Warning: If you are not okay with blood, cutting, mental disorders, drug abuse, suicidal characters, character deaths then I would not advise reading this. Even if it is just lightly initiated. Please be aware that this is rated T/M, not just T.

CiNdEr: (inspired by horse-crazy girl13's Cinderella)

Summary: Just another Cinderella story...only with a dark twist. Where does a cutter find her Prince Charming? And where does a drug addict find his Princess? The answer is not a castle, but a mental hospital. "I want to be Cinderella, but how am I supposed to find my Prince Charming in a mental hospital? And what if he's insane?" Annabeth Chase's father remarried after her mother died from Cancer, adding a wicked Stepmother, and two cruel twins. Annabeth doesn't beileve in a fairy tale ending, especially with arms like hers. Can a green eyed drug addict prove to her that there's more to life than just pain? Or will Annabeth never become the Cinderella she wants to be since she was little? Rated T/M.

"A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true."- Cinderella.

Chapter Ten: Dreams Do Come True!

I couldn't sleep.

It was something that had happened to me in the past, where I couldn't stop tossing and turning, trapped in my insignificant thoughts. I often couldn't bring myself to close my eyelids because my brain was too awake, too vivid, for me to even consider the possibility of shutting it off and getting rest. Sometimes I got stuck in memories that I didn't want to re-live or even think about, though they pushed themselves into the brink of my mind anyway, unable to shove down. This time, however, I couldn't sleep because of fear.

People are afraid of many things- spiders, (arachnophobia, something I possessed) heights, rejection, snakes, death- the list could go on forever. I was scared of losing myself most days, but as I huddled against the cold wall of my cot, I was terrified. Of what? I didn't know. It was an overwhelming feeling. The pain outweighed the numbness, a feeling that hadn't become apparent lately. I felt stupid. I felt lonely. I wanted my mom. For once in many years, I wanted Fredrick. Most importantly, I didn't want to be here. I wanted the past years of my life to disappear. I wanted to start over, but my life was too far along to just start over. There are all sorts of quotes inside of books of how everyday you can start fresh, or how it's never too late to change. I didn't know if they were correct or not, but one fact I knew was that the memories would always be there. What I wanted wasn't just to be happy- I wanted a clean slate. I wanted to start over. A do-over. I wanted to close my eyes and wake up in a different life. A life where my mother was still alive, my father cared for me, where Thalia wouldn't betray me, a life where I wasn't locked inside an institute. Tears drained from my exhausted-ridden eyes. I swiped them away angrily, gritting my teeth to keep the sobs in my mouth. I pulled the blanket away from me. I doubted Rachel would care that I was crying, but I didn't want her to know.

I never felt so weak. I didn't like the feeling.

It was as if seeing Percy Jackson again had unleashed all my flaws. Seeing him made this nightmare become a reality. I didn't get up and slap him or do anything drastic, if that's what you're thinking. I shot him glares occasionally, but mostly I just ignored him. If I started drama or hit him, that would just be more days added onto my time spent here. I wanted to be out of her as soon as possible. But to leave, I needed permission from Chiron and Helen. My Step-Mother was an abusive bitch, so I couldn't exactly depend on her. Maybe I could escape. There were alarm systems, video cameras, but every facility had flaws.

The idea of breathing fresh air again, of leaving this place, made sleep come easier.

. . .

I closed my eyes, only to dream of Percy again.

We were standing next to that building again, only the stars were dimmer, clouded by smoke. The roof was sinking in, as if it were melting like a candle. The windows were decaying. There was no smile on Percy's face, only an angry expression. He lit a cigarette, the bud clashing with the darkness. I lingered next to him, unsure of what to say. Often when I dreamt, I wasn't in control. I didn't even realize I was dreaming until I woke, but this time I acknowledged it. Kind of like watching a movie, and having no recollection of what happened until it ended.

"This feels weird," I exclaimed, moving my fingers back and forth. Blurry lines followed them, as if I was melting into the ground. Percy remained silent, blowing out a brush of smoke. "I know who you are now."

