(A/N: I feel like there is always that one day where you don't know what to name a chapter! This is one of those days! Sorry! Edit: Special thanks to MaiaPapaya4Life for giving me the suggestion of this amazing new chapter title! It was originally "???")

Percy's Point of View

Sally raised an eyebrow,"What have we here?"

She gestured to the mess of the living room, and Nico sleeping on the couch.

"Perseus Jackson, I swear to the gods that if you don't explain what's going on here I'll-"

"ARGHH!!"

I turned around to see a flailing Nico, nearly falling off the couch. He lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. He stood up and his eyes widened when he saw my mom.
He presented to brush off imaginary dust from us pants and straightened his back.

"Hi Miss. Jackson. I'm Nico di Angelo. One of Percy's group partners for our group project,"Nico said nonchalantly, at least it seemed.

Sally chuckled,"Please! Call me Sally!" She glanced at me,"Percy didn't tell me that you were coming over."

"You didn't tell her?!!!"Grover and Nico exclaimed.

I scratched the back of my neck,"I may or may not have been preoccupied with stuff."

Nico narrowed his eyes suspiciously,"What kind of stuff?"

I flopped on the couch and buried my face in one of the pillows,"Listening to music and other productive things?"

I stood up suddenly and headed for the staircase,"If that's all, I will be going now. Bye!!!!"

Nico held me back,"You're not going anywhere until you help clean this mess up. Right, Grover?"

Grover seemed to shrink into the carpet,"What he said."

I groaned,"Fun. Fun. Fun. What a nice way to end the day!"

~The next day~

When I went to pick up Annabeth for school, she was not waiting at the front door, and I immediately felt concerned. As I was about to knock on the door, it opened, and Annabeth came out. Her hair looked disheveled, and dark circles were hidden under her eyes. She was wearing a baggy sweatshirt with dark grey sweatpants. The clothing that clearly shouted "I don't want to be bothered right now, and I don't care about how I look like" or at least to me. She climbed into the passenger seat, and I drove off. The ride resulted in complete and utter silence.

I did not want to pressure her into saying anything. She'll tell me when she feels that the time is right. No big deal. It certainly was a big deal. Sometimes, lying to yourself is easier than facing the truth.

~Lunch Period~

By lunch time, I was fed up with Annabeth not talking to anyone. Why didn't she trust me? Friends trust each other, right?

A voice in the back of my head wondered, If she did not tell me about it, does that mean she does not trust me?

I stopped at our lunch table,"Annabeth, we need to talk."

She nodded slightly and followed me to Thalia's Tree.

"What aren't you telling me?"I asked, genuinely hurt that she deliberately chose not to tell me.

Annabeth shook her head in continuous denial,"It's not anything like that! It's just I needed some time to think."

"Think about what?"

She buried her face in my shoulder. I couldn't see her face.

"I don't know! I don't know what to do!" she turned her face towards me.

Her eyes were puffy and red and streams of tears were flowing from her eyes. Annabeth Chase was smart. Annabeth Chase was brave. Annabeth Chase was beautiful. But never in my life would I have thought that Annabeth Chase would reveal vulnerability to me. Annabeth Chase always has a plan. This time she was looking up to me. Like I was the one who had a plan.

I hugged Annabeth and tried to be as comforting as I could. I rubbed her back in an attempt to try and soothe her pain, but for all I knew, it could be doing nothing, but I tried anyway.

"What happened?"

"There's something. Something important I need to tell you."