Grover Underwood

Between Nico and Will I got $300.

"I told you guys they've been together forever," I told the couple," don't doubt me."

"Who?" Thalia asked. Walking over with Rachel.

"Mak and Percy."

"Well it can't be that long," Rachel remarked, " it can't be longer than you guys."

"Oh no, it is. We bet money on this." Nico informed them.

"How long have they been together?"

"26 months, 2 years 2 months."

"Dam!"  Thalia remarked

"Right!" I agreed," like he told me he liked the guy like 3 years ago but forgot to tell me they got together until the date night thing when he showed up with him and Clarisse almost killed him because it was her little brother he was with."

"Speaking of siblings, where's Bianca?" Will remarked.

'Probably off with her girlfriend or something. I don't know." Nico answered.

"I thought her and Madeline broke up," I commented.

"They did," Nico explained to us," TJ and her met today and I guess they hit off right away."

"TJ?" Rachel asked.

"Taylor Jean Jackson," I told the Oracle of camp, " Percy's little sister. They call her TJ. I have no idea hold she is. I thought she died. But then again, so did Bianca and she's here."

"Ah."

There was a council meeting that night and pretty much what was decided was that demigods would go to public schools. As long as it's in the city, your free call and I promise I chose a random one to go on Monday.

So Monday comes around and I decided this school along with Grover, Thalia, and Bianca. That and Rachel, and Will.

We knew as soon we walked in that there would be bullies and everyone would probably hate us for being gay. But whatever, right?

Grover, Rachel and Thalia were seniors, along with Rachel. Will and I were Juniors. Bianca was a sophomore.

Well we get inside and find out lockers, get them open and what not and go to meet the seniors out of us in the senior hall and were talking and whatever and Will pointed it out.

"Do they look familiar to you guys?"

Pointing dead at Mak and Percy.

"You're joking..." Thalia remarked.

We didn't consider they were talking other people, also.

So when we ran over and tackled Percy and nearly tackled Mak. It massively confused everybody in the hallway.

"Okay, Damian, as much as you love tackling pe-"

Percy saw Thalia's face.

"You piece of Pine Cone shit."

"Pine Cone shit?" The guy they were talking to asked," Percy, dude, you really need to freshen up on your insults before you embarrass yourself in front of the shit ton of new transfers we got today. "

"I don't think some of them are new, though," the girl standing next to him remarked," I heard Rachel was coming back."

Rachel looks at them.

"I'm right here, guys," she informed them," Right here."

"Well I'll be damned," he remarked," Rachel Elizabeth Dare, back from the fucking dead. Where the hell have you been?"

"Some stupid finishing school," the Oracle told them," it took me forever, but I convinced my dad to switch me back. I missed you bitches."

Thalia helped Percy back up and he noticed all of us.

"What in the fuck are you guys doing here?" He asked us.

"We go here,"  Will informed him in a smartass way of remark and I slapped him arm.

"What was that for?" He asked me.

"Don't be a smartass to somebody who can kill you," I reminded my boyfriend," you know what happened last time you pissed off Clarisse."

"What did she do?" Mak asked.

"I was in crutches for a month, don't remind me."

They were all so confused.

"Wait, do you two like know these people?" The chick asked, speaking to Rachel and Percy.

"Oh, yeah." Rachel told them and they waited for introduction from her and Percy sighed.

"We go to camp together," Percy explained to them," Thalia, Grover, Nico, Will, Bianca, and you guys already know Rachel. Thalia and Grover are seniors, Nico and Will are Juniors, Bianca is a sophomore. Guys, Hunter and Lillian. If any of you ask who Mak is, I will slap you."

"Okay, that makes more sense," Hunter commented and paused for a moment," okay, so I know this is going to sound weird but it's something we all get out of the way right away."

Our fucking sexuality.

And here comes TJ.

"Bianca?" Percy's younger sister asked from behind and my sister turned around to face her apparent girlfriend.

