Like you promised

~~Chapter 10~~

It was morning, everyone had breakfast and I had an idea from last night to talk to the stoll brothers.

Thankfully they were still in the Hermes cabin, after everyone else had gone off to do their activities, they had the responsibility to check everything.

"Hey," I called out from the door.

Their faces whipped towards me. Their brown hair unruly as they looked at me oddly.

"Annabeth, hows it going?" Travis asked.

Considering recent events, terrible, "I'm doing okay, you's?"

Connor shrugged, "it's whatever."

It was instinct to check around for any pranks they'd laid out for anyone.

"Hey, I was wondering," I'm not used to my voice shying away, but looking at them and thinking about our history and Luke's, it felt odd to finally talk to them again. "After what happened with Luke I was wondering if I could do more research. Do you have any of his stuff still?"

Travis looked away finding chocolates that one of their cabin mates stashed away. "Nah, we threw it all out."

That hurt, even though I expected it at least, "all of it?"

"All of it," Connor said. "Besides his camp necklace."

Travis head snapped toward him. I could believe that Travis just didn't know about it. But they're probably lying, I can't see through their poker face, but I don't blame them for lying. I could understand still caring and holding on, to a brother that they might not even recognise as a person anymore.

"Alright," I said feeling disappointed, "see you later."

I walked back to my cabin, not in the mood to continue out activities. Though I should practise more fighting I need to be more prepared for that. I wonder what Percy's doing. I grabbed out some stuff and started looking through.

There's outlines my siblings and I have made over the years, I wonder if any of them could lead to helping for the potential thing that might happen, or when it actually all goes down.

There were ones for weapons that weren't completely brushed up on, more like ideas. I'd have to talk to one of the Hephaestus kids for that. There were some designs of forts I was looking through, the different types of material we never thought much of because Thalia's tree always kept us safe. But what if Kronos found a way to disable it?

There was a knock on the open door and I whipped around to face it. My hair flying into my face, I really need to tie it back for the day.

Connor stood there, with a shirt used to wrap something square.

"Connor, what's wrong?"

"I'll admit I lied before."

I smiled mirroring his usual smirk that didn't actually come this time, "What's new." Even that joke hurt.

He held out the object and unwrapped the shirt from it. A small box that would normally be used to fit a necklace in was in his palm. Did he steal it?

He stared at the object biting his lip. "When He first left, I had dreams that he'd come back and everything would be cool, or he'd come to Travis and me and say he's sorry and how he still cared for us."

I started standing up from the bed. "Connor-"

"And he did actually come to visit me one day, when I went home to visit my mom for a little while."

I stilled.

"He came and said hi. I thought I would yell or cry, but I acted cool. Like I didn't care, sometimes I think that's what ruined it all for what could've made what I want happen."

It's been years since I've had a full conversation with Connor and even then. This is probably the most he's ever opened up and because of that I kept my mouth shut.

"And you know what he ended up doing? He gave me this for your birthday and told me to give it to you. I was so mad I just stood and stared at it and when I finally thought I was going to start yelling and call him a traitor, he was gone. I didn't give it you, because I was mad... okay maybe a little jealous because he risked it all, he came back to talk to me for you. So I just hid it to despite both of you. Travis didn't even know, this is the most I've ever hid from him." Even though he wasn't showing the emotion. She knew he was choking up.

"I'm sorry," was all I could manage.

He put the box in my hand, his voice sounding deadbeat "don't be, it's fine." And he walked off.

He kept this from me for a year? I held the black box in my hand, I didn't blame him.

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Posted: 5/May/2020