in which annabeth meets a new frie-- well, aquaintance

----

Annabeth ran. She ran and ran and ran until she made it out of the school unseen. Then she contacted the police when she knew she was safe, and they saved the day.

Ha, I wish.

In reality, Annabeth couldn't run. She could barely move. She was terrified; she didn't want to die. She hadn't finished her architecture project. She hadn't gotten her diploma. She hadn't married. She hadn't seen her child's first steps.

And she really, really wanted to.

Percy was staring at her, but not with disgust, or anger, as he usually had. He had a mix of disbelief, fear, sadness written on his face. Then it turned to the scowl she had learn to know and love.

"It's your fault." He said, getting up in her face. "That's what the note meant, that's why you came here. You wanted to lead them to me. To us. To this school, so you could get out alive and scot free."

Note? She hadn't been sent a note today.. Unless he found it before her... Oh gods.

"You think I wanted this to happen?" Annabeth retaliated, shaking off the thoughts and pushing him away. "I didn't want anyone to die. I didn't wish for my mom, your dad--"

"Don't you fucking mention him." Percy growled, then turned around as somebody called their name.

"Percy!" A pretty girl with choppy brown hair and braids appeared, grabbing his arm. Annabeth recognized her from another class, as well as multiple ads she had been in with her father. It was Piper McLean, daughter of Tristan McLean, a famous actor.

"Percy," Piper continued, not noticing Annabeth. "We need to go. Jason, Grover and I have contacted the others; they'll meet us in the place."

Jason Grace? As in Thalia's brother? Annabeth hadn't seen him in a long time, she wondered how he was...

"Annabeth, Annabeth!" Luke called, jolting her out of her thoughts. He was pulling her gray sweater, trying to get her attention. "We should go. Now."

Annabeth nodded curtly, looking around for Percy. Other than three people, Annabeth and Luke were alone, and Percy was gone.

****

Luke had dragged Annabeth to a janitor's closet, the two of them stealthily avoiding the gun carrying people searching the hallways for what Annabeth guessed was... well, her.

She noticed that there were some students she had met patrolling too-- like Ethan Nakamura, and what surprised her the most: Silena Beauraguard. Annabeth had met Silena and her boyfriend, Charles Beckendorf in Math class, and Silena seemed so sweet. When Annabeth and Luke spotted her, she looked like she was crying, and Annabeth wondered if her boyfriend, Charles Beckendorf, knew what was going on.

Another weird thing was that it seemed like Luke knew exactly where to go, where to hide, which hallway to not go into, etc. It almost seemed like he was part of the Giants. He seemed so nice... he would never do that.

Right? But then again, it was only Annabeth's first day of Goode.

But, then again, Luke just had really good luck when it came to terrorists and guns and hallways. Who knows? She'd think about it later.

Right now, she had to worry about Luke whispering to her that he was going to find other students who needed help, and that she needed to stay put. Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Luke was already gone.

So she made herself comfy on a can of paint, and started playing with a rip in her black leggings. Her tank top and off-the-shoulder sweater really did not help with the December cold, but what could Annabeth do? She was used to the heat of San Francisco.

Annabeth sighed, looking at her watch. She didn't know how much time had passed; Twenty, thirty minutes? She figured it had been about 2:30 pm when Luke had brought her in the closet, since the bell had rung, but for Annabeth it felt liks it was earlier.

Gods, she hated time zones.

Annabeth was going to complain more, but then the door creaked open, and Annabeth bit her lip; wishing that it was Luke, maybe even Percy, just anyone but a Giants member.

But it was a girl.

This girl was wearing a long-sleeved dark purple tee, a silver ring with the sign of some Roman goddess (Annabeth couldn't remember which right now), black jeans, silver earrings, and her dark hair was in a braid.

She would've looked pretty, if it wasn't for the fact that her bronze colored skin was stained with something that Annabeth hoped wasn't blood, one of her earrings were missing, and she had a crazed look in her eyes.

Yet she managed to hold herself up confidentally like an old Roman praetor.

"Who are you?" The girl hissed, keeping her voice low.

"I could ask you the same thing."

The two glared at eachother, black eyes meeting grey eyes in a full out staring contest.

"I'm not one of them, if that's what you wanted to know." Annabeth whispered, breaking eye contact and the silence. "But I'm the reason they're here." She muttered this last part, but the girl raised an eyebrow, showing that she heard.

Annabeth swallowed and continued. "I'm Annabeth, Annabeth Chase."

The girl's mouth formed into a small o. "So, you're the girl that Percy--"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, I'm Reyna."

Annabeth bit her lip. "No last name?" She questioned.

Reyna's eyes turned cold. "I refuse to speak it." She said, spacing out. Annabeth guessed she had ADHD, much like Annabeth.

Reyna shook her head. "But what did you mean by it's your fault that people are dying?"

Dying?

People were dead?

Annabeth got up immediatly. "W-What do you mean, dead? Is that why..." She trailed off, motioning to Reyna's red-stained shirt.

Reyna looked away, turning to push a shelf in front of the door. Ananbeth tried to help, but Reyna was strong and finished quickly.

The blonde sat back down on the paint can. "You didn't answer my question."

Reyna sat down on the floor, leaning against the shelf blocking the door. She looked down at her blood-stained hands, which were slightly shaking, and nodded slowly.

"I found.." She paused, swallowing. "I had History.. on the second floor, and when the announcement came, I hid in the class alone, with everyone else running and leaving and screaming."

She stopped, straightening, and looking up at Annabeth. "Why should I tell you? If it's your fault? You.. you're the one they mentioned in the announcement, aren't you?"

Annabeth looked down, and Reyna scowled, her gaze hardening. "Then you don't deserve to know anything." She said, getting up and starting to push the shelf out of the way to get out, but Annabeth was fast and got in her way.

"If you leave," Annabeth started, her heart pounding with the guilt that people were dead resting on her shoulders. She couldn't allow anyone else to die at her hand. "They'll find you, and you'll die."

"But if I take you in, they'll kill you, and leave."

Annabeth paused, staring into Reyna's eyes; her dark, broken eyes. "You know they'll keep killing. I know you fucking do."

Reyna took a shaky breath, sitting back down on the floor, and Annabeth sat next to her. "Then there's only one thing we can do." Reyna said after a moment, meeting Annabeth's eyes. Annabeth nodded silently, knowing what she was going for.

The two didn't dare speak a word as Reyna slowly took out her phone, dialing three numbers slowly.

"Hello, this is 911, what is your emergency?"