Vampire Royalty (Indefinite Hiatus)

Chapter 7: A walking pie of PTSD

Annabeth left that morning, avoiding everyone, I noticed. She said she was going home for real this time. I didn't doubt her, now that I know more. But I knew she was still going to see him. I guess I could always tell when she was lying or not, I was just dense as fuck and was probably fucking stupid too.

People were kind of avoiding me too. My friends all stayed, but like always, I still feel like an outcast. I'm treated like cracked glass that is so fragile that I can break at any second. It hurts. And even if my friends are all staying with me, that doesn't mean they don't know how to actually deal with it. They're treating me differently too.

It's overwhelming, the stares. I can feel them. They aren't talking. They won't talk. Not to me atleast. The only one really trying to make conversation was Piper. We were close, unexpectedly. It was a known fact that she didn't like me at first, thought I was overrated. I mean, I kinda was. I didn't do everything myself, like everyone exaggerates, I had help!

But after the Giant War we grew close. We all grew close, but Piper was like the sister I never had. (Don't tell Thalia I said that. She's like a sister but the one you fight with constantly but know you love and will die for.) I wasn't as close to the rest, we were all just close friends, but I didn't feel that familiarity with them that I did with Nico, Thalia, Hazel and Piper.

Sure, Jason is a close second there but there's still a teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, bit of tension. Born rivals isn't really a good way to start a friendship. I mean, friends to enemies to friends again. Awesome, but let's leave the 'to lovers' part that's always at the end. I'm happy with Artemis, thank you very much.

Frank, yeah, we didn't get so see each other as much as we liked. He had duties as the new Praetor, same with Hazel. Though I try to hang out with him as much as I can in his spare time. I love the guy, really, but I don't want to burden him with more of my secrets than I already have. He doesn't know my past like the rest of them do... Actually all of them don't know. They don't know about before I was 11, with Gabe.

I'm definitely not going to tell the rest about Lissa and Rose.

Now, Leo... That's self explanatory. (coughCalypsocough) We are definitely prank buddies, along with the Stolls, but we'll never be that close. Pretty sure Jason can keep his title of Best Bro.

I leaned over to Piper and whispered, "Hey, I'm leaving. See you soon." I grabbed her hand, giving it a slight squeeze before scraping the food I didn't finish into the fire. The rest looked at me concerned but I ignored it, vapour traveling to Artemis instead. I plopped down onto the bed and groaned.

I heard a giggle coming from beside me as a hand ran through my hair. I sighed, taking my head out from the covers, opting to wrap my arms around the goddess's waist and cuddle her.

"That's what you get when you have," she huffed, "The genetic Olympian Dramatics."

"I don't like it," I practically whined.

"Neither do I, but remember, I've dealt with this for millenia."

"Uurgh, don't remind me. I'd never want to deal with the same assholes for forever."

"What about me?"

"I'd always choose you."

"Awww, don't go soft on me."

"I was always soft, Emmi."

"..."

"Okay, dense and oblivious, cute and likable, that's soft. Being traumatized and having ADHD, anxiety, PTSD, dyslexia, I guess minor BPD. I'm fixing the depression and suicidal tendencies; yeah not soft."