Chapter 11
(Annabeth's POV)
I hear footsteps somewhere in the house, and Sally retching somewhere in the house. I open my eyes a bit and look through my eyelashes. It's bright outside, and I hear Leo muttering in his sleep. Frank snores softly, and I feel Percy stirring next to me.
"Good morning," he whispers.
"Hi," I reply.
"We're the first ones up, right?" he asks.
"Yeah. what time is it?" I say, quietly getting to my feet.
"It's 10:30," he says, checking his phone.
"C'mon, let's go make breakfast," I whisper, trudging into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Annabeth," Paul says, walking past us.
"So what are we doing?" Percy asks, rifling through the fridge.
"How about pancakes?" I ask, grabbing a blue mixing bowl off of the counter.
"Sure," he says. I start working as Percy lazily leans on the table, eating an apple.
"You know, you could help," I say angrily, wiping a bit of flour off my forehead. He grabs the bowl from my hands and starts mixing the batter.
"See? I'm helping!" he says, flicking some batter at me.
"Oh, it's on," I growl, before blowing flour into his face.
"Really? Do you know how long it's going to take to get this out of my hair?" he complains, grabbing the faucet and aiming it at me.
"You wouldn't," I whisper.
"Try me," he growls.
"Guys, I'm hungr-" Thalia says, walking into the kitchen. Percy sprays water at me, and I try to dodge, but I can't get out of the way fast enough.
"You asshole!" I whisper yell, wringing water out of my shirt.
"I'm in trouble aren't I," Percy says, pouring some of the batter into a pan and cooking it.
"Yep," Thalia chuckles.
"I'm going to kill you after breakfast," I deadpan, mopping up the water on the floor.
"Sure," he says, flipping pancakes.
"No, but really. Fear me Jackson," I deadpan, pushing past him and grabbing a large platter. Thalia swipes the first pancake off of the platter as soon as Percy drops it there.
"Thals!" I scold.
"What? I'm hungry!" She says, shoving the whole thing into her mouth.
"That's it! Out of the kitchen," I say, shoving her out the door. Percy pours more batter into the now empty pan. I chew absentmindedly on a piece of a pear as Percy finishes cooking.
"After all the crap you pulled about me not cooking," he grumbles, dumping the last pancake onto the platter.
"Aww, I was just teasing," I whine.
"Should we call everyone in?" He says, washing the excess batter off of his hands.
"Guys, breakfast!" I call, walking out of the kitchen and poking my head into the room where we were sleeping. Leo groggily gets up and staggers behind everyone into the kitchen. We eat in silence, and Percy bumps my arm.
"Beth, where are your brothers?" he hisses. I look around and see two matching streaks of brown rushing past the doorway.
"They're on your couch. They can eat at home," I hiss back.
"Guys, we're going to need all of our free periods this week to finish up our plan for Friday. Callie, you need to teach us the choreography you came up with. Guys, your job is essentially done, so do whatever you want," Thalia says.
"But if we have to bail you out of jail," Hazel starts as Thalia cracks her knuckles and scowls.
"Jason, Frank, can you keep those three from killing themselves?" I say, pointing to Percy, Nico, and Leo.
"Got it," Frank says.
"Hey, I'm not that bad!" Nico protests.
"Neeks, you may be more responsible than Percy and Leo, but we want to be sure that they won't drag you into one of their ridiculous schemes," Piper says as Argus pulls into the driveway.
"Oh, by the way Percy, I'm taking your swim team sweatshirt from freshman year. It doesn't fit you anymore," I say, grabbing the bundle of cloth.
"I will never understand why girls take our clothes," he grumbles.
"I'm ninety nine percent sure that it's a conspiracy. My soccer sweatshirt went missing. Thals, do you have any idea where it went?" Nico says, raising an eyebrow. At least, I think he is. His eyebrows are covered by his shaggy black hair.
"Nope, no idea!" Thalia says quickly.
"We've gotta go," Hazel says, grabbing Leo's arm and dragging him to the car.
"Bye guys," Piper says as I shut the door behind me.
"So now what?" Leo asks as Argus turns down another back road.
