PLAYING THE PLAYER:
Annabeth's P.O.V:

"Love is blindness, I don't want to see. Won't you wrap the night around me. Oh, my heart, love is blindness. I'm in a parked car, in a crowded street and you see your love made complete. The thread is ripping, the knot is slipping; love is blindness. Love is clockworks and cold steel, fingers too numb to feel. Squeeze the handle, blow out the candle; love is blindness."-Love Is Blindness, Jack.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

I stuffed my hands in my jacket pockets, kicking a pile of slush to the side. I exhaled and puffy smoke formed around my dry lips. I had already wiped the lipstick off with the back of my hand and rinsed the foundation off my face. Makeup still wasn't my forte. I sank my two top teeth into my body lip, chewing on it gently. I wasn't that nervous about seeing Thalia again, which surprised me. I should be, but I'm not. I guess I've waited so long to get her to speak to me again, so long to prepare for what to say that I wasn't anxious. I was worried about what she would say, sure, but I wasn't concerned about the conversation itself. I grasped my phone, pulling it out and sending a short text to my raven-haired best friend about where she was. With an exasperated sigh, I shoved my phone into the depths of my jean pockets. I mumbled a short complaint about the cold, rubbing my freezing hands together vigorously. My eyes drifted over lazily at the playground across from Goode where a group of young children are squealing excitedly, tossing snowballs to each other. I gazed at them morosely, suddenly missing the days when I had been one of them; a carefree, happy, young girl without anything more serious to worry about than what would be for dinner.

I thought I saw a spiky haired girl, a green eyed boy and a curly headed girl playing. But when I blinked again, they were gone.

"Remembering?" I saw Thalia in the same posture I had; hands in pockets, head held high, shoulders slightly slouched. I saw her, and suddenly all my confidence I had before seemed to disappear. I looked back at the children for hope, but a mother was leading them away, ending their fun. I watched Thalia out of the corner of her eye. She swallowed, like she was in pain, but a smile had curled over her lips. "We used to go there all the time, didn't we? To play, to talk, to have adventures that we teenagers have already forgotten."

"Yeah," I said slightly hoarsely. "I remember." To her first comment or second one, I didn't know.

"I'm sorry I've been avoiding everyone," she apologized. "It was nothing you did."

"Then what was it?" I finally snapped, growing fed up with her. "Was it that I'm trying to play Percy? That Rachel and I were beginning to be close friends? Is it because that they glamorized me?" The words sounded much more intelligent in my head. When I spoke them out, they sounded like stupid excuses. "I mean, you don't even know what's been going on between me and Percy! Some friend you are." I turned on my heel to walk away, blinking back the tears that were forming in my eyes. No, I would not let them fall. I would not cry- not again.

"Annabeth," Thalia's voice halted me. "I'm pregnant." I whirled around, to see Thalia's eyeliner running, and silent water cascading down her cheeks, smudging more of her makeup. She sucked in a breath of air, attempting desperately to make her composure remain. A fake bravado and I could see right through it.

"You're pregnant?" She nodded and finally began to break down. Like a dam that had broken and now the water was spilling out. Shock made my head spin with regret. How could I not have seen it before? How could I not have seen the way she was always wearing such baggy shirts? The way that her weight was increasing rapidly? I was blinded by my own problems, and so selfishly I had seen right through my own best friend, dismissing it as teen drama. Guilt churned in my stomach as sobs escaped her lips. I approached Thalia slowly, hesitantly, until I was standing right in front of her. Then I hugged Thalia, wrapping my arms tightly around her, engulfing her in a bear hug. I don't know how long I stood there, just comforting her, and telling her that it would be okay.

Thalia finally pulled away, and by that time my shoulder was soaked. "Please don't hate me," she begged. "Please don't hate me."

I smiled softly, "You're my best friend, Thalia. I could never hate you." I guided her over to the bleachers, glad that it was bare of people. I couldn't hold the theory in any longer; it felt like ice in my mouth. I spat it out quickly, but instantly regretted doing so. "Thalia...Is my brother the father?"

