Chapter 8

"Sis! Hey, sis, wake up."

I groaned and rolled over, pulling my pillow over my head. "Malcolm, go away." We had two weeks to spend together, and he always was a stickler for getting up at the exact same time every day, which was six in the morning. He couldn't even let me get another two hours in, at least?

Malcolm laughed and pulled my pillow away, tangling up my hair. Gently, he pulled it aside away from my face. "You never really were a morning person."

"I am too, I just didn't sleep well last night." I had another dream. And this one, you guessed it, was about Percy. He was a warrior, dressed in armor with a bronze sword, ready to fight a demon. What woke me up was when the demon swiped his paw at Percy's chest and caused him to come flying right at me.

Malcolm shook my shoulder, not really to wake me up, but just to be irritating. I slapped his hand away, and he chuckled again. "Come on, Dad's making pancakes. First one down gets the biggest stack." He jumped up from the bed and left my room. I quickly followed; if there was one thing my brother was good at, it was hogging all the pancakes.

Sure enough, when I walked into the kitchen, there was enough to feed a family of ten. Luke was beside Malcolm, and when he saw me he gave a halfhearted smile. No, not even that, just one corner of his mouth turned up. My heart sped up. Something was definitely wrong. Had Percy been right?

He looks like he lost ten pounds since he got here, which was something considering he's been eating my dad's cooking. He should've gained twenty by now.

"So, you finally decided to crawl out of bed," my dad joked, breaking me from my thoughts. Scowling, I mumbled something about being a morning person and sat down. Dad joined us with a plate of bacon.

Malcolm looked around. "Isn't mom coming?"

Before I could kick him, dad shook his head. "No, since the divorce we decided if we were going to stay friends it was best to not be around each other too much. I know it's hard, but it's better this way. Really," he added, seeing Malcolm's expression. "We're happier."

"I know, Dad," Malcolm said quietly. "I'm glad. I just don't want our family to be awkward and ruined."

"I feel like I'm intruding," Luke joked, speaking for the first time.

Dad put a hand over his. "Don't be, you're a part of this family too. Don't forget that."

Luke opened his mouth, then closed it and nodded. He turned back to his breakfast, and I thought for a moment I saw his eyes tearing up.

"Hey, I was thinking, since I'm off work today and Annabeth doesn't have to work, we could go do something." Dad speared a sausage and popped it into his mouth. "We don't get moments like this very often."

Now it was my turn to gape. I couldn't remember the last time I did something with my dad, besides go with him and mom to drop Malcolm off at college.

"How about lunch at Joe's Pizza," Dad continued. "I heard their pies are pretty excellent."

"Joe's Pizza?" I thought back to the night of the accident. Percy and I had been ushered into a pizza restaurant, and I'm pretty sure it was Joe's. "That's where Percy and I were the night of the accident. The owner is super nice."

"Well it's settled then, pizza it is." Dad turned to Luke. "You like pizza right? Is that okay?"

Luke grinned, but it seemed forced. Or maybe I was just imagining it. "Oh yeah, I can eat an entire pizza by myself."

Everyone hung out around the house until twelve. Malcolm and I watched movies on the flat screen with a bowl of popcorn between us, watching to see if we could find any blunders or mistakes. We'd always been close, so it was nice to spend time with him. It got kind of lonely in the house with just me and dad. He worked all the time, so I pretty much had the house to myself.

Luke went up to his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. I'd wanted to talk to him, but Malcolm told me to give him space. He was probably upset that he wouldn't get to spend the holidays with his mother.

May Castellan had been confirmed as schizophrenic. The last I'd heard she was in some sort of home for sick patients. Luke's dad, well, that was harder. Most days he'll spend in bed with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

My dad was in his room, probably playing with his toy airplanes. No, sorry, working on his toy airplanes. If I said he was playing with them he'd get mad at me.

"Luke doesn't seem like himself," Malcolm suddenly said. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. "He seems..."

"Off?" I said quietly, echoing Percy. "Yeah, but like you said, it's probably because he misses his mom. His dad probably doesn't even know he's gone."

Malcolm shook his head. "You'll forever be defending him, won't you?"

"You're damn right I will." I think my fierceness surprised both of us. Malcolm didn't respond, he just stared at the TV for a while. I thought the conversation was over, until Malcolm picked up the remote and paused the movie. He then turned to me, his expression serious.

"Annabeth, if something was wrong with him, like seriously wrong, would you want to help him?"

I gaped at him. "Of course I would! How could you say that? I'd do anything, anything, for him."

Instead of looking surprised, my brother just nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figured." He unpaused the movie, and we lapsed into silence once more.

At a quarter till twelve my dad strolled down the stairs, and my mouth fell open. "Woah, Dad..."

Dad grinned. "I know, casual looks good on me, huh?" He was wearing an untucked blue button down shirt, with jeans and sneakers. That was probably the most laid back outfit I've ever seen him wear in my life. I used to think he slept in kakkis and a crisp button down.

Malcolm gave him the thumbs up. "Nice, Dad. Very bachelor."

