~Hey Angels ~
It's Memory Monday! - I'm still gonna call it that because even though this book is called Dreams, the whole series is the "Memories series".
Plus Memory Monday has got a certain ring to it me thinks ;)
greekdemigodwannabe - Thanks girly! Glad you liked the outfits. I knooow, the reunion is after this chapter and I'm so excited. Also, yeah, Charlena forever. I feel evil for even breaking them up for a second. ~ AWG xoxo
Cinder Luna - I'm evil - that's why I broke them up ;) Tell me about it, I pin all her outfits on one Pinterest board and just fangirl over it all the time. They will be back together in the next chapter, promise. Big reunion and all! Love you girly ~ AWG
gracebrownhillx - WELCOME to the family, my lovely! Thank you so much and it's nice to see another pro-Rafaello reader (plus you spell his name correctly) because he's actually one of my favs. I know, Silena's got it pretty tough right now but I'll make her happy again soon. I'm excited for you to read the BIG REUNION too ~ AWG xx
Katie Rollings - Totally get where you're coming from. Don't worry this chapter explains everything and shows how uncomfortable Annabeth is in having people serve her rather than the other way around. You'll see what I mean ;) Thanks for your honesty, it's always appreciated ~ AWG x
Dimitri Jinx - Aaaww, Ily too! Your faith in me, gives me faith in myself and I seriously need that so thanks for everything girly. And yeah...shit went dooown in the last chappie. Yeah, I feel the agony even when I'm writing it but the agony now makes the emotional feels even better later. Oh and yes don't worry, THE BIG REUNION, is in the next chapter which I wil definitely post before I take a break. I'm not that cruel ;) P.s. Greatly anticipating your pm but not rushing you bc I know how difficult it is to keep on top of pms Lots of love ~ your girl, AWG
Enjoy some major dramaaa ;)
Plus SILENA POV! Eeeeek x
Chapter 8
I miss you
Silena POV
Saturday 12th December
So, I guess it's been a little over seven weeks since Annabeth left—seven weeks of torture.
Maybe I'm exaggerating a little. We were coping, you know. We were patching things up, but Percy was still utterly miserable. I can't remember the last time he was truly being himself since that awful, awful day.
I walked into Starbucks with Jason, we were going to meet Piper and Thalia in Central Park and they sent us to pick up the coffee. I was still depressed about Charlie leaving me but I tried my best not to show that in front of the others. With the Percy and Annabeth problem still in full swing, the last thing our group needed was another messy break up or we would just fall apart. We were still friends, I guess, but it was awkward whenever we found ourselves alone together and I hated it.
I sighed as we stood at the back of the queue and waited impatiently. The thing I like about Jason was that he didn't pry. He knew I was upset about the whole Charlie thing but he wouldn't question me about it, he would just act normal and treat me normally and I needed that right now.
A few moments later, something caught my eye; a girl, maybe around my age, possibly a little older, walked into the cafe, skipping the queue and going straight to the front. I would've been annoyed but there was something fascinating about her. She had a certain confidence but elegance to her walk. That walk belonged on a run way. She carried herself with such poise it almost made me jealous and her outfit...don't even get me started on that.
She must be rich, I thought. She wore warm winter clothing; dark navy skinny jeans, a burgundy coloured blazer and black suede pointy heeled pumps. A big navy scarf with lines of red, white, blue and yellow tartan was wrapped snuggly around her neck. She carried an expensive looking burgundy leather handbag and her blonde hair was done up in a gorgeous, volumous messy bun.
She had her phone out, it was the latest rose gold iPhone, same as me, and she looked as though she was about to call someone while she waited for someone to serve her. A guy, probably in his late teens, came over almost instantly holding up a brown paper bag and a coffee cup to her with a crazy grin on his face. I could see she came here often and this guy was head over heels for her. To be honest, she made most heads in the cafe turn, even Jason was gawking at her a little. I mean, so was I, so I don't blame him.
"Thank you, Daniel." She said in a beautifully tuneful but elegant voice and for a second I thought I recognised it.
No. It couldn't be...could it?
At that moment, she turned around and I saw her. It was. Oh my Gods, it was her.
Annabeth Chase.
She looked good. Scratch that, she looked better than good, she looked amazing. What had happened to her?
She tucked the paper bag into her handbag and held her coffee cup in her hand which was covered in a stylish black glove that complimented her long, dainty fingers. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked out, holding her phone up to her ear and speaking elegantly through the phone. It sounded as though she meant business and was running her own company or something. She pulled a pair of sunglasses over her eyes and both Jason and I stared at her in shock as we watched her leave, utterly speechless.
Jason took our order in his hands and I managed to snap myself out of it and run after her with him at my tail. I just couldn't believe that the woman standing out there was actually Annabeth. We burst out onto the street and she was standing by the road with the phone to her ear.
"We need the designs by next Friday, Johnny, or they won't be involved in this year's plan." She said in a voice full of intelligence, experience and authority but still kindness. "I can give you an extension if you manage to draw up the details first... No I'm afraid not...we can't do that. I suppose we could possibly—"
"A-Annabeth?" I stuttered, a little awe struck just from looking at her.
There was no denying that, as she turned to me and pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, she was absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, the most beautiful, gorgeous young woman I'd ever seen. She was even more beautiful than Audrey Hepburn and she'd been my role model since the age of five.
"Whoa." Jason mumbled.
Her eyes widened in shock and she murmured, "I'll call you back, Johnny", before slowly dropping her arm.
Silence.
"Hi." She murmured.
"Um...hi?" I said, a little unsure of how to even react to this situation. Jason managed a slow wave as he gawped at her, eyes wide.
"What brings you two here?" She asked, trying to break the silence.
"I could ask you the same thing." I frowned. "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick. What happened to you? You look...you look..." I couldn't find the words.
"Different..." Jason finished a little dazedly.
"What he means is you look stunning. What happened? I thought that Helen—" I said hurriedly, trying to get everything I'd been meaning to say to her out all at once.
"I met my mother." She cut me off.
"Y-you...you what?" I gasped, stepping towards her a little.
"Yeah." She smiled. "I live with my real mother now with my two step brothers Bobbie and Matthew. They're both four and twins." She smiled as if she was the happiest girl alive and I didn't doubt that.
She had a certain glow that I hadn't seen in her in years. She looked really really happy and that made me happy but also a little sad. While we were all miserable, here she was having the time of her life and walking around like a frickin' supermodel.
"Annabeth..." I breathed. "That's wonderful."
"I am very lucky." She murmured, walking over to us now and stopping maybe a metre away. "Long story short, Helen's in jail, I legally belong to my mother now and I work at the firm with her." She smiled modestly but she should've been more proud of herself.
What she was saying was amazing. She was only 16 and already working for a billion-dollar company which was probably the most famous architecture firm in the entire world.
"Wow." Jason said and I nodded in agreement, a little star struck.
"So how are you doing?" She smiled.
"Honestly?" I sighed. "Not all that great. Seems like you're the one who got off easy from all this." Her smile suddenly faded and she looked at me with concern and guilt.
"What do you mean?" She said softly.
"Percy misses you." Jason told her for me which I was grateful for, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get it out by myself.
