Everything Has Changed

2. Sunday

Chapter 2

Hey guys! So I'm back with the second chapter! Not very interesting or dramatic, but I hope you like it anyway! :) -Jackie

Sunday morning wasn't any better than Saturday, which was saying a whole lot, because I once wrote an ode to Sundays. On the brighter side of things, at least it started getting better around noon.

I spent Saturday night at Piper's house because I felt she needed the company, and we had to comfort poor Lacy, who was sobbing more than I had ever sobbed in my entire life. She was absolutely heartbroken, so Piper and I decided to sleep in her room with her. I slept in a pile of blankets and that we put on the floor at the foot of Lacy's bed, and Piper just climbed in with Lacy.

Lacy's breaths eventually evened out and she stopped crying a few hours later, at around one in the morning. It was still heartbreaking for me, listening to the sound of her shaky sobs as I tried to get some sleep. She was only ten years old, she shouldn't have to cry herself to sleep. I was going to have to have a really serious talk with Tristan in the morning.

At about six on Sunday morning, I woke up. Piper and Lacy were still sleeping. I was naturally an early riser, and I hated it on some days, but I was glad about it today. Everyone in this house tended to wake up a little later, except one person: Tristan McLean.

I untangled myself from the blankets. I was still wearing the gray sweat shorts and black tank that Piper had let me borrow last night. She and I swapped clothes so much, I wasn't even sure which were mine and which were hers anymore, so we basically just shared wardrobes.

I threw my hair up into a sloppy ponytail and tiptoed to Lacy's bedroom door. As quietly as I could, I opened the door, stepped outside, and closed it. Still quietly, I walked down the hallway and into my guest room to brush my teeth and wash my face. From there, I made my way down the stairs. When I got to the kitchen, I saw Tristan in making coffee in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Sensing my presence, he turned around. "Oh, hey, Annabeth. What are you doing up so early?" He rubbed his forehead and yawned.

"I'm an early riser," I told him, for what felt like the two hundredth time. "Aren't you going somewhere? Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Tristan sighed. "No. I figured since I'm leaving in three and a half weeks, I should probably stay home more often and only leave once or twice a week, unless it's to go grocery shopping or something like that."

"How thoughtful," I muttered. I went over to the refrigerator and grabbed a jug of orange juice. "And how fitting of you to bring that up." I turned around to face Piper's dad. "I don't think you should leave."

"That's what everyone keeps saying," Tristan said, pouring his newly made coffee into a mug. "But I don't exactly have a choice."

Right when he said the last word of his sentence, I started to speak. "Yes." I sounded really forceful and powerful. I liked that. "You do have a choice. Nobody is making you go to Greece, Tristan. You're choosing to go there. Come on, are you serious? You have a family back here in L.A. I mean, think about Aphrodite. She used to not be home too, but she found time for both work and family. And I think you should too."

Tristan looked so beaten, it kind of made me feel guilty. But I held the determined look on my face as I poured my orange juice into a glass.

"This is what my fans want," he said lamely. "They want-"

"Screw what your fans think," I interrupted. "What does your family think?"

"Annabeth," he said with an exasperated tone, "surely you understand, honey. Don't you ever feel like you get pressured to do things ever?"