"We have a band meeting, so we'll be in our practice room. Boys, you can do whatever you want, except sneaking out. Go play videogames or something. Unless you want to be pelted with blood coated snow, no snowball fights," I say.
"Cool!" Matthew says.
"No, not cool! I am not allowing you three to play in the blood of Poseidon's sons!" I say, waving my arms around frantically.
"Aww man," Bobby whines as we pull into the driveway.
"I'll tell you what. Let me finish up the band stuff, and then I'll take you sledding," I say.
"C'mon, let's hurry this up," Hazel says, opening the door to the practice room.
"First off, let's start with Thalia's song. Thals, what do ya got for us?" Hazel says with a pencil sticking out between her teeth as she pulls her hair back.
"Well, I wrote a song about my general family life growing up, with my older half brother addicted to weed, my mom being an alcoholic, and my dad cheating constantly. It's called Dollhouse," she says, flipping to a page in her book.
(Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, Hazel,All)
Hey girl, open the walls, play with your dolls
We'll be a perfect family.
When you walk away, it's when we really play
You don't hear me when I say,
Mom, please wake up.
Dad's with a slut, and your son is smoking cannabis
No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens
Don't let them see what goes down in the kitchen.
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees.
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees)
Hey girl, look at my mom, she's got it going on
Ha, you're blinded by her jewelry.
When you turn your back she pulls out a flask
And forgets his infidelity.
Uh-oh, she's coming to the attic, plastic
Go back to being plastic.
No one ever listens, this wallpaper glistens
One day they'll see what goes down in the kitchen.
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees.
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees)
Hey girl (hey girl, hey girl, hey girl, hey girl)
Hey girl, open your walls, play with your dolls
We'll be a perfect family.
Places, places, get in your places
Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces.
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.
Picture, picture, smile for the picture
Pose with your brother, won't you be a good sister?
Everyone thinks that we're perfect
Please don't let them look through the curtains.
D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees.
(D-O-L-L-H-O-U-S-E
I see things that nobody else sees)
"Alright, I don't think that needs many major tweaks, and there's no need for guitar, so Pipes, your hands are safe for one song," Hazel says.
"Yeah, that's really good Pinecone Face!" I say.
"So, I guess we'll do mine next?" Piper says.
"Sure! What's it about?" Hazel asks.
"Oh, it's about how my father would always ignore me for long periods of time when we were kids. It's called Freak The Freak Out, because I wanted little kids to be able to sing along with it," Piper replies.
(Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, Hazel,All)
Are you listening?
Hear me talk, hear me sing.
Open up the door,
Is it less, is it more?
When you tell me to beware,
Are you here? Are you there?
Is it something I should know?
Easy come, easy go.
Nodding your head,
Don't hear a word I said
I can't communicate, when you wait, don't relate
I try to talk to you
But you never even knew,
So what's it gonna be?
Tell me can you hear me?
I'm so sick of it,
Your attention deficit
Never listen, never listen.
I'm so sick of it,
So I'll throw another fit.
Never listen, never listen.
I scream your name,
It always stays the same.
I scream and shout,
So what I'm gonna do now
Is freak the freak out, hey!
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh.
Patience running thin,
Running thin, come again
Tell me what I get
Opposite, opposite
Show me what is real
If it breaks does it heal?
Open up your ear
Why you think that I'm here?
Keep me in the dark
Are you even thinking of me?
Is someone else above me
Gotta know, gotta know
What am I gonna do?
'Cause I can't get through to you
So what's it gonna be?
Tell me can you hear me?
(Can you hear me?)
I'm so sick of it,
Your attention deficit
Never listen, never listen.
I'm so sick of it,
So I'll throw another fit.
Never listen, never listen.
I scream your name,
It always stays the same.
I scream and shout,
So what I'm gonna do now
Is freak the freak out, hey!
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh
Easy come, easy go
Easy come, easy go
(Can you hear me?)
I scream your name,
It always stays the same.
I scream and shout,
So what I'm gonna do now
Is freak the freak out, hey!
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh,
Whoa oh oh, whoa oh oh oh
(Freak the freak out!)
I scream your name
But you never listen
No you never listen
But you never listen
"So, how's that?" Piper asks nervously.
