Depression, friends, crushes, school, grades, parents, sleep deprivation, you know, teenage life. Yeah, that's what I got caught up in. And I'm really, really sorry. If you're still there, and if you still stuck around to hear what happened after the big cliffhanger, well then, I hope you enjoy.

Stuck In My Head: Hollow by Tori Kelly (Ft. Big Sean)

Shout out to TheOneThatSitsAndLISTENS: You are an amazing person.

And another shout out to HispanicThug: I hope you're doing well in school!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the PJO characters or any of the songs used in the story

Chapter 15: The Only Reason

Previously on Eighteen:

Chp 1: "Um… I'm 22 as well."

Chp 4: "Percy, I love you."

Chp 6: "I love you and I should have told you that in the first place."

Chp 7: "His name was Luke… he cheated on me."

Chp 10: "I may have kissed him but that's because he forced me to… I forgive you… I, 17 year old Percy Jackson, had sex with 22 year old Annabeth Chase."

Chp 13: "The only reason I stayed with you after you cheated on me was because I had a feeling you were good in bed… Someone got hit by a car… It-it's Annabeth Chase… I can't do this anymore… I need to tell Annabeth my real age."

Chp 14: "Names Ashely Warner… How could you not know that having sex with someone over 18 while you're still a minor is illegal?!... Annabeth, I'm not 22… I'm 17."

I gave you the key when the door wasn't open

Just admit it

See I gave you faith turned your doubt in hoping

Can't deny it

Now I'm all alone and my joys turned to moping

Tell me here, where are you now that I need you?

Where are you now? (Where are you now?)

Where are you now that I need you?

Couldn't find you anywhere

When you broke down I didn't leave you

I was by your side, so where are you now that I need you…

Where are you now that I need you?

The EDM blared through my headphones as the car swerved through the busy streets of Manhattan. Leo let out a string of curses in Spanish as a car cut us. My right hand gripped onto the roll-over handle, staring ahead, deadpan.

"Where are you guys? The show starts in ten minutes!" Nico's voice said through the car speakers (Leo had his phone connected to the AUX cord).

"We're almost there! Sleepy head here wasn't ready when I got to his house." He looked at me pointedly. I rolled my eyes and shut him and Nico out by putting my other headphone on.

"There's a lot of people here…" Nico listened to my comments about the large crowd of fans as he messed around with his guitar.

"What do you expect? Thalia sent out the word about our concert here to pretty much everyone in the whole school." I sighed and continued to scan the large crowd for her face.

"You find her yet?" Nico asked as if he read my mind. I chewed on my lip and shook my head.

"No… I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't here, she really made it clear she didn't want me-"

"Y'all ready?" The stagehand interrupted with his deep southern accent. I shut the curtain, walking over to another stagehand that held my guitar. Grabbing it, I slung it over my shoulder. I grabbed my microphone, placing it into the mic stand. The MC for the small bar started to announce our presence.

An uproar of cheers filled the small bar as the curtains opened, revealing our band of four. I cleared my throat into the mic yet it was only drowned out by the loud audience. After a while, the cheers started to die down, waiting for us to start our performance. My eyes glanced around the crowd, hoping to spot the only person I wished was here.

Then she caught my eye. In the back of the bar, barely walking in, the door made a large thwack as it shut. I gulped quietly as we met eyes.

Memories of what happened two days ago flooded my mind…

"Please tell me you're lying." She shut her eyes, probably hoping I was just joking around. I shook my head.

"N-No…"A frown made its way to her face. A small tear slipped out and ran down her cheek. She reopened her eyes, sadness and betrayal shown in her grey stormy hues.

"How could you lie to me? After all we've been through…" She gasped, as if she were suddenly remembering something.

"What?" I asked quietly. Her hand shot up to her mouth. Another gasp came out. She looked at me with slightly wide eyes. I repeated my question.

She took moment to speak again. She looked like she was having an inner battle with her mind, as if she was trying to figure out how to react to this whole situation. She slowly looked at me, meeting eyes. Grey on green. We stared into each other's eyes for some time. In that moment, I thought that she was going to say, "Oh. Okay. That's okay. We can stay together." But no. That's not at all what I got.

"You… You need to leave." She finally decided. That was when my whole world seemed to end. My voice got caught in my throat.

"No." I croaked out desperately. "No, no, no, please, Annie. I love you. Please forgive me." Everything went wrong. One second, I was begging for her forgiveness and the next, I was outside the hospital, shoulders slumped and my heart broken into a million pieces…

"…Perce." Nico whispered over the quieting down crowd. I tore my eyes away from hers, glancing over at the bass player.

"Y-Yeah?" Nico made a gestured to my mic, silently telling me to start the show. I nodded slowly, averting my eyes away. I tried not to meet eyes with her again but I failed.

