Icarus - Annabeth Chase

chapter one.

[ º ☆ ● ☽ º ☆ ● ANNABETH º ☆ ● ☽ º ☆ ● ]

Annabeth sat next to Thalia in the back seat while Percy and Sally Jackson sat in the front seat, Ms. Jackson driving as she told them stories of when Percy was younger, his face going beat red the more she talked. It was a while to get to the school, New York to Bar Harbor, Maine was an eight hour drive, the closer they got the more nervous Ms. Jackson got.

"Oh yeah, this'll be fun." They looked over to her window and finally caught sight of the school, it was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the gray churning ocean on the other.

Grover had told them he had an emergency. He seemed on edge as if there was something he wasn't telling them but he had ended the Iris message before they could ask.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" The voice of Ms. Jackson snapped her out of her thinking as she looked between the mother-son duo, she had to admit, Sally was brave and she was kind and considerate, she cared for her and the other kids as much as she did her own son and that was an admirable trait for one to have. Annabeth didn't understand why Percy looked so embarrassed.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy." Annabeth hated to think of how the woman felt everyday not knowing if her son would come back from all the reckless shit he gets into. It broke her heart.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Even if it wasn't true, Annabeth would do anything to make the woman feel even the slightest bit better. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

The mom's shoulders untensed and she looked a bit more relaxed.

Annabeth hated how Percy blew up on her and rushed them out of the car, she was scared and for good reason, yet, Percy didn't seem to care. 

"Your mom is so cool, Percy." Thalia spoke the words that had been running through the blondes mind since she met his mom. Sally Jackson really was cool, a great mom and best friend put into one, what else did you need?

"She's pretty okay,"Percy admitted. "What about you? You ever get in touch with your mom?"

Thalia gave him the nastiest evil look she could muster, she winced, Annabeth did not want to be on the receiving of that, she pitied those who were.

"If that was any of your business, Percy—"

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth interrupted. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looked at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call."

"Nothing good," guessed Percy as the three of them stared at the dark walls of Westover Hall. The oak doors groaned open, and the three of them stepped into the entry hall in a swirl of snow.

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. I mean, they knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—" 

The doors slammed shut behind them.

"Oo-kay," Percy mumbled. "Guess we'll stay awhile."

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Annabeth could hear music echoing from the other end of the hall. It sounded like dance music. They had stashed their stuff safely behind a pillar and started down the hall only to be stopped as they heard footsteps getting closer to them.