Chapter One

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful girl named Annabeth Chase. She had blond curly hair and fairly tanned skin. What made her look different were her eyes. They were intense startling gray instead of pretty and gleaming light blue. Her clothes weren't very fancy. She just wore an orange T-shirt and a pair of jeans, along with a necklace that had her father's collage ring on it. Annabeth had her hair tied as a ponytail as usual. That way, she could do her work without her hair in the way.

What work, you ask? She was always locked inside the house, stuck doing all the lame chores her stepmother had given her. Her father died years ago after marrying the witch. Her real mother died before her father did, right after giving birth to her. The three people she currently lived with were her stepmother and stepbrothers, Matthew and Bobby. Annabeth was left with them at the age of three. Her father used to be almost too busy for her. That was the reason why he remarried.

Annabeth was always threatened to do all the work her stepmother and stepbrothers told her to do. They were always so bossy and lazy, and let's not forgot pure evilness. They just downright mean.

All Annabeth wished for was to get out from her horrid life she currently has. She wants to have fun for once in her life. She wanted to hang out with friends like normal people do. She doesn't have a single friend at all. She hates living with such mean people. She distastes them. They were the reason why she couldn't live a normal life. All Annabeth wanted was to go out on an adventure. She wants to meet new people, and maybe, just maybe, she wanted to fall in love. She wants to understand what love feels like.

She's fifteen now, almost sixteen, and she felt like there was no hope for her now. She felt like she'd be stuck as a slave, serving her so-called "family" for the rest of her miserable life.

Annabeth's POV

My stepmother demanded me to wash the floors with a stupid tiny toothbrush. That's right, you heard me. I had to clean the floors with a freaking toothbrush. Did I mention that it was my toothbrush? I protested that using a toothbrush to wash the floor isn't going to help clean it any faster, but my stepmother didn't listen to me. She was all "clean this, clean that" and "do this, do that". She didn't even let me eat breakfast this morning, and interrupted my reading time for a freaking toothbrush!

"Hey, Annie," my younger brother, Matt called out. He knows I hate being called that.

"What, Matthew?" I growled.

"Check this out!" Bobby laughed.

The twins were running around the house with muddy boots, leaving muddy footprints all over the floors I was about to finish with. My left eye twitched. I was furious.

"Bobby! Matthew!" I shouted.

"Yeah, Sis?" Matt teased.

"You can't hurt us or else we'll tell Mom," says Bobby.

"Take off your boots," I tried to say calmly, trying my very best to not rip their heads off.

"Why? We want to keep them on," says Matt.

"I'm washing the floor. You're making it all dirty again," I explained, as if it was obvious, which of course, it is.

"Fine, then. We'll just tell Mom," Bobby sneered.

The twins kicked off their boots and ran up the stairs to find my stepmother. I sighed. My life wasn't getting any easier. You know what? It was never easy. They're such stupid, evil people. I don't even consider them "family".

"ANNABETH!" my stepmother shouted. She stormed down the shiny white marble staircase. "Did you abuse your own brother!"

"No," I answered honestly and half-heartedly.

"After you get these floors cleaned, I want you to wash the dishes and do the laundry, understood?" she ordered.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

Matthew and Bobby stood behind their mother, smirking at me. The three of the marched back up the stairs as my stepmother cooed at them. Disgusting.

I continued to scrub the floor again, dying of complete boredom. I got to this stain on the ground that just wouldn't come off, so I tried brushing it fiercely. Yeah, I broke the toothbrush. Isn't that wonderful? My day keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? I screamed in frustration. At least I've got another.

I was about to get up and head over to the washroom to pick up another toothbrush until I heard the doorbell ring.

"GET THE DOOR, ANNIE!" Matthew shouted.

"YEAH, ANNIE!" Bobby joined in.

I headed over to the door and opened it. Outside stood a man with brown hair and eyes, wearing a bored expression on his face. He wore a fancy black suit and a brown strap bag filled with letters.

"Messenger Hermes," I curtseyed.

"Yeah, yeah," the man waved, trying to get this over with. "Here's your mail."

He handed me a shady green letter with the word, "Chase" written in fancy writing. I thanked Hermes for the letter and he left. I closed the door and opened the letter to see what it read.

"Congratulations! You've been invited to Prince Perseus' sixteenth birthday party!" it read.

My eyes lit up. I was invited to a party! I could make friends! I could finally be normal for once in my life! Maybe, just maybe there's hope for me after all. Maybe hope has been there all this time, just waiting for the right time to jump out. Maybe this invitation is my first step to happiness. Maybe I'll be happy.