A/N: Hey everyone! I just want to let y'all know that I am going away for a camping trip and I won't be able to update for a while. Stay with me though! Thanks to my best friend for giving me some writing tips! Credit where credit is due if you gave me a suggestion that I used. Other than that, no other announcements. Enjoy!
If you recognise it, it's not mine.
Silena hadn't talked to Annabeth in three days, not since, well….. Annabeth understood. She knew what Beckendorf meant to Silena (and what Silena meant to Beckendorf) and she knew, well...not knew, but understood what Silena was going through. She didn't need to talk to Annabeth as long as she knew Annabeth was there for her. Annabeth had tried to help by wrapping her in blankets, keeping a mug of hot chocolate in her hands at all times, and letting her know at least once a day that if she wanted anybody to talk to- Annabeth is ready to listen. And that was exactly what was going on right now.
"Annabeth, can I talk to you?" Silena nearly whispered when Annabeth handed her yet another cup of hot chocolate.
"Sure, of course. Just say anything." Annabeth said. "But...what changed? You haven't spoken to me in three days. Is there anything that happened or are you just-"
"Just ready." Silena confirmed. She pulled her long sleeve further down her arm. "Nothing's changed. I'm just ready to talk about it."
"Ok….how are you feeling?" Annabeth asked quietly. She had never really had to deal with death before, besides her obvious impending one, so she didn't actually know how to start the conversation.
"Horrible." Silena said sharply. "Sad. Lonely. Heartbroken. I've just lost the love of my life, how am I supposed to feel?" Annabeth was taken aback. She had thought Silena would be crying, that the dam would burst as soon as she started the conversation. Instead she was...she was-
"Angry." Silena said after a pause. "I am so fucking angry at- at...at everything! At the fucking government for forcing us to wear these things. At the fucking universe for killing him. At the people he works with that didn't hear him crying out for help until it was too late. At the fucking coroner for telling me that it was a mechanical accident. At you for treating me like a fucking twelve year old whose dog just died!"
"Wait, you're mad at me?"
"Annabeth, I love you, but I hate hot chocolate. I mean, everything tastes like cardboard but hot chocolate is especially worse."
"I-I'm sorry."
"It's ok it's just-" And then the dam broke. Silena sobbed into her comforter and held onto her knees. Annabeth tried to put her arm over her shoulder, but then Silena pitched forward and buried her face in Annabeth's collarbone. Annabeth rocked her and whispered what she hoped were comforting words into her ear while Silena wept.
"- I can't believe he's dead," She wailed. "We would have gotten married." Silena pulled away from Annabeth and looked at her. Through her tears she smiled somewhat darkly. "He said he would have proposed. If his time hadn't...if his time wasn't so short. He said we could have gotten married, but he didn't want to leave me as a young widow. He-he's so sweet. Concerned for me even though he's the one that would- that would-"
Annabeth patted Silena's back as she broke down again. Annabeth always knew Beckendorf was nice and she was sad that he had died, but she never really knew him aside from Silena's descriptions. She had only talked to him on a few occasions, but she could see how much he had loved Silena. She could see him getting down on one knee for her and proposing. If only they had had the time.
Annabeth mostly felt bad for her friend. She could tell how much Silena was hurting and in turn, she was hurting too. She wished she could make it better, less painful, but Annabeth knew this wasn't something that could be fixed with ice cream and movies. The only thing that could heal this was time. Annabeth didn't know how long it would take, but someday Silena was going to accept his death. Not forget, no, never forget. She would just move through the stages of grief until she gets to acceptance.
Until then Annabeth would just have to be there as long as she could to help Silena along. And Annabeth rocked Silena and rubbed her back long into the night and stayed in Silena's bed long after she had gone to sleep. The next morning she decided to skip all of her classes because classes could be made up, friends could not.
;;;
Annabeth, where r u- P
You know i suck at writing i neeed you-P
Its wierd for u to b missing english-P
Annabeth?-P
I heard about beckendorf. I am so sorry, i can't belive that happened. Silenas your roommate, right?-P
Annabeth, r u ok?- P
Annabeth resisted texting Percy until the next day. She didn't want Silena to think she didn't want to take care of her and she just didn't think it was fair to abandon Silena to hang out with Percy. Even so, she waited until Silena finally had to go to the bathroom (she thankfully started eating again) before she opened her phone to all of the notifications. She knew she would get some from Piper, but she was surprised by the number Percy had written. She responded to Piper first, reassuring her that she was okay and that she was just helping Silena and that Silena's physical health was more or less fine. Then she responded to Percy.
