44

                                    

                                          
chapter forty-four
annabeth 
                          
I'm going to be in so much trouble. 
                          
Percy had insisted that I charge my phone, just in case Thalia was worried. So, I reluctantly did. The second it was charged, my screen lit up. 
                          
Constant calls, texts, and voicemails from my family members. I groaned as I swiped through all of the texts to find Thalia. 
                          
She had indeed texted me, asking me several times how I was doing. I quickly texted her a response and then turned off my phone again. 
                          
Before I could find Percy, the door to the Jackson apartment bursted open and a frazzled looking Sally ran in. She instantly dropped her suitcase and pulled me into her arms. 
                          
"Annabeth, I'm so glad you're okay!" she exclaimed as we pulled apart, although she was still gripping my arms quite tightly. 
                          
I couldn't help but smile at Sally. Her hugs were warm and welcomed despite the fact I'd only met her once before. "I'm okay, Sally, I promise. I think Percy's in his bedroom." 
                          
She nodded but before she could get to the bedroom Percy walked out. She instantly pulled him into a hug like she'd done with me. 
                          
"Are you two hungry? I can make something if you'd like," she offered as she led us into the kitchen. "No? No, you kids looks simply famished. Sit down and I'll whip up some food, okay?" 
                          
Being too hungry to deny, I nodded and sat at the kitchen table, Percy by my side. 
                          
"Do my parents know?" I asked Sally. 
                          
She tensed as she reached for a pot. "Yes...at least I think so. Your father asked me if I knew where you were." 
                          
My heart started racing. Was Sally the type to lie for me, a girl she barely knew? "What....what did you say?" 
                          
"I said I didn't," Sally responded. I sighed with relief. "That was at the graduation, though, right after you two had left. So I honestly didn't know where you were." 
                          
"Thank you for letting me stay here," I replied. "You are too generous." 
                          
She shrugged. "Any friend of Percy is a friend of mine. Does your family know your location?" 
                          
I shook my head as I peered at the floor. "No, I don't think so. I told them that I was safe the day after graduation, but nothing else. They probably aren't worried, though. And I'm almost eighteen, so there's not much that they can do." 
                          
Sally smiled at me weakly. "Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need. The whole summer if you'd like to. I can get the old air mattress out of the closet for you." 
                          
As Sally whipped around the kitchen I couldn't help but smile. I finally had a mother, or at least someone who acted like one. 
                          
My own mother hadn't been very matronly, at least not in the spare memories I had left of her. 
                          
And Helen....the most motherly thing she'd ever done for me was making me food, which she did for everyone. I knew that she tried hard, but she would never care enough about me for her trying to work. 
                          
But Sally, despite only meeting me twice, had nearly adopted me, no questions asked. She was truly a saint. 
                          
And as she served us some food and joked with us at the table, I couldn't help but think that I was home.