Percy Jackson

Talking to teachers was mostly painless. Explaining the same thing 7 times sucked, but it was okay.

Talking to my coach sucked because he cares a lot more. He asked questions.

"Take the time you need, I know you're a good swimmer," he assured me. "a few days or so won't hurt your standing, and even so, this is more important."

He paused.

"Are you going to be alright?"

I nodded my head.

"This isn't my first time," I assured him.  "It was just more unexpected. I'll be alright."

And he didn't ask more, but he could probably see how tired I was.

I went home, ignored my homework, and slept until Paul got home at 4:00. He woke me up because I should be awake for at least a little bit.

It was 5:17 when Micah showed up, which was kind of a relief because he won't push it. Micah knows when to stop 95% of the time.

Micah's a sweet guy. We've been friends for a few years, met with swimming and he struggled hardcore in world history so I helped him out because history is my one good subject and we became good friends. I was kind of scared to be his friend because I thought I was going to die that next summer.

But I didn't and we're still friends. He got along with Annabeth, which was nice. Annabeth didn't really like him, but whatever. I do.

I developed weird feelings for Micah like two years ago and ignored then because first I figured I'd die and didn't want to risk it. Then I was missing. And now it's just messy.

Because he knows some stuff, but not much. Micah wouldn't push anything to really risk finding everything out.

The problem is that I'd feel guilty not telling him. I feel guilty now and I have no viable reason to tell him.

"Hey, you're awake!" Micah exclaimed as I saw he had his overnight bag with him. He flashed me a smile and I returned with a smaller one. "Your dad wasn't sure if you were awake or not. I uh, stopped and got some Chinese. I figured it's like, everyone's support food. That and greasy food."

I kind of chuckled in response, taking the offered chopsticks.

"Thanks, I haven't eaten much today," I said as he put the food on the bedside and gave me a plate with some assorted Chinese. "I had breakfast, but I slept through lunch, so."

"That's what your dad figured when I asked him," Micah told me as he sat next to me with his plate of food, and it just barely bothered me enough to tell him.

"Yeah," I agreed and looked down for a second. "You do realize that Paul isn't my dad, right? That's why I have a different last name."

He looked at me as if I told him I had murdered someone. Just in shock.

"Wh... No." He was honest, at least. "I thought he was your dad. You just say Paul because... I don't know, because someone you would say dad, too."

"I mean, jokingly," I clarified for my friend, taking a bite of the sesame chicken. It was pretty good. "no, Paul's my step dad. They got married after freshman year."

"So your dad...?"

"Kind of a piece of shit," I gave him that warning to not ask too much. "talks to me like once a year, typically when he wants something, and instead of taking me in over the summer like a decent father would do, he sends me to summer camp. Which, the camp is cool. That's where I met Annabeth and Will and everyone. Dad sucks, though."

Micah thought about that for a minute, eating his lo mein.

"Oh," He remarked. "that sucks, but noted. I guess I never thought about the different last names. Your dad was a Jackson then or...?"

I shook my head.

"Mom and him never married, he left before I was born, so I took Mom's last name. Met him when I was like 12, almost 13."

"Got it."

That was all he asked, though, and I was grateful because I don't want to talk about my dad. I don't like talking about my dad.

He sucks.

Micah put in a movie, though, and we finished eating. Threw the containers and what not in to recycle and returned to my bed, just relaxing.

The entire time he was just next to me, sitting and being cute as he watched these movies and I wanted to just rest my head on his shoulder or lean against him or something but that'd be weird.

I don't even know if he's into guys, much less me. That could ruin my like, only mortal friendship.

It's low stakes Romeo and Juliet.

Actually, if he spills everything about the gods I could probably killed. Those are high stakes for me. He'd have his memory erased.

It's high stakes Romeo and Juliet.

Then again, it probably isn't Romeo and Juliet because I'm pretty sure that Micah is straight.

It drove me crazy basically until I fell asleep, which I did sitting up.

•••

Micah Anderson

He might have thought he was sitting up, but once he was out, I noticed his head on my shoulder.

I didn't have the heart to wake him up by moving him. I let him be.

The morning we woke up to the smell of his mom's food, which is always a good thing. Just, in general. I love Sally. She's sweet.

Sally went to work after breakfast, as did Paul for the the teacher work day. I didn't know that that's why we were off, but it was. Which, I'm not complaining, it's one less day we have to go to school.

Percy and I figured we could walk around for a bit. We started to wander and ended up by a skate park close to the river. We used to come here a lot, before he went missing.

I don't know, ever since he got back last August something has been... Something changed and I don't know what and I don't want to ask and try to get into business that isn't mine.

His dad is a weird situation, and I don't want to overstep my boundaries.

"You gonna be alright at the funeral?" I asked Percy as we sat down for a second. "Like, I know you've been to them before, but you're going alone, right?"

"I'll be good, I have friends that'll be there," Percy assured me. "don't worry, Micah. I'll be alright, you have to believe that."

"I know you will be, I just..." I tried to explain without second handedly coming out to him in the process. "worry? You were gone for like, almost a year and I don't... I don't know where I was going with that."

I shrugged and it was quiet between us. My anxiety was starting to... Like it was definitely there and now I felt like a dumbass for even trying to talk about what happened while he was gone.

He doesn't want to talk about it, and I know.

My brain just doesn't want to process it, though. It wants to know.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked me, resting his head on my shoulder as I just kind of let him because I don't... Really know how to respond to that? To the head thing. "you've been asking me a lot, which I get, but you have like, anxiety and shit still, right? How's that working out?"

