Wow! You guys sure know how to make a girl feel loved! I HAVE 82 REVIEWS! Thank you! Thank you to everyone who told me not to give up and who encouraged me! Without y'all, this story wouldn't still be on the website right now. A special thanks to the people who are giving me tips and ideas for this story:

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for praying for my mom.

I love everyone who reads this and I'm gonna try to make this chapter longer just for all of you! REVIEW!

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Annabeth

I was on my way to lunch, when Rachel and her stupid little 'followers' stepped in front of me. They looked me up and down and started laughing.

"Jeez Annabeth what did you do to your hair?"

"What is up with those shoes? They are like so last year."

"What are you wearing? That shirt looks like a sheet with a hole in the middle for that big head of yours."

"OH MY GOSH, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!"

I gritted my teeth, willing myself not to say something I'd regret. Or punch them in the face.

"Don't you guys have something better to do? Like gossip about some stupid boy, or cry about a broken nail or something?" I asked.

"Oh, but see, we did come to gossip about a boy," a girl named Drew said.

"Yeah, we saw how you were looking at the new kid, Percy," Rachel said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, taking deep breaths. I always had a short temper around this time of year.

"Oh please. Everyone could see it. But I didn't come to tell you that. I just wanted to tell you to stay away from him. He's totally hot and totally mine."

I rolled my eyes. She sounded like that Subway commercial, when the guy wanted a piece of the girl's sandwich and the girl was like,"It's totally good and totally mine!" Or something like that.

"Grow up. You're acting like a pathetic, lovesick twelve-year-old. But Percy's all yours. Just, good luck trying to get him. I don't understand why anyone would go for someone as childish and rude as you," I retorted.

I grasped my locket as I always did when I was upset or angry. I saw Rachel's eyes narrow when she saw the locket.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. This week is the anniversary of when your stupid mom died," Rachel sneered.

I felt anger rising within me, like a snake ready to strike.

"DON'T CALL MY MOM STUPID!" I yelled at her. Her 'friends' moved away, but Rachel kept on talking, as if I hadn't said anything.

"Of course, I bet you think you can win Percy over by telling him your oh-so-sad story, but nobody falls for that. We all know that you just fake being sad for attention. Your mom was a stupid and useless, so it's not like anyone even still notices that she's gone. And-"

I struck at her. I grabbed her wrists and slammed her into the wall, but not so hard that I hurt her. Just scared her. I leaned in and spoke in her ear.

"Listen here, Dare. You don't know anything! You can say all you want about me, but don't you ever say a thing about my mom. Just because my mom was more successful than yours when it came to architect, that does not give you the right to go around trashing my mother. In fact, that says more about you than it does about her. So BACK OFF!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder and tensed. Dang it. I wondered what punishment I would get.

"Annabeth," I relaxed when I recognized the voice. Thalia.

"Annabeth, come on. It's no use. She's a jerk. No one can change that."

I shoved Rachel one last time and she quickly walked away. I turned to Thalia.

"How long were you there?" I asked, hiding my locket under my shirt again.

"The whole time," she answered. "It was pretty amusing at first, but then I decided to jump in before you killed her or something."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "Come on, let's get to lunch."

Thalia went first into the lunch line. She's got a huge appetite. I don't even know where all the food goes. No stomach could possibly hold as much food as she eats. Maybe it goes to her head. That would explain why it's so big. Haha, I'm so weird.

I grabbed a small tray of food and followed Thalia, who had already sat down.

"Annie, are you coming?"

"Don't. Call. Me. Annie!" I snapped.

I sat down next to Thalia, slamming my tray on the table. The person in front of me jumped.

"Sorry," I sad absent-mindedly. I looked up and realized who it was. "Oh hi, Percy."

"Hey," he said back. "Nice to see you. Again."

I smiled. "How do you like it here so far?" I asked, trying to be nice.

"The people here are nice. Some are kinda weird..."

"Yup! And you won't get used to it either," I said.

"Oh, um... ok, I guess," he said uncertainly.

And that was pretty much it for that conversation.

I didn't eat any of my food. I just picked at it.

I looked up when I heard an excited squeal. It was my friend, Silena.

"What's up Silena?" Thalia asked.

"Well, you know how lets out in 3 weeks for Christmas break? There's going to be a dance here a week before we get let out. On Friday next week. So..." she trailed off and looked at me.

Oh no.

"I thought we should all go to celebrate Annie's birthday!" she finished.

"That's a great idea!" Thalia said.

"I'm in if you are, Nico," said Grover.

"You bet I am G-man!" Nico said.

"Don't call me Annie!" was all I said.

They all stared at me.

"Come on, Annabeth! You haven't let anyone celebrate your birthday since... well, for a while," Thalia whined.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm going to be a mess. You know I always am."

Everyone was silent. Percy was looking back and forth between us with a confused expression.

"Did I miss something?" he inquired. Nobody answered him.

