Chapter 6

I'm Sorry

"You idiot!" Annabeth screamed at me as I gained consciousness. I don't know how I got from the tree to the Chase house in a bed. But it seemed like it hadn't been a dream.

I tried to sit upright but fell back down when I felt nauseous and felt a sharp pain in my stomach. Until then I hadn't noticed that I was shirtless and covered in bandages and I became red again. Luckily I hadn't lost the ability to do that.

"What happened?" I managed to ask, I held my head which seemed to help against the nausea. The sharp pain in my stomach I decided to ignore.

"We don't exactly know, we found you lying with the tree with an axe lying next to you a few feet away."

"I thought that I had slammed it in."

Annabeth hit me on the arm, she seemed frustrated, which I didn't really get. Why did she care so much?

"There is a mark from an axe in the tree, but that doesn't matter! Percy you were almost dead! You've been unconscious for a week! Do you know how scared I, I uh, mean we were?" She yelled again.

"Annabeth, I'm really sorry but can you not scream? I think I have a concussion."

"You think? Percy you had grenade sharts in your head and stomach and probably fell down on your head how are you even alive?" She whisper yelled now.

My voice felt dry and I tried to grab the glass of water that was standing next to me on the night stand but I couldn't reach it, I was probably a little stiff. Annabeth just groaned and grabbed it for me. "Thanks."

She still stood next to me. In the corner of my eye I saw a chair with a book and I think that she had been sitting there but we couldn't really talk from there so I scooted over and she sat down after a hesitant look from her and an urgent one from me.

"My plan didn't go as planned." I stated which got me another light punch from Annabeth. "You think? What was it anyway? We talked about it all week and we can't figure out what you were planning with this."

I explained my plan to her which earned me another punch in the arm. "That's so stupid and impusilve."

"I call it brave and hazardous."

"I'll stick with my version of the story."

"And I with mine."

"Glad that we agree, Jackson."

"Glad we do, Chase."

And we sat there for a while just relaxing and talking about nothing until I ruined it of course.

"How long do you think that I need to stay in bed?" I asked kind of hoping that she would say that I could leave immediately. I wanted to see the tree and see what the damage was.

"I think at least a week." Annabeth said and kept looking straight forward. "What?" I exclaimed. "I can't stay in here for another week!"

"You looked fine the first."

"I wasn't conscious."

"Don't care. And as you noticed you have a concussion and a stomach wound. I'm afraid it will rip open again if you walk again too quickly."

"Oh. But can we begin to walk after a while?"

"Yes, after a week."

I decided that I didn't want to argue with her and that she was probably right anyways. "Who took care of me?" I had a strong suspicion who it was, but I wanted to hear it.

"Me." Annabeth said in a matter of fact tone. Still not meeting my eyes and looking straight forward at the white wall.

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, Percy."

"Thank you." I eventually just said and wrapped my arm around her. Even though I hadn't met Annabeth that long ago it felt like I'd known her forever. And since she already practically said that it was never going to happen between us I kind of got over my feelings, and just ignored the butterflies that were going crazy in my stomach, and acted just like friends with Annabeth.

She grew red but eventually relaxed.

"I'm going to sleep again." I said after a while, getting tired.

"Just don't drool over me."

"Haha, I won't." I said sarcastically and fell asleep with Annabeth next to me.

---------

"I still don't think that this is a smart idea." Annabeth told me as I limped down the street on our way to the tree.

It was a week later and I'd actually really liked the week. I relaxed and talked with Annabeth a lot. Bobby and Matthew also came to talk with me but not as much. Mr. and Ms. Chase too but were busy with other things and I liked Annabeth's company the most.

I had recovered mostly and the concussion was already gone after two days. Only the stomach wound was trickier. It still hurt, but I didn't tell Annabeth how much I think she knows anyways. And we discovered that my leg wasn't broken but did hurt badly with walking.

"Can you just talk about something? And any other thing than that this is stupid." I asked Annabeth if she kept me distracted. Walking was easier.

"You know that Helen isn't my real mother right?"

"Yes, mr. Chase told me on the first day."

"Well, I don't know my mother. My father told me that she was a smart woman from Wiss that was focused on her career so left us. I never really wanted to contact her and Helen and my father don't really like to talk about it. I only know that we have the same eyes."

I stopped dead in my tracks. And suddenly the thing the voice in my head became clear.

Man I should listen to that voice more.

"I, uh, I think I know her." Annabeth looked up at me. "Really, who?"

"Uh, it's Athena, I actually know her last name, but she is that minister that I told you about-"

"The one that hates you. The one that you called an unlovable and stone cold person. The one that wants to kill you."

"Uh, yes. But you don't really are like her. I mean I don't know her that well, but like how she was to me she probably wouldn't be like that to you. She hated my father. Nobody has told me why. But okay." The last part I mumbled which made Annabeth laugh.

"But I'm not sure. Maybe she isn't but it can't be a coincidence."

"I'll ask my dad. But now let's go to that tree, don't even know why you want to go there so badly."