"Great job Pipesqueak," I say, ruffling her hair.
"Thanks guys. Who's next?" she says.
"I'll go," I say.
"What's your song about?" Hazel asks.
"It's about what I was like when we were kids. It's called Eyes Wide Open," I say.
(Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, Hazel,All)
La di da da da na
Yeah
Everybody loves to tell me I was born an old soul
Better keep my eyes wide open
There's so much that I don't know
Just another hotel room
Never felt so all alone
I think about my granddad's eyes,
And they always send me home
I can almost hear him now
Gotta make him proud
I keep my eyes wide open
Bless this ground, unbroken
I'm about to make my way
Heaven help me keep my faith
And my eyes wide open
I can't see two steps ahead of me,
When the fog comes rollin' in
I never thought I'd miss the rain
Lord knows how long it's been
This dream burns inside of me,
And I can't just let it go
There's still so much that I don't know
I keep my eyes wide open
Bless this ground, unbroken
I'm about to make my way
Heaven help me keep my faith
And my eyes wide open
All I have is just this moment
I don't want to miss a second
'Cause it could all be gone in an instant
Yeah, in an instant...
I keep my eyes wide open
Bless this ground, unbroken
I'm about to make my way
Heaven help me keep my faith
And my eyes wide open
I'm about to make my way
Heaven help me keep my faith
My eyes wide open
Keep my eyes...wide...open
"Was that okay? Do I need to change anything?" I ask.
"You're good," Piper chuckles.
"By the way, the label wants a love song on your next album," Silena says, poking her head into the room.
"Annie?" Hazel says.
"I'm on it," I say, twirling a strand of hair absentmindedly.
"Guys, two more, and then we can go shower up and do whatever we want. We can do this," Thalia says.
"Haze? You're up," Piper says.
"Well, mine's about my mom, and it's called Dark Side," Hazel says.
(Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, Hazel,All)
There's a place that I know
It's not pretty there and few have ever gone
If I show it to you now
Will it make you run away
Or will you stay
Even if it hurts
Even if I try to push you out
Will you return?
And remind me who I really am
Please remind me who I really am
Everybody's got a dark side
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect
But we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me?
Even with my dark side?
Like a diamond
From black dust
It's hard to know
It can become
If you give up
So don't give up on me
Please remind me who I really am
Everybody's got a dark side
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect
But we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me?
Even with my dark side?
Don't run away
Don't run away
Just tell me that you will stay
Promise me you will stay
Don't run away
Don't run away
Just promise me you will stay
Promise me you will stay
Will you love me? Ohh
Everybody's got a dark side
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect
But we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me?
Even with my dark side?
"So, that's the last one we needed to actually hear. We just need to run through the last song, and then we can leave," I say.
"What are we calling it?" Hazel says.
"How about Middle of Starting Over?" Piper says, staring at the lyrics.
(Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, Hazel,All)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Cast out to sea
Drifting with the tide
And no way of finding me
Now that I'm free
Nothing but blue skies
Paradise in front of me
Awake from this dream
I hold my breath and just believe
Tired of all the troubles
They've been wasting my time
I don't wanna fight
Gonna leave it behind
Taking on faith
Now I'm ready to fly
I'm in the middle of starting over
Back to the beginning
Gonna hit rewind
Chance to do it over
Get it right this time
Life gives you pennies
Turn them into dimes
I'm in the middle of starting over
I'm in the middle of starting over
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Alone in a room
Tearing down the walls
Painting over scars and bruises
Now this is home
Fill it up with love
And make the best of something new, yeah
As hard as it seems
I hold my breath and just believe
Tired of all the troubles
They've been wasting my time
I don't wanna fight
Gonna leave it behind
Taking on faith
Now I'm ready to fly
I'm in the middle of starting over
Back to the beginning
Gonna hit rewind
Chance to do it over
Get it right this time
Life gives you pennies
Turn them into dimes
I'm in the middle of starting over
The colors and the stars
Seem a little brighter
Tomorrow isn't far away!
