Chapter 2: Drama Projects and Videos
Chapter 2: Drama Projects and VideosAnnabeth’s POV
I slipped into my seat quietly. Nobody noticed me…except Thalia since she sat next to me. “How did Mr. Gron’s go?” I questioned.
“Uhg!” she groaned. “It was horrible! I had to make up the test I had missed. It had numbers and letters. Can you believe that? It was so messed up!”
“Well,” I said shrugging, “that my friend, is algebra for you.”
“Whatever!” she growled.
I laughed good naturally. Well, at least until I saw Percy. He looked kind of mad, until he sat down. You know what (or in this case who) made him perk up?
“Slut alert.” Thalia whispered into my ear. I nodded as I saw Rachel, the head cheerleader and school mean girl, strut to the green-eyed-hottie I had talked to moments ago.
“Hi Percy” I heard Rachel purr from all the way over here.
“Hi Rachel.” Percy replied back.
“So… I was wondering. Do you want to catch a movie with me after school?” She asked him.
“I don’t know what I have planned after school.” Percy said uncertainly. “But I can keep you posted.”
Rachel nodded and smiled at him just as Miss Jenny, our drama and homeroom teacher, walked in. “Good morning class!” she yelled. When we replied, she went on. “I have a new assignment for you. I have put you all into groups of four. When your groups meet up, you will come to me to receive a script. The script will be a snip-it of a famous movie or book. There are no specific categories on what your script is about-they are all random. Now, I will proceed to write your names on the board in groups. Pay attention.”
1. Hazel
Frank
Megan
Carl
2. Thalia
Nico
Luna
David
Well there goes my chance of being in my best friend’s group.
3. Piper
Jason
Leo
Michelle
4. Katie
Travis
Olivia
Charles
5. Annabeth
Percy
Selena
Rachel
6. …
Wait! What?! I’m in a group with Percy and Rachel?! This is horrible! It was bad enough that we had to do this project. You know why? Because it involves a stage and people! If you didn’t know already, I had terrible stage fright! I had thought that if I had Thalia in my group it wouldn’t be that bad! But I didn’t! This was going to be so embarrassing! Don’t hyperventilate Annabeth. Just take deep, calm breaths. It’s going to be ok. I hoped so.
“Hey!” Rachel sneered. “Are you going to be part of this group or what?” I looked behind her and noticed that Selena and Percy were already there. I blushed and nodded as I started walking toward them. “Finally! Well, I’m going to get our script, ok?” We all nodded.
Once she was gone, the girl next to me said, “Hi! I’m Selena Beauregard. You’re Annabeth right? I’ve seen you around.” I nodded my head silently. “Oh, and this is Percy.”
“I know.” I replied. “We bumped into each other earlier. Literally.” I added.
“Yup.” Percy nodded and smirked silently at me.
Just then, Rachel the Red-Headed Monster came strutting back to us. “I got the script!” she shrieked. “Ok, so, I’m going to assign what you are going to do in the short play.” She pointed to Selena. “You are going to be the fashion designer and prop manager. That means that you are going to design the costumes for the people who are going to be acting and make the props.”
“I know what being the fashion designer and prop manager means I have to do!” Selena shot back.
Rachel ignored her and faced Percy and me. “You two are going to be the actors.” She then pointed to herself. “And I am going to be the director…Let’s see what book/movie we got!” We all crowded around her. “OMG! We got Perry Johnson (A/N: Did I get that right?) and the Battle of the Labyrinth! I love that book! I’m, like, a huge fangirl! Ok! Let’s see what part you two are going to act out.” She flipped to the front of the small packet in her hands but only got to see the seen we were going to do before the bell rung. “Ok guys, how about after school we meet up at the auditorium so we can start practicing there?” Rachel suggested as we started to pack up our stuff.
“I-I can’t.” I stuttered.
“And why is that?” Rachel glared at me.
“Homework,” was all I answered.
She sighed loudly. “Fine! How about tomorrow?”
We all agreed and walked to our next class.
____________________
Once school was over, I drove to Thalia’s house to help her make the dreaded video. I still did not know why I agreed to it!
When both of us got to her room, she immediately started to get her camera ready for the video. She instructed me to sit on her bed and told me that the video was going to be like an interview of sorts. She clicked on the on a button and a small light blinked red. Suddenly, we were being recorded. (Thalia: T-Bold, Annabeth: A-Italicized)
T- So, my hero in this whole entire universe is named Annabeth Chase. She is my hero because of what she has to go through in her life every day. She is strong and independent and has been since she was seven years old. Now, this interview will be all about Annabeth. Her looks and voice will be altered because she does not want to be known.