"Do you?" he asked.

I nodded. "You're the man who got me locked up in here."

He laughed bitterly, eyes dark as he examined the crumbling building. Screams erupted from it. "You don't know anything about me."

I scowled, scorned. "Neither do you." My gaze averted to the building. It was collapsing quickly, breaking apart. "What the hell happened here?"

"Life," he answered simply, flicking his cigarette off the roof we were standing on. It fell and disappeared into the mass of rubble. "Life happened here."

I grabbed his forearm, forcefully yanking him back from the edge. I just realized that we were suddenly standing on top of the building instead of next to it. My eyes widened as the roof shook with more impact. I nearly fell if I hadn't clung to Percy, who seemed unaffected from the fire that blazed from beneath us. "Okay, we need to get out of here." His eyes seemed glazed over. I shook him harder. "Percy, we need to get out of here now."

"Or else what?"

Desperate, I pulled him harder. He didn't move a budge. "Or else we fall with it. We'll die."

He smirked, using his callused hands to fiddle with the lighter. "This is a dream, idiot." I was too frazzled by the concept of falling into the flames to even grow a flash of annoyance or irritation. "We don't die."

"These dreams used to be good. The building used to be beautiful."

"Nothing good lasts forever."

"You're not very optimistic."

"Neither are you," he mimicked. "Slicing your skin open because you're weak."

I bit down on my tongue, tasting blood. "I never said I was strong."

"But you can never fully acknowledge that you are weak. You say it many times in your head, but it's more full of pity than of fact. Self-loathing is different than truly being weak. It makes you a coward."

"And I never said I was brave."

"Clearly."

The roof slammed in half, a loud noise ringing in my ears. I could feel the heat on my face- it was hot and burning. I tumbled, my grip on Percy slipping. I slid downward to the middle of it, where the large crack resided. Flames lapped up from it. Gasping, I clawed onto a chipped piece of stone or brick that hadn't been completely destroyed. No. It was cinder. The entire building was made from cinder blocks. Grasping the side tightly with scratched fingers, I held on. This was a dream, I reminded myself. I would be fine. I would wake up soon. But would I feel pain? As I fell, would I feel my skin getting burned off. My sneakers scraped against the bricks, causing them to break apart as I climbed my way upward. "Percy," I demanded, reaching my hand out. "Pull me up." The block he was standing on seemed to stand steady. He gave me a sparing glance before lighting another cigarette. "Percy!" I yelled, panicked tears dripping down my cheeks. "Please. I need your help."

His eyebrow arched, uncaring. "Do you?"

"You fucking sadist! I'm going to die if you don't pull me up! My neck will snap! I'll be burned alive!"

He seemed amused now. "I thought you wanted to die."

I blinked. Percy was right. I wanted to die, didn't I? So why was I evading it now?

He shook his head at my confusion. "Don't ponder it too much. It's a dream. A nightmare. I already told you this. You won't really die."

"I want to talk more!" I reached my hand out further, straining my fingertips. He didn't bother looking at me now. "Just pull me up! Explain yourself! You knew I was going to come here if you stopped me! Why?"

My words seemed to snap him back to me. "Why?" he looked dazed. "Why? Why? Why? Why?" He spat the bud out. It scarcely missed my face. The rocks shuddered beneath me. I let out a breathless sob, my muscles burning. Everything felt so real. My cheeks were lined with sweat and grime, fire dancing across my grey eyes, igniting them. "I thought you were supposed to be smart, Wise Girl. I need your help."

"With what?"

He grinned. "You'll figure out that soon enough."

My grasp slipped and I fell into the opening in the middle, getting emerged in flames.

. . .

I sat up gasping, nearly crashing into someone's forehead. She snapped backward before we could collide, allowing me to collect myself. Rachel frowned at me, backing away until she reached her bed. "You were having a nightmare," she explained. "I thought it might be better to put you out of your misery." I was too panicked to process how odd her comment sounded. I was hot, burning, but my body was trembling. My fingers and arms were numb from clawing myself upward. I brought my knees up to my chest. "It is six forty-five." Like clockwork, the lights snapped on. "Lights on. I suggest taking a shower before breakfast. You're all sweaty."

