Percy

After the Giant War a few demigods stayed the year. I was one. I didn't last year because I knew it could be been a lot worse and whatever.

But two wars in two years. That pushing it.

It was what would be winter break in school. The day Bianca had died only 3 years ago. Felt like a lot longer.

Nico had gone to measures of lockkng himself in his room. Nobody really knew why. I mean, Grover and myself. Annabeth with her family for the holidays. That's about it at the moment that knew Bianca. Thalia was coming in a few days with the Hunt.

But anyways, we were all in his cabin. Trying to get him out of his room. He was blasting music. MCR, PTV, FIR, FOB, GNR, and so on. I wasn't pounding on the door. If I did, he'd just tell me it was my fault were in the whole situation now.

Grover tried for a little bit and came back and sat down.

"You gonna try?" My best friend asked me.

"And get yelled at because it's 'my fault." I commented. "I know why he's in there. For all I care he can stay in there. I'm done trying. He's never gonna forgive me. Even you know that."

The satyr just shrugged as Leo tried knocking and it finally bugged him enough to open the door.

I looked for a second and I couldn't after. He was a wreck.

"What!?" I heard him shout. Which is when I looked down.

I could feel the glare.

"It's 3 in the afternoon and you haven't come out of your room." Frank told him. "Calm down, dude. We're just worried."

"Well maybe I don't want to come out." Nico just had one of those attitudes today. "So just leave me alone."

And the guilt punched me in the gut.

"Okay, you don't have a bitch about it." Reyna said.

"Yeah, seriously." Leo said. "What the fuck happened?"

I was hoping for a Its no big deal. Or Its none of your business.

But he hates me.

"Why don't you ask Percy that question." Nico told them. "Hed know."

And the guilt got worse.

I'm not even joking. Is rather be stabbed than to deal with this.

Nico resumed whatever he was doing in his room as everyone looked at me.

"You heard him" Hazel told me.

"What happened?" Jason questioned me.

"I don't..." I told them. Memories starting to overflow my mind. "I don't want to talk about it. Not now anyway. He'll be back to..."

I couldn't say Nico. Because it wasn't the Nico I met.

"Himself." I put in. "Tomorrow."

At dinner being the table ran out of room. Only 7 to a table. It was Leo and myself. At first it was silent. Until we finished our food, anyway.

"Question." Leo spoke up. "Where's your family? You don't really talk a lot about them."

"My mom lives in the city." I told him. "Normally I go home for school. But I mean with the war, how damaged camp was, how many people died, I decided why not stay and help out. The place could use it time to time."

"That it could." Leo agreed. "Yet I've only been here not even quite a year yet. Wait... When we arrived... Everyone here knew you but you weren't even here. They made you kind of a huge ass deal. Why is that? Like, no offense. You're awesome. But like how long have you been here? Thalia must be a big deal. There's a tree named after her."

"Thalia and Annabeth have been here for like 10 years." I told Leo. "I've been here... 5 years now... Wait, no. They've been here for 11 years. I've been here for five. Yeah. I was twelve. I'm 17 now, so..."

"You are not that young." Leo told me. "You looked like you're old enough to go out a drink. Or like at least graduated from high school. Going into college or something."

"No." I corrected. "I'm supposed to be a Junior right now. Next fall I'll be a senior. The leader before me was older. He was 20 when I met him. His last summer."

"Got too old for it and sent to college?"

"Yeah..." I said. "I wish."

"You wish?" Leo asked. "What does that mean?"

So they didn't tell them when I gone.

"Follow me." I told him as we went to the Big House and up to the attic.

"This is kind of... Creepy." Leo comments.

"We used to have the Oracle up here." I explained. "Until Rachel replaced her summer before this last war. I still have nightmares. Where is it..... Here they are."

The past 5 prophecies from the quests and then the Great Prophecy. We head to my cabin. And my watch shield was hanging up still that Tyson made. It's display now. He's already fixed it. Twice.

"Dude, sick shield." Leo said when he saw it. "Where did you get something like this?"

"My brother made it for me." I told him. Tyson hadn't come this year. It's been a while since I've seen the guy for longer than a day. Almost 3 years. "3 years back. Little moments from the summer before. His first summer."

"That's awesome.' The son of Hephatus commented. "I don't remember seeing him at all, though."

"He's not here a lot." I explained. "Yeah... Being our dad has him commander or army or something he's usually there. He comes every so often. Been a few years since he's been here. But he's really good with making weapons and stuff. Fun guy to be around."

There's a photo also hanging up. A few of them. The first one is Annabeth, Grover, Luke, and myself. All holding up shields. Then below it the next summer of Clarisse, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and myself. Holding the Fleece. That winter with Bianca, Nico, Thalia, Grover, and myself, all looking down that cliff to where Annabeth fell. Then that next summer was a huge one. Beckendorf, Silena, Grover, Annabeth, Pollux, Clarisse, Thalia, the Hunt, and myself. Playing Capture the Flag after the Battle of the Labyrinth. Then the start of the war. Beckendorf and myself in the Princess Andromeda, the end of the war. Which was Annabeth, Grover, and myself over Luke. Then afterwards one with Grover, on with Annabeth, one with both. And then we got one with the Seven plus Nico and Reyna.

"Woah..." He said. "What are these from? Obviously I know the last one. But the rest..."

"All my summers here." I answered. "First one is the last leader, Annabeth, Grover, and myself. Then my brother, those two, and Clarisse. That winter was Thalia, Grover, Nico, Bianca, and myself."

"Bianca?" He asked, out of curiousity.

"The reason Nicos so upset." I let out. "They were recruited together. Family. She was his older sister. And there was quest I went on and she died on it. Today. 3 years ago. He still blames me for it."

"Ever try to apologize?" Leo asked me. "That might help some. You'd be surprised."

"Yeah. Once." I said. "The day we returned and he had known. Kind of ruined happiness for him. She had been his only family and she was gone. He closed out everyone and ran away. Every time we found him and brought him he ran up until this last summer. Having Hazel here really made a difference. He'll never be the same person, though. Which does make me feel bad. Sorry. I'm rambling."

"No problem." Leo told me. "No big deal. It happens. You rarely got your fair share of talking on the Argo anyway. So much shit happened, I don't know if I'd want to survive another war."