Author's Note:

Hi! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a REALLY long time. To make it up to you...hmm, what should I do?

Review with ideas!

Thanks,

SOS

Chapter 3

"I'm quitting the band," Percy announced, walking into the studio the next day.

"What?" his bandmate Jason cried. "But you can't! You're the lead singer, the face of the band, the reason we became so famous!"

"Well, you heard about...Well, about my mom." Percy's voice lowered awkwardly as he began to move into the subject.

"Yeah, man. We're sorry and all, but why does that affect you playing in the band?" The shy drummer, Frank, spoke up.

"It doesn't matter. You wouldn't understand. I just quit." With that, Percy stormed out of the studio and slammed the door.

And then he ran. He ran all the way to where Annabeth was walking out of the gates of the parking lot. She looked surprised to see him, but she smiled anyway.

"Percy, are you okay? You look like you've raced a mile," Annabeth remarked.

"I'm not okay. I just quit the band and I don't know what to do. I need my mom." Percy may have been a bit freaked out from his ordeal, and he was acting a little crazy.

"Oh, Percy..." Annabeth said gently. "Let's just get you to somewhere safe, okay?"

"But...I can't." Percy looked like he was about to cry.

"Why not?" Annabeth wondered.

"Because...I don't have a mom anymore." A tear fell out of his eye.

"Just because she's dead doesn't mean she's gone," Annabeth reasoned. "You never know; she might be watching over you right now."

"Help me, Annabeth," Percy pleaded. "I think I'm going crazy."

"Percy..." Annabeth didn't know what to say. "Tell you what, let's bring you to my house and get you cleaned up. Then we can make decisions from there."

"Can I drive?" Percy begged.

"That's not a good idea under the circumstances," Annabeth said gently. "If I drive, I'll give you a cookie."

Percy's face brightened slightly. "Okay!"

They got into the car with no complaints. Driving in silence for more than five minutes worried Annabeth. Weren't people supposed to talk about their trauma?

She decided not to question it, until she glanced over at him when she had a spare moment at a stoplight. He was asleep.

She didn't want him to drool in her car, so she shook him. When that didn't work, she tried every other tactic she could think of - yelling at him, turning the radio up loud... Even shaking a little water on him.

But he wouldn't wake up.