"I don't know, Annabeth." She seemed to be forcing the words out. "He could be. But Luke could, too." I felt dread sinking through me. The boy I had some feelings for, or my brother who had his entire life ahead of him. Thalia looked at me through unshed tears, a look of pure guilt spreading across her expression. "I'm sorry. So sorry. The father of my baby is either your brother or the boy you like." I grabbed her hands, forcing a smile to my lips. I wasn't happy with Thalia, but I was going to start to be there for her. I had told myself I had tried to get through to Thalia, when really all I did was dismiss her behavior with an excuse.

"I don't care if the father of your baby is Malcolm or Luke. I mean, yeah, I do care, but not in the way that you'd imagine. You're my best friend. I don't care what you did or what you have to do in the future." I heaved a deep breath, squeezing her hands. "I'll stand by you."

Thalia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands, and then hugged me tightly. "I don't deserve you. I don't deserve this friendship."

"But that's the thing, Thalia. Things happen in life that you do deserve and that you don't deserve. You can't choose what you get. This time around, I'm not going to ignore your problems for my own. I'm sorry for that."

Thalia rolled her eyes, staring at me in coherent disbelief. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I abandoned you in your time of need. Something that I was always petrified of happening since my father left me; since Percy left us. I was so afraid of losing you that in the process I lost myself." I shook my head, blinking back tears furiously. "Never again, Thalia."

"Never again," she repeated. (A/N: Chapter Eight seems so long ago...)

We sat there together, watching the snow fall and the cars drive past. "How far along are you?"

"About three months." Slowly she lifted her bags of shirts upward. She held her hands around her stomach, cradling it like she would the baby within. It was larger than I expected- about the size of a small watermelon. It was a miracle no one noticed yet. "I think it's a girl. I'm not sure yet, but when I picture my baby, I picture it as a girl."

"And who do you picture the father as?"

She sighed, pulling down her shirt and covering her bare stomach. "There was a time when I loved Luke. But he turned out to be a person that I didn't think he was. Be careful around him, Annabeth."

"That's what Percy said," I recalled, speculating. "He's so charming and endearing, though. Polite and nice."

Thalia ran her fingers through her black hair, momentarily breathing in her hands as she brought them down into her lap. "That's how he traps you. I'm not going to tell you to stay away from him, because I can't control you. In all honesty, I don't want Luke to be the father. He's immature, reckless. Dangerous even. Not abusive or cruel...just manipulative and controlling. Malcolm's different. He treats me with respect and dignity, so unlike the boys at our school. He's nice and sweet and..." she caught my smile and blushed, something that I was still trying to get used to. I never saw Thalia with such rosy cheeks before and it was peculiar, yet amusing at the same time. "Sorry, rambling."

"You really like my brother, don't you?"

She gazed at me through her heavy eyeliner, her blue eyes wide with admiration. "I don't think I just like your brother. I think I'm in love with him."

I nodded, unsurprised. I guess I knew it all around. I bumped into her shoulder gently, playfully. "Malcolm and Thalia kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." She glowered at me, but her cheeks flushed further. "First comes love, then comes marriage..."

"Then comes the baby in the baby carriage," she finished off for me, her blue eyes wide with meaning. We glanced at each other, the smile vanishing from my face. But not from sadness. From realization. She was going to have a baby. My best friend who I've known since kindergarten was pregnant. I slung my arm around my best friend's shoulder, engulfing her in another hug. The snow was heavier now, swirling down in great flurries over the loud, bustling city, purposefully filling foot shaped imprints in the crisp, bitter snow. Christmas was nearly here here - and winter as well, leaving her blanket on the grass, a soft and gentle coverlet of white. The cloudy sky was beginning to darken and I wondered how long we had just been sitting here, giggling with humor and crying from the overwhelming feeling of change.

"Any baby names?"

"I was thinking Isaac for a boy."

"Isaac?" I quipped, my eyebrows raising and arching in amusement.

Thalia crossed her arms in defiance, a scowl spreading across her lips. "What? Is that name stupid or something?"

"No. It's just that...you're Thalia Grace. I was expecting Thorn or Shadow or some other punk name." She rolled her eyes, scoffing gently under her breath. She brushed a strand of spiked hair back with her wool glove, her eyes glinting with vibrant, endearing mischief. "Not punk, Annabeth. You know I don't like labels."

"I know. You're Thalia. Nothing more and nothing less. So, what about a girl?"

She gave me a sideways glance. "What do you mean?"

