Annabeth's POV:

I watched my childhood best friend wave at me as she disappeared with the beam of light reflected in the Leaping Crystal.

I sighed when she dissappeared completely.

I would see her again, and spend a whole school year in the same class as her. I was still a little bit worried she was going forever. I knew it was stupid, but I was scared of losing her again.

As if she had read my mind, Athena placed a light hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry Annabeth, you'll see her again, I can tell she wants to see you again as much as you do." she said reassuringly.

I nodded silently.

"I should get going, I need to tell the others to prepare their brains for another school year, you know." I said, rubbing the back of my neck to have something to do with my hands.

I wasn't very used to spending so much time with my mom. I didn't see her often, and when I did, it was always awkward.

"Yeah, you should probably leave, I'll... see you soon." she said, giving me a tiny wave.

I internally sighed at the awkwardness.

I just wanted to at least have a small conversation with my own mother without feeling like we were strangers.

"Bye." I said, already walking over to the exit.

Athena half-smiled at me.

"Good luck Annabeth, I hope you spend a great year with Sophie, and that the enemy won't kill you," she said before turning on her heels and walking away.

I rolled my eyes. But just as I thought back to what she had said, my whole face brightened up.

There would be people trying to destroy the world, but at least I had found my best friend again.

The toothy grin and the spark in my grey eyes must have stuck on my face all day.

"Annabeth, where in the Gods' name were you?!" Percy shouted as I entered the Big House.

He leaped up from the bed he was seated on.

I sprinted to Percy, who had his arms wide open, and hugged him tightly.

I could tell he could barely breathe from the tightness of the hug, but he did a good job hiding it.

"In Olympus, there's a new enemy," I answered, trying to keep my voice numb, so that I didn't have to squeal with the next line. "I found Sophie, the friend I talked to you about."

Percy pulled away from the embrace, gaping at me, though it could have been him gasping for air.

"The one who gave you the bracelet that turned into a creepy crystal?" he asked.

I nodded in agreement.

"My mom was there... and she said there was trouble in San Diego, and that we had to go to... school." I said, making numerous pauses for Percy to process it better.

"YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH ANOTHER YEAR OF SCHOOL?!" he shrieked in horror at the sky, his eyebrows furrowing at the thought of going back to his 'worst nightmare'.

He sat with a creak onto the bed he was sitting on earlier. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Percy, you'll get to meet my friend and her buddies." I told him reassuringly before adding with a slight smugness to my tone. "Plus, if we're going to get married, might as well get along with all my friends."

Percy smiled at the thought.

"True." he said.

I clapped my hands together.

"Then we have to warn the others!" I exclaimed.

Percy and I exited the Big House to find the others.

Jason's POV:

I straightened my glasses on my nose before preparing to speak up after Annabeth and Percy explaining what the situation was.

"So you're saying, that we have to go to a High School in San Francisco for a whole year, because you met up with your Elvin friend, whom we have to spend it with, and we're the only one who can stop a mysterious villain in the area of where we'll be?" I asked, to put things clearly.

"That's about it." Annabeth answered.

I nodded and stepped backwards, signaling everyone I had finished talking.

Percy fidgeted with his own fingers.

It must have been horrible to have ADHD. Weirdly, I didn't have any.

"So, we're going in six days, on the seventh of September?" he asked, while looking at Annabeth.

"Yes." Annabeth replied, nodding her head at him before turning to the Seven, minus Leo, he had disappeared for a few now. "So you all should start preparing you ADHD brains for this!"

We all groaned and walked off.

Though I didn't have ADHD, I didn't like school.

I don't think anyone does actually.

Sophie's POV:

Meanwhile, in the Lost Cities...

I slipped under the sheets of my bed, already ready to sleep with dreams of going to a human school again, but this time, I would be cool with my friends.

I hadn't had a very good experience in school.

Being a twelve year-old in Senior-year meant being bullied and having no friends.

I shifted in my bed to place my head in a more comfortable position.

Sleeping was annoying, you spent at least five hours trying to sleep, to only rest your eyes for two.

But tonight wasn't a night like the others. Surprisingly, my eyes drooped after a few minutes, and I felt sleep take over me.

At first, my dreams were...

Of me spending time with Keefe.

Hey, no judging, it was because I had seen him today, dreams worked like that.

But then, a picture appeared in my dreams. Similar to the one I had seen when I had seen Annabeth in my mind.

"Sophie." a familiar voice called from the picture.

I gasped at the voice.

"Athena?" I asked, walking toward the image.

The familiar Goddess smiled at me.

"Hello Sophie, I just wanted to tell you a condition in the plan the other Gods and I have voted for." she said, pursing her lips.

I inclined my head slightly to show my confusion.

"What condition?" I asked.

Athena grimaced.

"You can only bring 2 companions for the Quest, one boy and one girl." she told me.

"Why?" I asked.

I wouldn't be able to take all my friends?

Why?

"Well, we've realized that in the human world, your scent attracts monsters, just like Demi-Gods. We then need to reduce your number the most possible to try having the less problems possible." she explained.

I groaned in frustration.

"But who can I choose?" I asked. "All my friends are important, and have a role in the prophecy Annabeth told me I heard!"

"It's still for the best. Right now it is-" she cut herself short to look down at her watch. "9:30 in the morning, you better wake up."

"But-" I started.

I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence because the dream dissolved, and my eyes opened to the light coming from the gap between the closed curtains, which were supposed to cover the large windows.

I sat up in my bed, already thinking who I was going to pick to come to the Lost Cities with me.

• • • • • • • •

A/N:

Okay, so that's all from me!

Who do you think Sophie will choose?

Wordcount: 1263