Chapter 31

four months later….

Thalia looked at the poor raven haired guy drinking beer on her couch. It had been months since he came back from California and he still never lost that pain in his eyes. He acted normal to other people, of course. But Thalia could see behind that fake facade. It was like he was the Percy right after Sally's death again, wearing that stupid rich kid douche bag face to everyone else around. But occasionally when he was alone or around her, he would let it down and go into depression mode— like he was right now.

She looked at him with pity.

She watched him go over to California nervous as shit and then come back with that stupid face on, which meant— he was really heartbroken and depressed.

And she never really understood what happened between him and Annabeth that time spent across country. The fact that she broke it off with him was all Thalia got out of him. As for the reason? Thalia had no clue. But it better have been a pretty good reason for Annabeth to break it off.

She heard the baby crying in the other bedroom. Thalia let out a sigh and left the depressed idiot to go into the other bedroom.

"Hey. .sh. It's alright Brynn. Shhh. You're okay." she said, picking her up and rubbing her back, trying to calm her down.

Thalia calmed her down as she started to fall asleep again in her arms. She walked back to where Percy was with the baby in her arms.

"Nico's going to be here soon."

"Yeah. Alright." he said, setting his can on the table.

She went over to sit beside him, "Thinking about her again?"

He looked over at her and simply drank more of his beer, "About who?"

"Don't play dumb, Percy. You know exactly who I'm talking about."

He exhaled slowly and took another swig.

"I'm just tired, Thalia. It's fine."

"You're a great liar." she said sarcastically.

"I just… I just want her here." his words slipping out under the influence of the alcohol.

"It's like you have lovesickness or something." she mumbled under her breathe.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just— do yourself a favor, Percy and go on a date with someone..,Please, for heaven's sakes. Or… Why don't you call Callie right now to pick you up cuz you're being pretty depressing right now and it's getting on me, Alright? Do it."

She handed him, but he didn't make any movement to grab for it.

"Fine, I'll call her." Thalia said, dialing Callie.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Callie. Could you come over and pick up Percy? He's drunk and depressed."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in ten."

"Thanks Cal."

Percy found himself inside Callie's apartment and on her bed. She was sitting on ac chair next to him, staring at him before holding a mug to him.

"Here, drink this tea. It will make you feel better."

she said to him.

He was still pretty drunk, so he smiled lazily at her before taking the cup and sipping the tea. Callie took it from him and set it on the side table next to the bed.

"Do you feel better?" she asked him.

he smiled with a dazed expression back at her, "A bit."

Callie sighed. She was sort of upset towards Annabeth. She had broke it off with him and made him leave California, when he had gone over there to support her in her mother's death— but, then again, Callie was in no place to judge.

She felt a hand wrap around her arm and bring her down onto the bed.

"Percy? What are you—?"

He got on top of her and kissed her.

Callie couldn't help but kiss him back. Everything about him was like a fucking drug.

"Annabeth.." he breathed on her lips. She was taken back. Did he just say what she thought he said?

She pushed it out of her head as he went down to kiss her neck, sliding his intoxicating fingers under her shirt.

six months later...

Annabeth woke up with a really bad headache.

"Oh gods. Hangover." she said to herself.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw that she was not in her bed— to add to her shock, there a guy in bed next to her.

Annabeth looked down and saw that she was bare naked.

Oh crap..

As quietly as possible she got out of her bed and picked up her clothes. She went down the stairs and out of the guy's house.

"I am such an idiot." she said, calling a cab. Since her mother's death, she hadn't been taking that much care of herself these days, though Silena made sure Annabeth ate every meal. She tried not to show it, but her chest always felt like it was ripped beyond repair and she had a constant emptiness inside her. She would have nightmares of all the things that were bothering her and they always ended with Percy's back being turned to her as he walked away. It was terrifying. Heartbreak was mild and childish compared to what she was feeling in her gut.

All in all, she wasn't her best self these days.

Last thing she remembered from last night was her drinking at the bar in her more depressed moments, downing a tequila.

She got to her apartment and saw that Silena wasn't up yet so Annabeth went upstairs to take a quick shower.