Breathless, I uncurled from my position. I padded across the room and slid open the door. There was no shower.

"Isn't there a shower in our bathroom?" I questioned, peeking my head back out and peering at my roommate. I was sure that Leo had already told me that. I didn't recall seeing one when I changed, though I could've been mistaken.

Rachel shook her head, her frizzy curls brushing up against her thin cheeks. "Some rooms do and some don't."

She was lying, but I let it pass. What other explanation could there be?

"Can I borrow some of your soap? I haven't earned any points yet."

Wordlessly, she nodded at the bathroom. I grabbed some shampoo and soap, smiling at her in gratitude.

"Um, Rachel? Where are the public ones?"

She sighed, like asking for directions was an inconvenience to her. "Down the hall and to the left."

"Could you show me?"

Her eyes widened slightly and her eyes glared down at the floor. "Find it yourself, Cinderella." Taken-aback, I walked to the door. She seemed to guarded all of a sudden. I brushed it off and closed the door shut to give her privacy. I didn't need her to show me, I was smart enough to figure out where the showers were on my own, but I thought that maybe I could make some progress with her. I wasn't keen on sharing a room with a girl who seemed, so far, top-notch crazy. Most people in here were insane, but they didn't appear to be dangerous. She had already made a death-threat against me. My effort would probably have been fruitless, but at least I could've gotten the satisfaction of knowing that I had tried. The hallway was nearly empty, although some patients were already walking around. Showers. I spotted them across the room and approached it quickly. I slid the shower to 'occupied' before stepping inside and stripping. I wouldn't shave my legs yet. I was a blonde anyway.

I kicked my clothes to the far side and stepped underneath the faucet. I switched the hot water to cold, the iciness cooling down my red cheeks. I still felt like I was being burned. Uncapping the cheap shampoo, I began to wash my hair. Just as I was rinsing the bubbles from my curls, soap spilling over my eyes, the door creaked open. Screeching, I covered myself as best I could with my hands, which obviously wasn't enough judging by the look on his face. It was Percy. I caught sight of his green eyes before I turned around and slammed into the wall. "Get out." I would've reached for the door to shut it, but that would've exposed myself. My cheeks were flaming in humiliation. That piece of sh-

"Whoops. My bad." He didn't sound sorry at all. "I didn't realize that it was... occupied."

"You did it on purpose. You know that, and so do I. Now get out before you see anything else!"

I could see him grinning elfishly. "There isn't much to see."

I heard the door close.

I could've bet that the entire facility heard my fits of anger.

. . .

I spent my time at breakfast glowering at Percy, much of what I did yesterday. The entire time he was smiling slyly with glee.

"Pervert," I grumbled, slamming my fork into a stale pancake. My nightmare had been long forgotten with the way Percy had barged in on me during my shower. Next time, I had to keep one hand resting on the door at all times. Leo had warned me yesterday about that, but I assumed that someone who had no coherent thoughts would accidently walk in. Not someone who intentionally wanted to embarrass me. "What a pervert."

Piper's eyebrows raised and she stole a glance from where I was glaring. "What happened?"

"The shower," I explained, and Leo and Jason 'ahed' in understanding.

"Oh," Leo exclaimed. "You were the one with the stream of curse words." He glanced accusingly at Jason, who raised his hands defensively. "I told you that wasn't me!"

Piper snorted, taking a sip of her orange juice. "Trust me, Valdez. Your voice is feminine enough."

"You're a pathetlogical liar. Therefore, it means the opposite. So you're actually calling my voice masculine."

The Cherokee girl scoffed. "It doesn't work that way, Leo."