She gulped and her face fell. For that split second, I saw it in her eyes; through that strong confident new character of hers she was still the same Annabeth and she still loved Percy more than life itself. She missed him too, I was sure of it.
"We all do." I murmured. "I've been so worried. I thought maybe Helen kidnapped you or something. I tried calling, I went over to your house but it was for sale. Our whole group is falling apart now that Percy is like a walking disaster. He's just not the same without you, Annabeth. I'm getting seriously worried about him, this whole thing is killing him."
She caught her breath in shock, clutching her coffee tightly. "I...I didn't know." She whispered.
"Well, it's not your concern. You look like you're doing just fine on your own, so you can go back to your fashionable life and leave us out of it if you want." Jason frowned, putting my thoughts into words but in a harsher tone than I would have used.
"No, it's not like that." She said desperately, before sighing heavily. "I...I miss him too. I miss all of you. It's just...with all the drama, it was nice to just get away for a while. Please try to understand things from my point of view." She said politely in her soft voice. That voice could send a crying baby to sleep in a matter of seconds and at that moment, I couldn't stop thinking about how good a mother Annabeth would make.
"I do." I smiled. "You needed a break and I'm so happy you found your family. No one deserves it more than you."
She smiled, taking my hand in her gloved one. "Thank you...both of you. I'm glad you came to talk to me. You have no idea how hard it's been being away from you guys. I missed you so much."
A tear flooded my eye and she saw. "Aw Sil, come here you." She smiled, pulling me into her and we wrapped our arms around each other. She didn't just look amazing, she smelt amazing too, like a floral, fresh scent. I recognised her Victoria Secret perfume and maybe jojoba oil in her hair, I wasn't too sure but it smelt amazing.
To mine and Jason's surprise, she pulled him into a hug next but he happily obliged and I smiled at them. Look at her with this new confidence. It was so nice to see little Annabeth growing into a young lady.
When she pulled away, Jason was left in a bit of a daze. She didn't even seem to notice his expression. She'd probably never understand the effect she had on guys. I will not be telling Piper about this later...
"So...where are you guys headed? Can I give you a ride?" She smiled brightly.
God, she had a beautiful smile with perfectly straight and gleaming white teeth.
"Wait...you drive?" Jason raised an eyebrow.
She giggled. "I do now, thanks to my mother. She really is the most amazing person you'll ever meet." She smiled blissfully.
"Well, I'd love to see her someday." I smiled up at her.
Did I mention she's slightly taller than me now in those gorgeous heels? Which, by the way, she totally rocked. She walked in them so easily, like it was second nature.
"Oh, you must." She smiled, her words so articulate and elegant, it was quite stunning actually.
Okay, I seriously need to stop fangirling over my own best friend.
"My car's just down this road." She pointed and we followed her down the sidewalk.
It was a stylish, expensive looking white Audi R8 convertible and the seats were of a matt black leather material. I got in the passenger seat, Jason got in the back and she took the driver's seat.
"Where to?" She asked, adjusting her wing mirror and turning the car keys.
"Central Park." I smiled. "We're meeting Thalia and Piper there."
She smiled, sliding on her sunglasses and driving away. She made everything look so natural but cool and stylish at the same time.
"So...when are you gonna come see us again?" I asked cautiously. "I know you're done with school but I was just wondering, you know, I don't want this to be the last time I see you." I murmured as she pulled out and drove off.
"Me neither." She sighed, turning a corner. I started admiring her make up now, it looked gorgeous. "I promise I'll come and see you before the school year finishes."
"Year?" I whined.
"Be patient with me, Sil." She smiled. "I'm trying here. This has been hard for me too you know. Only a month ago I had an addiction to Adderall, I found out that one of my best friends was lying to my face and then my stepmother burned all my possessions. I left home with practically nothing. It's been a weird couple of weeks for me." She took a breath.
I sighed. "I'm sorry...I guess I didn't fully understand how you were feeling because I was too wrapped up in what it was doing to the group." I mumbled, guiltily.
"Hey." She smiled, taking my hand. "You were just worried about your friends. I understand that. You have nothing to feel sorry for."
"Well, when you're ready will you come see us? I don't care if it takes a week or a month or more as long as I see you again." I smiled brightly.
"Of course," she smiled, "I'll come see all of you." She added, pulling up her sunglasses and smiling at a grinning Jason in the wing mirror.
"So, tell me more about your mother." I smiled. "Where does she live? What are Bobbie and Matthew like?"
"Oh, Silena it's simply wonderful." She smiled. "Her house is the biggest I've ever seen with a huge electric gate entrance and a fountain and pillars and chandeliers and the architecture is just incredible. She designed all of it herself and the gardens are just breathtaking. It's so big, you could spend hours walking around it and still not see everything." I giggled at that. "And Bobbie and Matthew are amazing. A little troublesome..." She giggled. "But I love them." She smiled happily. "You know they taught me how to ride a penny board." She flashed a smile at me.
"No way." I grinned and she nodded.
"You're looking at a pro penny-boarder here." She smirked sarcastically.
"I'll believe that when I see it." Jason rolled his eyes.
"Hey." She scowled jokily, making us both laugh.
"Piper loves those... Percy taught her to ride them in Greece." I smiled wistfully, thinking about the picture on Percy's Facebook profile. I could see her trying to smile but I saw right through it.
~xXx~
We arrived at Central Park all too soon and it was time to say goodbye. She took her coffee cup and held it up to her lips blowing on it slightly and at that moment I took her phone and snapped a picture.
She just looked so beautiful, how could I not?
"Hey." She scowled at me.
"What?" I smiled. "You were doing a model pose I had to."
"I was not doing a model pose." She rolled her eyes.
"No, it was just your normal beautiful face." I smiled making her blush and look back at her coffee with a gorgeous lip smile. I took another picture before she snatched it off me as the three of us laughed.
"Promise me you'll upload that on Instagram." I pressed, not backing down even when she groaned. "Promise!" I eyed her and she eventually gave in.
"Fine." She sighed. "Now get out of the car, you're keeping poor Piper and Thalia waiting."
"Oh, they won't mind." Jason waved me off, leaping out of the car in one quick motion.
I looked back at her but I couldn't hide the sadness in my eyes. I wasn't ready to say goodbye now—not just yet.
"I'll miss you..." I whispered, wanting to ask her to come join us but I knew she was a busy girl nowadays and probably had places to go and important people to meet. She frowned sorrowfully before setting her coffee down and pulling me into a tight embrace.
Song Tribute: [Reprise – Ralf Wengenmayr]
"I love you...you know that, right?" She murmured in my ear and I sobbed.
"I love you too." I smiled, pulling her into me more tightly and all too soon she pulled away and I had to get out of the car.
"Cheer up, Silena. I'm coming to see you, I promise." She gave me a genuine smile but I couldn't return it.
"How can I cheer up when on top of my boyfriend leaving me, my best friend is leaving me for God knows how long?" I didn't mean for it to slip out but it just did. I felt bad instantly. I didn't want to be seeking attention right now. Annabeth had been through a lot, she didn't deserve me being difficult like this with her. Her eyes widened in shock and they were full of guilt and sadness which just made me feel even worse.