She dressed into a long sleeved shirt and some grey fitting pants before coming back downstairs to find a sleepy Silena pouring herself coffee.

"Hey, Annabeth." A knowing smirk was on her face, "Have fun last night?"

"Ugh, I don't even remember. Nor do I want to."

Silena laughed and handed her a cup of coffee, "Here, drink up. You'll feel better."

"Thanks." she said as she sat down at the island with her coffee.

Silena looked at her friend, "It's been almost a year since your mother died, Annie. You should file in the inheritance you got from your mother before it's too late to deposit."

"Yeah, I'll do it. Don't worry."

"Here. There's mail for you." she said handing her a bunch of envelopes, "Oh and Reyna wants your design for the liberty project right away."

"Alright, thanks."

Silena smiled at her then left to go get ready for work.

Annabeth flipped through the mail. Her eyes skimming over the addresses, when her eye caught sight of one.

"Goode high school." she said to herself, reading the address.

Tossing the rest of the envelopes, she tore open the envelope and pulled out a letter that looked to be an invitation.

"Dear, Ms. Annabeth Chase you're invited to the…." she mumbled as her grey eyes skimmed over the words, "… high school reunion…. high school reunion?"

At Goode High? That was in New York, ten years ago, before the switch. She hadn't even graduated there and she got an invite?

-Line break-

Piper called Jason right as she got the mail.

"Hey, Jason. Did you get the invitation?"

"Yeah, babe."

"We're totally going."

Callie looked down at the letter.

Hm. A reunion, huh?

Rachel looked down at the letter and smirked.

"This is going to cause a whole hell lot of drama. I can't wait."

Crystal went out the front door and looked at her mail.

An invitation?

High school reunion?

Pfft.. Like hell I am…

She threw it into the trash.

-Line Break-

Percy answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Percy. It's Thalia. Did you get the invitation to the high school reunion."

"Yeah, I just got it." he said, looking down at the letter.

"Are you going?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Gods, are you drunk?"

Percy groaned, "I'm hanging up."

"PErcy—"

He ended the call and slumped back in his couch.

Thalia looked at her phone and let out an exasperated sigh.

She needed to make a call.

After three rings, she heard a familiar voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Annie! It's been a while."

"Thalia?"

1 month later….

Percy sat in a lounge area where all his friends were chatting away and reminiscing about old school memories— as people should at a high school reunion. He had hesitated to go, but Callie had forced him.

He had slept with her once before and he felt very bad about it since it was while he was drunk and he was thinking about a certain blonde the entire time.

Callie had told him it was fine, but he knew he had hurt her. And he would never forgive himself, which is why he let her drag him to the reunion.

She was talking excitedly with everyone with her arm around Percy's arm as he leaned back, enjoying his beer. He was already hammered.

Thalia had come with Nico after setting up a babysitter for Brynn. Piper and Jason were there also. As well as all these other people Percy remembered from high school.

Rachel was there as well, though she hung out with her own group of people.

It was a sort of club they were at. There weren't those cheesy games where people talked about how far they had come in life. The committee just let them dance and party the night away, which is what everyone was satisfied with.

Piper pulled Jason up, "Come on, guys! Let's DANCE!"

Jason laughed as she pulled him to the dance floor. Everybody else followed except for Percy. He sat by himself, drinking and drinking some more. It seemed like he was always drinking nowadays. It kept his mind off… things.

The music boomed through the whole place, as everybody's bodies pumped to the music.

Thalia looked over at depressed idiot sitting by himself, looking absolutely pathetic.

She put her phone to her ear.

"Are you here yet?"

-Line Break-

Percy didn't really care about putting up an 'I'm okay' act for everyone at the moment... he just wanted to drink.

In his drunken haze, he heard Piper suddenly shout with joy, but it sounded more like an echo to him. He could tell that there was commotion happening at the entrance.

Flashback by Calvin Harris was playing in the background. But everything right now sounded like it was a faraway echo to him. Sounds started ringing in his ears and he could barely keep his eyes open.

