Story Name: The Iris Network

Author:turquoiserainlilies

Disclaimer: Do not own Percy Jackson or anything related, just the plot (really, not even that original). THANKS RICK!

Summary: He's a gamer. She's the Queen Bee. Percy struggles with unwanted fame from his father. Annabeth can't forgive her best friend for falling in love. Living miles away doesn't stop two people's fate from meeting, after all, the best thing to fall in love with are someone's words. AU!AH.

Chapter:21 of 22

wisegirl6 x

san jose 02/13/14 00:02 utc-8

annabeth chase

"Fuck!" Annabeth swore. "Seriously, just my luck!"

"Just our luck, you mean." Silena said miserably. "Besides, this isn't your new car that's stuck in the ditch."

The two girls stared at the poor bright red convertible that is now covered in mud and branches. 72 hours ago, Silena's dad surprised her on her 18th birthday by giving her a car. 8 hours ago, they left San Francisco on the said car, disobeying Silena's dad's wishes.

Annabeth remembered a distinctive time in fifth grade when Mr. Beauregard recalled on her fondly as the 'sensible one', and how lucky Silena was to have a friend like her. She set a 'good example'. Annabeth felt a pang of guilt for Mr. Beauregard, but she was on a mission, so of course, there wasn't anything to stop her.

Other than no transportation to get to Los Angeles.

"We came too far to go back now." Annabeth shivered in the coldness. It was February in northern California, so of course it was going to be cold at midnight. Stupid her.

"Shit Annabeth, we drove for like two hours." Silena rolled her eyes. "How do you expect to go rest of the miles? By foot?"

"No, I have to call for help."

"My phone is destroyed. Your phone is dead, so you can't call your beloved boyfriend." Silena said miserably. "God, why did you bring me on this trip?"

"So we can find yours. Boyfriend I mean." Annabeth protested. She turned away from the car to look at her black-haired best friend. Silena's hair was usually in place, piece by piece, with her crystal blue eyes looked like they were carved sapphire. Now those eyes were dull, and her hair was a matted mess by the wind. "Beckendorf is in Los Angeles, I know it."

"Because of his brother on TIN?" Silena snorted. "Yeah, forgive me if I don't trust anybody on there. Aren't you supposed to be the sensible one Annie?"

"It's Ann—"

"Don't even start with that!" Silena was losing it. "Don't even say I can't call you Annie because I like that girl a lot more than you right now. At least I know Annie isn't a flight-risk, who would rather go off with a guy she met for two months than with her mother to Greece!"

"Can we not bring that into this!" Annabeth exclaimed. How dare she bring Percy into the fight? "He's not my boyfriend, for one thing, and I turned down my mother because I didn't want to leave my life in America."

"Yet you're leaving ME!" Silena cried. Tears streamed down her face that mixed dried up quickly in the wind. "You're leaving your life in California, to move across the country."

"Are you mad because of your car or because of me going to Columbia?"

"GODDAMN IT ANNABETH I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE LEAVING!"

There wasn't a sound except for the wind rustling the trees above them. Annabeth watched as Silena kicked the car in frustration and yelled in pain, then fell to the ground.

"Shit 'Lena!" Annabeth cried quickly, helping her fallen friend. "Come on, there's a gas station a mile down. We'll call someone there."

"Ow!" Silena rubbed her feet, which was in ballet flats that were not helped by the weather. "Annie…"

"It's okay, it's only a little while." Annabeth reassured. "Umm…you can wear my sneakers if you want, just—" don't cry, don't start talking about leaving, "—it'll be alright."

What a sight must they be. Two girls hopping down the high way, one supported by the other. People must think they were drunks, tramps, or worse. Annabeth tried to focus her attention on the light up ahead, signally the gas station.

"Just sit here." They arrived a painful half an hour later. Annabeth sat Silena down by the café and bought a donut with her pocket change. It was a sign of sure distress that Silena 'Calorie-Counter' Beauregard stuffed the sugary sweet down her mouth desperately. Annabeth counted her wallet. She had a debit card with a couple hundred (might cover a rental car but certainly not gas), a twenty dollar bill, and a few loose change.

She was glad to have planned previously by already booking a hotel near VidGameCon (basically swallowed up her savings), but how were they going to get there? Silena broke her toe, so no way they could drive, and Annabeth doesn't have her license. She didn't have enough to buy the overly priced Greyhound tickets, and no way they were hitch-hiking…

By now Leo must've left the carnival, possibly with her brother. Annabeth and Silena's phones are both dead, they have no way of contacting other than by pay phone.

She cursed her contact list, made up of about 200 people that she could call, but only maybe nine that would help. And then she didn't remember the phone number of five of them. Not even Percy, whom she texted and had on speed dial.