Jason wrapped an arm around Piper, grinning at our conversation. The Native American girl beamed up at the blonde in adoration and I couldn't help but feel a twange of pity when Leo's eyes flashed from Piper's to the table. Did Leo like Piper? It certainly seemed to be the case. I couldn't imagine the envy that he was going through; being best friends with two people that were together. He must've felt like a third-wheel the majority of the time. I would say it couldn't get any worse, but it apparently did. I took another bite of eggs that resembled cardboard and chewed slowly, swallowing it down with orange juice. My eyes didn't look puffy anymore- the hot water from the shower rinsed any tear tracks away.

"Nice braids," Piper commented, but her smile filled me with uneasiness.

"Uh, thanks."

She got up to go throw out her food.

Leo immediately went to work of pulling my wet hair out of their entrenchment in the braids. I frowned. "What are you doing?" He yanked my other rubber band out, his fingers running through my hair to undo my tightly wrapped pigtails. Jason nodded in approval as Leo finished, looking me over, then finally deciding that my hair was satisfactory. My mouth was still parted, and I clamped it shut. A few drops of water welled up on the tips of my hair and dripped onto the back of my white hair. "What was that, Leo?"

Jason sent Piper an uncertain glance before lowering his voice down to a quiet drone. "Piper...she gets jealous."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Jealous?"

"Well, that's not really the right word. She just not really a people person."

I was still confused. "I'm sorry. I'm a little lost. What am I missing? I thought she was just a pathological liar."

Leo scratched the back of his curls, finally filling me in. "She is, but the reason she has that is because of her personality disorder. Piper's always liked braids." I nodded, looking up at her fish-tail. She had started a conversation with two other brunette's, her turquoise eyes flittering between the two girl's. The eldest one was shaking her head reverently, then squeezed the short one's shoulder with her fingertips. Piper opened her mouth again, but stopped when she caught our gazes. We all tilted our heads away, my cheeks burning from getting caught. "Well, you had braids. The last girl that wore similar styled hair...let's just say that's why were not really allowed to have shoelaces."

"What happened?"

"Piper nearly strangled the poor girl."

My eyes widened, then flashed down to the table. My breakfast suddenly wasn't sitting so well. "Oh."

Leo suddenly smiled at me. "Don't worry about it, tu fea. Jason and I won't let Pipes hurt you. Not that Piper's dangerous," he added quickly. "She's one of my closest friends. If I trust her, then so should you."

"Sorry," I apologized. "I didn't know."

"Don't be sorry," Jason cut in. "It's really not your fault. The simplest things can set her off. We really don't know what will, but the braids are something that we do. For some reason, Piper feels that whoever wears them is copying her. Gets her real pissed."

"Just avoid braids," Leo supplied helpfully. "Stick to those pretty curls of yours."

It took me a moment to realize that he had just called my hair pretty, then I blushed madly. Thankfully, before Jason or Leo could comment on my burning face, Piper returned. I immediately stiffened, sliding the pony-tail holders onto my scarred wrists and out of sight.

"Sorry. I got caught up with Reyna and Hylla. What I miss?"

Leo smirked. "Just Jason being stupid again. Nothing big."

I needed to get out of here was my only coherent notion. I thought that I could fit in, but I couldn't. That was obvious now.

I picked up my tray and walked over to the trash can, dumping the food off. Just as I turned, I bumped into Percy. My eyes narrowed to slits as I attempted to push past him. "Go away, Pervy."

He grinned. "Is that my new name now?"

"It certainly seems to fit. Only more convenient that your names are so similar."

I turned to walk away, but his hand brushed my forearm. "Sorry about this morning. I thought I would just lighten the mood."

I snorted, fighting back a punch. "By walking in on me naked?"

"Probably not the best idea," he teased with another smile, using his free hand to scratch the back of his hair. "Are you angry with me?"

"What do you think? You're the reason I'm here, Pervy."

"Okay, enough Pervy. It really was an accident. And besides, I'm here now too. Doesn't that make us even?"

I gawked at him incredulously. "How does that make us even? I didn't throw your ass in here."

"Look." He seemed frustrated now, like he was struggling to say the right words. "Annabeth, you needed to come here."

"Why? Who deemed you fit of deciding that?"

Open your eyes, Annabeth." I handed my tray in, turning around to face him once more. "Your mind isn't clouded like the others. I need your help."