Through the hardest part
I'm working towards a happy ending
Tired of all the troubles
They've been wasting my time
I don't wanna fight
Gonna leave it behind
Taking on faith
Now I'm ready to fly
I'm in the middle of starting over
Back to the beginning
Gonna hit rewind
Chance to do it over
Get it right this time
Life gives you pennies
Turn them into dimes
I'm in the middle of starting over
Tired of all the troubles
They've been wasting my time
I don't wanna fight
Gonna leave it behind
Taking on faith
Now I'm ready to fly
I'm in the middle of starting over
Back to the beginning
Gonna hit rewind
Chance to do it over
Get it right this time
Life gives you pennies
Turn them into dimes
I'm in the middle of starting over
I'm in the middle of starting over
Oh! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
"Alright, so we're done for today. I'm assuming you want to take showers and get dressed before you head out. We should be back in before dark, just in case." I say.
"We should tell each other where we're going, so we know where to look on the off chance something goes wrong," Hazel says, pulling on a strand of her hair and watching it curl and shrink as she releases it.
"I'm going to take the boys sledding, then drop them off at Dad and Susan's place," I say.
"I'm volunteering at the orphanage until 6 o'clock," Piper says.
"I'm visiting Mom before she goes into her new rehab center," Thalia says, drumming her fingers on her pants.
"And I'm going to visit Dad and Persephone," Hazel says.
"See you tonight?" Piper says as she shuts the door to her bathroom. I head back into my own bathroom, shower, and toss on Percy's old sweatshirt and a pair of ripped skinny jeans. I tug on my warm winter coat, tuck my hair under a hat, and shove my feet into some old boots.
"Boys, let's go!" I say, twisting my car keys around one finger on my gloved hands. The twins come in, struggling under the weight of their heavy winter clothing.
"Where are we going?" Bobby asks, slamming the car door.
"First stop, Susan and Dad's house!" I say, pulling out of the driveway.
"Then what?" Matthew asks.
"What spot has the best hills?" I ask.
"There's a huge hill behind the middle school," Bobby says, bouncing in his seat as the house comes into view.
"C'mon, let's get these sleds, and then we can get going," I chuckle, opening the car door. We're silent, except for the sound of our boots in the snow. I timidly ring the doorbell, and a few seconds later, Dad opens it.
"Annabeth? Not that I don't love to see you, but why are you here?" He says, pushing his reading glasses up his nose.
"I'm taking the boys sledding. Where are the sleds?" I say, politely waving to Susan as she passes by.
"They're in the garage. Come with me," He replies.
"So how have you and Susan been? You're still coming over for Christmas, right?" I ask as he leads me over to a cluttered corner of the garage.
"Good. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again," he says, digging through the pile of random objects.
"Oh! By the way, you need to do that whole threatening father act on Percy! I keep forgetting that you and Susan haven't talked to him since we started dating," I say, unearthing one sled from the mess.
"Eh, I don't really see why I need to. He's been an unofficial member of the family for twelve years. I might not like the fact that my only daughter is dating now, but I trust him," he grunts, stumbling backwards as he pulls the second sled free.
"Are you okay?" I ask, watching him limp slightly as he shoves the sleds into the trunk..
"Yes. Go have fun with your brothers," He says, slamming the trunk shut and making his way up the stairs after pressing a house key into my hand. We drive in silence to the middle school, and the boys grab the sleds out of the car and stagger towards the large hill.
"I'll be right here if you need me. Go, have fun!" I say, grinning as the boys lug their equipment up the hill. I watch as the boys slide down the hill, screaming and laughing as people dive out of their way. They do this over and over again, and I keep watching, even as my phone rings.
"Hello?" I say, accepting the call.
"Oh thank god. I'm freaking out, Annabeth. I think I found the perfect bridesmaids gowns, but I don't know if everyone can afford them! Help!" Juniper says, clearly freaking out.
"I know ways to work around it if they can't. Hey, if worse comes to worse, I'll just pay for them!" I chuckle.
"We're going to be meeting at the dress shop for fittings that Saturday before you and Percy go back to school after break. Grover also wants the two of you to give speeches, since you were the ones that got us together. Are you up to it?" She asks.
"Yeah of course! I'd love to give a speech! Can Percy and I do it together, since I don't trust him not to embarrass both of you?" I chirp.
