Malcom always blamed me for my mother's death. He absolutely hated me after the incident.

And every time I see him. I can't help relive the day over and over again.

Because, it was my fault mom died.

Two of my best friends had decided to run away together, and I had snuck out that night,to bid them goodbye. I didn't tell mom.

And when she found out, Mom was rightfully worried, set out at 12am to find me. Malcom, who was 16 at the time stayed home alone. Dad hadn't been home In months

When mom eventually found me, eyes puffy from tearful goodbyes. She gave me an hour long lecture before starting the car again.
And made me promise, never to give her a scare like that again.

I never even got a chance to.

The rest of the night was a blur, I'd cried myself into dehydration.

All....all I remember was a blinding light making its way towards our car, mom's terrified scream....and waking up in the hospital room the next day.

I could never forget the look Malcom gave me when I opened my eyes, all wired up to an Iv. The pure disgust in his eyes.

He thought mom spoiled me way too much. I was an stuck up little princess. And he always made fun of me for it.

Until he decided that his stuck up little sister was the reason his castle came tumbling down on him. Him and mom were very close.

We stayed at my father's cousins place after that for around a year, until Dad came back with a pretty new wife and her big belly, containing two baby boys.

Malcom moved out the second he turned 18. To start a new life in a state he wouldn't tell me the name of.
And the only times I would see him were for Matt and Bobby's birthdays. And for Christmas one year, where he left 10 minutes after I walked through the door.

To add insult to injury,only person I wanted to talk to about everything...well...he wasn't there.

Because when I got discharged, and ran up to his house, the stitches still burning....his house was boarded up. And he was gone.

Right then and there, I promised myself I would never let myself feel as hopeless as I did then, ever again.

I worked extremely hard at school and pulled myself up through sports and extracurriculars.
I pushed the anger, sadness and resentment deep deep down.

Until he showed up.

And all those repressed feelings came back 10 fold.

I was still crying when Grover and Juniper found me. Grover hugged me, as he was so used to doing as he let me cry my heart out.

Cry all the feelings out.

And when I managed to pull myself together, Juniper and him reassured me that everything would be fine.

Juniper then left, leaving me alone with Grover.

"Maybe...it'll be good for you," he said, sitting in my bed as I brushed my hair back.

He didn't wait for me to repley as he went on, "I love you, Annie. But sometimes I don't understand you. You don't let anyone understand you...I know you think it's better that way, to just compress all your feelings into a bottle. But it's not. You should really let them out. Let yourself trust again,"

"Don't call me Annie," I tied my hair into a ponytail.

I could feel Grover rolling his eyes, "I know Percy's an idiot, but he means well. Just...give him one more chance. Not for his sake, but your own. The more you ignore him, the more you're just hurting yourself in the process. You're not a robot, you HAVE feelings and feel emotions. And you haven't been entirely fair him him either,"

I slammed my brush down onto the table, turning to Grover. Irritation oozed from every pore of my body, "I haven't been entirely fair?! He left me. Without a word! I think I'm being entirely fair!"

Grover rolled his eyes, chewing on his fingernails, " Annabeth, you and I both know he's been through shit. And he didn't just leave you, he left me too. He left an entire life behind him in a blink of an eye. That couldn't have been easy on him either. All I'm saying is....the last time I've seen you truly be yourself, was with him. And I'm not asking you to go back to doing that. Just that, you can't holding a grudge for the rest of your life isn't good for you."

"But-"

Grover shook his head, "No. listen. He won't talk to me about what happened in those five years he was away. But maybe he'll talk to you.
You've both always needed each other, Annabeth. Neither of you have ever been able to be honest with anyone else. And I know you're gonna say that we are close. I know we are, but I'll never be able to fill the hole he left in you. Only you can, if you let go of the past and come back to the present. You can't make this all about you, especially when he would've been broken to leave you too," and with that, he hopped off my bed and went off to find Juniper, telling me to come downstairs when I was ready.

I blinked. I never looked at it from Percy's point of view.

He told me he had a good reason to leave, and I believed him. Because why else would he leave?

