Percy °~°

"It doesn't get weirder than that." I agreed, talking with Nico over the phone later that night. "But then again I'm with the guy who made me realize I'm gay, so..."

My dorm mate, Javier Ryan, we went to 7th grade together and I had the hugest crush in him and I never had to guts to ask him out.

Okay, I couldn't ask him out being mute, but I could never get myself to write it down of have Tyson do it for me. Tyson noticed it. That I liked the guy. But thank the gods he never pushed it on me to ask the guy out. He wasn't in here at the moment. He went down to get a quick dinner and bring up. But it could be worse. It could be with an ex.

I heard the door start to open.

"Well I gotta go." I told my fiancé. "I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you, too." He told me. "Night."

"Goodnight." I said, hanging up as Javier walked into the dorm room.

ヅ
Javier ヅ

My friend called from high school. We got sent to different colleges. Same state. He's at UMD.

"Dude, who are you staying with?" He asked as I got in the room, trying not to drop the Thai I have for dinner.

"Um... I don't know his name." I explained. "I know him, I think we used to go to school together. He's mute. He's a nice guy if his personality hasn't changed a ton. I was friends with him and Tyson. You know Tyson. He graduated with us. But this guy only went to school with us for a year. 7th grade. But yeah, a really nice dude."

"Did you have a crush on him?"

"Maybe."

"Why did you never ask him out, then?"

I wasn't thinking that I was in the dorm room with him. Guaranteed he was in the bathroom. But still. He can probably hear me.

"I don't know." I answered. "I think I was scared that him being mute would make me think I always messed something up. I don't remember the exact reason anymore."

"Well now's your time." He tells me. "Ask him out. Maybe not right away. But go for it."

"I might..." I said, noticing something on his side table. By his bed. A framed photo. Him and a guy about a year or so younger than him. They seemed happy. There were a few unframed ones by it. One of him and Tyson. A recent one. But there was a sticky note on the frame.

REMINDER: Get polaroids for engagement photos & 8.16.12 frame for photo in the morning!!!

And then another sticky note.

Figure out wedding and engagement party date!!!

"Or maybe not." I said, letting that sink in.

"Why not?"

"He's engaged." I answered. "As in getting hitched engaged."

"You're joking." My friend tells. "Since when?"

"From what I can see." I answer. "Today. Its no big. That was 7th grade. I'm with like 18,000 other kids. I'm bound to find one person in 4 years."

"If you say so." He says and hangs up. A minute later Percy walked out of the bathroom. He's changed as of how he looks a little bit. Taller, more masculine. He has a tattoo.

I started eating my food and I put up a box, offering him a little bit.

"No. I'm good, I already ate." My former crush shocked the heck out of me. "Thanks for the offer, though."

I dropped my chop sticks and just froze there.

He spoke.

"What?" He knew I was staring at him.

"You..." I was at a loss for words. "You spoke..."

"Yeah." He told me. "They fixed up my vocal chords so I could about a year ago. My last birthday. Its been a while, hasn't it?"

"No kidding." I agreed. "Tyson used to never shut up about you. He stopped mentioning you around I'd say 11th grade."

"Yeah." Percy agreed. "We don't see each other as much anymore. Which sucks but what can you do? His dad always kept him with him in the summer time. Or at least, away from me. I never got along with his dad. Probably why."

"That's weird." I remark. "Tyson always hung out with us in the summer. All the time. Although there were parts of the summer he couldn't. But that was family vacations and stuff. How do you not get along with the guy? He's really nice."

"To you." The almost 19 year old corrects me. "We never got along. He hated me since day one the older I get, the less I could care."

"I suppose." I just go with it. "But I think Tyson's coming up in a few days. On his way to California for something."

After that, we both went to bed and the next morning he wasn't in the dorm. There was a note saying he was down at the buffet across the street. Be back around 10. It was 9:30 now. And my phone was ringing. Tyson.

"Hey, man, what's up?" I answered the phone following a yawn.

"Not a lot." Tyson tells me. "I'm leaving New York here in about an hour. I'll be there around 2 for lunch. And then I'll be there for like a week. Is Lucas and Demi coming for the day from Duluth is that later in the week?"

"Yeah, they'll be here about 2." I tell him. "You remember Percy, right?"

"Yeah." He answered, sounding excited. "Why?"

"Well the weirdest thing." I tell my old friend. "He's here. He's at breakfast right now. But question. Do you know the situation between your dad and Percy? He easily admitted they don't get along. But he didn't say why. Do you know?"

"Yeah, I do." Tyson told me. "That last day of school, when the building exploded. Percy and one of his best friends, Annabeth, brought me to the place where my dad took me in and they didn't even get along then. But as it turned out, the weirdest thing, we were brothers. Half brothers. We have the same dad. He met our dad the year before me I think. A year or two before me and there were a conversation between the two pertaining his mom, his step-dad, and why Dad left and whatever he said affected Percy greatly. I never asked Dad. But when I asked Percy he always said it was about how Dad didn't care about him, and could care less about him. Obviously mute he didn't say that. But he told me none the less. About 2 and a half years ago Dad stopped letting me see him or any of that all together. I saw him once because Dad left for a few days. But that was 2 years ago. He doesn't come around or anything so. But he's in Minnesota? Why?"

"College." I answered. "We share a dorm room. At least we do for this year. Next year I have no idea."

"Andrew." Tyson states.

"What?" I asked.

"Ask the guy out."

"I would." I tell him. "But that's a whore move on my end."

"How?" He sounded confused.

"I'll let your brother tell you that story."