"Forget I said anything." I shook my head, managing a smile. "It was so nice to see you again. Did I mention you look beautiful?" I smiled at her. "Doesn't she Jason?"
He shrugged, nodding his head as if to 'yeah she kinda is' and I smiled at him. Annabeth looked utterly shocked. She didn't even know how beautiful she was and it was annoying.
"Goodbye, Annabeth." I smiled sorrowfully, leaving her speechless as Jason and I walked into the park together. She drove away a few moments later.
We found Thalia and Piper sitting cross-legged together in a grassy area underneath an old oak tree.
"What took you two so long?" Thalia scowled. "Why do you both look so happy?"
"You'll never guess who we just met." Jason grinned as we sat down with them.
"Who?" Piper frowned curiously.
"Annabeth." I smiled. "She looked amazing, girls...you should have seen her." I started and then Jason and I both told them everything, from the first shocking moment when we both saw her in the cafe, to the car journey, to the story about her mother and stepbrothers and everything in between.
I can't even begin to explain how good it felt to see her again and be able to talk about her without feeling a lump in my throat. For the first time in weeks, I felt hopeful because I knew...I just knew that everything was going to turn out alright
~xXx~
Annabeth POV
"My lady, are you alright?" Amara asked worriedly coming over to me. I was sobbing silent tears on the sofa in the living room in my pyjamas. I had tried to spill my emotions onto the pillow on my bed, letting out a muffled scream but it just left me exhausted and my head aching. I had come here to spill my emotions a little more peacefully I guess.
"Y-yes, thank you." I breathed. "I'm fine. I just need a m-minute." I told her in a shaky voice as I sniffled a little.
"Shall I make you some hot cocoa?"
"Aw, no Amara. That's very kind of you but it's getting late, you should go home to your family. You work yourself too hard." I smiled softly.
"Oh, but I haven't finished tidying—"
"The place looks wonderful and I can tidy up any last bits and pieces." I assured her. I often went around tidying things to make her and the staff's job easier anyway. It's just one of those things I did and always would do.
"Are you sure I can't get you anything?"
"Quite sure. Please, go home. I'll be alright, I promise."
"Very well." She smiled coming over to take my hand and kiss the top of my head affectionately. "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." She whispered, and I gasped before she turned to leave.
Silence.
I wiped the tears from my eyes. After seeing Silena and Jason today, it just made me realise how much I'd missed them and how much I missed him. It broke my heart when they told me that he was in pain because he missed me. It had literally broken it in two.
I missed him so much, I wanted to burst out the door and run all the way to his house just to see him again but I knew I couldn't. I had promised I'd come see Silena, Jason and the others but I hadn't promised to see Percy and that was for the best because;
a) Rafael told me to stay away,
b) it's too painful being around someone who will never love you back and,
c) I wasn't sure I was ready to see him again after our last argument. I had found out that we used to be boyfriend and girlfriend after all.
But mostly, d) I was being a coward.
"Annabeth?" My mother said in a soft voice, gliding over to me and sitting beside me on the sofa. "Honey, what's wrong?"
Song Tribute: [Wild Horses – The Sundays]
"I miss him mother...I miss him so much." I sobbed, crying a little now and she shushed me, pulling me into her comforting arms and I felt the warmth instantly.
"Aw, honey, love isn't always easy." She murmured stroking my head as I curled up with her on the sofa. "If Percy truly cares for you, he'll give you space to think and when you're ready you can go see him if you like. But you don't have to. It's your choice, my darling. No one's forcing you to do anything you don't want to do." She said in a caring, motherly voice and I sobbed into her silver silk nightgown.
She sat there with me late into the night, stroking my hair soothingly and telling me everything would be alright.
For a moment, I felt better but the second I went to bed alone I felt the loneliness again and I knew...I just knew that there was nothing and no one that could make me stop missing him. I was still in love with Percy Jackson and no metal on this earth was going to change that.
~xXx~
Annabeth POV
Thursday 24th December
December came, and it was Christmas Eve before I knew it. I still missed them every day and by them I mostly mean Percy. It's hard to explain, I was happy here, really happy but it still felt like a part of me was missing. Some part of me said that tonight was going to be the best Christmas Eve ever and I believed that but another part of me wouldn't shut up about the fact that I wished Percy were here.
I sat in the bay window of my bedroom in a bathrobe, having had a pretty big cleansing, beauty day. I would be attending the Christmas ball my mother hosts here every year. Hundreds of people come to dance and chat and whatever I guess. So, mom had gone all out with the preparation.
We'd spent almost the entire morning at a spa, relaxing and getting beauty treatment from head to toe. I got my hair done by a private stylist at one of the salons you'd look at and think only wealthy people would make it through those doors. I got a few highlights and honey tones along with a little trim and a full wash. When that was over, we went for manis and pedis and then a nice lunch.
So, I'd just taken a shower, gotten my makeup done by a professional artist and was waiting for my dress to arrive. I was nervous, my mother had picked it out and knowing her, she'd probably gone overboard. With that thought, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" I called, getting down from the window and crossing the room as Amara came in. I stopped in the middle of the room and smiled at her. "Amara." I said cheerfully.
"Your dress has arrived, my lady." She smiled, almost leaping with excitement when she held up a dress box. "Shall we take a look?"
"Lets." I grinned and we both bounded over to my four post king size bed.
She gently laid the dress box on the duvet and stepped back for me to open it. It was a fancy looking thing with a glossy white coating and a French brand name written in swirly black italics on the front, that I could pretty much translate. My mother spoke fluent French so I'd gotten pretty acquainted with the language and it was easy to pick it up after taking it only a year ago.
With a breath, I carefully lifted the lid and looked inside. I bit my lip when I saw the sparkly gold fabric, it was hard to miss. It was so sparkly, you'd probably see it a mile away. I lifted the dress carefully in my fingers and laid it out flat on the bed. It was a gold sequin, backless, split side evening dress. The thing looked so stylish and expensive it almost seemed to gush liquid gold.
Okay, there is no way I am wearing this thing. It'll be hell on Earth before anyone catches me squeezing my way into that skin-tight fabric. I'd look like a walking glitter ball. Forget the dress Drew and Rachel made me wear the night of the house party, this dress was just on a whole new level. Not to mention that it came with a pair of gold leather ankle strap sandal heels.
"I cannot pull that off." I said.
She smiled, hugging my shoulders tightly. "Yes, you can." She grinned, snatching up the dress and me before dragging us over to a screen in the far corner of the room for me to change. I sighed, reluctantly going behind it to do just that.
However tight the dress looked at first, it slipped on surprisingly neatly over my small figure. It was bodycon-tight from the chest, all the way down to my upper thighs and then it flowed down loosely, leaving a trail along the floor. I'd trip over it sooner or later, I thought. It had thin spaghetti straps and a slight plunging V-neckline.
I strapped on the heels and reluctantly came out from behind the screen for Amara to see. "Beautiful!" She clapped excitedly.
I blushed, walking over to the mirror on the wardrobe to get a look at myself. My hair flowed down my back in light curls, the stylist had put some product in it so it looked more volumous and neatly styled than usual. My makeup was natural with full coverage, a nude pink lip and brown eyeshadows but she'd added a little gold in there to make them 'pop'. My contour and highlight were done expertly, you would think my cheekbones really looked like this.
