Shattered to Pieces |Percabeth Story |

8

Annabeth

A Week Later

Beep! Beep! Beep! I bolt upright to the sound of my alarm clock screaming at me and stumble out of my bed to turn it off. A loud groan comes from the other side of the room and I sigh, knowing that Rachel will start moaning in a few seconds.

"Why is that thing so loud?" she says.

"Because it's an alarm," I reply, sarcastically. "It's made to wake you up and some people are deep sleepers so it has to be loud."

"Whatever," she snarls, stretching her arms above her head before she jumps out of bed. I narrow my eyes at her as I realise she's making her way towards the bedroom door. No way. She is not going in the bathroom before me again...

I start towards the door and pick my pace so I get there before Rachel does. I step into the hallway and then sprint towards the bathroom. "Hey!" Rachel yells, angrily. I hear her loud footsteps as she runs after me. I push the bathroom door open and I'm about to step inside when Rachel reaches out from behind me and swipes her foot against mine so I trip and fall on my face.

I scramble to my feet just as Rachel slams and locks the bathroom door. "That is so not fair, RED!" I snarl. "You take forever in there."

"I'm popular, Annie. It takes work to get me to look as beautiful as I do. No one cares about you so they don't care how terrible you look," Rachel replies from inside the bathroom.

"I hate you," I snap.

"Likewise, Blondie."

With a loud huff, I turn and walk back to my room. I change from my pyjamas into blue skinny jeans and a plain grey t-shirt that's a size too big for me. I slide cheap sneakers onto my feet and tie the laces before throwing my hair into my usual ponytail.

I'll have to wash my face and brush my teeth as soon as Rachel gets out of the bathroom. Thankfully, the bruises on my face have faded and for the first time in what seems like forever I don't have to wear makeup to school.

Once I've finished getting ready I run downstairs into the kitchen where I'm surprised to see Ben. I jump in shock, not expecting him to still be home.

"W-what are you doing here?" I stutter.

"I live here," he snaps.

"I-I mean... I thought you had work?"

"My day off. You'd think I'd be able to have more since I'm the best cop around here. Life's a bitch and then you die, right?" Ben cackles.

"Right," I gulp.

"Where's that girl?"

"In the bathroom," I reply, walking over to the kettle to turn it on.

"Oh, so she's the one using all my water up?" He doesn't give me time to answer. "I guess you can pay me back somehow when she's gone."

I nod. "You want coffee?"

"Of course I do. I'd like a nice breakfast also but supposedly that's my job now that you have a friend over," Ben growls. "I'm going out tonight and I won't be home until tomorrow evening."

"Where are you going?" I ask, curiously.

"Guys have needs and I can't bring a girl home when we have a guest here, now can I?" he huffs. "That girl is a brat. I can't wait until she goes."

You're not the only one, I think to myself.

"Will you be able to sneak out and come over my house to hang out for a while?" Percy asks as we walk home from school, Rachel trailing behind us with her group of snobs.