1.5 years later — Junior year 2nd term

-Annabeth's POV-

''So yes, the simplified version of the equation is this.'' I explain to Thalia.

''Damn girl yo smart!'' She says in a boyish voice, wiping the corners of her mouth, acting like there from staring at was one of her many ways of teasing me. I just answered the same way I always did: I rolled my eyes.

Then, all of a sudden, she got dead serious.

''Annabeth…I have to tell you something.''

''Okay.''

''I…Annabeth…I…'' she said. I could tell that she was about to cry.

As soon as I realised that, I started panicking.

Was it family issues? Thalia did have quite a lot of those. Was it her mom? Dad? Maybe even Jason?

''Thalia, it's okay. I'm here for you, just get it out.''

''Annabeth…I''

I started leaning towards her to hug her.

''I… I have to pee.''

''Excuse me?''

She bursted out laughing after that.

''Oh God! You should've seen your face.'' she says, yet is interrupted when I shove a pillow to her face.

''Thalia, it's okay. I'm here for you.'' she mocks me, changing her voice to make it really high-pitched.

''I sound nothing like that.''
Which, of course, resulted in her making different animal noises and asking which one I was.

This act earned her another pillow to the face.

''Jerk.''

Soon Thalia's joke had turned into a full-out pillow fight.

After, half an hour or so spent fighting, we find ourselves laying on the bed and laughing our guts off. This is one of the reasons why Thalia is my best friend. We just click. She's what you call a kick-ass. She radiates power and demands respect. I guess I somewhat became like and close to her after… anyways.

''Annie, I have to get going, my shift starts in 15 minutes.'' I may have forgot to mention, but Thalia works. She has to. No one else is bringing any money home. Well, not any that she will accept anyways.

''Don't call me Annie, you know I hate it.''

''Oh, sorry, I won't next time…Annie.''

''Stop it.''
''Annie. Annie. Annie. Sweet lil' Annie.'' she sings as she runs out of the room.

''Thalia Grace stop now!''

''Annie. Annie. Annie. Sweet lil' Annie.''

She opens the apartment door and runs out, the song mixed with laughter echoing throughout the halls.

''You shall pay!'' I yell after her, just for my personal satisfaction.

I close the door and smile like an idiot.

Now that it was getting a bit darker, I went up to my room to finish my homework. I was done an hour later. Just as I stole a glance at the window. I saw Percy.

His room's lights were off, yet I could tell it was him because of his muscular outline. He went to the edge of his bed and sat down, taking his head in his hands. It wasn't really hard to tell that something was troubling him immensely. For a while, he sat without any motion. He got up to open the light and saw me. Our eyes locked, and we both stood just staring at each other. His face was incredibly pale and his eyes were swollen from which I guess is because of crying. His body was trembling. He looked traumatised. Then, the tiniest tear escaped from his now swollen sea-green eyes.

When he finally broke our gaze he close the curtain, and then opened the light. I couldn't help but feel like he was hiding something. I slipped in my bed, but I was unable to sleep. I kept thinking of Percy.

Why was I thinking of him after all this years?

Percy and I spent the rest of our sophomore year loathing each other after the Rachel incident. By the time the junior year started, we had both forgotten other existed, so we kept it going like that through the first term. Now, I'm pretty sure he doesn't even remember my name.

Did I like that? I couldn't decide.

I always had this sort of a weird feeling about Percy. Not liking him, of course. But…

Curiosity.

I had this urge to find out what was behind those seas-green eyes every time I looked into them. There was something about them that I just couldn't put my finger on. They suggested something different from what Percy said, how he acted, and his so-called ''reputation''. They held pain, worry and sorrow. A part of me thought that Percy was a thoughtful guy, yet the other, much more realistic part told me that he didn't care about anyone unless he could use them. When he was done, he threw them away.

His eyes were contradicting with his actions.

'Look at you Annabeth!' a voice inside said. It was then that I came back to reality. Life wasn't some fairytale. Eyes aren't mystical. Eyes are just used to see. When you're happy or sad, they don't change colour. They stay the same.

Eyes are just eyes.

I turned my head to side to face the window only to see Percy staring. He had opened the curtain, and was standing still, staring.

It took one look to realise I was lying to myself. Percy's eyes weren't just eyes. Nothing could be that deep, that intense.