I need your help.

Just like in the dream.

My eyes widened slightly, and I pulled away from him. "I don't know what game that you're playing with me, but I want it to stop. You stalked me at school- and don't deny it."

"Only because I needed to see if you were capable."

"Of what? Just leave me alone, Jackson. The sooner I get out of here, the better. And something tells me that all you can do for me is prolong my visitation."

"Wait!" I paused, arching an eyebrow at his abrupt fleet of desperation. "I can tell you things that you want to know. Thalia really is my cousin. I wasn't lying about that. And I know why she told Helen."

My mouth parted open, but another chilling voice cut him off.

That's enough bothering my roommate, Percy." Rachel stood beside me, grabbing his arm and ripping it off me. Percy's green eyes darkened when he spotted Rachel. Not with fear, but with embarrassment. "You know better than anyone else that she might not be fit for the job." Frustrated at the lack of answers, I glared, my eyes edged with burning curiosity. Were they just crazy? Or did their words make sense? "So get out, or give her space."

If Percy was fazed by Rachel like I was, or afraid, he didn't show it. Instead, he reached out and ruffled her fire truck red hair. "Don't worry, Rach. I'm handling it properly."

Cringing under Percy's touch, Rachel's green eyes turned acid. "You better be." She pulled away from him, stiff as ever, and made her way to get her medication. I followed close behind her, because at that moment, I trusted her more than Percy. "Don't worry, Annabeth," she stated once we were a farther distance away. "Percy might seem unworthy of being a friend, but he's loyal to his friends. And by now, it's clear he views you as one, even if the feeling is not mutual. He won't hurt you." Her voice was feathery again, light. "And if he makes you uncomfortable, tell me. I'll make sure he keeps his distance if that's what you wish."

"T-thank you," I managed. A nurse handed me a pill. I eyed it warily while Rachel had already downed it with a small cup of water. "What's this?"

"Your medication. Will there be a problem?" Pursing my lips together, I shook my head. I put the pill in my mouth with ease, jamming it to the side of my mouth, then drank a few sips of the water. When our group was being led to the next room, I spat it out in a plant. I wasn't going to allow them to turn my brain into a mixable bucket of mush. I spotted Leo, Jason, and Piper ahead of us, and jogged half-heartedly to catch up to them. Even though this morning hadn't gone completely smoothly, they weren't creepy like Rachel or unreliable like Percy.

"Hey," Leo greeted as I slowed my pace to match his. "You disappeared on us this morning."

"Yeah. Rachel and Percy were talking to me." At the mention of their names, Jason stopped walking. I paused too, frowning as the color in his cheeks dissipated. Piper looked back, eyes full of concern, and grabbed his arm, pulling him foreword, whispering words that couldn't quite reach my ears to him. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Leo didn't respond, pushing ahead of me. I nudged his shoulder, my eyebrows pinched together. "Leo?"

He sighed. "They just...have a lot of history here. It would be better if you don't mention them again." Cautiously, he turned around and locked eyes with the brunette that Piper was speaking to earlier. The older girl had her arm wrapped around her tightly, leading her foreword. "Especially not around Reyna." The girl was taller than me, but young. Her brown eyes were dark and hollow-like, her dark hair shiny. It reached the middle of her back in straight plights, but the edges were slightly curled. Her frame was larger, but she was skinny and sickly looking like she had difficulty keeping food down. Her eyes...

I was sure this word could describe a lot of patients, but this was different. This was...dark.

Her eyes looked haunted.

My breath did an intake when they came up to meet mine. She held my gaze for a few moments before tearing them away, interlocking with the floor and a tense expression. Leo prodded my shoulder, gently turning me around. "She was friends with them for a long time. Percy and Rachel, I mean. Then..." he swallowed. "Things changed. Reyna was sent here with her sister. They lived on the streets for a long time, but then they began to rob people and make up fake stories to earn money. They're very...pretty, and well, that helped with whatever schemes they ran out there. The police got involved, and they were sent here. Not for being kleptomaniacs, that's the Stoll brothers, but just because they were rather troubled. They were friendly enough with everyone, but kind of abrasive and cold. After Reyna began to become friends with Rachel and Percy, they all disappeared for a while. Apparently they escaped from the institution. After they returned, Reyna never uttered one word. She was incapable of taking care of herself."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "What do you think happened?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? No one's really asked. Just...be careful, ugly girl, okay?"

