Annabeth was tightly gripping the hand of Luke Castellan, while skipping happily through the streets of Manhattan, with Thalia leading the trio. 

“Luke, where are we going?” 

“Just follow us, Annabeth.” 

“But…” 

“Annabeth.” 

Annabeth didn’t argue with him. She knew she’d never win. She pouted but continued to skip through the roads, counting the pebbles on the lanes. It was late at night, and the streets were empty. There was no one to be seen. Until… 

A scream was heard from a few blocks away. It was a scream from a little boy. When Annabeth looked up, she saw a little boy about her age with jet-black hair and sea-green eyes being forcefully dragged by a man holding a bottle of beer, the boy’s shirt was torn and tattered, and there were blood and bruises on his face and limbs. The drunkard then threw him on the street, and as the kid’s head hit the ground, he groaned loudly, and at the same time, sobs were heard. 

“What did I tell you, never buy bottles of beer, I want CANS OF THEM!” 

“B-But…” the little boy was whimpering. “There weren’t any more cans…” 

“I don’t care whether there are any more cans left in the shop!” the drunkard bellowed. He grabbed the boy by the collar. “You know how I hate repeating myself, boy.” 

The man threw the bottle of beer straight towards the boy, as there was a sound of glass breaking against his skin. The boy screamed in agony, as he tried frantically to escape from the pavement onto the road. 

Annabeth tried to run to help, but Luke held her back.

Luke was shaking his head. 

“No.” he whispered. “It’s none of our business.”  

“But…” 

“Luke,” Thalia came to Annabeth’s rescue. “Annabeth is right. We can’t just walk past and pretend nothing happened. We have to help.”

“No.” Luke was being stubborn. “We have to go.” With that he carried Annabeth into his strong arms and ran away from the scene. 

“NO!” Annabeth was bawling her eyes out. “I. Want. To. Help!” 

“Luke, please!” 

“I don’t want to lose anymore of my family, Thalia. Just keep running.” 

“I. WANT. TO. HELP!” 

Tears were spilling out of Annabeth’s eyes as she repeated that sentence again and again. It was the first time Annabeth had ever felt the feeling of despair. The pain when you were not able to help someone in need. The desperation to lend out a helping hand, when it wasn’t in your power. 

She thought it would be the only time she would have to experience that feeling.

Annabeth never thought she would ever experience that again. 

She never thought after more than ten years she had to experience the same pain of not being able to save the boy with jet-black hair and sea-green eyes.

“Annabeth, Annabeth!” 

Someone was shaking her shoulder. Annabeth slowly blinked her eyes open Her vision was blurry, but she could barely make out the wooden ceiling of the infirmary. Light was shining in from the windows, so she could tell that it was probably morning.

Suddenly, the memory of Percy being tortured flashed by her mind. 

"Percy!" She cried frantically and jolted up from her bed.

She immediately regretted doing that.

The moment her head left the white pillow, her head started to throb painfully; Annabeth cringed in discomfort, not noticing her own hands fumbling to clutch the quilt on the bed.

“Annabeth?”

That voice. Somehow her own name kept on reminding her about him.

The boy she never was able to save.

Annabeth felt a hand against her forehead.

 “Your forehead is burning!” the voice said again. “Here, let me get some nectar for you.”

A glass filled with golden liquid was handed in front of her, and Annabeth took it into her pale hands gratefully.

“Thank you…”

Annabeth looked up into the face of her visitor. The familiar electric blue eyes and spiky black hair was not to be mistaken.

“…Thalia.”

Thalia gave a small smirk in reply.

“Thank the gods.” She sighed dramatically. “I almost thought you forgot me!”

“I won’t get amnesia that easily.” Annabeth joked back. “I’m stronger than you think, Pine-cone face!”

Piper gasped playfully and nudged Annabeth in a jokingly way.

Annabeth’s smile was gone as soon as the fought of Percy crossed her mind. 

“We shouldn’t play like this, while Percy… left.” 

Thalia’s smile disappeared as well. 

“I’m sorry, Annabeth.” Thalia said, looking down at her legs. “I really am.”

“You know who’s that girl with Percy, right?” Even saying his name made her shiver in anxiety.

Thalia nodded slowly, not knowing what to say.

“I wish Percy wasn’t with her.” Thalia had a tinge of hatred in her voice. “Anyone but her.”

“Anyone but her.” Annabeth agreed. A lock of her blonde hair fell from its place as she nodded her head. 

Why would she do that?Annabeth felt anger boil in her veins. Even she was an annoying piece of scum in the past doesn’t mean she had to turn evil and do… this.

 “Anyways.” Annabeth waved the silent atmosphere away. ““Have you seen Grover?”

“Yep.” Thalia said, looking at her nails now, “Said he tried to contact Percy, but to no avail.”

“Since when could you use such integrated English?”

“Since when I couldn’t?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Annabeth said sarcastically. “Since forever?”

“Well, it isn’t hard when you have a walk n’ talk dictionary as a best friend.” Thalia explained as-a-matter-of-factly.

Thalia may have not noticed, but Annabeth felt heat crawl into her cheeks.

Before Annabeth could say any word of gratitude, the door slammed open. Katie ran into the infirmary.

“Bad news.” She cried to Thalia. “Mrs Jackson. She found out.”

Annabeth blinked.

“What?”

“You know, after you asked me to bring Mrs Jackson away when you two were Iris-messaging.” Katie explained, panting heavily. “You broke down. She then got suspicious and forced it out of me.”

Thalia cursed loudly.

“Where is she now?”

“I don’t know.”

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged glances.

No, Sally wouldn’t do silly things, would she?

Would she?