Okay. Here I am!

Sorry that I've not been updating for a while. I was... mentally unwell. But I'll try to update as soon as I can.

DISCLAIMER: Go and look in the previous chapter.

Here we gooo!

Annabeth:

"The gala is canceled?" Piper asked as she sat down beside me.

"I think that's what I said," Leo said.

We were sitting in the main living room. Percy was there. Of course, he was. He was looking at me funny as if he was trying to read my thoughts and know all of my secrets. I glanced away from him. I didn't want to think about him.

But those eyes! They were-

STOP!

Luckily Cally spoke up, "There goes our plan for shopping." She sighed.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why what?" Leo looked at me confused.

"Why is the gala canceled?" I asked again.

"Because and I quote, 'Due to abrupt inconveniences.'" Leo answered.

"Oh." The disappointment was obvious in all of our voices.

"So what are we gonna do?" Hazel asked as she plopped down near my feet.

I shrugged. All I wanted to do was to sit in my room and sulk. And also maybe stay away from Percy.

I shouldn't have kissed him. I shouldn't have made things awkward. I actually like our friendship. Then I had to go and ruin everything.

Should I apologize?

'For what?' Asked a little annoying voice at the back of my head.

I pushed my thoughts away for a while. I didn't really need to think about it.

We were friends. I kissed him. And now we're not.

As simple as that.

Someone suggested charades, so we started to play that.

It was Leo's turn. He was jumping up and down and doing a weird dance.

"Chicken?" Hazel asked. He shook his head.

"You?" Cally asked, making him glare at her. I stifled a laugh. But in her defense, Leo does do that sometimes.

"Bird?" Frank asked. Leo nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Finally…." Leo sighed and sat beside Cally and swung his legs onto her lap. She roughly pushed him away but he stayed and stuck out his tongue. She stuck out her tongue in return. And then they started bickering. I shook my head, smiling. These two.

And soon the game was over. I managed to avoid Percy as much as I could.

That's when Artemis walked in.

"Ah. Good. You all are here." She said and walked over to us.

"We've decided for you guys to start working with your songs. Percy and Annabeth, being the lead singers and lyric writers, you have to start working right away. The rest of you can help them. After they finish, you can all work on the music." She paused. "We think it's better if we keep on working on the collab for the albums even after… the recent turn of events." She said pointedly at Percy. Red bloomed over his face.

"So let's get working!" She said cheerfully and clapped her hands.

Then I realized something. Percy and I had to work. Together.

What I've been trying to avoid has happened! How fortunate!

Why me?

"Annabeth, honey, are you coming to the studio?" Artemis asked, stopping at the exit. I looked around me. Everyone already left. I nodded.

I walked down to the studio to a room. It had a table and pencils and all the usual stuff for writing lyrics.

I waited. Apparently, Percy was running late.

"Let's get started!" I heard a voice. It could never be mistaken for someone else's. Percy.

I turned towards him. He smiled nervously, which I didn't return.

"Um…." I continued. I really didn't have any ideas so I delved into my memories. Maybe I'd find some inspiration there.

Flashback:

Annabeth was twisting in her sleep. She was having a nightmare about spiders. She hated spiders. She sat up. Suddenly her throat felt parched. She walked down to the kitchen for a glass of water as quiet as she could as to not wake her parents up.

But it seemed there were people awake. She heard whispered yells and shouts as she walked down the stairs. Then she heard something shatter. She walked towards the sound to see her parents.

"Are we not enough for you?" Her mother yelled. What? Her father looked ashamed and quiet.

"Why Fredrick?" Her mother asked quietly. "Why did you want marriage when you couldn't stay loyal?"

"Shut up!" Her father yelled. "I didn't cheat on you, Athena! Please."

"Really? Okay. First, you cheat and then you lie." Athena said shaking her head. There were glass shards beside her. Someone threw the flower vase.

"I didn't cheat on you! Goddamnit!"

"So the fact that Helen told me she was pregnant with your child is a lie is it?" She asked.

"I told her not to tell you!" He said and then his face went red, he had exposed himself. And Athena noticed.

"Shut up! You are a bastard. Annabeth doesn't deserve you." She paused.

"Goodbye Fredrick. I hope I never see your face again."

That was the last thing she heard from her mother for months. She packed her things and went away. Annabeth didn't know where. Tears were staining her face. Her family was tearing apart.

Since then she was scared of the dark. Dark and night. They brought unwanted things and problems. In the day everyone was happy and wonderful. Then in the night… spiders, fights, nightmares, and all the things she didn't want to think about.

After that, her father got married to the woman he cheated on her mom with. Helen.

Percy stopped talking to her all of a sudden. He didn't even notice her when she walked down the halls. He didn't even look at her. She apologized to him. She needed him now. She was alone. Her mother was nowhere. Percy was the only person who could understand her.

She realized at that moment that you don't know the value of something until you lose it.

*ends*

"Annabeth! Are you okay? You…" Percy trailed off looking at me. I realized I was crying. I felt a sudden hatred towards him. How did I think I'd like him? How did I get a crush on him?

He left you when you needed him! You are stupid.

He'll leave you again. Don't believe him.

And for the first time in my life, I agreed with that annoying little voice.

I was stupid for liking him. And stupid and Annabeth don't go in one sentence. He isn't worth my time.

Annabeth shouldn't have made such a decision, don't you think? What about Percy?

So... The next update is gonna be in 2 or 3 days! But right now I have to go and start packing for my trip to Bangalore. See you guys there!

~Bhavya

CMON DO IT. A LITTLE TYPING WON'T HURT YA.