However, it wasn't really my hair or my makeup that I was looking at. I was looking at the dress. This utterly breath-taking dress. There was no question about it, it was absolutely gorgeous. One of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. And although it wasn't me staring back in that mirror, I still felt some sort of confidence boost that I could actually pull of a garment like this.
It hugged my curves and slid down my hips so smoothly it was like liquid gold. The slit came up to my mid-left thigh, showing a little bit of leg and I suspected it would show more when I walked.
I wasn't too happy about the fact that it was entirely backless, and I mean all the way down to just slightly above my hips, backless but it was a small price to pay for such a beautiful dress. It made me look older. Much older. By at least three or four years, I would say.
It was weird. I could probably just about pass as Percy Jackson's girlfriend in this dress. That thought made me catch my breath. I couldn't be thinking about things like that. Not now. Never again.
"You look stunning." Amara smiled. "The party should be starting soon." I panicked a little then. A lot of people were coming to this event, people that would want to see me; distant family, business partners, friends of my mom's. I wanted to make her proud. I couldn't mess things up.
"You'll be fine poppet." She said comfortingly, handing me some gold dangle earrings. I smiled gratefully, leaning towards the mirror to put them on. My eyes caught on the silver 'P' hanging around my neck. I hadn't been able to take it off when I'd officially left and I could hardly bring myself to do it now.
I still felt close to him this way. With a nervous gulp, I reached back and unclipped it before setting it gently on my dressing table. It didn't go with the dress and it would still be here when I got back, I told myself.
I took a deep, shaky breath, looking at myself in front of the mirror and smoothing my dress down at my hips. "You look beautiful." I suddenly heard my mother's voice as she glided over to me in her own stunning black ball gown. Amara had disappeared out of the room already. "Now there are a lot of young men out there so you be careful." She raised her eyebrows at me and I giggled.
"Yes, mother." I rolled my eyes.
She stroked my newly styled wavy hair. The stylist had done a really good job; my hair looked so glossy and smooth that there didn't seem to be a hair out of place.
"I'm so proud of you, honey." She smiled wrapping her arms around my bare shoulders from behind. "You've turned into your own woman over the past few weeks."
A tear came to my eye and I smiled at her happily in the mirror. "Thanks, mom...that means the world to me." I murmured.
She smiled. "Now...ready to face the music? There are photographers, you know."
I smiled. "It wouldn't be your party without photographers now, would it?" We both grinned at one another before I reluctantly let her touch up my nude-pink lipstick.
"There." She smiled. "Perfect."
"Come on." I rolled my eyes, dragging her out and down the corridor.
Heads turned almost everywhere I looked and people watched us in awe as we descended the marble staircase side by side.
"The worst is over." She smiled once we'd reached the bottom and I sighed in relief. Even if I'd gained some confidence over the past few months I still got a little scared in the limelight.
Bobbie and Matthew came over to me in their cute smart little suits. They both took my hand dragging me towards the dance floor. Apparently, I'd promised them the first dance. I giggled as the classical music began to play and we glided around the ballroom floor together.
"May I cut in?" A male voice asked politely and I turned to see none other than Poseidon standing beside me in a smart, expensive looking suit. I looked at him in shock.
"Poseidon?" I gasped.
"Care to dance?" He held out a hand and I smiled taking it willingly.
"Go find mom." I murmured to Bobbie and Matthew, stroking their heads affectionately and watching them run off, probably not to find her but to go and wreak havoc elsewhere.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and he placed his on my waist. It wasn't really awkward it was more of like a father-daughter dance which felt weird because he wasn't my father. Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me because some part of me still believed in that dream I'd had months ago where I'd dreamt of marrying Percy.
Percy, the eighteen-year-old I was totally crushing on. That hit me slightly; he's two years older than me. Sometimes I forget that.
"You look beautiful, kid." He smiled kindly and I thanked him modestly. A part of me hoped that if he was here...maybe Percy was too. As if reading my thoughts his face fell a little in sympathy.
"I'm sorry, pet, he's not here tonight. He's spending Christmas with his mom this year." He smiled at me kindly. I sighed, nodding my head understandingly.
"Cheer up, I'm sure he would have come if he could." He said spinning me around and my dress flew out around me as we danced around the room. I wasn't really nervous to dance in front of these people because firstly they were all mostly strangers to me and secondly my mother had taught me to dance properly.
"I disagree but thank you." I smiled politely.
He sighed. "Don't doubt my son's affections for you, Annabeth. They go far beyond what you can imagine."
I caught my breath a little in shock, not truly believing him but it caught me off guard nonetheless. We danced the rest of the dance in silence and it quickly came to an end. He bowed and I curtsied low down before we both parted ways.
I glided through the busy hallway, occasionally being stopped by strangers who would compliment me on my dress or talk about my 'wonderful' work at Athena Associates. I felt flattered but also that I didn't deserve all these compliments.
As I moved through the crowd, I turned my head, suddenly hearing a faint crashing sound and my eyes landed on Bobbie and Matthew who had accidentally spilled a bottle of wine and were now scrambling away like mice but the evidence of red stains was already clear on their white shirts. Mother would give them hell about that later. I couldn't stop smiling at that as I laughed to myself before turning back the way I was facing and walking around trying to find my mother.
A few dances later, I finally found her. "There you are." She smiled pulling me over. "Where have you been?"
"Well, I tried to find you but these boys kept asking me to dance and they wouldn't take no for an answer." I smiled.
She laughed, stroking my cheek affectionately and handing me a glass of wine which I sipped tentatively. I still liked wine but I still only drank it on special occasions. I'd never been into the whole getting drunk type thing. My first experience at Drew's party had been enough to last me a lifetime. Oh, don't even get me started on that.
Song Tribute: [Christmas Lights – Coldplay]
Later that evening, Bobbie and Matthew took me outside to play in the garden. It was dark but the grounds were lit up by hundreds of Christmas lights, giving it a magical glow. It was cold but it wasn't snowing. I hoped it would tonight so that we'd get a white Christmas.
We danced together and I spun around in my gown happily. We began playing soccer in which I had to lift my dress up and take my shoes off to play but it was fun nonetheless. Matthew would do the commentary as he dribbled the ball down the line and Bobbie and I would both roll our eyes before we'd tackle him.
"You sir, are a little troublemaker." I smirked in Matthew's face, stroking the tip of his nose with my index finger and he grinned up at me.
"Annie, will you teach us the name of the stars? Mommy says you know them." Bobbie asked curiously and I smiled at him, kneeling down to their level as my dress flowed out around me. I took both their hands and looked up at the sky as I began to teach them about the constellations. When my eyes landed on Perseus, I sighed sorrowfully.
"What is it?" Bobbie asked worriedly.
I smiled at him before turning back to the sky. "You see that one there? That's Perseus." I murmured.
"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Matthew sighed sympathetically. They'd both overheard me talking about Percy to my mother one night and I guess I didn't really have the strength to deny it anymore.
"I am." I sighed.
"Why don't you just go see him?" Bobbie frowned at me in confusion, he was just too young to understand.
