A/N: Hey guys! I have no idea how long it took me to update this time but hey, at least it isn't as bad as my last one. Too soon? Anyways, sorry for the delay, but I'm trying to make these chapters as long as possible. And these chapters sure are long! I think this one is like 6874 words exactly!? That's a lot! Anyways, I'll keep this short but thanks again to all who have read this. Make sure to follow and favourite this story, and review; I love to hear what you all think! Sorry for all the exclamation points and all the 'anyways'. I'll stop now. Here is the next chapter of Illusions!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series or the characters and such. *Makes Severus Snape face* Obviouuussslly.
"Athena I'm leaving," I call from the bottom of the staircase.
"Okay, you don't need to yell. I'll see you when I get home." Athena replies, putting on her earring as she walks down the stairs regally.
I grab my backpack and leave in a huff, slamming the door harder than I intended to, but not really caring. I seem to be in a mood today, like everything and everyone is out to aggravate me.
I get to school, honking at some old lady along the way who was going way too slow and practically swerving all over the road. Did I mention that I hate driving? Because I really do. Once I'm at school I head to my locker. Thalia's leaning against it, but when she sees me stands up.
"Hey," she says. I grunt in response. She quirks an eyebrow up, as if to say, "what's wrong with you?" I shake it off, opening my locker. After I take out my books, slamming the door shut.
"You're in a bit of a mood today, aren't you?" Thalia says, noting my aggravation.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, I'm just really ticked off for some reason. It's not you, I think it's because it's just Athena and me alone in that house. It's really starting to get on my nerves."
Thalia nods sympathetically.
"It's fine. If I had to be in that house every day with Athena I'd go nuts."
I smile at the thought of Athena and Thalia living together. Athena has always hated Thalia, but I'm not really sure why why. Ever since I was little she's always disapproved of our friendship. I've long since given up trying to make the two of them at least half cordial to each other. Some people just don't mix, and in this case Athena and Thalia are like oil and water.
I nod at her, putting my textbooks into my backpack. As I finish zipping my bag up I hear someone call out my name.
"Hey Annabeth!"
I look up and smile, as I see Nico Di Angelo walking towards me. Nico's Thalia and Percy's cousin. Their dads were all brothers, but they had a bit of a falling out, and for the most part their kids took sides. Thalia and Percy hate each other, while Thalia's brother Jason and Percy remain best friends. These days Thalia and her brother barely ever speak, it's sad. I still talk to Jason, but never for very long. He's a year younger than us and most of the time he's never without his girlfriend Piper. Nico remains neutral, somehow managing to be close with both Thalia and Percy, a feat within itself. On top of everything he's one of my good friends, despite Percy and I being sworn enemies. Whenever Percy comes up we usually just gloss over him. It's pretty effective.
"Hey Nico," I say as he stops in front of me, fiddling with the zipper of his leather jacket. His black hair is a mess, falling over his eyes almost covering them completely. It's a wonder he can see at all.
I haven't seen Nico since summer, before he left for Florence to intern at his dad's company. "How was Italy?"
He brushes his hair back and tucks a piece behind his ear.
"It was okay," he says. He's picking a piece of blackl polish off of his fingers, avoiding my eyes. "Hey um…" he stutters, blushing a little. "Have you… ah… seen Will Solace anywhere?"
Thalia elbows me, smiling, and I jump, forgetting that she was there.
"Why?" I say coyly, smirking at him.
Nico's normally olive skin goes pale.
"No reason, I just ah-"
I roll my eyes as Thalia cuts him off.
"Nics, make your move on Will. You've been pining for him since like 10th grade. He likes you, he's been asking where you were these past couple weeks."
I nod at what Thalia's saying, as though to further convince him about Will.
"Yeah, probably had a question about homework or something. Plus I'm perfectly fine pining after him. In fact I am so cool with my current situation. Very cool, ice cool."
Thalia huffs in annoyance, but I just shake my head.
Nico looks down at his sneakers, a faded skull drawn on the tip with black sharpie.
"Plus," he mumbles, "it's not like I could bring him home or anything."
My stomach sinks when Nico says this. Nico came out as gay in freshman year, everyone knew and was supportive of him, except his father. Nico finally worked up the courage to tell Hades, and when he did it ended badly. Nico's sister and mom died in a car crash a year earlier, and since then his dad hasn't been the same. Nico hasn't been either, but he hides it. He puts up a front, joking and laughing, but when he thinks no one is looking his facade falls away. It's not fair, Nico is one of the best people that I know, but he's been through so much. That's why it made me so angry when I found out what happened to Nico when he came out to his dad.
