Troubled

50

chapter fifty
annabeth

"Happy Birthday to me."

As I looked at the time on my computer screen I couldn't help notice it was after midnight on the twelfth of July, my birthday.

Eighteen years old. I can vote, I am an adult. I don't feel any older and I certainly don't feel happy.

Living with my mother has been interesting to say the least. Her architecture firm was huge, lots of space and people, all of them being under her employment.

After stressing days she'd return home, work non-stop, drink, and then pass out on the couch. The next morning she'd wake up at dawn and repeat the day, dragging me along with her.

I doubt that she'll remember my birthday. And if she does she certainly won't do anything about it. She won't get me a gift or a party. Not even a happy birthday. That just wasn't who she was.

After forcing myself to close the computer I rolled into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Wake up, Annabeth," Athena said as she rapped on my door loudly, causing me to roll over and groan. "It's nearly nine, I've let you sleep in long enough!"

After rolling my eyes and cursing her for a while, I stood up and stretched. After showering I got dressed and made my way out to the kitchen where Athena sat, drinking a cup of coffee.

Athena's apartment was nicer than my house, which was saying a lot. It was huge and modern, nearly everything was white. White marble countertops, high tech appliances, vast spaces, several bedrooms, and several bathrooms.

"Coffee's cold," she told me as she sipped her own and scanned over the newspaper, her eyes analyzing everything.

She was, indeed, right about the coffee, which was lukewarm. I shrugged as I downed it and joined her at the kitchen table.

"I've gotta run to the office today," she said matter of factly as she finished her last gulp of coffee. "And, while I am gone, I want it clear that no one will come over. You will not contact anyone besides me or the police if there's any trouble. You hear me?"

I nodded as she stood up and readjusted her skirt, making sure it was pristine. "I know the drill."

After double checking her email and collecting all of her things, my mother made her way to the door. She gave me a final warning before heading out the door and to her offices.

When I was home alone I didn't do much. My phone was gone, my computer monitored daily. Instead of breaking any rules, I sat down on the couch and turned on some mind numbing reality show.

I'd tried to email Percy. Twice. The first time Athena had scolded me and caught me in the act. The second time I'd nearly sent it, but she'd also caught me and threatened to take away all internet privileges in general.

So, after that, I became less hopeful. My phone was gone and I didn't know his address, so no writing letters. Even if I had the address Athena would probably still find out about it. The woman knew nearly everything.

After a few more hours of staying alone at the apartment, the door reopened and Athena walked back in, her eyes rolling.

"You cannot believe the morning I've had!" she groaned as she immediately entered the kitchen and stared brewing another pot of coffee as she told me about how incompetent her employees were.

Some part of me believe that she liked having me here. After all, she'd been all alone all of these years. To my knowledge she'd had no serious relationships, she certainly wasn't in one now.

Maybe I was insane since most of our conversations were very formal, not very mother and daughter stuff. A lot of complaining from her end.

"You want some?" she offered me as she poured her freshly brewed coffee to the top of her mug. I shook my head. She shrugged as she moved it over to the kitchen table, blowing at the steam. "More for me."

She silently drank her coffee, occasionally wincing at the heat of it. I clearly had inherited my ADHD from her as she when she wasn't drinking her coffee was annoyingly clicking her pen.

"How's your work coming?" she asked me.

My 'work' for the architecture firm was next to nothing. Even though I was technically an intern there, I didn't do much.

Besides running for coffees and fixing the WiFi, the work I didn't do much. Of course she had me 'look over' building plans for experience or something, but she never took my edits seriously.

"It's alright," I lied before quickly looking back at the floor, not in the mood to talk to her.

"Why are you mad at me?" Athena asked, instantly being able to figure me out. "What? Is it work? If it's too much I can find another intern. And if it's too little I'm sure I can get more for you—"

"I'm fine," I snapped back, my face growing red.

She shook her head as she crossed her arms. "If you told me what was bothering you, I could help, you know!"

I shook my head as I waved my hand angrily. "Nothing is bothering me!"

Athena rolled her eyes as she leaned back in her chair. "God, don't tell me it's this again. Just your teenage angst, huh? Let me guess, I ruined your life and you want to go running off to that boy?"

Anger boiled in me as I stood up, shoving the chair out behind me. "No, mother! You don't everything about me, you know. Actually, you know nothing about me!"

"Annabeth.....Chase, sit back down!" Athena scolded as she stood up to match my height. "And don't speak to me like that! I know probably you blame for all your problems, but I thought that we were getting along better."

I laughed angrily, which caused my mother to widen her eyes in confusion. "You don't know me at all, mother. You didn't know my middle name, yes, I could tell. And you certainly didn't know that today
is my eighteenth birthday!"

Athena's face went red as she slowly sunk back into her chair. Then, as if she were electrocuted, she instantly jumped out of her chair and rushed out of the room.

I rolled my eyes as made my way to the coffee machine and poured myself a mug. Then I sank back down in my seat and sipped the coffee cautiously.

Within a few minutes my mother burst back into the room, a letter in her hand. I frowned as she slapped it down in front of me.

"What's this?" I questioned as I set my mug down and examined the letter.

The handwriting was messy and strangely familiar. My name was written on it with no return address, which was strange.

Another strange factor was that it had my old address on it, my father's address. Who was this from?

"Happy Birthday," Athena grumbled. Certainly she hadn't written this letter? "Your father forwarded some of your mail. It was all nearly college mail, but this one stood out to me. I'm not an idiot, I think I know who this is from."

My heart skipped a beat as it all suddenly made sense. The messy handwriting, old address, and lack of return address.

This was definitely a letter from Percy.