I ignored the last part and kept on walking. Annabeth began to ramble about architecture to keep me distracted. Sometimes when I almost fell she would look at me worriedly. I just gave her a smirk and assured that I was fine. I hated that someone was worrying about me. Especially Annabeth. I avoided talking about topics that she would worry about me. I didn't want her to pity me. So I didn't tell her too much about my past.

When we finally arrived at the tree I sat plopped down and winced as my leg and stomach didn't agree with plopping down.

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked and sat down next to me. "Yeah, I'm -"

"Enough Percy! I saw you wince and the walk that used to be fifteen minutes if we walked together and now it was an hour. You never tell me really anything! You always say that we're friends but you shut down if we're talking about anything that is from your past."

I sat there in silence for a minute and stared straight forward, staring at the tree and the cut that I'd made into it. "I don't want you to pity me."

"I won't. And I get it Percy, I don't like sharing too."

"Yeah? Because everytime I share anything with anybody they pity me and look different at me forever. Besides that people don't tend to like me, for example the ministers."

"They are just scared for their power."

"I don't think that the kids at school were."

"Kids don't know what they're saying."

"I didn't really mind, but it was just lonely sometimes. I don't think my ADHD and dyslexia helped. But I always had Chiron, and maybe I sometimes missed my parents. And I wanted to know how they were. Chiron always told me things but I don't really believe him."

"I don't pity you. I think that it only makes you stronger. And I like you more now you told me something more."

We sat there in a silence and eventually Annabeth put her head on my shoulder. "Is that why you want to become a king?"

"Yes, I wanted to help people and I thought that I could help people the best this way."

"Mmmh. I was right that you're a dork."

I laughed and we sat there for hours. Just looking at the tree and the view around it. Even though it wasn't that pretty. It had this really ugly gunpowder fabric in the background.

---------

"I think that this is such a toxic place." Annabeth stated as we were sitting near the tree again. I was kind of lost with finding a plan but was recovering from my last plan. I could almost normally walk and the wound on my stomach had almost healed. There was going to be a scar but that was okay.

"Why?"

"That gunpowder fabric, all the gunpowder in the air I smell it all the time when I'm here. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't come here in a million years."

I just ignored it. Annabeth was right though, the air was filled with gunpowder. I could smell it too but I hadn't put much thought to it.

--------

"Maybe the gunpowder has something to do with it." It was another two weeks later and I was here now for more than a month. I had become hopeless with finding a solution and began spitting out nonsense.

"Most likely not."

"I know. But it is possible. How long is the fabric here?" I still asked.

"I don't know, more than 15 years or so."

"And when did the tree get grenades?"

"I think 14 years ago. But my dad knows it better."

I shot up. That didn't help my stomach but I had learned to ignore it. "Let's go then! Come we can ask him."

I started walking and looked behind to see Annabeth shaking her head and jogging behind me. "You're crazy."

"I have to try. Maybe this is the solution."

"What? The gunpowder fabric? How? Because it seems surreal to me."

"Maybe because that is the solution, Beth. I mean those birds were surreal too. Maybe the gunpowder in the air changed the apples into grenades."

"You're crazy." Annabeth stated.

"I've been thinking of everything. What else can I try?"

"I know, but do you really want to bother my father with this? Maybe think about this a bit more." Annabeth persuaded. And I knew that she was right somewhere. I shouldn't be bothering Mr. Chase with something that could wait until dinner.

But still I got angry, I knew that it was unfair and that Annabeth was right. But still.

"Why can't anybody trust me?" I shouted not really aimed for Annabeth but she took it that way anyway. She'd stopped walking and I had noticed after a moment so we stood a few steps away from each other.

"I trust you. But this is just-"

"Dumb, stupid. What?"

"Just, ugh." Annabeth groaned. "You know that it is stupid to bother someone that is doing something important."

"And I'm not? Because it's the tree of Waeponfield."

"You know that that was not what I meant. But you know too that he is doing more important stuff. And that we weren't fighting anymore about this if you weren't such a stupid, stubborn hot headed person!" She screamed at me.

My jaw clenched and I knew that I wasn't going to walk away and Annabeth wasn't either. "Yeah, I'm stupid, stubborn hot headed person?"

"You know that that was not what I meant -"

"You keep saying that I know. But maybe I don't. I'm going back to the tree." I didn't want to fight anymore with Annabeth and ruin our whole friendship.

"Just walk away then! Just leave and go back to that stupid tree!" Annabeth screamed and it sounded like she was crying, but I wasn't sure. And I didn't look back otherwise I'm afraid that I couldn't get my real emotions at bay.

---------

It was dinner and Annabeth and I hadn't talked since we fought. I sat across from her as usual. But she refused to look at me and I at her. Though I could see the tracks of tears in her eyes. I doubted that she could see mine.

Normally I would kick with my feet against hers and we would share smirks, smiles and stares. Now we just ignored each other and I think that the other one's could sense the tension in the room.

"It's delicious Ms. Chase." Annabeth rolled her eyes at that. "Thanks, dear. How was your day? Sat by the tree with Annabeth I suspect?"

"I was alone today."

"I had other more important stuff to do." Annabeth bit in.

