Stones taught me to fly
Love taught me to lie
So come on courage
Teach me to be shy
Cause it's not hard to fall
When you float like a cannonball

Annabeth was tired. She'd been driving for nearly six hours straight, but she couldn't stop. Not now. Not until she's in New York and as far away from Virginia as possible.

He might look for her, but he might not. Annabeth silently prayed that he'd be too occupied with the slut down the street to come after her. She could feel her ribs pulsing with pain and she had to grip the steering wheel tightly to stop her hands from shaking. Her wedding ring caught the light from the sun and she remembered she kept it on. She cursed herself. She should have thrown it away before she left, but it had cost him a lot, so maybe she could sell it.

Annabeth's plan ended as soon as she arrived in New York. She didn't know where she was, she had nowhere to live. She had been saving money since before they were married, but he took all the money out of her savings account and told her he would keep the money. He made her quit her job as an architect a few months after their wedding. When she objected, he slapped her until she cried. He isolated her from what little family and friends she had until the only person she spoke to was him. He wouldn't let her go anywhere by herself, not even the book store. He'd kicked, slapped, punched, and even cut her and she didn't understand what she did to deserve it. She'd loved him and he would tell her the same, but she stopped believing it after the third time he hit her.

Annabeth kept driving, trying to block the old memories out. That was her old life. She was starting over in a new state and a new city and as far away as that man as she could get.

Annabeth's stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten since the night before. She was so nervous about leaving that she had to force the food down so he wouldn't suspect anything. He went to visit his sister in North Carolina for the weekend and Annabeth saw her chance. She waited twenty minutes after he left before she began to pack her things. When they got married, he took the money out of her savings and put it in hers, ensuring that she couldn't leave because she had no money. But Annabeth was smart enough to make a secret account. She told him that they lowered her paycheck so that when she put half of her pay in her account, he wouldn't notice. He let her keep her car, mainly for appearances since he drove her everywhere, but he hid the keys. She had a spare one in her glovebox that he didn't know about though. He was completely clueless and she was thankful for that. She had money saved up and a full tank of gas since her car hasn't been driven for two years and she was leaving.

She didn't have nearly enough money to buy an apartment in New York, not even the cheap, gross ones. But she had enough for food, and she was smart enough to get some kind of job. So she would save up. That was her plan. But right now, she needed to eat. Annabeth pulled into the parking lot of the nearest restaurant. It was a small diner but it was packed. She didn't mind the wait though, she was just glad to eat.

She stepped out of her car and grabbed the wad of cash she had in the middle console. Her heart hammered against her chest as she walked across the concrete. Even if she was six hours away from him, she was still scared. Still nervous he'd been behind her the whole time and would drag her by her hair all the way back. She tried to shake the feeling as she stepped inside the diner and was greeted by the smell of hamburgers. Her stomach growled again and she moved forward uncertainly. There wasn't anyone around to tell her where she could sit. A woman in a uniform bustled by holding a tray of drinks.

"Just sit wherever you like, sweetie," she said. Annabeth watched after her for a moment before she moved toward the high counters with the spiny chairs. She pulled herself into an empty seat and sat, her eyes drifting across the many people packed inside the small area. A family was seated to her right, the two small children spinning in their seats and giggling happily. The younger one caught her eye and grinned and she couldn't help but grin back.

"Hi, m'am, what can I get you to drink?"

A perky blond no older than Annabeth was standing on the other side of the counter, smiling gently. Annabeth prayed her makeup was doing its jaw and the waitress couldn't see the bruise on her jaw or her black eye.

"Dr. Pepper," Annabeth answered, her eyes moving away from the girl. This would be a nice place to work, she thought as the waitress walked away. She wondered if they were hiring. She needed job as soon as possible.

A few minutes passed before the girl was back and she set the drink in front of Annabeth.

"M'am?" she asked, her voice quiet. She was surprised the waitress heard her.

"Yes?"

"Is the manager here?"

"Actually, the owner is here. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Oh. Yes, please."

"And while I'm here, would you like to go ahead and order?"

Annabeth ordered a cheeseburger with fries and sat in silence, playing with the condensation of her drink. She was absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the man in front her.

"Hi."

Annabeth jumped hard and her hand that was resting against her drink pushed it. It drink spilled all over the counter and down on her jeans. Her heart was slamming against her sore ribs and her breath automatically hitched. She raised her eyes to look at the man in from of her. He was staring at her with his green eyes sort of wide.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

She flushed as she began to pull napkins out of the napkin dispenser and began to wipe the Dr. Pepper off the counter.

"It's not your fault. It's okay," she said, grabbing more napkins.

"Here, I got that," the man said. He picked up Annabeth's cup and passed it to a woman passing by, asking if she could refill it. He grabbed a wet rag from behind him and began to mop up the soda.

Annabeth pressed the napkins against her jeans, trying to draw the liquid out. She knew she was going to be sticky now, and she wrinkled her nose.

She studied the man again, noticing his unruly, black hair that seem to stick up in odd places. He looked almost her age, maybe a little older. When he caught her look, he smiled. She blushed again.

"I'm Percy, the owner. You wanted to speak to me?"

"Oh, um." Annabeth paused to clear her throat. "I was wondering if you were hiring?" she asked.

Percy studied her face for a moment before he straightened and smiled. "Sure. Do you want a job? When can you start?"

Annabeth was so taken aback that she stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "You don't want my resume? Or ask me questions? Or something?" she asked in disbelief. Percy shook his head and leaned is elbow against the newly sticky counter.

"Nah. You seem like a good person. When can you start?" he asked again. Annabeth was speechless. She felt her eyes beginning to well up, but she swallowed her tears and straightened her back.

"As soon as you want me to."

Annabeth walked back to her car forty minutes later with her new uniform clutched against her chest. She can't believe Percy hired her on the spot, let alone without asking any questions. She only asked him on a whim, expecting the answer to be, "Oh. No, sorry, we're not hiring right now. Come back in a few months."

She slid into her car and set the uniform in the passenger seat, sliding her wad of money underneath. She took in a shaky breath and began to cry. She couldn't help it. She was finally free. She was going to make her own living and no one could ever take that away from her again.

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