I don't ask anymore.

"I'm pretty sure it's easier to ask who they're dating, Hunter." Rachel remarked.

"Well either way."

Everyone had someone. All but Grover.

"You're so lonely." Thalia teased him.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Make me."

"You wanna go, bitch?"

"Bring it, Goat Boy."

Grover just looks at her.

"That was uncalled for."

"But you're so vulnerable to it without Juniper."

"Juniper was a clingy bitch."

"I tried telling you from the start," Percy remarked," but you insisted she wasn't. She just cared a lot."

"Yes, and that was in the past so shut up."

"I'd rather not."

We all had first hour together. 10-12 choir. I was hesitant about it, but did decide to join.

Why? I hate my singing voice but between Bianca and Will doing it, I figured I might as well.

Automatically I fell into the guys section. Having sopranos, altos, and then guys. Seated next to a guy I didn't know on the end of the row.

This guy was an asshole. A bully.

"Hey, did you hear about the two newbies we got?" He must've been a junior or a senior, depending if they count Rachel or not as new.

"Well duh, but about them?" His friend asked.

"They're gay."

They were talking about Will and I.

"Are you joking? They're faggots."

Percy sat behind the one guy and slapped the back side of his head.

"Hey. Man, what the fuck? Do you have a problem?"

"With you? Yes," Percy told him, something I never expect out of the son of Poseidon. In school," so shut up and turn around before I make you."

"Is gay boy getting offended?" The other guy asked.

"Does it make you feel better when you say things like you're five?"

That shut them up.

After first hour, we were all shoved into the auditorium, the whole school was. And I heard somebody say, it was Hunter that said it to Percy.

"Maybe its about Jayden and Noah."

"And they're dragging the whole school into the auditorium for it?" Percy retorted back," the last time I saw something like this happen..."

Well, at Camp, it was when people died. Not during a war. They just died. Three of them killed themselves and two of them killed each other.

That was a dark summer.

We all sat down and the principal walked up onto the stage. We were sitting towards the front. Like 3 rows back as of the Juniors. Sitting with your grade.

The principal started talking how about there are multiple lyceum's they have here every year and quite a few of them circle around bullying and mental illness and a mass majority of the students don't enjoy it and they ignore them and when they're told that if something is happening that isn't a good to report it to a staff member or some sort of authoritive figure so they can do something about it and take care of it.

"There was an incident a number of years back now," he went on," where this didn't happen, as most of the seniors know what I'm talking about, a girl who would've been a senior this year. She was openly gay and for that reason and that reason alone she was bullied and picked on and nobody cared to pay attention to it, they all stood by and never said a word because they're just picking on her. Its not like anything would actually happen.
But that year, around this time, after school as buses loaded this girl took a knife out of her backpack, one stolen from the kitchens here at school. And she proceeded to slit her throat and stab herself in the heart. By the time the ambulance arrived and she could get help, she was dead. And that really hit us as a whole that this was happening and for a while everyone straightened out. Especially the seniors. I know we've welcomed a few other students of the LGBT community over the years and they've been treated greatly, which is a really nice thing to see. But even seeing that there is a student or two that forgets what happens. And those few students pick on a few kids for the fun of it because they don't see anything wrong with them doing that and we have instances like this. I know quite a few people lately have been asking about two of our seniors, Jayden Price and Noah Cosfield. And we are sorry to announce that a few days before Christmas break they were both announced Dead and it was figured on the second that it was a suicide. Jayden and Noah were a very happy couple who received a lot of hardships and issues from others...."

I didn't listen to the rest as I looked over at Percy.

He knew how that was. To be bullied and picked on to the point of suicide.

This must be so hard for him to hear.

Percy Jackson

Did you know my depression is an asshole and not long after Christmas it came back and decided to be a bitch and hearing all of this... It didn't help.

Jayden had a little sister who lived their their Mom. Their parents don't talk and Jayden lived with their Dad.

