I know. I've been completely MIA for the past eon. If two months was an eon that is. I still feel horrible though. (Again) I was suffering from writers block and when I finally got rid of it and had some ideas, it was on the weekend - the weekend before my exams. I have my exams this week, but it's no way near as bad as everyone makes them out to be. I think that I'm gonna do quite well.

Anyway, enough about my life. Thank you all for reading and sticking with me for so long. Really, thank you.

Disclaimer: Do I really need to do one of these at the start of every chapter? I think we've already established that I don't own PJO.

Enjoy!

Chapter 17

Not surprisingly, I could feel the stares of the other students piercing the back of my neck. I scowled and stormed ahead to my locker which I opened by violently banging on the space next to the lock. It was only ten in the morning and I had already had at least five people that I didn't even know come up to me and ask about my attack. They asked stupid questions like Oh my God, what was it like to almost die? or I heard you were brutally stabbed by a convicted murderer! Were you scared? And my personal favorite: Why are you at school, I thought you almost died? Shouldn't you be in rehab?

The teachers were even worse. Mr. Simmonds, my history teacher, had come up to me today and asked me how I was and that wouldn't have been a problem, but he was talking to me like I had a frickin' mental issue. He even referred me to his favorite psychologist. What was bothering me most about our little exchange was the fact that my history teacher goes to a psychologist. I don't even want to know.

"Hey Gabby," Percy said, suddenly appearing at my side. "Feeling better, I take it?"

I nodded. "Yeah, just a little shaken up." I grabbed my books for my next lesson and slammed my locker with a bit more force than was probably needed. "I still don't get how everyone knows about the attack though."

"News travels fast around these places," he shrugged.

"You can say that again," I muttered. To Percy, I said "It was probably something to do with Kayleigh."

"Why do you say that?"

I looked at him cautiously. "Because it was her friend Violet who attacked me."

Percy sucked in a sharp breath sounding shocked, but not like I completely caught him by surprise.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," I said.

He nodded. "Which one's Violet again?"

"Goth? Totally creepy? Hates my guts and anyone who doesn't worship Kayleigh's toenails?"

Percy frowned and nodded his head slowly. I glanced around and saw almost the entire population of the hallway staring at us. I groaned and picked up my pace. I could hear the whispers of the other students and by the way they were looking at me, it wasn't in admiration of my hair today.

"These people will do whatever they want to get a good piece of gossip," I said sarcastically. I turned to Percy and laughed. "Do you know what? This is the first time in four years that these people are paying attention to me."

"You don't like the attention?" he asked, pushing past the bustling crowds.

"Not used to it."

"Well," Percy said, "as soon as anything to do with anything happens they'll be lapping it up like starved puppies and forget this entire thing."

I nodded, amused. "Sounds like usual then."

I stopped in my tracks as I saw Kayleigh marching up to me with a look of pure anger plastered on her face. Her heels were clicking on the polished floors and her hair was slightly disheveled. Her posse lurked in a corner on the far side of the corridor, whispering in each other's ears. I noticed that Violet wasn't with them like she usually was. To be honest, I wasn't exactly surprised. She was probably under police investigation after what I told Officer Bennett last night. Surprisingly I felt a little guilty, but then shook it off.

"What the hell?" Kayleigh shrieked. I jumped slightly, surprised by her sudden outburst. I was momentarily stunned, my mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

"What is this about you being attacked? Are you an idiot?"

I found my voice and furrowed my eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"You, Gabriella, are a low-life, attention seeking b-"

"What the hell is your problem?" I half shouted, half whispered at her.

"Your problem," Kayleigh snarled, "is the fact that this whole 'attack' story is absolute bullshit."

I stared at her in utter disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. That's what you're so worked up about?"

"Uh, yes," Kayleigh snapped. "If you think that you can win one argument with me and then own the entire school, then you have been greatly misinformed. Starting rumors? So elementary school."

"What do you mean rumors?" I asked her. "I had nothing to do with them. If anything, you can blame yourself. After all, it was your friend Violet who attacked me!"

I hadn't realized how quiet the hallway had gotten up until that moment. Everyone was staring, mouths agape and eyes wide. Even Kayleigh seemed dumbstruck.

