Hey people! New chapter up soon because I gave you a short, emotional one last time, so here you go! BY THE WAY, IF YOU HAVE A TUMBLR, FOLLOW ME!a drop of personality .tumblr. com is my url. I put the spaces because fanfiction won't let me put the entire url up. I welcome ALL new followers! I love meeting new people! Anyway, read and review please!

After we had composed ourselves, we decided to pack it in for the night. The next day, Grover and Thalia arrived with huge family size bags of doritos, potato chips, twinkies and other fattening stuff.

"What," I asked in disbelief. "Is all this?"

Grover and Thalia grinned, any sadness from yesterday wiped away like a clean slate. "If we're going to have such a great source of entertainment," Grover laughed. "We're going to need junk food to add to the experience."

"Yeah," Thalia agreed with a smirk. "Anyway, all this mopey stuff is getting on my nerves. That's just not how I roll, you know?"

I laughed, and bumped her with my shoulder. "You're darn right Thals," I told her.

Annabeth couldn't contain her smile anymore either. Her broad grin broke out across her face, brightening the room. "You're right Thalia," she conceded, pulling out her disheveled journal, tossing it into the middle of our 'circle'. "Go ahead. Have your entertainment."

Thalia needed no more encouragement. She snatched up the notebook and took a few seconds to exchange a warm look with me. I smiled at my old friend, sparks dancing between our eyes as we all started to read.

July 8, 2005

Dear Journal,

So, I was telling you about what happened after we got on the Amtrack, right? So anyway, we sat there for about 45 minutes, saying nothing. Percy and Grover slept in their seats. I noticed Percy had a dribble of drool on his chin. Dork.

I found myself staring at him, scrutinzing him as he slept. I couldn't help but notice how different he looked. All the stress lines and permanent frown was rubbed away, replaced by a peaceful, dreamy look.

Suddenly, Percy's body stiffened, he moaned in his sleep and the stress lines came back."I won't help you," he mumbled.

I felt my heart stop. "Percy...Percy, wake up!" I yelled, forgetting about the mortal passengers on the train. I shook his shoulder vigorously in a weird desperation that kinda caught me off guard. I mean, it was probably just a bad dream, right?

That was when Percy jerked awake, looking around in a dazed way. he didn't seem to realize that I was the one who woke him. He settled down in his seat, a composed expression on his face.

After a moment I said, "So, Who wants your help?"

"What?" he asked quizzically. I took a deep breath and plunged in.

"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled, 'I won't help you. ' Who were you dreaming about?"

He told me about his strange dream including some kind of weird voice in a pit and evil laughing. Percy suspected it was Hades. I pursed my lips. There was something wrong here.

"That doesn't sound like Hades, I said finally. "He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs. "

That was when Percy mentioned husing his mother in a trade with Hades. Even though he was annoying sometimes, I was fuming about this. Hades was MANIPULATING him, giving him hope that Hades wasn't such a bad guy and that he could bring his mother back to life...which was really the only family he'd ever really had. If anyone can relate to family problems, its me.

Even though Percy acts all tough, confident and cocky, I knew he was scared, this being his first time being introduced to the Greek world, and sad about his mother. He might be trying to hide it, but it was there...plain as day.

I took a breath, trying to figure out how to tell him this gently. "Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right? He's deceitful, heartless, and greedy. I don't care if his Kindly Ones weren't as aggressive this time- "

"This time?" he interrupted. "You've met them before?"

I swallowed down the lump in my throat, hesitating before answering. "Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom. "

"What would you do if it was your dad?"

"That's easy, " I said sourly. "I'd leave him to rot. " I struggled to look him dead in the eyes, unwavering. I was unsure if he could see past my mask of coldness...to the real pain underneath.

Percy's sea green eyes widened. He searched my face and waited for me to explain.

I sighed, and after all these years I finally began to talk about my past...to POSEIDON'S KID. Holy Zeus. I knew I was probably gonna regret this but, the words began tumbling out of my mouth like an avalanche.

"My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy, " I explained. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent. "

Percy's gaze didn't falter. I felt myself relax, and continued on.

"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he'd take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist. " I finished this quickly in my haste to get my story out.

Percy winced and stared out the window. I wondered what he could possibly be thinking about.

"My mom married a really awful guy, " he said finally. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking. "

I shook my head but felt a surge of gratitude at his effort to make me feel better. I folded my hands into my lap and shifted in position so that I was facing him more. Percy relaxed a little bit into his seat too and we both continued talking.