Dad grabbed his jacket, shrugging it on. "Thanks, Mal. Go get ready, and tell Luke we're leaving."

Twenty minutes later, after several attempts at the three of us trying to hog the bathroom, name calling and pinching, we descended the stairs. Dad was on the couch, watching the movie Malcolm and I had put on earlier.

He rose. "About time. I thought there was a wrestling match going on up there with the racket you three were making."

"Not our fault Annabeth takes thirty minutes to shower," Malcolm complained. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Like you're one to talk, you took forty," Luke told him.

Dad waved us to the door. "Alright, let's go before I start pulling all my hair out. I'd like a few more years with a head full of hair before I go bald."

The car ride was light hearted and happy. Malcolm, Luke and I took particular joy in making fun of dad and his granny speed driving. When we finally got there, we found out a lot of people had decided on pizza today. There was a line going out the door. We stood there a moment, pondering on whether or not to wait or go somewhere else.

"Let's go to Danny's, they're pretty good too," Malcolm suggested. So fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a noncrowded Danny's.

"Much better," my dad sighed, taking a menu after the waitress had brought our drinks. "The atmosphere here is more relaxed anyway. You kids decide on what you want?"

"Pepperoni pizza," Malcolm and I said together. We both grinned.

"Luke?"

Luke scanned the menu. "Hmm, this veggie pizza sounds pretty good."

Dad nodded. "Yeah, it does. Think I'll get that too."

The waitress came back to take our order. She was very pretty, with curly brown hair pulled into a ponytail. I also couldn't help but notice the blush that appeared on her cheeks when she looked at my brother. And vise versa. Malcolm turned as red as the bottle of hot sauce he was toying with.

When it was his turn, he glanced up and there eyes met for a brief moment. After she left, I nudged him. "Oooh, I saw that. She was giving you the eye."

"Shut up," Malcolm muttered.

Luke glanced over his shoulder to make sure the waitress was out of earshot. "She was cute, dude. You should go for it."

There was a weird burning sensation in my throat, that I realized was jealousy. Annoyed, I tried to push it down. "You should. You never know, she could end up being my sister-in-law one day."

Malcolm shook his head. "Not funny."

"Who's being funny? I'm serious. Eventually you'll find someone who can put up with your excessive snoring."

Malcolm grabbed his straw paper that he'd wadded into a ball and threw it at me.

"Alright guys, you're both adults here," my dad said, in reply to which both Malcolm and I stuck our tongues out at him. Dad sighed. "Love you guys too."

I glanced over at Luke, expecting him to be laughing, but he was staring out the window, his expression grim. His face had turned bone white.

"Luke?" I reached for his hand, but he jerked it back, his surprised expression smoothing to one of cold indifference. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just-I need to go." He slid out of the booth and stood.

"Go? But your pizza hasn't even arrived yet," dad said. "Are you feeling alright? Are you sick?"

Luke shook his head. He didn't look alright. In fact, he looked like he was going to vomit right in the middle of the restaurant. He backed away. "I'm really sorry, Frederick. I'll make it up to you, promise. I just need to take care of a few things." And with that, he turned and left, almost ran, out the door.

Making a quick decision, I hurried out the restaurant after him. "Luke? Luke! Wait!"

Luke turned. It had started raining, and his hair was plastered down his face. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Annabeth, go back inside. Don't follow me, understand?"

I didn't. I crossed my arms too and stood my ground. "Luke, what is going on with you? You haven't been yourself lately, and I barely see you anymore-"

"Annabeth listen to me," Luke cut me off sharply, his voice rising. "Leave me alone. Stay out of my business, if you know what's good for you."

I stood there, for the first time in my life, completely speechless. Luke had never raised his voice at me, ever. And to top it off, it sounded as if he were threatening me.

"Don't follow me," Luke repeated. "Go back to your dad and brother. Tell them I forgot I had some really important school things I had to do, and that I'll be home later. Alright?"

I finally managed to find my voice again. "Who are you?" I whispered.

Luke gasped, staring at me. I just stared back. Then he turned and headed down the street, not looking back.

I returned to my seat. My dad asked if Luke was okay, and if he'd be returning, and I told them what Luke had told me. Off running school errands. That was all. By then the pizzas had arrived, and though I forced myself to eat a slice, it felt like molten lead in my stomach.

On the car ride home, it was silent. No one talked, and the radio remained off. It was very obviously clear that Luke and I had fought, but neither Malcolm nor my dad brought it up, and I was glad.

Once home, I spent the remainder of the day trying to keep my mind off of Luke, and what he could be doing right now. What had he seen that had made his face turn so pale like that? Was someone stalking him?

I groaned into my pillow. I needed a distraction, something to keep my mind off of Luke. I wish Thalia hadn't left New York to visit family. I could use some quality time with my best friend right now.

Ring ring.

Turning over, I grabbed my phone off my nightstand. It was a text...

Need to escape. Family is driving me nuts. Want to run away with me? -Percy

Hello distraction.