In answer to last week's question, I was great at math and history, but, and this is funny for many reasons, I was terrible at English.

Anyways, this chapter is a little bit more hurt than comfort at times, but I promise my goal is not your pain. At least not my only goal. And I'll do my best to leave you on a high note!

Rick, Disney, thanks for letting me borrow your characters.

Chapter 3

I Get Brownies and a Partner

Annabeth's POV

"Well, that week was fun," said Percy in his most sarcastic voice.

The best part of every day is after school. You see, Silena's father owns a little café a block away from the school. It's kind of like Starbuck's, only a small coffee doesn't cost you your life savings, a kidney, and your first-born child. And because Silena's father is awesome, he always gives us extra portions.

So there we were, sat around a table in an air-conditioned shop with hot chocolates and a plate filled with brownies and cookies.

I wanted to help them realize how awesome the first week of school had been, so I said, "Well, I for one had a fantastic week. They have a whole club dedicated to…"

"Architecture," finished literally all nine of them. "We know," Thalia sighed in her most exasperated voice. She does do a fantastic exasperated voice.

"I knew high school was gonna be difficult, but you'd think we'd be given time to adapt," Nico complained.

"Well, maybe they're just trying to show us how difficult it will be from now on and making sure we're prepared for university," Will replied.

"Shut up, Mr. Golden Child," Nico said with a sigh.

"Make me," Will shot right back.

"Get a room, you two," Thalia said, sounding annoyed.

As the afternoon turned into the evening, we all decided to go home for the weekend and get started on the mountain of homework we had assigned to us.

We all went our separate ways to go home and I ended up with Percy, who lives a couple blocks from my place.

Now you may be wondering what I think of Percy. Well, he's hot-headed, arrogant, immature, and a Mets fan. With all that, you'd think we would be mortal enemies, but he is also loyal, funny, and charming.

I remember one time when we were nine, I was getting pushed around by a group of eleven-year-olds on the playground during recess. When Percy saw what was happening, he immediately rushed over and jumped into the crowd of kids twice his size. He punched and kicked and clawed until they held him down and started beating him to a pulp. By the time a teacher spotted what had happened, he already had both eyes blackened, three missing teeth, and a bloody lip.

The worst part about it all was that he was the one who got in trouble. All the older kids told them that we had started the fight. But it just shows the kind of guy he is: he'll fight for his friends, even if he gets killed for it.

Oh, and I've had a crush on him since I was four.

So, as we were walking home, I was pondering whether I could get him to like me back.

"Annabeth?!"

I turned and saw him looking at me with a questioning look on his face.

"Sorry. Were you saying something?" I asked.

He smirked and said, "I was just asking whether you have plans for this weekend."

My interest was piqued.

"No, why? Did you have anything interesting in mind?" I inquired.

He started rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Well, actually, I was wondering if you would like to be my… uhh…" he started to say before stopping and looking at his feet.

"Yes?" I said, encouraging him to go on and secretly hoping he was saying what I thought he was saying.

"Would you like to be my… study partner?" he said with an exasperated sigh I didn't quite get.

"Oh, um, sure. Yeah. No problem." I replied. Very articulate, Annabeth. Well done.

"Cool," Percy said.

We spent the last couple minutes walking in silence. When we got to my place, he said he'd call me with the details tomorrow and went on his way home.

As I walked up those steps to my home, I wondered how I felt about what had just happened; happy that I get to spend more time with Percy or sad that it was studying rather than romantic rendez-vous.

ΑΟΣ

As I walked through the door, my smile disappeared with the first thing I saw: the note taped to the banister of the staircase.

I didn't need to read it to know what it said, but I still decided to glance it over. Y'know, just in case.

Hey Annie,

The history department at the university are holding a special get-together for new students and faculty. Make sure that Bobby and Matthew are getting along. There should be a frozen pizza you can make for your dinner. Don't wait up for me.

Love,

Dad.

It's the third time this week he's not been home on time. I took a moment for myself, crumpling the note in my fist and attempting to disassociate, even if it was for a moment. However, destiny decided that I couldn't get even that as I heard a crash and raised voices from the twins' room. Sighing, I stood up and headed there to make sure they were still alive.

ΑΟΣ

I walked into the room to see my twin brothers of them rolling on the floor, biting, punching, and scratching at one another. Way to go on making sure they get along, Annabeth. Five-star performance!

When they saw me enter the room, they both scrambled to get up and tell me exactly what happened.

"ANNIE, BOBBY'S HOGGING THE PHONE!"

