I'm No Cinderella

5. My Dignity was the Size of Drew's IQ

Pic of Piper above!
After leaving the bathroom, I wanted to slap myself. I was about to leave Piper when I remembered that I had to pick up my brothers. Crap. A part of me wants to scream Screw Helen! But the logical half is telling me to get my brothers from school.

"Pipes, it's alright. You don't have to take me home," I sighed. I'm glad I had an umbrella in my bag. I pulled it out ready to walk a couple of blocks to Goode Elementary.

"You sure?" she asked. We walked over to her car in the school's lot.

"Yeah," I smiled. "Besides, you have to get ready for the ball." Piper raised her eyebrows as she opened her car door.

"I can drive you, Annabeth. It's no problem." I rolled my eyes.

"Piper? Go have fun and make out with Jason Grace again," I ordered her. Piper went inside her car and frowned.

"Later!" she waved at me before pulling off. I sighed before I started the walk. I didn't like anyone doing too much favors for me. I was perfectly fine with walking in the rain to pick up my little brothers. It wasn't raining too hard. Besides I need the time to think things through. I already made up mind with the ball. I can't go. I had no dress, no shoes, no jewelry, and no permission.

Stupid Helen. Stupid Drew. Stupid emotions. I wish everything was different. I wish I wasn't so afraid of Drew and her crew. I wish I wasn't so scared to face my feelings. I wish I had the balls to tell Percy how I felt. I wish he would feel the same way and he would give me a little infinite like Augustus did with Hazel (The Fault in Our Stars). I wish Mr. D wasn't such a dick. I wish Helen wasn't such a bitch. I wish my dad would come home more often.

I wish my mom was alive.

But the odds aren't exactly in my favor and I doubt they ever would be. Well, they could if I made them change, but I have no clue as to how. I'm quite useless in my own life right now and that's seriously ridiculous.

I wonder what my mom thinks up there. All I know is that heaven couldn't wait for her and she's probably living it up there. I wonder how much she thought of me. I hope she didn't forget me. Hopefully, she was being her usual controlling self, as I remember she was when I was younger, and is pushing me in the right direction.

When I reached the elementary school, I had to run inside because it started pouring even heavier. I wrung my umbrella out and pulled my hood down. I walked in the school and up to the security guards desk.

"I.D.?" The security guard asked me. I grinned.

"Sherman, I'm here a good three times a week," I challenged jokingly. "Do you really need my I.D.?" Sherman laughed and handed me the visitors pass. It was protocol to ask for my identification every time.

"You know the way Annabeth." He said. I smiled walking past the desk headed to room 106. I stopped at the closest vending machine to get them snacks. I do this for them every time I pick them up, since Helen doesn't approve of sweets. It was our secret, which kind of kept the three of close. I got Bobby Hershey's and Matthew Snickers.

"Thanks," I replied. I walked down the light blue halls that were for the third graders. I looked at the bulletin boards to see most of their drawings and other things. It was nice and decorative. I stepped inside my brother's classroom.

"Hello." I came in. I was immediately jumped a bunch of kids. They were all surrounding me and hugged my hips. Either I was extremely tall, or today's generation of eight year olds was very short. Wait, it's just me.

"Annabeth!" they all screamed. I stumbled back as the kids hugged me.

"Hi everyone." I replied sweetly trying to hug them all back. Saying that I loved children was an understatement. I adored them. Sometimes. I want my own some day and the best way to practice was with other kids.