Going Viral

Chapter 36

February 8th

Annabeth switched the camera off and leant back against the wall of her bedroom, revelling in the way her eyes relaxed when she blinked a little too much. After a busy month of shows, Annabeth had longed to have a nap on several occasions, but she just couldn't find the time. Whenever she wasn't on stage or filming a video, she was glued to her phone trying to contact her boyfriend from where he was currently working across the country.

Naturally, the two of them supported each other's careers, but Annabeth couldn't help but feel guilty. He had seen Waitress a total of three times before he left for California and now she was stuck in Manhattan trying to cheer him on from afar. There was a weekend in March where she had scheduled the Monday show off, leaving her with 48 hours free to see him when he performed in Long Island but despite the ever decreasing countdown on her calendar, it seemed ever so far away. Until then, the couple would be relying on his awful wifi connections and lots of Facetime calls.

If it was any consolation, Annabeth's following hadn't suffered in the slightest since she'd made her debut. In fact, her Instagram following has increased massively and her new Youtube series 'Opening Up - Backstage on Broadway' included some of her most popular videos to date. As well as them being successful, the videos were also incredible fun to film. Between every two-show-day, Annabeth and Katrina and would prank the other cast members, sing karaoke on the empty stage and they had even tried to bake a real pie on set (with Jake and Nyssa's permission, of course.) The videos featured special guests from behind the scenes, interviews and comedy segments with anyone that wanted to join in. Ella and Sadie - the two young girls that alternated the role of Lulu - were known to wander the dressing rooms and quiz everyone on various Disney trivia, Butch had tried to give Archie a guitar lesson, Kayla had done a Q and A on musical theatre college auditions and even Luke had joined in, performing a strange comedy sketch with the man that plays Old Joe.

Today was a little different. After finishing up her video and holding her eyes shut for longer than could be considered a blink, Annabeth and Jason had decided to take a morning stroll around the park with Luna for a few hours and grab a coffee to go. Jason had been a little reclusive of late and Piper still wasn't sure why so she'd asked Annabeth to try and get some information out of him while she worked incase Piper had done something to upset him.

She had known Jason for the same amount of time as she had Piper, but the girls had become steadfast friends. However, with their mutual relationships and common interests in politics and sociological beliefs, Jason and Annabeth were able to hold a conversation with ease and she would have to admit she usually enjoyed his company. The same didn't quite apply when he walked beside her in silence.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, choosing to watch Luna search for twigs rather than meet his eyes.

Jason doesn't speak immediately but when he does, his voice is quieter than she expected it would be. "What makes you ask?" She can tell from his intonation that he knows exactly why she's asking.

"Piper's worried about you." He looks at her when she speaks this time. "That's not to say that I'm not worried about you, but you and I are similar so I figure you just need a bit of time and you'd tell her."

Jason nods slowly, his gaze following Luna again as she trots around in front of them. "I just didn't expect to see her so soon."

Much to her dismay, Annabeth has no clue what he's on about. She doesn't talk, hoping he'll elaborate.

"Thalia, I mean."

Of course. How had she not seen it before? The two Grace's, both sharing those vibrant blue eyes. Thalia's were more electric blue where Jason's were similar to Annabeth's own in their intensity, though his were sky blue. She thought that had been all the Grace's had shared, but it seemed so obvious now.

"You're siblings." It's not a question but he nods anyway.

"I had my suspicions but I was kind of hoping to avoid her until I knew for sure." Jason's voice wavers and he coughs to clear his throat. "And then I saw her at that theatre and it became so clear."

Unsure of what to say, Annabeth just walks besides him and listens to his frustrations. These kinds of situations weren't new between the two blondes and so she was more than comfortable to hum in agreement in all the appropriate places as he had done for her many a time. Don't get her wrong, Annabeth cared for Jason as a friend, but it wasn't uncommon for them to turn to each other for brutally honest opinions and intellectual advice from someone that wouldn't judge them.

"I think she's mad that I didn't reach out to her, as if I was supposed to be the one to reconnect." He rubs his palm against his forehead, the action making him look years older than he actually was. "She's the oldest and she's the one that left. She knew who I was all along and never thought to - I don't know - drop a message just to let me know. 'Hey, sorry I left you with our alcoholic mother when you were a kid but I'm your long lost sister'."

Annabeth can tell from the way he swallows hard that he's trying to hold back tears. In all the years she'd known him, she'd never seen him so emotional.

"What do you need me to do?" She asks, recalling how he preferred to react at his own pace.

Jason stops walking and turns to face her, not looking into her eyes. "Just don't tell Piper? I'll tell her, I will, but not yet." Without warning, Jason wraps his arms around her. He's taller than her by a long way, unlike he had been in the past. Annabeth had been level with him not too many years ago, benefiting from being a few years older than him. Now though, he towered above her, head buried into her shoulder and she pretended not to notice the way his body shuddered and breath hitched. It was another reason she and Jason got along so well. Both of them understood that despite their need to separate themselves from the pain of their childhood, sometimes things like this just happened and they needed to be with someone that wouldn't judge.

That evening, when she sat in the dressing room relaxing before her call time, her phone pinged with a text from Piper.

hyperpiper i don't know what you did for him but thank you. we've spoken. i don't know everything but he's much calmer now xx

Annabeth went on stage feeling much better despite still being 1,250 miles from Percy. She didn't even panic when she slipped up on her lines and had to rely on Luke to cover her, altering one of her lines and saying it on her behalf. It was routine now, she trusts him. Usually she would try and calculate who would be the next person to walk out on her, but for the first time in her life, Annabeth didn't waste her time worrying. Everything would find its right place in due time and Annabeth had better thing to do than to dwell on anything that could go wrong.