourselves." I spent the rest of lunch getting acquainted with Leo, Jason, Hazel, and Frank. They were all really nice, but I couldn't help but steal a few glances at Percy from across the table.

When the bell screeched, we all stood and walked to gym class. "What are we doing in gym?" I asked Percy. "Swimming," He replied. "I can't wait for you to meet the instructor." And with that he winked and ran down the hall. I entered the girls' locker room and changed into a soft lilac swimsuit. I threw my hair up into a ponytail and dashed towards the pool.

Piper and Hazel were all ready there and we chatting about their boyfriends; Jason and Frank. When they noticed me approaching, they halted their conversation. "Hey Annabeth! Do you have a boyfriend?" Hazel questioned. "Ya. Luke," I answered. "Wait, do you mean Luke Castellan?" I slowly nodded, curious about where this conversation was headed. "Funny," Piper said. "I always thought that he was dating Thalia." Seeing the puzzled look on my face she pointed across the water. "See there they are."

I turned to find Luke pressing a dark haired girl against a wall. Their lips were locked and the girl had her arms wrapped tightly around Luke's stomach. Soon, Luke broke away to catch his breath. That's when he saw me. A terrified look crossed his face and I watched him mouth my name. As the first tear rolled down my cheek, I dashed for the door. Luke had cheated on me. I don't believe it. He told me that he loved me.

Preoccupied by my thoughts, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Suddenly, a tall, muscular figure grabbed my shoulders and stopped me in my tracks. Through my tears I saw sparkling green eyes and I knew that everything was going to be all right. "Chase! What's wrong?" Percy exclaimed. The concern in his voice was comforting. At least someone still cared for me. I began to tell him about what happened at the pool, but all I managed to squeak out was, "Luke." My sobbing grew in intensity and I fell to my knees. Percy knelt next to me and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him tightly and cried into his shoulder, letting go of all of my troubles. There we sat in the middle of Goode High School, sitting with our arms around each other. And even though I was wearing a swimsuit, I had never felt more warm and loved.