"Wow someone's crabby." Matthew chimed in which earned him a death stare from Annabeth.

"Actually I had a question for you Mr. Chase."

"Sure Percy, ask away."

"Could the tree and the gunpowder fabric have something to do with it?" Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked annoyed.

"Uh, maybe. But it's difficult to say. I never thought of it. Why do you think so."

"Well, maybe the gunpowder has changed the apples in grenades."

"Interesting." Mr. Chase commented. "It is possible, I think."

"Yeah? I think it's stupid." Annabeth snapped. "I need some stuff to do so I'm gonna go." And Annabeth practically stormed off.

"Do you know why she is so mad?" Ms. Chase asked me.

"Uh, we had an argument earlier today." I answered. Argument; it didn't really cover it.

"She didn't want me to try the plan with the gunpowder fabric. She got mad then I got mad and then I walked off."

Mr. and ms. Chase nodded understandingly. "I don't even know why she thinks that it is such a big deal." I muttered.

"She has a big crush on you Percy!" Bobby shouted and I turned beat red. "I don't think so Bobby." I answered, still blushing like crazy.

"She told me that was one of the first times we talked." I added and even though I was supposed to be mad at her I still smiled. "So that isn't possible."

And we finished dinner in silence. And the matter was close I thought.

-----------

I thought wrong.

"Hey, Percy can I talk to you?" Ms. Chase asked. I was sitting on the couch not doing anything. I had just finished doing the dishes and normally Annabeth and I went together outside to walk or sit by the tree. But of course that wasn't happening tonight.

"Yes of course ms. Chase."

"We can better walk I think. That's more private."

"Okay." I said doubtedly and stood up.

-----------

"I know why Annabeth is so mad at you." She confessed.

"Oh. Please tell me because I have no clue." I had thought a lot about it and still hadn't had a clue. Annabeth had gotten mad because I had made a plan that she thought wasn't going to work.

"Do you know who found you when you were hit by the grenades?" She went on without waiting for my answer.

"Annabeth did, we thought that you were busy and skipped dinner but Annabeth was suspicious. You were gone since the morning and Annabeth went out to find you around 8 pm. She came running back over the top hysterical and crying screaming that she couldn't lift you and that we needed to come. Some other people helped to get you to our house. She insisted on taking care of you and the rest you know."

"Why didn't anybody tell me?" I asked, almost not believing it.

"Annabeth told us that she didn't want you to know. I think that she didn't want you to know that she cared so much."

I slowly nodded beginning to understand it.

"I think that Annabeth is scared that something like that happens again if you try. And that you'll die. And maybe-" Ms. Chase interrupted herself and muttered something like that she couldn't tell me.

"I think that Annabeth also doesn't want you to leave. But that is between you two. You should talk to her."

"I will." We really needed to talk about this. And I needed to thank her for finding me. "But first I'm going to try out my gunpowder plan."

----------

"Please sir! Just let me try!" I said to the man who was the owner of the gunpowder fabric. "I just need the fabric to close for two days."

"I know you already told me." He closed his eyes. "We have trouble from the tree too. Just as much as the other people in Weaponfield. So if you really think that this will help we can do it. You get two days."

I thanked the man and left. I needed to wait for a day to get the gunpowder out of the air.

I was on my way to the tree when I spotted Annabeth walking to it. It was a day after we had fought and I wanted to talk to her earlier but I was still thinking what I wanted to say to her.

"Hello." I said to Annabeth as I sat down next to her on the grass. "Hi."

"I was, uh, waiting for you."

"Oh, I was going to see you."

"Oh."

"They're doing it by the way." I said after a long silence. I always started rambling when I was nervous. And I was very nervous now. "I, uh, I mean with the fabric they're closing tomorrow. So I'm going to try and cut it tomorrow."

Annabeth didn't answer and just stared straight forward to the tree. I did the same eventually.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want you to die." Annabeth whispered.

"Good. Because I am not planning to die."

"Percy, I'm serious."

"As am I."

Annabeth touched my arm forcing me to look at her. And to my shock she had tears in her eyes.

"Why can't you be serious about this?" Annabeth shouted, tears threatening to spill.

This time I didn't reply, I didn't really know the answer to her question. So we started to both look forward again for a while.

"I'm sorry that you had to find me."

"What?"

"When I tried to cut the tree, ms. Chase told me. Thanks."

"When I told them not to tell you." Annabeth muttered.

"Why didn't you want me to know?" Annabeth bit her bottom lip at the question.

"I think that I didn't want you to know how much I care. Because, you, uh, eventually you will leave me too Percy. And I know that so it is fine, but I don't want it to hurt as much as it does."

She stopped and stood up ready to walk away with tears in her eyes. So I grabbed her hand softly and looked up at her. Tears in my eyes as well now.

"Annabeth, do you like me?" My heart was racing so fast I think she could hear it too. And the butterflies were going so hard in my stomach that I couldn'þ ignore them anymore.

But Annabeth shook her head. "We can't. We're too different Percy. I'm sorry." A tear fell down her face and she unlocked our fingers and walked away.

"Me too." I whispered and let the tears fall.