Chapter 7

(Thoughts are in italics.)

"In here, NOW" A shrill voice shouted. Actually the word shrill was too mild for the voice. The voice was so high pitched that it was a surprise the building had any glass left which did not consist of a varying number of cracks.

It was quite evident what a wonderful wake-up call the voice would make (Note the sarcasm). And this was the exact wake up call, Annabeth received on the morning of 18th August. Whether it could be called a morning or not, she wasn't sure. The sun wasn't even up as it was barely past 3:30 in the morning. It was dark, not that she minded and the whole place had a gloomy demeanour. And then there your majesty shrieking like there was no tomorrow. Another great way to start your day, or night.

The woman had herself made an appearance in the infirmary at five past three to wake her up. For what, she had no idea. She was in the infirmary which meant she was not all that healthy and shouldn't the sick be well rested? Not that anyone over here cared except for a few friends and Thea was surely not one of them.

The lady, then, had asked her to get dressed and meet her in the office. It was not Annabeth's fault that she had fallen asleep on of the chairs outside. A person was bound to get drowsy if you wake her up at three in the night and ask her to sit idle in a chair for twenty minutes for you are too busy doing something inside the room.

So here she was, getting her eardrums busted as she woke up groggily her neck stiff from sleeping on the chair. She stretched her sore body just to have a sudden jolt of pain rise up her wrist, entered the room and found Thea sitting on one of the couches.

Thea was a middle-aged lady in her late forties and was the caretaker of this orphanage. The stereotypical caretaker has warm eyes, a plump figure, lips with a grin playing on them and basically a very welcoming personality. Thea was the polar opposite and that was putting it mildly. She had a bob of brown, slightly reddish hair along with black eyes that put to light the harshness of her personality. Her thin lips were always in a straight line and she radiated sheer coldness. She was the split image of the stereotypical old lady who made children cry in the park. She defined the word malicious. It was almost ironic how she had to take care of girls who needed just a bit of care and love while all she gave was bitterness.

Annabeth sat in front of her, the very existence of a couch making her want to sleep but one look into Thea's eyes she knew this was serious stuff.

"Annabeth." She said in a voice she assumed would be used by a judge when talking to a person guilty of mass murder. She knew that due to her full bookshelf which basically was the space under her and Piper's bunk. "I need to speak to you" She continued.

Gee, I could never have guessed that.

She nodded, staying quiet letting Thea continue whatever she was going to say.

"I have seen that your work in the past has been quite disappointing to say the least. You have been expelled from three households. Sir Ethan called in the morning."

Annabeth visibly paled at that.

"However you aren't going back to him because of a new employer. Though you should be grateful that you got one after your past performance." She continued only to be cut off by Annabeth

"It wasn't my fault that the guy decided to abuse me that too sexually." She said choosing her words carefully.

"You were his servant." Thea said in a menacing voice

"That never gave him the right." Annabeth said emphasizing each and every syllable.

"This is Exactly What I am Talking About." The brunette shrieked while Annabeth noted how she had to ask Travis or Connor to bring her a hearing aid. Talk about being subtle.

"Why am I here?" Annabeth asked calmly, the glare directed at her no longer affecting her. If there was one thing she was certain about, it was that the only way chaos could be avoided would be by lowering her voice yet not backing out.

"Well, I called you to tell you that if you are expelled out of this project too, then you would be severely punished-"

"I don't care." Annabeth said with a bitter laugh.

"Let me finish myself. You would be punished along with the frail little friend of yours. Now leave."

The lady was intelligent. Annabeth had to grant her that much credit. She walked out of the room in a daze walking to her dormitory instead of the infirmary and tried to fall asleep. It was funny how all she wanted was to sleep fifteen minutes ago and now, she couldn't.

Thea just gave her another way to wake up: Tell you are a threat to your best friend's safety. And that was a worse way to keep you awake instead of her painfully high voice.

Percy's POV(Yeah. This is in first person)

The party was great. Nothing I hadn't experienced before but still the fact that people loved me enough to take the trouble of setting up a whole party for plain old me(I don't have self esteem issues. I become humble at times like this.) made me grin wider than the Cheshire Cat. I am no fan of parties with music so loud that you couldn't hear each-other, with fountains overflowing with drinks which sometimes- scratch that- most of the times were spiked and with people you didn't even know asking you to dance with you. Instead I am fond of small gatherings where there were people I KNOW. Not people whom my mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, second cousin, distant friends know. Another thing I wanted was for the party to be cosy and comfortable.

