Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. - Sandra Bullock, Hope Floats

Annabeth let the hot shower cleanse her of the events of the night, the hot water blistering her skin and burning her scalp. She felt dirty, sick, unclean, like nothing could remove what happened tonight. She couldn't help but think of what made all this happen. Not matter how hard she tried, all she remembered was drinking. And drinking a lot. This would happen on my 21st birthday, she thought, my luck has always been the worst.

She finally realized the shower idea wasn't helping her. She turned the knob of the shower and stepped out. The steamed up bathroom dazed her for a second and made her stumble, but she regained her balance soon enough. She winced in pain, making her way from the shower to her bedroom.

She felt violated like that terrible, putrid man had be rid her of her purity and innocence. She made her way to her bedroom. Her roommate had papers sprawled over her bed, her laptop in complete view. She was typing away a term paper.

"So, how did the party go?" Faith said in her thick British accent.

"I honestly don't remember." Annabeth lied, she opened her drawer and found a pair of sweatpants and slipped them on. "I was really drunk." She chuckled nervously.

"Anna, you're with me too much. You've been getting drunk all the time lately and you're starting to develop a British accent." Faith chuckled and bounced off her bed.

Annabeth didn't respond. She honestly couldn't. Her whole body ached and she didn't want Faith to see her walk. She pulled the covers up to her shoulders, trying to hide her tears and mute her sobs. The bright light coming from Faith's corner of the room, had turned off. She was left in a room full of darkness. Just like tonight.

"Please, no, stop," Annabeth gasped. This man's hands were touching her, rubbing her. No.

"Come on, baby," The husky voice said. He grunted as she tried kicking him in the groin. Anything to make him get off of her, "I know you want me. You said so yourself." His face came close to hers. She could make out his blonde hair, the mocha brown eyes, his acne scarred face. She felt like she was trapped in a horror movie and there was no way out.

"I never said that, please stop-" His lips crashed onto hers. He pressed himself against her. She could feel him unbuttoning her blouse. Annabeth's vision was blurry, even in the dark room she could hear everything, see everything, the loud bang of the music coming from just outside the locked bathroom door, her enemy's heavy breathing.

How could no one hear her screams? Or did the just not care? "Shut up," she heard from the man. She could feel him inside her. The burning wouldn't go away. Her screams subsided after a while, but never was it pleasure, only numbness. Her whole body felt numb, maybe it was good, maybe not.

The pain ended when she heard a zip of the man's jeans. She could only lie there, hoping and praying no one would see her like this. Half-naked and bleeding. Slowly, she pushed herself up. She winced in pain as she quickly found her jeans and her coat. Thankfully, she didn't need to take the time to put her shirt on.

Annabeth shoved through the crowd of people. She felt congested as she squeezed through everyone trying to make her way out of the club. She finally exited breathing in the bitter November air. What had happened? Was this all a dream? It felt all too real.

As she was about to call a taxi, a hand harshly squeezed her shoulder. Pain began to form on her shoulder. "Miss me?" The same husky voice whispered into her ear. Screaming filled the streets…

"Annabeth, Annabeth, wake up! You're having a bad dream wake up!" She flailed and kicked.

"Please, please, no! Don't." Annabeth sharply opened her eyes. Soon enough they were full of cold tears. She felt Faith wipe them away.

"Annabeth, you're fine. It's fine. We're safe. You'll be alright." Annabeth's heavy breathing finally slowed. Her dream was exactly what happened last night, except the man found her again. She felt Faith pulled the covers up. The bed squeaked as she slipped in. For the first time since Annabeth was little she shared a bed with someone. Oddly enough, she didn't mind one bit.

Annabeth awoke with pain in her lower half and a snoring Faith next to her. A recap of last night played back in her head. No matter what she didn't it wouldn't stop playing over and over again. It was pretty much the highest kind of torture she could have.

She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Faith, and made her way to the small kitchen. The coffee pot across the room was calling her name. When she left for college, her coffee maker was the first thing she packed. Nothing could beat the smell that arose from it.

As she waddled to the couch she remembered waking up screaming from her dream last night and how she awoke with Faith next to her. Annabeth's mind raced as she tried to think of an excuse to why she was screaming in her dreams. Nothing came to her head, at least the ones that did were pathetic, Faith was too smart to believe any of them. She was screwed.

Faith walked into the kitchen with her bright blue robe and a yawn forming on her face. "What happened last night, Annabeth?" Shit.

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth said. Hoping her days at the theater with her father paid off.

"You woke up screaming. Why do you think you woke up with me next to you this morning?"

"I don't know. But whatever happened, I don't remember it." Faith poured herself a cup of coffee and shrugged-not totally convinced, but she let it go. Annabeth was one to keep to herself. She needed to figure things out on her own.

"Okay, so what's the agenda for today?" Annabeth scoffed and looked at Faith. "What?"

"Faith, you know what the plans are. I leave on a plane today, remember?" Annabeth chuckled. "I'm going home for Thanksgiving." Faith groaned once Annabeth walked back to the sink and leaned against the counter.

"It's not that long. Besides I promise I'll bring you back some of my stepmom's amazing food." Annabeth sighed softly. She wasn't sure if going home was what she really wanted to do. What if she woke up screaming again? Her father could see right through her. He would know if something was wrong. She still felt terrible and violated. The images of the night before kept popping through her head.

She was just going to hope and pray for the best and try to forget about everything that happened.

Yeah, right.

A/N: Sorry, I feel like I haven't updated in like weeks. This is another new series. I promise this is the last one. I really need to finish the others, right?I've just been super, super busy with school. I finally finished my exams today. They were seriously the hardest thing ever, but I passed all of them! So I'm happy that I have no school for the next five days and I can write, write, WRITE! Oh, also what did you think of Harry Potter? (SPOILER!) I just loved the part where Harry & Hermione danced. It was something fun and romantic during a movie full of darkness and death. Oh, I also loved how Ron was all over Hermione like that. I just love them together. 3

Happy Thanksgiving!

-demigodgirl1