I gave him a comforting smile. "Don't worry about me. I'm tougher than I look."

He returned the smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "So was Reyna."

. . .

The girl was beautiful. She couldn't have been any older than us, perhaps in her early twenties. Auburn hair shrouded her ears and hips, her brown eyes light, tinting with a small amount of green. Hesitantly, I took a seat next to Piper, and Leo and Jason followed shortly after. Percy and Rachel slid into the chairs across from us, while Reyna and Hylla took a few seats in the corners. Hylla murmured a few words to Reyna with a soft look on her face, while the brunette looked as if she were suppressing from saying something. She scribbled something quickly down a piece of paper, flashing it into Hylla's eye-sight. Hylla's brown eyes were much lighter, and could almost pass for gold rather than liquid chocolate. They widened significantly, but she coughed into her hand, shielding her expression momentarily. When her hand pulled away, she was composed. I stared further at Reyna's distressed posture, but before I could rip my gaze away, Hylla's eyes met mine. They flashed dangerously, and blushing from being caught, I looked back towards Calypso.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Calypso for those of you who don't know," she smiled warmly at me. "But usually everyone calls me Callie. This is group therapy. Whether you choose to participate is completely up to you, but there are points for those who share their inner-most thoughts. So. Can we begin?"

I bit back a smile, still a tad stunned by Hylla's glare. She didn't bother with any phony introductions. I liked Calypso already.

"Leo," she turned to face the Hispanic boy next to me. "How is your new medication working out for you?"

With a small blush, Leo met her level gaze. I grinned, struggling to contain a fit of giggles. It seemed Leo had a bit of a crush on Calypso. "Well, uh, it's been working okay for me. I don't swear as much anymore."

Her plush lips pulled upwards. "That's good. And Annabeth," her gaze flickered to mine. "I know you're relatively new here. How is everything working out for you?"

I bit on my tongue, pulling my bangs away from my face. "Um...good, I guess."

"Do you want to talk about why you were sent here?"

"Not particularly," I informed. Maybe in one-on-one therapy with Chiron, though I doubted that too. But definitely not in a group full of teens my age. And especially not with Rachel and Percy present. Tapping on the white fabric of my pants, I averted my eyes from her. She didn't seem put-out by my lack of answer, and nodded, moving onto another patient.

One stood up, surprising me. I didn't expect anyone to actually willingly talk about their problems.

"Here he goes again," Leo muttered under his breath. Jason rolled his eyes, while Piper huffed, not even hiding her annoyance.

"My name is Octavian," the short blonde remarked to the group. I sat up, while Hylla pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, and Reyna wrote something down in her notebook. She showed it to Hylla, causing her to snort. Even Calypso appeared tense by the sandy-haired blonde's words.

"Hello, Octavian," most of the patients responded in a dry, bored voice.

Leo whispered, "He does this everyday. Just watch."

"I seem to have a bit of a problem."

"A bit," Percy muttered through a scowl.

Calypso flashed Percy a look, but didn't say anything. Instead, she turned back towards Octavian, beckoning for him to continue. "My problem is very, very hard. Sometimes I find it hard to go on through the day on the brink of death. I can feel myself dying! I can feel death!" Dramatically, he swiped at his forehead. "My cancer is growing. My heart will soon stop working. I'm so sick!" He collapsed into his chair, panting. "And through it all, I can still feel myself growing optimistic. I am not scared of death. In fact, I have never felt more alive..."

The entire room seemed to groan.

Leo leaned closer to me. "Yesterday, his brain apparently was going to explode by the end of the day."

My eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. "So he's not sick?"

