Hey Guys!
Look it's me, back with an update! Yes I know I don't usually take this ong but I was sick for the past two days and couldn't update. Sorry! But fret not for I am back and with a brand new chapter nonetheless. So enjoy! (Believe me you will)
Percy PoV
It had been almost two weeks since Bianca died and dad had only just lifted my house arrest. Though only after he made me promise that I would
1) In no condition whatsoever go anywhere without Luke.
2) Come straight home from school or go to Thalia or Nico's place if we wanted to hang out and
3) If I did so I was to inform him first and be home by 8:30 at the latest.
I was more than happy to oblige. At first I had felt grateful for the house arrest since I didn't want to step out of the house anyway. I was 99% sure someone else would die if I did. Also, now that I had told Annabeth about everything I was a little confused as to where we stood. I had no clue if she still hated me or if she wanted to be friends again or if she just wanted me to stay away.
But after the first week of isolation I had started to get bored. By the tenth I was dying to get out of the house. I was so bored that even detention with Mrs Dodds sounded like fun. So I had kept bugging dad to let me go to school until he had finally caved in yesterday.
As I entered the school building people turned to look at me and every started whispering. I had a pretty good idea what they were talking about but I didn't care. I just ignored them and walked to my locker with Luke in tow. I was about to open it when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I got it out and my face lit up as I saw the caller ID.
"Hey Kelp Head. 'Sup?"
"Hey Rachel! I haven't heard from you in a while. Where have you been."
"Turn around and I'll tell ya." I heard a very familiar voice from behind me. I turned around to be tackled by a blur of red. I hugged her back and she pulled back after a moment.
There in front of me stood Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She wore a band t-shirt and paint splattered jeans her flaming red hair was falling freely down her shoulders and her green eyes looked me over probably trying to determine something. What though I wasn't sure. One never could be with Rachel.
"Rach! What are you doing here?" I asked remembering that Rachel went to a fancy finishing school that her father had forced her into attending at the start of the school year.
"I got kicked out of Clarion. Not that I mind it. I hated it there but anyway, I convinced dad let me come back to Goode and after a while of pestering him he agreed." She said grinning mischievously.
"Kicked out? What did you do?"
"Bad mouthed to a teacher. It was worth it though. The old hag totally deserved it. Now..." She said handing me her schedule. "walk me to class."
I looked at her schedule and grinned, we had all the same classes together except for seventh period where I had Marine Biology while she had Art. My smiled widened, today was gonna be great.
" I swear you miss a couple days of school and it's like everyone's suddenly miles ahead of you." I said groaning at my math homework.
"I totally feel you." Rachel said from beside closing her own homework. We were currently sitting on my bed doing our homework or at least trying to.
"So Perce," Rachel said in a serious tone. "How are you holding up?"
"Truthfully, not good. It's just, I feel like this is all my fault you know. Nico won't talk to me and Thalia's stuck between the two of us and not to mention she's pretty miserable herself. The nightmares are back too and dad thinks that I should start seeing a shrink again. I feel lonely you know, Bianca was the one I'd go to when I had problems, we all did. But now she's gone and it's all my fault and I just don't know what to do." The whole time I was talking Rachel kept silent then when I was done she took my hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Then it's a good thing I am hear to stop you from doing something crazy. Huh."
"I guess it is." That was when Luke came in and asked if we wanted to hangout with him for a bit because he was bored. So we spent the rest of the evening playing video games and cracking joke and just having fun. And just for a while I forgot about everything that had happened and just enjoyed myself. If only for that little moment of bliss, everything was fine.
Annabeth PoV
As I sat in the front row waiting for the first class of the day to start, the door opened revealing none other than Percy Jackson. But that wasn't what sparked my interest, well not all of it. Walking beside him with her armed linked to his was a pretty girl with flaming red hair, paint splattered jeans and a band t-shirt of some band I'd never heard of.
The two of them walked to the back of the classroom talking and laughing, oblivious to the stares directed towards them. I stared at the two and from where I sat they looked like a couple. Could this girl be Percy's girlfriend? But Silena never mentioned that Percy had a girlfriend surely if it were truly so, wouldn't Silena had told her about it.
