I was regretting it more and more with each passing second.

It was just worse with the storm raging through my mind. Why'd he have to go? Where did he take her? Why did I have to tell me to apologize? Why did you she have to be so gorgeous and his ex? What if he took her to a special spot where he apologized and she suddenly kissed him because of emotions? Then they had hot makeup sex and I wasn't even an option to him anymore.

The only thing in my mind that didn't change at all was that it was the right thing to do. I know I wasn't the most moral person (I abandoned my childhood best friend without so much as a goodbye. I ran across the country without even breaking up with my boyfriend. I even at a point ignored their calls.) but this was right. Whether Harry and I actually got together at the end of the day, I was going to make him do it and if he said no... Well then I guess that's what you call a red flag.

It also didn't help that the entire group had taken to blowing up my phone.

Shana😩❤️: What the HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLL? Did you really just do that? Wow!!! 👀👀🤣

London<3🙈: Are you okay? What just happened?

Bran😤🤍: DAMN HADLEY
🤣🤣😭😭
Way to put Harry in his place

And of course, Annabeth.

Annabeth: See you after school, hot stuff.

The only person that didn't message me was Cass but that wasn't surprising. Cass couldn't care less about drama if it didn't benefit her in any sort of way. She probably enjoyed the show from a seat and decided she didn't need to look for fan theories.

And yes, it kept getting better.

As I made my way up to the IT labs and Art studios, I couldn't help but notice a lime car pulling out of the parking.

He actually got his car back and they were only leaving now?

I was grateful for the long lectures, school work and double periods as it distracted me. Unfortunately, the universe decided that that would be the day when school would pass by quick.

I was expecting almost everyone to be around the lockers but, strangely, there wasn't anyone. That was fine by me. I wasn't really in the mood to explain why and how and whatever else. I just wanted to get home and drown myself in physics which is a valid reason to feel crap. Well, more valid.

I turned to make my way to presumably my mom waiting outside when, "Whoa there, hot stuff."

Annabeth appeared behind me and I suddenly remembered her earlier message.

"Hey Annabeth. What's up?" I ask, almost feeling the mammoth of questions coming my way.

"You got some time on you?" She shouldered her bag and fell in step with me as we walked out of school.

"Not really. I'm heading home to finish some work." I tried but she didn't seem fazed at all.

"Oh. Nah that's good. I'll just come home with you." Yep, definitely not fazed. "I already told my dad I'll be driving with you. So let's go home and chat, hot stuff."

Dammit.

Apparently she saw my expression because a small smile flashed my way. "Relax. I'll be quick then you can study and do your stuff in peace."

It didn't seem like I had much choice anyways. "Let's go. My mom's waiting."

My mom had taken the car that day seeing as it was her turn to pick me up. It was a weird setup but with the shooting scare, they weren't okay with walking home even though it's close enough. She did say she was gonna ask some of the other parents for when they couldn't fetch me which made not having a license besides me being legal annoying.

I climbed in the passenger seat (my bag by my feet) while Annabeth climbed in the back to my mom's surprise.

"Annabeth hunny!" She turned to look back, a polite smile on her face. "I didn't know you're coming with us today."

"Sorry, Mrs Hadley. Just wanted to spend a little time with your daughter before I go home." She explained nicely, my mom turning to me probably for an additional explanation. I just shrugged.

"Well, that's okay. Do you need a ride home afterwards or..?" She offered but Annabeth just shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. I'll just walk afterwards. I won't be long, promise."

Oh boy.

The drive was quick with the only interesting thing being my mother's music taste. She played Loft Music by The Weeknd all the way since it was a long song. I used to think it was actually normal, I mean it was beautiful. Everyone should love the Weeknd, he's amazing but I quickly learned that not all parents listen to modern day artists. Still, I found her pretty cool to be an XO.

"Nice room, hot stuff." Annabeth commented even though her eyes barely traveled around my room. We were alone in the house but I still came into my room to distract myself.

I was still against her being here at my home. I was sure she was just gonna ask the same questions as everyone else so I didn't see why she needed to come along. Or worse, she could do her whole momma-bear thing and be protective over Harry.

"Right." She began, slumping in the chair by the desk while carefully watching me. "What you did today was the right thing."

The right thing. Not the brave or stupid thing like everyone (including myself) had thought. It was so strange to hear it especially from Annabeth. So much so that my head whipped to her. It was the last thing I was expecting from her which sounds like a pattern I developed when it came to us. A bad habit I had trouble breaking, I suppose.

"It was the right thing to do. Especially with how it ended between them." She continued calmly despite my reaction. "And for you to tell him was the right thing to do. The time, the place or whatever else doesn't matter. You thought I was gonna tell you how stupid you were?"

"No." I immediately jumped, a bit too quickly. "Well, a little bit. I didn't think you'd actually speak my thoughts too."

She laughed a little. "I may not be that close to you like you are with Shana and London, but I am your friend, Alice. I thought you'd figure that out by now."

She was right. Almost everytime I expected the worst of Annabeth. After everything it didn't make sense why we weren't friends or at least closer than we were now.

"But that's not why I came along." She added.

Whelp.

"Then why did you come along?" I was even afraid to ask since every other assumption was completely wrong.

"To give you a warning." Screw that! She said that so nonchalantly that I knew what was coming. She really was going to momma-bear me over her cub. "Like I said, what you did was right but just be careful with Harry."

There I go with the assumptions again. "What do you mean be careful with Harry?"

She paused like she was carefully constructing her words for me or Harry. "Harry is a good person but, don't get me wrong now, I want you to be careful. I don't want him taking his anger out on you."

My eyes narrowed as I tried to digest what she was saying. "How would he take his anger out on me?"

"Did you know that he works out at the gym for most hours?" She waited patiently, watching. From my reaction, she got an answer. "A couple students saw him one night and said he was furious."

"So? Working out is probably one of the healthiest outlets." I didn't see the point she was making. So what if he was angry? He was dealing with it in his own way.

"Okay fine. Maybe it is healthy." She nodded without taking her eyes off me. "Did you know that he learned how to shoot? Chief Naomi taught him as a way to deal with everything."

It sounded bad but I was pretty sure Chief Naomi had said something similar before so it wasn't that new. I suppose that was the reason she asked me to watch him while attending school. To see how he was coping.

"Listen Alice. This whole Jace thing got me thinking: How well is Harry really? All I'm saying is be careful. If he isn't handling everything well, he might lash out at anyone. At you and I don't want that. Okay? Just be careful."

She stood and grabbed her bag, the conversation clearly over. I was glad too because this wasn't the direction I was expecting and I needed to process everything.

She was actually here because she was looking out for me.

"Wait, Annabeth," I called out before she could leave my room. When she looked back, she still had that patient, momma-bear face only this time it was for me. I was her cub. "I'm sorry."

Authors note

If you are struggling to deal with trauma or emotions, please speak to a professional and use healthy outlets to work through it. Please.