Months after

It was Friday, and after an extremely boring week filled with "What happened over the weekend" and "Annabeth must be really easy" I was ready to go home... and do nothing. Annabeth has been absent from school all week, and I'm starting to get worried. What if Helen threw her into Tartarus?
"Hey, Percy!" Bella's voice rang through the almost empty hallway.
"Yeah?"
"Can you come over my house? I was going to go to my dance class, but..." She pointed out the window where a storm was raging. "My parents won't be home, and we really need to work on the project."
"Su- hold on." I said, turning around and bringing out my phone. I started texting my mom.

Can a friend come over today? We need to work on a project. -Percy

Fine. The second u r done, u r comn home! -Mom

Why does my mom text like she's a teen?
"Yeah, it's fine. But I need to go back to my house when we are done."
She smiled. That's fine!"

I drove us to Bella's house, which was pretty close to mine.
Before I could even un-buckle my seat belt, Bella was out of the car, opened my door, and was holding an umbrella under our heads. "Didn't want you to get soaked." She said through a smile.
"Oh! Thanks." Of course, I would love to go out in the rain, but hey- she didn't know I was the son of Poseidon.

We were half way through our project (Which was coming along fabulously ; she was doing everything and I was eating her food,) the door bell rang.
"Could you get that?" Bella said, not looking up from her text book.
I hastily swallowed the cookie I was eating, and opened the door.
It was Annabeth.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, giving her a hug. :You haven't been at school all week!"
I gestured for her to come in.
"Percy, who's that?" Bella said from the living room.
"It's Annabeth." I sat her down on the couch. She had a bag over her shoulder, and she was carrying another.
She noticed me eyeing her bags.
"I need a place to stay." She said, not looking up at me.
"Why? What's wrong?"
Percy! Can I stay with you?"
I looked at her bags. "I'll see what I can do. What's wrong?"
Annabeth looked at me in the eyes. "I just need to get away from my mom."
I looked over at Bella, who was listening intently on the conversation.
She sighed. "Go. I'll finish this."
I thanked her, and headed out the door to my car.

"Absolutely not!" My mom said, her voice filled with anger. "Were you at Annabeth's?"
"No, mom! She needs a place to stay. Her parents kicked her out." I looked over at her, and she got the message.
"They don't want me any more." She said.

My mom hesitated. "Fine. But if I catch you frickle frackling, you'll both be dead!"

Notes