At first Hades was in shock, but when it finally settled in he yelled at Nico. The next thing we knew he was sent to some really tough boarding school and when he came back in grade eleven he was different. He still jokes around, but it's forced. Other than Thalia and Jackson he's got no family. Hades is doing a piss to poor job at being a father so he doesn't count anymore. Despite everything though, Nico still loves him, and is trying desperately to earn his approval. If he'd just accept his son then maybe Nico wouldn't be so distraught.
Thalia clears her throat, and I realize that I haven't said anything. I've been too distracted.
"Nico, I'm sorry." I say. He gives me a sad smile, and I feel my heart break. I pull him into a hug, and he goes stiff. Then he relaxes, and hesitantly wraps his arms around me. Nobody hugs Nico much anymore, he needs somebody.
"It's okay," he says stepping back. "It's not your fault."
"I gotta go to class, the bell's going to ring soon." Nico gives Thalia and I a little wave before knocking down the hall.
Once he's gone Thalia let's out a grunt of anger.
"I hate Hades. I'm going to kill him. It's not fair. Nico's all he has left and he's pushing him away I swear the next time I see him I'm-"
"Thalia." I interject. She closes her mouth looking at me. Her electric blue eyes are dark, swimming with anger and frustration.
"I hate that he refuses to accept Nico too, but threatening him won't solve anything. All we can do is be as supportive towards Nico as we can, okay?"
She nods, her black hair bouncing.
"I'll see you later," she says.
I nod, turning to leave.
As I head towards my first period class I shuffle my feet, suddenly very tired like I could just lay down and slip into a long deep sleep.
My home room is to the left of me, and for a moment I don't want to go in. What's the point? It's not like I'm going to learn anything extremely useful or life changing.
I'm shocked at this, not going to class has never crossed my mind, it wasn't even an option. But I could. I could run out of the school and get in my car and drive. I could go downtown to the library, or head to Penn Station and get on the first train out of here.
As I weave through the now crowded halls of students heading to their first classes I can't help but feel like everything that I've been taught is wrong. When we're young we're taught that good things happen to good people, and vice versa to the bad. If we set out to be nice, and do things that are good than we should live a happy and easy life. There won't be any tribulations that you have to deal with. If that's true though, then why do so many good people have lots of genuinely bad things happen to them ? Nico is one of the most caring, funny, and nicest person I've met, yet he's miserable. His mother and sister are gone, his only immediate family that he has left hates who he is. Then there's Thalia. She's loyal to a fault, coming to defend her friends even when they don't ask for it, but her brother and dad won't even speak to her. Her mom has been in rehab since she was little and when Thalia visits her, she doesn't even recognize her own daughter.
It isn't fair. People like Nico and Thalia have all this… this shit to deal with, while bad people have things just work out for them. Percy Jackson is a prime example. He treats everyone and everything like crap, not giving a damn about anything about himself. Yet things just work out for him. He skates through life having things handed to him, nothing bad can or will happen to him. He's Percy Jackson, untouchable in every sense.
As I ponder my sudden realisation, I can't help but feel like the world around me that I once believed to be wholesome is flawed. Like all the morals and lessons that I've been taught in my seventeen years are irrelevant.
I frown, sliding into my first period seat. I'm being silly and overdramatic. I'm having an existential crisis, but I shouldn't be. I turn my focus to the teacher, urging myself to stay focused. I can't though, thinking about Thalia and Nico, and even Percy Jackson the entire time.
School has progressed in a monotone way, and although I feel satisfied with the calm easiness that one can associate with monotonousness I can't help but wish that something would happen to me.
Maybe it's just because of all the books that I've read, but I can't help but feel like I'm missing out on something. I don't know what my something is, but I know that it's big and it's just waiting to happen to me. My entire life has been filled with mundane things and I crave for an adventure. As I sit at the desk in my math class I can't help but feel that staring out a window for the remainder of my high school career isn't something that's supposed to happen to me. I want an adventure, no correct that, I need one. I think that I'm going to go crazy sitting down listening to other people's "Great Adventure's" and I fear that I may never have one of my own.