"If you have a girl. What name do you want her to have?" I bluntly stated, trying to hold back a shiver as the wind burned my cheeks. I thought about tiptoeing around the topic so Thalia wouldn't feel so different and obtuse, but I was tired of lying to her. From now on I was going to be honest. I was still in consideration for her feelings, but I didn't want to patronize the blue-eyed pregnant teenager. Pregnant or not pregnant, she was my best friend.

"Would you be offended if I wanted to name her Annabeth?"

I gave her my most serious face. "Yes. I would be deeply offended if you named your...spawn with my name." Thalia's face fell, and I burst into laughter. "Kidding. Just kidding. No, Thalia, of course not. But you might want to reconsider. Annabeth isn't even a real name."

She smirked, leaning backwards onto the bench and giving me the stink eye. "Jerk."

"Pinecone face."

More laughter. "Maybe that's what she should be named; Pinecone face."

"You're such a geek, Annabeth."

I placed a hand on my heart in mock triviality, a look of downright horror forming on my expression. "Geek? Me? In case you haven't noticed, I am now one of the most oh-so-popular girls at school." Thalia chortled and I laughed. Her laughter was contagious, and sounded more like an evil cackle than an expression of amusement, but her expression soon turned serious after a few moments.

"Enough about me," she stated, beckoning for me to start talking. I opened my mouth to fire a retort, but the look on her face silenced me. "What's going on with my cousin and you? You two have been dating," she put emphasis on the word, proving to me that she knew all about how phony the relationship was. "For quite some time. Isn't it time to end it yet?"

My eyebrows furrowed into a mask of confusion. "What do you mean?"

She sighed, her flesh turning pale under the darkness that was beginning to settle over the football field and bleachers. "I know something; something that I can't tell you."

I could feel my jaw set and my expression hardening. "I thought we agreed on no more secrets."

"We did!" She seemed to be struggling to come up with the right words, fumbling around with them. "It's just- it's just not my secret to tell you." I felt anger spike through me, despite the situation. We had just spent all that time talking about how we were going to be friends once more, all that time spent promising to be honest. And not even a day later we were back to our old, lying habits.

"Does it involve me?"

She bit her lip. "Yes and no."

"Then it's my business, Thalia!" She flinched when I raised my voice and I heaved a deep breath, remembering what she was going through. I had to take things easy with her. And this wasn't a form of pity, it was me respecting her and all that was changing. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she shook her head in disbelief. "Be prepared. Because the secret will come out sooner than you think, and you're going to wish that you didn't know the truth." I swallowed, wondering how things could get any worse or any more complicated.

Apparently I was wrong when I assumed things were getting back to normal.

. . .

Thalia had promised me she would tell Luke and Malcolm about the pregnancy soon. She had known for months, but hadn't said a word to anyone except for me and her brother, Jason Grace, whom I hadn't seen in such a long time. I pulled the car into the driveway, my mind flitting around with troublesome thoughts. How was Thalia going to get through this? How was she going to get through her last year of High School with whispers being spread around? No one knew yet, but soon they surely would. She would begin to show and the rumors would spread around school as quickly as wild fire, as they always do.

And what about Percy and I? What was that? A part of me loved the child version of Seaweed Brain. A part of me loves Percy right now, but I wasn't going to admit it aloud or to myself. Because if I confessed it, then it would mean that it was true and I would lose. Would it really be so bad if I did lose? My pride and hurt feelings were getting in the way of logic, and I couldn't just let it go.

So yeah, I loved Percy. But I also hated him. I hate the person he became over the course of the few years. I hated the Percy who had told me I was no longer welcome in his life. I hate the Percy that slept with countless girls and then shattered their hearts and hopes and dreams. I hate that Percy. I love the kind, cocky, Percy who I call Seaweed Brain. But which one was real? Which one of was fake? Were both parts of him just an act? There was still good in him- I had seen it when he was a kid. I rarely see it now, but it's there. Such pure love towards his mother that no one could deny or claim that it was all for show.

I opened the main door to my house, fumbling with the keys. Finally the key shifted and I turned it, causing the door to swing open with ease. I veered to the left side of the house, not really eager to have yet another interrogation from my mother. Athena was angry with me. Ever since she'd discovered that Percy and I were still in contact- even before we were 'dating'- she held a grudge against me. Now that she knew we were in a relationship, well, things were rockier than ever. I knew she wanted to get me alone to force me to stop seeing Percy, but so far I haven't given her the chance. I would bring Rachel and Drew home from school, or simply go out for the entire afternoon.

