Annabeth stared at the airport gate for a solid five minutes. Her father's arm was wrapped around her shoulders. He was trying hard not to cry, but was ultimately failing. He wiped a tear off his cheek, hoping that Annabeth didn't see. Of course she saw. He was standing right beside her.

She looked behind her, scanning the background. No one familiar seemed to catch her eye. She was half hoping that her mother would come rushing here, just for a hug and a kiss. Annabeth knew it would never happen, it was too high to expect. It would just leave her disappointed. She glanced at her father, who had trouble not to cry in front of her.

He wheeled her trolley bag and she took it. Annabeth looked ahead of her before looking back at her father. And she did something that surprised her more than Frederick, she hugged him. After all the silence, ignoring each other, crying alone in her room because she didn't have anyone to talk to, this one hug forgave all the muteness they have made. It took every ounce of Annabeth's will to not cry, but was unsuccessful.

"Goodbye." Her dad whispered.

Annabeth nodded and wiped the tears with the sleeve from her brown sweater. She took her luggage and, while waving, walked towards her gate.

She got to her row. She was going to be seated next to a window and a couple. At first glance, you would know they were a couple. The girl was kissing the guy in any but sisterly way. The girl was dressed very summery, considering it was still the school year. She was wearing an unbuttoned flannel over a tank top with sunglasses and shorts and a yellow legal pad on her lap. The guy looked like a blonde superman with a scar on his upper lip.

Annabeth tried to cross them, knowing she wasn't supposed to see this. She sat on her seat and they began to lift after a few minutes.

The couple stopped kissing after two more seconds, which was enough time for Annabeth to get her iPod and earphones. She was about to put her earphones on when she realized too late that her bag was still open. Before the earbuds touched her ears, she felt a light tap of a finger on her shoulder. She looked at her side.

The girl smiled at Annabeth and pointed at her bag. Annabeth glanced at her bag and saw that her book was showing from her bag. She looked at the girl again, who was scribbling on the pad. Annabeth set down her earphones and stared at the summer girl in confusion.

Is that the fourth book of Alabaster Reynolds, the Last Wolf? Do you read the series? Said the writing on the girl's notepad. She took off her sunglasses and Annabeth held her breath. The girl's eyes sparkled all kinds of colors like a kaleidoscope. The shined a fanatic gleam on them. She wanted Annabeth to answer the question. She nodded and took out the book.

I'm Piper. She wrote. Taking out her hand as a gesture.

Annabeth smiled and shook her hand, saying her name. She looked behind Piper's shoulder and rose her eyebrow quizzically at the blonde, jock-looking boy. Piper was already writing on her notepad again. That's Jason. My boyfriend. He likes flying. Piper joked. So, are you done with the series? Any thoughts?

Annabeth nodded and laughed. "I liked the third one, even if it had a heartbreaking ending and a beautiful beginning." Annabeth replied. Piper nodded understandingly and gestured her to continue. "I wasn't satisfied with the ending, though. I felt like the writer forgot to much important things in the finale."

They talked about the book series and Piper was a really hardcore fan. She reviewed the whole book series. Annabeth laughed from time to time, giggling when Piper made a pun that only they could relate to.

Jason looked at them with cocked eyebrows and Piper just smirked. "I'm glad to know that Piper made a friend in an airplane. She can't get over the series and I'm happy you found each other." Jason said and Piper stuck out her tongue childishly.

The two were a good couple. A perfect match. They looked at each other in an intrigued way that Annabeth almost wanted to have a boyfriend. Almost. Before sinking into the loneliness hole inside her brain.

Annabeth never minded being alone. She always had books with her. She was genuinely happy being alone in New York. She wondered if it was the same being in Arizona. Suddenly, a shiver went down her spine. What was she thinking? She never thought about this before, why now?

Soon, Jason's head was resting on Piper's shoulder, snoring. Piper laughed a little and looked at Annabeth with those luminous eyes. Annabeth asked for her notepad and Piper gradually nodded. Annabeth flipped through the pages with her pen circling like a fan because of her fingers.

There was a lot of poems and quotes on the papers. Most of them were short stories about Alabaster Reynolds, the Last Wolf. What were they called? Fanfiction. Yep, that was the one.

Piper wrote amazingly. She told the characters perfectly and the words were amazing. All of a sudden, Annabeth turned to the page of their conversation. She wrote her phone number with her pen.

Piper eyed her suspiciously. "Oh, right! It's a phone and you can't talk…" Annabeth said until Piper lifted her hand and interrupted her. She gestured Jason with a smile. He was going to be their messenger. Piper laughed and gave Annabeth a thumbs up.

"Why don't you talk, by the way?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Annabeth instantly regretted it. She wanted to be friends with Piper, but this was none of her business. Her heart almost fell when Piper took her notepad from Annabeth's lap. But then she scribbled with her pen in a serious, but not hurried, manner.

Instead of writing in capital letters saying GO AWAY! Like Annabeth had expected, it said the word Mutism. "Oh." Annabeth said, feeling slightly guilty.

Nah, don't worry about it. It's fine, really. I don't need pity. She wrote.

Annabeth wasn't thinking about that. And she wasn't even pitying her new found friend. She knew Piper was too strong for that, she had a good heart.

When they landed, Piper wrote see you again! And held it up like a sign. Annabeth was so sure that they were going to meet again. They were going to be greater friends than they were now. She said goodbye to Jason and he smiled then saluted.

She hailed a taxi and gave the address to Aunt Hestia's home to the taxi driver. He nodded and began to drive. Annabeth stared out the window the entire ride. She looked at the streetlights and buildings.

She was so into having a conversation with Piper that she forgot that she was staying at her aunt's house. What were her memories with her? They were hazy and foggy. Annabeth readjusted her circle glasses the way she always does when she's frustrated. She remembered Hestia hug and lift baby Annabeth in the air. She would scream and laugh. She recalled herself running into Hestia's arms, crying that Athena was going to travel and leave her behind.

"Miss?" The cabbie asked, pulling Annabeth out of her train of thought. Annabeth snapped and gave her money to the driver. She pushed the door open and saw the house in gleaming color.

It was a two-story house with a veranda and a tilted roof. Its wall was painted beige. There was a marble fountain in the center of the front yard. It had a porch with wooden floors. Its front door was a classic wooden door which, in Annabeth's opinion, suited the house so it looked modern and vintage at the same time. Bushes surrounded the house and a stone pathway led to the porch.

Annabeth walked toward the house. Before she could ring the doorbell, the wooden door swung open to reveal a woman, maybe in her early thirties, in a plain white shirt with a cardigan on top of it and jeans, leaning on the side of the door, eating a raw carrot. Her straight platinum blonde was down, totally opposing Annabeth's curly, ponytailed, sun blonde hair.

The woman swallowed the rest of her carrot. She smiled at Annabeth and said, "I'm sure you remember your Aunt Hestia."

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