"Sure! So how're you doing? What's new in the life of Annabeth Chase?" she asks.
"Actually, things have settled down for once. Goode's Winter Ball is on Friday, we're done with our music for our next album, and we're getting ready for Christmas. And of course, I'm helping out with this wedding. I'm still super excited for it," I say.
"By the way, thanks for getting Grover and I together nearly eight years ago. We really owe you and Percy," she giggles.
"No problem Juni! we were tired of watching Grover pine after you, so we got you two together! It was worth it," I say, waving the boys over.
"I still don't know exactly what you two did, but thanks anyway!" she replies.
"We'll tell you at the reception. Bye Juni, see you on the twenty eighth!" I say before hanging up.
"I'm cold," Matthew whines.
"We're going back to Dad's place. We have school tomorrow, and you two need dinner. Hey, you'll be with us all of break," I say, unlocking the car and shoving the sleds into the back. The boys climb into the backseat, and I drive to my old home. I unlock the door and slip inside, with the boys behind me.
"Mom? Dad? We're home!" Bobby calls.
"In the kitchen," Susan calls.
"Annie's here too!" Matthew says, taking off his coat. I follow suit.
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Susan says.
"Of course! I just need to text my friends and tell them what I'm doing!" I say, slipping out of my boots and walking towards the kitchen. I quickly tell my friends that I'm staying for dinner with my family, and then I smile at Susan as she bends over a pot, stirring something.
"Oh hello sweetie, are you staying for dinner?" Dad says, walking into the room.
"Yes," I say, grinning.
"We're glad to have you," Susan says as the boys set the table. She pours some beef stew into a bowl and places it in front of each spot on the table.
"Thank you!" I say happily.
"So where'd you get the sweatshirt? I don't remember seeing it before," Susan asks.
"Oh, it's umm… Percy's?" I squeak.
"Oh, it looks old. When'd you get it?" she says.
"This morning?" I say nervously.
"Why were you over there this morning?" Dad asks.
"No reason," I say.
"She slept over," Matthew says, smirking. Dad chokes.
"I'm sorry, what?" he coughs.
"We didn't do anything! Our friends were there, and we were helping him with the teacher's holiday party, and we finished up at about one am, so we all decided to stay there. We're not that irresponsible!" I sputter.
"It's true! Mrs. Jackson-Blofis took pictures!" Bobby says.
"What is up with everyone and taking pictures of us sleeping?" I mutter.
"Wait, I wanna see these pictures," Susan says.
"I don't have the pictures from last night, but the band's stylist took pictures a couple days ago," I say, passing my phone to Susan, who coos as she scrolls through the pictures.
"That's adorable," she says, handing the phone back.
"It's gross," Matthew whines.
"Why do they always end up sleeping somewhere? And yelling, and doing weird things. Is that what dating is? Doing weird things with a person?" Bobby says.
"Yeah! Why are they always holding hands? And smiling at each other? Why do you two do that Annabeth?" Matthew asks. Susan laughs as I turn red.
"You'll understand when you get older," Dad chuckles.
"Honestly, kill me," I mutter, face palming. Susan laughs again.
"Answer us! Why are you two so weird?" Bobby asks.
"Oh, by the way, can the boys stay here on the twenty eighth? I have to meet with the bridesmaids," I say.
"What? You're getting married? But you're only sixteen!" Dad croaks.
"Oh, no! I'm a bridesmaid in Grover's wedding! Percy and I are supposed to meet the other members of the wedding party on the twenty eighth!" I exclaim.
"Oh good. I was worried for a moment," Dad says.
"Chill! Marriage isn't in the cards for me right now," I say.
"You should head home. You have school tomorrow," Susan says, placing her bowl in the sink as I pull on my shoes.
"Bye guys! I'll see you at Christmas!" I say, leaving the house and hopping into the car. The drive is silent, and I sprint into the house. Silena is trimming Hazel's split ends, and as I pass, I see Thalia redoing the streaks in her hair. Piper sits on the toilet, her fingers stained blue as she watches Thalia wash the excess dye out.
"Hey," Piper says as she shoves Thalia out of the way to wash her hands.
"How was dinner with the family?" Thalia asks.