I fingered Thalia's camp bead that was strung on my necklace. Percy told me I do that a lot when I'm thinking. Now, I realize that whenever I need strength, I finger Thalia's bead. It was like she was the only thing that kept my spirit fom wavering sometimes, the memory of her bravery inspiring me.

I watched as Thalia's eyes began to shimmer. She blinked them away, mostly because just 5 minutes ago she told us that "wasn't her style." Still, I saw her wrap her fingers around Annabeth's as we continued to read.

"He doesn't care about me, " I sighed "His wife-my stepmom-treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened-you know, something with monsters-they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk. ' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away. " I choked the last part out, tears threatening to make their way to my eyes, but I held them in, not wanting to look weak.

"How old were you?" he asked.

I swallowed, sensing we were getting into a sensitive subject. "Same age as I started camp. Seven," I whispered.

"But ... You couldn't have gotten all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourself," he stated, mostly to himself.

"Not alone, no. Athena watched over me, guided me toward help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway. " A flash of me, Thalia, and Luke struggling through woods and fending off monsters flashed before my eyes, like a movie.

I could feel Percy's eyes burning into my back, scrutinzing me, but I kept my gaze away. That was a story I wasn't comfortable sharing with him. No matter how nice he appeared to be, I just couldn't trust him like I could with Luke. We were family. A family I hoped would last forever.

A lump formed in my throat. I was about to continue reading without a second glance but I felt Annabeth's warm palm slide into mine. I looked up to see her looking at me desperately. I smiled faintly and shook my head, not wanting to have another emotional movie moment.

I glanced out the window to see the Gateway Arch come into view. "I want to do that, " I sighed wistfully, staring up at the beautiful facade.

Percy looked at me again. "What?"

"Build something like that," I sighed dreamily. "You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?" I asked, the breathtaking monument filling my thoughts, its white Greek columns still supporting the disheveled building.

Percy shrugged. "Only in pictures," he admitted. I smiled at that.

"Someday, I'm going to see it in person. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years. "

Percy laughed loudly, filling my ears. "You?" he guffawed. "An architect?"

I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks. So much for the perfect 'friend' moment. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention."

"Oooh, BURN!" Thalia laughed from her spot in the circle, high fiving Grover. I smiled and flicked a dorito at her.

That was when I saw Percy's expression and realized he had been joking. Whoops. "Sorry," I apologized. "That was mean," I said, hoping he wasn't one of those sensitive pransies.

"Can't we work together a little?" he pleaded. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?"

Hmm. He was still playing the mature guy, huh? Alright. I can go along with this. Besides, it was better to have a friend at camp, instead of ANOTHER enemy like Clarisse...

"I guess ... The chariot, " I contemplated tentatively. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete. " I looked at Percy who had a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

"Then we can cooperate, too. Right?" he reasoned.

I pursed my lips. Percy really wasn't a bad guy. It was just out hereditary rivalry that kept us from being friends. Of course, if the campers would stop using hereditary based rivalry's at camp, then we'd all be a lot happier...with less injuries to attend to everyday. After thinking this I took a breath and took the plunge.

"I suppose, " I conceded at last.

That was when Grover stretched next to Percy. He moaned, rubbing his eyes. I looked up at the Arch and smiled, gaining an idea. "Come on, goat boy, " I ordered. "Sightseeing. "

"Sightseeing?" he asked warily.

"The Gateway Arch, " I said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"

Percy nodded, a little reluctantly, I noticed. Grover just stared at me warily and sighed, "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."

I smiled, hauling myself out of my seat, walking toward the Arch.

I felt content, as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Talking to Percy was better than I ever would have thought it to be. He wasn't as ignorant as I first assumed. With his help, I finally was able to tell my life story aloud. All my life I wondered which was harder, in the end. The act of telling, or who you told it to. Talking to Percy, I realized maybe, when you finally got it out, the story was really all that mattered.

"Wow, Annabeth thats deep," Thalia sighed, pressing a hand to her heart. Annabeth giggled and smacked her in the face with a pillow.

Grover sighed. "I was out cold for this whole entry!" he complained.

I laughed, squeezing Annabeth's hand. "I'm glad you trusted me back then," I told her. "That conversation was when I thought you'd finally lighten up on me, and you did...just a little though," I laughed.

Thalia, recovered from being smacked, grabbed the pillow and flung it towards Annabeth.

Annabeth, of course, ducked and it hit me in the face, dead on."Oh," I said as Thalia shrieked with laughter. "Its on."

And with that, the latest entry faded away, lost in the sounds of our laughter, and us smacking each other with pillows. Eventually, we switched the pillows for swords and had a personal tournament, goofing around and having a great time, being the best friends we always were.

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