A-My favorite color is either silver or gray.
Thalia asked me many of these pretty useless questions like: What is my favorite song and all that crap for about fifteen minutes.
T- What is your favorite hobby or thing to do?
A-Well, I love reading and singing!
T- What is your favorite book or series?
A-I don’t have a favorite book but my favorite series is probably Perry Johnson and the Last Olympian.
T- What’s your favorite song?
A-Umm, gosh this is hard…! It would probably be Bills, Bills, Bills by: Destiny’s Child.
T- Would I have the pleasure of hearing you sing the song?
A-Maybe later…
T- Ok. Well, I want to know what you have to go through at your house. Is that ok?
A-It’s ok. I’m not going to tell you everything, but what happened is that when I was seven years old, my mom died of breast cancer. Sixth months after, my dad married a woman called Susan. She was mean and rude and didn’t care about me at all. She would blame every little thing that went wrong on me and my dad would believe her. The only person that was nice to me and cared for me was my big brother Malcom.
That same year I was planning on running away. At first I faltered because I would miss Malcom. Then, I figured that he would understand so I did run away. I was out on the streets for about three months when my dad found me on the way back from work.
Once I was finally at home again we had a happy reunion and Susan seemed happy to see me, and I thought she had changed her mind about me but apparently not. When my dad and Malcom went to sleep she told me…some stuff that I rather not repeat.
A few years later, Susan gave birth to a set of twins. I thought that maybe now that Susan needed help taking care of them, we could at least not fight. I really wanted to be a good big sister but apparently that could never happen because she taught them that I was a bad person and…well…that’s it.
I had tears in my eyes by the time I was telling me story, and I brushed them away with the back of my hand.
T- How about that song now?
A-Ok.
At first we started out real cool
Taking me places I ain't never been
But now, you're getting comfortable
Ain't doing those things you did no more
You're slowly making me pay for things
Your money should be handling
And now you ask to use my car (car)
Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank
And you have the audacity
To even come and step to me
Ask to hold some money from me
Until you get your check next week
You triflin', good for nothing type of brother
Silly me, why haven't I found another?
A baller, when times get hard
I need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you
Who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Now you've been maxing out my card (card)
Gave me bad credit, buyin' me gifts with my own ends
Haven't paid the first bill
But instead you're headin' to the mall
Goin' on shopping sprees perpetrating
Telling your friends that you be ballin'
And then you use my cell phone (phone)
Callin' whoever that you think's at home
And then when the bill comes
All of a sudden you be acting dumb
Don't know where none of these calls come from
When your momma's number's here more than once
You triflin', good for nothing type of brother
Silly me, why haven't I found another?
A baller, when times get hard
I need someone to help me out
Instead of a scrub like you
Who don't know what a man's about
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
You triflin', good for nothing type of brother
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another
You triflin', good for nothing type of brother
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another
You triflin', good for nothing type of brother
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another
You triflin', good for nothing type of brother
Oh silly me, why haven't I found another
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
Can you pay my bills?
Can you pay my telephone bills?
Do you pay my automo' bills?
If you did then maybe we could chill
I don't think you do
So, you and me are through
With that, Thalia ended the video. “Wow! That was intense!” was all she said before turning to her laptop to edit the video.
______________________
The next day, in English class, Thalia had to present her video. As she started it, I saw that she had kind of blurred out my face, made my voice a little higher, changed my hair color, and made the names of my family members (along with my name)squish together so it would make them unrecognizable . By the time her presentation was over, the class was in silent aw from the voice that was singing a second ago. Thalia hadn’t changed my voice while I was singing so they could hear the real me for a moment.
Mr. Blofis, (A/N: Did I spell that right?) the English teacher, broke the silence. “Thalia. That was a definite A+ right there! Do you know about the annual video contest that is going on right now?”
“Yeah. Why?” she asked.
“Would you want to think about entering the video in the contest?”
“Why would I do that?”
“The winner gets $500,” he offered her a reason.
Thalia looked at me from the corner of her eye to ask for permission. I nodded my head stubbly so no one would noticed. “Ok.” She said to Mr. Blowfis.
“Good. Here are the registration papers.” He handed her some papers.
As she was finishing up the papers, Percy asked her, “So, who was that chick in the video anyway?”
“Yeah. Who?” other people chimed.
Oh no! I can’t have people finding out that I was the girl in the video! It would attract some serious unwanted attention!
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