Not Quite Mortal • HoO

III Savannah Bell

When I first met Annabeth, I thought she was normal. That she, like other people would ignore me. But Annabeth didn't ignore me, she became my friend, even though she could have just as easily been popular.

Annabeth is, in my opinion, great at just about everything. She's incredibly smart, she's athletic, and excels at everything I've seen her try. But for some reason, she can't seem to stick to the school schedule. She's been absent from school enough to be considered truant, if she hadn't put up all these 'reasonable' excuses. She was a favorite of most of the teachers, and since she always caught up with her work, some of them didn't always mark her as absent.

A few months ago, Annabeth's attendance became even rarer, apparently because of 'family issues.' Then she stopped coming entirely for months. Now she's been back for only a few days when she finally told me that she's moving to New York.

"It's closer to camp, and I'll be able to see my boyfriend more often," she reasoned. "I'll really miss you. But now that I have a phone we can still talk."

I could only stare at her, with what I'm sure must have been a really creepy grin on my face. I knew Annabeth felt bad - she knew that she was my closest friend, and although I had still had my friend Jackson while Annabeth had been gone the last time, it hadn't been the same. But I continued to smile.

"Er, is that okay?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah, actually I was going to tell you that my mom got that new job in Manhattan. The decision to move is final now," I said.

"Yes!" Annabeth basically launched herself over the table to give me a hug. "What school are you going to?"

"I'm not sure yet," I said. I tried not to get Annabeth's hair in my mouth or eyes as I talk.

"You should come to Goode. That's where I'm going with Percy."

I nodded, even though I didn't know if I'd be able to go to Goode.

I reached into my pocket for my phone. "Have to share the good news!" I said.

Annabeth laughed. I did too, not quite understanding why until I realized that what I had said could have been taken as a pun.

I texted my friend Andrew who lived in Manhattan, and apparently, I found out, went to Goode.

"Here, hand me that," Annabeth yanked the phone out of my hands, and I gasped as I made a swipe to get it back.

Annabeth easily dodged by leaning backwards and started to text someone on my phone.

"Who," I tried to twist myself in a way that I could see the screen, "are you texting? And why aren't you using your phone?"

"My phone's all the way over there," she pointed at her backpack sitting only a couple feet away. "Yours was closer. I'm texting your mom -"

"- What?"

"To convince her to let you apply to Goode."

She gives me a look that says 'What else would we do? Just let her choose?' and continues to type. I feel like this violates some unspoken privacy rule, but I don't say anything. Annabeth on a mission is something I wouldn't try to stop for anything.