Keeping Quiet (Percy Jackson)

Chapter Five

Percy Jackson

Have you ever lived long enough to see yourself become a myth?

Because I did and I had a panic attack during my ancient history class. Or, it wasn't quite a panic attack, but closer to a flashback maybe?

Either way I ended up in Paul's classroom with Paul, the nurse, which was Matteo's mom, and one of the counselors, who left after Paul insisted that since I'm calmed down, he could handle it.

So it's just me, my step dad, and my boyfriend's mom and the one who's supposed to know why I'm earth I'd have a panic attack legally can't know.

"Hey, kiddo," she said in a soft tone, earning my attention away from Paul after a moment. My lack of sleep this week was hitting me, I'm exhausted right now. "Are you feeling alright? Are you tired or...? What happened?"

"Um..."

Shit.

"I'm okay," I insisted. "Tired, but okay. Can I just.... Can I talk to Paul alone for a minute?"

"Of course!"

Thankfully she left without protest, closing Paul's door behind her.

"What happened, kiddo?" Paul asked me as he sat across from me, knowing that I can get weird about touch after episodes like this. I don't have them...

I used to not have them a lot but they're normal now it feels like. Every few weeks or so something happens and...

And then I just lose it.

It's been like that since I got back.

"They're talking about me in class."

"Who? What are they—"

"Not the kids," I corrected my step dad, although I'm happy to know that he'd write up any kid causing me trouble mentally. "Well, technically they probably will eventually but... Like, the materials. In Thine's class, it...."

I stopped for a second.

"He's talking about it like it's a myth," I tried to explain, losing my mind a little bit more. "About Alecto attacking me and the Minotaur and Mom being taken and... Zeus accusing me and just... And it's supposed to be a whole unit and it's going to be about what Luke did and the war and... And... I don't re.... I can't..."

Correction: I had a flashback and a panic attack. Separately.

The Olympians are getting an earful about this one at the next meeting because they're supposed to wait until people like, die, before releasing another "myth" because it interferes with their mortal lives.

Because it risks exposing them and that's a big thing we're not supposed to do. Expose them.

Either way it doesn't matter, though, right? They probably put it out when I was in Tartarus because I should've died but I didn't and that doesn't matter now either I guess because I'm a myth and that's really bad and I don't want it and they want to talk to me soon on Olympus and I'm afraid and I can't breathe and my throat is closing off and my vision is blurry and I can't really see and—

Then you should've died.

And the voice taunts me but it's not wrong.

•••
Matteo Chavez

Percy went home early because according to Mom he had a panic attack, which we knew about, and then she left the room because he asked her to, to talk to Paul,

And then she got called back down so Paul could tell her that he was bringing him home because he had a mental breakdown and wasn't in the right headspace to go to class. That's all he said, he didn't clarify what the headspace was. If that was just tired or suicidal or anxious or what.