Author's Note: Ugh guys I'm sorry I'm a day late posting this. I'm really bad at this whole 'sticking to a schedule during the summer' thing. Schedules are for school. Anyway, please review! There will be another Luke chapter coming on Thursday. Also, if you would like to see a complete list of all of the fandoms I'm in, check my profile. And lastly, I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or the bands and songs that I mention in this fanfiction. I am just a fan.

Chapter Five: Thalia POV: Almost As Bad As Apollo's Sun Chariot

I followed Luke to the parking garage. I wasn't sure which car was his. When had he gotten a car? He walked over to a grey van, which unlocked when he pressed the button on the key. He then ran around the right side of the car and opened the passenger door for me.

I smiled at him and got in. Luke jumped into the driver's seat next to me. He smiled back.

"We'd better get something to eat," Luke said. "It's going to be a long drive back to the ship."

"How long?" Ugh. Long car rides.

"Umm... Two hours? Two and a half?" Luke replied.

I groaned.

"Aww, come on Thali. We'll even listen to your music. I think I've got a My Chemical Romance CD in here somewhere." He leaned over me and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a handful of CDs. He sorted through them. "Aha!" He triumphantly held up Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. "I think I might have some Evanescence, too, if you want to listen to that later. Oh, and if you want to stop by your apartment again after we eat, we can pick up your stuff."

I nodded. "Okay. Let's go eat. I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole pegasus."

"Well, let's go then." Luke told me. "Pick a place."

I selected a popular burger place, which made Luke laugh. "What?" I asked indignantly.

"Well, I was expecting you to pick something a little nicer, but I should have known you'd want burgers. Fast food it is." He slipped the CD into the slot and turned on the car, putting it in reverse.

I sang the words as he drove, Luke just humming since he didn't really know the songs. After only a few minutes, he turned his blinker on and pulled into the restaurant drive-thru. The line was ten cars long. Great. More waiting.

"Whatever you want," Luke told me when we got to the window. I ended up ordering a hamburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake.

"I'll have a cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake," Luke said, craning his neck to see the menu.

I made a face at him. "Strawberry? Really? How can you even drink that?"

The man at the window handed him a paper bag, which he gave to me to sort through, and both of our milkshakes. He passed mine to me. "Like this," he said, taking a sip of his.

"You know I didn't mean it literally. Gods, Luke, do you even know how annoying you are sometimes?" I rolled my eyes. Luke pulled out of the parking lot and headed back the way we came.

"I try." Luke stole one of my fries and dipped it in my milkshake before I could stop him.

"Luke!" I slapped him on the arm. "You have your own."

He shrugged. "Fries don't taste as good with strawberry."

I glared at him, though I wasn't mad. We were driving back down the highway, toward my old apartment.

When we got there, I unlocked the door. Luke stepped in behind me. "Annabeth?" I called. No answer. "Annabeth?" Nothing.

Worried, I walked down the short hallway. The door to Annabeth's room was cracked slightly, and light from the opening shone into the bathroom across from the door. "Annabeth?" I said quietly. When I didn't hear anything, I slowly opened the door. "Annabeth?" I was practically whispering now.

Annabeth was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. The window was open, and a cold breeze was rustling the curtains. I stepped into the room and closed the window, pulled a blanket over Annabeth, and turned of the light. I turned around, seeing Luke standing in the doorway. I didn't know he had followed me down the hall.

I stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly, then continued on down the hall to my room.

As usual, my room looked like it had been hit by a hurricane. Clothes were scattered around the room, the blankets on my bed were halfway on the floor, and my desk contained my laptop, in sleep mode, dozens of CDs, and that stupid Shakespeare book I was supposed to be reading for school. Oops.

I got down on my knees to pull my duffel bag from underneath the bed. Luke leaned against the door frame as I quickly stuffed my clothes in the bag. The final thing I grabbed was my laptop. "Okay," I said. "I think I'm ready." Luke smiled and held out his hand. "Wait," I said. I had forgotten something. I grabbed a sticky note from the kitchen counter and scribbled a quick note to Annabeth: I'm sorry. -T