His Lifeline

Chapter 10: I Make a Great First Impression

The drive was peaceful. Annabeth was a much better driver than Gabe, so I wasn't slammed into any parts of the car unexpectedly.

Even though I knew that we weren't even nearing the speed Gabe was at; I still clutched my seat. I didn't want to take any chances.

I tried to look like it wasn't really affecting me, but I still let out a breath of relief when we got out of the car.

I followed Annabeth uneasily towards her front door. She turned back to me when she got to the top of the stairs and said she was sorry if they started asking too many questions.

Then she opened the door and led me in.

Instantly I was hit with the smell of cooking meat and the sound of running footsteps.

"I'm home. I brought Percy," I heard Annabeth shout as I closed the front door behind me. Thankfully I was able to succeed in not falling on my face. There was a mumble from where the smell was coming from.

Annabeth sighed as she gestured to me to follow her through the living room into the kitchen. There Annabeth's stepmom Helen was cooking ground beef in a pan on the stove. I saw noodles and sauce cooking in other pots and figured spaghetti was on the menu.

"Helen, this is Percy, Percy, this is my stepmother Helen," Annabeth gestured between us. Helen set down the spatula she was using to stir the meat and walked over to me, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Hello there, Percy," she greeted me with a smile, and I warily shook her hand she had extended.

"Hello," I managed to say softly. I wasn't really comfortable calling Helen by her first name. I desperately tried to think of Annabeth's last name as Helen went back to the stove to finish making dinner.

"I hope that spaghetti is ok with you?" I nodded at her. Sure, I had spaghetti last week, but any home-cooked meal is welcome to me. In fact, any dinner is welcome.

She smiled softly at me and gestured with her hand in a way I didn't quite understand. I heard Annabeth breathe in sharply, and I looked at her. She nodded and then grabbed my wrist. Thankfully she grabbed the left one and dragged me down a hallway off to the side of the kitchen.

"These are my step-brothers, Matthew and Bobby," she introduced as two twins about eight years old ran up and down the hallway and then into a room. She sighed and followed the two, letting my wrist go.

Walking to catch up, I turned into the room to see Annabeth talking with the two boys. She turned around and waved me over. Her ears were tinted a bit red.

The two boys started laughing to themselves as if sharing an inside joke. While laughing, they introduced themselves. "I'm Bobby," one with a grey t-shirt said.

"I'm Matthew," the one with the green t-shirt managed to choke out, seeing that he was trying not to laugh.

Annabeth sighed and grabbed my left wrist, tugging me out of the room, mumbling something about stupid younger brothers and how she would never live this down. We walked over the stairs, and Annabeth announced that we would be in her room until dinner. We heard an ok from the kitchen, and I followed Annabeth up the stairs.

I groaned as I almost fell on my face as I walked into Annabeth's room. She followed me in and then walked to her bed. Feeling awkward, I made my way over to the desk chair, where I sat during the last tutoring session at her house.

"So, what hobbies do you have besides studying?" she asked, knocking me out of the daze I was slowly falling into.

"Um, I play a few instruments, but that's basically it, uhh, how about you?" I tried not to mention singing. Technically it counts as an instrument, but I didn't want to zero in on it by saying I had a singing hobby. That would be the equivalent of me holding a sign that said Ask Me To Sing A Song! I didn't want to sing, at least not in front of anyone.