Yeah, I'm ok. I am just helping Silena out. Sorry for not being in English.-A
Percy texted back right away.
Do u want to talk?-P
Uh...yeah. Just let me come down and I will text you when I can.-A
Ok-P
Annabeth hadn't noticed that Silena had come through the door. She stood under the frame and looked at Annabeth. Her grey sweatpants rode her hips and an old shirt- Beckendorf's- hung loosely off her shoulders.
"Luke?" She asked, her voice raw from crying.
"Um, no. Percy."
"Oh, I just thought- because of the way you were looking at your- nevermind." Silena said. "Are you going to go meet dreamboy?" She asked, smiling weakly.
"Not if you don't want me to. If you want me to stay here that's fine, Percy can wait."
"No, no, Annabeth. Go. I don't need you smothering me constantly. Just- I think it would be good for me to be alone for a little bit. Okay?"
"Okay." Annabeth said uncertainly. She stood up from her desk chair and grabbed her heavy jacket and scarf. She slipped on converse over the fuzzy socks she had been favoring and left after looking back at Silena climbing into bed one last time.
;;;
Annabeth sat with Percy in a Starbucks two blocks from her dorm. She leaned into one of the big leather chairs that they have surrounding a small electric fireplace and wrapped her hands around her cup of chai tea latte to warm up her hands. Annabeth had gloves; she just forgot them at her dorm room.
Percy leaned forward in his chair, opposite from her, and rubbed his hands on his face wearily. He moves them up his face and through his hair before settling them on the back of his neck.
"Wow, I had no idea," He said. "I mean, I didn't spend a lot of time with him, but I feel like this is something I would notice."
"Well, sometimes it's just not obvious. Not everyone thinks about their death constantly." Annabeth retorted.
"You do." Percy looked at her intently. His green eyes sparkled. It was refreshing after having stared at Silena's dull, broken ones for hours. Annabeth immediately felt bad for thinking that. Silena had every right to be...to be- Annabeth realized Percy had said something and was expecting something in return.
"I don't."
"You do. I don't know why, but you bring it up all the time. I've seen you glance at your timer constantly, your fingers tap to the rhythm of the seconds. For someone who so obviously thinks of death all the time you sure have a lot to say about the subject." Annabeth was, for lack of a better term, flabbergasted. She didn't even stop to think about how Percy had noticed all of those things about her, but instead focused on how readable she was. Was she really that transparent?
"Uh, look, I'm sorry," Percy said. Annabeth must had had an offended look on her face. She tried to make her face more neutral, but felt like she was just making it look more screwed up. "I didn't mean to-"
"No, no, it's okay," She said cutting him off. "We're both stressed. Beckendorf just died. It's perfectly fine." Annabeth chose not to continue what he was saying about her.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Percy said, hands rubbing his face again. Annabeth noticed that he did that a lot. Touch his face. Her mother would have told her to stop so that she wouldn't get pimples. Annabeth, of course, said nothing.
"I should probably head back. I don't want to leave Silena alone for too long."
"Yeah, I probably should too. I'm going to check in with Leo. Apparently he and Beckendorf were pretty good friends. I should probably, y'know, talk to him." Percy said, standing up and putting his coat on. Annabeth did the same and followed him out the door and depositing her now empty chai tea in a nearby trash bin. The sudden cold of outside compared to the warmth in Starbucks makes her cheeks ach. Annabeth stuffs her hands into her pockets wishing she hadn't forgotten her gloves.
"Bye." Percy said, turning down the street and waving. Annabeth followed him.
"We're going the same way, Seaweed brain." She said.
"Well now this is awkward," Percy stated. "And seaweed brain? Where did that come from." Annabeth was laughing at his expression. It almost felt unnatural. Laughing. She hadn't done it, or even heard laughter, in four days. It felt nice.
"Yeah, 'cause your head is full of kelp." She laughed.
"Clever are you?" Percy raised his eyebrow.
"I would think so. I've been thinking of that since we went to the aquarium."
