in tua voce

Annabeth

    I don't want to talk about the window. Let's just say it was well past lunch time by the time I found myself behind the so-called "guesthouse".

    All I wanted was to turn back around and high-tail it to my room to hang out with pacman the rest of the day. Heck, even math homework would be fantastic. My palms were sweating, and my stomach was also feeling sick. Oh, did I forget to mention that my face was a beautiful collage of blue, purple, and even yellow? It felt kind of heavy, like a sinus infection or something. So let's just say I was looking good. My mental state was, obviously, not much better.

    Okay. I steeled myself. Just walk around the side and peek in the window. Just make sure she's okay and get out. Talk about a star-spangled man with a plan. Minus the intimidating pectorals. Also anything else even vaguely physically attractive.  I shook myself. Focus. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders (call me Captain Drama), and peered around the corner of the shack. So far, so good.

Phew. I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Taking creeping steps forward, I got within one step of the window. Oh god, not windows again - speaking of, how the hell am I supposed to get back inside of my room? Shit. Blah. Whatever, that's another story. Preparing myself one last time, I took the final step and peered into the window. The first thing I see is...an empty bed!?! Uh-oh. Then my eyes fall to the floor and what do I see but two legs, followed by a torso, then a neck, then a head with two eyes staring right back at me. "Ach!" I stumbled back. Without a backwards glance, I fled the scene. I didn't see a soul, and I made it to my window in decent time. Then came the window. Yep. Still not ready to talk about that yet.

The next few days passed with lots of ramen, daily window struggles, and a relative peace. For once, everyone just left me alone. It was strange, I'll have to admit. But it left me free to do what I couldn't seem to stray from: peeking on "Lady Anne" (I gave her this title because it just seemed to fit, you know?). Creepy? Maybe. I think it was the novelty of having someone my age so close to me. I couldn't just let her disappear, when I was so close to maybe, just maybe, connecting with someone. Call me crazy, but that's what I thought.

Now, that's nice, but does that really qualify me to spy on a sleeping girl every morning? Well....apparently, yes. Okay, okay, she was pretty. I don't think it needs to be said that I don't really ever talk to anyone, especially girls. And yet, here she was, a fine specimen of girl, right in front of my eyes. So yes, I spied. Although I liked to think of it more as "checking up on her" or "making sure she's alright". Just the usual.

After the first incident, I only ever came at dawn or just after dusk. It was a perfectly choreographed plan, and I executed it just as perfectly until day number five.

It was about 7:00 am when I stopped by the cabin, a little later than usual. Who could blame me, though? Five days in a row waking up at the crack of dawn. It was summer! I was supposed to sleep in till noon, sit around, do nothing all day. So anyways, I slept in a bit.

    If I would've known what was to happen, I definitely would have reconsi - okay, that's a lie. I'd probably go about everything in the same order if given the chance. So, off I went to the cabin. But when I peered in the window, Annabeth was not sleeping. No, she was not. She was standing on the bed and looking straight out at me. Like she was waiting for me. Shit. I attempted to run away, but her voice called me back. "Wait."

    She spoke just loud enough to be heard through the glass pane of the window frame. I waited. I stepped back up to the window, which was just tall enough for our heads. "I need help." Her eyes implored me to do just that, help her. "Umm, uh," I stuttered.

    "Listen. The guard's gone - I have no idea where, and I'm locked in here and well, umm..." She was at a loss as she looked down at her wrinkled clothes. I looked at her blankly. She looked back at me deploringly. Suddenly, realization hit me like a wave. "Oh! Umm, okay. I can go get you some old clothes or something...okay? I'll be back!" I stumbled away.