Hey! So this is the new story I was talking about! I REALLY hope you guys like it! So please review and tell me if you do! :D
Happy Reading!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any of the songs used in this story!
Backpack: Check. Jacket and hoodie: Check. Small umbrella, food, journals, pencils, and pens: Check.
I slung the bag onto my shoulders and slipped my gray converse on. I glanced at the calendar. It's February 21, 2010. And my watch read 2:46 P.M. Perfect!
I knew that my dad wouldn't be home for a few more hours, so I had plenty of time to this. I would be safe-for a little bit. But then again, it's not like Dad was ever home anyway.
So have you guessed yet? You've got it! I, Annabeth Chase, a Californian at the age of sixteen, was running away. Smart right? But who could blame me?
A year ago, on February 21, 2009, my mom was killed in a car accident. I could still see the determined look on her face, and hear my screams and the claps of thunder. But I shook my head. I couldn't afford to think of that right then.
I looked in the mirror, and ran my fingers through my dark brown curls. Big, hazel eyes stared back at me. I took a deep breath. Come on, Annabeth! I chided myself. You've been planning this for weeks!
I checked to be sure that I had my wallet, already stuffed with cash. Then, I walked into the living and hesitantly walked out the front door. But before closing the door, I turned around and looked inside the cold, dark house. I had a sudden vision of what the house used to be before my mom died. And before everything had changed.
"Mommy!" I cried running towards her. She walked into the room and I ran forward, giving her a huge hug.
"Hey, sweetheart!" she said warmly.
"Guess what?" I asked excitedly.
"What?" Mom asked with a spark in her eye, as though she just knew I had accomplished something big for a nine-year old.
"I figured out what the Pitagian Tearum is!" I announced proudly. Then I frowned. "Wait, no. It's called the Pythagan Therum. No..." I furrowed my brow.
Then Dad walked in.
"Hey sweetheart!" he called.
"Hi!" Mom and I both answered. Dad laughed and shook his head.
"You girls are definitely two of a kind," he commented. I held my head up proudly. I wanted to be exactly like Mom when I grew up.
"So, Annie, have you told Mommy what you did today?" Dad asked.
"Dad!" I drawled his name out. "Don't call me Annie!"
He chuckled and ruffled my hair affectionately. Then I turned to my mom.
"So, as I was trying to say, I figured out how to do the Pyth-" I stopped again, frustrated that I couldn't say it.
"Pythagorean Theorem?" Dad put in.
"Dad! I was going to say it myself!"
He put his hands up.
"Sorry!"
"Anywho, I learned how to do the- what Dad said! And apparently kids don't learn that until middle school!"
"Really? Oh, Annabeth, that's amazing! I am so proud of my little girl!" And then she swept me into another hug. I was so filled with pride.
"We should celebrate!" Dad exclaimed, and without further ado, he grabbed a couch cushion and an epic pillow fight began. For the rest of the night, we ate pizza and watched movies. We laughed and smiled, the picture of a perfect family.
A single tear slid down my cheek, but I hastily wiped it away. I quickly slammed the door shut behind me. Then, I walked to my cheap, black truck. I was happy I was sixteen and had a car, which I paid for myself, might I add.
I knew it wouldn't really last long on my journey. It was so old, it could hardly get to school and back. But it was the best I could do.
The day before, I had taken all of my money out of my bank account. I knew I was ready to go. I slid the hood of my jacket over my head.
Then I started the truck, and slowly backed out of my driveway, leaving my childhood-and everything that came with it-behind. And I knew I wouldn't be seeing it again.
I stopped at the gas station and quickly filled the tank with gas.
After everything was done, and I had a cheeseburger from McDonald's, I started on the highway and cranked up the radio.
I was thrilled when one of my favorite songs by the famous Percy Jackson came on. It was called 'Breakeven'.
I started singing along with the song.
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in
'Cause I got time while she got freedom
'Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break even
Her best days were some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even... even... no
What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok?
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces
They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even... no
What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you?
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok?
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces
(One still in love while the other one's leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
('Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even)
Oh, you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain
You took your suitcase, I took the blame.
Now I'm tryna make sense of what little remains, ooh
'Cause you left me with no love and honour to my name.
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in
'Cause I got time while she got freedom
'Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break...
No, it don't break
No, it don't break even, no
What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you?
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok?
(Oh glad you're okay now)
I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces, yeah
(Oh I'm falling, falling)
I'm falling to pieces,
(One still in love while the other one's leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
('Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break even)
Oh, it don't break even no
Oh, it don't break even no
Oh, it don't break even no
(Song: Breakeven
By: The Script)
When the song ended, I turned the radio back down a notch.
