Chapter 4.
Annabeth.
Visiting day was horrible. It was as if the fates were against our whole group of friends. Everyone we didn't want to show up did. Everyone we didn't even consider would show up did. And it all started with one little message.
"Attention everyone!" That was Dionysus, a short balding man with many loud shirts. We were all gathered at the very front of the hospital living areas for visiting day. Tables, decorations, and refreshments were set up, as if it would draw attention away from the sullen teens in the centre. "Before our monthly visiting day starts, let me tell you we've made a few changes to things." The crowd of mumbling teens snapped attention to the front. The look Dionysus was giving us wasn't exactly reassuring.
"We've noticed that attendance at these events are...lacking." That was an understatement, Thalia told me total attendance at these things were about 2-3 new families, and after about a month or so, they just stop coming. "So, we've sent out a mass email about it." Some people frowned, most people weren't worried.
"And, called your home phones." Dionysus smirked a little at the growing fear on people's faces. No one wanted their parents to come. No one wanted their family to know what they've become.
"And may have also called it 'mandatory' and 'part of the treatment'" He grinned evilly. "We also got RSVP's, most of your parents are coming."
A huge groan filled the room, and muttering ensued. There was a lot of swearing towards Mr. D. Chiron cleared his throat and concluded with, "And so, let us open our doors."
As staff went to open the doors and welcome people, Rachel hid under the table. She has extreme anxiety, and literally had to be dragged screaming to this room. Now though, she had been reduced to shaking whimpering mess underneath the tables.
We went to sit under the table with her, and Thalia and Percy told us why they weren't worried at all about their family coming.
"My dad, he's very important. Never met him." Percy grunted shortly. Thalia just grinned, pointed at Percy, and agreed with a 'ditto'.
"As for you kiddo," Thalia grinned down at me, "you better get out there and see your parents!"
I peeked around one of the poles holding the table up to see my family. My entire family, including Matthew. I considered asking Thalia how she knew it was them, but decided against it, and - reluctantly, stood up to greet them.
Susan and my dads face had plastered fake smiles on their faces (though on the inside they were probably wondering why their daughter had just stepped out from under a table). Bobby was on Susan's shoulder, looking drowsy - but quickly got excited again when he saw me. Matthew tried to assume the pose of a bored teenager, but I knew he was interested by the way he kept glancing at everyone.
Playing along, I too plastered a smile onto my face, and took Bobby from off of Sue's shoulder. I would have just walked back to my friends under the table with Bobby in tow if my father hadn't said anything.
He cleared his throat and started… "Annabeth, hi! How's your treatment going?"His voice sounded high and cheery. I shrugged in response, honestly unsure what he wanted me to answer with. Great? He wanted me to say my experience at the mental hospital was great?
"Uh, are you making friends?"
I nodded, afraid to say anything. Afraid that as soon as I opened my mouth the anger I was feeling would bubble up and explode. Susan, getting exasperated, cut in. "How about we meet your friends?" Her voice was sugary sweet. "You do have friends, right honey?"
I fought back the urge to sass her back and simply nodded again. Turning around, I led them to the table they were sitting under.
As soon as Rachel saw my parents behind me, she drew her knees up, hid her face in it, and started shaking violently. My parents, behind me, pretended not to notice. Matthew though, blatantly stared at her. I hit him at the side to get him to stop. "These are my friends. That's Thalia, Percy, and Rachel." Percy and Thalia nodded and 'supped'. I smirked at how awkward it got. Susan and my dad actually seemed afraid of them.
"You're brother's cute." Percy said. I smiled and, pretending my parents weren't there, coaxed Bobby from behind my legs. Susan audibly gasped when she saw Bobby go to Percy.
Percy and Bobby hit it off immediately after that. It surprised me how gentle Percy could be with children, and even Thalia refrained from cursing.
...
Me, Susan, and my dad walked off to a corner - claiming they wanted to talk to me alone, leaving Bobby there with my friends, and Matthew to just wander. We sat down at a remote table in the corner of the room. "So, let's talk Annabeth. Do you think your getting any better by being here?"
"Well, it's better than being in the house." I replied, doing that thing where my voice goes monotone. Thalia calls it Siri Annabeth. Susan, who until now was watching Bobby carefully (probably afraid of one of my mentally challenged friends would hurt him), snapped back to attention.
"What's that supposed to mean, Annabeth?" She said, all pretense of previous cheerfulness forgotten. Now replaced by a hostile voice. Not exactly angry, but getting there.
I sighed before answering. "Never mind, if this is going to become an argument, you might as well just leave." I wasn't in the mood for one, which is why I've held back the thousands of things I've thought about saying as soon as I laid my eyes on the two.
"Now, what's that supposed to mean?" Obviously, Susan wasn't afraid to raise her voice in public. "We've been nothing but supporting through all of this...your depression certainly hasn't changed your attitude."
"You guys made my life miserable." Susan opens her mouth to talk again, but I barrel through. "I find myself sobbing into my bed every night because of you. I find myself begging for God to kill me already. And when He wouldn't, I grew so tired that I tried to myself. Don't talk to me about helping me, about being grateful, you destroyed me, then abandoned me here."
Everything I've never dared to say to anyone I threw out of my mouth. My voice was still controlled, but I could feel hidden emotion.
I wiped my eyes ferociously, until they were dry. I hated people seeing my being weak, even my friends. Then, stood up and hurried over to Thalia's side. I hoped she wouldn't notice my red eyes, but it was obvious that she did. She pretended not to.
She had stood up from under the table and was holding Matthew's wrist. When I came over she pushed him over to me, and surveyed him like he was trash. Not caring what he did, not caring what had happened, I dragged him over to my parents and asked, or demanded, for them to leave.
I dared not look them in the eye, for fear of another wave of weakness to hit me. Percy came over and handed Bobby back to Susan, who flinched when his hands came near her.
Then, I met with Rachel under the table, assumed her position, and sobbed. Loud wracking sobs only muffled by my clothes. If i'd have looked up I would have seen that it wasn't only me. If i'd have looked up I'd have heard the yelling and crying coming from everywhere. But I didn't, and pretended I was invisible under the table, ignorant to Thalia's pats of comfort, and even ignorant to when they stopped.
I didn't look up even when Percy gently took my hand and led me to my bedroom. I didn't stop when I laid on my bed and he waited patiently on the floor. I stayed there, unsuspecting to anything around me. And that's why I didn't notice when he stood up and turned the lights off, and left.