Annabeth's POV

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Annabeth woke up to commotion outside and the sound of a high pitched scream. She bolted up out of her bed in the Athena cabin, scattering her blankets and books everywhere. Picking up her dagger just in case, she raced with her siblings that also heard the noise to the clearing outside.

She flung the door open and saw others from different cabins doing the same. Racing down the steps, a group of campers were gathered around a shape lying in the middle of the clearing. Annabeth ran over to a camper near the edge of the large group.

"What's going on?"

The camper, looking startled, responded. "The patrol from this morning saw the body of the new kid, the son of Apollo, Storm, just outside the border earlier. They say he was already dead when they got there and it looked like he had wandered out without realising where the edge of the border was." The guys friend spoke up, as Annabeth felt a growing feeling of horror rising up.

"Yeah, it looked like he had been attacked by something. The scream that woke everyone up was his sister, Summer."

"Sister...?" Annabeth stepped back in realisation. The new kids that had arrived days ago, that both had blonde hair and blue eyes.

She muttered a quick 'thank-you' to the campers before pushing her way to the middle of the group, barely noticing the annoyed looks she got from shoving through.

Shock flooded through her when she saw the middle of the group. Right in the middle was the mangled body of the young boy. He couldn't have been more than twelve, yet there he was, dead. Blood was still pooling in the grass, signalling that he couldn't have died that long ago, but that didn't seem to faze the 5 year old girl kneeling next to the boy. Her long blonde hair looked messy, probably from just waking up, and she had her hands holding her brother's head. Some of the campers were trying to get the girl, Summer, Annabeth remembered, to move or were trying to comfort her, but Summer wouldn't move or listen.

Annabeth bit her lip before sighing and stepping forwards, walking and kneeling down besides the girl.

"Hey," she spoke softly. Summer turned to look at her, eyes flashing with anger.

"Go away."

Annabeth noticed the tears running down the girls face, but also the way she held herself and the way she spoke. As if she were more angry and frustrated, which is unusual for a 5-year-old. She suspected that talking to her as if she were a normal 5-year-old wouldn't work and that's why nobody else could get through to her. So she changed her tactic.

"Well..." Annabeth started, "why do you want us to leave?"

Summer sniffled, wiping her nose with her blood-stained hand with no care.

"Because.. I-I.. I just want you to leave. And everyone else."

"That isn't very nice though." Annabeth spoke carefully, to see a reaction. She saw rage flash in Summer's eyes, and the girl lost any outward tell-tale signs of sadness or grief.

"I just lost my brother! I can be as mean as I want!" She yelled.

"You're acting odd for a 5-year-old though. Any normal 5-year-old would be bawling their eyes out, not spending time arguing with someone. Annabeth here is just trying to help." Annabeth turned to look at who spoke and saw Piper kneeling beside her. She quickly turned back though when Summer spoke.

"I don't care! I'm not a normal 5-year-old. I don't care if you are trying to help or not, you won't understand."

"Trust me," Piper spoke softly, "I think we would understand. Almost everyone at this Camp has lost someone or gone through troubles. Annabeth has walked through Hell itself and I've lost someone I loved. Anything you say, will be understood by everyone here. We're trying to help because we know what it is like to lose a loved one."

Annabeth felt herself nodding. She lifted Summer's chin with her hand.

"You're strong. I can tell. You may not think you need help because you are strong, or because you've gone through some tough things, but even strong people need help. And even if we didn't understand your problems, We can still help you feel better."

Summer wiped her eyes and smiled a little. "Thank-you," She spoke quietly.

Annabeth was surprised when the young girl shifted forwards and hugged her and Piper. Summer let go, before turning back to give her brother's mangled body a hug with the sounds of her sobbing echoing around for a few seconds before she whispered something Annabeth couldn't hear and turned back to her and Piper.

"Can I hang around you two for a little bit? I-I don't have any friends here and you can be my friends, right?"

Annabeth and Piper looked at each other, before turning back to the pleading eyes of the girl before them.

"Of course," They both said in unison. Summer's eyes instantly brightened, and she smiled before hugging them again.

"Thank-you so much! Oh! I'll be right back!" She rushed off, leaving Annabeth and Piper kneeling there confused. Annabeth shook her head and stood up, brushing the grass off of her legs, before finally noticing how quiet it was.

Everyone was looking in amazement at her and Piper. Annabeth turned to Piper, and they seemed to have a silent conversation through their eyes that went something like,

'Do we ask why they are staring? Or why what we did was so amazing?'

'Nah. Want to go figure out where Summer went?'

'Sure, let's leave them looking like idiots.'