"It's a little more complicated than that, Bobbie." I sighed, giving his hand a little squeeze. "Now...why don't we get back to the party? I hear they're serving chocolate dessert." I grinned at them and with that, their eyes lit up and they stumbled away towards the dining room. I giggled watching them go before I picked up my own shoes and began walking back inside.
~xXx~
The party was coming to an end, my mother was saying goodbye to the last of the guests at the front door and I spent my time collecting up the empty champagne glasses. There were quite a few and there were plenty of waiters to do the job for me, but I couldn't help relapsing back into old ways.
All my life, I'd learned to clean up after myself, to do all the chores, to follow orders. It was mentally built into my head—an identity I could never really escape and I didn't want to. This was who I was. And having people serving me rather than the other way around never really felt right to me. It gave me an unsettling feeling in my stomach and there was always that pull in my gut, urging me to get up and help them.
"Here, let me take those for you." A young male waiter said with brown hair and pretty eyes.
"Oh, it's no trouble, really." I smiled up at him, holding three glasses in each hand. "But there are a couple more on the mantlepiece if you wouldn't mind grabbing those."
"Of course." He smiled, swiftly gliding over to pick them up expertly and together we took them into the kitchen.
When he pushed the door open for me, it was like entering a circus at the end of a show—post mania. There were dozens of staff, carrying in empty trays and bottles of wine, washing up in the sink and packing away clean dishes into the cupboards. It was a huge space.
The workers seemed rather startled by the way I waltzed in there, all ready to pick up some rubber gloves in my golden, glittery dress and start scrubbing.
"Don't worry, miss. Now you let me take those." An older woman smiled at me, reaching for my champagne glasses.
"Nonsense." I smiled. "I'll wash, you dry."
It wasn't long before, I was helping everyone out in the kitchen—folding up tablecloths, packing away cutlery, rinsing out the glasses and placing them back into the cupboards. All whilst I was learning the names of each and every staff member.
I wanted them to feel like I was just a regular girl like any one of them because I had been where they were many times. I wanted this place to feel like a community and it did and I loved it.
"Your mother's looking for you." The cute male waiter, whose name I now knew was Toby, said.
"Oh." I smiled, setting down a dirty food platter in the sink which was picked up by another staff member almost immediately. "Thank you, Toby." I called as I walked off to find my mother, noticing him wink at me as I went.
"Well aren't you a pretty sight." My mother grinned at me, standing in the kitchen doorway, looking at my dress and the bright yellow rubber gloves on my hands.
"It's a new trend I'm trying out." I posed. "Do you like it?"
"It's quite fetching." She chimed. "Come take a walk with me." She said and I handed my gloves to a lady who smiled gratefully, thanking me for my help. All the staff members shouted a "thank you" and I grinned, telling them all to have a wonderful Christmas.
My mother and I grabbed the thickest, longest, most fluffiest coats we could find in the cupboard by the front door before going out onto the terrace and sitting by the huge stone firepit. And as the roaring flames flickered and crackled, spewing up tiny sparks into the cold air, we chatted late into the night about nothing and everything.
~xXx~
I lay in bed later that night and I mean later that night; the party had gone on for hours. I admit, I had fun, I really did, it was amazing but even with the huge amount of presents I'd received, the whole Poseidon thing and then the constellation thing with Bobbie and Matthew...with all that I couldn't help feeling a little disheartened.
It took me a few moments to realise I was crying because a small tear slipped down my cheekbone onto my pillow. I quickly wiped it away and sat up. I looked at the silver necklace sitting on the dressing table across the room and leaped out of bed to clip it back on. I stood in front of the mirror for a while, just holding the P between my fingers and trying to connect with him in every way I could. I tried to remember everything we'd gone through together but it just made me miss him even more.
~xXx~
Piper POV
Tuesday 28th December
So, Christmas had been and gone already. It hadn't been fun this year though because we usually met up as a group but with Percy all miserable and Silena and Beckendorf still broken up, celebrating just didn't seem like an option right now. Not to mention, my dad bailed on us again for an acting interview in Hollywood.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jason asked as he, Thalia, Silena and I stood outside his door.
"We haven't spoken all holiday...I wanna check he's alright." I said. Silena and Thalia nodded in agreement.
"Okay." Jason sighed. "But don't be disheartened when he turns you away...because he will. We can't force him to be okay with what's going on."
"We know that Jason." Thalia sighed.
"The point is we're just here to check up on him...nothing else." Silena said, almost trying to convince herself.
The door opened and Sally appeared.
"What took you so long?" She cried, pulling me into the biggest mom hug ever and refusing to let go as if I was her last hope. I was shocked at first but quickly obliged because Sally always gave the best hugs.
"He's been an absolute mess recently, I don't know what to do." She sobbed into my shoulder and I pulled back to reassure her.
"Don't worry Sally, we'll talk to him and straighten all of this out."
She nodded. "He snuck out last night and didn't come back until four in the morning. I'd be careful though." She warned us as we came inside. "He's probably got a terrible hangover."
We all laughed a bit at that. I took a deep breath and knocked on his door but there was no answer. I knocked again but got the same response so after a while I gave up being polite and barged in there, guns at the ready and eyes blazing.
His room was a complete mess as usual but even messier now with clothes all over the floor. A few of his trophies were knocked on the floor as if they'd been the victim of a sudden outburst of anger. I winced a little at that.
It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon and he was lying in bed, wrapped up in the duvet like he wanted to stay like that forever. His curtains were tightly shut and the room was in a dreary dark state as if light blinded him nowadays. My heart sank. Sure, I knew he missed Annabeth but I didn't realise how bad it had gotten. I mean, he was practically pining for her. I'd never seen Percy pine for a girl. Never.
"Percy Jackson!" I yelled storming over to where he was sleeping in his bed. "What in the hell do you think you're doing with your life, hhmm?" I said, placing my hands on my hips and he groaned, turning to look at me wearily.
"Why is everybody shouting?" He moaned, rubbing his eye and pulling his covers up around him. I rolled my eyes and then yanked open the curtains to let the bright sunlight burst into the room. Percy made a weak noise, burying his face in the duvet because the light was too blinding for him and his hangover.
"Get up." I told him bluntly.
He moaned. "Leave me alone."
"Percy Jackson, you get up right now."
"Mom!" Percy called through his duvet.
"I'm not getting involved!" Sally shouted from the kitchen, making Percy groan.
"You can't keep wasting your life away over Annabeth. I know she was important to you but this is getting ridiculous." I scowled at him while the others stood in shock behind me.
He had the nerve to laugh. "I just simply can't go on." He motioned a dramatic fainting, holding the back of his hand to his forehead.
"This is serious, Percy." I frowned.
"Seriously Pips, I got drunk, I came back late so I'm sleeping in a bit. It's not the first time you've seen me like this. It's not like I'm going to get all depressed and jump off a bridge now that Annabeth's gone...jeez calm the fuck down." He said, rolling over to turn his back to me.
"Oh...well, that's...good." I said awkwardly, before sighing and sitting down at the edge of his bed. "But you still miss her?"
"Always." He murmured through the covers but I couldn't see his face now.
"She misses you too you know." I murmured and I heard him laughing softly.
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, Pips, but you don't need to lie."
"I'm telling the truth, Percy. She told Silena and Jason herself." I frowned.