"I ONLY JUST GOT MY TURN!"

The twins can be… exhausting. Don't get me wrong, they're family and I love them, but when they act like this (which is almost always), the Cain instinct to kill my brothers requires effort to beat back in my mind.

"Enough. Matthew, hand over the phone. No more phone for either of you tonight."

"But, why," they asked in unison.

Great… at least they aren't fighting with each other. Unfortunately, I'm the new target of their ire. Well, time to whip out the big guns.

"Because I'm in charge and I said so."

I snatched the phone out of Bobby's hands and walked away, leaving their angry protests in my wake.

"I HATE YOU, ANNABETH!"

"I WISH WE HAD MOM INSTEAD OF YOU!"

I was grateful I had my back to them. I didn't want them to see how much that hurt.

ΑΟΣ

After another subpar frozen dinner, I was able to convince the twins to get to bed without incident. But I needed to have a talk with my father about how things were going. He may have told me not to wait up, but he was going to hear what I had to say and I had no intention of waiting till morning.

As I sat on the couch waiting for my father, I formulated a plan of what I was going to tell him, knowing it was vital I be able to present my argument using logic and backed by evidence.

Just after 3am, I heard the car door shut and my father coming up the walkway.

The door opened and he walked in with a goofy grin on his face. Seeing the light on in the living room and seeing me sitting there, his face darkened a bit.

"I thought I told you not to wait up," he said in a low voice.

"Yeah. In a note. Third one this week, as a matter of fact," I replied, trying for a calm voice. "I expect to be paid if I'm going to be the family babysitter."

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment.

"That is true. I'll make sure to pay you for any time you're looking after them."

"That's not what I meant, dad. I'm saying I shouldn't have to constantly be putting my own life aside to look after my own brothers."

"Annabeth," he began, in a voice that made me sure I wasn't going to enjoy what he had to say. "You are at an age where, yes, I expect you to take on a greater responsibility for this family."

"Does that include being the only parent Matthew and Bobby have?"

I shouldn't have said that. My father's eyes flash with anger. And then he hits me back.

"Do you think you're the only one who misses her?"

He asks it so quietly that I can barely hear what he said, but he might as well have shouted it in my ear for the damage it did.

The tears fall fast as I walk into his arms and wrap my own around him. For his part, he hugs me back and pats my head calmly.

He doesn't deserve any embrace from me, but he's the only one here, and I was too hurt to not want comfort at that moment.

After a few moments, he pulls away and sits on the couch, patting the spot next to him. "Why not?" I think as I sit next to him.

"So how bad were they today," he asks with a wry smile.

"They hate me because I confiscated their phone and told them to stop beating each other to a pulp."

This earns a chuckle from him.

"Oh, I haven't had the chance to ask… how'd the first week of high school go?"

"Pretty alright, I guess," I say with a shrug. "Percy and I agreed to be study partners."

"Is that so? That's excellent. He is a fine young man. But I daresay he'll need your help with school stuff," he says with a grin. "You're still gonna make sure your grades are better than his and everyone else at that school, right?"

"Oh, absolutely! You think I'd let Seaweed Brain beat me at anything?!"

"That's my girl."

"OH, I forgot to mention! They have a club for architecture!"

He smiled warmly when he heard that.

"I'm so proud of you. You know that, right?"

"Yes, dad."

He hesitates before he speaks again.

"She's proud of you too. Seeing you follow in her footsteps, I just know that wherever she is, she's super proud of the woman her daughter has become."

I try my best not to tear up again.

"I love you, dad."

He smiled with a sense of pride at that. I can hear the internal monologue going off in his head. "Girl dad success!"

"I love you too, sweetie. However, it may be a Saturday, but if you think I'm okay with you staying up past 3:30 am, you've overestimated your old man's charity."

"Alright. Good night, dad."

"Good night, sweetie."

ΑΟΣ

As I got upstairs and into bed, I pulled out my phone and looked through it for the first time. I saw a few messages, but the one from Percy stood out.

Percy: Thanks for agreeing to help me, Wise Girl. You really are the best!

Attached to it was a gif of a wide-eyed owl with the caption, "HOO'S NUMBER ONE?"

"He really could be such a Seaweed Brain sometimes," I thought as I drifted off to dreams of building a better world.

Congrats! You made it through the pain and got to the happy end.

Now for my patented question of the week: what is your go-to meme or gif that always cheers you up?

Anyways, let me know what you think via review or PM and I'll see you next Thursday.