Grover

I read them. And then read them again. And again. Because I didn't want to mess this up. I didn't realize that he thought we weren't friends anymore. On top of that, I didn't know if he was mad or not.

I don't know why I figured Nico would be able to help, but he was around. So I asked.

"Hey, Nico," I said as he had been visiting and I looked at the messages again. "Did you see Percy when you got here? I know he was here for a few days."

"Yeah, I did!" Nico told me, nodding his head as he took a sip of water. "We didn't talk much, and we ended up arguing at the end. But we were fine for most of it. Why?"

"Did he say anything about me?"

Nico thought for a minute.

"I don't think so, no," the son of Hades answered for me. "um... I think he said you were like too busy to hang out when I asked why you guys weren't hanging out because you were like best friends. Why do you ask?"

I sighed.

"He texted me, and we haven't talked in like a year." I explained to him, shrugging. "No real reason behind it. I just didn't have time and then he didn't when I did and we stopped texting and then he went home and he stayed home most of the summer and when he was here it was hectic so like... I mean he sent the texts twenty minutes ago. But I can't tell if he's mad or not and I don't want to piss him off if he is. He's not happy. But that's about all I can tell from it."

He asked to see the texts, so I showed them to him and he had the face that said this wasn't the best situation to be in.

"Um..." Nico suggested, biting his lip for a moment. "I would personally go to his house about that. That's something that isn't going to go well in a text."

"They moved." I reasoned. "I don't know where he lives anymore."

"Then go get the address from the Big House."

I got the address from the Big House.

By the time I got to his house (it was pretty nice for a first house, two levels at least), it was 9:30. Sally did answer the door, though.

"Grover!" Sally looked like she was still doing good, which was good. "Come in! I haven't seen you in forever. Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"No, thank you." I politely turned down her offer. "I'm actually here for Percy. Is he home right now?"

"He should be." I felt like it was weird that she used that wording. "His room is upstairs, the first room you see. If you boys need anything, just grab it for yourself. I'm sure Percy will be happy to show you where everything is."

"I'll keep that in mind." I responded, giving her a slight smile. "Thank you."

I headed upstairs, and peaked my head into his room. He didn't notice. He was sitting at the desk in there, doing something with a marker.

He looked kind of bummed out. Also kind of lonely. His wardrobe had changed since I'd seen him last out of his camp clothes. Full on black clothes.

I saw him open up the texts, and let out a sad snicker.

"You're dumb," he told nobody, really just talking to himself. "He hasn't responded to you in a hear. Why would he now?"

I opened up the texts.

Only Friend: Look at your door, idiot.

He was not expecting for his phone to go off. When that happened, he gave it a suspicious look before opening the conversation back up and cautiously looking over to find me fully standing at his door frame now.

"Gr... Why are you here?" I guess he wasn't okay with me just coming over. I suppose I didn't warn him. At least he wasn't jerking off or anything.

"Well," I really don't have an excuse. "I saw the texts and figured we should talk face to face. But if you don't want me here I can—"

"No, you already went through the trouble to get here alone." Percy insisted and motioned at his bed. "Might as well stay."

It was awkward at first. Neither of us really knew what to say.

"You've always called me g-man," I pointed out what he had said in the texts. "Why wouldn't I let you call me that anymore?"

Percy shrugged.

"We haven't talked in over a year." Percy reasoned with me. "I don't know."

"Well I'm sorry," I apologized, slightly defensive. "We were both busy, Percy. You still had other people."

"Yeah," he said super sarcastically, crossing his arms. Upset. "Sure."

He wasn't happy with me.

"You're really mad?"

"No, I just have an attitude." There was more of the sarcasm. "Yes, I'm upset, Grover. You're not busy for 13 months. For a week or two, sure. Not 13 months."

"I'm sorry," I didn't think he'd take this as personally as he did. "I didn't think that you'd take it like this."

"How else am I supposed to take it?" He snapped at me, frustrated. "You were my best friend, Grover! You were my only friend!"

"I was not your only friend."

"Yes," he wasn't letting this down easy. "You were. Nobody else really gave a shit about me. Trust me. If I had other friends, I would hang out with them. I would text them. I'd do things that friends do with them. Not sit here and listen to my step-ass yell at me for every little fucking thing because he can and I can't talk back to him."

"You could've made other friends." I pointed out.

"With who?" The son of Poseidon asked me. "I'm a freak to the rest of my school. I tried to make friends. Sat at every table I was able to sit at at lunch. Moved around where I sat for the first two weeks of school in classes. Nobody wanted to be my friend. I wasn't surprised. You remember sixth grade. Nobody likes me then, either. Aside you."

I knew this was going to get nowhere. So I changed the subject. To whatever he wanted to talk about earlier.

"When you texted me you said you wanted to talk." I referenced back to the texts in my mind. "That you needed to talk. The way you texted me made it seem urgent. What was that about?"

He looked down for a moment.

"I just wanted somebody to talk to." Percy explained, twiddling his thumbs. "Like I said, I've been lonely."

"What did you want to talk about, though?"

He shrugged, on the verge of crying. Trying to make sure I couldn't tell.

"My mom," he told me. "She's pregnant."

To me, that sounded like amazing news. I didn't know why it upset him so much. I wasn't thinking like him, though.

"Dude, that should be like... Amazing," I told him, sounding as confused as I was. "Why so glum?"

"Because," Percy started off, telling me something he's probably never really told anyone aside himself. "Ever since Paul showed up, everything has been about him. If he's not happy, it needs to be changed. If he's not satisfied, it's never good enough. She was around him all the time. He moved in with us after like 3 months of them being together because he was basically living with us after 2 months."

For a moment he paused to catch his breath.

"And I get that they're happy together." Percy went on," But he's a teacher, he never gave me a chance and he's ways so my ass and my mom is always so quick to defend him. Oh, he's trying. He's had a hard life. Like no shit, so have I. But it's all she ever talks about and it's so annoying and I yelled at her about it today because Paul slapped me and sent me to my room but she didn't care. All she talked about was how it was wrong but he'll try harder and he's had a hard life and he's doing good for everyone here. So I just snapped and I told her to shut up, I was tired of listening to how innocent and perfect he was. It's all she talks about. And she'll ask me why I don't like him and I can't say why because when I do, she denies it. I always tell her that he took her away from me. But she says no, she's right now. But like... She's not. And now they're going to have a kid and it'll just..."

"Suck?"

He nodded his head, agreeing with what I had suggested. By now, he had given up on not crying.

"Putting it midly, yeah." My best friend agreed. "It sucks."

I knew that it probably wasn't my smartest idea. But I was curious, and I figured Sally would have an open mind with me.

"What if I tried to talk to your mom about it?" I suggested. "maybe she'll listen to me."