Want the truth? I'm really not in the best of moods. I was in a good mood up until now. I was replying to EVERYONE'S reviews and it was going awesomely until I accidently got out of this tab as I was writing. I hate you, Life.
Okay, thank you everyone for reviewing, special thanks to MrCoyote, my online-friend-from-who-knows-where, and HAWTgeek, who is also my online-friend-from-who-knows-where. I'm not showing favoritism, children, calm yourselves sillies.
Don't worry, I did indeed read EVERYONE'S reviews and they all touched my heart and made me cry and I ended up donating millions of dollars. *glances at script* Or uh...something like that.
Honestly, I recently got an alarmingly motivational review from my one of my other stories that really made an impact on me and made me feel real guilty and it just kept NAGGING and NAGGING like an annoying little dog that humps your leg until I finally decided to kick the dog outside and write this. New year, new start, eh?
Suggestions, thoughts, comments and concerns? Type 'em up in a review, anonymous or otherwise, and I'll be sure to get back to you.
I gazed up at the stars in the sky, wondering absentmindedly how much time had passed here in Ogygia. Two minutes? Two hours? Two days? Months? Weeks? Years? It was so peaceful here, with waves crashing against the sand and the palms trembling in the warm tropical breeze.
I could faintly hear Calypso humming as she tended to her Moonlace. I smiled. Her voice was soothing.
Closing my eyes, I conjured a picture of Calypso and me in the future. We could be out for a stroll on the beach, holding hands. Or making futile attempts to climb the tallest palm tree we could find, laughing. Watering her Moonlace together, chatting. Or just lying in the sand, dozing off in the sun.
It all seemed too good to be real; an eternity with Calypso. Too perfect. A dream. What more could I ask for?
I heard her walk over and lie down next to me, whispering, "How are you?"
"How are you?" I shot back, smirking.
"Good, thank you."
"Then I'm feeling wonderful," I whispered, opening my eyes and grinning back.
She smiled, love in her eyes. I think I was the same. She was even more beautiful than Aphrodite ever could imagine being, and she had the most precious heart of gold.
I reached over and tucked a strand of wavy caramel colored hair behind her ear, my hand lingering as I told her honestly, "You're beautiful."
Her cheeks turned the color of a rose and I added, "I didn't mean on the outside, even though you are beautiful on the outside, but I originally meant you. Just Calypso."
She scooted closer, hesitantly setting her soft hand on my cheek and leaning forward. I knew what she was going to do, and I knew I would respond just the way she wanted me to.
But I don't think I can take knowing this.
I quickly sat up, eyes watering as I looked out to the crashing waves that had once calmed me. It now brought panic. Something's not right here.
But what?
She sat up as well, looking down at her hands guiltily with a sigh. "I...I apologize for that. I know you love that girl, Annabeth, whom you always talked about."
Annabeth.
Annabeth! How could I have forgotten her?
I smiled sadly at her. "It's okay, but I have to leave."
"I know," she whispered, "just...please. Stay one more day?"
One more day away from Annabeth. One more day with Calypso.
One more day of Annabeth grieving my supposed death. One more day, my last day, with Calypso.
A day of grief and hope.
I look up at the stars, gazing at the moon.
"One day," I promised the moon, like Annabeth could hear me. I turned back to Calypso and kissed her cheek and gave her a short hug before I told her I was going to bed. She nodded in agreement and went to bed, too.
One day.
I think I was heading towards the churro stand, but I couldn't really remember. I only knew that Percy wasn't coming back this time. He came back from the train wreck, he lived when Gabe had attempted to drown him, he had returned from when Gabe's goons were supposed to cut off his limbs and leave him to bleed to death, he even survived the plane crash, even after being in a persistent vegetative coma for three weeks. I remember that. He was supposed to become a cripple, with his legs no longer functioning, but he still—he had walked after that.
He wasn't coming back this time.
I was so stupid, coming to this carnival where anyone could see me, but I'd realized that my birthday was in a week. In a week, I'd probably be at that camp Hephaestus told me about, but I wouldn't make friends. Not when my best friend and love was gone.
I figured I might as well attempt to continue life, for Percy's sake. If what I read about the Underworld is correct, he should be in Elysium right about now with his mom and my parents. He didn't know them, but I know they would have loved him. They probably did now.
He would probably go for a second and third life, wanting to end up in the Isle of the Blessed. He'd be a completely different, younger person while I was either old, wrinkled, gray, and shopping at the Ye Old Granny Super Market, or dead. Or maybe young and alive, if the Fates allowed me to be alive while he was.
If I was old enough, I'd probably be drinking right now.
With a sigh, I left. It wasn't even worth it.
"There she is! Ha, ha! Luck, eh?" I froze.
Please no.
"Where's that little asshole, eh brat?"
Not now. Not him.
"I ought to teach him a lesson. See what he did to me?"
I turned and winced, seeing Gabe with a long scar down his arm. Wow, Percy you are beast with that knife...
"Get here, little bitch," he sneered, taking out a pistol. Oh no.
I turned and ran as fast as I could, then dodge right into an abandoned warehouse when I heard a bullet fly past.
I whistled softly, looking around. After I'd landed at a beach, I realized I didn't really have a plan, so I just walked around looking for a blonde head of curly hair or the truck we had. I really wish there was some way to contact her.
