Okay. I am so, so sorry. It's been almost a month! It's never taken me this long to update something. I really mean my apology! Is it possible for me to be forgiven?
It's just that I usually update either on a kindle or on a computer (as most people do). But my family shares a computer and I couldn't use it because it really belongs to my parents and my younger brother and sister are on it all the time. I decided that I would update on my kindle, but the updating part of that stopped working. I think that I know how to fix it, but it's been dead for a while and I can't find the charger. Then, my family and I went on a trip for a week, get this: without the computer. So I had to go the week without updating, just reading FanFicions and answering to my PMs on my phone. And just now, I found out how to update on my phone, which is what I'm doing now. Only it's really hard to do because my phone doesn't have good service. This is the third time that I've had to write this, just to let you know. It's impossibly challenging, and I'm in a car with a bunch of other people. So... That's my excuse. Sorry if it's terrible.
I've planned it all out, and there should be around three to five chapters left in this story, not including the epilogue. Yes, I have an epilogue planned. Remember that hint that I gave you chapters ago? The one about the song 'Marry Me' by Jason Derulo? That song is on the epilogue. You might be able to guess what the epiloge's about.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Special thanks to VRockstar for being awesome!
Now, without further ado, onto the chapter!
Disclaimer: Me no PJO. :(
Have you ever felt like you were floating on air that was trying to choke you to death? Like everything looked hazy and sounded far away? That's exactly what Annabeth felt like the second that Rachel closed her apartment door.
Annabeth grabbed her jacket and car keys, exited the apartment building, hopped in her car, and drove away. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew that she had driven to the right destination: Percy's place.
Fans were mobbing the building, and Annabeth almost felt bad for the body guards that surrounded three people. All three people had dark hair, and Annabeth knew that they had different colored eyes, none of them brown. Those three people, surrounded by bodyguards, were Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Nico di Angelo.
They were heading towards a giant limo, and there were many other people standing behind them, also in the circle of bodyguards. Annabeth started slowly but surely making her way to her big group of friends. Only, as soon as she got within five feet of her famous friends, she was pushed back into the crowd of fans by a burly bodyguard.
"No! Let her in!" Nico yelled over the voices of the crowd of people wanting autographs and pictures.
The bodyguard immediately picked her up and shoved her into the group of teens, muttering a "Sorry, kid." That was barely heard.
Piper, Jason, Hazel, Hazel's boyfriend Frank Zhang, Reyna, Leo, Connor and Travis, Rachel, and Calypso were already there. Annabeth and Piper embraced each other briefly before continuing to walk with the rest of the group. People in the crowd full of fans were saying that it wasn't "fair" that Annabethw as allowed to see them and the rest of them weren't.
"Pretty crazy, huh?" Piper yelled.
"Yeah!" Annabeth responded, just as loud. "I can't believe they do this regularly!"
"I know!"
News reporters were shoving microphones in front of Percy's face. Percy himself just kept his face blank and refused to answer any questions. They were almost to the limo, who's driver stepped into the front seat and started the car.
One news reporter asked "Why are you letting certain people see you and not others?" That was the one question that Percy actually did answer.
"Because they're my friends and I actually know them." He answered.
Leo ran up behind him and threw an arm around the famous star. "Thanks, bro! I didn't know that you felt that way about me!" Them Leo turned to the camera. "Hi, Mom! My name is Leo Valdez and I'm here with my best buddy, Percy Jackson. Yeah, you heard me! He's my best buddy!"
"Shut up, Leo." Percy grinned.
Leo stepped back into the group of friends behind the famous teens when the reporters moved on to talk to Nico and Thalia, who also refused to answer any questions.
Once all of them got into the limo (they all fit in comfortable, actually), they started conversation.
"How do you do that every single time that you leave?" Hazel asked, eyes wide.
"I really don't know. You just get used to it after a while, I guess." Thalia answered, shrugging.
"Annabeth! How have you been?" Calypso asked.
"I've been good. You?" She answered.
"Great! Leo and I have started dating, and he's actually really nice and everything! A little annoying, though..."
"I can hear you, Sunshine!" Leo wore a mask of fake hurt.
"I know! That's why I'm saying it!"
"Oh, shut up."
"Yeah. Leo does get pretty annoying at times." Piper agreed, grinning.
"But he makes the best ever tacos!" Jason added. "They're so good."
"Leo Valdez, tofu taco expert!" Piper finished. The two of them laughed a little.
