Octavian had me go home and pack a bag. Should I call Percy? Is it safest to leave him out of this? Do I even know what type of operation the D.O.I is?
I went against my greater mindset and called him.
"Annabeth," He picked up on the second ring. "Where are you? Are you okay? Do you need-"
"Percy!" I cut him off. "I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be out of town for a couple days. Not long at all, though." Since Clarion was right around the corner, I wanted to spend as much time with my friends as I can. I think.
"Why? Well, where? And how long is a couple of days?"
Awww, he sounds worried. "I don't know Percy." What? Aw? Where did that come from?
There was a long pause.
"Annabeth," I heard Percy sigh. "Can we talk? About, uh, well.. uhm. You know. The library?"
I could feel my face getting reddder and redder. "I got to go! I- uh. I'll miss you!" And I hung up.
I'll miss you?
But wow. I haven't had much time to think about what happened in the library. And Rachel saw it! What if she tells the rest of the school? How do I know that my friends won't confirm that we are soulmates?
Wow, I realized, Helen really has changed me. Maybe Luke was right.
I mean, doubting my friends? The people who have only been nice to me since day one of Goode High? Who have done nothing but love and support me?
Who am I to believe Helen, when she has done nothing of the sort?
I got a sudden burst of confidence as I rechecked my bags. I am going to tell them everything.
I will.
Maybe.
Okay, maybe I'll mention it. Casually.
Ugh. I ran my hand through my curls. How the Hades am I supposed to tell my friends that my dead mom is actually alive? And what about Clarion?
If my mom is alive, will she come back to New York with me? Could I live with her? No.. probably not.
My phone buzzed with a text. It was Octavian, telling me that my car is waiting outside. Wow, I'm really doing this.
I picked up my bag and headed outside. Sure enough, there was a black car ready to take me to the airport.
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Gosh, I haven't been on a plane since we moved to NYC. Gravity pulled me back into my seat as the plane lifted off. Who knew that the sky could be so pretty?
In two hours and forty minutes I will officially be with my mother. I'm going to see my mother. again. The thought seemed so foreign. It's been years since I was last able to say, much less think that. Do peoples moirhers normally come back from the dead? Will it immediately be like she never left? Will she take me in under her wing, just like the living, loving, caring mother she used to be?
I mean, it'll probably be awkward when we see each other. It's been so long. Wow.
A smile graced my lips as I dozed off.
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Percy's POV
Damn it. Damn it, damn it! I ran a hand through my hair. Something is going on with Annabeth, and I feel like everybody knows but me. I saw her walk into school last Monday with a huge bruise on her cheek. And then this Luke guy shows up out of nowhere? I'm not gonna lie about it. I'm worried about her.
I called Thalia. Knowing she was suspended with me meant that we could meet at Laci's Diner and talk. And maybe, hopefully, she would tell me something. Anything would do.
"What's up, Perce?"
"Hey," I paused. "Uh.. Could you meet me at Laci's?"
She laughed, "Anything for you, cuz'!" And then she hung up.
My mom was at work, which meant that I could pretty much go anywhere. As long as I was home by dinner! I chuckled to myself.
I grabbed the keys to my Red Maserati Spyder, as well as my phone and my wallet. My phone turned on as I held it up, showing the picture of Annabeth and I asleep on the couch together. I'm not gonna lie, it was a pretty cute picture, and I'm not one to say stuff like that.
My car started up with a quiet rumble, and I sighed as I listened to it for a few moments before driving to the diner.
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Thalia waved her hand in the air at our table as I walked through the door. More people than normal were crammed into booths, and the smell of milkshakes and fries came from the kitchen.
"Hey Perce," Thalia leaned back in her seat. "So, what's up?"
"No one will tell me anything."
She squinted. "About... What exactly?"
"Everything!" I sighed, "But mainly Annabeth. Everyone knows more about her than I do! She won't open up to me. She doesn't tell me anything. She doesn't even want a soulmate for the Gods sakes! And this random guy Luke just shows up our of nowhere. You know about him, Piper knows, Hazel knows, but how come I can't know!?"
"Percy, I-"
"All I want is to know something." I raked my hand through my hair.
In all honesty, I didn't expect Thalia to tell me anything. When we were younger, she would keep everyone's secrets. Nothing could ever crack her. Which is why she surprised me when she said:
"What do you want to know?"
My jaw dropped to the table as the waitress came over with our milkshakes and fries.
The waitress winked at me. "You're gonna attract flies if you keep staring like that."
Thalia rolled her eyes as the lady walked away. "I'll tell you some stuff. So what do you want to know?"
"I- uh- Luke?"
"You and Rachel." She took a sip of her milkshake.
I rubbed my temples. "Yes I know, but there's obviously something else that happened. Annabeth is terrified of him!"
She raised her eyebrows.
"Oh. You won't say anything more."
"Yeah. Anything else?" She looked at her phone for the time. It was 7:00. We both should be getting home soon.
"Helen."
Thalia's shoulders lifted dramatically as she took a breath. "I can't tell you that. That has to come Annabeth herself. Or maybe you can piece it together."
"What? But-" I know that I was whining about this, but I had to know. She's my soulmate!
As she stood up to leave, she said one thing.
"It's like Gabe."
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Hey guys!
I only have a few things to say.
1) I'm so so sorry for not posting!
2) From this point on, Annabeth is 16 and the rest of the gang is 17.
3) Annabeth has two more weeks before Clarion.
4)She came in everyone else's second quarter, and she's leaving at the end of the third quarter. Next year (hopefully not at Clarion, but you never know ;) ) She, and everyone else, will be in their senior year.
Thank you!