"Embarrassing, as usual. The twins loudly asked why Percy and I do things like hold hands. I wanted to die of shame," I mutter. Piper winces sympathetically, scrubbing the color off of her hands.
"Can you imagine how awkward Percy will be when he finally meets your parents?" Thalia cackles.
"Oh my god! That boy's ridiculous! He's willing to get into fights for me, but he's terrified of my family! I'd understand Mom, because she's threatened to kill him before we started dating, but Dad and Susan are harmless!" I exclaim, throwing my hands into the air in frustration.
"Nico was the same way with Mom. He's cool with essentially everything else, but he straight up hyperventilates when I mention him meeting my parents," Thalia says.
"Our boyfriends are ridiculous," I sigh.
"Anyways. I finally decided what I want to get a tattoo of when we're old enough!" Thalia says excitedly.
"Really, what?" I ask.
"I was thinking, if we all agree, we could all get the band's logo tattooed somewhere on our bodies. You know, so we'll always remember?" she says.
"That's actually a really good idea! When I'm old, I'll want to remember each and every moment of our fame. I'm in," I say after a couple seconds.
"I'm thinking that I'll do it on my neck. How about you, Pipes?" Thalia says
"Ankle? But that might change," Piper says, rubbing a spot behind her ear.
"I'm probably going for the shoulder or just behind my ear," I say, moving out of the doorway.
"What?" Hazel asks.
"Thals had the idea to get the band's logo tattooed on our bodies as a remembrance thing. If we were going to do it, where would yours be?" Piper says.
"My wrist. That's actually a great idea, Thalia!" Hazel chirps.
"The press would be all over this," Silena says.
"Once Hazel turns eighteen, we'll do it. Know any good tattoo shops?" Piper says.
"You'd have to cover them up until you're all ready to go public with them. That means covering your necks at all times for Annabeth and Thalia, keeping your ankles covered for Piper, and keeping Hazel's wrist covered. I can make it work whenever you decide to do it, but it's going to take all of us to make it happen," Silena says.
"We'll talk about that in the morning," Thalia yawns. We all stagger into our respective bedrooms and sleep.
(Percy's POV)
I step into my house. It's quiet. Almost too quiet.
"Mom? I'm home!" I say. I walk into a room, and I gasp in horror. My friends and family are tied up and bleeding. Jason is pinned to the wall by a chunk of glass as Leo slumps against the wall, a broken beer bottle embedded in his thigh. Annabeth is tied to a chair, gagged and dripping blood onto the carpet from a gash on her forehead. Nico's got a huge gash on his cheek. Thalia is leaning against the wall, clutching her left arm. Piper is desperately trying to get the glass out of Jason's sleeve, but one of her eyes is swollen shut. Hazel's lip is swollen and she wipes blood from her chin as she cries against a wall. Calypso is sitting on the ground crying silently as she holds her ankle. Frank is bleeding heavily from his is unconscious, covered in cuts and bruises. Paul slumps beside her, a trickle of blood in the corner of his mouth.
"Mmmmpph!" Annabeth says, shaking in her chair until the gag falls out of her mouth.
"Who did this to you?" I ask.
"A fat drunk man. You need to go. He's using us to get you. Go," Hazel says, spitting out blood.
"Gabe?" I whisper.
"Go! We'll be fine!" Annabeth says.
"No way, I'm not leaving you!" I cry, attempting to untie her hands.
"He's coming. Get out while you still can," Thalia groans.
"No, I'm not leaving you behind!" I say.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," a voice says. I whirl around to face him. Gabe looks worse than ever. His hair is even thinner, his stomach is larger, and he holds a huge cigar in his hand.
"Let them go. It's me you want, not them. Please," I croak.
"I don't think I will. You seem to care for these people, especially the little blonde girl. Everyone else can go except the punk and Blondie," he sneers.
"No, let her go, she did nothing!" I say as my friends pull my parents out of the house. I see Thalia wave her phone and know that she's calling for help.
"What do you want with me?" I ask nervously.
"Revenge. You sent me to prison, so I'm taking everything from you," he says, cracking his knuckles.