I dodged into the kitchen, only to find Malcolm in his Goode Swim hoodie, scooping cereal into his mouth. His eyes flickered up to match mine. "Someone's in a hurry," Malcolm commented with a grin. Obviously our last dispute about Thalia had been left behind. Not fixed, but seemingly forgotten. "Where were you all this time? You left the house looking pretty fancy." Ah. So he was assuming I had met Percy. I smirked back at him, throwing my purse to the nearest chair and tying my hair up into a messy pony-tail. His blonde curls were neat, yet slightly frizzed like my own. His back was hunched over, grey-blue eyes analyzing the homework in front of him.

"Thalia," I retorted with another innocent smile. His face flushed, turning beet red. I felt slightly guilty, especially since he didn't know what had happened. My smile faltered at the mention of her pregnancy, but I kept the smile on. I couldn't let him know what was going on. Thalia had to be the one to tell him. Not me. "I was meeting Thalia."

He coughed, stuttering, "I thought you two weren't on speaking terms."

I shrugged like it didn't matter. "We patched things up." I gave him a look with arched eyebrows, but the knowing smile couldn't stay off my lips. "Why do you care?"

He cleared his throat once more, avoiding my teasing gaze. "No reason."

"Uh-huh," I said in a disbelieving tone.

"So, uh, you coming to my Swim Meet?" He changed the subject quickly, winking as he finished his sentence. "Your boyfriend's going to be there." I rolled my eyes at his comment, but nodded. His eyes read; hey, you dish it, you take it. This time he was the one with the raised eyebrows. "You know I don't buy what you're doing. You two aren't really dating. I can tell." He shoved his homework to the side, taking another bite of Raisen Bran. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

I felt frozen; petrified. I scratched the back of my neck, throwing him a fierce look. "Nothing's going on. I like Percy, he likes me, and so we're dating."

"Uh-huh," he mimicked.

I huffed, placing my hands on my hips. "What do you want me to say, Malcolm? That we're not really dating? Fine; we're not really dating."

"You insult me, Annie."

"Don't call me that."

Malcolm ignored my protest and continued, "You really think I'm that naive? I already know that. It's pretty damn obvious to someone who knows you. Hell, even Nico knows something's up and he's, no offense to him, oblivious. What the hell are you doing, Annabeth?" He finally stood and I felt my anger desiccate, along with my dignity.

I denied his accusations quickly. "I'm not doing anything."

"Really?" He slammed a notebook on the table, and I flinched in response. Not from his actions, but from what was now lying on the table, the black and white print taunting me. He tilted his head in sarcasm, but I could see the worry in his eyes. "Huh. Found this in your room. At first I thought it was just a journal, but as I can see, I was wrong. 'Playing The Player'. And what player could you be playing, Annabeth? Not a certain Percy Jackson, I'm sure."

Painful humiliation seemed to slap me in the face as I was hit head on with a large amount of chagrin. I kept my gaze locked on the floor, my hands slowly falling to my sides. I could tell he was still looking at me, but I couldn't bear to look at him to see the disappointment in my older brother's expression.

I heard him take a deep breath before he spoke again, "Look, Annabeth, I'm not going to say that this is right. Because it's not. It's so wrong. Just because he hurt you doesn't give you the right to hurt him back. You can't justify all those girl's heartbreaks by playing him yourself. The only way you can justify it is setting an example. Changing Percy without breaking him. Love changes you, Annabeth. I learned that. Change him with love. Don't change him with pain."

I scoffed at him. "Malcolm, he hurt people. It's only fair that he gets hurt back."

He closed his eyes like he was restraining from saying something that he would regret. "Annabeth, regardless of what Percy does, he's still one of my closest friends. I'm angry with him most of the times, but I'm not going to ruin our friendship for some kind of sick, twisted redemption. Just because he deserves it doesn't mean that you get to dish it out. Or are you just a sadist, Annabeth? Do you enjoy watching Percy suffer?"

I turned away, a numbness spreading through my body at his cruel words. I blinked back tears. "Huh. You set the bar pretty low," I whispered hoarsely.