"Why thank you, Beauty Queen!" Leo bowed. "Thank you, Sparky!"
"Leo!"
"Yes, Hazel?"
"Will you stop?"
"Why, never!"
"Come on, Valdez. You're not exactly giving me the best impression of you." Frank Zhang stated.
"So, Frank," Annabeth started a new conversation. "What school do you come from? You know that we all go to Goode, where do you go?"
"I go to a school in New Rome. My family came on a vacation here, and I knew that Hazel had moved here a few months ago, so I texted her and found out where she goes to school. Then I picked her up there, asked her to go out with me, and here I am!" He answered.
"Cool! What's your school called?" Reyna asked. "I might've gone there. I lived in New Rome a few years ago."
"It's in a district called New Rome Academy. I go to The Official New Rome High School, or NRHS, for short."
"Did you go to New Rome Elementary?"
"Yes. You?"
"Yup!"
"Hazel went there too. I think that Jason moved away the year before I started, though."
"I did!"
"Hey Perce?" Connor asked, looking at the superstar that was looking out the window. "You three are awfully quiet. You okay?"
Percy jumped as if he had been shocked, and looked at Connor.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
He continued looking out the window.
"Percy?" Annabeth asked. "You sure?"
"He just doesn't want to leave, okay?" Thalia snapped. Then she calmed down. "Sorry, Annabeth."
Annabeth nodded. "I don't want you three to lave either. I mean-"
"Not helping!" Nico shouted. "We just made the first friends that've actually liked us for us and not our money and fame, and our stupid parents are making us leave them!"
The rest of the limo was silenced. Annabeth could vaguely see the airport getting closer and closer, and she knew that it was almost time for the three of them to leave.
"This has been nice." Jason stated after a few minutes. "It was nice to see you again, sis."
"Same." Thalia sighed. "I bet that Dad wouldn't be this quick to have us leave if he knew that you were here."
"Why didn't you tell him?"
"Did you really want to meet the dad that we have that only cares about money and fame and not his own children?" Jason shook his head. "I didn't think so."
We pulled into the airport and got out. The bodyguards got back to work, and more fans were there, yelling at The Big Three and asking for pictures and autographs and whatnot.
The giant group of people walked into the airport and waited for a private plane to get there.
"This has been nice."
The son 'Cowboys Like Us' by George Strait started playing. It was once again silent.
The private plane finally got there and the three of them started getting ready to get on. They said their final goodbyes to everyone.
"Piper?" Percy asked right before they got on. "We can do it."
Piper nodded. "I know." If Annabeth looked really closely, she could tell that her best friends eyes had started tearing up.
"Annabeth?" Percy turned to her.
"Yes?" She answered. She suddenly knew why Piper had started tearing up. The look that Percy was giving her... It was just too sad.
"See you." He smiled faintly before getting on the plane, his cousins following.
With a final wave, the doors to the plane closed and the three of them were gone.
'Cowboys like us sure do have fun
Racin' the wind, chasin' the sun
Take the long way around back to square one
Today we're just outlaws out on the run
There'll be no regrets, no worries and such
For cowboys like us'
(Cowboys Like Us by George Strait)
The final verse started, and Annabeth couldn't help but agree with the words. They were the Cowboys, both TB3 and the rest of them were different groups of Cowboys. They were doing the same yet different things. They were all Cowboys, and they were just outlaws on the run.
Just Cowboys.
Different yet the same.
Annabeth sighed. "Well, let's head back." A tear slipped down her cheek and she let it. It was no time to hide her sadness. Three of her now closest friends had just left for gods know how long, and the only place that she could now see them was in tv. There was absolutely no reason to hide her sadness.
None at all.
Once again, I apologize for the lateness of this update. My phone has just been really mean lately and I had to type this up in the Notes area in my phone. It's really hard, but I'll do it if it means updating and satisfying you all! Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me through this all!
3-5 chapters plus an epilogue left. My goal is to reach 100 reviews by the time that this FanFiction ends. Think we can do it? I sure hope so! Can we try to get up to... 88 reviews? Thank you so much to everyone that's reviewed at one point in time!
Now, I've just been curious. How do guests know when something is being updated? I just wanted to know... If there are any guests out there that could tell me, that'd be great!
Once again, thanks to everyone that's reviewed, followed, favorited, and viewed this story! Every one of these means a whole bunch to me and brightens up my day! Thanks to all of you!
Until next time,
Awesomeninja09
