Praetor's legacy

Chapter 15

"Do you have anything important to tell me, Jackson?"

Percy fell out of bed in shock. "Wait, what? Who's there?"

"Look up idiot!"

Percy smiled when he recognized her voice. Reyna.

"Hey Rey. Long time no see."

"Don't try to change the subject, Jackson. When were you going to tell me about Annabeth and Jason, huh?"

"I did, Rey. Remember a couple of days ago when you IM'd me and Piper was asleep in my lap and I told you they wanted to try out a relationship?"

Percy tried not to spit out the word "relationship." Let's just say he was still a little bitter.

"Yes, of course. But when were you going to tell me about them CHEATING on you when you and that blonde bimbo were still in a RELATIONSHIP?"

Her face was flushed in anger, her cheeks rosy and her eyes progressively getting darker.

He said the first thing that came to his mind. "I wasn't going to tell you because I knew this was how you'd react."

She gasped, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. "That... is absolutely... ARGH! And how exactly am I reacting?"

He chuckled. "Like a mad woman, Rey."

She glowered at him. Her face scrunched up in annoyance and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Am not. And shouldn't you be depressed or something? From what I've heard, you haven't even been talking lately."

His expression darkened automatically. "I'm not depressed."

She gave him a disbelieving look that read "How stupid do you think I am?"

He sighed and looked down. "I'm just sick of everyone thinking that they know what's going on and like they know what I'm going through, because they don't! My GIRLFRIEND, the girl I thought I loved, cheated on me with JASON GRACE because she was "upset" and "lonely." She ended up throwing away our relationship for a jerk who hates me all because I was chosen to be praetor! I told him we'd work it out AFTER the war! Doesn't he remember? The war with GAEA? Mother Nature? The only way we'll win is if we fight from the ocean and the sky. OUR territories! And he doesn't have the decency to keep his relationship with Annabeth out of my face? How am I supposed to work with him? How am I supposed to be on a quest and fight in a war with BOTH of them?" He took a deep breath after his rant. "I'm so lost, Rey."

"Don't worry Percy. That's pretty much what I told them earlier when I was chewing both of them out in front of the entire camp at breakfast this morning via Iris Message. I'm really starting to like you Greeks way of communicating! And you should have seen their reactions!"

He swallowed thickly. "You talked to them? Oh God, now the whole camp knows!" He groaned and threw himself to the ground and held his head in his hands.

Reyna spoke up, "From what I heard, Jason already told everyone and now the whole camp hates both of them. I just added more wood to the fire."

He made his way to his unmade bed and sat down, looking down at the ground.

"Percy Jackson, you look at me."

He slowly raised his head to meet her gaze.

"YOU, unlike them, are a good person. You'll be okay, I promise. You have the whole camp by your side. You have me and Aidan. You have Thalia and Hazel too!"

Percy gave her a small smile. "Don't forget Piper."

She glared. "What's going on with you two?"

Percy laughed. "Nothing! She's like my best friend, along with you, Thalia, and Hazel. She's pretty much my sister. And she's a daughter of Aphrodite, so she has a lot of tips to get over a break-up. She's been a lot of help these past few days, I promise."

Reyna nodded. "Okay, I believe you."

He looked at her curiously. "Why do you care so much about me anyway? And why do you care about my and Piper's relationship so much?"

Reyna blushed. "I have no clue what you're talking about, Percy. Why would I care about you and that daughter of Venus?"

"Aphrodite," he corrected her.

"Yeah, I forgot. But why would I care?"

He pretended to think for a moment. "I don't know... Maybe because you LIKE me? And you're jealous?"

She stuttered over her words. "That-That's ridiculous, P-Percy Jackson! There's no way that I'm jealous of you and HER! And I do not like you!"

His face fell. "Wow, tell me how you really feel Rey."

"I-I didn't mean it like that Percy. You're fantastic. You're really sweet too! And you're a great father, and you are very loyal, sometimes too loyal, but that's admirable and-"

He laughed. "I was kidding Rey!"

She blushed. She looked away from him and wouldn't meet his eyes. "Oh."

"But thanks Rey. Thank you for that, I think I needed it. And I knew you liked me!"

She blushed even harder, making her face look crimson. "I-I... uh well..."

"Don't worry Rey, I like you too. Talk to you later, k?"

She was speechless.

"Don't give up being you, Rey. Bye!"

He slashed his hand threw the message, disrupting his view of her.

Oh gods, he sounded so stupid! "Don't worry, I like you too!" What was he thinking?

Then he smiled.

It was all worth it to see her reaction.