I'm only seventeen but I feel like my time is running out. Soon I'll be off to college, then I'll meet someone, have my career, get married and have kids by the time I'm thirty or so. That's how it's supposed to go, right? It's like my clock is running out, and soon there won't be any time left. I'll be one of those people who writes about adventure's but never lives one. If life was a roller coaster then mine would be perpetually flat and slow. I don't want flat and slow, I want the hills, the drop, the feeling in your gut as you look over the edge, the adrenaline that rushes through you at the drop. I want some boy with messy hair and a twinkle in his eyes to knock on my bedroom window in the middle of the night and whisk me off to some spontaneous journey. I'm a good girl, I play by the rules. I stay inside on a Friday and do my homework. I'm Annabeth Chase, the girl teacher's trust to wander the halls and do the assignment correctly. I'm trying to be the epitome of perfection and I'm tired. I'm tired of playing by the rules, and I want to break some, create my own. But it's not like that's ever going to happen. I'm Annabeth Chase, and I follow the rules, not write my own.
"Ms. Chase?" I jump at the sudden noise and fling my pencil in the room in the process. it hits some kid drawing on a desk in the head and he looks up, rubbing his head. The rest of the class laughs and I look up to see Ms. Dodds looking down at me, shaking her head in a disappointed manner. I smile at her smalley, hoping she will lighten up again. Her scowl deepens.
I clear my throat, it's tickled. I think I'm getting a cold or something.
"Yes, Ms. Dodds?" I say, trying to be as polite and respectful as possible. Honestly, I hate the woman. I never hate my teachers, but something about her just makes my blood boil, she's so disconcerting and… weird.
She huffs loudly, clearly displaying how annoyed she is with me.
"Ms. Chase would you please answer the questions on the board, given that I have asked you three times. Do you understand now or do I need to speak slower?" she says in a hostile tone, fully articulating her words in a way that just drives me mad.
"Of course Ms. Dodds," I say getting up from my chair. As I walk to the board I look up at it, internally sighing in relief because I know the answer. Not to sound cocky or anything, but when it comes to school, I usually know the answer. But when it comes to makeup or relationships or social interactions… well, let's not talk about that.
I grab the piece of yellow chalk that sits on the ledge, and write the formula and answer on the board. I almost laugh at my teacher. She used such a complicated way of displaying the equation, most people would get discouraged and give up, even though it's a fairly easy answer to get. When I finish I put the chalk down and turn around, unable to hide the small smile that spreads across my face when she sees that it's right and the rest of the class hurriedly copies down the answer. Take that Dodds!
"Correct," Ms. Dodds says curtly, almost looking disappointed at the fact that I have succeeded. Pretty much the American education system summed up in one sentence ladies and gentlemen.
I sit back down, wiping my chalky hands on my jeans, but immediately regretting my actions. My jeans are all dusty and chalky, and they look dirty now. My hands are still dirty too. I'm smart, I swear.
The rest of class goes by quickly and before I know it I'm on my way to study hall. Unfortunately I have it the same period as the person who's responsible for all the bad in the world. In case you didn't know the answer it's Percy Jackson. Ugh. He always tries to distract me, and I can never get any work done. He'll look over my shoulder and breathe incredibly loud, or read out loud so that I can hear him. Or he just sits there. When he sits there, his brow furrowing in concentration he looks like a god damned male model. So, I basically just procrastinate for 45 minutes and drool over Jackson. It's pretty distressing that find the bane of my existence is attractive as hell, but whatever, sue me.
I walk down the halls alone, until someone comes up behind me and knocks my books out of my hands, and papers and textbooks fall to the floor.
A string of curse words escape my mouth as I crouch down, scavenging the papers that have scattered across the crowded hallway. Great, some football player just stepped on my Science homework. Have I mentioned that I hate high school? Because I do, I really do.
Someone crouches down next to me and I'm about to thank god for creating one semi decent human being who will help someone pick up their papers when another person has knocked them out of said someone's hands… That is until I hear them speak.
"Tsk, tsk, Chase," the voice says, "you've got to be more careful with your papers. You're causing a scene, and stopping people from getting to their classes. I thought you were for other people getting a proper education, not against it." I look over my shoulder to see Jackson crouching slightly behind me, sporting a lopsided grin. I glare at him as butterflies rise up in my stomach. I attempt to beat them down with a metaphorical bat.
"And if I were you I wouldn't go around knocking people's books out of their hands. It's a particularly nasty thing to do. Then again you're a particularly nasty person, so I guess if the shoe fits..."