"Ooh. Wise girl, aren't 'cha."
"That's not even an insult!" Annabeth said loudly, scaring a flock of pigeons sitting on a bench nearby. Percy just laughed and scratched his chin.
"This is me," Annabeth said as they stopped in front of her dorm building. She grabbed her key from the back pocket of her jeans. "We should work on the project tomorrow. To make up for skipping class."
"Yeah, sure. Is eleven good? Starbucks?"
"Sounds great...I'll see you tomorrow then."
Annabeth unlocked the door, pausing to wave back at Percy who was waiting to make sure she got in. He nodded, grinned, and started walking in the same direction that they had come. Annabeth tried not to question it.
Annabeth took the elevator and waited as it took her up to her floor. She rubbed her cold cheeks with her even colder hands, but gave up in exasperation when she didn't warm up.
The elevator opened with a ding and Annabeth stepped out. She walked down the hall and paused outside her door to open it. Before she could put her hands on the handle the door quickly swung open and a boy stepped out.
"Leo!" She gasped, surprise. "God, you scared me to death. I was not expecting that."
"Sorry Blondie, I uh, didn't know you were there." Leo said quickly. He grinned, but the fire in his eyes looked muted. Annabeth was reminded that he had been Beckendorf's friend. Annabeth moved out of the way as Leo walked by her.
"I would love to stay and chat, princess, but Percy just texted me. Apparently it's an emergency. He probably just ran out of doritos again." Leo gave a forced laugh and stepped into the elevator, saluting at Annabeth before the doors closed. Annabeth stood mutely outside her dorm wondering what just hit her.
Annabeth entered her dorm room and saw Silena sitting on her bed surrounded by a pile of tissues and eating cup noodles. Well at least she's eating.
"Hi." Silena said. Her eyes were red and she was sniffling.
"Hey." Annabeth responded. "Why was Leo here?"
"Oh, he was just giving me tips, sharing his experiences." Silena began collecting her tissues and threw them into the small trash bin under her desk. "He's been through this before. Losing someone you love."
"Calypso."
"Yeah, and his mother. She died in a warehouse fire when he was young." Silena sniffled. Annabeth took off her jacket and sat on her bed.
"Oh my God, I had no idea."
"Well, loss isn't always that obvious." Silena said. Annabeth thought about all of her (few) experiences with Leo. He always seemed so happy, joking and flirting with everyone.
"Yeah, I guess it isn't."
Silena turned over towards the wall.
"I think I am going to go to sleep." She said to the wall. Annabeth looked at her clock. 4:30.
Annabeth said nothing and plugged in her headphones. She tugged her laptop onto her lap and turned on Doctor Who. As the opening thing played, Annabeth looked over at Silena as she silently cried into her pillow. Annabeth wished there was something she could do, but she knew the best thing would be to just let her mourn in peace.
;;;
"You know you're a terrible speller, right?" Annabeth said, poking Percy on the shoulder as they bent over her laptop in the same seats they sat at the day before.
"Oi! Don't be rude." Percy said, laughing. "I have dyslexia."
"So do I," Annabeth said. "I think you just don't pay attention to what you're typing. This whole page is red lines."
"Okay Wise Girl, then why don't you type." He said, handing the laptop over to Annabeth. She read over what they had so far and corrected his spelling errors. She added some description to the more dull scenes and got rid of some of the dialogue.
"Wait! That's a good part!" Percy protested as she deleted a whole paragraph.
"She's literally describing how she looks in the mirror. That's the worst cliche in the book. Don't be a seaweed brain, I'm deleting it." She highlighted the paragraph and pressed backspace.
"Then how else are we going to know how she looks?"
"Just describe it throughout the story. Have people comment on it or do it subtly. Having her describe herself in a mirror makes her seem shallow. It's better to let the reader project something onto the character when they are reading."
"And how do you know that?" Percy said, leaning head on his hands and raising his eyebrow. Touching his face and raising his eyebrow. Two things Percy does a lot. I wonder what I do a lot. Probably roll my eyes and look at my timer.
"It was in the assigned reading two weeks ago. Duh." She said, smacking him on the back of his head. She hoped that was okay, she wasn't sure how close they were. Thankfully, Percy just shook his head and laughed.