"Have you seen the photos on Instagram?" He asked, shooting up and frowning at me. His messy but sexy bed hair stuck up on end and he ran a hand through it. His eyes were tired but still the gorgeous sea-green ones I remembered.
"What photos?" I frowned in confusion, looking back at the others but they all seemed to be just as confused as I was.
He smirked. "Take a look, and then tell me she misses me." He scoffed, using his chin to gesture towards his laptop on his desk before slumping back down into his bed and pulling the covers around himself.
I sighed, looking at the others before making my way over to his MacBook pro. I opened it up and logged into my Instagram. I didn't specifically know what I was looking for so I just searched for Annabeth's account. None of us were following her because she hadn't started using Instagram until very recently, I didn't even know about it until now. I'd almost completely forgotten she even had an account.
I found her account pretty quickly, seeing that she had uploaded a few new photos. I clicked on it and scrolled through them all. The others gathered around me and we all stared at the screen in shock with our jaws dropping practically all the way down to the floor.
3.5k followers and counting! That's almost as many as Percy and he had the highest follower count in school. I couldn't remember what is was currently but last time I checked it was something like 5 or 6k.
I clicked on her first photo. She was at what looked like a Christmas ball in an expensive looking mansion and gold glittery dress. It fitted perfectly and showed off her perfect figure. She looked absolutely stunning. Every bit of her, from her hair, to her face, to her dress, to her figure, was fit for the runway. She was dancing with two little boys whom I guessed were her stepbrothers, Bobbie and Matthew. She was smiling down at them and they danced so happily together. This one was already up to 1k likes and comments.
Another one was a close up of her walking in one direction but her head was turned back and she was smiling happily as if looking at someone she loved dearly. She looked so beautiful and her smile was to die for but the most shocking thing of all was that she seemed to glow in this picture. She just radiated happiness and good vibes which you wouldn't normally associate with a girl who'd been through as much as Annabeth had. This one had 3.1k likes!
I guessed people at school were really taking a liking to her now, especially since she was all the buzz at Goode, being the smart girl who'd dropped out of school to go and live and work with her semi-famous mom.
There was one of her outside with her brothers, playing soccer. I laughed a little at that one, seeing her lifting up her dress and grinning wildly as she dribbled the ball past her irritated brothers.
"She looks so beautiful." Silena whispered. "And that dress...where did she get it from?"
"Who gives a crap? The girl can play soccer, that's awesome." Thalia grinned.
There were more pictures of her from behind, kneeling in the grass with Bobbie and Matthew either side of her holding her hands and gazing up at the stars. They really were stunningly beautiful photos, they had to have had a professional at the party. She'd bunched a couple of them together on her feed.
I scrolled through some older ones, wondering why I'd never seen them before. There was one of her standing outside the Athena Associates building in black heels, tights and a navy blue dress coat with the collar up and she wore sunglasses. She looked so professional yet gorgeous at the same time. She was smiling back at the camera as her hand rested on a revolving door which she was just about to push and walk through. This had 1.5k likes and over a 300 comments.
There were a few at the beach, in Time Square and some with her mom who she was the spitting image of. Now I know where all that beauty comes from. I admired the next one of her playing with a sparkler at some sort of firework event, she was grinning in the golden light and it was effortlessly pretty.
She looked absolutely stunning in every single one of them but it was the last one that caught my eye. It was the one Silena had taken in the car the day they'd met her at the cafe.
It was a double picture so two were side by side. The one on the left was her blowing on the coffee with both hands wrapped around it. Her eyelashes looked so long from the side and her lips were pouted in a cute way as she blew on the hot liquid. The steam rose up around her and there was no doubt that the picture was absolutely beautiful. The other one was of her smiling at the coffee. Gods her smile was amazing. This one also had over 2.3k likes.
"This still doesn't change anything, Percy." I sighed, coming over to sit next to him again. "That was a good day for her and she was happy. That doesn't mean she doesn't miss you, besides those are pictures...pictures don't always show emotions within."
"Emotions within?" He laughed a little. "Thanks for the pep talk Shakespeare but you can all go now."
I sighed. "Don't shut us out, Percy. I miss her too you know."
It was silent for a while but slowly and surely, he started to sit up again. He frowned at me sorrowfully. "I'm sorry." He murmured before pulling me into a hug which I happily responded to, throwing my arms tightly around him.
"Not forgiven, Kelp Head." Thalia called and he chuckled in my ear pulling away to look at her.
"You'll come around." He grinned, pulling back his covers and stepping out of bed. He wore grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt. "Ooo." His eyes widened at the sight of a green apple on his bedside table and he tossed it up before catching it easily and taking a huge bite as he walked past her. "Everyone comes around to the Jackson eventually." He smirked, walking out the door and we all rolled out eyes but we were all incredibly happy that we were getting the old Percy back now.
"And he's back." Jason grinned.
"Greeeaaat." Thalia said sarcastically and we all laughed at that as we followed him out the door happily.
We spent the rest of that day, watching movies and eating Sally's famous blue chocolate chip cookies. I secretly watched him as he went into the kitchen to talk to her, over the oven baked cookies, sitting on top of the stove to cool. The movie was too loud so I couldn't hear them but it looked as though they were having a serious, emotional talk. Percy looked sad and troubled and Sally looked concerned and heartbroken beyond belief.
She hated seeing him like this. It killed her more than it killed any of us.
She pulled him into a hug, standing on her tip toes and burying her hand in his hair. He sunk into her shoulder, fully wrapping his arms around her back and holding onto her tightly. He'd never cared about looking like a mommies-boy. He'd happily tell her he loved her or peck her cheek in front of all of us.
That's what you get when you're brought up by the single most awesomest mom ever. His dad was hardly ever around anyway, always off on business. She was all he knew.
Later he came to sit on the sofa with a fresh plate of cookies and managed to grin excitedly. It was nice to see his old self again but a voice in the back of my head told me it was partly an act. Percy was just trying to act natural for us but really inside he still felt as crap as before and I felt miserable for him. But, like him, I hid it.
I only wish I could take away his pain. All of it.
~xXx~
Jason POV
"Fuck, it's cold." Percy shuddered, ripping off the waterproof covers from the old coach, sitting on the roof of his apartment.
The girls were downstairs watching a movie in the living room, Silena picked it out so Percy and I had got bored pretty quickly.
"Bro, it's been snowing and you're wearing a T-shirt." I said, looking around at the icy floor from previous snowfall. It had been dangerous enough trying to climb up those slippery steps, but he was sure to catch hyperthermia next.
"Whatever, I'll be fine." He smirked, slumping onto the coach and pulling out a cigarette but I could tell he was cold. Even Percy Jackson wasn't hard enough to endure this ungodly weather.
"Here, take my coat." I said, taking it off and tossing it over to him. I was wearing a hoodie anyway.
"Thanks." He smiled, pulling it on instantly as I sat on the other coach, across from him.
He lit his cigarette on the coffee table between us before leaning back and taking a puff. The smoke blew away instantly in the wind.
"So, what's up with Beck and Silena?" I asked to cut through the silence, spinning my phone around between my fingers. "You'd have thought they would've made up by now."
"Yeah, I don't really know." He shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me much. Everything's just so messed up now."
"Understatement of the year." I muttered and he half smiled at that, taking another puff.