"Annabeth, please?" Thalia asked.

I was silent for a minute. My friends were being so nice, and they were trying so hard to make me happy. I sighed.

"Fine," I gave in. Silena squealed again and everyone else smiled.

"Yay! You won't regret it!" Silena said. "Oh, I forgot to mention that you have to wear some sort of costume."

"And this is where I start regretting my decision," I muttered. Grover and Nico cracked up.

"Haha! Imagine Annabeth dressed up as Santa's elf!" Grover hooted.

"Or Mrs. Claus!" Nico snorted.

"Do you want me come?" I snapped.

Their smiles were wiped off their faces. They nodded.

"Then shut your mouths or I'll shut them for you."

"Y-yes ma'am!" they both stuttered. Now me and Thalia cracked up.

"Okay, so Thalia, Annabeth, Bianca, Piper, and Hazel (I'll have to ask them) will come to my house the night of the dance and we'll have a huge makeover!" Silena finished, clearly excited.

I supressed a groan.

"Yay," I said weakly.

Then Thalia got a light in her eyes. She turned to Percy.

"Percy, you should come, too."

We both choked on our food. "What?" we chorused.

Everyone looked at me weirdly. I blushed self-consciously.

"No, I mean, I don't have anything against him, it's just... he's new here. It would be kinda awkward for him," I said, trying to justify my reaction. But the truth was that I knew exactly what Thalia was trying to do, and I didn't like it one bit.

I noticed Percy staring intently at me. Ugh.

Then he said,"Annabeth's right. I won't know anyone."

"You know us! You could come over to my house with Nico, Jason, and Frank. You could meet some new people at the dance, too," Grover reasoned.

"I'll think about it. And I'd have to ask my mom..."

"No problem, man! You've got plenty of time! Just let us know, whenever you find out."

The bell rang and we all headed to our next class. And from there on, the rest of the day sped by in one blur, and before I knew it, I was home.

When I walked up to my room, there was a note pinned to my door. It read:

Annabeth,

This house is a mess. I want it completely cleaned up by the time I get home. I'll be picking up the boys and taking them out for dinner. Just find something from the fridge to eat. Your dad won't be home until midnight. And be sure this house is spotless by the time I get home.

Sue

Wow. That was a bright letter! So full of love! Just the thing I needed to cheer me up. Not.

I sighed and went around, cleaning the place up.

When I was finished, I went to find something in the fridge to eat. Here's what I found:

1) Moldy cheese

2) Spoiled milk

3) Year-old chicken

Lovely. I slammed the fridge shut. I did all those chores and my reward was skipping dinner. I felt so loved. Note the sarcasm.

I went upstairs and laid on my bed. I thought about my mom. I thought about dad, and how he used to be. I thought of my friends and my life before this whole mess. And I cried. I opened my locket, and stared at the face of my beautiful mother. She was my everything. And now she is gone. Sobs racked my body and I cried for my old life. Was that so much to ask for? I just wanted a fairytale.

~Flashback~

"I'm home!" Dad called, walking into the house.

"Daddy!" I squealed, running into his arms.

"Hey, sweetheart! How's my little girl?"

"School was fun! I made a 100 on my spelling test!"

"Good job! I'm so proud of you!" he said, giving me a huge bear hug.

"Mommy, Daddy's home!" I yelled.

"Coming!" She came down and greeted her husband warmly.

"Daddy, did you get the movie?"

"Hold on, let me check my bag."

He dug through it.

"Hmmm... it's not here. I must have forgotten to get it," he said.

My face fell and my smile faded.

"You promised!" I said reproachfully.

Then he pulled something out of his jacket.

"What's this?" he asked.

I snatched the thing away and looked at the cover. Cinderella. My face lit up.

"Daddy, it's the movie! How did it get in your pocket if you didn't buy it?"

"It must be magic!" he exclaimed, winking at me.

"Can we watch it, Daddy? Please! Pretty please!" I begged.

"With sugar on top?" he asked.

"Pretty please with sugar on top?" I amended.

"You bet we can watch it!"

"YAY!"

And with that he tossed me upside down onto his shoulders and carried me to the couch, with me squealing the whole time. I could hear my mom laughing. It sounded beautiful, like wind chimes.

He got some popcorn and we watched the movie. It got interrupted by and popcorn fight, and later on a pillow fight.

I was angered by the way Cinderella's step-mom and sisters treated her.

My eyes were wide open the whole time. I wouldn't stop asking questions.

"Why are they so mean to her?"

"Why are they locking her up?"

"How is the Prince going to figure out that it's Cinderella?"

My questions were stopped when Dad started tickling me. I laughed uncontrollably.

"Be quiet, Daddy! It's the ending!"

And I watched as Cinderella married the Prince, and got to live happily ever after.

~End of Flashback~

But fairytales aren't real, I reminded myself. And neither is happily ever after.


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