This was how she found out her brother died and she was about 13. Around the age Nico was when he lost Bianca.

Everything went okay for the next couple months.

But came around April and were in school. Hazel and Frank were visiting just for lunch. They had the day off. And Thanatos showed up.

I knew what this was.

A recollection.

In an uncommon, old story I read on Ancient Greece it States that when escaping death after being determined in the Underworld, you have a time limit of like six or nine months to return and if you don't turn yourself in by then. Thanatos collects your soul back.

I'd imagine he's here for Bianca, and probably Hazel because she was issued out for a certain reason and to be returned 9 months after and he gave her over a year. But.

Times up.

Mak, my sister, Hunter and all of them. They couldn't see Thanatos. They couldn't see Death.

Nico knew. He knew how death worked and he knew the rules. After all, he is the King of Ghosts.

He gave his older sister a hug and his little sister a kiss on the forehead.

Goodbye.

"Nico, why are you...?" TJ asked.

Thanatos looked at the son of Hades, asking if they were ready and he nodded.

They just... Collapsed.

"Bianca!" TJ yelled.

"Hazel!" Frank yelled.

They went to help the daughters of Hades and Pluto. Nico didn't move.

"Nico, what are you doing!?" Frank didn't notice Death taken them away," are you going to help? Your sisters are both collapsed?"

"They're dead, Frank," Nico broke the news to him," there's nothing to help."

The nurses rushed over and asked what happened.

"They just..." Of course Hunter was the one that tried speaking.

"They died." I finished for my mortal friend, snapping under the table so it appeared they were bloody around their stomach," we didn't notice it at all. They must've fallen or something and cut themselves and never said anything. Bled to death. Trust me. They're not coming back."

The nurses took them away and school was declared done for the day and Hunter and his girlfriend walked over to Mak and I. Mak knew I wasn't heartless to the death. I was just dull to it. I was used to it. I knew it was going to happen to them. I just didn't know when.

"How..." Lillian was pissed off, I could tell," you fucking piece of shit, how could be so heartless!?"

She shoved me against the wall and I looked at her. A warning to not test me.

"I'm not."

"Don't fucking give us that look, Jackson." Hunter told me," just because you act tough doesn't mean you are. They died, and you didn't even care."

"I didn't care?" I ask what was of my friends but after today but no longer be my friends," Hunter, they were my friends and they died. Yeah. I care. I'm not heartless I'm just..."

"You're just what!?" Lillian yelled at me. She really like Bianca the little she knew her. "What are you trying to—"

"Lillian, let him speak." Hunter told his girlfriend," he can't speak if you're yelling at him."

"I'm not heartless," I repeated to remind them," I'm just sort of dull to the feeling of grief and loss. Everyone dies and even if they come back, within a year, they're gonna be dead again. Its just how it works. Its how it goes. Its the rules. You guys have to remember, I'm not like you guys. I'm not Christian, I believe in other things and those other things have different rules than the Catholic Church, believe me. Like I said, Bianca and Hazel were friends of mine. But everyone has a clock. And everyone's clock runs dead. Its inevitable. Even the immortal die."

Mak had to go. Picked up by his mom today, leaving the three of us.

"You..." Hunter said, inching closer to me as I saw their faces. Castor, Lee, Luke, so on and so forth. "Percy, you're 17. I understand that you have depression. But that... Who died?"

"Who hasn't died, Hunter?" I ask the fellow Senior," Okay, I've seen this happen before. Frank and TJ are going to snap eventually because they won't want to admit Hazel and Bianca are dead and they'll get depressed and then they'll come to terms with it and move on with their life. Nico did the same thing the last time somebody close to him died and he turned out just fine. And so will they if they can get through the immediate shock of it. We'll all be fine, for a while. Something else will come along and ruin that and we'll be fine again and it repeats until we die."

"You... Have a very Depressive outlook on life," Lillian commented. Now calm.

