"Boo!"

I barely had time to sit up before Delphine pounced on top of me. It was mid-July.

"Jesus Christ, Delly- I said wake her up gently," Fiona's voice scolded from somewhere near the door of my room.

"Where's the fun in that?"

I sat up groggily, shoving Delphine off. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Thought we'd come to surprise you," Fiona said. "Though this wasn't the plan."

"This is way more fun than the plan," Delphine added, stretching out and making herself comfortable at the end of my bed.

"Was there a point to this visit or are you guys just here to annoy me?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Actually, there is something I wanted to tell you both," Delphine said, getting up and facing us both, her expression turning serious.

"Me too," Fiona said nervously. I looked at them both. We called almost every day, what could I have possibly missed?

"You go first," Fiona said to Delphine. Delphine nodded and took a breath. "Lucas and I are dating."

There was a moment of silence, before Fiona burst out, "Congratulations!" And they started squealing. I sat in my bed, dumbfounded.

Dating?

It shouldn't have surprised me. Delphine was so likeable, of course he'd fallen for her.

"Congrats," I told her, getting up and stretching. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

"Wait! I still have something to tell you guys!" Fiona said. "I think Brandon might like me back."

"Tell us something we don't know, Fiona," Delphine joked. "Go ahead, Y/N. Your morning breath is not for the weak."

I laughed and went to the bathroom, freshening up before throwing on an outfit I had tossed in there a couple days ago.

"So, what are we doing?" I asked once I came back to my room. "No way you guys woke me up to tell me you're making progress with boys."

"While you seem to have made none," Fiona frowned.

"Yeah, Y/N," Delphine said from the window. "There has to be a guy, right?"

I thought for a second. There were plenty of guys in my life, but none I'd ever thought of in that way before. Not even remotely. Walker was a brother. Mitchell and Jacqueline acted like they had been married for forty-seven years, so I never really saw him like that. Giovanni...no, just no. Xavier and Antonio never struck any significance to me. And Lucas...

"No, there isn't a guy."

"Come on, Y/N," Delphine said exasperatedly. "We can't have all the fun. You need to get yourself a man."

Fiona's eyes darted between me and Delphine like she was trying to figure something out.

"I think I'll hold off on dudes for now," I told her. "Do you guys want to take a stroll?"

"God, yes! I've been stuck at home for days watching the baby," Fiona said, getting up from her spot on my bed. "Come on."

We walked around my neighborhood, stopping to say hi to the dog a couple doors down. Even the dog had a boyfriend, and it looked like we were going to have a batch of puppies soon.

We walked to the library at the edge of the neighborhood, taking a moment to appreciate the different covers of Percy Jackson books. Fiona actually checked out a copy of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, saying her baby sister had ripped up hers and she was going to borrow this one until she got a new one.

We made our way to the giant willow tree in my neighbor's backyard. He was an old man who lived alone, and he told me he loved seeing us sitting at his tree and he'd only ever brought people who were really special to him there. Fiona and Delphine were special to me, so I invited them over every chance I got. Fiona read her book at the foot of the tree, Delphine texted Lucas from one of the middle branches, and I climbed to one of the highest branches, thinking.

Were the girls right about me still not having a guy to like?

I'd never looked at anyone like that before. Sure, some guys stood out to me more than others, but in different ways. Mitchell stood out because of his friendship with Jacqueline. Walker stood out because he got through the reenactment with me. And Lucas... I still wasn't sure what to make of him, but I told myself one thing.

As of right now, he was one of my best friends's boyfriend. That should be all there was between us.

Delphine squealed from below, almost making me fall out of my branch. "Lucas wants to meet me right now!"

"Now? It's almost four, it's still girl time!" Fiona protested from her spot.

"I told him that. He said he can come pick me up from Y/N's house. That's okay, right, Y/N?"

My mouth felt dry. "Sure."

Another few seconds passed. Then Delphine said, "He's on his way. Let's go back to your house."

We walked back to my house (after I almost fell on top of Delphine getting down). We hung out in the kitchen for a while, then Delphine got up to go to the bathroom. The second the door closed, the doorbell rang. Fiona and I rushed to open the door, to find Lucas standing there, his hair trimmed. Fiona's jaw dropped.

"Are you stupid?" she asked. "Why would you cut your hair?"

He shrugged. "I didn't mean for it to be this short. But... circumstances."

"What kind?" I asked. He glanced at Fiona, looking hesitant.

"I thought Delphine was with you guys," he said.

"She's in the bathroom," I told him. "Come, I wanted to grab my laptop laptop my room anyway."

The moment we were out of earshot, I turned to him. "What kind of circumstances?"

He sighed as we reached my room. "You know my mom's been divorced for a while, right?"

I nodded. It was something he'd told me in confidence early on in year two, while we were taking our regular walk around the school in recess.

"Well... her boyfriend proposed to her."

"Sporty Steve?" I asked. He nodded.

"And the problem is they're moving in here with us."

"They?"

"He and his four kids."

"Wait..." I did the math in my head. "Four kids? And you have four siblings."

He nodded and counted off on his fingers. "Jenny, 16, Amelie and Austin, twins, 15, and Miles, 14. And me. We're pretty tight. Now joining us is Lauren Vautner, 20, Peter Vautner, 16, and Hailey and Hyde, twins, my age, because one pair of twins just wasn't enough for us."

"Lucas, that's nine. Plus two parents."

"I know," he said miserably. "They're moving in at the start of the school year. Lauren lives in her college dorm, but the rest of us have to fight it out for space. I only ever shared my room with Miles. Now I have to share with him, Peter, Hyde, and Austin, while Hailey, Jenny, and Amelie share a room. I told my mom I could room with the girls, but noooo."

"That's crazy. Can't you guys get another house or something? That's way too many people."

"That's what I said. I've made so many suggestions my mom keeps them in a notebook. But she's not listening. Now I have to room with all my brothers, plus some strangers."

I found my laptop at my desk, still charged. "I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, Lucas."

He shrugged and held the door to my room open. "I'll live with it. But please don't tell Delphine."

I stopped at the doorway. "I thought we talked about this. I don't like keeping secrets from her."

"You're right," he said, shaking his head and closing the door so we stood at the doorway together. "I'm so sorry, I forgot. I-I'll tell her when the time is right. I just don't want to right now."

"Promise me you'll let her know. She deserves to know. You guys are dating now. Trust is important. Or so I've heard."

"I promise," he said, holding my gaze as we made our way down the stairs.

Delphine and Fiona were on the couch. Delphine's face lit up when she saw him, and she stood up. "Lucas!"

He didn't even get to reply, Delphine jumped into his arms. He hugged her back, smiling wide. I watched them, trying to smile for my friend the way Fiona was. But watching them hug, knowing they're dating...

It felt so... wrong.

They stayed and caught up for a while, then left to who knows where. Fiona and I made our way back to the willow tree, sitting together on one of the lower branches. I leaned my head on her shoulder, and she let me be. The day felt so emotionally draining, and I didn't know why.

Fiona had to drag me home, because I was in a daze. I didn't know why. I felt like a zombie. She hugged me and said some stuff I didn't quite catch, then left.

I changed into my pajamas, barely paying attention, and just went to bed, even though it was only eight. I felt so drained but at the same time wide awake. I drifted in and out of consciousness for the whole night, every time waking up thinking about something completely random.

Minecraft. Hair. What Percabeth's children would look like. Middle names. Hair products.

I wasn't sure why, but I knew I did not want to go to The Titan's Curse year.