There was five phone number that were in her mind forever. Home phone (out of the question), her dad's cellphone (ditto), her own number (ha-ha), Luke's, and Thalia's.

She tried Luke's first. No answer, it was midnight and he was probably asleep. He was always the first one to go in their sleepovers when they were kids, Annabeth remembered fondly. She and Thalia would use to draw mustaches on him. This was before she started liking him, then they stopped. To be honest, Annabeth should've seen Thalia liking him as well. Why else would you stop drawing Sharpie-mustaches on someone?

So Luke wasn't picking up, that left one number to call. She almost didn't want to do it. Annabeth looked to Silena and wondered if she could call her dad or something.

No, Mr. Beauregard would just bring them straight home.

"Okay Annabeth, you got this." She prepped herself. Thalia might not even pick up, you know, probably sleeping like Luke. Never mind that she's a total night owl like Annabeth, some days Thalia's out like a dog and can sleep anywhere. Maybe she got tired studying? Or procrastinating is more like it. Maybe she can't hear her phone on top of her music that's always blasting? Maybe—

"Thalia Grace."

"Ummm…" Annabeth said gracefully. "It's Annabeth."

"Shit, did someone die?"

"Nothing that drastic Thals."

"You haven't called me voluntarily in two and a half months, hell ya I'm going to think that someone died."

Annabeth squeezed her eyes shut, the next part was going to be hard to explain. "I'm in San Jose."

"Cool."

"I'm serious Thalia, I'm stuck in San Jose, and I need to get to LA by tomorrow at the latest."

"So take a cab."

"With less than two hundred dollars and a three hour drive? I rather not push my luck."

"So why are you calling me then?"

"Maybe you can drive us?" Annabeth's voice was small. She hated herself for asking for help, especially from her. Then she looked to the broken Silena again. "I'm not asking for me." She added quickly. "But Silena's with me and she really wants to go to."

Pause. "Where in LA do you want to be this badly?"

"VidGameCon."

"Crap, Luke wasn't kidding when he said that you've gone gamer-crazy." Thalia joked. Though it probably wasn't very good consider that it included Luke. Surprisingly, the usual disgust or anger didn't rise in Annabeth.

"Can you come and get us? Drive us maybe?" Annabeth asked again. "Please, please."

Extra-long pause.

So long that Annabeth checked the phone three times to make sure it didn't drop (she only had one quarter).

"Yeah, I just need the address." Thalia said, her voice sounded muffled.

"Umm…I think it's 213 Nightshade Avenue? It's along Highway—"

"SEE YA IN 1 HOUR!"

"Thalia, you'll probably break the speed limit!"

The phone went dead

For the entire three months leading up to Thalia's sixteenth birthday, she had tried to convince her mother to buy her a silver Lexus. Molly Grace didn't do well with not-so-subtle hints, but when the day rolled around, Thalia was crusin' in style to school.

Until the summer before senior year that she crashed it because of some punks at a rock concert. Now Thalia had to drive her dad's minivan, which had multiple bumper stickers of lightning bolts and clouds. He nicknamed it Lightning, Thalia retorted with Lame-ning.

So it was quite the sight to see the punk girl with two piercings in each ear and one in her nose pull up the gas station in Lightning. Annabeth helped Silena onto the backseat, while she seated herself shotgun.

There was a silence so quiet that she could hear it when the steering wheel turn.

"Seriously though, VidGameCon?" Thalia snorted. "Where's your Doctor Who get-up?"

"Actually, we're going for Greek Fire." Annabeth corrected. "And Doctor Who is not a video game."

"Mythology game." Thalia nodded. Then the unexpected happen. "I'm truly sorry for what happened with Luke, you know, even if I didn't seem like it for yelling at you a lot for the past two months."

Annabeth stopped short in her thought processing (something about seaweed). "I yelled too."

"But it's my fault." Thalia said. "It is entirely mine, why else would Luke suddenly change his mind about who to date? I mean, we're completely different." She glanced at Annabeth. "No offense."

"None taken."

"I wish I could take back a lot of the last two months." Thalia sighed. "Seriously, I'm happy with him, but not nearly as much as I was with both of you."

Did the last few months sucked because of the absence of her two best friends? Yeah. Silena helped Annabeth through a lot, but it would never be the same if it wasn't Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke.

Was she going to admit this though?

"I'm choosing the music." Annabeth said instead. She fiddled with the tuner on the minivan, which was first on some 80' pop channel, but she wanted something happier.

"Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase."

"Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze." Thalia suddenly said along.

"It means no worries, for the rest of your days." Silena whispered in the back seat. Annabeth looked at both of them in sudden fear of an impromptu musical.

"It's our problem-free philosophy!" They sang together. "Hakuna Matata!"

"Hakuna Matata?" Annabeth asked the pair of them, but suddenly realized that she was singing along to the rest of the song.

