O, the ways of the world,
we are blessed with many woes.
Many secrets, and much heart ache.
July - (Piss off, Hera, we're sick of your damn exercises.)
5 YEARS AGO; 9 YEARS OLD
Hazel's mother stops talking the second time her husband hits her. Red, angry, ferocious marks streak her beautiful, flawless dark skin.
She strikes back, at first, but she quickly learns that not saying anything is better than speaking back.
Fighting back makes it worse.
Hazel is shoved into a closet when it starts, and gently pulled out when it ends. She doesn't see anything but glimpses through the cracks in the closet doors. Hazel's mother sobs into Hazel's shoulder.
No child should ever see their mother cry.
One night, when Hazel's father goes to hit Hazel, her mother scoops up Hazel, takes the jewelry off her vanity, and dashes out into the night, barefoot, and with nothing to their name.
They live in a homeless shelter for a while.
Hazel wonders if her friends at school miss her.
Then Hazel's mom gets a job at a place with bright, flashing lights where there's always loud music and smells bad.
Hazel doesn't like it, but Hazel's mom will often make Hazel wait in the back room that has a ton of mirrors and make-up and jewelry and fancy outfits that Hazel likes to play with.
Sometimes the other women that work there dote on Hazel, and bring her little roses and tiny toys.
Hazel's mom never speaks, however.
Hazel hears one of her mom's meaner coworkers whisper the word behind her mom's back.
Mute.
PRESENT TIME
The only one who can get Annabeth to talk (really talk, not bite out snarky retorts, which is what Hera can do), is Hazel. She's usually accompanied by Frank, who doesn't stray farther from Hazel than her elbow.
It's soon found that she forgot everything about Percy during her blackout. And also the fact that Luke and Thalia are dead.
Sometimes, Hazel watches as Annabeth gets a faraway look in her eyes, a deep frown and a disturbed expression sliding into place over her silver eyes.
Hera, at first, thought that Jason might perhaps be able to relate to Annabeth given that they both suffer from a form of amnesia, but Annabeth refuses to acknowledge her amnesia and Jason is slightly intimidated by her.
Meaning the hour that Hera forces Jason to spend with Annabeth in the hospital wing is painfully awkward.
So, in the end, Jason ends up sneaking out and Hazel ends up heading back in after Hera kicks her out.
Hazel does most of the talking, which is uncharacteristic of her. Annabeth is content to sit in her bunk in the medical wing and listen to her talk.
Hazel tells her that her father's had a heart attack.
He's in the hospital, and she's heading home.
"Home?" Annabeth spits, "I haven't been 'home' in nearly a decade."
Her step-mother will be coming to pick her up in a week.
Percy sometimes hovers at the edge of the doorway, looking like he's about to step inside but actually not doing so.
Hazel wishes that they'd just kiss like they do in the movies, when the prince and the princess get together.
Like in the movies.
Annabeth's bags are packed. She's waiting on the curb, a stiffly grinning Hera standing at her shoulder. Hazel stands with glittering eyes by Annabeth, and Piper stands quietly, her fingers twiddling nervously.
Leo is frowning at the curb, while Percy hovers between the side-walk and the door. Jason fiddles with Piper's hand, and simultaneously glances back at the pacing Percy.
A blue sedan pulls up, and a pretty woman with Asian features peeks out from the passenger seat. Annabeth spies the silhouette of her step-brother at the wheel. She stiffens.
"How long's it been?" Hera asks, and for the first time in eight years, a flash of emotion.
Annabeth sends Hera a peculiar look, a sad gleam in her eyes. She shrugs, and it fades, "Seven, eight years."
She unceremoniously loads her bags into the trunk. She nods, "I'll be back," a flicker of almost, sadness, crosses her face, but the moment is ruined by her next statement of, "Unfortunately for me, this shithole's my home."
Hera gives her a quick hug, and backs up. She sniffles, pats Annabeth's hand, and steps back.
Hazel and Piper both give Annabeth a haphazard hug, to which Annabeth tenses but accepts. Jason nods, and offers Annabeth an outstretched hand. She takes it.
"Thanks," Annabeth says, and Jason smiles knowingly.
Percy glances hesitantly at the door, where Olympus Rehabilitation Center was printed over the door.
Annabeth goes to open the car door, but Percy grabs her wrist, stopping her. She whips around, her blonde strands of hair falling in the slight breeze created.
And Percy plants a kiss right on her lips.
She blinks. Once, twice. Her mouth is open.
She stiffens, and a look of dread crosses Percy's face.
"S-sor-"
"No," Annabeth says, her voice is strained, "Um, thanks, Percy."
She coughs, he coughs.
"Um, call me?"
Annabeth nods awkwardly, "O-Okay. I will."
She coughs again, ducks into the car.
And drives off.
Annabeth sleeps for most of the flight from New York to San Francisco. When she gets up, her step-mom leads her to the parking lot where her car is parked and they drive to San Jose.
It rains as they're driving out of San Francisco. Annabeth leans her head against the window, watching the raindrops drip onto the glass and trail down.
"When we get home, I've set up your room already for you," her step-mom's voice sounds from the passenger seat, "It took a lot of convincing for your father to let you back home, but I've pulled some favors at my work and you'll be able to start an internship at CalPoly."
Annabeth doesn't make any noise, only continues staring out at the passing ocean.
The sun dips below the horizon, causing a streak of orange to flash across the sky as it sinks down.
And it looks like the sky's on fire.
Leo finds a lighter on his bed when he gets back to his dorm room, after they say good-bye to Annabeth.
Truth be told, Leo didn't hate Annabeth.
He hates God, or Jesus, or Buddha, or whatever gods and deities are up there for striking down that beautiful spirit in Calypso and taking her from him.
God damn, she was absolutely beautiful.
They'd had their year or so of bliss, their happily ever after was well-earned, and yet the tale was twisted and warped into a nightmare, a horror story.
A crime that left only a blonde genius to let Leo's anger out at.
It's not the lighter Leo had found at the site of Calypso's death, but it opens with the same sound and has a mysterious owl engraved into the side, the size of Leo's pinkie nail.
He flicks it open, then closes it.
Open.
Close.
Open.
Close.
Open.
Leo breaks the pattern, flicking the button and watching as a small flame swallows up, emanating a small orb of light.
He looks at it, and sees the note lying on his bed.
Piper told me everything.
You're girlfriend seemed like a nice person.
All's forgiven.
- Annabeth
Leo shakes the flame out, closes the lighter, and sets it on his dresser by his bed. He sighs, folding his hands over his stomach.
And he cries.
Over there, she will be too full to swallow sorrow.