A strange, yet not unknown, sound pierced my thoughts and several other people looked around like I did. Gunshots? Someone pulled the trigger again, so I ran towards it. I heard yelling and laughing and more gunshots from an old, abandoned building. I got to help the person!
Turns out, it's really hard to maneuver through there.
"C'mon," I mumbled. "Where are you?"
"Hey-ya little Jackson," Johnny growled. His voice was just behind me. "Oh, your father will be so pleased." There was a little click and something cold and metal was pressed to the back of my head. "Let's go."
"No way." I spun, clasping my hands together, and hit him hard in the ribs before getting him in the crotch. It was one of those WWAD (What Would Annabeth Do) moments. "He's not my father!"
I took his gun and knocked him unconscious with it before running off to find Annabeth. If Gabe and Johnny were here, then it was a sure thing that Annabeth was here.
Clang!
"Ow! Stupid ladder...Wait, a ladder!" I climbed up it quickly so I could hopefully see what was going on. There was so much debris and rubble, though, and I can't—oh! There she is!
Annabeth's heading towards the exit!
"Jackson!"
Thump! Oh...oh, that hurt...Was that a brick? A stone? Wood? It hurt...so...much...
Annabeth...
It was kind of dim when I woke up. There was a rush of sound, kind of like a continuous wave, and I was every few seconds. Why am I in a car? And...on the freeway?
"I'm going to pound the punk when he wakes up...The little..."
"You weren't hit with your own gun," a gruff voice interrupted. "My ribs are bruised, too."
"I heard you complaining about your balls earlier," a snicker came, from beside me.
"You have balls?" Another voice laughed, to my right. "I would have never guessed!"
"Why, I ought to—"
"HEY! Shut up!" Gabe shouted. "Shit, that car keeps tailing me!"
Annabeth? Rachel?
"Some crazy teenager—DAMMIT! The little shit just—"
Screech! We slammed into something hard and my eyes refused to stay closed any longer. I tried to open the door and...Crap! It's locked and I can't open it! I slammed Marcus's head into the window, which promptly shattered it, and I kicked away the remainders before pushing myself through it.
"Jackson! I'll find you, Jackson!" Gabe screamed.
"Percy!"
Rachel! A door opened and I jumped through, past Annabeth, onto the seat. She closed it and scowled at me murderously.
"Rachel?" I squeaked.
"Shh! I'm driving!" Rachel drives like a maniac. I guess she's not used to being the one to drive her somewhere.
Annabeth, looking haggard and exhausted, huffed and turned her back to me, staring out the window.
I don't think she feels like talking. Though I really wanted to do otherwise, I sat there next to her, silent, and unable to think of any words for the grand apology I planned. It would swipe her off her feet and she would forgive me; there would be blue cookies, cakes and balloons.
It was after we reached the Dares' home and as we were stomping up the stairs carelessly that I figured I could just drop all the cheesy metaphors and tell her the truth.
Rachel, I swear, is telepathic; she gave me a pointed look that drifted over to Annabeth before leaving us alone in her room.
"I, uh," I cleared my throat, "I see she got the window fixed."
No answer. Annabeth didn't even acknowledge my presence.
It was at that exact moment that I realized how much it would hurt if Annabeth decided I wasn't worth her time. She could just hop on one of Rachel's private jets and leave me. What have I done for her? I've teased her endlessly when she's trying to say something serious. I only partially listen to her most of the time. I don't even give her feelings a spare thought.
What haven't I done that would prove I'm not worth her time?
Oh, gods, I'm crying. Gods, stop crying...stop it...Why am I crying? I can fix this...I can fix this...No I can't.
I turned away and subtly rubbed my eyes. Who am I kidding? Annabeth means the world to me. I could hardly breathe if she hated me.
I can't believe him. He's so reckless and how the heck is he even alive? Who survives a volcanic eruption that you're in the smack-dab-middle of?
I heard Percy clear his throat behind me and his clothes rustled as he moved. Don't come over here...Don't touch me...
Percy then let out a slight sniffle and a shaky breath.
When I turned, Percy looked slightly alarmed when he realized I'd seen him. Then, he put his hands on his hips and a determined, sort of defiant expression came onto his face as he strode quickly over to the window. I watched as he rubbed his eyes.
"Percy?" I said softly. This has to be the first time I've really seen Percy cry.
"I'm fine," he mumbled. His voice cracked.
"Percy, don't—"
"Annabeth, it's fine. You'll only make me feel worse."
My heart broke and I felt like crying myself. I don't really know why, though. It just hurt that something was too big for even Percy to handle with a grin.
"Gods, Percy, stop acting like a guy! Let me help you."
"No," he said strongly, but a little watery. "I can do this. I don't want you to help with this. I want to do it myself."
"Percy, if it's making you like this, don't even bother with it. It's not worth i—"
"Don't say that!" he shouted, turning on me. "Never say that! You are worth it, Annabeth! There's nothing you can do about it! You mean the world to me and I will make up for everything I've done to you!" He stormed out of Rachel's room.
Rachel came in cautiously and looked at me questioningly.
"I think he wants to apologize for something..." She nodded for more. "And...I think he just sort of said he loved me."