"Only to match the situation," he countered back.

I grabbed the notebook, glowering at my brother, and storming out of the room before the conversation could escalate into something worse than this, but really it was because I was afraid that I would cry. I had been crying so much lately, and I didn't want that to happen again. I was so damn sick of looking weak in front of people who try and break me down! I skidded up the stairs and into my room, my vision blurry with tears.

"Are you a sadist, Annabeth? Do you enjoy watching Percy suffer?"

Did I? Is that the only reason why I was doing this in the first place? For some kind of twisted revenge for what he did to me instead of a moral act to change his ways?

The act was not moral; it was bad. But the outcome would be moral.

I told myself that I was helping people more than I was hurting them, but I wasn't sure if that was the truth. Still, I couldn't render. I had to keep pushing forward. I slid the notebook in between two different books on my library shelf, knowing that the harmfulness of the contents would never be found again.

I was wrong.

. . .

Athena had a meeting tonight at work, which worked in my favor considering how she was already closing in about pressing me- no, making me- to break up with Percy. Since we weren't really dating, I suppose it didn't matter. But I still had a bet to win.

I pushed through the glass doors to the Pool area of Goode, where already the screaming noise of swimming fans were buzzing in my ears. Chlorine was a strong smell, along with the splashing of water. This was the Sophomores Swim Game. Next would be Percy's. I dodged past parents trying to get to their seats and settled in the edge of the bleachers- the farthest away from everyone. People had their faces painted with the color of the school, while I had on a simple blue jacket, which I hoped didn't make me look inconsiderate. My stomach churned at the thought of my argument with Malcolm. I was angry with him, but more upset with myself. I shouldn't be so irate with him while my best friend most-likely is pregnant with his child. Not that he knows this yet, but he will soon.

"Annabeth, right?" My eyes flickered up to be met with a pair of muddy green eyes. He had a flop of brunette hair, and a crooked smile. Dimples finished off the look, but he looked more rebellious and scraggy than innocent and cute. My eyebrows drew together as I noted that I had never seen him before. There was a look of familiarity to his features, but I knew I had never met him. He was chewing gum- no, chomping- and managed to look juvenile even while doing it.

I outstretched my hand, nodding. "And you are?"

"Aaron. Aaron Samuels." Instead of shaking my hand like I had intended, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckle. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You're so much prettier in person."

I didn't turn red, nor was I flattered with his comment. Because it wasn't flirtatious. His tone was normal, almost sarcastic, so I knew that his actions weren't literal. "Thank you. Do I know you...?"

"You're Percy's girlfriend, right?" I hesitated when his eyes gleamed in raw chivalry. I could tell that he noticed my wariness, and he continued, "Percy's my Step Brother."

"I didn't know he had a Step Brother," I stated, my eyes narrowing. "And wouldn't your last name be Ugliano?"

"Nah. My parents divorced. I decided to take my mother's maiden name instead."

"Sorry to hear about that." My voice was blunt, telling him that I wasn't sorry at all. He was playing a game, and even though I didn't know what that game was, I was determined not to play along.

"I'm not." He winked. "Figures Perce would want to keep you a secret from me; you're a lot more than I thought you were. You may not know about me, but I know all about you."

"Oh, really?" I inquired. "Why don't you enlighten me then?" Aaron smirked, taking a seat next to me and resting his worn down boots on the end of the bleacher.

"Your name is Annabeth Rose Chase. Both your parents couldn't make up their minds on a middle name for you, and your father decided on Rose without your mother's approval." I stiffened. "But after they divorced your mother Athena went back to calling you Annabeth Minerva Chase, the middle name that she had originally wanted. Your brother's name is Malcolm, and he's older than you by nine months. You wouldn't have been in the same grade, though, so I'm assuming you either skipped a grade or your brother failed."

My voice had no emotion to it and his gaze seemed to penetrate through my line of defenses. "My brother failed the year my parents got divorced."

"Ah. Interesting. I thought I knew everything about you. Just like how Thalia, my Step Cousin, you, and my Step Brother were all BFF's until Percy's father left him and his mother. He then proceeded to ditch you." I flinched at that. "And now you two are dating. How...endearing."

"Did Percy tell you all this?" I demanded.