I'm coming round and now my vision is so clear

If I could change my state of mind, then I would disappear

He heard people talking around him.

"Damn, it's the hot blonde who got switched and everything. You remember her?"

"Dude, you mean that hot freshman? No damn way!"

"Oh My God."

"Hell yes, the girl who switched with Crystal."

The love I get from you is something I can't chance

And I could let you slip away, without a second glance

The song reverberated through his ears as he tried to not slip into unconsciousness.

Why can't I realize I'm fighting for my life?

Woaaaah, Woaaaah!

His eyes caught a blurry glimpse of a crowd of girls near the entrance. They were chattering away, but he couldn't hear any of it.

Why can't I realize I'm fighting for my life?

Woaaaah, Woaaaah!

A blurry figure walked through the crowds towards him.

This is like a flashback

This is like a dream

This is like all the things you can fit inside a memory

He picked up his drink and sipped the last of it. The blurry figure stopped in front of the lounge.

This is like a flashback

Flashback

This is like a flashback

Flashback

He looked lazily up and tried to focus his eyes. The figure who now he could tell had a really nice body stood right in front of him. He felt a hand touch his upper arm, sending electric shocks that he could feel, even though he was slipping away into unconsciousness.

His eyes cleared for a second, seeing two grey beautiful eyes looking back at him before he totally blacked out.

Rachel looked at where Percy was and saw the blonde beauty with him. She smirked, then looked over at a brunette standing at the edge of the dance floor. Her brown eyes flashing with hurt as the girl started walking out the room.

Grab your popcorn and buckle your seat belts people.

Rachel chuckled to herself.

Callie felt like her heart was broken in two seeing them together again.

She couldn't bear to look any longer as she left the building to get some fresh air.

Tears were streaming down from her face as she let out a sigh, breathing in the chilly autumn air.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

Callie looked over at a man standing next to her. He was a handsome asian guy with a crop hair cut, making him look like some soldier. Looking down to his dog tags, she realized she was correct.

"Sorry, do I know you?"

"No. I just saw you running out. Pretty girl like you shouldn't be out in the streets of New York this late."

Callie narrowed her eyes at the guy, trying to decide if he was a weirdo or not.

He laughed at her staring, "Don't worry. I'm friends with Annabeth. I came here with her from California. So, I'm not going to harm you, being a soldier that is."

Her eyes widened a bit at his introduction.

Friends with Annabeth?

Callie held out her hand, "Callie."

The handsome guy smiled, reaching out to shake her hand, "Ethan. Nice to meet you."

Everybody helped Annabeth get Percy into a taxi cab.

As the cab left, Thalia crossed her arms over her chest,

"Hopefully he'll get better seeing her now. He was getting really depressing."

"I thought they broke up." Piper said beside her.

"I know. It's weird.. their relationship I mean." Nico said.

A dirty blonde haired beauty went up beside the two of them. Annabeth had introduced her as Silena Beauregard, her best friend from San Francisco.

"Hey Silena." Piper said to her, "Do you know what happened between them?"

Silena shook her head, "No, I'm as clueless as you are. I just tagged along over here because I heard there was going to be a party."

"Maybe it had to do with Athena. That woman scares me." Jason said.

"That would be so terrible." Piper said, "How do things always get in their way."

Thalia let out a sigh,

"They're Percy and Annabeth.

...They'll get through it." she said.

Author's Note:

Hey guys! Only a few more chapters to go, unless I get inspired to write even more. Who knows.

I know there's a lot of hate for the breakup. I mean, seriously, I even hate it. But it needed to happen for the story. It's been a year since Athena's death so Annabeth will probably think a bit more clearly- all the more since the breakup took a HUGE toll on her too.
Percy's like a fucking lovesick zombie right now who lives off of drinking, so, yeah- he's not in the best situation right now either.

Things are going pretty terribly for them right now.. But everybody knows that when there's something bad that's happening, there's gotta be something really good that happens next, right?

Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter. Thanks for all the reviews! Especially those of you who express their honest opinion. Lol, which is pretty much all of you awesome people. I really appreciate it.

Alright, that's all I have to say,

Until next time peeps.