Chapter 3

Annabeth

In short I was excited, I mean it had been 5 years since I last saw who use to be my best friend. I literally had butterflies in my stomach as I stood just outside his apartment door not sure if to knock or not. I swallowed my fear and knocked and then waited and waited, and I started to panic. But then the door opened to reveal Percy's mother, Sally, on the other side. I smiled when I saw her especially after 5 years of not seeing her.

"Annabeth, its so good to see you again." she said.

"You too Mrs. Jackson."

"Oh call me Sally, that term is old and makes me feel old. Besides you know me."

She let me inside and I set my bag down nest to their couch which was still where it had been, well mostly everything was still the same.

"Where's Poseidon?" I said without realizing.

"Gone." was all she said.

I took the hint and decided not to press further and if I wanted to know more Percy would be the one to tell me. Which I intended to do because this was all about him. His mother left to go back and get him so I just started to look around at the place that was so familiar it was alien. I noticed a few more pictures of Percy but none with his dad, only him and there I saw him again with his goofy smirk and his mesmerizing eyes.

I heard a little talking down the hallway but I just kept looking at the pictures of him, at least the ones I never saw before. I soon reached much more recent pictures and he was smiling but his eyes were like the were now, shattered. I kept looking at the pictures not realizing he was right behind me watching.

"You like what you see?" he asked.

I jumped slightly,"I like the earlier ones but still nice."

He stayed silent but I could tell he liked what I had said. I smiled, the plan was in motion but it was not going to end soon.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"I don't really care, its up to you."

"You're such a Seaweed Brain." I said bringing his old nickname back.

He froze then said, "You always know what to do Wise Girl."

"Well this time I don't, because I'm the stranger in your house."

"Fine since its so late we'll eat and then a movie, how's that sound."

"Great."

He went to the kitchen where Sally had already started to fix something, what it was I had no idea. Percy just walked up and pulled blue dye out of the cabinet. Wait why blue, and was he intending to add it to the food or what? To my suspicions he did add it to the food turning it a light blue color.

He soon brought over a large plate full of blue pancakes, yes blue. I gave him a questioning look but he just shrugged and set the plate sown. He didn't even says word and just started eating the pancakes.

"Why are they blue?" I asked.

He stopped eating and looked up and then over at his mother.

"You have to tell her, she asked you." she said.

He sighed, "Well it started two years ago when someone said that you couldn't have blue food so from then on we did everything to make it blue."

"Who was it?"

"My mom's last boyfriend, Gabe Ugliano, he had a rather harsh look on the world and often showed it to me alone."

He turned around lifting the back of his shirt to reveal the large scar than ran the length of his back.

"He gave this to me when I fought back one time but luckily it was the only time before he was kicked out."

Sally said nothing but just simply looked at the table while Percy had grown increasingly angrier at that story. I reached over and moved my hand down the long scar and Percy tensed at my touch but did nothing, clearly it was a sensitive spot.

"Movie time." I said.

He silently agreed and put his shirt down and walked over to the couch and the TV and started loping through the movies.

"What do you want to watch?" he asked.

"You pick."

He simply took a case out popped the disk in and came over and sat down at the other side of the couch. But this was to his benefit so I moved closer and sat next to him. He involuntarily swung his arm over my shoulders like we use to on movie nights. I leaned into his warm side and listened to his steady heartbeat not paying attention to the movie not realizing I was drifting off until I fell asleep on Percy.

Percy

First test of the night was telling Annabeth the story behind the scar I had on my back or at least the more pleasant version of it. Nest was the movie in were she moved over and we did the same thing we usually did for movie nights all those years ago. It felt good to have her back at least for the moment, because if she found out everything she would definitely leave.

I was on the couch when the credits began to role with Annabeth sound asleep on me so I had to be ever so careful. Why I cared so much I had a faint idea, but at the moment I slipped out form under her and put a blanket over top of her and she sighed very content. I walked back to my room and got ready for bed and then climbed in. I smiled slightly at the prospect of getting a long lost friend again but it was gone when I fell asleep, and I wish I hadn't.

Dream

I was 15 and had just gotten back form school hoping to avoid Gabe who was most likely drunk or angry, or both. But I didn't realize how that day would end, just wonderful. I walked through the door to hear and empty house and I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn't have to deal with him yet but that would only last for so long.

I simply just went into my room and relaxed putting in my headphones and listening to any music that came up. My phone vibrated and I waited to look afraid as to who it may be. Luckily it was only Nico.

N: Hey in a little while I'm going to need your help.

P: You're going to have to wait because Gabe probable won't let me.

N: Screw that drunk ass, he's not your dad.

P: try telling him that

After I sent that message I heard the door slam and I knew he was home and it was confirmed by his yell.

"Percy Jackson get your ass out here now!"

I got up and walked out fearing of what he might do now given he is most likely drunk, despite it being 4 in the afternoon. I heard a few crashes which meant he was also angry about something too, the worst combo with him.

"Jackson where the hell are you?!" he yelled.

"Right here." I snapped back.

"Don't get bitchy with me, your the reason I lost my job!"

"How did I do that?"

"Me having to take care of you and your dumbass mother cost me too much."

"DON'T talk about my mother that way and the reason you lost it is because your too drunk at home to get off your ass an work!"

He got extremely angry about that and before I knew it I was on the ground because he had punched me.

"You don't talk to me that way boy, its time you learned some manners."

He pulled a knife and I tried to crawl away but I felt him slice down my back and then everything went black.

I woke up yelling and probably waking up the house but that didn't matter, Gabe always haunted me ever since that day happened. I had almost died from the cut and he left its mark as it was still on my back. I heard a knock on the door and to my surprise it was Annabeth.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah."

She quickly opened and closed the door and come over and sat down next to me.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nightmare." was all I said.

"What was it about?"

"How I got this." I lifted my shirt to show the scar.

"Do you want to talk about it."

"No not yet, give me awhile longer and then you can know."

She said nothing but touched the scar and I tensed involuntarily. I looked over at the clock and it was almost 4 in the morning.

"C'mon you need more sleep." I said.

"You are still a Seaweed brain because you just ruined the moment."

"Y'know if you weren't such a wise girl you wouldn't have noticed."

She smiled at that and it made me happy but I knew that as soon as I went back to sleep the nightmares would come back. But that was shot when she laid down in my bed and looked at me.

"Well are you coming?" she asked.

"Why?"

"The way to combat nightmares is to have someone you care for stay with you."

"Yeah but that only worked with my mom." I said.

"But now you've got someone else."

I looked at her still confused and she sighed clearly annoyed.

"Just get in the bed seaweed brain."

I did and she came close which helped me relax I wrapped my arms around her and brought her close terrified of the nightmares coming back.

"Someones clingy." she said.

"Just scared is all."

"It'll be alright." she said.

I hoped it would but I knew it wouldn't be so just relaxed and went back to sleep.

I worked on this part for a while tossing around what part of his story I wanted to tell. Now To respond to a few reviews, first is those who don't like it because its not Percy is because its not meant to be him as he usually is because its how he is broken. Second those that don't like how short it is deal with it, I could make it a lot shorter if I wanted to. Now thanks to everyone else for their reviews and I almost have 1,000 people who have read my story so keep on coming and always review.