He shrugged my accusation off as easy as asking what the weather was like. "I just pay attention. You'd be surprised what you notice when you actually tone in. Like who's good and who's bad. Looks can be deceiving, Annabeth. You may discover that some of your friends aren't who they think you are."

"And what about me?" I hissed, keeping my gaze locked on his; intimidating and fierce. I could only guess that I looked like my mother when she got heated, and I hoped that was enough to get him to leave me alone or at least shrink under my eyesight. "Am I good or am I bad?"

His eyes still held a mischievous glow. "I can't tell yet. I'm also not sure if you love Percy or hate him."

"It's a little bit of both."

"But what's the difference? Love? Hate? Such a fine line between them." He climbed up from where he was sitting, sending me another one of his smile full of dimples. "I'll see you around, Annabeth."

Cocky. Even more so than Percy. Maybe not. Maybe it was just in a different way. A sly, mysterious was. "Will you?"

More smiling. "You can count on it."

He left me then, throwing another smirk over his shoulder before finding another spot on the bleachers.

...Who was this boy?

My attention was caught back up with the swimmers as more people piled in, and the rest exited the room as the race ended. I felt the bench shift next to me and glanced to see that Nico had taken a seat next to me.

"Hey, Nico."

"Annabeth," he nodded curtly. His brown hair was shorter than usual and I arched an eyebrow. He gave me a sheepish look, running a hand through it. "My dad made me get it done. I didn't want it if that's what you think."

"I don't blame you. Your dad is kind of scary," I admitted.

Nico gave me a small smile -which was pretty rare if you ask me- before throwing a glance near the doorway. "Who was that boy talking to you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I wish," I muttered to myself under my breath. A ghost would've been a better alternative. I looked at Nico, who seemed to be waiting impatiently for an answer. I rolled my eyes before speaking again. "He was nobody."

He looked unconvinced, fiddling with the zipper to his black jacket. "Nobody, huh? Never heard a name like that."

I gave him an annoyed look, then changed the subject before he could pry even more. I wasn't sure how Percy felt about his Step Brother, or if he even wanted other people to know. As far as I knew for the past eighteen years, Aaron Samuels didn't exist. And now suddenly he does. It was going to take me a while to get used to it. "How's Thalia? Did you talk to her lately?"

He shook his head. "No. Why?"

"I did."

He looked startled, but his dark brown eyes held a tremor of worry. Nico di Angelo acted like he never cared and was just some delinquent who went around school ripping people off, but I knew that wasn't true. Deep, (and I mean really deep) in his heart of darkness, he cared about his family. "Really? But she hasn't been..."

"Yeah, I know. She just needs us to be there for her right now, even if she claims that she doesn't want us around her."

"What's going on exactly?"

I shook my head. "Not my place to tell you. And you know how much I hate that excuse so don't push it. You just have to trust me enough to know that the reason I can't tell you is because it's important."

A look of realization dawned across his face. "I knew it," he declared in a quiet voice.

It was my turn to be confused. How could he have guessed? Although it was kind of obvious. Mood swings, swollen feet, morning sickness. Nico knew. And because I had been so preoccupied I hadn't realized it. "Look, Nico-"

His hesitation turned to excitement as a grin slowly spread across his pale face. "She's a lesbian, isn't she? I mean, she doesn't have a boyfriend and hasn't had one for like, two years. Oh my God, I knew it! I so called that shit." My eyes widened in shock and amusement. "If you really think about it, you would've seen it coming too, Annabeth. The way she only seems to hang out with girls. And remember her meltdown at Rachel's party? It was because she had finally realized it. It's only a matter of time before she comes out of the closet. Ha. She always makes fun of me for being Bi, but now I can finally get her back-"

"Nico," I cut him off. "Before you continue to embarrass yourself further, there's something that you should know; Thalia isn't a lesbian. She isn't gay. I'm ninety nine percent sure she's straight."

Humiliation shone on his face and Nico's pale cheeks flushed a pink color. "Oh."

"Yeah. 'Oh'."

"Whatever," he scowled at me, embarrassed. The frown faded as he stared at me uncertainly. "Are you sure? I mean, the way she dresses-"

"You dress like that too," I pointed out.

"And I do like guys. I would never date a guy in High School, though. That's a great way to get beat up." His voice was laced with regret and disappointment.