Song Tribute: [I Wanna Be Yours – Arctic Monkeys]
We sat in silence for a while. Something was off, and I think we both knew what. Besides the numerous things that were ruining everything in our group right now, there was that one major problem that still hadn't really gone away.
"Jason?" Percy suddenly piped up.
"Yeah?"
"We're okay now, right?" He asked cautiously. "I know things have been pretty fucked up between us and it's completely my fault, I know that, but—"
"Perce—"
"No, just let me get this out." He took a breath. "What I did was stupid and reckless, and I'll regret it every day for the rest of my life. You had every right to be pissed off at me. I mean, Thalia's your sister and we promised we'd protect her and that night, I didn't." He sunk into the coach, taking another puff as if it would calm the stress.
He sighed. "I was so messed up that night—with all the drugs and the alcohol, but mostly everything between Annabeth and me."
"I get it, Percy. I do." I said making sure that he knew I was being sincere.
"You know I never meant to hurt her."
"Of course, I know that." I rolled my eyes. "You and my sister are inseparable."
He smirked at that and then his expression dropped again. "I just—I want things to go back to normal between us. With everything going so wrong…I really need my brother right now."
"I'm here, bro, whatever you need." I smiled and he nodded gratefully with a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Maybe I was a bit harsh on you…"
"A bit?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Fuck off." I made a face at him and he sniggered, taking another puff.
"No, you were right to." He started. "I would've done the same and I really needed that reality check anyway."
"Well, it's over and done now. We're cool."
"Yeah?" He beamed.
"Yeah."
"Cool."
"Cool."
"Cool." He grinned and I rolled my eyes again.
"You gonna join the team again when we go back to school?" I asked. "Coach misses you, he won't admit it but he does."
Percy half smiled at that. "I don't know. I haven't really been playing very well, have I?"
"You've just been focused on other things, that's all. It might be good for you to get back into it."
"Yeah, I guess." He shrugged. "Maybe." He couldn't look me in the eyes and I could read him like an open book.
"You gotta sort this thing out with Annabeth, Perce." I sighed. "You miss her, she misses you, isn't that enough?"
He hesitated, tapping his cigarette out and watching the ash blowing around the ashtray. "It's more complicated than that."
"Yeah, well it doesn't have to be." I frowned. "Just grow a pair and go see her."
He smiled at the thought cynically. "She's happy, Jason." He said flatly. "She's with her real mom—with her family. I can't ruin that for her."
"Why would you be ruining it?"
"I'm just not good for her." He shrugged. "I'm dangerous, I'm reckless, I bring drama into her life, I hurt her."
I'd never seen him look so distraught before this very moment, but I could see it now; the pain in his eyes. I'd never understood how much he was hurting until we'd actually sat down and talked about everything going on.
"Besides, if she really missed me, she would have come back by now."
I rolled my eyes at his infuriating ignorance. He would never get his thick head around the fact that Annabeth was in love with him. Even I can tell. Piper didn't even have to point it out to me this time around, it was clear as day.
"I could say the same about you." I countered but he didn't respond to that, staring at his cigarette and the ground. "How do you feel about her, Perce?" I asked. "Really. How do you feel about her?
He thought about that for a long time before responding in a breathless tone as if he was tired of feeling this way.
"I want her, man. I want her so bad."
I nodded understandingly. I think it was the first time he'd admitted his real feelings for her, completely sober, to me at least.
"Then you gotta get her back." I stated matter of factly.
He smiled as if he wished it were that easy. "She doesn't see me that way… She's never seen me that way."
"Okay, that's bullshit and you know it." I scowled. "If I am wrong about that girl loving you, you can date Piper. I am that sure."
He lifted his head up, raising an eyebrow with a devilish smirk. I started to second guess what I'd just said for a moment, despite knowing that I was 100% right.
"Shut up, it's not happening." I snapped, suddenly protective of my girlfriend. "I am right about this and I can prove it to you." I said, flipping out my phone and unlocking it.
"Don't call her." He ordered, dead serious now.
"Chill out, I'm not calling her." I smirked. "I'm showing you a photo you probably haven't seen because you wouldn't be caught dead on the school website." I scrolled through Goode High's website going to the school magazine feature. "Reyna showed it to me a while back and I forgot about it, I guess." I passed my phone over the table to him. "Annabeth took it at the basketball game a couple months back."
It was a super close-up of Percy and his winner's smile. I admit it was a good photo, she had some real talent.
He studied the photo for a while, frowning. "Annabeth took this?" He looked up at me, completely baffled.
I nodded. "I don't think she meant for it to go anywhere but Reyna said she left the camera out in the photography studio."
"Annabeth took this?" He repeated a little louder.
"Annabeth took it, Percy."
"I—I don't understand." He frowned. "She was mad at me back then."
"Clearly, not mad enough."
He glanced back at the photo and something shifted in his eyes. It was like he wasn't sure how to feel but somewhere deep down, that photo hit him. Maybe with the possibility that he was wrong. Maybe with the idea that Annabeth might actually feel the same way as he did.
I don't know but I hope to the Gods that one of these days he would get over himself so we can all finally be happy.
"Come on." I cleared my throat, standing up now. "The girls are probably wondering where we are."
"Yeah…I-I'm coming." He murmured, still frowning at the photo in confusion.
"Perce." I said, standing by the staircase now.
He looked up as if I'd broken him out of a trance and realised what he was doing. Instantly, he shot up, putting out his cigarette and following me down the fire exit. The girls were waiting for us in the living room, chatting amongst themselves with the movie still playing in the background.
We didn't speak on that matter again after that.
~xXx~
Annabeth POV
Monday 4th April
It was a beautiful summer morning as I pulled into my private parking space outside Athena Associates. I wore grey-blue peg pants, neatly rolled at the ankles and a stylish white T-shirt with lace sleeves and pearl coloured heeled pumps.
This year had been good with my mother and brothers. We'd grown even closer and it felt like I'd been here my whole life. We would talk and laugh and share stories while we ate roast dinners on Sunday or toasted marshmallows in the large fire pit outside. Bobbie, Matthew and I would play Mario Kart all day long or we'd go outside, climb trees and be adventurous for once. My mother would take me out for lunches in fancy restaurants or we'd go to the cinema and throw popcorn at each other. There were some evenings, though, when we were too exhausted to do anything but snuggle up on the sofa and just watch Netflix. It was perfect.
With the sun beating down on me, I stepped out of the car, pulling my white sunglasses down, and began to walk towards the revolving doors. People smiled and called good morning cheerfully as I came through. There was a pleasant atmosphere in this business, like my mother had built a community here.
I made my way to the elevator which was empty and waited for it to take me to the top floor. My assistant came over the second I was through the door and peeling off my sunglasses. Yes, my mother had got me my own assistant, only for work purposes though. She was young like me, in her early 20s, and she was very new at all of this but such a lovely person and good at her job too.
"Good morning, Serena." I smiled politely, and she greeted me happily too. "Did Johnny give you a call?"
"Not yet I'm afraid." She frowned. "I've tried getting through but he's not responding."
I sighed as we walked through the white marble corridor with glass walls either side of us, looking into the offices. "Keep trying and tell him to send me the details of the designs. We need to see them before my mother presents them to the board next week."