"He's never sick. Octavian has this sick fascination with dying. He says he has a different illness everyday. Which wouldn't be so bad, except he's so damn, mother fu-"

I stopped Leo in his tracks so he wouldn't go into yet another episode. "Dramatic?"

Breathing irregularly, Leo's lips pulled into a thin, painful smile, his brown eyes grateful. "Yes. That's the word I'm looking for. Thank you."

He swooned, falling from his chair onto the ground. "Merciful God! Put me out of my misery!" His blue eyes turned to all of us. "My fellow patients, I implore you, to have hope. Even with my departure, I heed you not to be depressed, but to be happy that I have been freed from my pain."

"Oh, for the love of God," Hylla snapped, standing up. "Make him stop. It's so stupid."

Calypso sighed, obviously refraining from doing something. "Hylla, nothing we discuss here is stupid. Octavian?"

"Yes?"

"We've gone over this before. You're not sick."

"But my beautiful maiden, I am. I have seen the errors of my ways and look foreword to the freeing release that is death-"

"Why is he talking like that?" I muttered.

"What? Like he was born in the fourteenth century? I have no fucking idea. He's just so annoying. I try to be nice to him, I do. It's just so damn hard."

I winced as Octavian threw himself into a poem. "I can see why."

"Okay," Calypso stood up, leading Octavian to his seat, because the blonde had managed to make his way to the middle of all of us, rolling around on the floor and sobbing. The entire time, Silena would not stop laughing. Between that and everything else, I could not see how Callie managed to keep her cool. She set him down in his seat, but the waterworks would not stop. "You are not sick, Octavian. Did you die yesterday? Or the day before? No? That's what I thought. You need to get over this, kiddo. I'm here to help you. Why don't we talk about why you cannot seem to fathom that you are perfectly healthy?"

His crying stopped, expression hardening. "Never mind. I'm sorry."

Calypso's smile faded and she let out a shaky breath, standing up and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Annabeth?" she called. "Why don't you tell us something about yourself?" She was pleading, and I could see why. The entire group had been thrown into utter chaos. Sighing, I stood up. I couldn't refuse her pleading, desperate eyes. Besides, she was the one clearly nice, sane person I had met so far. I could make up her kindness by doing this one small favor.

"My name is Annabeth."

"Hello, Annabeth," they practically sang in unison.

"I'm here because of depression and suicidal tendencies." The room grew quiet. I pulled up my sleeve, flashing off the small lines. My cheeks burned as everyone glanced at them, but they didn't seem to gawk or gasp at my scars like I had expected. Reddening further, I struggled not to pull down my sleeves and shield my weaknesses from the others. "This is why I'm here, which pretty much sucks. It's disgusting and awful, I know."

Calypso smiled gently, though her eyes looked pained. "Why do you believe you cut yourself?"

I let out a small gust of air. "Because, uh...I guess I don't really know."

I did have some idea of why, but no specific one. My life was horrifying, and I cut because it took my mind off of why and who I was. Something was bothering me. It...it just didn't seem like a valid answer. My mother was dead, my father ignored me, and my Step-Mother got me locked up in a mental hospital. I didn't appreciate who I was, and I wasn't exactly the image of self-confidence. But why? Was it because I hated myself? Was it because I needed to feel something? I knew the hows. I just didn't know the whys.

"That's your mission then. While you're here I want you to discover why. Thank you for speaking, Annabeth. I'll be adding ten points to your name."

Nodding, I sat back down, cheeks and nose still burning.

I can't believe I just did that. And glancing up, Percy seemed to agree with me.

. . .