"Hey," I patted his shoulder awkwardly, knowing that Nico wasn't one to show even a flicker of emotion, rather than have heart-to-heart discussions. "If you really want to date a guy, you should."

"Nah," he waved his hand dismissively. "And besides, I'm already dating Lacy."

"Lacy Jones?"

"Yep."

"Well, uh, good for you." Because really, who would've expected that Nico (the antisocial, gothic dresser) managed to get an actually girlfriend rather than a one-night stand, and a pretty girlfriend, mind you- before the time he was forty? Nico's dark eyes watched me carefully before averting his attention back to the swimmers. My eyes followed his puzzled gaze and I shifted anxiously. "Where's Percy? He told me I would be here." I shouldn't have been so concerned. But, well, he was Percy Jackson. And Percy Jackson, as far as I was concerned, always showed up anywhere if the chance to swim applied to the situation.

"Swimmers, take your places!"

Malcolm was already lined up there. I gave him encouraging thumbs up, even if I was still holding a small grudge against him. He gave me a weak, nervous smile before sliding his goggles over his eyes.

Nico got up.

"Where are you going?" I called out to him.

"To look for my cousin. Something isn't right; I can feel it."

The feeling of dread in my stomach enhanced. The hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle and I turned around to be met with Aaron's smirk from four bleachers up. I narrowed my eyes in response, but swallowed uncomfortably. I got up and exited the pool from the discomfort that came from his knowing smile.

"Go!" The splashing of water was heard and I struggled to shove my guilt down. Malcolm would be disappointed that I hadn't stayed, but I felt like I was suffocating. I followed Nico's pathway out the door, getting my phone out to text Percy. Just as I did my phone buzzed, signaling a cell phone call from an anonymous number.

"Hello?" I pressed it against my ear. When no response happened, I repeated. "Hello? Who's there?"

"It's me, Annabeth." Her voice sounded strained. Robotic almost.

"Silena?" I hadn't heard from her in ages. I glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping, then walked around the building side to get more privacy. "What's going on?"

"I don't have much time," her voice sounded muffled now, like she was trying to contain it from making much noise. "I'm here to warn you."

I tucked my hair behind my ear, pushing the phone closer to my ear in urgency. "You're not making sense, Sil. Warn me? From what?"

Static was my response. I could barely make out her words. "Don't...Trust...Rachel." More static. "Or Drew. Don't trust anyone. Nico, Thalia, Piper, Malcolm, Luke...Aaron. I don't know who's in on the plan and who isn't. Except for Percy. I know he isn't in on it. Trust him. He'll help you."

"What? Why would I trust Percy instead of my closest friends?"

"You don't know the big picture yet. I'm trying to help you understand it before it's too late."

"Why can't I trust them? What's the plan?"

My phone clattered to the ground as a burly hand wrapped around my throat, shoving me up against the building. I gasped for air, trying to get sense of what was happening. I saw the world become a blur, colors meshing with other colors. My vision turned red. I gasped, clawing at the hand, trying to breathe. My knees went weak... I was falling, falling and I couldn't stop. I was dropped from someone's grasp and I slammed into something hard, but I couldn't feel it, I only heard the sound of my body meeting the ground. My eyelids went heavy, and then, there was nothing. Silent darkness without thought or imagining, it was as if the world no longer existed.

"Annabeth? Annabeth? You there?" Silena's voice rang out from the phone.

A boot smashed into the phone, breaking it into chunky, big pieces.

I closed my eyes.

A/N: DUN DUN DUHHHH! First off, I actually got this out in under a week, and the chapter is longer than it has been. :D I apologize for the shorter chapters and longer update wait from before. It's not that I have been busy, just really tired lately. All I wanted to do for the past few days is sleep. I've been staying up really late and school's been a pain in my behind.

I'm all sad today because my family and I are taking down the Christmas Tree. Translation: I sit in my room being lazy and writing while everyone else does it. I'm still sad about it. It's not that I absolutely LOVE Christmas and are obsessed with it. I just HATE change.

I don't particularly like this chapter. It was all 'blah' to me while writing it. Hopefully you didn't find it as boring as I did. Maybe it's just me. Anywho, I still can't believe we made it past 1,000 reviews. I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to review, follow, favorite or just even read. You guys are the best!