Jackson moves over to crouch beside me as I collect the rest of my papers. There is a shoe print on one of them. Fabulous, I love shoe prints on my assignments.
He raises his eyebrows at my last comment, clutching his chest as though I have wounded his heart with my harsh words. LIke the arrogant ass actually has a heart.
"I'm hurt Chase, and you're accusing me of spilling your books? That's low, blaming me for your clumsiness. Rude, rude, rude."
I stand up, clutching my books tightly to my chests. I'm not picking these up off the floor again.
"Jackson, I know you're hopelessly in love with me, and know that the only way for me to pay any attention to you is for us to exchange insults, but I'm late for study hall, so can you walk and talk, or is that too difficult for you?"
Percy rolls his eyes at my comment, and I look down at my feet as we walk, waiting for his reply.
"Please Chase," he scoffs, "I wouldn't have any sort of feelings for you even if my life depended on it. We all know that you're in love with me and that's why you follow me around like a lost puppy, so shut up and get to your god damned study hall."
I glare at him, flames dancing in my eyes. I'd never admit it to him but that hurt, a lot. Jackson always likes to push boundaries, and sometimes he even crosses them. I just hurl insults back at him, to mask the fact that it hurts. It's not an effective method, but so what. It keeps him from becoming suspicious and it keeps him talking to me. Sometimes it's scary how right he is. If he wasn't so damn oblivious I'd be worried that he'd figure out how I felt.
The hallways have cleared, most people in their classes as next period is about to begin.
"Shut up Jackson," I say nastily. I shove him for effect, a lot harder than I meant to and he bangs into the lockers on the other side of the hall. It makes a loud banging noise that echoes through the halls, and I jump at the loudness of it. For a moment Jackson looks startled, but then his eyes lock with mine. He's livid.
Jackson and I fight verbally all the time, but we rarely ever get seriously physical. I swat him and he pinches me, but it's rarely ever that we start throwing punches. When we first met I punched him and he got a bloody nose, and he kicked me in the shins so hard once that I had bruises for a week. But that was years ago, we've matured. Plus, Percy would never hit a girl, it would look awful on him, and there would be hell to pay, both from the school, and from Thalia. I'm completely against the fact that anybody should hit anyone (unless someone is hitting Percy, I'm all for that) but I hate the rule that it's wrong for a boy to hit a girl, but not a boy to hit another boy, or a girl to hit a boy. If we want to be treated as equals we shouldn't have it so that hitting one gender is socially unacceptable and not the other, it should be both genders. Though I guess that social norm does work in my favour given that Percy is basically twice my size and could take me any day.
I turn my attention back to Percy, who is storming over towards me, looking practically animalistic. My heart pounds in my ears, and for a moment I actually fear him. He see's my eyes widening, and he slows down a little, but still pushes me up to the lockers, our bodies almost pressed together, and I feel his hot breath on my skin. This time though, there isn't anything romantic or seductive about it.
"You don't push me okay Chase? You can hurl whatever petty little insults you want, but hit me again and I will end you. You're a little bitch Chase, and I hate you. Do you understand? I loathe you, and I always will." His sea green eyes are dark with anger, his hair messy and his cheeks flushed pink.
I give him an icy stare, trying to maintain my last little bit of composure. I don't say anything. I just nod. I can't say anything. Being this close to Jackson clouds my thoughts and I can't even think of one of my witty remarks. He's left me completely speechless.
We stand there, still close together, as I stare at him. I'm mad at him, so mad that my cheeks are red, and my stormy grey eyes are so dark they're almost black. But more than anything it hurts. It hurts so much that a couple hot tears spill out of my cheeks. Jackson just assumes that they're angry tears from arguing, but his gaze still softens a little. Don't do that, don't do that Jackson. When he does that, looks all soft and concerned he pulls me back in, like a dog on a leash.
"I hate you Jackson," I choke out, "you're the most foul and loathsome creature on earth and every day I'm near you I am miserable. You make everyone miserable. Your so called friends hate you, they just spend time with you because you're rich." Jackson's jaw sets as I stare at him, the anger and hatred and passion roaring out of me like word vomit. I want to see him in pain, I want him to feel what I feel, but I don't know why. Maybe I'm just a horrible person, I don't know. He's not riled up yet, so I continue.