"I have depression, Lillian," I reminded her," I've seen people killed, I've seen them tortured, and I've seen them kill themselves time after time again. It sucks, but it's how it goes. Nico would've ran away never to return if it wasn't for Will because that's how much he felt he didn't belong. Grover lost his parents when he was little. His mom was killed and his dad left for an adventure as park of his work and he never came back. Thalia was there when her little brother disappeared and she saw her mom go mental. Will and his older brother were both disowned by their parents for endless reasons they both couldn't help. None of us have happy stories like Rachel or Thomas or Amelia or you guys. Our lives suck ass and they're going to until the day we die. That's how it is. I have my dad to blame for it, We all do. Our dad's, not just mine, although mine....eh...."

"You just..."

They seemed to be in shock.

"What?" I asked, a bit confused.

"You mentioned your dad," Hunter told me," you never talk about him. I'm pretty sure thats the first I've heard you speak of him in context that you know him."

"Oh."

"No, don't be disappointed about it," Lillian told me," its a good thing."

Sorry, but I hate talking about my dad. Especially to people who don't know. He just... He pisses me off. He buys me a present then turns around and says I'm a wrongdoing, a mistake.

Right in front of me.

So no. I don't talk about him. I'm happier when I don't.

"Yeah, that's really good, Percy," Hunter told me," what happened to him? When he died."

"He didn't die."

It was the coldest my voice has been in a long time.

"So why don't you talk—"

"Because he's an asshole who never wanted kids and when he sleeping around, expecting nobody to get pregnant and got two kids out of it and refused responsibility for it, he left." I finally fucking snapped about it. Forever I've wanted to, but there was never reason," he left. I didn't know him until I was 13, I was so excited to finally meet him to find out he never wanted me. I don't talk about him and I don't talk to him because every time I do I want to break something or murder somebody. That's why. Okay?"

An eerie, uneasy silence blanketed over us as I relaxed once again.

I drove home after that and after a few hours Mak called.

Something good. For once.

I answered.

"Hey," I answered the call," what's up?"

"Hey," he said, sounding a bit happier than I was. Although not by a whole lot. TJ was at a friend's for a few days apparently," are you at home right now?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked him," what's up?"

"My parents," he explained," they're fighting and it's getting really bad, Percy. I have this feeling my dad is going to start hitting my mom or he's just going to straight up leave."

"What?" I asked, now more attentive.

Mak's parents were so nice and always seemed so good to each other. Like my mom and Paul are now together. This was huge news. Unexpected.

"Yeah," my boyfriend told me and I heard a crash in the background with some yelling but I couldn't decipher what was said. They were close by," they've fought before. They're married, obviously they're going to fight. But would it be okay if I came over for the night or whatever until this calms down? I know it's a lot to ask especially with TJ and Hailyn there now and-"

"Hey, calm down," I started in," breathe. In. And out. In. And out. You'll be fine. Let me ask my mom quick. Hang on."

I put down the phone and walked out to the living room. Where my mom was giving Hailyn her bottle as some cartoon show played on TV.

"Hi," my mom noticed me after a second," are you okay? I know after today TJ is a mess."

"Yeah. I'm fine, it happens," I assured my mom," but I have Mak on the phone. His parents are fighting and from what he's said and from what I've heard, its getting bad. He was wondering if he could come over until it calms down. He doesn't want to get in the middle of anything."

"Of course!" My mother loved Mak to the core. She always has. When we were dating and even before then when she knew him and she seemed to notice that I was happy, or at least happier with him," he can stay as long as need be."

I thanked my mom and grabbed the phone again.

"My mom said it was fine. Stay as long as you want," I informed my boyfriend.

"Okay, thank God," He remarked," thank you. Percy. Thank you, so so-"

I stopped him there.

"Its no problem," I told Mak," just get ready and get over here. I'll see you in a bit. Love you."

"Love you, too."