Hi guys. Welcome to my newest story! I have high expectations for this one, and I hope it turns out better than my last story, An Eternity of Solitude.

Just a few key pointers: Hidden Sorrows is rated M. I repeat, RATED M! That means that there will be adult themes in here, as well as drug use, possibly swearing, some violence.

If you are under twelve, I suggest you don't read this story. If there is an M scene coming up, I will warn you at the beginning of the chapter.

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns most of the characters, but the plot is all mine.

Umm… that's pretty much it, I think. Here goes!

Chapter 1:

Prologue

The music blasting out of the speakers nearly tore Percy's brain in half. It rattled his eyes in his head, and gave him a ringing sound in his ears. But he was sitting practically on top of the main DJ sound board, so that could have contributed to the bone- rattling effect.

For as long as he could remember, Percy had been working in cheap, rundown places to earn some coin. His aging mother had been diagnosed with a severe case of Alzheimer's dementia, and was useless around the house. It was up to Percy to rent shelter for them, keep food on the table, pay the electricity and water bills, look after his mother, and still go to school.

So he was stuck working as a DJ in this shady nightclub, where he got to go temporarily deaf every night, help drunk and stoned teenagers out the door every morning and cleanup other people's trash. At least the pay was good. About fifteen bucks an hour. If he worked all night, from ten through till five, he earned $120 a night. That left only a few more problems: he got no sleep, and he still had to go to school. More often than not, he found himself at the principal's office for falling asleep in class. Once, he accidentally fell asleep on the toilet. The janitor found him like that about two hours after school had ended, bent over himself with his pants still down, and he was late to work that night. $30 bucks had been cut off his pay check, and him and his mum had gone without food for two days while he worked extra hard to gain that $30 back.

Percy twisted the volume knob slightly on his soundboard, and the music eased up a little; his poor ears were ringing so bad.

He rested his head on his hand and surveyed the dance floor tiredly, slightly bored. That is, until he heard shouting over the blaring music; saw somebody fall to the floor. He relied on pure instinct only as he jumped up, and ran to the scene of the accident to see what he could do to help.

"Hey, baby!" a harsh voice whispered in Annabeth's ear. She whipped her head up and squinted at the figure. Her head spun from the sudden movement; a sure sign that she was drunk.

She stood, catching myself on some random person's arm when she stumbled.

"Hmm?" she slurred, her brain slow and clumsy.

"Dance with me, baby," the voice murmured.

"Uh, okay."

She soon realised who it was— her boyfriend Luke Castellan. Soon to be ex- boyfriend. She was over him, and his raucous actions, and his over- bearing needs.

Besides, she was looking forward to something new, a bit of excitement.

Luke placed his hands on Annabeth's bony hips and hauled her forwards, so that the two were pressed tight against each other. She could feel his excitement through his jeans.

A loud, pounding song with a strong beat came on, blasting through the speakers and drowning out all sound. Luke ground himself against her. She felt a slight surge of indignation at his expectations of her, so she pushed him away. But he held onto her, and yanked her onto the dance floor, where he started swaying erotically against her.

Disgust was all she felt. Drunk as a pig, he was, and she was not in the mood for what he wanted. She pushed him away again, and stepped back.

"No, Luke," Annabeth said frostily. "We're done, okay? I don't want this anymore."

Luke stood there in a daze, staring heavily at his now ex girlfriend, lids hooded; lips blue from all the alcohol he'd consumed that night.

"You're breaking up with me?" he asked incredulously.

"Yup," Annabeth nodded, surprised at how easy that went down. But she'd thought too soon.

Because just then, Luke's fist reached out and connected with her cheek bone. She shouted in pain, and stumbled backwards, tripping over someone's feet and landing on her back.

She looked up to see Luke's furious face above her, and she suddenly wished that the floor would swallow her so that she wouldn't have to die tonight.

Percy could not believe it. Right there, in the flesh, was his school's Queen Slut Annabeth Chase, and her no- good boyfriend Luke Castellan.

Except something was wrong.

They weren't making out, or feeling each other up.

Annabeth was on the floor, her face puffy and bruised, and Luke was swaying on his feet, yelling nonsense at her in his drunken state.

Percy didn't think before he leaped forward and smacked Luke in the nose, leaning down to help Annabeth up. Luke staggered backwards, and fell to the floor, out cold.

"Hey!" Percy yelled at the dazed girl in his arms, making himself heard over the pounding stereo above them. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Annabeth screamed back. "Who are you?!"

"Doesn't matter who I am! Are you okay?"

"Of course I am, dumbass! I just got punched in the face by my boyfriend! What do you think?"

And why does it not surprise me that even when she's just been physically abused and she's drunk out of her mind, she can still find the energy to yell at me?

"Do you need an escort out the door?" Percy asked, his lips at her ear so that she could hear him.

Annabeth ripped herself from his grip. "I don't need anything," she muttered almost inaudibly, and Percy's over- worked ears had to work hard to make out what she had said. And without further ado, she stormed towards the door (Percy marvelled at how she could still stomp in those high, high heels she wore), not once looking back.

How was that for a start? Are you looking forward to the next chapter? Please tell me in a review what you think, and whether you think I should continue!

Thanks for reading,

MashPotatoeSquishBanana