Percy-

I didn't die in gym. But I felt like I was going to. It wasn't even bad. We played like a kickball kind of game inside. Good amount of running, but it shouldn't been exhausting like it was. And there was a ton of like gym rats and athletic people in my class.

Daniel was a really fast runner, I found out.

The other four were slower than me with the pain in my chest, which really slows me down. Can't wait for that to be gone.

Fuck you, Kronos.

Now somebody asked me if I was out of shape and I don't blame them. I have all this muscle and shit but I'm running slow as all living fuck.

Not wanting to explain that I had been stabbed, I just said I was.

Half of the class was, so no big deal.

The next day we started our swim unit. Why its in the middle of November, I don't know. Inside pool but still.

There's snow on the ground.

And we're going swimming.

Now of course that wound is still fresh as hell, healing. Water just made the pain go away I discovered when I woke up. My shirt had this little thing of blood. Bandaged it all up and whatever. It's getting better. Healing faster, still not as fast as I'd like with the ambrosia, water, and Nectar.

Of course I don't have any swim shirts.

It's visible. The wound is. Along with every scar Gabe gave me.

I have swim shirts for swim team. I need to buy new ones, so we sent them to a second hand place and need to buy new ones.

So basically I'm fucked.

And then there was one student at least in the boy's locker room. I knew his name. We have a few classes together. Dil. He took off his shirt and he was covered in scars and fresh wounds from like yesterday or this morning.

He was also really insecure about it. Like he was hugging himself or doing that kind of a thing, trying to hide it. His head down to the ground as he was hiding in the corner.

I felt bad.

People were saying he was abused. Like I know what it's like to go through that but I never had swimming for a gym unit and at swim practice Ive always had a swim shirts. Always.

I felt horrible.

I didn't want to take off my shirt, either.

Most people had like a 4 or 6 pack and I do have a six pack, but they have clear skin.

A have a million scars.

I was starting to get insecure.

Being the new kid, everyone wants to see if I have abs or if it's all in my arms and legs. Already have my trunks on.

After a while, when like nobody was there aside a person or two. I took off my shirt.

My back to the people. I didn't want them to see the stab wound.

One of them was Daniel. All four guys were in there and then the insecure kid. That was all.

Love swimming. Don't want to do this, though. In front of half of my grade.

Given a minute, walked out of the locker room to the pool and dived in.

I felt like the wound was going to burst open.

My parents won't let me bring the painkillers to school.

After lunch its like death. I told them that. And they said I could get over it.

One student. A girl that had been sick yesterday, had crap all over her back, she had cut marks on her arms, on her legs, whip marks and scratches and beating marks overall covering her body.

Kind of like me. But instead of cut marks I have a stab wound.

Either way it can lead up to death. Not always does, but it can. Easily.

And then somebody made this comment.

"Suicidal much?"

And it pissed me off.

"No." Was all I said. "Accidents happen. Not everything is self harm."

And I just swam away.

Not dealing with that. Sorry, nothing against the people that do do that stuff, but I don't. My teenage years were consisted of being constantly told I was going to die.

Both gym coaches heard that.

"Accidents?" Coach Quatrini asked me. She was a nice person. Strict coach. "That is a stab wound, Jackson."

I gave her a thumbs up.

"You know what a stab wound looks like." I said. "Congratulations, I know what it is."

"You're 18." Coach Cateri told me. He's also strict. More strict really. "How do you get stabbed? What happens at home? Seriously. Do your parents abuse you or something and got violent and just stabbed you out of nowhere? Like what the heck."

"Okay my parents..." I started. "Just... No."

I actually had to have surgery because the blade cut my esophagus. The outside of it. It was really quick of course they couldn't take care of anything else, though. Just that. They stitched it up. That's it. Stitched it up, gave me painkillers, and sent me away. I'm having half of what I should because my mother is paranoid the doses are too much and I'll overdose on it.

My dad tried talking her out of it yesterday.

Tried.

Today all our friends are coming over. My parents said they could since they'd be gone. Their parents were cool with it.

Getting in the pool wasn't bad. Getting out wasn't bad.

As soon as I'm out somebody punched me in the gut.

Right below the wound.

I was already in pain from the pain killer wearing off.

Ended up hitting my head on the edge of the pool and backflipping in and I blacked out.

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Daniel-

We all get out of the pool, and almost as soon as we get out Jacob walked up to Percy, punched him right below a barely shut wound, making him call backwards, hit his head on the edge of the pool and slip in.

Yeah, he passed out. His head was bleeding.

The next class walks in. Half of tenth grade.

The half with Nico and Thalia.

Everyone but those two were freaking out. I mean everyone else was freaking out. The coaches yelling at Jacob, ignoring the unconscious dude in the pool.

Great, right?