I randomly scribbled on a piece of paper. There was just blurs of black and red as the crayon collided with the paper. I could still feel Percy's eyes on me, but I made a point of not looking back. I didn't know what to think anymore. He followed me to school. He followed me inside the school. He somehow managed to show up outside my house at the precise moment they found out about my brutal scars. He got re-admitted to the system the second I was. That was a little too much to be a coincidence. I scoffed lightly under my breath, though it came out angry rather than worn-out. Ten points. I had already gotten thirteen so far today, and it was my only first. Leo wasn't kidding when he said it was easy to earn them. As much as I wanted to head to the library to do some research on everyone's disorder, I decided that I would get utilities first. I couldn't live off Rachel's forever. Maybe some hair clips as well. And a journal. I could use a diary to record everything. I always wrote in a diary, though it wasn't usually filled with my personal thoughts. It would be too depressing if I did that. Just facts about my day. Little details about other people. I longed to have it. If Thalia showed her face around here, and after I was finished yelling at her, maybe I could ask her to smuggle in my diary. I was itching to flip through the pages again.

Mostly because they all contained dreams about Percy.

I was perfectly comfortable in his presence until I finally connected the dots. Now I was merely filled with uneasiness at the very mention of him. Especially with the news about Reyna. I needed to figure out what the hell was going on. Then I needed to get out of here. I continued to color in the spaces. If I had a choice, I would choose not to draw at all. But it was mandatory, so I picked up a crayon and a piece of paper and began to scribble like a five-year-old.

There was a creak of a chair and the sound of ripping paper.

A crunched up ball slid into my vision. I unraveled it, glancing up at the brunette.

Can I sit here?

I nodded, paling slightly. Reyna sat slowly down into the chair next to me. I looked at Hylla, who was watching our interactions with protruding eyes.

Thanks. This time she took the liberty of writing it into her journal and passing it to me. That was really brave of you in group therapy.

I shrugged, feeling my cheeks tint once again. "I don't know about that."

My name's Reyna.

"I know."

I figured. You've been staring at me for the past half-hour.

I blinked. Had I been?

It's fine. Slightly creepy, but fine. I know you're curious about my history with Rachel and Percy.

Tensing, I nodded eagerly and wordlessly.

It's very complicated. It's also very painful for me to relive.

"Sorry," I apologized quickly, my excitement fading. "You don't have to tell me."

Her brown eyes bored into mine. She got up from the chair. I frowned. What was the point of coming over here, then? Had I said something wrong? Did I set her off? My thoughts were left on hold as she slid a piece of paper in front of me. I glanced up at her questioningly, but she had already left. Percy was still watching us, causing Rachel's attention to flash towards us yet again. I glanced down at the crumbled piece of paper, stuffing it in my pocket. I would read it later, away from prying eyes.

. . .

I'll tell you everything, but it can't be in front of them. And it can't be written down on paper. Too dangerous. Meet me in my room during dinner. Make absolutely sure that you're not followed. -Reyna

. . .

"Reyna?" I knocked on her door. I had done exactly as her instructions had said, slipping out of the eating room before Percy or Rachel could notice. Maybe they did, but hopefully our conversation would happen before they gathered themselves enough to come and look for me. There was no response. Glancing over my shoulder, I made sure that the hallway was void of any patients or workers. I twisted the door handle, opening it with a small creak. "Reyna? Are you in here?"

The room was empty.

My eyebrows pinched together. "Reyna?" I worked my way towards the bathroom.

The door was shut.

I curled my hand into a small fist, brushing my knuckle against the white wood. "Reyna, are you in there? It's me, Annabeth."

Only silence resounded.

I sighed, running a hand through my locks. "Look, I'm coming in. Make sure you're decent."

I pushed the door open, a long and ragged scream erupting from me.

A/N: I really, really enjoyed writing this chapter. I've been having writer's block a lot, so it helped to be able to write a chapter. I do apologize for the long-wait. I just had orientation for High School, so that was pretty stressful. And terrifying. Am I supposed to be this frightened about going into Freshman year? Apparently so. I was going to have Reyna avoid Annabeth for a few more chapters, but since this is supposed to be a shorter story (than Playing The Player) I decided to have it happen in this chapter. Anyways, predications? Questions? Concerns? Statements? Drop them all in a review. Again, if you don't feel comfortable with reading something as dark as this, please don't. I really don't want to traumatize anyone. :)

Thank you all for the reviews last chapter, along with follows and favorites. I'm glad you're liking it (or hating it; though I'm not glad for that) so far.