"Your cousins hate you, and they would rather spend time with your arch enemy rather than you. All your teachers hate you, you're a disappointment of a student and they know it so they hate you. Hell, you're parents probably hate you-" I'm cut off as he slams his hand against the locker beside my head. I jump, breathing heavily, a stray blonde curl going up and down in front of my face in time with my huffs.
"Shut up Chase! Just shut up!"
I'm about to open my mouth when a classroom door opens and Mr. Jenkins, the history teacher steps out, looking at the pair of us worriedly.
"Mr. Jackson, Miss Chase, what in the world is going on?"
I look between Mr. Jenkins and Jackson like a deer caught in headlights, as Percy snakes a hand around my waist. I would pull away but he has me gripped tightly, and I'm squished up against the lockers.
"Oh nothing, Mr. J," Jackson says as he brings me impossibly closer to his body. I can smell his cologne clearly, and oh my sweet baby jesus it smells good. Like that cologne smell that every guy has mixed in with the sea. I want to bury my head in his pullover and breathe, but I don't.
"My girl and I are just having a little dispute about the homework. You know how this one gets when you say she's wrong." He looks at me smiling, and it's so sincere looking that I almost believe it, if it wasn't for the glint of anger dancing in his eyes. He still hates me, nothing has changed.
Mr. Jenkins looks between the two of us, baffled. It's no secret that everyone knows Percy and I hate each other. This little encounter will certainly be the buzz of the school by the end of the day. So much for trying to maintain a low profile.
"Are you sure it's nothing? Miss Chase?" He looks at me sympathetically, obviously not exactly pleased with Percy. But how could he be. He's a player and I'm the good girl, it's a tale as old as time.
I put on my most sincere smile, and look at Mr. Jenkins reassuringly.
"Oh yeah, it's nothing. You know Percy, he gets so stubborn. You should see him when we talk about his action figure collection. It's nuts, he just-"
I'm cut off by Percy pinching me in the side, and I bite down my squeal of pain. The little…
Mr. Jenkins looks at us weirdly and I smile, then Percy kisses me on the cheek. I resist the urge to squirm out of his arms. The nerve of that guy.
Mr. Jenkins looks down at the ground uncomfortably, obviously appalled at the fact that the most notorious enemies are suddenly cosying up to one another. The things he must be thinking… oh god.
"Well if you're sure everything is good then I'll just-a- return to my-uh- classroom then. Please go to your classes though, I don't want to get you into trouble. Take this as a warning, next time it will be detention for the both of you."
I nod my head quickly, my curls bouncing up and down. I can feel Percy smiling beside me. As soon as Mr. Jenkins closes the door his smile drops and his scowl returns. He retracts his arm from my waist as if it were burning hot. Judging how red my entire body is right now from the sudden encounter I wouldn't doubt that it wasn't.
I look up at him, staring into his eyes even though I want to shrink back.
"Um… thanks Jackson for doing that. " I say quietly. He rolls his eyes, but not in a malicious way.
"Yeah well I don't need another detention and if we did get one then that would mean I would be stuck with you then longer than I have to."
I nod at him, choosing to ignore the jab that he just directed at me.
"Yeah, I'd probably kill you if we were stuck in a room together."
He smiles a little, but when I look at him he quickly masks it to form a scowl. I swallow my sigh. I shouldn't wish that he would think that it's okay to smile at me, but I do. Stupid.
He turns to leave, but I stop him, grabbing his arm.
"Look Jackson what I said earlier, I didn't mean-"
He cuts me off, shaking his arm from my grip in the process.
"Chase, don't try to apologize. I said some pretty shitty things but I'm not going to apologize. So don't it will just make it weird between us. Then our relationship will change or something. It can't change, and it shouldn't."
I look down at my shoes, I can't look at him any longer. He turns to leave, and this time I don't stop him as he walks down the hall away from where we're supposed to go for study hall. I don't ask him why our relationship can't change. I already know the reason. I hate that we'll always be enemies. We're not like the regular kind, of enemies I mean. Yeah, one minute we're at each other's throats, but the next it's like we're almost friends. I know that no matter what he still hates me, and on some level I always feel hatred towards him, but because I care for him so much it makes me forgive him so easily.
Nothing can ever change between us, it never has and it never will.
I'm the good girl, and he's the player. After all, it's a tale as old as time.
