"I'm just dead. I always have been, always will be." I said.

"That's not true!" he objected.

"Yes, it is." I turned my eyes to him. "I'm not gonna live. I'm not gonna get to meet someone special. I'm not gonna have a family. I'm dead. I was finished before I even began. It's already over for me, Edward."

He stared at me, his eyes a mix of emotions, as I'm sure mine were. I saw anger, pity, sorrow, and… joy? "Annabeth, you can't just give up. You aren't dead yet, so there's still hope!"

I giggled, and then started singing again. "If only you had the ears that I have, then I would sing you a song from the bottom of my heart, but would you, hear me? If only you had the heart that I have, then I would flood you with all the love that I have, but would you, feel me? If you are predisposed to hate me, might as well kill me now and save me from this misery. If I can't earn your love, you don't need me at all. At all, baah! 'If only you had,' it won't get me anywhere now. It wouldn't go anywhere else even if it could be. 'Let's do it,' + 'How do we?' +'Ready go,' = Suicide. It's just not my kind of game, but I do not have a choice, 'cause if I were to decline, I'd be cast aside and worth not a thing to you in your eyes. Hey~ If I agree to try and hate you, won't you try and love me that's beyond caring about your feelings? She that needs you is now gone, she's not here anymore, at all. Hey, it hurts, you know. If only you had the ears that I have, then I would sing you a song from the bottom of my heart, but would you, if only you had the heart that I have, then I would flood you with all the love that I have, but would you… Today I don't need to reach your deafen ears and I don't need to try and fill your empty heart, 'cause all I need now is the agony I see on your face, that's good enough for me in the end…"

Ed looked at me sadly as I lay staring up at the stars. "You're a very sad girl." he said, putting his hand on mine.

I didn't answer. Where's the point in answering a statement you already know? I thought, looking at the stars.

Two days after, Ed, Al, and Armstrong were ready to go to Central. "Annabeth…" Ed said before leaving.

"Yes?"

"I want you to come with us. And that isn't a request."

My eyes narrowed. "Request or no, I'm not. I need to get home. Not Central."

"You're coming with us." he growled.

"No. N-O. No. I told you no, and my answer will stay no!"

Ed and I held each other's gaze. He was miffed, and I was ready to start showing off all of my language. We were both mad at each other. Him for my refusal, me for him trying to boss me around. I was strong, but no one believed my on that count.

"Well, if you want me to come with you Edward, you'll have to fight me!" I cried, ripping off my now red dress to show the snow-white leotard beneath. "So came and get me! If I win, I'll choose where I'm going, you win, then vice-versa!"

"Annabeth, you're insane!" he shouted. He squealed as my heel landed where he had been seconds before, making a large dent. "What the hell was that?"

"Death's Heel!" I said, taking my stance. I have a solid fighting stance, arms wide, yet protecting my center, legs spread apart and bent at the knees, slightly hunched over. It's a strong stance, good for holding your ground against an opponent.

"Fine, but you asked for it!" he snarled, attacking rashly.

"Eagle's Claw!" I shouted. He reeled back as my attack caught his stomach. I quickly attacked again, switching tactics to my Tai Chi stances. He was on the defensive as I struck again and again, backing him slowly up against a tree. When he was good and cornered, I backed off, bowing. "A warrior of Tai Chi fights honorably."

He took a few steps away from the tree, and I quickly disabled him. "That means I win, Edward." I said quietly before keeling over.

I was unconscious for a few hours. When I woke up, I found we were on a train, and I was lying on the bench next to Al. I was definitely pissed. Ed was lucky Al was between us, because otherwise I would've strangled him with my hair-ribbon!

"When I respawn, you are so fucking dead!" I coughed, feeling my body fluids on my arm before passing out yet again.

He was lucky again, because this time when I woke up, we were at Central. I was forced to stand by and watch while Ross and Brosh introduced themselves. But right before we got in the car to go to the library, I managed to stomp on his right foot. It wasn't nearly as cool as strangling him with my ribbon, but oddly satisfying. He gave me the look of a wounded puppy, and I kicked him.

In the car, I was wedged between the two brothers, so I got plenty of time to trash him. He was totally at my mercy, because he couldn't really do anything, crushed as he was. The soldiers asked why, and I answered honestly and truthfully. They didn't make any move to stop me.

When we actually reached the library, I stayed in the car, knowing what they would find. I was right, and Ed came running back to the car, obviously pissed. He opened the door and started snarling at me. "Why didn't you tell us? You knew, yet you didn't tell us! Why?"

"Because I knew no one would listen. Does anyone ever listen to the stranger form another world? And anyways, you dragged me here when I told you I need to go home!" I spat, kicking him away. "Now keep away from me, or I'll strangle you with my hair-ribbon and use your dead body as a punching bag!"

Ed found out about Sheska and was quick to say they were going to see her. I still sat in outside. I followed Ed and Al, taking a bunch of the note-books. I quickly fell in step with Ed. "Are you sure you want to do this, Ed?" I asked softly.

"Yes!" he hissed at me. "Of course I do!" He then looked anxiously at me. "Why?"

"Nothing. Never mind." I said, falling behind.

Days passed by, and eventually, they got it. Again, Ed blamed me. I got pissed and stormed out, leaving him. Tears were streaming down my face as I ran back to the hotel. "It isn't my fault… I'm not supposed to interfere…" I wept, sitting in the dark.

I heard the door creak open, but I ignored it. I wasn't going to give forgiveness easily. After all, the dead do not forgive. I just kept singing softly to myself. that's how I always got over something bad. I sang softly. "It's time to make a new world…" I said to the music in my head.

"Annabeth…" I heard Ed say softly.

"'There's not really much difference, your life and the elevator.'" I said once more.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry I yelled at you. It was just…" he started, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Arigato." I said, whirling around and putting my arms around him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I'm not supposed to interfere. I don't want to take away your happy endings. I'm afraid of hurting you…"

"'Happy endings?' You mean we get out bodies back?" gasped Al.

"I can't tell you! Then you'll do things wrong or differently trying to prove what I say wrong or right, and it won't happen. If I tell you, you'll be hurt!"

I felt Ed wrap his arms around me as the hot tears came again. He patted my back and stroked my hair. "It's okay. You don't have to stay with us if you don't want to." he offered.

"It's not that! Ed… Edward, I… I can't leave you just like that… Edward, I l…li…li...li-l… I like you, I love you!" I screamed, crying willingly into his shirt. "I can't leave! I won't, I can't!"

"Annabeth…" Ed gasped as I held him tighter.

"I believe that I somehow did not ever lose hope… because you were there to make we smile… Even when your darkest hour kept me from seeing you, separated us more, I believed that it would also make us meet again…" I wept, clutching his shirt, holding it in my hands.

He gently removed my hands from the fabric of his shirt. His hands seemed surprisingly big as he held mine in them. "Annabeth—"

He never got to finish his sentence."