Hey guys! A quick disclaimer before the next chapter: if things like anxiety attacks trigger you, this chapter features one, but also has a very clear part featuring how to deal with one.

Okay, here it is:

"What the hell?" Piper exclaimed, slapping herself in the forehead. "I thought Percy was a good guy! Jason always told me despite having gone through some troubling stuff, he had a really big heart. What the hell?" She repeated.

"Yeah," Hazel responded quietly. "I thought so too. Frank and him are friends. We've talked once or twice. He's always been really nice."

Annabeth sighed. "Before I got to know him, I despised him, but once we started talking… I began to really like him."

Piper was still shaking her head. "What the hell? Okay, once he arrives, I'm going to literally…" She trailed off. "What the hell? What is wrong with him?"

"Calm down Piper," Hazel replied, "I don't think this is what Annabeth wants to hear."

"This was my first party," She mumbled. "He said-" She clenched her fist. "He said he would make sure I was comfortable the entire time. I wouldn't have gone if it wasn't because of him." Annabeth continued, suddenly getting angry. "I can't believe this-" She stopped mid sentence.

"Wow." Piper clapped her hands together. "I mean, I should have known, I have jerk-dar."

"No you don't Piper," Hazel replied softly, "You really don't. How about we focus on getting Annabeth calm. I think she might be having a panic attack."

A Panic Attack. Annabeth remembered having several before. More than several- multiple. She always had brushed it off, told herself she'd be fine after, and kept to herself, but maybe that was the wrong approach.

All the signs were there. A tightness in her throat- Annabeth found herself having to breathe deeply and purposefully despite the sinking feeling in her throat. An increased heart rate as Annabeth held her hand to her chest, she noticed it was going faster than normal. Trembling or shaking- well, that was what she was doing right now.

"Yes," Annabeth gasped. "A panic attack- yeah," she managed, and wiped some sweat from her forehead. "I need-"

"You need to breath." Hazel said gently, "Piper, google 'what to do when you have a panic attack,'"

Piper nodded, and obediently took out her phone. She typed quickly, as Hazel talked to Annabeth quietly.

"Relax your muscles." Piper read from her phone. "Breath slowly and deeply," She continued. "Okay," She sighed, "We can do this. Annabeth, uh, relax?"

Hazel slapped Piper, which was a kind of awkward motion, as she had to reach her hand across Annabeth to do it. "That's like telling a hungry person to stop being hungry. It doesn't work like that."

"Fine, I guess the yoga classes Dad made me take will finally go to use," Piper shrugged, then paused, thinking. After a couple seconds of silence, she spoke again. "Um, focused breathing, right? Breath in for four seconds, hold it for eight, and breath out in another four seconds."

Annabeth complied, she slowly inhaled, and then held it for eight seconds. As she exhaled, she felt herself relax slightly, and continued the exercise. She did it four more times, and felt her shoulders relax, her hands unclasp, and her eyes to slowly close though not tightly.

Hazel spoke. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so," Annabeth continued breathing slowly. "Yeah, I am."

Piper smiled, and Hazel followed suit. "Do you want to get out of here?" Piper said. "I can tell Jason I had to leave early."

"Yeah…" Annabeth said, "Um, Percy was supposed to be my ride back and now…"

"It's okay," Hazel said. "I can give you a ride home. I drove over here myself."

"Can I hitch a ride with you Hazel?" Piper said, looking up from her phone.

Hazel nodded, and got up, taking Annabeth's hand. "Come on," She said. "It's just down the street."

"Thanks so much." Annabeth said, and she noticed that although her voice was shaking, it wasn't as much as it had before. She followed Hazel and Piper across the street, and sat down in the backseat of the car. Hazel turned the car on, and began to Drive. Annabeth quickly told her the address to her place, and they headed there.

After several minutes of silence, Annabeth spoke. "I don't know why, but I keep thinking that maybe it isn't his fault, like, I keep thinking something else happened, when clearly he just bailed without telling me."

Piper turned around from the shotgun seat. "Annabeth, even if something else came up, he should have told you. I mean, unless it's life threatening, which it probably isn't, he has no excuse."

Annabeth paused. "I don't know," She said, putting her hands on her face. "I mean, this feels all wrong. Like, every single time we talked, he seemed so genuine, kind, vulnerable." Just like me, Annabeth wanted to add.

"Guys can be amazing actors." Hazel said quietly, but didn't finish the thought.

Piper leaned back into her chair. "True that." She turned around to Annabeth, "Don't worry about it though, it takes time to heal. Some people don't understand that."

"Sure," Annabeth said, and looked up, seeing her street was coming up soon. "You can drop me off here," She said.

"Okay." Hazel replied. "Be safe Annabeth. Bye." The car stopped, and Annabeth hopped out.

"Bye," She said as she left, and began walking towards her house. Some of the lights were on, and others were off, so Annabeth decided that family dinner night was still on. Maybe she could get some food once she came in. She hadn't eaten in a while, especially since before the party she had conveniently forgotten to eat a snack.

God, why did everything have to hurt so much. Piper and Hazel had told her multiple times that Percy didn't deserve her. But what did that matter? This entire thing was probably hurting her more than him.

What was she kidding, she had fallen for him, and he had obviously been stringing her along the entire time. Was all of this just a joke, a joke to find out the weakness of the "outcast," and then make fun of her for it. For all she knew, everyone at school now knew about her writing, and were making fun of it behind her back.

All the fault of him, Percy Jackson. A jerk. Nothing more than a jerk.

She fell onto her bed, and hugged her pillow to her chest. This wasn't fair. Why was she feeling all the pain for something she didn't cause? She closed her eyes, and shut them tightly.

And soon, she fell asleep, and went about her day normally (as normal as you can get), but midday, as she was cleaning her room, she got a call.

She was expecting it to be Hazel or Piper checking in, she'd given them her number after all. She switched her phone on, and saw that it was the one person she in no way wanted to talk to.

But, as she denied the call, another one came in just as quickly. And then another and another, until Annabeth had no choice but to accept the call.

"Annabeth I-" Percy's voice sounded frail, but to be honest, Annabeth didn't care right now.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" She said. "Why would you do that, I trusted you!" She continued, "That was the first high school party I've ever been to, you know, because I told you that. I also told you that you were the only reason I was coming, so why would you bail on me?" She said, and paused for a second, clearing her throat.

"You know, I was right about you all along, your just a brainless jock who likes playing people." Her voice cracked. "I should have never trusted you, because of course, you would just leave me alone and break-" my heart. Annabeth couldn't say that yet. She wasn't ready. "And I don't want you to apologize. I want you to hang up, and get out of my life, because this proved to me that guys like you? They're just jerks."

A long pause filled the air after she finished speaking. It was silent, and Annabeth had to look at her phone to see if he had hung up or not, which he evidently hadn't.

But after a moment, he spoke, this time, Annabeth noticed the frail and detachment of his voice, like a call for help. "Annabeth, I'm in the hospital."

I hope you guys don't hate me too much after the last couple of chapters…

Also, HoO Stories, to answer your question, I'd say about five-six, (possibly more) chapters will be in this story, plus the epilogue. It depends on how well I hit the bench marks on my plot mapping. I'm glad you are enjoying!

ADDITIONALLY, I'd really appreciate if you'd go to the poll on my profile and vote! It'll help me best identify what YOU guys want to read from me next (:

Thanks so much for all of the support! I really appreciate it, and hope you liked this chapter. (the angst will be over soon, I promise)