I drop my bags down on one of the benches in the study hall, pulling out my work for the period. The whole scene that I had with Jackson has made me fifteen minutes late, and I barely have any time to work on my homework. I sigh to myself, re-tieing my ponytail, the curls that escaped and were plastered on my face are now pulled back. The little stray pieces framing my face still fall out, but it's much better. Before I must have looked like a ravaged animal, the things Jackson must have thought…
I try to focus on my calculus homework, but my thoughts wander. I think about everything. From school to my friends, to my mom, to Jackson. The things in my life are all swimming around in my consciousness making it virtually impossible to concentrate. On top of all of this I have the misfortune of having Drew's lackeys, Calypso and Rachel, in my study hall. In case you haven't guessed the two of them don't study in study hall, choosing to gossip the entire period instead.
I give up on studying, deciding to just save it all for later. Calypso and Rachel are sitting very close to me, so I can't help but overhear their conversation.
"Honestly, it's so embarrassing for her, and us too." I try to shuffle inconspicuously closer to hear what Calypso is saying. I stop when she speaks up again. "I mean I can't believe that he dumped her. She's never been dumped. What does that say about her? And like, we're her friends so what does that say about us?"
Rachel bobs her head up and down to what Calypso is saying like she's spewing straight wisdom.
Rachel furrows her brow, thinking intently. I roll my eyes in disgust as I pretend to focus on the paper in my lap. Don't these two have a life?
"Well, I mean he is Percy Jackson, and everyone knows that he doesn't get dumped, so who can blame her!"
It takes me a moment to realize that they're talking about Drew, and when I realize this I unconsciously raise my eyebrows in surprise. Calypso and Rachel are Drew's most loyal subjects, so it's astounding that they would ever speak ill of her.
"Still, she's been getting so bitchy lately. Whining about totally dumb stuff like, who cares? Not me, that's for sure. And the scene that she caused on the first day of school is like so embarrassing. She totally made herself look like a loser, literally the whole school saw her. I say that it's time to dethrone the bitch."
At this point I'm practically craning my neck to hear, but they take no notice of me, still deep in their conversation. I'm surprised, partly because they want to get rid of Drew, the reigning Queen bee, and partly because Calypso actually used the word "dethrone" properly in a sentence.
I try to get a little closer, forgetting my morals in favour of some petty gossip about a girl I don't even like. I don't get to though, because my cover is blown when Mr. Mars walks down the hall calling out my name.
"Chase!" He says, and the supervising teacher puts her finger to her lip, shushing him.
"Shut up old lady," he responds to her. She looks shocked, and I feel a little bad for her as she scurries into the nearby office.
"Yeah Mr. Mars," I say as he sees me and walks to the bench that I'm sitting on. Mr. Mars never seeks out students unless it's an emergency, meaning this news could either be very good or very bad.
Mr. Mars sits down beside me, and Calypso and Rachel get up from behind me and leave. Great, now I'll probably never hear the rest of their conversation. I really need to get a life or something.
I look beside me at Mr. Mars. He's not very attractive, though he thinks he is. His greasy brown hair is tied back into a man bun under his baseball cap, and he wears shorts that are way too short. He's bulky, but not muscular, and about my height. I'm not quite sure how he managed to be such a good runner in high school, after all he certainly isn't built for it.
"We'll Chase, I don't normally do this, but I couldn't wait to tell you. I made the decision that you should be captain. I don't want to give it to Yew because he's a little twerp. So you better except."
I smile broadly, and resist the urge to get up and dance. I'm not very good so it would probably be pretty embarrassing. Even though it feels like Mr. Mars just yelled at me I'm still happy.
"Yeah, of course. Thanks Mr. Mars." I say looking at my homework awkwardly. Is he going to leave or…
He stays beside me smiling, and though I'm really happy he chose me I really want him to leave.
"Well thanks," I say hoping he takes the hint.
"You're welcome," he responds making no move to leave. Great, I guess I'll leave then.
"Well I better get going to my next class, I'll see you at practice Mr. Mars." I practically take off running, shoving my homework into my backpack as I leave.
"Okay, congratulations Chase!" He says. I don't turn around to see if he's still sitting. I know he's my coach and everything but god he's weird.
I smile though, and even skip a little down the halls, before remembering what people would think of me if they saw me. I walk normally, but for the rest of the day I don't stop smiling.
"Come on Annie please!" I roll my eyes at Thalia, who is sticking her lip out in a weak attempt at pouting. The act in itself is surprising, Thalia never pouts.
"I'll check with my mom, but I can't make any promises."
