Percy

She deserved to know. So I brought Nancy to the graveyard after we all finished having lunch. As we started walking, I explained to her what happened.

"To be fair, I didn't know shit in sixth grade." I explained that right away. "Grover did, but he probably didn't know you were Luke's sister. Because he ran away, yeah. And he ended up here. Camp Half-Blood. And after I got expelled, Grover and my mother brought me here because of my father. That's how I met Luke. And he was a really cool guy, as I'm sure you know."

"Yeah, what about it?"

I took in a breath.

"He got... He was fed up," I don't know how to tell somebody that. When they don't know they're dead or that they even might've died. Just out of the blue. It kills me when I have to do this. "your guy's dad just pushed him to his limit that summer and he left this place. He had this plan and it almost worked. Fuck, it could've worked. But uh..."

We walked up to his grave.

"He died." I broke the news to her. "Two summers ago. August 18. He didn't die in vain. He did let himself go, though. And, as much as it might not make sense, he kind of knew that he had to. Even if the rest of us didn't want him to."

It still fucking hurt.

I crossed my right arm over and held onto my other arm

Of course, she cried. She got frustrated. She screamed for her brother. And I cried. Because I miss him.

But screaming is getting me nowhere.

Bianca showed up and took over as I walked with Nico back to the stream. And I talked to him. Told him what I've been holding back.

About how bad it's really been. How I didn't actually eat anything today. Nancy just did because I offered and I didn't want him to get mad because I didn't eat.

Because I've eaten once in three days. Which was last night.

And I'm still not hungry. I'm exhausted. I don't want to do anything anymore. I have no motivation. No energy.

I'm a fucking trainwreck, and I don't want to be. But I don't know how to get better.

He asked if I wanted to go home. And I told him that I didn't know. Because I don't want to be here. But I'm not sure if I want to be there, either. If I'll be any better with my parents.

So I packed my bag up that night. Or, afternoon, really. And I left. Without a word. Nico knew. That was all I cared. I called Dad, being Mom was working.

"Hey, kiddo," I've worried them over the last month, and it made me feel bad. Hopefully I can make it up. "How're you feeling?"

"I've been worse," I didn't have another way to answer that. "I uh... Are you at the apartment right now?"

"No, I'm at my place right now." Gabe told me, noticing that something was off. "Why? Is everything okay? Did you get like expelled from camp?"

"No, I didn't get kicked out." I assured him that I wasn't that dumb. "I'm just on my way home. I have a key, though. Just figured I'd ask if you were around, though. I know Mom works today."

"Oh," he said, thinking for a moment. "Why are you going home, then? Don't get me wrong, I love having you home. But your mom said that you loved it there."

"Yeah, a long time ago." I tried to explain to him as the cab pulled up to the building and I paid him. "But it's been a really shitty summer and I just need to go somewhere. I'm not like suicidal or anything. But I just can't handle being there right now."

"Got it," Gabe responded as I heard him close a door. "And I don't have any plans for the day. I was supposed to cover for somebody but they called and said I don't need to anymore. So if you want to come here or if you want me there, if you want to talk, just let me know. And remember, if you feel like hurting yourself: use markers. I really don't want to rush you to the ER."

"If you could come over," I felt a little bad, but he was my dad. He offered. "That'd be great. You don't have to rush. But the company is nice. It stops me from overthinking and getting paranoid."

"Okay! I'll be there in a bit, then!"

I walked inside and said hi to our desk worker before heading up and walking inside. Which is where my father was..

He was actually in my room. Which is the only place where I have stuff about being gay. It's hidden. I had a girlfriend the last time I was here. She'd freak. I would, too. I didn't want to come out.

But he found it.

And he's a god. I figured he'd be okay with it because most of them have hooked up with everything there is to hook up with.

It's a 7 minute bus ride from Gabe's home to here. The bus would've left 5 minutes after he hung up. That's 12 minutes.

In 12 minutes, my father yelled at me. Which set me into a still standing anxiety attack. The one where I just can't respond to anything. It doesn't look like an anxiety attack, but it is. So he yelled more. And he called me names. And then told me I was a mistake.

When I wasn't responding to him, he slapped me.

And then he just continued to beat me. Until Gabe showed up.

Gabe

I tore Percy's father away from him and took him into the next room over. He was freaking out on me. Poseidon was. Asking me what my deal was.

"He's still a fucking kid, that's my deal!" I freaked out on him because Percy's already gone through hell. He deserves so much better than this asshole. "you shouldn't go around beating your kid and expect that he's going to worship the ground you walk on afterwards. You're fucking lucky if he ever has anything to do with you after all of this. He came back home to get away from your sorry ass. Now get out of my girlfriend's apartment before I hurt you."

And he left. I'm glad I got photos. He's a god, sure. But something will have to be done. If he beats his kid.

I hurried back to Percy's room with the first aid kit and I very carefully bandaged him up. He was shaking when I walked in, and he was just out of it. I called Sally once I knew he was going to be okay given he just had to calm down now. He's going to still he scarfed for life. But he won't end his life.

"Gabe, hey," Sally said when she answered the phone. She got off either now or in like a half hour. I couldn't remember. "I thought you had to cover a shift tonight. You shouldn't be on the phone at work."

"No, they went in anyways." I explained, trying to stay calm for Percy. He was just sitting next to me right now. Crying. Shaking. Just hurting. "Percy's came home today. He said he wasn't kicked out, he just needed to come home for a while because it's been a bad summer. But when he got home, Poseidon was here and he found something he didn't like and when I got here, he was beating the shit out of Percy. So I took a quick photo for evidence and kicked the dude out. I'm next to Percy right now. He's nowhere near able to talk. But he'd probably appreciate it if you came home."

"Oh gods, of course!" Sally sounded extremely worried after that. Almost devastated. "I was just about to lock up. I'll grab him some candy and a smoothie. Those normally bring him to safe place. Do you want anything from here? We have plenty or blue foods."

"It was ten years ago, Sally," I told her, finding it nice that she still remembered that whole ordeal. "Let it go. I'll take a smoothie though. Thank you. We love you."

"I love you guys, too." She responded as I rubbed Percy's back. "I'll be there in a little bit."

Sally hung up and after another five minutes or so, Percy could breathe normally and he was done crying. The shaking was mostly gone. He told me it was probably low blood sugar. Hasn't eaten today. Missed breakfast and wasn't hungry for lunch.

"Well Mom is bringing you back a smoothie and some candy," I told him as he grabbed his stuffed Nemo we got him years ago. When the movie first came out and he was at the end of his wanting things like stuffed animals and little kid toys. But he still had the thing. "So you're going to have to drink your smoothie. Do you feel a little better?"

He nodded his head.

"Yeah," my kid told me, which was some relief. "Calmer. Tired. I think I might take a nap after that smoothie. It doesn't sound half bad. The smoothie and the nap. Uh... Thanks, by the way. For coming and getting him off of me. I was kind of freaked."

"I'm your dad," I responded, handing him a bottle of water to drink. "That's my job. But drink some of this. You did a lot of crying, you're probably dehydrated."

"Thanks."

"Any time, kid," I promised him. "Any time."