"Please don't," Annabeth says, trying to look innocent as she unties her legs. I'm not fooled, but Gabe appears to believe that she's harmless.
"Beth, get out before he grabs you. I'll hold him off," I say, facing Gabe and scowling.
"No! I can't lose you!" She cries, still pretending to be tied to the chair.
"He'll kill us both! Tell Mom I'm sorry, but this is my fight," I say. I hear sirens in the distance, and I hope they'll get here before I die.
"Good luck," she says, before sprinting past Gabe and out into the street.
"Aww how heroic. The punk sacrificing himself to save someone," he cackles. The sirens grow closer. I have to keep him talking if I want to make it out of here.
"Please, just make it quick," I whine, knowing he hated me whining when I was young.
"Shut up, you brat," he says, clenching his fists. I know he's about to punch, so I step back. His fist flies forward and connects with my nose, and I jolt awake.
"Oh thank god, it was just a dream!" I sigh, sitting up in my bed. I already know that I won't be able to sleep again after that, so I tiptoe into the kitchen and get a glass of water. I keep having horrible dreams of Gabe targeting the people I care about, and I don't know when they'll stop. He hasn't been caught yet, but all police forces between here and the jail are on the lookout. Hopefully they'll find him soon. I don't know how long I can go on like this. I haven't told my friends yet, but I know I have to. I check the clock on the stove. 2:21. I plaster a fake smile on my face, hoping nobody notices just how scared I am. I don't want anyone to worry about me. The girls have enough on their plate. I hear rustling in the bushes.
"You sure this is the place?" One voice whispers.
"Yeah, Gabe said it was," another says. They work for Gabe? I pull out my phone and wait for more information.
"We're looking for a short boy with black hair and green eyes. He should be about sixteen or seventeen," the first voice whispers again. My hands are shaking as I dial 911.
"911 what's your emergency?" A female voice says.
"There are two men lurking in the bushes, talking about what a man named Gabe told them to do. I think that Gabe is Gabriel Ugliano, that escaped criminal," I say, hoping that the people outside can't hear me.
"What makes you think that these men are Gabriel Ugliano's accomplices?" The operator says.
"He threatened to target my family, since we were the ones that got him sent to jail. Please hurry, they're talking about grabbing a boy with black hair and green eyes," I say.
"Address?" She asks.
"126 Walnut Street," I say before hanging up.
He should be pretty easy to tie up. According to Gabe, the punk's real scrawny and weak. Easy job," a voice whispers.
"Get the lock," a voice says. There's a scraping noise as the people try to pick the locks. I try to calm down. Think, Jackson think! What would Annabeth tell you to do in this situation? Wake up the adults! I tiptoe into Mom and Paul's room, and shake both of them awake.
"It's the middle of the night, Percy. What do you want?" Paul groans as Mom sits up. I explain what's going on as quickly as possible, and Mom looks absolutely horrified as I hear the door finally open up.
"Check the whole house," a voice whispers. I sneak past the two shadowy figures and crawl into my bed, making myself look as small and weak as possible. The footsteps grow louder, and my door creaks open.
"I think this is the kid. He looks pretty small," a voice whispers. I pretend to wake up and I stare at the two figures.
"Who's there?" I ask, squinting as I fumble for the switch on my lamp. I finally flip it, and come face to face with two men, both with huge stomachs and greasy hair. "I suppose Smelly Gabe sent you. What do you want with me?" I say.
"Gabe promised us half of the ransom money if we kidnapped you," one man says. The other elbows him in the gut.
"Alright, just leave my family and friends alone," I say.
"This was easier than Gabe-" one guy says. He stops abruptly as I stand up. I smirk when I see that I tower over the both of them.
"There's one thing you forget. The last time Gabe saw me was when I was little. I'm not so weak and helpless anymore. Now, unless you want me to call the cops, stay away from my family," I smirk, hearing the front door open.
"Police!" I hear a woman call.
"Up here!" I shout back. The men try and run for the stairs, but they are caught. I thank the police officers, and the men are led into the back of the car, where another officer waits. I quickly tell the officers what I know, and they leave. I glance at the time, and decide to go back to sleep for as long as I can. For once, no nightmares come. Maybe those two will lead us to Gabe.