Breaking Free

Chapter 1: The Fire

Author Note:

Hi people of the fanfiction world. We are two people writing fanfiction. This is just to alert you in case you notice any difference between any chapters.

Disclaimer: We do not own PJO.

Annabeth's P.O.V.

"Hurry out the window!" Helen, my stepmother shouted. I nodded as I crawled on the ground sweating as the heat of the fire burnt my face. I looked back to see my two stepbrothers, Matthew and Bobby, lying unconscious on the ground. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to crawl back, but Helen shook her head sadly and signaled me to go forward. As I struggled to move forward, I spotted the window a few feet away from me. I peeked out the window to see firemen gesturing for me to jump. The last thing I remembered was seeing my parents fall to the ground next to my brothers. Then, I blacked out.

I woke up to the sound of machines beeping and nurses racing around. The bright light blinds my eyes as I try to sit up. My hand immediately flew to my chest as I checked for any major injuries. A nurse noticed my worried state and slowly walked up to me.

"Miss. Chase?" she asked.

"Annabeth," I corrected annoyingly back.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry to break it to you, but you were the only survivor from the fire."

Fire? There was a fire? Is that why I'm in this hospital? Slowly, but gradually, the memories come flooding back. My family falling unconscious before my eyes as I searched for a window leaving them behind. How could I do this to them?

"It's all my fault! How could I do this to them?!" I murmured as the nurse rubbed my back.

"Also" she began. There's more? "Since you don't have any other guardians, we have no choice, but to put you in an orphanage."

My mouth fell open and I began to sob softly. What if no one adopts me? I started thinking of all the families that will reject me asking for a younger child. Or the families that will adopt me and abuse me with their drinking problems. Or even the families that will adopt me, but force me to be their maid of some sort! I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding and an idea popped into my head.

I looked up at the nurse and questioned, "Can I discharge myself?" The nurse then began blabbering about how I'm not an official adult and squabbled on about my injuries that will have me act like a weakling. Is this nurse calling me a weakling? I then interrupted and pressed, "Can I discharge myself or not?"

The annoying nurse then reminded me that if I discharge myself, I would be taken directly to the closest orphanage. If I discharge myself then I won't have to hear this annoying nurse, but if I don't she'll keep lecturing me.

The next thing I knew I was filling out papers and walking into the elevator down to the lobby. While I was listening to the peaceful elevator music, the elevator stopped on floor 3, as a boy with raven black hair and sea green eyes entered. Once we reached the lobby, he walked out leaving a sweet, but salty ocean breeze.

Percy's P.O.V.

Hey, I just met you,
And this is crazy,
But here's my number,
So call me, maybe!

I groaned as I pulled my lazy bum out of the tangle of blankets. I then open my eyes slowly and grabbed my phone.

"Hello?" I answered groggily.

"Are you a family member of Tyson Jackson?" questioned a lady through the other line.

I bolted up from the name of my stepbrother and bumped my head to the edge of Tyson's top bunk.

"Yes!" I practically shouted.

The startled woman answered back, "Your brother is in Pacific Hospital at the moment with a major injury to his left eye."

I gasped as I began to pull on my skinny jeans and a t-shirt. I raced out to the kitchen grabbing my keys and jacket.

"Tyson's in the hospital!" I cried out to my mom.

Her hands fly up to cover her open mouth as worries start creasing her face. I wave a quick goodbye and dash out to my black Lamborghini named Blackjack. My car flies through the streets of Manhattan until I reach Pacific Hospital. I quickly run to the front desk asking for my brother's room. Room 3 is all I heard before I was pacing in the elevator thinking about Tyson's eye. What did the lady mean when something major happened to Tyson's eye? I mean he can't be blind in one eye right? Right? But boy was I wrong.

I sat in the waiting room hugging my knees like any little scared boy would do. Suddenly, the doctor walks out of Tyson's room.

"Are you Tyson Jackson's family?" he questioned.

I bolted up the same way I did back home and nodded vigorously.

"Follow me" he said sharply.

I nodded and trailed along the man into Tyson's room. I found Tyson lying in bed with an eye patch covering his left eye. His expression was relaxed, but his eye showed pain. My face fell with sadness as I looked up at the doctor for an explanation.

The doctor nods and says, "It seem Tyson has gotten rust in his eye. I don't know how, but most likely a nail from where he was working. I am sorry to tell you this but he will be blind in the left eye."

I sat next to Tyson on the bed and stared at him. Hoping that he would wake up without a blind eye. That the doctor was wrong. That Tyson never injured his eye in the first place and he just fainted. That he would just wake up and smile at me like nothing ever happened, but nothing happened. Tyson stayed almost lifeless in bed. He didn't do anything I hoped he would do. Face it Percy. Tyson's half blind. NO! Tyson's fine! He's the strongest guy I've ever met! He can get through anything.

"Mr. Jackson, he's blind. Any strong guy could become half blind."

Did I just say that out loud?

"Yes you did Mr. Jackson."

I looked up at the doctor embarrassed, but suddenly Tyson's voice speaks up.

"Percy, I'm fine. My blind eye will be the reminder that nothing will hurt me. It will help me grow." he says weakly.

"Tyson you're awake! How are you feeling? Does your eye hurt?" I quickly ask, worried.

He laughs as if nothing happened and replies back, "I feel fine, go home and relax. It's just one blind eye."

I sigh and wave him off. He smiles at me. I smile back. I walk out with my hands in my pockets. I walked casually to the elevator and press the button going down. A few seconds later, an elevator opens up. I walk in to find a blonde chick with soot in her blonde curls and fingers wrapped in bandages. I wonder what happened to her. I lean against the elevator walls and smell a faint lemon scent. Then, the elevator reaches the lobby. I walk out thinking about Tyson and his blind eye, but then my mind floats off to the girl in the elevator. She seems familiar, but someone I don't know too.

Annabeth's P.O.V.

I walk out of the hospital to find a red car waiting in the parking lot. On the car were stickers slapped with the words, Orphanage Transportation. As I walk up to the car, the windows roll down revealing an old man with a big bushy beard, and a look of seriousness. He sticks his hand out and I shake it.

"I'm Chiron. I take all orphans to where they need to go."

I nod and pull open the door. He looks at me with curiosity and turns his head out to the road. We cruise through the busy streets of Manhattan. Slowly my mind drifts off to sleep. Later on, I wake up to the feeling of Chiron shaking me awake. I shoot him a grumpy look and push open the door. I look out to see little kids playing on the playgrounds and teens my age sitting around looking bored. I walk up to one girl in particular and stick my hand out.

She looks up at me from her seat annoyed and asks me, "You the new volunteer?"

I stare at her baffled and cross my arms. "No, I just became an orphan earlier. Why? Are you not an orphan?"

She scoffs, "You're an orphan. Sorry I'm a volunteer. I watch these kids and help 'em out."

I nod and sit down and stick my hand out once more. "I'm Annabeth."

She smirks, "Clarisse. Not an orphan."

Suddenly, a voice calls out my name. I look up to see a woman gesturing me to walk over. The woman pulls me inside the home and hands me a stack of papers. I grab the woman's sleeve and ask, "What are these papers for?"

"We must know who you are for couples to adopt you." She answers back.

I sigh and grab a pen. After hours of filling in the boxes, I stand up and walk over to the counter where the woman sat down. She takes a look at my papers and looks back up at me. 'Annabeth? I'm Demeter. Front desk lady of this orphanage." I give her a weak smile and walk out to the door to bump into a woman with dark hair and brown eyes. I lower my head and walk out.

A/N:

Hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 1 of Breaking Free!