I thought about Percy Jackson. He was, like, every teenage girl's dream. Everyone talked about him nonstop and there were always those creepy stalkers at school who knew almost everything about him. They even knew where he lived! Which was apparently New York. Personally, I didn't understand why anyone would care where he lived. Did it matter?
I loved Percy and his songs, but I was definitely not one of those creepy stalkers who claimed that they were going to marry him. If I had a dime for every time I had heard a girl say that, I'd be rich.
But anywho, I loved his songs and I'd be lying if I said I didn't think he was handsome. But I had always felt kind of bad for the guy. I mean, he practically had no private life. I was just fine with not being famous. But in his interviews, he seemed like a pretty neat guy and it would be pretty cool to meet him.
But I knew that would never happen. I mean, I was a runaway! Even if I didn't get caught, I knew that I would never be accepted. And I could live that, I guess.
A part of me wondered if I had made the wrong decision to run. If I should just turn back. But I knew I couldn't. And even if I somehow managed to convince my dad that I had gotten lost or something, I wouldn't be able to survive. And I knew there would be more fights.
There were always fights. In fact, it was because of a huge fight that I had made my decision to run away.
Dad had been coming home late every night, always with the same excuse, saying that he had just worked late. But one night, his boss had called and asked if he could speak to Dad, and that's when I knew he had been lying.
So that night, I confronted him. And he just denied it. But I proved my case and demanded that he tell me the truth. Honestly, I think I would have just preferred the lie.
He confessed that he had been going to a bar every night. He assured me that he was not getting drunk. He had just been meeting up with someone, a woman. And he told me that they had been together for about two months.
And, of course, I flipped. He had started dating another woman just ten months after Mom's death?! And he hadn't even told me! I started yelling at him and stuff, saying that he had forgotten about Mom and that he had never cared about her. Which I knew wasn't true, but it still hurt. You can't really blame me for that.
He told me that I needed to stop being selfish and that I didn't even care about his feelings. The idiot. He didn't know anything.
I had been driving for about six and a half hours when I got my first phone call from Dad. I glanced at the clock. It read 7:56. Dad would have gotten home at about 7:00.
I didn't pick the phone up though. I just kept driving. After about the fifteenth call, I got pretty exasperated and completely turned my phone off. No doubt that by now, Dad might have called the police.
It was getting very dark, but I planned to just keep driving through the night until I got tired. I had to get as far away from "home" as possible.
Another Percy Jackson came on, and I sang along with it. Just for a second, I could picture myself on a road trip with Mom and Dad, all of us singing silly songs.
But it wasn't.
I didn't even know where I was going. I just stayed on the same major highway. It didn't really matter where I was going. It's not like I was planning on going back.
As I sang softly to myself, I thought about how everyone used to tell me that I had a beautiful voice. I knew that my voice was pretty good, but I wouldn't take it as far as beautiful. Although, I did enjoy how my higher voice contrasted nicely with Percy's lower voice. The sound brought me a small sense of peace.
It was soon about 2 A.M. and I could feel myself getting tired. And my poor old truck! I was surprised it hadn't broken down by now! I didn't want it to overheat so I knew I had better stop soon.
I was thinking I would just park the truck somewhere and sleep in it, but then I drove past an old abandoned house. No one was in it, hence the word 'abandoned'. And it looked stable enough. So I though, Why not? It's not like you've got anything to lose.
So I turned around and parked the car behind the house, so that people passing by wouldn't see the truck.
Wearily, I stopped the truck and took all my belongings out. Then I hesitantly walked in.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although there wasn't much to see. Obviously, it hadn't been abandoned for very long. The two-story house was empty and it had a dark carpet.
I tried the electricity but as I expected, it didn't work.
I wandered upstairs but I didn't really look around much. The stairs creaked under my feet. I just walked back down and set up camp right in the room closest to the back door.
I lied down on the thick, dusty carpet and tried to make myself go to sleep. I wished that Mom was here. I wished that I could go back to how everything used to be. And most of all, I wished I had someone who really loved me. Because I felt so alone.
I was finally about to drift off into a restless sleep, when suddenly a voice called out to me.
"Hey! Who are you and what do you think you're doing here?"
I know it was kind of boring, but hopefully it will get better and more exciting. Was it good? Bad? Terrible? Tell me in a review! Could we try to make it to 5? That would be awesome! And please check out my other stories! Thanks guys! REVIEW! (Even if you're a guest!)
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