"T-" I choked on my own spit. I cleared my throat.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. This is a new song. I hope you like it." I walked backwards towards Beck's drum set. I fidgeted with nervousness. Her grey eyes pierced into my soul, giving me weird feelings in my stomach.

A strange sense of déjà vu came to me. Back to when I had sang that song (Little Things) to Annabeth, when I was trying to prove to her that I loved her back. But this was more serious. Our relationship was at stake. Either this song would work or not. And I really hoped it would work like last time.

The song started, my eyes stayed on hers.

(The Only Reason by 5 Seconds of Summer)
N=Nico P=Percy B=Beck L=Leo A=All

(N) Don't talk, let me think it over

How we gonna fix this?

How we gonna undo all the pain?

Tell me, is it even worth it?

Looking for a straight line

Taking back the time we can't replace

I slung my hand onto my mic and poured my heart into my small verse, keeping my eyes on her.

(P) All the crossed wires

Just making us tired

Is it too late to bring us back to life?

(A) When I close my eyes and try to sleep

I fall apart, I find it hard to breathe

You're the reason, the only reason

Even though my dizzy head is numb,

I swear my heart is never giving up

You're the reason, the only reason

(L) I feel you burning under my skin

I swear I see you shining

Brighter than the flame inside your eyes

(B) Bitter words spoken,

Everything broken

It's never too late to bring us back to life

(A) When I close my eyes and try to sleep

I fall apart, I find it hard to breathe

You're the reason, the only reason

Even though my dizzy head is numb,

I swear my heart is never giving up

You're the reason, the only reason

I grabbed my mic off the stand, jumping off the stage. I sang my way over to Annabeth.

Oh, oh, oh, only reason, the only reason

Oh, oh, oh, only reason, the only reason

Approaching her, I reached out for her hand.

(P) Don't talk, let me think it over

How we gonna fix this?

How we gonna undo all the pain?...

She backed away from me, shook her head, and walked out the bar. I was so shocked, I missed my cue for the chorus.

(N, L, B) When I close my eyes and try to sleep

I fall apart, I find it hard to breathe

You're the reason, the only reason

Even though my dizzy head is numb,

I swear my heart is never giving up

You're the reason, the only reason

I heaved a heavy sigh and ran back to the stage to finish up the song.

(A) When I close my eyes and try to sleep

I fall apart, I find it hard to breathe

You're the reason, the only reason

Even though my dizzy head is numb

I swear my heart is never giving up

You're the reason, the only reason…

My knee bounced up and down nervously as I sat on Cajon backstage. I put my sweat soaked head in my hands.

I screwed up. I screwed up my last chance with Annabeth…

As I continued to sulk, footsteps echoed all around me. Someone was walking towards me. I didn't bother to look at who it was.

"Perce…" Nico spoke. I sighed quickly, lifted my head out of my hands and resting it on my clenched fists instead.

"Yeah?" I mumbled. He crouched down in front of me.

"How're you holding up?" I refused to meet eyes with him.

"I don't know…" Nico scratched his cheek.

"I'm sorry… About… You know." I sucked in a deep breath and leaned up straight, rubbing my sweaty palms on my thighs in the process.

"It's alright…" He nodded understandingly, standing up.

"Okay. C'mon. Let's get home." I shook my head.

"No, I'm not going." Nico frowned.

"What? Why not?"

"I'm going to try and talk to her. I just need to figure out what to say-"

"Oh c'mon, Perce." Nico said, sounding exasperated. I stared confusingly at him.

"What?" He took a deep breath.

"You need to let her go. She left you. Get that through your head-"

I stood up. "Excuse me?" I asked, slightly offended.

"I said, she left you. Get that through your head. You already tried to get her back, yet here you are. Still no Annabeth in sight. Face it, Perce. She's never coming back. Are you really going to pawn yourself over this girl who you'll never have a chance with again-"

"Oh shut up, Nico. Just shut the hell up. I know you never liked her from the start." I spat.

"What?"

"Stop lying, alright? You never wanted us together in the first place, remember? So why don't you just say what you've been waiting to say? Go on. Say it." I got extremely in his face, glaring into his eyes.

"Say it." I growled. His features slowly changed from confusion to remorse. As if he was barely remembering the time he told me to back out of the relationship and regretted that moment.

"Don't make me say it, Perce. You know I was only looking out for y-" I pushed him back.

"Say it. Now." I demanded as Nico stumbled backwards.

"No." His voice faltered. I pushed him again and again, repeating the same words. I didn't what was making me do this. I didn't know if it was all the sadness and angry that had been weighing on me for the past three days or if I was just losing my mind. But for some reason, I already knew I was gone.

"Say it."

"Just say it!"

"I know you want to, just spit it out already!"