Hazel and Thalia surely seemed to understand this as this seventeenth birthday party was exactly fitted in the latter category. Most of my friends were present and to top it off, there was a blue cake his Mom made me.

Life seemed to be pretty good. That was all that ran through my mind as I stood in front of the family garden littered with snack counters, a gazebo and his friends. It was four or five in the evening, he couldn't care less though there was a small voice in the back of my head that put me on alert for the night when I had to meet my 'personal caretaker'. Maybe it was because the caretaker was most probably Piper, I was quite uneasy with the idea. The conversation I had had with mom and dad went something like:

Dad: Perseus, you know why you're here?

Me: No? (Telling dad I had eavesdropped wouldn't be a really nice idea for all I know.)

Dad: You Percy are a grown up now. You must step up and take responsibilities…blah blah blah (I zoned out during this.) So, we've decided to get you a caretaker from the local facility.

Dad was good with words.

Me: Why are you telling me this?

Mom: because Percy it is you who is getting a caretaker. You must be on your best behaviour and not act like a jerk. You know what happened at Ethan's. Do you?

Me: Yes.

Dad: Percy, you are going to respect the girl and treat her with respect and not get all moody you often do. Do not put me to shame. Understand?

Me: I won't. Father

Believe me, that was Awkward with a capital A. I mean did they really think I'll ever droop as low as that silly excuse for a guy. I won't even dream of doing something like that.

"Percy. You there?" Jason asked me out of my reverie.

"Yeah" I told him offhandedly. I mean, couldn't a guy think in peace?

"Percy, Jason. Over here" Calypso shouted from the garden breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon the both of us.

She was beautiful, I had to grant her that much. With dark hair falling over her shoulders, almond shaped brown eyes, olive skin and the frame frail, she certainly looked quite angelic but there was or rather there wasn't anything between us except for the label that said that we were in a relationship.

We are just so different. And the attraction had died long ago but still it was better than anything. Plus she's quite a good kisser, if I say so myself.

xx-xx

The rest of the party passed away in a blur. It was dancing, eating, singing, dancing and repeat. I looked at the clock to see it was half past ten. Everyone but the family had left. Only Jason, mom, dad and Tyson were there. Thalia had left with Reyna to discuss something or the other but the guys knew them well enough to be on alert for the next few days. If one thing I had learned in the five years I'd known Reyna for, it was that SHE WAS DANGEROUS (and extremely possessive of Jason.)

And so here we were, in the car with Mom and Dad in the front and me and Jason in the back. Tyson was asleep at the house. Jason was quite jittery as mom and dad had told him that even he was getting a caretaker. He had gotten the same pep talk as me resulting in him spitting out his coke thrice which would've been quite funny if he hadn't spit it on me.

We finally reached the shabby building and met up with a lady called Thea who spent about twenty minutes telling us her biography with special emphasis on the achievements page which was really, very, very repetitive.

Then to top it off, the girls were fifteen minutes late which resulted in another monologue about the history of her family.

Finally, a girl made her way out of the building and whispered something to Thea causing her to scowl which made her look quite funny.

The girl fortunately was Piper. She was dressed in a plain cotton dress similar to the one she wore that day. Thea left with my parents to do some paperwork and Piper curtsied and then went on to introduce herself. He noticed that she looked a tired and her voice had a slight bitterness to it which was justified.

"I'm Percy and I guess you'll be my new caretaker." I said extending my hand which she hesitantly shook. The girl should understand that I don't bite.

"Actually, I'm here for someone called Jason which I assume is you" she said pointed at my cousin who looked shocked to put it mildly.

"What about me then?" I asked just to be cut off by a girl around my age running over to us and coming to stand besides Piper.

"I'm Annabeth" she said in a monotone as if she had rehearsed it over and over again yet the tinge of bitterness and disdain peeked out from under the flat tone.

With a start I realised she was the same blonde who had told me off that day.

"Hello." He said raising his hand for a polite handshake. She, however made no attempt to return it and instead looked at my hand like it was the plague. For a second, a look of fear crossed her face but it could've been my imagination for all I know.

"Too good for me. Aren't you?"

She just looked down and pursed her lips.

Well, I'm in for a wild ride for all I know.