The Mark of Athena (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 43- Annabeth

Chapter 43

Annabeth

     Annabeth was alone. She woke up and it was still dark outside. She was very quiet in the hallway. She began to make coffee. She wandered aimlessly around the Argo II. When she walked around the ship three times, she polished her knife. She checked to see if her friends were sleeping. She prayed to her mother. She tidied her desk. She stretched. Her ADHD was getting to her. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat on the couch.

     She flipped through TV channels. She found a movie. She watched about thirty minutes of it before realizing she had no clue what the movie was about. She only truly understood the romance- the boy leaving and the girl suffering. So tears filled her eyes and she sniffled into her fleece blanket.

     Behind her, there were footsteps. She spun around to see Piper, her eyes glued to the screen. “Oh gods, what is this?”

     “It’s a movie I found,” Annabeth said tearfully. “A man had to leave his girlfriend…”

     “Just like you and Percy,” Piper guessed. The room was dark, so Annabeth didn’t realize Piper had tears on her cheeks until the light from the TV revealed her wet cheeks.

     “Why are you crying?” Annabeth asked.

     “I was with Jason,” Piper managed to sob out. “You know, I went to his room because I had a nightmare. And then I realized that even if we live through the war, our relationship won’t be as effortless as it was before.” And she broke down.

     “No,” Annabeth said in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake up the others. “Piper, he’ll always love you the same! Please don’t cry.” She picked up the sobbing girl from the ground and set her on the couch. She decided she didn’t need the fleece blanket, so she put the blanket around Piper’s shaking shoulders.

     The sun finally broke free of the dark morning sky. Annabeth watched Piper’s sleeping face. She had cried herself to sleep, mumbling something about being crazy. It had been a hard night. Annabeth took another sip of the coffee. She wasn’t a huge fan of it, but last night had been so hectic that she needed it.

       Sometime around six-thirty in the morning, Percy came out of his room, his pajamas wrinkled and his hair a mess. He rubbed his tired eyes and looked at the two girls on the couch. He frowned.

       “Long night?” he asked.

       “You have no idea,” Annabeth replied bleakly. She knew she had dark bags under her eyes and that she looked grouchy.

       He walked over and rubbed her back with a comforting smile. “It’ll turn out okay, Beth. Everyone will turn out fine. I promise.”

       She looked up weakly. “I really hope so, Percy. I hope nothing bad will happen.” She looked helplessly over at Piper’s red swollen eyes.

       Percy studied Piper with a worried expression. “What happened?”

       “She came early this morning in tears. She said if she survives Jason won’t love her the same way.” Annabeth pinched the bridge of her nose like she wanted to keep the tears in her eyes. She did. She didn’t want to worry Percy more than she needed to.