When the Stars Start Falling

"Annie! Annie! Over here!" A young woman with short spiky jet black hair screeched as she jumped up and down in the airport. The people around her looked at her annoyed but she just rolled her eyes and continued jumping. In New York you didn't have time to worry about the hypocrites.

"Gods Thalia do you have to be any more embarrassing?" A woman said as she strolled up to her, a duffle bag in her hand and a laptop case around her shoulders. "I think most of New York could hear you."

"Annie!" Thalia screamed as she latched her arms around her best friend. "I can't believe you're finally here!"

"Enough with the Annie thing, please Thals," Annabeth Chase begged her. Thalia just gave her a wink and shrugged.

"Whatever you say."

"You're not going to stop are you?" Annabeth moaned. Thalia shook her head.

"Where would the fun be in that? Now can we go? I'm starving!" Thalia said, emphasizing on the word: starving.

"Good to know things never change," Annabeth said giving Thalia a smile. It was good to be back. After six years in California she was ready to get back to New York. She loved the bustle of the city, she loved the winter freezes, and the smells of food vendors in Time Square. She loved the bright lights and the sounds of people being awake even at midnight, it made her feel like she wasn't alone. Which was good because writers, she discovered, got very, very lonely.

"Ya, ya, ya, now can we please go? There's this awesome Italian place on First that I'm just dying to go to and I know you love Italian," Thalia begged her. "The car's waiting out front for us."

Annabeth laughed, gods she hadn't laughed in a long time. "Yeah, let's go." She shouldered her bag, wincing as it touched the new bruises which had formed after her last visit to her father's house two days ago to tell them she was finally leaving. Her step-mother wasn't too happy about losing her best baby-sitter… who was also the cheapest at zero dollars and zero cents.

Annabeth had tried to tell her that the twins, Matthew and Bobby, were old enough to babysit themselves. Heck they were thirteen now. She was babysitting them at thirteen!

No! No! Bad Annabeth! She thought. She had left California to get away from complaining and groaning every second of the day. Not to complain and groan again. Which was something she found that she was extremely talented at.

"Whoa, Annie car's right here," Thalia said, grabbing her shoulder, she winced. Thankfully she hadn't grabbed her wrist. The bruises would have been seriously painful then.

Another plus about New York: You could wear long sleeves and no one would think you were weird, unlike in Cali where if you wore long sleeves people thought you had a disorder or something.

"Di immortals Thals! Where the heck did you get this car?" Annabeth asked, as she stared at wonder in the sleek grey car that was sitting in front of them. Annabeth looked at it closer and then tilted her head. "And isn't it parked illegally?" She had seen a security guard at the door of the airport. Why didn't he give her a ticket or something… not that she wanted Thalia to get a ticket. What sort of a friend would she be if she thought like that?

"Yeah… well I made sure to bring the slip of paper I snuck from Dad's office," Thalia said climbing into the car. Annabeth threw her dufflebag into the back seat and then gently set her laptop bag down. She climbed into the passenger seat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Dad? Since when did this development occur?" She asked as Thalia revved the engine and pulled out of the airport into the infamous New York traffic.

"You've missed a lot Annie, I'll tell you about it at the restaurant that is if these BLUNDERING BAFFOONS get off the road and let me drive!" She yelled out the window, honking her horn.

Annabeth shook her head trying to control her giggles. This was why she missed her best friend, for the laughs, for the tears, gods for everything.

Well except for the New York traffic… that was something she could go without.

"Cuz when the stars start falling

I'll be here calling your name, yeah your name

And I'll wish upon a penny

And toss it in the well

And shout your name, yeah your name.

Cuz it's written on my heart

And as we're pulling apart

It's tearing at my soul

As I say that you can go.

But Baby there's one thing that I know (one thing that I know)

If you love someone:

You gotta let 'em go."

~Percy Jackson, When the Stars Star Falling

Words for the Wise: We all dream and I dream that I can call your name. I'll wish on every star when they start falling, I'll dream on every penny I toss into a well. But I know deep down every time I look at you, even though it's tearing at my soul, that when we finally have to pull apart, when I finally have to leave you. I know that I can't keep you here. You're destined for much greater things. There's one thing I know: Loving someone means letting them go.

"Bravo Mr. Johnson, spectacular as always," Mr. Hector Dionysus said leaning back in his chair in the boardroom at Olympian Records at the head of the table with a dozen other people all sitting around the table, watching the raven haired young man with intent eyes, awed by his voice.

"Ah… actually sir, it's Jackson," Percy Jackson said, as he nervously patted his guitar… he did that when he was nervous… which was usually.

"Whatever, whatever," Dionysus said as he stood up and walked to the cabinet of soda. Usually it would be filled with wine or beer or any type of liquor he wanted but after getting pulled over one too many times for DUI, the cops had decided it was best to ban him from any alcohol and if caught with any Mr. D would be in prison for a long time.

And that would look bad for him company.

"So how was the world tour? Great right? I mean you got all the adoring teenage girl fans who throw their shoes and other articles of clothes at you, you've got the wild after parties, you've got the good food and heck you've even got the parents on your side with your lyrics," Mr. D rambled on as Percy just absent mindedly nodded his head at whatever he said. Better to agree with Mr. D than to disagree. It was like a law of the trade.

"So then… what we need is a new record? I was –"

"Yes!" All the people around him said, all eager to get on their boss's good side… which side that was they had let to learn of course.

"Don't say yes until I've finished talking," Mr. D reprimanded. They all nodded and shrunk back into their chairs. Percy had a hard time controlling his laughter.

"As I was saying, a new record Parker James!" He said. "And pronto!"

"Um… it's Percy Jackson," he corrected again. His name wasn't that weird… was it? Why did he have to pick the one guy in all of New York City who could not remember his name to save his life?

"Whatever kid, anyway a new record. At least twelve new songs and make sure to include that last one, it will make everyone drool… but lose the guitar. We're not cowboys are we?"

"Yes!" Everyone shouted again. Mr. D shot them a threatening look.

"Don't say yes until I've finished talking!" He said. "Honestly it's hard to find good help these days," he muttered, sitting down in his seat with his diet coke. He took a sip and began absent mindedly plucking at his leopard print shirt.

He looked up. "Are you still here?" He asked. Percy jumped up, grabbing his guitar.

"Nope sir, I'm gone. I'll have Nico call your people to get the details figured out." If there was one thing Mr. D hated it was logistics.

Percy hurried out of the board room with his guitar. He grabbed his new i-phone from his pocket and dialed Nico's number. "What's up? How'd the meeting go?" A voice asked him.

"Fine, fine it went fine, we need a new record, at least eleven new songs. You know what that means right?" Percy asked, getting slightly excited.

Nico sighed. "Yeah, yeah of course I do. It means you're going back to the letters."