Hola amigooooos! Sorry for taking ten years to update this. School drained me and I still haven't regained my normal mentality.😂

Also, I just looked and this stORY HAS 7K READS WHAT THE HECK???

I think it's safe to say that you should brace yourself (*glances at TLT*) bc I don't know what I'm going to write about in this chapter help???

Or maybe there never was that light in the first place.
*****

Per usual, Percy ended his walk home with an entrance into the world's least pleasant place on Earth. Sometimes, though, he was granted some peace.

He entered the apartment, dropping his book bag by the door and scanning the area. Looking over at the kitchen, he saw his mother doing something on her laptop at the table. He made his way towards her, sitting on the opposite side of the wooden platform.

Sally glanced up at her son and smiled before continuing to work. "How was school, honey?"

Percy shrugged in response, which was his typical reply to that particular question.

His mother closed her computer and set it aside, making eye contact with her son. "Anything interesting happening at all?" To this, Percy simply shrugged again, casting his eyes away.

"Any parties?"

Shake of the head.

"Crushes?"

Again.

"Secrets?"

Nada.

"You can't let your own mom out-teenage you," Sally said jokingly, sighing dramatically.

To this, Percy looked up at his mother and smiled. Or at least he got as close as he could to doing so.

The blissful moment only last a few seconds before Sally looked over at the time and sighed.

"I have to go to work," she said, standing up and grabbing her things before heading to the door, "I'll be back later. Love you!"

She then exited the apartment, and Percy was left in silence.

He sat there for a moment, looking around. His apartment was rarely filled with silence when he was in it, regardless of the fact that he hadn't talked in what felt like ages.

Yes, he had the ability to speak. Percy just couldn't find a good reason to use his voice. All it ever did was get him into more trouble. Now, people ignore him, Gabe can't use his own words against him, and the teachers pretend he isn't there because they all know he won't answer. Plus, talking was just plain hard. In Percy's life, it seemed to be say perfect line or say nothing at all.

And let's face it.

Percy knew he was far from perfect.

*****

Thalia sensed Jason's lie straight away. Yeah, Jason still worried about Leo and his whole 'whatever' attitude with his fellow students from time to time, but the difference between those moments and a few minutes ago was quite contrasting. Of course, Thalia really only saw one explanation.

Percy.

Thalia didn't really know Percy, but she assumed she had the general idea of his personality. From the times she'd seen him at therapy to him showing up at her house beaten half to death at midnight, she was led to certain conclusions about the boy's life.

1. Some kind of violence was affecting him. Thalia was lead to assume it was the classic school bullying, although they left certain holes in the midnight situation. However, she added the possibility that he was attacked on the streets into the mix.

2. He was very reserved, but Thalia immediately saw the good that Jason would do for Percy in some of their first interactions. Jason had a way of getting people to relax and open up in life. She was never sure how he did it, but it certainly helped her when she was struggling.

3. He could definitely talk if he wanted to. The thought immediately came to her mind when she was told that he didn't speak. Of course, she couldn't exactly pin that as a true aspect of the boy until the next morning during breakfast. Thalia figured that he would've learned sign language if he was truly mute, and if he hadn't, she still supposed that he would communicate in some way to blend in. However, the lack of communication in general really increased Thalia's theory about his speech.

And unless it really played into the second thing, Thalia was almost certain she was correct.

*****

Piper had returned to the Grace household in time for dinner. The two siblings and she sat in general quiet as they consumed their meals.

"How've all your friends been recently?" Thalia asked, picking at her food.

Jason shrugged, taking a bite. The eldest Grace looked over at Piper.

Realizing she should probably answer, she said, "Oh, sorry! Right, uh, I think everybody is fine, although there's a lot of tension with some kids in the school because of the whole Leo and Percy thing-," stopping as her shin was gently kicked from under the table. She turned her gaze to the blonde, who had a pleading look in his eyes.

"Everything is great."

Thalia, intrigued, questioned Piper's original answer. "How's Percy involved?"

"He just gets crap like Leo does, it's fine," Piper explained, trying to help Jason out of whatever he was trying to get out of.

"It's nothing," Jason insisted, trying to end the conversation.

Thalia sighed. "Obviously it's something if you want to avoid it this much."

"I'm not trying to avoid it."

There was temporary silence.

"Maybe Percy...isn't good for either of you," Thalia said quietly, not making eye contact with the two.

Jason, alarmed, shot his eyes over to his sister. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You just seem really out of it recently, Jase."

"That has nothing to do with Percy."

"Jason, I think it-"

"Leave him out of this, okay?"

"Jason-"

"It's not your job to control who I hang out with and how to live my life."

"I'm just trying to help you."

"I don't need your help with everything anymore! You've always needed my help more than I needed yours anyway!"

Piper finally decided to step in. "Jason, maybe we should all just try to calm down."

"Maybe we should support the people that need us no matter the trouble they get into, right? Isn't that what you've always said?" Jason inquired, a frustrated tone still present in his voice.

Thalia sighed. "This is different, Jason."

"Percy is no different from anyone else."

"But he is, Jason!" She raised her voice just a bit. "There's something going on mentally, and I don't want it to affect you!"

"Someone else's mental state has no effect on my own!"

"I just don't want you to fucking end up like me, okay?" Thalia shouted, dropping her utensil and leaving the kitchen.

Jason's gaze followed her out of the room. "Thalia, wait-"

The front door had already closed.

HEYYOO IM 14 NOW.

ALSO (late) MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY (?) KWANZAA, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, ETC. BC IDK WHAT EVERYONE CELEBRATES.

And I mean, if you don't celebrate anything, at least you're probably off school for a week or two.

PLUS HAPPY NEW YEAR! LET'S HOPE 2018 DOESN'T SUCK!

I PERSONALLY WOKE UP TO A GLORIOUSLY FILLED GROUP CHAT OF MY CLASSMATES BEING DICKS, IF THAT TELLS YOU HOW MY YEAR IS SO FAR!😂😂