The Untold Story of Annabeth Chase

Chapter 26

I took a deep breath. "Daddy?"

Sitting at his constantly messy desk, my father looked up from his history book and smiled. "Hi, honey."

I stood there awkwardly, waiting for him to say something. He must have been doing the same, until he saw my red eyes and my hand tapping against my thigh, a nervous habit I'd had for years. "What's wrong?"

"Well, it's just..." My breath caught. Stop it, Annabeth, I scolded myself. You will not cry.

My dad frowned, looking concerned. "What it is, honey?"

"I want to go back to camp," I said in a rush.

I let out a relieved breath. I had gotten through it.

My dad blinked. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy," I said, blinking back tears. "But I miss my friends, and Grace clearly doesn't want me here."

He stared at me in disbelief. My fingers sped up, tapping the rhythm of "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" against my leg. I guess Luke's Cinderella thing had really stuck. It had been a week since our Iris-message, and I had thought about it and decided that Camp Half-Blood was my real home. And Luke and Grover and Skye and even Chiron were my real family. I wanted to be with the family that accepted me, and didn't think I was a freak.

My dad ran his hands through his hair. "I understand why you want to go," he said diplomatically. "But isn't it a bit soon to make a decision? I mean, you've only been here three months."

"I know, but doesn't the fact that I miss camp after only three months mean something? I don't belong with this family."

"I know you miss your camp," he said, his eyes softening. "That's normal. But can't you at least try to stay until winter break?"

I thought about that. Could I make it another month? But just the thought of having to put up with Grace yelling at me and calling me a freak and a liar for any longer made my stomach churn. I shook my head. "I need to get out of here."

My father turned away, looking hurt. I felt bad, but I held my ground. I wouldn't let him guilt me into staying.

I crossed my arms across my chest. My dad pursed his lips. "This wouldn't be about your friend Luke, would it?"

My face reddened. "What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow, and I sighed in defeat. "Okay, Luke's part of it, but so are Grover and Chiron, and Skye and Astrid," I protested.

"Who?"

I realized I had never told my dad about my siblings from the Athena cabin. "They're my sisters."

He looked taken aback. His voice softened. "You have a family there?"

I nodded. "You didn't think I was the only child of Athena, did you?"

My dad looked down, blinking. I realized he hadn't thought about the possibility that Athena would have other children. Did he still love my mom?

He shook it off and looked back at me. "But you have a family here, too," he pleaded.

"I'll miss you guys a lot. I love you and Bobby and Matthew, but you're not like me. You don't get it."

"So tell us things. We can't talk to you about being a demigod if you don't tell us anything about being a demigod."

I shook my head. "I'm sure Grace has already told the boys I'm a freak and a liar. They wouldn't believe anything I told them."

"Okay, that's not fair." My dad looked desperate. "Grace doesn't want you to go any more than I do."

But even as he said this, he couldn't look me in the eye. I could tell he was lying, trying desperately to get me to stay. But I had made my decision.

I shook my head. "Sorry, Daddy. But I'm going."

I spun and ran from the kitchen, my father calling after me.

A week later, I was packing my bags when there was a quiet knock at my door.

"Yeah?" I called. I was finishing up my packing, making sure I didn't have any drachmas rolling around in my dresser drawers, stuffing candy in the crevices of my suitcase to smuggle back into camp.

Bobby poked his head in the door. I smiled, but the smile melted when I realized I hadn't told them I was leaving yet. My father hadn't been the most supportive of me wanting to go, but surprisingly Grace had been on my side. I assumed she just wanted me out of the house again, but regardless, she had talked him down and convinced him that this was what was best for me. I was headed back to camp first thing tomorrow.

The boys walked into my room hesitantly, looking around at my bare closet and open dresser drawers. Matthew furrowed his little eyebrows. "Annie? Why do you have a suitcase?" He asked hesitantly.

Matthew couldn't pronounce 'Annabeth' yet, so he was the one person who was allowed to call me Annie.

I patted the bed next to me. "Come sit," I told them. "I have to tell you something."

They approached uncertainly. Bobby was shaking his head, like he knew what this meant. Matthew was frowning, not really understanding what was going on.

I took a shaky breath. "Have Mommy and Daddy told you anything?" I asked.

They shook their heads in unison. I realized my parents had been waiting for me to tell them. "Do you guys remember last year, when I went to live with some of my friends?" They nodded. "Well, I miss those friends a lot. Like how you guys miss Daddy when he goes on a work trip." They nodded again. "And I talked to Mommy and Daddy, and we decided that I should go and live with them again. I'm not going to be living with you guys anymore."

For a rare moment, neither of them said anything. Then Matthew looked at me uncomprehendingly. "You're leaving?" I nodded, barely holding back the tears.
"No," Bobby muttered. "No, no!"

"I'm sorry, guys," I said quickly. "But I can't live here anymore."

Matthew stared at me, his giant eyes filled with confusion. "But why? Don't you like living here?"
"Of course I do," I lied. "But you know how I have a different mom than you?"

Bobby nodded, but poor Matthew still seemed confused. I wondered if he understood what a stepmother was. "Like Cinderella," I explained. "The evil stepmother isn't her real mother. Your mom is my stepmother."

"Okay," Matthew said.

"Well, my real mom is different than yours," I explained. "She's like one of the magic people in the books I read to you. And that makes it very hard for me to live here. My friends are like me, and it's easier for me to stay with them." Grace probably didn't want me to tell them any of this, but I couldn't see any way around it.

Bobby fiddled with a LEGO he found in his pocket. "But who's gonna teach me about buildings now?" he pouted. "You showed me how to make houses!"

"Maybe you can ask Daddy to build with you," I suggested. "He knows about LEGOs too."

"It won't be the same!" Bobby cried. 'You promised you wouldn't leave again!"

I winced. "I know I did, but-"
"You promised!" He screamed, and ran from my room.

Matthew stared after him, then looked back at me. "Annie, please don't go," he whispered, his eyes filling up with tears.
"I have to," I whispered, my voice breaking.
"Can you at least visit?"
I wiped Matthew's eyes as the tears began to spill over. "Maybe," I said, and he stood up and left my room.

I lay back on my bed, trying to hold back the sobs that were forcing their way out of my throat.