Troubled

40

chapter forty
annabeth

"We're insane."

Percy pulled me up from the floor as he ran around his dorm, desperately grabbing bags of his items.

"I know," he admitted. "Now go get your bags and meet me in the parking lot. You'll drive us there, right?"

I shook my head as I dug a pair of keys out of my pocket and threw them at him. "Here you go. You know your way to New York, you can do it. I'll meet you at the car, okay?"

My run to the girl's dorm was short. I instantly ran inside my dorm and started grabbing all my bags and anything still left in my room.

"You in a hurry?"

I turned to see Thalia leaned against the door, her arms crossed against her chest.

"Oh, yes, actually," I admitted, not being able to lie to Thalia. "I'm leaving."

She frowned. "What, why? The day before graduation? Is Fredrick doing this—?! I swear, if it's your family making you miss graduation, I'll kill them!"

I couldn't help but laugh at how red Thalia's face had gotten. "No, it's not them. Actually...they said I could graduate, and the day I did they'd take me home for the summer and not let me see you, Percy, or anyone else from school again."

"Why would they do that?!" she demanded angrily.

I shrugged. "I don't know, somehow they think you all are 'bad influences' on me or something. I just know I can't let them do that....so I'm running away."

Thalia's eyes widened. "You're running away alone?"

"Not really. Percy...he's coming with me," I replied.

"No, don't tell me this is some unplanned stupid thing with a boy that you hardly know," she snapped.

I shook my head. "We have a plan. I think we're going to Percy's apartment in New York City. His mom is gone, but she'll come back soon. Then I'm going to spend the summer there, possibly visit you, too. Then I'm off to college."

"Annabeth, have you really thought this through?" she asked me. "I mean, you wanna graduate, right?"

"Not like this I don't," I responded truthfully. "Besides, I'm nearly eighteen. Once I turn eighteen, what can they do? And I have savings, money from odd jobs I've done. Thalia, I'll be fine."

Thalia sighed. She looked as if she were about to punch me. Instead she pulled me into a huge hug, which was surprising for her.

"Be safe, okay?" she asked me as we pulled apart. "Text me updates daily, okay? And I'll play dumb if your family asks me about you."

I grinned. "Thanks, Thals. Good luck out there tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded. "Same to you."

And with one final glance at Thalia and my old dorm, I rushed out and towards the parking lot, my bags weighing me down.

When I reached the parking lot I saw Percy leaned against my car, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"What are you doing? We need to get out of here," I directed him as I tried to shove past him. The car was locked. "Percy, unlock the car."

He shook his head. "Annabeth, I can't let you miss graduation because of me. You—you've been working for this for so long."

"No, Percy!" I begged him. "Please, no! I....I can't go back home. This isn't a matter of just losing you anymore. If they take me back home, I'll never get any freedom again, I'm sure of it. And they'll take you from me...."

Percy smiled mischievously. "Fine, you're not going home. But you are going to that graduation."

"How?"

"I have a plan."