I am a complete arsehole. There, I said it. A complete and utter arsehole. It's been, like, a million years since I've updated even though my New Year's Resolution was to finish this story. Well we can see how well that turned out. I would like to say a massive thank you to Floridagirl360 and Ester and literally anyone who's been putting up with my inconsistent updates... Unsurprisingly, this chapter is a little short, but I will try to update as soon as I can. I've been dealing with some terrible writer's block and some mental issues as well, but everything's more or less better now. Thanks again for putting up with me.

It was exactly six days since the disappearance of Kayleigh's friend, Violet, and I still seemed to be the only one to remember that she actually exists. I couldn't tell Mom, no, she'd freak and make us move to Australia. Or at least take me to a psychologist.

She could tell that something was wrong. She kept trying to sit me down and 'chat', but I always cut her off and made some lame excuse as to why I have to go. As a result, I've been spending less and less time at home, and more and more time at school.

This was one of those days. I knew that Percy wouldn't get here until at least quarter past eight, so I had a good forty-five minutes to waste – ahem, I mean use – to my advantage to get homework done.

So, naturally, I headed to the library. I don't particularly like the place, but I knew that Kayleigh and Scott would never be caught in Nerd Central.

The library was a large narrow room separate to the rest of the school. It had dark marble floor and high ceilings. The mahogany doors were tall and decorated with elaborate carvings of scenes that I did not quite understand. Light streamed in through the stained glass windows that depicted the different Stations of the Cross, as the building was once an old church, but turned into a library by the local council.

Sounds bounced off the walls creating a never ending echo and the gaze of the paintings on the wall seemed to follow you around wherever you go.

All in all, the place gives me the creeps. On the other hand, it is a sanctuary away from the havoc that high-school life causes, which is the reason I tolerate the eerie shadows, the creaky doors and the – well, you get the idea.

I was sitting in the back of the library, hidden behind numerous bookshelves and away from Mrs Peabody. She's a thin and frail old woman with pursed lips and thinning grey hair pulled into a bun so tight that her features were stretched across her face in a way that had to have been painful.

If she heard you speak at a level above seventy decibels, she'd scowl at you over the rims of her beaded spectacles and shush you with a finger to her compressed lips. And that is why I prefer sitting away from her desk.

My head was in my hands, my eyes sore from trying to decipher the rest of my scene from Romeo and Juliet. I must have fallen asleep, because I was woken by the sound of my textbooks falling to the floor with a dull thud.

Sighing, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and leaned out of my chair to retrieve my assorted items that I had dropped.

As I reached for my Science textbook, my hand connected with another. It took me a few moments to register this, and I was a bit perplexed at the fact that someone was actually helping me. Either that, or it's just another idiot about to taunt me about God knows what and then throw my book across the room, which would result in a lifetime ban from Mrs Peabody for the 'disrespect and misuse of historical literature and excessive noise in a place of peaceful sanctuary'.

I prefer the former.

At first, I thought that it was Percy, but then I realised that, unless I had slept for a good half hour, he would still be strolling – not particularly quickly – to school. Then I thought that it could be Nate. Strong, silent, sarcastic Nate. But he would never go to the library before school. Or at all, if he could avoid it. If anything, he'd be in the gym, practicing some sparring with a punching bag.

Then I noticed that, in fact, it wasn't a boy's hand that mine had brushed, and it wasn't a boy's head that collided with mine as I looked up.

"Ow!" we cried simultaneously. I didn't recognise the voice. New student?

I clutched my head and groaned. I opened my eyes, picked up my textbook and placed it on the table.

I didn't recognise the girl in front of me, but I felt like I had seen her before. I held out my hand to help her up and she took it. When she stood, I could tell that she was at least an inch and a half taller than me, and was lean and muscular. Her hair was light, as was the scar that stretched from her elbow to the middle of the underside of her forearm.

"Sorry about that," she said. "You just looked like you could've used some help."

I stared at her and rubbed my head, where I'm sure a bruise was starting to form. I opened my mouth to say something but somehow, no sound came out.

The girl picked up my World History textbook and flicked through the pages one by one until she came to a page about the Ancient Greek civilization, which her eyes lingered on longer the others.

I must have been standing there for a while, for the girl asked me if I was alright.

"What?" I replied, snapped out of my trance. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm okay. I'm just not used to being used to helped by anyone. You know, voluntarily…"

I shrugged as I started to pile my books into my bag.

"I'm Gabby, by the way," I said, holding out my hand for her to shake. "Gabriella Winnok."

The girl smiled and picked her bag off of the marble floor. We locked eyes for a moment and I remembered where I recognized her from.

"I'm –" the girl began, but I cut her off.

"Annabeth Chase," I whispered, finishing for her. She recoiled her hand for a split second and her other hand went directly to her hip, where I thought I could see the glint of something glinting bronze.

"How do you know that?" Annabeth's voice pierced the unnatural silence that had fallen over us. Her eyes were glinting, alert with anticipation.

"Your boyfriend told me about you," I said. "He sits next to me in Algebra class."

"You know Percy?" Annabeth asked me.

"Yeah," I said, smiling. "We've become good friends."

"I'm glad," she whispered to herself. "I'm very glad."

I glanced at my watch and picked up my bag.

"Hey Annabeth," I stuttered, a little bit nervous. "If you need someone to, you know, show you around, I'd be happy to…"

I looked down at my shoes and saw that my shoelaces were untied. I was a bit surprised at my boldness; I still wasn't used to talking to people in such a direct way.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. I snapped my head up and looked at her. She was smiling. "I'd like that."

Before you all leave, I'd just like to mention that I'm posting an original story on FictionPress called A Journey Through Life if you'd like to check it out.

Thanks so much. Your support means a lot to me :)

Kisses,
Daphne