"Do it!-"

"I told you so!" He finally broke, tears welled up in his eyes as angry overcame him.

"I told you that you should've backed out, I told you to let her go, I told you that you were going to get hurt eventually, I warned you about everything. There. I said it. Happy now?!" I gripped onto the strap of my guitar and slung it over my shoulder.

"Ecstatic." We went our separate ways. I never liked fighting with Nico. He already had enough problems to deal with…

Walking out of the bar, I saw the first yet last person I wanted to see.

"Annabeth?" I softly called out to her. She looked distressed as she turned around.

"What are you still doing here? The gig ended like fifteen minutes ago." She looked at me, eyes as cold as ice.

"My… My ride is running a little late…" I pursed my lips, deciding that it was now or never. My last final chance.

"Listen, Annabeth, I'm sorry-"

"Don't. I don't want to hear it." I tried walking up to her but she only held her arm out in a 'stop' manner.

"I said don't, Percy." Of course, I obliged and stopped in my tracks.

She turned her back on me, her shoulders slowly moved up and down as she breathed, in and out… Me being resistant to getting the answer no, I didn't give up. I loved- love this girl. I just wasn't up and ready to give up everything we had together.

"A-Annabeth… If you just let me explain-"

"Jesus Christ, Perce! Enough." She said as she turned around to face me again, sounding as if she was exhausted of saying that word.

"I just want you back." I tried to reason with her, sounding broken hearted.

"Yeah, well, you lost that chance." She spat, her cold grey eyes glistened with tears. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.

"I'm sorry-"

She uncrossed her arms quickly.

"I trusted you! I trusted you, with every single word I said, I meant it! All of it! And then you tell me something like this? Was our whole relationship a lie? Were you just- just showing off to your friends? Showing off that you could get an older woman? I can't believe you, Percy." She was letting it out, like she'd been waiting an eternity to say these words to me. The glare slowly melted off her face and was replaced by a somber expression. Tears shed.

"I mean, for fuck's sakes, Perce. We had sex." She whispered very lowly with her tear filled voice.

"You're a minor. I'm an adult. If people…" She realized her voice was starting to raise again. She paused and gave herself a moment to calm down. She shut her eyes, more tears shed. As a car came into view, just down the street, she inhaled a deep breath before continuing.

"If people found out, I'd be the one going to jail. Did you not for one second think about any of this? The danger you've put me in… If I can't go to jail, if I can't trust you… Then I can't be with you, Perce." The car pulled up and the window rolled down. A man with blonde hair and a toothpick stuck out from in between his brims appeared from the other side. He tilted his head down, his blue eyes peaked over his sunglasses. He eyed Annabeth.

"Annie." He acknowledged her with a nod. His eyes averted to me, a frown formed on his face before he returned his gaze back to Annabeth.

"You ready to go?" She was glaring at me the whole time, barely paying any attention to the man and the car.

"Yeah." She said emotionlessly. It was then when I realized the large rectangular luggage next to her. She grabbed ahold of the handle.

She opened the back door, threw her suitcase in, and shut it.

"Let's get out of here." She never took her eyes off of me as she got into the passenger seat. I finally mustered myself up, coming to yet another realization.

She was leaving.

Whether it was to a different state or maybe even country, I didn't know. But I sure as hell knew I didn't want her to leave.

"Annabeth, please."

"Goodbye, Percy." She said before the man in the car smirked and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal.

"Annabeth!" I shouted after her. Dust clouds gathered, causing me to cough, as he sped down the street. Once the dust cleared, the car, nor Annabeth was in sight.

And that, was the last time I would see her for the next six months.

Sorry if it seems short, it was all I could do at the moment.

Anyway, I still hope you enjoyed. Yes I know, yet another cliffhanger, but this time, I will try harder, like way harder, to update within the month. I just gathered up all my ideas and figured out that there are only about six chapters left in the story. I cri. It's coming to an end, guys. *sOBS*

IMPORTANT NEWS, DO NOT SKIP:

I'm making a spin off series off of Eighteen. I still haven't figured out the title but it'll be about… *pauses for dramatic effect*

Nico di Angelo! I feel like Nico's past and future just has to be made into his own story. He's one of my favorite characters in the series and an important character in this story as well. Anyway, it'll be about his past, present, and future. Just his life in general. And yes, there'll be a little bit of Percabeth but it'll all come from Nico's point of view. [Because it's about him, not Percy and Annabeth]

IN ADDITION: (SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION)

I've made a Twitter account *smiles innocently* I'll tweet out a bunch of things saying if a chapter will be late or delayed or if anything happens.

Follow me at A_MusicalAuthor… or don't. I'm not going to show up at your house and follow you around, pestering you to follow me on Twitter… Or will I? FIND OUT NEXT WEEK.

R&R