Katie squeals and claps her hand, and I laugh a little. Thalia, Silena and Katie are lucky, their parents are nowhere near as strict as Athena. If I don't tell Athena where I'm going, what I'm doing and who I'm going to be doing said activity with within three to five business days she'll flip.
I search for my mom's contact as Silena hovers over me, like she's checking to see if I'll actually call her. I hold up the phone to my ear as Katie says,
"Put it on speaker phone so we can all hear." Thalia swats her in the chest to shut her up.
"Annabeth, what is it?" My mother inquires, sounding more annoyed than worried.
"Oh hi, I was just uh wondering-," I stutter trying to come up with some way to convince my mother to let me go to a party hosted by the Stoll brothers,where I would not only break my curfew but also stay over at Thalia's after the party.
"Spit it out Annabeth, you're wasting my time."
I cringe at her harsh words.
"I need to work on a project with Katie, and Thalia needs help with some Science homework, so can I sleep over at Thalia's tonight?" I bite my nervously as I wait for her to answer. In front of me Silena raises a perfectly arched eyebrow, while Thalia gapes at me. I never lie to Athena, not even about little things.
On the other line I hear Athena sigh. I mutter a mental prayer to whatever god will hear me, hoping she will say yes.
Lately it feels like my friends and I have been drifting, and with this year being our last where the four of us will be together it's even more important that we make time for one another.
"I suppose you can, just make sure you're home early the next morning, Malcolm is coming home. I have to be out of town for a conference tonight anyways so I suppose that it will be good that you're not all alone for the night."
I let out a gasp of delight. Malcolm, my older brother is in university at Stanford. He's almost never home, and I miss him a lot.
'Malcolm is coming home?" I say, completely glossing over the fact that Athena is letting me stay over at Thalia's. She hates Thalia, believing she's a bad influence on me or something.
"Yes," Athena says exasperatedly. "He wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess it isn't any more." I roll my eyes, leaving it to Athena to ruin Malcolm's surprise. I can't even be mad at her, not when Malcolm is going to be home and I don't have to fend off Athena all by myself.
"Okay then, thanks. I'll be home early tomorrow. Bye."
Athena hangs up the phone, saying nothing. My three friends look at me, practically dying to hear my answer.
"She said yes, so you can all relax."
Katie hugs me, and I feel a smile grow on my face. Even Thalia has a small smirk as she leans against the lockers.
Silena opens her purse pulling out her phone and starts typing.
"Okay, so Charlie says the party starts at eight but we should be there around nine thirty so that we won't miss anything, but still be fashionably late."
I raise my eyebrows at this.
"It starts at eight? Well what time does it finish? Isn't that kind of late, and what time will we get home?"
Silena giggles while Thalia shakes her head.
"Jeez Annie," Thalia says, " I know you're a goody goody and all but seriously lighten up. This is our senior year, live on the wild side a little. Go to a party, stay until two in the morning, you're young!"
"Yeah, let's do it!" Katie says, chiming in.
I roll my eyes and smile at them, despite being a little uneasy.
"Fine. What's the worst that could happen?"
"Exactly!" Silena says, linking her arm with mine.
My three best friends smile at me, unaware of what that night would bring. The events that would unfold at the Stoll's party would tear some of us apart, while bringing others closer together. Sometimes I wonder if I had just said no, if things would have turned out the way they did. Probably, but it's nice to think that I could pinpoint the exact moment things went from okay to bad, to absolute hell. I didn't know it then, but that day was the last truly normal one that the four of us would have. If I had known I would have made it more memorable, but I suppose then it wouldn't have been very normal. I would think about this day again wishing that everything would go back to the way it was before. It wasn't right then though. It's like we were all in a glass box, someone looking at us from the outside, ready to shatter the little world we had created for ourselves. By that point the glass had begun to crack, and soon it would shatter completely. All we could hope was that the shards wouldn't cut us to deep as everything fell apart.
A/N: So that was chapter 3 of Illusions! I know that the beginning is a little slow, but I need some time before all the action can happen so I can build plot and character relationships and backstories. It's a lot of work! Maybe I should just give an itinerary of every single character's backstory and their contribution to the plot. Just kidding, that would be annoying. Anyways the next couple chapters will get lots more interesting! I will try to update soon, like within a month. I'm less busy now so it's easier for me to write. Once again thanks so much everyone, I love you all! Please review to tell me what you think, or make suggestions. Until next time!
Xoxo RedHeadReader22