Forever- a Percabeth story.

Chapter 37

Annabeth

For the first time since I can remember, I slept in till noon. I suppose all the crying I had been doing and the stress I had been under lately had taken a toll on me.

Dad told me there'd be no sense in going back to school today just for him to pull me out and take me to a tech store. He had a meeting in the morning, and a class in the afternoon, so around 1 he came to pick me up from home. Whether he knew it or not, I was extremely grateful not to have to face my peers for another day. Though the anxiety of what was to come still bit at my mind. I pushed it away, wanting to hold it off for as long as I could.

I felt better, and spending time with my dad was nice, even if it was under such strange circumstances.

We got coffee together, had lunch, talked about our research projects. He even asked if I wanted sit in on his next lecture, I couldn't remember the last time he took me to work with him, but memories of being a toddler in his office made me happy. I told him I'd love to.

I waited outside while he dealt with my cellphone, the agony of how much it cost ate away at me. I knew it worried him too. I had been trying to come to peace with the possibility of not going on the trip, whether or not it was a part of my punishment or just a money issue, I didn't really know.

After what felt like hours, he came out of the store. He told me my previous SD card was now in this new phone and that we would discuss the trip later. I left it at that.

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Hours later I was up in my room, sitting at the door with my ear pressed to it eavesdropping on my parents arguing about my situation.

"But there has to be consequences, Fredrick!" My stepmom hissed

"You don't think the girl has gone through enough already? you don't think that she's suffered?" My father defended.

"The girl's got a brand new phone and she gets to go on this trip? Do you understand fully what this means? We don't just have to pay off the balance, she'll need meals and spending money once she's there. It's a matter of what we have! And whether or not she deserves this much leniency!"

My stomach coiled, I wanted to go out there and defend myself... but whenever I tried to intervene in matters involving my stepmom, I only seemed to make things worse.

Besides, it's not like she wasn't making a fair argument.

Then I heard a knock at the door and my stomach sank again. I didn't feel like facing Percy, not yet at least. I texted him earlier to say I was okay and alive, same with Piper and Hazel, but I still didn't feel like talking about what happened. That's why I had been thoroughly avoiding checking DMs, tags, any type of social media really. I was absolutely not ready to face the humiliation. 

But it wasn't Percy's voice I heard as my father opened the door to let the intruders in...

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Before I knew it Piper was opening my door, Hazel in tow behind her. I tumbled backwards to avoid getting hit by the swinging door.

"Annabeth! Oh my god are you okay?" Piper exclaimed, "Why are you on the floor?" she asked.

"Its... comfortable?" I said, the shock of seeing them not fully sinking in.

I was afraid they would be mad at me, disappointed in me for trusting Luke, for sending him the pictures, and for ignoring them for two days.

I had been right.

"What the hell?" Piper said "You've been awol for two days, we were going crazy worrying about you."