Yeah. It's our motto!

What's a motto?

Nothing. What's a-motto with you?

Those two words will solve all your problems

That's right. Take Pumbaa here

Why, when he was a young warthog...

When I was a young wart hog

Very nice

Thanks

He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal

He could clear the savannah after every meal

I'm a sensitive soul though I seem thick-skinned

And it hurt that my friends never stood downwind

And oh, the shame He was ashamed

Thought of changin' my name What's in a name?

And I got downhearted How did ya feel?

Everytime that I...

Hey! Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!

Oh. Sorry

Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase

Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze

It means no worries for the rest of your days

It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna Matata!

Hakuna Matata! Hakuna matata!

Hakuna Matata! Hakuna matata!

Hakuna Matata! Hakuna matata!

Hakuna Matata! Hakuna-

It means no worries for the rest of your days

It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna Matata!

I say "Hakuna"

I say "Matata"

The three of them laughed as the song finally ended. If only life was really problem free, Annabeth realized. This was closely followed by a second thought, what if all her problems were created by her pride?

It was her pride that kept her from telling Bianca about Percy. It was her pride that kept her from forming a proper relationship with her mother. And it was pride that kept her from her two best friend for too long.

"I'm sorry too." Annabeth finally admitted it. It was 2AM and it was too dark for speeches or heartfelt apologies, but she was still sorry. "I am. I'm such a bitch for forgiving Luke before you, but really, I was just tolerating him, you know."

Thalia sniffled a laugh. "Yeah, he's a little too oblivious. And I can't imagine Columbia without you Annie, we're going to rock NYC."

"Yeah." Annabeth agreed. "Wait, why did you pick now to apologize?"

Thalia shrugged. "You know someone's gotta be desperate if they start talking about video games."

The two girls laughed at their predicament. There was a sudden sob from the backseat. Annabeth turned around immediately to find Silena crying into her sleeve. "'Lena, are you alright? I swear we won't leave you, we'll visit all the time and—"

"There's just so much looovveee." Silena wailed, fanning her voice. "Awww…you guys…I so wish I could hug you right now." She sniffled.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing Disney popstars who think they can sing." Thalia piped up. "Ready for some real roadtrip music?"

Both Annabeth and Silena groaned, there was too many of her infamous Green Day playlists that they weren't all that fond of.

They arrived at LA at dawn. For the first time in her life, Annabeth had no plans.

"I guess we'll have to hang around the hotel for a while, I have to find somewhere I charge my cellphone while I wait." Annabeth told Thalia. "You can held back, if you leave now you can make it to afternoon classes."

She snorted. "Yeah, I'm not going back to school. I think I'll stick around for the day."

"But—"

"You're not the only favorite of the school." Thalia poked her side. "Well, you're a favorite because you're a model student. My daddy just have a lot of money."

"Lucky you." Said Silena, who had moved on from crying about the love to her convertible. "Dad will never buy me another car again."

"He'll probably never let you out of the house again." Annabeth joked. "Or me into it."

"Which reminds me, why are you guys here again?" Thalia asked the pair of them. Annabeth and Silena exchanged glances. Telling her would make them sound like a pair of boy-crazy freaks, which only one of them is. Not telling her would break the fragile friendship they just regained.

Screw it, Annabeth decided. Her pride could have a sick day.

"Silena's looking for her boyfriend from the Iris Network." Annabeth told Thalia. "He stopped chatting a while back, but we've tracked him down."

"Oh yeah, the dude you ask Luke to look up." Thalia nodded. "He can probably go to jail if people cared to look it up."

"Yeah." Annabeth said, hoping that she was joking about the jail part. "I…uh…I'm here to look for a friend too."

She raise an eyebrow. "Like…a friend like Silena's friend, or a friend like bro-let's-play-Assassin's-Creed-sometimes."

"Umm…in the middle." Annabeth confessed herself confused. Just because she love the guy doesn't mean he return her feelings. Percy could see them as utterly platonic for all she knew. She just really, really, needed to see him. She told Thalia that.

"And this happened right after you and Luke broke up?" Thalia asked.

"Weird how many important things happen on the same day." Annabeth frowned. "But yeah, we've been chatting and whatnot. Percy's really cool, really nice, and really…lives in New York."

Her eyes turned wide. "That's why you chose Columbia instead of Greece."

"Are you going to tell me that I'm being insensible and delusional?"

"Kind of." Thalia admitted. "Mostly, it took guts though. I really hope it works out between you and this Percy guy." She turned to Silena then, "And you and Charlie too."

"I guess you'll find out tomorrow." Silena quipped in.

Annabeth sighed. "I guess we will."

BRACED YOURSELF FOR THE STUNNING CONCLUSION FOR THE IRIS NETWORK TOMORROW ON VALENTINE'S DAY!

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