The Gift of a Best Friend

My Father Tells Me Upsetting News

Annabeth's POV

I love these kinds of nights at home.

These nights were the most special. A night where my dad and I would make popcorn and sit together on the couch downstairs and watch a movie together. No stepmother, no stepbrothers, just the two of us.

It was Dad's turn to pick the movie tonight and he chose Roman Holiday, a romantic comedy. You'd think it'd be something Jasmine would like to watch, her two most favorite genres wrapped into one, but this particularly is from the 1950s and she doesn't like to watch any 1900 movies as they aren't modern to her and just look too weird.

I can understand the screen quality being nothing compared to how it is today, which we're more use to, but the movie wasn't too bad.

Actually, it was really ridiculous. A princess escapes her minders and falls in love with an American journalist in Rome. I didn't really understand why my dad liked it so much. I had a feeling it may have reminded him about his own romance with my mother Athena.

I remembered Savanna telling me how she knew he would seem to be thinking about her sometimes. How she herself would never be anything compared to my mother. But nothing more could become of their romance than me. And he knew that too. Just like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, the princess and the American journalist.

The movie ended a little while later and we cleaned up. We picked up our popcorn bowls, picking up some that we dropped on the floor, and carried them upstairs to the kitchen where we began to wash them.

"Annabeth," Dad said, sounding nervous as he was drying one of the bowls with a dish towel that I had just finished washing. "I need to tell you something . . ."

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I received a call earlier today, while you were at school, about a new job offer to research a World War I book. They're offering me a lot more to do this than my current one. And they're giving me my very own first Sopwith Camel!"

I smiled. "That's great, Dad! That's the perfect thing for you. I know you've always wanted your own biplane. But . . . why do you look so afraid telling me this?"

He took a deep breath. "Because, Annabeth . . . The job's in San Francisco."

I dropped the other bowl I just finished cleaning onto the floor, shattering into pieces.

"Annabeth," he chided.

He went to grab a broom and dustpan while I stayed where I was standing. I stared at him as he began to sweep up the glass shards from around my feet.

"What did you tell them?" I asked.

He wouldn't look at me. "I told them I'd take it. I have to be there next week."

I stared at him. "What about Savanna? Or the boys?"

"Savanna knows and she's somewhat ok with it. I haven't told the boys yet because I wanted to tell you myself, and I knew they would've told you if I had told them first."

"So that's it?! You're moving away?"

"It's a great opportunity, Annabeth."

"I agree, Dad, but to move?"

"I know it won't be easy for you, for many reasons, but I really want you to come with us."

"Dad . . . I can't. Not for what's there. I'll be in even more danger than I already am being here. That includes you, Savanna, and the boys as well."

"I'm aware of that, and I'll accept the risk just to have my daughter with me."

"I won't. I'm proud of you, Dad, but I can't do this."

He nodded like he expected and understood my response. "I'm assuming you'll be staying with Jasmine then?"

"Most likely."

"I'll pack a few things of mine and find a new house out there. Savanna and the boys will join me later on."

"I'll help them pack and see them on their way," I said.

"I know you will."

So that was it. My family was moving away, without me.

Over the course of the next couple weeks, the boys tried begging me to come with them as I was helping them pack their things. Even Savanna tried to convince me to go, looked at a couple of good schools nearby where they'll be moving to that I could attend.

I couldn't explain the truth to the boys about why I couldn't go like I did with Savanna when they weren't in the room. I came up with a lie that I didn't want to be separated from Jasmine and Thalia. I guess it wasn't a total lie. I would miss them and nothing would be the same without either of them, but it wasn't the main truth. Mount Tamalpais was just too dangerous for demigods to be near.

We finished packing up their stuff in boxes and containers and put it in the truck they hired to take it all across the country to their new house awaiting them to the west coast. We cleaned up the house a bit and put it up for sale. Jasmine's parents helped me take them to the airport with their big suitcases that would last them until the truck arrived there.

I gave them one final goodbye hug and the three of them went off, with Rufus. We watched their flight take off until it was out of sight in the clear blue sky.

I was honestly sad to see them go. We finally managed to work things out and be a family together, and now that family was moving in separate directions. They wanted to take the risk, but I wouldn't. I could always change my mind at any time and join them later, and I wanted to, but I doubt I was going to ever.

Jasmine gave me a supportive hug from behind. "I'm sorry this had to happen."

"Me too," I agreed.

"Did you try to ask him not to go?" Thalia asked.

"Of course not. This is something my father's passionate about. I couldn't keep him from that."

"That was very selfless of you."

"You saying I'm not selfless?"

"Well, when you wouldn't give me the other half of your bagel."

"Oh, shut up about the bagel, Thalia," Jasmine said. "You wanted one, you should've gotten your own."

"I wasn't hungry until I saw you eating it," she replied, acting defensive. "And then I wanted one."

"I hope you remember that next time we go to get something to eat and actually get something to eat yourself instead of saying, 'I'm not hungry' and steal our food."

"I will."

The three of us laughed.

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A couple weeks past and it was the holiday season. The time when it gets cold, festive, and stressful.

Of course, it would be about that time when something would happen in our other life.

Just as winter break was starting, we received a distress call from Grover. He didn't explain much, but he said he needed our help quickly, that it was an emergency. He had also contacted Percy about it, which wasn't surprising.

We explained the situation to Jasmine's parents and we got ready as fast as we could, stuffing clothes and some food into our backpacks and gathering up our weapons. We climbed onto Toothless's back and headed on our way to discover something we never could've imagined.

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Another short, straight to the point chapter. That's sometimes how I like it so we get to the good stuff (and when I have no idea what more to write but don't want to waste pointless hours on something that's not that important).

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