Disclaimer: Look it up in the dictionary and you'll find out what it means and that I am NOT the genius, Rick Riordan.
Song choice: This one was difficult because it is such an odd scene but I decided on Break Your Little Heart by All Time Low merely because it is the BEST break up song ever and I thought Annabeth might be thinking that he you know.......
Here we go (In Mario's voice)
........................................................................................................................
"Seriously, Dad. I'll be fine."
"I don't like the idea of you by yourself in New York. I never liked cities myself."
"Yes, I know but I won't be by myself. I'm meeting up with Percy in about ten minutes. Plus have you seen the architecture here? It's amazing."
"He is..."
"The one who saved me. Remember?"
"How could I forget, mon cheri?"
"Bye father. "
"Ring me when you are with your friend."
"I will."
She placed her phone in her jeans pocket and wandered aimlessly up the street. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been looking forward to it. Yes, she'd spoken to Percy on the phone quite a lot but they hadn't properly seen each other after the winter incident. And she liked the fact that it had been his idea to meet up.
Her stepmother had been teasing her which she found both annoying but a tiny bit funny. Each time Annabeth would walk into the room, her step-mother would start humming the wedding song or each time they'd pass a shop in San Francisco, she'd say something like "I can't believe I still haven't gotten my dress" or "How many months is it now, Annabeth?"
A few guys looked at her top as she passed them. No doubt they'd heard all the gang names from there to Luxemburg but they'd never heard of "Camp Half-Blood" and they wouldn't either.
Goode High School loomed in the distance. There was nothing special about the building. It was a relatively normal structure and grey walls which she found quite depressing but she trudged on towards it, thinking of what film they would see.
Usually when someone crashed into her, she'd yell and tell them to watch where they were going but when the son of Poseidon rams into you from a small doorway you tend to be more shocked than hurt. She held his shoulders and steadied him.
"Hey, well that was unexpected."
"Yeah. Annabeth, we really have to ...."
The sound of a fire alarm shocked them both. She turned to him suspiciously.
"What did you do now, Seaweed Brain?"
"I didn't technically..."
"Percy! Wait up!"
A small voice from behind him called.
They both turned to see a small red-headed girl sprinting towards them.
"Percy!" She called again as she reached them.
"What was that?" She asked him.
"What was what?" Annabeth demanded.
"The cheerleaders were, said they were, I can't remember, something like posies?"
"Empousa?"
"Yeah. You fought them before?"
"Yeah. When me, Thalia and Luke were on the run. They usually come after....handsome guys. They always came after Luke."
"They tried to bite him and said something about a camp in flames?"
"Who are you?" She asked the girl, a little bit rudely but she didn't care.
Percy answered.
"Um Annabeth, this is my friend Rachel."
"Are you a half-blood too?" The girl asked.
"How do you know about half-bloods?" She demanded and the girl, Rachel, pointed to Percy. Annabeth glowered.
"Look Percy. You are going to call me and explain all of this. Here." She wrote her number down on his arm quickly as Annabeth tried to look for a sign that people were coming.
"I'll go. I'll tell them you are innocent. Go!"
Then Rachel sped off back to the door she came from. Annabeth looked at him for a minute but then turned her back and started walking away. He caught up with her quickly.
"Annabeth, I'm sorry, today's been ...."
"You told a mortal about half-bloods? Why?"
"She can see through the mist and I..."
"She's still a mortal girl! Supposing she decides to make some money for herself and tell the world about camp, and half-bloods and you?"
"She wouldn't...."
"You don't know that for certain!"
"I met her when I was coming to ....."
"You met her before?" Her voice was a lot softer.
"Yeah,.."
"She's kind of cute." She had no idea what possessed her to say it but it came out and left Percy slightly dazed.
"What? Annabeth, look, it wasn't planned..."
"We have to get to camp."
"Annabeth, please..."
"I have to ring my father."
She took out her phone and dialled while he realised what a mess he'd made. His best friend was furious at him, he'd left a mortal to cover up for him and he'd practically torched his mother's boyfriend's school.
"Not my best day...." He muttered as she spoke briefly to her father that she'd be heading straight to camp instead of hanging around in New York. She'd asked him to post a few things up to her and she'd pick them up. Her tone got a lot nicer as she spoke so he hoped maybe she'd calmed down a bit but as she put her phone away, she gave him a miny glare and spoke emotionlessly.
"I guess our afternoon's off then."
"Annabeth, I had no idea that was going to happen."
"I know. But we really have to get to camp."
# ## # # # # # #
They got a taxi ride up, the most awkward she'd ever taken. She realised she'd acted like a cow but found that her stubborn personality would not let her apologise. She spend the entire time looking out the window, looking at unique structures that passed by and it seemed to cheer her up. Every now and then, Percy would ask a random question but she answered briefly and didn't try to make conversation other than that.
She didn't feel like talking.
When they arrived at camp, her mood lightened a little bit. She remembered Clarisse and decided she would see and ran off, leaving Percy wondering what was wrong with her.
She knocked on the Ares cabin and walked in.
One person sneered at her.
"Oh, little miss Princess is back, Clarisse. Where's the boyfriend?"
"Shut up before I make you."
What stung the most in their sentiment was the fact that 'the boyfriend' had clearly gotten another and her name wasn't Annabeth Chase. It was Rachel something.
Next chapter will probably be when Annabeth gets her prophecy.
The Chase ain't worth the prize! I'm gonna break your little heart! Watch you take the fall! Laughing all the way to the hospital! Cos there's nothing surgery can do! When I break your little heart in two!
LF xoxo
