A World of Monsters

Angry People Hate Painful Conversation

2:00 pm, Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

At a table in a small corner cafe, Annabeth Chase and Piper McLean were sitting together.

Annabeth had her head bent over some blueprints, and Piper was on her phone, glancing up at her friend every so often. Annabeth blew a stray hand of her hair away from her face, but the stubborn hair fell right back.

Annabeth groaned and pushed the papers away from her, brushing the hair back. Piper looked up at her.

"Everything good?" Piper asked.

"Yeah, I'm just tired, you know?"

"I get i-" Pipers words died.

Out the window, she could see a black car pull up. Out came two or three men, all armed with cameras.

Piper snarled, as Annabeth followed her line of sight. She spotted the men, and hastily threw her things into her bag, Piper doing the same. Piper slammed a twenty onto the table, and Annabeth and her bolted.

They were heading towards the apartment, but the men had noticed them running.

"Hey!" One of them cried.

Piper looked over her shoulder to see one of them running towards them, and the other ones getting into the car, ready to drive. Annabeth was cursing under her breath.

The man was surprisingly fast, and the girls were faced with a decision.

They had originally both assumed they would outrun the paparazzi quickly, being half gods with bordering superhuman strength and speed. But the car was trailing now.

They could go up to the apartment, but that was not ideal.

They could try to find somewhere to hide or lay low, but that was becoming increasingly impossible as the seconds tick.

Annabeth let loose a growl as they approached the apartment, and Piper was bordering on fury as they threw open the glass doors and bolted to the elevators.

The doors were just closing as they came close, but Annabeth threw her hand up and they got inside. They ignored the other people in the elevator as Piper slammed the button, leaving the elevator silent as the doors closed and the girls simmered in their fury.

2:00 pm, Saturday, September 3rd, 2011

Percy Jackson stormed out of his apartment, furious after he had heard what had happened to his girlfriend and Piper.

He wasn't mad at them - not at all - he was more miffed that they had been forced to give up their location, making the press knowing where they lived not illegal.

But that piled on top of frustrations with school and ribs that refused to stop hurting, he was pissed off. He slammed his hand on the elevator button, tapping his foot on the hardwood.

He heard a door open and he looked to see Piper jogging to him. He got in and held the door for her. She sighed as she got into the elevator.

"Why you here?" He grumbled.

"To make sure you don't kill anyone."

Percy scowled, "I wasn't going to do anything." He defended.

Piper gave him a look.

"What?" He snapped.

"Percy, your one of my best friends but I need to be completely honest with you right now." Percy's scowl deepened. "Don't make that face."

"You know as well as I do that you don't fully think through situations when you're mad. And sometimes that's good, it gets you out of the situation, but sometimes..."