She nodded understandingly as she typed the details onto her iPad. "Could you give Mr. Finch a call? My mother needs to speak with him but she's away today on business so if you could just get a hold of him and patch him through to me, that would be great."
"Certainly. Anything else?" She smiled.
"No, that's it. Thanks Serena." I smiled before walking into my own private office with a glass window that overlooked the city. It was beautiful, and I felt extremely spoilt but grateful at the same time.
I placed my grey handbag on the table before carefully sitting in the chair behind my desk. It was too comfortable—too stylish for me. I would never get used to this—to this life. A few months ago, I was just a High School student with social anxiety. I was just Annabeth. I still am. And yet I've had all this extra glam thrown onto my lap. It just didn't make sense to me.
With a heavy sigh, I shook off the sentimentality and began to check my emails on the Apple Mac centering the large glass desk. Suddenly, my phone pinged, and a text notification appeared from my mom, wondering if the whole Mr. Finch thing was okay and if I wanted to go out for dinner tonight with the boys. I smiled, quickly assuring her that it was all under control and that dinner sounded great.
Instead of locking my phone afterward, I found myself hung up on the contacts app of my iPhone. Slowly and cautiously, I began to brush my finger across the screen, scrolling down to his name. My heart jolted in my chest when I saw the five letters spelling it out. I still had his contact. I couldn't bring myself to delete it even though I was trying to make myself forget about him.
Terrified, I made the completely stupid and reckless decision to call him but it took a lot of courage to even compose myself to do it. I was about to do something I had been scared of doing for months, but I hadn't seen him in almost half a year, five months and four weeks to be exact. But who's counting? I just missed him. I missed him so much that it hurt. I missed skipping class with him and going on long walks and dancing in my bedroom late at night and laughing at his stupid jokes, I missed it all.
I took a deep shaky breath and pressed his contact before holding it up to my ear nervously. "Don't pick up." I whispered. "Don't pick up."
"Hey!"
I sucked in a huge breath.
"You've reached Percy—" His voice came through and I sighed with relief, realising it was just a recording. "—And Piper!" Piper's voice came through. "—And Silena!" Silena's voice came and then there was a load of giggling in the background.
"Will you two shut up?" Percy groaned and I couldn't help but laugh a little, he sounded happy and that was good I guess. "Anyway...I'm probably out surfing right now, so leave a message at the beep."
"Beep!" Silena and Piper both giggled and I heard scrambling as if Percy was chasing them and there was a load more giggling and squealing before the line was cut off and there was a beep.
My eyes flew open, realising that it was my turn to talk. "Um, hi. It's me…Annabeth." I sighed. "I was just calling to see how you're doing and stuff. We haven't talked in forever and I guess...I guess I just miss you."
I took a deep shaky breath and I knew he'd probably hear that when he listened to this later but I couldn't help it, I was so nervous I was literally trembling.
"So I'm gonna go..." I started awkwardly. "Yeah...bye Seaweed Brain—I mean Percy." I added hastily before sighing at my own incompetence. Gods, I was so pathetic. "Okay." I whispered before hanging up and sitting there. I buried my head in my hands and groaned.
"I am such an idiot." I mumbled to myself.
I sat there for a long while, contemplating my own idiocy and going through all the different approaches I should have taken when making that phone call, in my head. It's frustrating how the mind always comes up with better ideas when the situation that needed them has been and gone. I cringed at the thought of him listening to that voicemail.
In the midst of my misery, my eyes caught on something—a letter. It was sat on top of my desk. It was a sight to behold—something that seemed out of its time with its cotton envelope and swirly calligraphy. It was a delicate little thing as I picked it up with extreme care. Gently, I smoothed my painted fingernails across the name on the front. It read:
Annabeth
With further care, I flipped the letter over and began to open it. I knew who had sent it from the moment I read the first sentence. I think I'd known before I'd even opened it, I just didn't want it to be true. In finding my family and this wonderful new life, I suppose I'd thought that I'd left this world behind—that I wouldn't have to face it again.
But the past has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it.
To my dearest Annabeth,
I hope you are happy, you wear the rich life remarkably well. It's a shame you're keeping all this from my dear brother, he misses you terribly.
We'll be seeing one another again very soon, meu amor.
Until then
Yours,
Rafaello.
Oh holy heaven, what have I done?
~xXx~
Whoooooaaaa, shit went DOWN in this chapter!
Please tell me what you thought of the Silena, Piper and Jason POVs, they were really fun to write, plus I'm curious.
But Oh my gosh, the moms in this chapter are really bringing their A-Game!
Yay for Momma Chase and Momma Jackson! 3 3
Whypapa - Yeeaaah, sorry about that. The kiss felt soon to me because I already had all the chapters but I guess it felt longer for you guys. It's in the next chapter, I swear on 'Memories' and the fanfic world ;)
Lily - What are you talking about, your English is great! And Spain! Always wanted to go there and learn the language. Thank you so much, I'm so so glad you like my story and Athena, she's one of my absolute favs :)
Masongause - Was just about to post before I saw your review. Thank you so much! My fav Walking Dead character is definitely Daryl, he's just awesome in every single way. I haven't really kept myself up to date with the series though :/
Dicxon Phoon - Really? Thank you so much. Don't even think like that, if you keep at it, you'll be able to write way better than me. Just know that I was absolutely terrible when I first started out - everyone is. There isn't really a handbook you can read on how to write effectively. It's just trial and error. Anyway, (started to ramble there), thanks again and I'm planning on writing around 20 chapters for dreams.
tiwari2401 - Ikr, their lives are dreamy as hell! I'm glad you brought that up actually, this chapter shows Annabeth being very conflicted about her new life and having people doing things for her instead of the other way around. I thought I already added a scene where she tried to clean up her own dishes, though? Maybe you missed it :)
Itsanewwriter - Hahaha oh my gods, your review made me laugh so much. Percy is most definitely trying out for theatre. #dramaqueen
Tae and Sugakookies - Heyy fellow BTS lover! Omg, I love BS&T so much. My bias? - well he comes to mind straight away but it's so hard because I honestly love them ALL so much, like they all have the most adorable qualities. Suga with his shy, cool, pretending not to care attitude but inside he's a teddy bear, Jimin with his adorableness and how he cares for everyone so much and his angel voice, Jungkookie and his talent for being good at everything, his cute smile, his beautiful face - I could go one, Rapmoni and his loyalty and leadership and how he secretly cares for Tae like a big brother, Jhope and his cheerfulness and dancing, Jin and his selfobsession (lol), his humour, I find him hilarious and omgs his laugh is so cute. Buuuuuuuut (sorry I rambled) TAE TAE is my ultimate bias. I'm in love with him, his face, his voice, his dorkiness, his warm heart - everything. Fav song, I could list them all but DNA was the first one I fell in love with (Tae's first line just gets to me) but I also love Spring Day. Choreo? Idk, I love them all but Burning Up (Fire) is pretty awesome. Oh and I check out Got7, fell in love with 'You Are' straight away!
So I'm gonna love ya and leave ya before my wifi crashes on me again!
Tataaa and see you on Wednesday for THE BIG REUNION!
Lots of love,
~ AWG xx