I guess I haven't been entirely fair to him. Poor guy was trying. I might not entirely forgive him for not saying goodbye....but...Grover was right. Things were bad for him.

And I hadn't even thought to ask him...thought to ask him how he's been doing for all these years.  I was so wrapped up in my own bubble of resentment...I just forgot.

I felt just awful.

After a long pause, Grover spoke again, just before getting up to leave for snacks, "Just..." he turned the door handle, "try to get along. For my sake okay? It hurts me to see you two upset. I feel like a bad friend."

I nodded, "you're not a bad friend, Grover."

He gave me a small smile, "it sometimes feels like I am."

"Hey!" I asked before he left, "When did you become so smart?"

Grover grinned slyly, "Juniper's been making us take spiritual classes together. They teach us smart things. And help us connect with nature. You should come,"

I laughed, "Oh Helllll nooo. Have fun!"

He rolled his eyes, but still smiled. Before he left, I decided to be smart too.

"Can..." I took a long breath. I can do this for Grover, "can you send Percy in? I'll apologise. I promise."

He bleated in response. Then actually left.

I focused on my breathing as I heard footsteps approaching about 2 minutes later.

Come on,Annabeth. Put your pride away for one second. We can do this.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply before slapping my face, trying to get it look more lively.
Crying always took something out of it.

A four tap knock, and Percy entered.

Come on,Annabeth. Just put your pride away for just one...second. Just oneee second.

His sea green eyes found mine. And I could tell worry wrecked him.

I took a long inhale.

Here goes.

"I-"

Nothing came out.

Dam it!

Try again, Annabeth.

"I-" I tried.

Ugh! So close.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry, I had no idea that...that things were bad between you and Malcom," Percy apologised first.

I looked at him. Maybe I can just not apologise now....?

No!

Annabeth! Shut up and apologise!

Wait...doesn't make any-sense.

Woman up! Come on!

I got up from my chair and patted the bed, taking a seat. Percy sat next to me, taking careful strides as he walked towards me.

"No...I...I'm sorry," I said, turning my head away to mask my shame.

"What? Annabeth, you have nothing to apologise for, it's all my fault. I forced you to-" confusion was evident on Percy's face.

I shook my head, waving my hand to silence him, "I'm sorry for the way I acted. Just....a lot of things have happened since you left and...it's just hard for me to trust people,"

He snorted, "I noticed."

I felt the corner of my lips tug up, "shut up, seaweed brain."

He grinned back, his signature trouble maker smile sent my heart a flutter for a second. I almost forgot that I had a crush on this boy when I was younger.

We sat in silence for a while. It was a comfortable silence.The only sound coming from the laugher downstairs.

Soon, Matt and Bobby stuck their heads through my door. Tyson was with them.

"What's a boy doing in your room," Matt asked suspiciously.

"You're a boy. And you're in my room. So are Bobby and Tyson," I countered.

He shook his head, "but we're your brothers. And Tyson's little, like us. Are you kissing him?!" He gasped in horror,

I threw a pillow at him. And Percy burst into laughter.

"Don't encourage him," I muttered to him. And he tried his hardest to hold his smile. That just made me smile. And now it was a whole mess because my lovely brother's were now pretending to puke.

"You guys better be happy it's your birthday. Or else you would be dead," I threatened. They looked at me with a tiny glint of fear.

I was satisfied. And assured Tyson no harm would befall him.

They informed me that they came upstairs to tell me to come downstairs. The cake had arrived, and it was massive and shaped like a car.

So, Percy and I bounced after the boys to see this giant monstrosity of a cake.

And then, ambush it. It was delicious.

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Still procrastinating maths here!
Yahoo!

On the bright side, I posted another chapter! #Supriseuploadno2

Oh dip! Two uploads in one day?! Who am I ?!

Haha! (25th November is the date, but I'm celebrating an early Christmas. By eating cake and procrastinating)

But here we go! New chapter and everything. I'm so proud of myself I swear.

Anyways!
Stay tuned!!
—S