Troubled

2

chapter two
annabeth

The cool wind whipped through my hair as the car sped past several fields, all dotted with orange pumpkins.

The radio was blaring some popular song as the car went faster and faster.

"Are you coming to the game tonight?" Luke, my boyfriend, asked as he took a sharp turn, nearly throwing me out of my seat.

I shook my head as I changed the radio station, the previous pop song hurting my head. "No way. I hate football."

Luke sighed as his grip on the wheel tightened. "So? It's not like it's any old football game. I'm on the team."

Your family bought your way onto the team, I thought as I peered over at him.

Luke was rich, popular, and handsome. Everyone at school seemed to love him. He was tall, muscular, had neat blond hair, and had these simply to die for baby blue eyes. At least that's what the girls whispered about him in the hallways. They also whispered that I didn't deserve him. They were probably right.

He was the quarterback of the football team, a position he did not earn. He wasn't horrible but he wasn't great. It was mainly for show.

"I know, but you don't need me there," I responded. "And it's not like my family would let me."

"I do need you there," protested Luke, clearly growing angry. "I want my girlfriend in the crowd, cheering me on."

I shrugged. "How about you have Drew Tanka cheer you on, huh?"

I hated Drew Tanka. She was skinny, beautiful, and popular with her gorgeous black hair that was always flawlessly thrown into a ponytail and her almond shaped brown eyes.

She was the head cheerleader. And she was perfect, to say the least.

"Well, I don't want Drew Tanka cheering me on, I want you. If I wanted to date Drew, I would!" he exclaimed angrily, his voice growing louder.

My eyes widened. "Jeez, sorry! I know that you can have any girl you want as you keep reminding me, but I can't make it. My family probably has a whole hell already planned for me to go through. We'll probably all wear matching pajamas or some shit."

Luke laughed, his hot headedness clearly had gone away. I guess learning about my messed up family made him feel better.

My parents got married young, had me after a year of marriage, and then my mother left when I was four after deciding settling down wasn't for her.

Apparently my father couldn't handle me on my own as he married my stepmother, Helen, a year later when I was five. Two years later, my twin half brothers were born.

After having the perfect family, a wife who loved him and two successful children, my father decided that I did not fit into that perfect picture and started focusing and giving all his attention to his new children, who were star athletes and godlike children.

That left me. The second I graduated eighth grade, I was enrolled in a private boarding school only twenty minutes away from our house.

Even though I went to school close to my house, I rarely stayed there. I had my own room there with a roommate and only went home on holidays, if I was invited.

Recently I'd received a text from my father. Not a call, a text. He asked me to come home for the weekend, so I knew that something was wrong.

It was the end of the quarter, so he probably wanted to talk about my grades or some shit. I'd scored straight A's, as usual, but there was probably something wrong about that for him. Maybe I hadn't gotten 150% in a class like Bobby and Matthew, my half brothers. The scandal!

It was a three day weekend, so I was prepared to go through three days of hell at my family's house.

Luke had volunteered to drive me home as his parents gifted him his own car when he turned sixteen. I accepted his offer as there was one thing that my family hated the most—Luke.

After a few more minutes Luke pulled into my neighborhood, which was full of pristine lawns, expensive houses, and rude neighbors.

"Thanks for the ride," I said as Luke pulled over in front of my own house with its pristine lawn. "Good luck tonight."

I planted a kiss on his cheek, which caused him to cringe.

"What?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

He grimaced at me as he used his chin to point towards my house. I turned and saw my father standing inside the house staring at us, the front door ajar.

My father was a tall man with short, graying blond hair that happened to he the same shade as mine.

Helen stood next to him, snooping as well. She was easily a foot shorter and had short black hair placed into a flawless bun.

"Ahh, I see," I said as I glared at them. "Well, I'll see you on Tuesday."

Before I left the car, I planted a huge kiss on Luke's face, one that made even him blush.

"Annabeth—!" Luke started.

Before he properly yell at me I left the car, slamming the door behind me. I gave him a small wave before heading over to my porch.

There my father and step mother stood waiting, both as red in the face as Luke was.

This was going to be an interesting weekend.