We stared deep into each others eyes. Me with curiosity, him with… a plea. A plea for help. I was unable to stop looking into his eyes, yet I was forced to when he broke our gaze to close the curtain back again. Just before he did, I caught a glimpse of a tear escape. I sat up, immediately.

I rushed to the window, to look closer, yet I was too late. He had closed the curtains.

I sank to the floor, in shock.

I had never seen anyones eyes so vulnerable. It was like he was a baby, and his mother had left him all alone. Worried, scares, worst of all: begging, expecting.

My mind was so clouded that I couldn't think straight.

I went back to my bed, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep.

The next few mornings were a blur, and I still wasn't able to organise my thoughts.

He was absent the following week.

I couldn't focus on my lessons and the geography teacher even said; ''Ms. Chase, we'd like it if you stopped daydreaming and were back on the world with us.'' I was so embarrassed I sat still the entire lesson.

As I walked out of 4th class, I saw him. Percy. He didn't look me in the eye.

It wasn't even anger of any sort. I knew he wasn't doing it to intimidate me. How did I know? Well, if he did wanted to intimidate me, he'd look me right in the eyes, not bothering to hide his disgust. But he didn't do that. He just bowed his head, like a shy kid, and walked away like he was afraid.

This only made the curiosity in me grow. What had happened last night that he suddenly changed?

''Annabeth are you okay? You seem off.'' said Piper, who had magically appeared next to me, while I was staring at Percy. ''I'm okay, just…sleep deprived.'' I lie to her. I can't bring myself to tell her that I had seen Percy crying. Even if she sensed me lying, she just shrugged it off.

-Percy's POV-

Gabe was back again, more drunk than ever. He had already started beating up mom before I arrived there. I did what I always did. I threw myself in front of him, and let him beat me up until at least my nose had started time though, it was different, much worse. I was getting more and more immune to his punches but today he had a whole new idea: his belt.

No matter how bad it was, I did not give in to it, neither did I fight it. I just waited for it to be over.

You might be wondering why I didn't do anything. Because of my mom. What I realised was that if I try to fight Gabe he'll take it out on mom when I'm not around. Giving in meant that he could do whatever he wanted forever. I would never give in to be his slave. I was just a barrier that was protecting my mother. I wouldn't give in, because if I did, he'd stop. He'd move on to beating mom.

Over time, we sort of had an understanding. He'd beat me up until he had let all his anger and energy out, and leave mom alone.

This was better for both sides. He let his anger out, and my mom wasn't hurt.

I had never really considered giving in until today. He was whipping my back hard. I wasn't sure if I would be able to cover them up. My back started heating up, and suddenly there was a pain. I could feel my shirt getting wet. I was sure that it wasn't sweat or water.

My mom had tried to throw herself between me and Gabs, screaming. Gabe had just pushed her away. ''Go upstairs mom'' was all I could manage to get out. I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible, yet it couldn't fool mom. After trying to talk a couple more times, and failing, mom agreed and went upstairs. I knew she'll cry. It's better that she cries because I'm getting her, rather than her getting hurt.

Gabe had gotten all of his anger out 20 minutes later. I was sure that these were scars that would always be there. My lips were bleeding because I had bit them in order to stop me from screaming and crying.

I went up to my room as calm but as fast as possible. I knew Gabs was watching me. I could not show a sign of weakness. So I pushed the feeling inside. What feeling you might ask? The feeling of fire. The feeling of ice. The enduring feeling of the belt.

I sat down at my bed. I needed to come back to the state of mentality. I might have sat lifeless for minutes, it just seemed like seconds to me. I got up, just to close the window.

She was there. Annabeth was there, watching.

Even in the darkness, her eyes still were as mesmerising as ever. I had not properly seen her since the Rachel incident. I had even forgotten that she ever existed. Why would I need to remember such a brat?

I knew I was lying though. I knew she wasn't a brat. She was glowing with elegance. Sometimes, I just wish I was more like her.

By the look on her face, you could see that she was confused. I took in as much of her eyes as I could until I heard the sound of a beer bottle breaking. I looked away.

I was being foolish.

I closed the curtains and sank to my bed. I tried to think of something that made me happy.

All I could think of was darkness.

Soooo super sorry that I haven't uploaded for so long. I just had so much going on that I couldn't manage everything.

I'm sorry that I'm very crappy at time managment.

Anyways...

I hope you guys liked this chapter. Don't forget to comment, follow and favorite!

I'll see you guys in the next chapter!

xx ocg