Guys, I'm sorry for not updating, that's all I can say. Please forgive me for being MIA for so long, but I totally understand you if you gave up on me and my stories. I'm sorry, I really am.

I think you know by now that I don't own PJO. If you don't...let's work on that.

Annabeth POV (argh I do her so much now)

Thalia texted me back immediately. 'I'll get my dad to let me borrow his. Oh yeah, BTW, you said Luke was suspended, but wasn't he giving you a hard time in class?'

Hmm. She had a point. I hadn't thought of that myself. Luke being annoying and crappy was simply a part of life now. The worst part, but still.

'He probably paid his way out. Isn't his stepdad some rich guy?' I replied. Luke had bragged to me once about having a giant inheritance because his stepdad was rich and owned some huge thing. I forgot what it was.

'Can you pay your way out of a suspension?'

'I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. Look, Reyna and Hylla and Will are kinda waiting here with me so you can come pick us up, so seriously, hurry up.' I typed, pressing send. Hylla and Will were having a quiet conversation near the threshold.

"What's up?" I asked, turning my phone off and striding over. "Thalia's be here soon with a ride."

"Cool," Reyna said from her position on my couch. "Seriously, how many books do you own?"

"A lot," I said, waving her off. "It's not like I really want to read them...I mean, I kinda do, but dyslexia makes it hard...but theyr'e interesting...but I'd much rather have it read to me...I do want to read it, just not read it. Does that...nope. That makes no sense at all, does it?"

"Nope!" Will said cheerfully. "Hey, is that our ride?" He pointed out the window. I followed his gaze and saw Thalia, leaning out of a car, waving at my house. I opened the door.

"Coming guys?" I called, bounding down the driveway and opening the car door. "Hi guys!" Jason was up front with Thalia, since she was the only one old enough to drive (she had been held back a few grades, I think), and Nico was on the right side. Piper was on the left side, behind Jason. I squeezed into the middle. "Um, did you bring another car?"

"Well, I was going to, but then I realized that's pointless because I'd have to make two trips," Thalia replied, looking st me in the rear view mirror. "Since I'm the only one that can drive and all."

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure you bribed your way to a license," Jason muttered. "Last time she drove, we nearly ended up in a stop sign."

"That was an accident," Thalia harrumphed. "And if you want to get there, shut your mouth. Oh, and Annie, would you mind if I dropped you here first because this car is really squished and then I'll leave Pipes and Jason and Nico at the hospital and come back for you guys?"

"Naw, it's fine. I'll stay," Nico said, climbing over me and Piper and stepping out of the crowded car onto the driveway. "I always did want to meet all your friends."

The door slammed shut and Thalia pulled out, driving along a route I wasn't familiar with.

"So..." I said after a few minutes of awkward silence. "How are thighs between you and Nico, Thalia?"

"Hm? Oh, we broke up. I don't think we were ever meant to be anyways. There wasn't, like, a spark, you know? It was more of, 'Hey look! He's cute! I'll go out with him!' and vice verse for him." Thalia said, a little too quickly and a little too enthusiastically.

"Okay, you liar. Tell me the truth," I demanded.

"That is the truth!" Thalia deadpanned, her voice a few pitches higher than normal. "We just didn't like each other. Pipes will tell you! She's a love expert! She knows everything! About love, that is. Not why geometry is so annoying."

"Ha ha, very funny. For the record, geometry is not that hard. So, Pipes, were Pinecone Face and Death Breath ever in love?"

Piper snickered softly. "Nope. Death Boy likes...someone else."

"If you say he likes me I'll kill you."

"Annabeth, you are attractive, but you're not that much of a boy magnet. Seriously, having Percy and Luke both having crushes on you at the same time isn't enough? You need three boys?" Piper teased.

My cheeks were hot at the thought of Percy having a crush on me. "Wait, Percy doesn't - I don't - WE ARE FRIENDS! Completely platonic, not romantically involved in any way, just...two people who happened to meet!"

"Uh-huh, suuuure," Piper laughed. "Even Jason sees it, and he's a blockhead when it comes to matters of the -"

"Heart." Thalia interrupted.

"Wrong! Matters of the cheeseburger!" Piper shouted. "HOW DID YOU NOT GUESS THAT?! I DO THAT EVERY TIME AND EVERY TIME ITS CHEESEBURGER! So anyways, as I was saying, Jason is a total blockhead when it comes to matters of the cheeseburger and the heart. And if he can see the little romantic bubble forming around you and Percy, you two are getting married."

"You wound me, Piper," Jason said dramatically, putting a hand on his chest. "I am a love expert! I know everything there is about love! How dare you!"

"You know nothing about matters of the -" Piper began.

"CHEESEBURGER!" Thalia cried out. "This time I'm right!"

"No you're not. Matters of the heart." Piper corrected.

There was a long awkward silence after that last bit. I shifted uncomfortably in the seat. Beside me, Piper looked at Thalia, looked down at her feet, looked at the back of Jason's head, looked st her shoes, and then shifted.

We rode in silence the whole rest of the way, which was totally uncharacteristic for Piper and Thalia.

When Thalia dropped us off at the hospital, she told us to wait in the lobby for her and everyone else and then we could all go up and have a big surprise party or whatnot and blah blah blah I didn't listen to the rest.

I plopped down in one of the chairs in the lobby and opened an architecture magazine lying in the counter when Piper sat down next to me. "Yeah, so, Thals and Nico never actually got together...Nico was just trying to stay in the closet longer."

I was confused for a second until it hit me. "He's gay?"

Bleh. I decided Thalico sucked and went with...solangelo. Duh. Thalia will stay single now...actually, just review and tell me what you think! Should she get with someone, or stay single? And if you want her to get with someone, who? And Thaluke will not be accepted, just saying.