I glanced over at Percy who was looking like a deer caught in headlights. So much for backup, I thought.

Kayleigh had an odd expression on her face. It was crossed between curiosity and concern, and it looked exceedingly odd to see Kayleigh look at me like that.

"Gabby," Kayleigh said lowly, breaking the silence. It took me a moment to realize that that was the first time that she had ever not called me Gabriella or looked at me like I was a piece of gum on her shoe. "I have never known anyone called Violet. There has never been a Violet at this school."

I started to quiver slightly. I didn't quite understand what she was saying. How could she not know who Violet is? Violet follows Kayleigh around every day. And surely someone else knows who Violet is. I'm not going crazy!

I looked around and saw Nathaniel standing across the hall from me. Unlike my classmates, who were looking at me like I had grown an extra head, he was almost…pitying me.

The bell for homeroom rang clear throughout the school, but no one moved an inch. They were all frozen in place, trying to avoid my gaze.

The slamming of a door jerked us all out of the awkward silence. About fifty heads turned around to see the deputy principal with her arms folded and scowling.

"What are you all doing out of class?" she asked, glancing around at us. No one looked her in the eye. No one moved either. "What are you waiting for? An invitation? Get to class!"

Everyone started scrambling around, ducking their heads and trying to avoid detention. I glanced back at Kayleigh and as soon as our eyes met she looked away and went back to her friends who were still standing in the corner of the hall. Before she was out of earshot, I could have sworn that I heard her mutter Freak under her breath.

By breath hitched and turned around to Percy who was standing with Nathaniel, apparently waiting for me.

Neither of them said a word as we walked towards mine and Percy's homeroom. Nathaniel was in the class next to ours, so we could all walk together. I could hear Percy and Nathaniel talk about the last round of swimming tryouts in the background, but I wasn't paying attention.

We said goodbye to Nathaniel when we got to class and walked in. Miss Garcia sent us a glare for being late, but I oddly wasn't bothered by it. I took my place at the back of the classroom after walking along what felt like an eternal walk of shame past my classmates: it was clear that they heard everything.

As there weren't many seats left, Percy was stuck at the front of the classroom. He glanced back at me as if asking 'Are you okay?'

I grimaced and nodded, still slightly in shock about that morning. I didn't pay attention to anything during Homeroom, and didn't realize that I was walking out of the classroom for my first lesson until I felt someone grab my arm.

After my miniature heart attack, I realized that it was only Percy. He let go of my arm as soon as he got my attention and I followed him into the hall.

"Gabby?" he asked, turning to me. He seemed wired and jumpy, like he'd go into full-one ninja mode is someone so much as tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" I asked.

Glancing behind him, Percy pulled me out of the bustling hall and stood next to the door of one of the art rooms. "At lunch, meet me at the tree. We need to talk."

I knew from that moment that something was going to happen. Nothing good ever came after the words We need to talk. I simply nodded and told him I would.

I turned away, heading off to my next class.

"Oh and Gabby?" I heard Percy's voice again.

"Stay safe."

That morning passed as a blur. Everything that my teachers said during my classes went in one ear and out the other; I just couldn't concentrate. That's why I was a little too excited when my free period came around. I was supposed to be catching up on the stuff that I missed while I was in the hospital, so I headed to the study hall.

The study hall was used by most students as the library, even though the actual library was much bigger and quieter. The study hall was usually full of the kids that skip class or have last-minute assignments to do, but it was pretty empty now because it was only the first week of school and most kids couldn't be bothered to skip class yet. That's something that I had noticed over the past couple of years: even the rebels go to class for at least the first week and a half, saying that it's to be 'ironic'.

Basically, they need a refresher of why they skipped class in the first place.

There were never many – if any – teachers in the study hall, so that's why it's such a popular hangout spot. Even so, there were hardly any people in there at the moment, with which I was quite glad. I needed a break from all the whispers and the stares. If being famous was anything like that, it was in that moment that I decided that it was something that I never wanted to be.

I sighed and placed my books down on one of the tables near the far side of the room. I sat down on the chair and opened my copy of Romeo and Juliet, and I made sure that I was holding the book the right way up this time.

After barely five minutes of reciting lines and copying stupid algorithms, I gave up, banged my head against the table and groaned.

