I gasped for air. I breathed in through my nose, and out through my mouth. I briefly remembered the song by Kelly Clarkson...

Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show...

I also briefly remembered the sole reason for me crying...Luke.

He cheated, and when I found him with another girl, I told him I was breaking up with him.

Then he texted me, saying:

Annabeth, you are going to regret breaking up with me. I'm coming to your house now.

When I got the text, I felt my heart being pulled, it kind of feels like when you love somebody, but worse, like a sense of dread creeping up from your chest, into your face, and it causes tears to spill and lips to be pursed into a firm line, as you spring up from the couch to your room.

As soon as I got in, I locked my bedroom door, and clutched my phone tightly to my chest. I slid down the door until I was on my knees, and it was like I couldn't get enough air.

It's hard to describe it, but basically I was scared.

I considered why I was so scared, and it was because I didn't know what he was going to do to me. My family was out at my brother's hockey game, and I had decided not to go.

Then I made a list of the things that could have changed that wouldn't have made this happen.

I could have gone to my brother's hockey game, and if i did then I never would have seen Luke cheating, and I wouldn't have broken up with him, and gotten that scary text.

I could have gone over to Percy's house, (Right now I would give up anything to be at his house right now instead of sobbing on my bedroom floor.

The reason I didn't go to Percy's house, was because I was going to surprise Luke and I didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying no so I made up an excuse that I was sick.

I quickly turned on my phone and took a screenshot of the texts Luke sent me.

Then I deleted his texts.

Suddenly the door opened downstairs and I heard someone slowly walking up the stairs, humming.

That sick person.

My heart was in my throat, and I double checked the door before running to my bed, as quietly as I could.

I curled up in a fetus position and braced for him to start talking to me.

Unfortunately I didn't have to wait long.

"Annabeth I want to talk. You didn't have to break up with me. We could have moved on. I love you Annabeth."

I shivered.

Luke doesn't love me, he just wants me for a girl toy to wrap around his little finger.

I didn't respond.

Again,

"Annabeth, if you don't love me, I guess I have to make you."

He tone darkened.

He started jiggling the doorknob and pounding against it, trying to make it open.

I started silently crying again, I didn't know what to do, I thought i was never going to see anything happy again.

Then the door opened again, and a new voice called out,

"WISEEEE GIRLLLLLLLLL! I BROUGHT YOU SOUP TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!"

It was Percy. I almost heaved a sigh of relief, until I remembered that Luke was pounding on my door.

Then Percy's tone became worried.

"Wise Girl? What is that noise? Are you okay?"

Then he seemed to get a kind of gist of what happened.

I heard him run up the stairs.

I heard him enter the floor my room was on.

"Perseus," Luke snarled.

"LUKE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Oh nothing, I mean I just want to get Annie out from her little room so I could reason with her," he lied.

I couldn't help but let out a heartbroken sob from behind the door. Then I clamped my hand over my mouth and felt my hot tears run onto my hand.

Percy yelled.

I did think it was kind of weird, if I'm being honest, that I was home alone with two boys near my bedroom.

But then again, I'm pretty sure one of them was going to kill me, so I let that thought go.

I heard someone hit one another and Percy yelled out in pain.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I stood up from my fetal position, and in one quick motion, I undid the lock on my door.

Just then, Percy shoved Luke, and he fell right onto my feet.

I wasn't thinking, so I kicked him, and in one swift woosh I landed a strategized punch to Luke's jaw.

He fell unconscious.

I looked up at Percy, and nothing else seemed to matter.

His hair was touseled and wet, he probably just took a shower, and his eyes were wild. They were just the right amount of blue, and green, and a fleck of hazel to make them the exact color of the sea.

He was wearing a sweatshirt, and dark pants with nikes.

I broke down on Luke's limp body and started crying.

Percy rushed over, and put his arms around me. He took off his sweatshirt and I saw that he was wearing a navy blue v neck.

He put the sweatshirt on me and I smelled the scent of it.

It was warm and cozy, and it smelled like chocolate chip cookies with a mix of salt.

He brought me to my bed and leaned over me.

He kissed away my fat tears, which normally I would have thought was super weird and borderline creepy, but at the moment I appreciated the gesture.

I scooted over and lifted up the covers to my bed.

I thought this was kind of weird too, in the back of my mind, like saying:

He's a boy and he's in your room and you guys are in the same bed, and you're wearing his sweatshirt, and he's kissing away your tears and-

But I was so rattled at that time that I thought it was fine.

i rested my head on his chest and before I knew it, I was asleep.