The Truth – from the point of view of Annabeth Chase

Thalia stood up suddenly and said to me: "Not here, Annabeth." I knew I had to follow: no one backs down to Thalia, especially not when she's in a mixed-up mood like now.

I'd never seen Thalia like this; she seemed so vulnerable and fragile unlike usually. Somehow, seeing her like make me feel scared. I remember how Thalia used to always be the one of us girls who would still march forwards on an empty stomach even though she was barely twelve years old. She was always the one who told me that big girls don't cry and would tell me that we were the girls who were the strongest of all. Shee could beat anyone, I used to think, even Luke who was already a teenager and a big one at that. If Thalia could crumble like this, then what would happen to me?

We turned down a narrow alleyway and soon came to a block of shabby looking apartments. Thalia started up a dangerously rickety fire escape as if she'd lived here all her life. She would never die, I realised, so who knew how many times she would climb these stairs.

"Annabeth, are you coming or what?" Thalia called from the landing at the top. I hesitantly made my way up.

I watched my footing and counted the floors as I passed them: one, two, three, four…five. We were on the fifth floor of the building which meant if fell now I would fall six-hundred feet and probably die before I reached the muddy ground. But I didn't fall; I made it all the way to the top and muttered a silent prayer of thanks.

Thalia had been fumbling in her pocket for something and she pulled out a small key and unlocked the battered red door. She stepped inside and motioned for me to follow. Inside, the room was dimly lit by a single light bulb right in the centre of the ceiling. The room was huge with creaky wooden floors, boarded up windows and what looked like the remains of the biggest slumber party of all time. Sleeping bags were strewn across the floor, each black with a silver deer printed on it. Half-empty bags overflowed with clothes, shoes, food and weapons of all sorts. Spread right across the middle of the room was a large map of the USA marked with green, yellow and red stars. Occasionally the yellow stars became green and the red turned yellow.

"What happened in here?" I asked only then realising how dry my mouth had become with worry and fright.

"It's our camp. We had to set up somewhere and this building wasn't being used so we picked this one. The map's for keeping track of recruiting: green for done, yellow for being done, and red for undone." Thalia replied and I was surprised by how calm her voice sounded.

"Thalia, don't change the subject." I said, clearing a space on the floor and dragging over a sleeping bag to sit on. Thalia sighed and plonked down onto a sleeping bag herself.

"Remember that summer three years ago when you got captured and were held hostage at Mount Othrys? Well, all the time we were travelling and trying to find you and Artemis I was thinking about seeing Luke again. No offence or anything – I was worried about you as well. Anyway, I was thinking about how great it would be if I could convince him that what he was doing was wrong. I didn't realise how far gone he was. Like always stood up for what he believed in and that summer I saw how much he'd changed. He didn't even care, Annabeth, he just wanted Kronos to prosper. He didn't care if we died or not and it took me back to when he told us he's always be there when we needed him."

That took me by surprise totally. I never thought Thalia would hold on to something from so long ago. She was always so tough and always so brave that I guess I never thought that something so small as a stupid broken promise could hurt her so badly. It also took me back to that night.

I remember it so clearly that it shocks me how much I missed those days. I remember being huddled up against Thalia and Luke like the filling in a sandwich. We were cold and wet from the pouring rain and our shelter wasn't exactly waterproof. I was hungry and my nose was running badly.

"This was so not worth running away." Thalia had muttered and I had agreed with her as I usually did. But Luke didn't.

"No, this is just a bump in the road. I'm telling you that once we get to the special camp I was telling you about, it'll be great and we'll safe and fed and happy." he told us and he really believed it.

"Well, how many bumps are there on this road 'cause we seem to come across one like every two seconds?" Thalia complained.

"Listen girls, we are going to stick together, okay? I don't care how many bumps there are but I promise you that I will always be there for you guys."

I shuddered back to the present and Thalia asked me "Do you remember?" and I nodded in response.

"So when I finally saw him after all this time I thought he'd at least remember all the things we'd been through together and stop to think twice. But he was ready to kill me, Annabeth! It hurt so bad, I can't even describe it to you."

"I get what you mean. He tricked me into holding up the sky, remember? He manipulated me son many times, it's a wonder I trusted him at all. But it is so hard not to…I mean, he's Luke, you can't help but like him." I said quietly.

"Exactly, but I knew that there was an escape to all of that so that's why I accepted Artemis's offer. That doesn't mean that I don't still love Luke. I do, but just in a different way. I know you do, too."

I nodded and said, "He realised he was wrong, you know. I think it's the sensible thing to forgive him. We all make mistakes, right? Maybe they're not always as big as Luke's but we all make them."

"Yeah," Thalia suddenly laughed, "Like you deciding to date Percy! Gods, Annabeth, what were you thinking? You could do so much better – you're pretty hot you know."

"Shut up!" I blushed, "Anyway, Percy's a great boyfriend – that's something you wouldn't know." I teased.

"Whatever!" she said throwing a pillow at me and then, I knew that heartbroken or not, Thalia was going to be okay because she's just that kind of strong, brave girl.

She's a survivor.