Secrets | Percabeth AU

35- Notes

Annabeth's POV

It was my fault. I should've not agreed to go to Central Park. Or I could've told Percy to put his hood and glasses back. I could've stopped it, but I was too caught up. Percy might lose his career, and my reputation will change.

Such an idiot, I cursed at myself. Before I could even go inside the school, everyone gave me weird looks. Plenty gave me the look of hatred. Some out of pity. Inside the school was even worse. Whenever I passed by groups of people, they would stop their conversations to look at me. And when they thought I was out of ear-shot, they'd gossip about me.

I headed towards my locker. The hallway was almost empty, except for a tall guy with dirty blond hair-his face covered by the locker door- fiddling in his locker that was right next to mine. I opened my locker and pieces of paper dropped out. I bent down to pick some up. The guy also picked some up for me.

"Wow. You must have lots of admirers," a familiar accented voice said. I looked at him. It was the guy from the fashion show. Mark.

He handed me the papers. "Thanks. I doubt it."

He took a good look at me before recognition shown in his hazel eyes. "Annabeth. Right? Mark? Mark Collins? From the fashion show?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I recognize you. I didn't know you go here."

He shook his head. "I just moved here. From Greece. But I had to finish some paperworks, so I kind of registered to school late. Today's my first day, actually. I didn't know you go here too."

"This is my first and last year here. So... What's your main study here in Goode?" I asked curiously. He showed me an Architecture textbook that I knew page for page. "Architecture is my main study, too!"

His eyes gleamed. "Really? You should come to Greece. They have magnificent architecture," his accented voice rang through.

Finally someone whom I could geek out about architecture and not have heard about what happened, I said to myself. "I've always wanted to travel there, but things just come up."

He nodded his head understandingly. "Ah, I see." He looked at his watch. "I should better get going. I'm trying to figure out my whereabouts are in this school."

"Do you need help?" I asked, willing to get my mind off of the gossips about me.

He smiled. "No, no. It's okay. I'll be fine. Thank you though." I nodded, and he left. I looked at the pieces of paper, and I felt my face sunk.

Opportunist! one paper said. You're such a hoe, another said. Cheater! Liar! All the papers said the same things.

-

Later that day, I found out that Mark was in my Architecture class. He seemed quieter and less energetic when I talked to him about other than architecture. Whenever I did talk to him about architecture, his eyes lit up and started fully engaging himself to the conversation. He showed me his blueprints, and I showed him mine. Both of us gave each other tips and other things we could improve on.

"I found out by the way," he said, his eyes glued to his blueprint.

"You mean...heard all the things that people have been saying about me?" I whispered, while praying in my head that he wouldn't look at me in disgust. He's the only one that I have a lot in common with.