"Fancy seeing you here," I heard a voice say behind me. "I was sure that you would be outside soaking up all the glory of being a war survivor."

Without lifting my head off the table, I replied: "Shut up Bender."

I heard Nathaniel slide into the chair next to mine and place his bag on the floor. "I don't blame you for trying to get away from it all. Being a celebrity around these parts is rough."

"And you would know that how?" I retorted, finally lifting my head out of my hands and looking him in the eye.

"Ouch," he laughed placing his hand over his chest. "I'm wounded. Are you always this outspoken?"

"Not usually," I said. "But for you I made an exception. Are you always this egotistical?"

"Why yes, yes I am," Nathaniel smiled widely and I noticed that he had in a lip ring that I hadn't seen before.

"Jerk," I muttered, smiling slightly.

"I heard that!"

"You were supposed to," I laughed.

After that, Nathaniel and I talked. Even though we got off to a rough start the other day, I found out that he was actually a really cool guy. Our legs began to fall asleep after a while, so we got up and began walking around the shelves of encyclopedias and school records.

I found out a lot about Nathaniel that afternoon. First off, I found out that no one actually called him Nathaniel; that he preferred to be called Nate. He had three sisters, all younger, and they were all really close. His dad was a professor at a university and his mom was a software developer, and they liked to listen to old 80's pop. Nate got his first piercing when he was fourteen and his favorite piece of clothing was his grandfather's old leather biker jacket, which he wore almost every day.

We almost got through the hour without either of us mentioning what happened that morning. Surprisingly though, I was the one who mentioned it.

"Nate, do you think I'm crazy?"

He turned to me, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Am I crazy?" I repeated. "Or is this just one massive joke? Does Violet exist?"

Nate sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I never knew her, whether she exists or not."

"But she does!" I said, starting to get a little worked up. "I've seen her at school every day since my first day of high school! I bumped into her on the street after almost getting hit by a taxi! She freaking attacked me! She must exist!"

"I believe you," Nate said, speaking so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

I stopped and turned to him. "What?"

"I believe you," he said sincerely. "Well, I believe that you believe it."

"Thanks," I whispered, not entirely sure whether I should actually be thanking him or not.

Nate leaned against one of the bookshelves and started absentmindedly playing with the bracelet on his wrist. "You did take quite a bump to the head from what Percy's told me. It's possible that this is just the aftermath of your concussion."

I smiled grimly. "I suppose."

"You know," he mused, "there is a way that we can actually find out whether this Violet of yours actually does exist."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. The school records. You know, the yearbooks."

Cue mental face palm. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because I'm awesome and you're not."

I huffed. "Dream on loser."

Ten minutes and a whole lot of dusty yearbooks later, Nate closed the last one and looked at me worriedly.

"She wasn't there," I whispered.

Nate hesitated to say anything and when he finally opened his mouth, he closed it again and looked away.

Placing the most recent yearbook back on the shelf, he turned to me. "Don't worry," he smiled sadly. "It'll be fine. You'll work out what's going on." At that moment, the bell rang for our break. "I've got to go. Coach wants a couple of us to do some extra trials."

I nodded and picked up my bag, breathing deeply. "Yeah, Percy asked me to meet him anyway."

"Oh yeah!" Nate smiled. "Congratulate him on getting swim captain for me."

Swim captain?

"I will."

And with that, Nate walked out of the hall, giving me a salute of a wave before turning the corner, leaving me to collect my books and feel a little disappointed that Percy didn't tell me about his swim captainship. I didn't blame him though, he seemed a bit…out of it that morning.

I sighed and shook my head, reopening the yearbook that Nate had put back moments before.

It was as I had said before: Violet wasn't there.

Did you enjoy that? I hope you did and that it was worth the wait.

I would love to thank every single one of you for helping me pass 17 000 views and 100 reviews. It's absolutely incredible!

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Wish me luck on my exams!

Kisses,
Daphne

PS: Oh, and to Bibliophilic12 and anyone else who was wondering, I do have a Wattpad account. I haven't started posting any original stories on there yet, but I definitely will soon. If you have a Wattpad account, follow me and stuff. (I will follow you back if you mention that you came over from my FanFiction account. The link is on my profile.