Percy POV

I ran around my room, making sure that I had packed everything. But the only piece of evidence left that Percy Jackson ever lived here was the marks on the wall from when Mom drew a line each year to track my growing height. I looked away from the wall and picked up my suitcase. I was not going to cry. Not today, not right now. I knew that Paul would need me today.

I walked out of my room into our empty house. Nothing was left. I walked over to Paul, who was sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over some papers. "I'm ready," I said. Paul got up. "Good. The car is a little way down the block, it's all packed." I nodded and went out the front door for the last time. I walked down the stairs to the lobby. I had almost made my way to the door when I heard a voice. "Percy?" I turned around to see my best friend Grover. He walked up to me and hugged me. "I'm going to miss you," he said. I couldn't take it anymore. In my friend's embrace, I let it all out. Everything. Mom dying, Paul getting more and more distanced, our move, leaving my friends behind, everything. I cried on Grover's shoulder until I heard footsteps going down the stairs. 

I pulled away from the hug, quickly wiping my tears on my sleeves before I saw Paul's shadow at the edge of the stairs. I hoped he didn't see me cry. I didn't want him to know how upset I was over the move. We were moving to California, all the way to the other side of the country. Paul's family lives there and he had decided that it would be good for us to have a change in scenery. I didn't complain, I knew that Paul was just as broken up about what had happened as I was. Mom and Paul had just gotten married and were on the way to their honeymoon in Greece (with me) when the worst happened. The plane's engine caught fire and started falling. Mom was so busy helping me that she forgot her oxygen mask and passed out. There was some major turbulence and she got banged up a lot, Paul and I were in shock and not able to prevent this. She suffered major concussions and brain trauma, which piled up with a bunch of other injuries and they couldn't save her. I remembered it clearly. The pilots were somehow able to take control of the plane and land it near the airport, as we were barely at the altitude when it happened, but the paramedics couldn't save Mom. I remember when we got the news. I remembered how the life drained out of Paul and left him as an empty shell. I remember the unbearable, heartbroken grief I felt. I remember seeing Mom's beautiful face one last time before the mahogany coffin was shut and lowered into the ground. I remember how Paul and I just held each other and cried that night. And I remember the deafening silence that took over the apartment after that day, only broken by polite exchanges and Paul's decision to move. It wasn't fair. Mom was the best person, with the most rotten luck. Her parents died when she was 5, she had to drop out of high school to take care of her uncle who never really loved her. When she finally caught a break and found love with my dad, he had passed away in a boating accident. All she had was some money he gave her and me. She got little odd jobs to make money, all while taking care of me. Then she met Gabe. We thought he was nice, up until they got married. Then we saw his true colors. He was abusive. He hit my mom and me. One day, Mom had had enough. She called the police and got a divorce. With the money from the divorce, we were able to get a bigger apartment, and she went to college to become an author. Then she met Paul. She was finally happy. Then she died. 

"Are you ready to go Percy?" Paul asked. I blinked my remaining tears away. "Yes. I'm ready." My voice sounded hollow. Paul studied my face, then said "I'll meet you in the car." He walked away. I turned back to Grover. His eyes were misty. "Bye G-Man," I said my voice cracking. "Bye Percy." I turned and walked away. "Wait!" Grover shouted. I turned back to him. He walked up to me and placed something in my hand. It was a picture of Mom, me, and Grover.  Grover and I looked around ten, and we were eating blue cookies with Mom in front of us, taking a selfie. "Keep it, Grover," I said, placing it back into his hand. With one last hug, I turned and walked away. To the outside of the lobby. To the blue, banged-up Prius waiting for me at the corner. To California. To new beginnings. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days

Always a bigger bed to crawl into

Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything? "