Wait, why was I thinking about this so much. What did I care if Percy had a girlfriend? Nothing really, nothing at all. As class started I tried to pay attention I really did but I just couldn't stop thinking about how Percy and the girl had been looking at each other. How, when they talked they didn't care at all about the rest of the world. How happy they looked together.
The list went on and on. I didn't know why I was thinking about it so much all I knew was that I had to stop. Maybe if I just knew who the girl was,I could stop speculating and move on.
So, at lunch I sat beside Silena and watched as Percy and the girl sat together at a lunch table all by themselves and Luke of course and the three of them talked and laughed around like they had known each other forever.
"Hey Silena," I said cautious not to sound anything but mildly curious. "who is that girl sitting with Percy and Luke."
"Oh that is Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was friends with Percy last year and I think they even went out for a bit but they gave up on that. Not sure what she's doing back though. From what I remember her dad, who is super rich, sent her to some finishing school somewhere. Why do you ask? Are you jealous."
"No I am not! I was just curious is all" Even as I said it I felt my cheeks turning red.
"Then why are you blushing?"
"I um..."
"Speechless huh. Has little Annie got a crush." She said grinning evilly.
"Don't call me that and I don't have a crush on Percy." I hissed in annoyance. Why couldn't she just let it go. As I said it Juniper coughed while Clarrise simply started laughing. I was so glad Beckendorf wasn't here today.
"Please Annabeth" Clarrise snorted. "I am no love expert but even I can tell that you like him."
"How many times do I have to tell you guys that I. Do. Not. Like. Perseus. Jackson." I hissed trying to keep my voice down so that no one outside of our little group could hear.
"Annabeth you can deny it all you want but you like him, I know you do. Now, I am gonna go look for Charlie." With that Silena gave me an devilish grin and walked away. I looked at Juniper and Clarrise and asked
"She is not going to let it go is she?"
"Not a chance." Was the answer.
I banged my head on the table and groaned. This could not be happening.
As I entered my mom's apartment that evening I felt like something was weird. I dumped my bag in the living room and made my way into the kitchen and flicked on the lights.
"You're home late." My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. There sitting at the counter was my mom Athena. I looked at her suspiciously, she was never home before dinner at the latest.
"Mom! What are you doing here?"
"I decide to come home early today. Now where were you?"
"I was out with friends. Did you have something planned." I asked.
"I was hoping we could go out for dinner together you could tell me all about your friends and your school."
"Um Okay. I'll just get changed." My mom smiled at me and nodded. Which was kind of weird cause my mom hardly ever smiled.
Half an hour later I found myself sitting across my mom in a fancy Italian Restaurant. I was nervously playing with the pasta in my plate occasionally taking a few bites.
"So, how are you liking your new school?"
"It's pretty good I even made a couple friends and we went for a movie my second day but we never got to actually see it..." I paused as I realized I hadn't told her about the shooting.
"Movie? Was this the day of that shooting?"
"Um yeah. I kinda forgot to tell you. Sorry."
"Annabeth how could you forget something like that? You could have gotten hurt."
"But I wasn't mom. I am fine. Nothing happened to me. We were well away from the shooter."
"I am going to let this slide but from now on I want you tell me when something like this happens. Okay."
"Yes mom I will don't worry."
"Good. So, are there any cute guys in your class?"
"Mom!"
"What? Can't I talk to my only daughter about boys."
"No!"
"Fine. How about your friends? Tell me about them."
"Well there are these two girls Silena and Juniper, they're probably the only good cheerleaders in the school. They are really nice and help me out a lot. Though Silena can be a handful at times. There is also Clarrise, she is best friends with Silena but they are the exact opposite to each other. She is really strong and loves to get into fights."
And for the rest of the night we talked about all sorts of things. I was surprised that I actually had fun with her. Things weren't as awkward anymore and I felt like my life was finally getting better. I had friends, my mom cared about me, I wasn't lonely anymore. I felt happy but I also felt a small hole in that thin bubble of happiness that surrounded me right now. One that could only be filled by a certain Percy Jackson.
But for now I could live with it. For he was happy in his separate life and I had to learn to be so in my own. He deserved as much.
Rachel's here and Annabeth's jealous, though she would never admit it. Her feelings for Percy are deepening. This is so much fun.
Let me know what you think about the chapter in the comments and if you have any suggestions or ideas for this story feel free to share them with me.
Till next time.
-Scarlet