"Anxiety and panic disorder," I agreed, nodding my head. "uh, it's been okay. I mean it hasn't gotten worse for the most here. Days here or there, but I've been okay today. It's been a while since I've had an attack so like... That's good, I guess. You're just dyslexic, right?"

"ADHD, too, but I've been able to keep that in check," He told me and sighed. "I was supposed to have a check up after I went missing and mom's scheduling me one again, but..."

"But...? They're not that bad."

"I know, but I don't need a doctor to tell me that I have some shit up here," he pointed at his head. "it doesn't take Einstein to figure that out. I know there's problems, I just don't..."

"Then why not find out what it is and get help?"

Percy looked down.

"Because it's not that simple," he started to tell me. "I don't think it's something like anxiety. It's not... It's shit I'll never forget."

"Like what?"

He shrugged.

"Just shit."

Before I could protest, though, he insisted that he should get going and that we could meet up later if I was really that concerned about him and his mental state.

So I went to the block where he did he'd meet me and did whatever I could for the next two hours on that block.

•••

Percy Jackson

It was sad, obviously. Nico looked like absolute shit, I felt bad.

But I talked with him a little bit, tried to give him some reassurance. Just remind him that were always open windows for him at the apartment. Even if he doesn't want to see me, but he wants to talk to my mom just for that motherly sort of love. She loves Nico.

After I left, though, which was probably after an hour or so because I just... I don't like funerals. I walked in on mine once and ever since I've just hated them. I go out of respect, obviously. It'd be rude not to.

But I don't want a funeral. Not a sad one with my body there. Have me cremated and let me go with the wind or something.

Grover and I walked together to the subway, though, being he left the same time I did. It's been so long since I've seen him! I missed my best friend.

"How's school been?" Grover asked as we made our way down the block.

"Same old same old," I told him, shrugging. "I didn't go yesterday just in case. But it's been fine. Nobody's too big of an asshole. How was California?"

"It was really cool!" Grover exclaimed as he basically lit up and I smiled. "we saved a lot, and Lester and Meg really helped out. Meg, especially, being Demeter's child and all. That and her dad like, yeah. She knew some vague stuff that helped a lot. I'm ready to be back, though, I missed this place. Not the pollution and that shit, but it seems like it's slowly making progress. I wish it was faster, but there's a lot of people in New York, so..."

It was quiet for a second.

"Piper told me that you and Annabeth broke up," he brought it up. "what uh... Why?"

I shrugged as we stopped at the corner, waiting for the light to turn.

"I don't know, she broke up with me," I was honest about it. There's no use lying about it to Grover. It's Grover. "that was maybe a month ago? Like right after Jason's funeral. I don't know why, but she felt the need to call and end it, so. I'm over it. Thinking back on it, it wasn't going to really work. There was too much there, I think. Too much shit."

He nodded his head as the walking man showed up on the light and we walked across the block.

"Yeah," my best friend agreed. "I figured it'd last a little longer, but not really through college. You're just different, I guess. I was surprised you for along so well when we were younger. Is..."

Grover looked at me.

"Have you developed feelings for someone else?"

I rolled my eyes because I have, but it already feels impossible.

"Of course."

He just smiled that almost asshole smile because he doesn't have to ask. He can sense my emotions, both as a satyr and with the weak mental link we still have (I think? It's WEAK). But he asks anyways.

"So... Who is she?"

Mmm... Didn't like the sound of that.

"Yeah, she's uh... Not," but I've never come out, so I didn't exactly know how to correct what he said.

"She's not what?"

"Not uh... Not a she, exactly," I don't know why I thought I'd say it like that, but I decided on it. "You uh... Miss a lot when you're not on a boat with me all summer. I'm bi, surprise."

He exhaled as if he was relieved.

"Oh thank gods, you've come to terms with it," Grover remarked and I scoffed. "I'm sorry, but I've known since Yancy. You just always denied it."

"Well... Yeah, I was insecure and afraid of everything."

Grover just rolled his eyes in humor.

"So, I'm sorry, who are they?" My best friend corrected him, which made me happy to hear. It's the small things like that. "and it better not be Nico, because if it is, you're leaving him alone for a long time."

"It's not... No, I don't like Nico," I promised him as we were once again stopped by the crosswalk. "That's kind of my whole dilemma is that they're uh, mortal. And it's not a Rachel situation. Straight up mortal, I don't think he can see through the Mist, he wouldn't know through relatives, nothing."

"Percy!"

"I didn't try!" I defended myself for my crush on Micah, because it's bad news. "look, I don't even know if he's into guys and I'm not out to him so it's not like I'm rushing literally anything. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if he was, but it's weird sometimes. He's on the team so we hang out quite a bit, but I know he wants me to talk about like when I was gone and about my emotions, which I'm really bad at. And it's not all the time, but like he'll bring it up here or there and I feel bad not telling him because I trust him personally, but—"

We walked again.

"But that won't work if an accident happens," Grover understood that. "Well, man, it sounds like you're in pretty deep shit. Feels like it, too. I guess... I mean, we told Rachel and that was a bad idea but good things happened. Is he good at keeping secrets?"

I nodded my head.

"Well I mean, if shit happens between you two and it gets serious," my best friend advised me as we walked down to the subway and for our cards. We had to take different trains. "First, I want to know because I'm your best friend. And two, if he seems trustworthy, go for it, man. Tell him. Luke definitely told his last boyfriend about the gods before he left and the gods never knew that he told them, so. Just be careful. This is my stop, though. I'll see you around, Perce."

"See ya, G-man."