"Ok, Wise Girl."
"Still not an insult!" Annabeth smirked. Percy turned his face to look at her and she was suddenly aware of how close they were. The glanced down at his lips and felt the irrational urge to kiss them. She shoved that thought into the depths of her mind and focused on what Percy was saying.
"Thank you." Percy's eyes shined, like he still had laughter trapped inside. "I just-" He leaned back into his chair and put his hands over his eyes and then took them off again when he looked at her. "-it's been kind of depressing in my apartment. Leo's my roommate, along with Jason now that he's moving in, but everything is just so, I don't know, grey."
"Grey?"
"Yeah, grey. I'm just glad we could do this. Being able to laugh and smile without feeling guilty- it's bringing colour back into my life so to speak."
"Oh my God, Percy. You are such a cliche."Percy laughed and looked away."No, but seriously, it was good for me too. I mean, you know my roommate's Silena. Thing's aren't exactly sunshines and rainbows where I live either."
"Yeah, sorry."
"I just don't really understand why she chose to y'know, fall for someone who she knew would die so soon." Annabeth said quietly, mostly to herself.
"You can't really control who you fall in love with, Annabeth. What happens happens whether you want it to or not." Percy had taken out a ballpoint pen and started doodling on his hand. Annabeth nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her.
"I guess you wouldn't really understand because as far as I can tell. I mean, you're not going to go anytime soon, and neither is this Luke guy that you're dating. Right? You kind of have security in the love department."
Annabeth agreed with him for a whole different reason. She had security in that department, not because she and Luke were going to live but because they were going to die at the same time. Unless of course….unless her timer would remain changed. But it was still only when she was with Percy and a little bit after (an hour to be exact) that her life was extended. For some reason Annabeth didn't think Luke would like the idea of Annabeth hanging out with Percy constantly.
Annabeth's thoughts were interrupted when her her phone abruptly rang loudly. The shrill of the phone carried across Starbucks and people turned to look at her. Annabeth quickly dug the phone out of her bag and looked at the caller ID. Luke.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Annabeth muttered.
"Sorry?"
"Nothing, just um, Luke is calling me. I better take this." Annabeth said, getting up from her chair and walking outside. She probably should have brought her jacket, but it was too late as she was already answering the call.
"Hey."
"Hey babe." Luke's voice came out scratchy and rough coming from the other line.
"Luke, are you still in Paris? This must be costing a fortune!" Annabeth said. She rubbed her shoulders with her free hand.
"No, no. I got moved to New York. Apparently there's some Black Lives Matter protest going on or some shit."
"Oh that's really cool. Those people are so amazing. How's it going?"
"It's going fine. There's nothing really exciting going on and they suspect nothing will really happen. I'm just calling to let you know that I'm coming home early."
"Okay, that's great." Annabeth said. There was a pause and for a second Annabeth thought that Luke had hung up, but she could still hear him breathing on the other line.
"So um, how are you?" Luke asked.
"I'm fine…" Annabeth answered. Luke rarely asked her questions like this when he called. Only when he wanted something.
"I hear you've been hanging out with that Percy guy a lot." He said.
"Why do you know that?"
"Friends have just said that they've seen you two around." Annabeth shuddered. It was creepy that his friends felt the need to tell Luke of her whereabouts. Almost like they were keeping tabs on her.
"Yeh, we're working on the project. Did you hear about what happened with Beckendorf?" Annabeth asked.
"No, what happened with Beckendorf?"
"I'll tell you when you get back." It was weird that Luke somehow knew about who she had been hanging out with but didn't know about the death of a fellow classmate.
"Okay, I'll see you then." Luke said. Before Annabeth had a chance to say anything, he hung up. Annabeth stood outside wondering what Luke was up to for a while until she realized she was freezing her ass off.
She went inside to Percy.
A/N: So if you read the top authors note you would know that I am leaving for a week. So goodbye for a little while! While I am gone, tell me who you think is keeping Luke updated in the comments. Does Silena seem a little secretive to you, or is that just me? When are we going to see Hazel and Frank again, and when are Percy and Annabeth going to visit Nico and his boyfriend Will? Please tell me what you think should happen next, because I only know the big details, not the small ones. Tell me in the comments please! Don't forget to fave, follow and review.
~skulls-surround-suns