They walked over to the direction where Summer went, which was towards the Apollo cabin. Once they got out of range of the gathered campers' hearing, Piper burst out laughing.

"Oh my Gods, everyone looking hilariously confused and amazed. Like, anyone else could have calmed her down."

Annabeth shrugged, but found herself smiling. "Yeah, but from the looks of it, nobody could get to her and she wouldn't let anyone approach. So to everyone watching, it probably looked like we did the impossible. Plus, calming down any young kid that you barely know or that barely knows you is quite difficult."

Piper rolled her eyes but didn't speak. The two of them were almost at the cabin when Piper spoke again.

"I bet you anything that the whole time our friends were smiling like idiots."

"Why..Oh." Annabeth felt heat rising to her cheeks. Piper laughed again, and lightly punched Annabeth's arm.

"You dork. You don't need to feel embarrassed by it."

"But-"

"Hey," Piper turned to Annabeth and held her shoulders. "Don't stress over these things. I can tell you're thinking about it now. Remember what we talked about yesterday?"

Annabeth lowered her eyes and sighed. Piper was right about the thinking part.

"Yeah, I remember. And I'll try to stop stressing, but only because you told me to."

Piper smiled, and leant forwards, placing a small kiss on Annabeth's cheek. Annabeth was stunned for a few seconds and Piper spoke again.

"That wasn't platonic by the way."
Annabeth felt her cheeks heat up. "Piper!" She whisper yelled, looking around them to see if anyone noticed. Piper rolled her eyes.

"You worry too much Annie."

"Don't call me that."

"Beth?"

"No."

"Come one, I wanna give you a nickname."

"Please don't."

"Beth it is!"

Annabeth sighed in frustration, but didn't say anything, and Piper's eyes lit in triumph. Shaking her head, she turned to continue the last few steps to the Apollo cabin but stopped in surprise when Summer was standing there, head tilted.

"Uh...Hi?"

"Are you two together?" Summer asked.

Annabeth looked over at Piper and noticed her cheeks reddening, and felt her own doing the same.

"No!"

"Nope, no no no."

"Definitely not."

Annabeth suspected neither of them sounded very convincing (despite the fact that they were telling the truth) by the look Summer was giving them and added, "I have a boyfriend. He just isn't at Camp right now."

"Oh. Well, I think you two would be great together!" Summers eyes gleamed with joy and she jumped up and down before realising why they were there. She turned and sprinted quickly into the cabin and raced out holding two things in her hand.

"Here," Summer spoke, holding her small hands out and dropping them into Annabeth and Pipers hands. Annabeth smiled when she realised they were parts of a three-part friendship necklace that looked slightly worn down. Hers was one side of a heart shape with a small area missing, Piper's was the other.

Summer kept speaking. "I got these ages ago from my ma, because I had two friends at school, but they were mean to me so I unfriended them and I kept these for better friends. I have part too!" She held up a necklace with a small star shape that, Annabeth suspected, fit perfectly into the spaces missing from the two heart shapes.

"Oh! And, and," Summer continued, excitement rolling off her in waves, "If you turn it over, it has part of the word friendship on it! Well, my mama said that's what it said, but I can't read it."

Annabeth turned her part of the shape over and squinted her eyes, trying to read her part of the word. She just barely managed to read the first four letters of the word friendship.

Annabeth noticed Summer looking at them and leant forwards to give her a hug, noticing Piper doing the same.

"Thank-you for this. I love it," She spoke, pulling back from the hug.

Piper smiled. "I love mine too, thanks."

Summer seemed just about to burst with happiness and excitement. Annabeth prepared herself for an outburst of pure child happiness when the signal for breakfast rang. She sighed in relief when Summer sprinted off towards the dining hall, yelling goodbye on the way and quickly saying something about racing another kid there.

A weight was placed on Annabeth's shoulder, and she jumped in surprise. She relaxed when she realised that Piper had put her arm over Annabeth's shoulders and had leant her head on her shoulder.

"So Beth, do ya wanna go to breakfast, or feast with me on the snacks still in the Poseidon cabin?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, ignoring Piper's nickname for her, and moved away, starting to walk. She didn't answer, but could practically feel Piper's joy when Piper realised what direction she was walking in.

Breakfast can be had another time, and until Percy gets here, I'll spend as much time as I can with Piper.

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A/N: Hello people reading this! 

I've decided to do dedications on these stories and things, so I'd like to dedicate this chapter to
@TheFriendlyIntrovert, @wait-4-it, @ThatGayGirl666, @officiallysolace, for voting and/or commenting on this story. Thank-you so much!!!