Chapter 4: Breaking the News

Waking up was definitely not Annabeth's favourite thing to do. She didn't remember waking up on the first five days of her life, but the sixth was memorable or so she was told. That was the GOLDEN day she woke up at this orphanage. After that, she usually woke up to someone crying on being hired or injured or starved or beaten. When hired, she woke up early usually to a cold splash on water in the face by Piper urging her to wake up. But in her history of waking up, this had to be the worse. She opened her eyes just to find her whole body aching and a migraine. Her side throbbed and she couldn't move her wrist. She looked at her side to find piper sitting there tear tracks on her face and new one forming in her eyes. Behind her was a lady, a noble by the looks of her, smiling at her. She radiated a motherly vibe with brown hair and welcoming blue eyes and was dressed in a simple dress or as simple s noble's dresses get that reached her ankles. She thought she had imagined her as when she blinked twice, the woman was gone.

She turned her attention back to Piper who engulfed her in a bone crushing hug, the moment their eyes met. She was sobbing now while Annabeth struggled to breathe.

"Pipes, you're crushing me."

After this, Piper loosened her grip on her but still didn't let do, sobbing on her shoulder. "You got me worried, Annie. I thought you'll die and I was scared that I'd lose my only friend. Heck, you're a lot more than my best friend. Don't do this. Ever again."

Annabeth smiled. This time she didn't reprimand Piper for calling her Annie. This time, maybe waking up wasn't so bad after all.

xx-xx

Percy hurried into the conference room which was basically the rec room with chairs around the pool table and loads of snacks instead of pool balls on it. He had called a meeting to discuss the snippets of conversation he had eavesdropped on.

"Look who's here. Take a seat, Sleeping Beauty." Thalia said in her usual tone or at least the one she used around him which was basically a mix of sarcasm, sass, irritation and humour. Because she said that he had the ability to get on his nerves.

"Why did you call the meeting, Percy?" Jason asked. "I warn you, if it is about Thalia spreading rumours about your birthday, I have got my sword with me. Hurry up; I've got to meet Reyna in fifteen minutes. Reyna was Jason's best friend who was crushing on him since they were six and was extremely possessive of him. She was pretty, he guessed with long dark hair and dark eyes with pale skill and loads of ego.

"Are you two dating?" Leo asked him. He was a servant at Jason's place but was his partner in crime too. The guy looked more or less like a Latino elf. Unlike girls, men belonging to inferus community had a few rights and weren't exactly chosen.

"That's beyond the point." Jason said trying to change the topic which Percy was glad about. As juicy as that conversation was, it took hours to complete it. Last time they were planning Reyna's birthday party and the whole time was very conveniently given to this conversation and well that was one of the worst party's in the history of parties.

"So why are we here, Kelp Head?" Thalia asked. Just his extremely loving and courteous cousin.

"Dad's getting me an inferus." He said. "A female slave."

"How do you know?" Frank asked

"I may have eavesdropped."

Majority of the teenagers sighed.

"And?"Thalia asked him.

"I don't know." Percy said. The group was silent.

"Order her. Just don't be abusive or like those other guys, the other noble's children." Hazel said. She had been so quiet; Percy had almost forgotten she was there alone with her boyfriend Frank. They both were normal civilians and a part of their group.

"Hazel is right. Nothing to fret about, you idiot." Jason said. "That's all?"

"Yeah" Percy said sheepishly rubbing his neck.

"Now I know why Thalia calls you Kelp Head." Jason told him as the 'council' was dismissed.

xx-xx

Remember how about four hundred words ago; Annabeth said that maybe waking up wasn't that bad after all. Well, she was WRONG. Completely and utterly wrong. About five minutes after she woke up, Piper was called back to work by the owner who said that she wanted to discuss an important matter with her. The said girl was gone for forty five minutes during which Annabeth pushed herself up on the bed and contemplated the last forty eight hours. She shuddered. Just thinking about that sent goosebumps up her arms and she had the sudden urge to scream and cry.

Piper arrived looking very tired. Annabeth raised an eyebrow to which she shrugged looking away. Annabeth frowned, her eyes narrow and Piper sighed. It was strange how they had full-fledged conversations and even arguments just by expressions.

"What is it, Pipes?" She asked the frustration evident in her voice.

"We're hired again." The one in question blurted out after thirty annoying seconds of silence.

"Together?"

"Yeah. Not exactly, though. By cousins who live together."

Annabeth nodded. Her reaction was completely different from what Piper had anticipated. Her face was empty of any emotion. Her eyes steely and lips pursed together. If there was an Olympic event for keeping a poker face, Annabeth would definitely win.

"When do we go?" She asked.

"In a week. Once you have recovered a bit." Piper said in a firm tone. The amount of arguing it had taken was immense, but finally the noble, Sally Jackson said a week was fine as it was her son's birthday that day. This though innocent infuriated piper. Now they were birthday gifts for some spoiled brats.

She didn't tell this to Annabeth but knowing her she would have speculated it just by looking at her. She was horrible at hiding emotions.

"You go rest. You need it, Piper." Annabeth said in a surprisingly gentle tone, one she used rarely.

"What about you?" Piper asked.

"I'll be fine. I'll be seventeen in two months, for Olympus's sake." Annabeth told her. Piper left the room leaving an Annabeth who was trying to make herself believe what she had made piper believe.

They'll be fine.