I'm No Cinderella

14. Do You Want To Build A Snowman

I didn't want to avoid everyone all week. Give me a break, I was feeling a little depressed. A crazy weirdo keep sending me notes, my dad left with saying without saying goodbye, my friends don't want me around or at least I think so, and I'm tired of feeling so useless all the time.

I spent the rest of spring break lounging around in my house watching Maury, Jerry, and Steve Wilkos in the day until Bobby and Matthew need me to pick them up. Then I'd hang out with the boys who always welcomed me to play Mario Kart with them.

My dad hasn't called since he left. Apart of me disappointed and the other side was glad. He shouldn't call after how bad things ended. That coward.

But I was a coward too. I should call him instead of acting like a victim.

There was a lot of things that I should have done.

I reluctantly got dressed for school. It was seven A.M. And I texted Piper not to pick me up this morning. She probably assumed not to on her own already after my ignoring her for days. I decided to keep dressing differently-one step at a time-and I wore a loose light blue tank top under a white cardigan with dark skinny jeans and black and white converse. I set my hair in a loose ponytail.

I went downstairs after plucking up my bag. The smell of eggs and bacon awakened my senses a little more. Bobby and Matthew were eating with their attention towards Little Einsteins on the television.

Helen was sitting beside them, reading a newspaper. She read the newspaper? Her hair was out of its usual morning curling rods and pins and just set atop her head in a bun with chopsticks in it. She was wearing her usually purple robe and fuzzy slippers. Her face had no cream on it, it was clear and milky. Her eyes had bags under them and were rimmed with red. Is it opposite day or something?

Helen looked up at me. "Good morning. I put your breakfast in the microwave."

I nodded and took it out of the microwave. She made me breakfast? It must really be opposite day. Helen must be really out of it about my dad. He did mention an argument. But they never fought on his usual trips. Is the difference because its three months?

"Uh, thanks." I sat down at the table and started to eat it. Even if Helen and I hated one another, she wouldn't poison my food.

I ate in an awkward silence. Then the awkwardness tried to choke me and it started getting weird so I ate my food faster.

And then I rushed out the house even faster. The walk to school wasn't that long. It was just distracting. It gave me time to think about what was to happen once I walk in the building. Do I have to confront Piper? Percy? I don't know, but sadly I'm going to find out soon enough.

During my walk, I stopped at Starbucks for coffee before continuing on the last couple of blocks. I reached school at 7:53. Good timing. I sighed before walking inside.

I don't know why I was expecting pages from Regina Georges burn book taped to the walls solely just pictures of me. I could see it now: Annabeth Chase-Friendless Loser.

But it wasn't like that at all. I walked in and no one spared a glance at me. No one remembers me from the dance as just another girl who danced with a boy on the side. No one acknowledged my presence because I wasn't one to be acknowledged. No one knew I was with Percy for half the week and no one knew that we went on a date. No one knew we kissed.

People were catching up with one another about how they've all spent Spring Break. Either they partied, got drunk, partied and got drunk, and slept in. There weren't many girls running around in bikini's around or boys with coolers. This was New York. Let's be more realistic than what a typical movie would show. The beaches are too dirty to swim in, yet some people do it anyway. And there are much more police hiding in bushes.