When I Don't Remember You (Percico)

Chapter Seven: Chemicals Keeping Us Together

Percy Jackson

I love overthinking my appearance.

Or at least, my brain loves it. That's it's favorite activity.

And despite the fact that I'm not out to her, I sent Rachel an IM because I needed help and I knew she would help.

"Wh— Percy! Hey!" Rachel said as I saw she must've been in a middle of a painting or something, she was wearing her apron and barely knows how to cook, so. "What's up? Are you okay? Do I need to come over?"

"Hm? No, you can stay home, don't worry," I insisited, momentarily forgetting that she knew that my mental health is bad now. "If it was that kind of bad I'd probably just show up at your place or be in bed so... I do need help, though."

"Oh?"

I nodded my head.

"So I've been looking in the mirror and debating for like, at least a half hour now," I started off and then realized that that sounded bad and like a different issue. "Not like... Not like last year's looking in the mirror issue but like I don't know what to wear and I'm really anxious and I can't make a decision right now bexshse I might combust if I do."

That's a lot of information, though, which I get, so her not responding immediately was fine.

She then pointed out the important part that I neglected to tell her, though.

"You... What's the event?" Rachel questioned. "Are you getting your parents from the airport or meeting up with the guys to skate or...? What are we planning for?"

"So, it..." But I'm anxious and coming out is hard and my brain is just chugging along at a little too fast so coming out is hard and I already said that. "Dinner. Not super fancy dinner but like, nicer than McDonald's."

That's still vague, though.

"Dinner?"

"Dinner."

"With...?" She needed more context, though. "friends? Family? I need the reason for dinner, dude."

"Oh!" But no shit she needs that, I'm stupid. "Me and—"

But I'm not outing Nico because that's not okay, so I stop myself and correct my words that I'm telling Rachel in order to get her help.

"Date," and reasonably, this shocks Rachel and she ended up spilling her paint cup because she accidentally hit it when she jumped. "It's a date."

"YOU HAVE A DATE!?" But above all, Rachel's like one of my best friends so it excited her. "OH MY GODS, WITH WHO?"

"I... Am not allowed to say yet," I tried to explain.

Rachel doesn't know about my queerness, though, so that catches her off guard.

"Wh—why not?"

So I came out.

"W... Well it's not like..." I tripped over almost every word I could in order to get my message across. "H... He isn't like— he's not out."

But then I got more nervous and could start to feel my bones.

Which, according to Rachel and even Grover, is really bad.

"I mean I'm also not out— well I guess I sort of am now since I said that but not to everyone, but he isn't really at all and so I want to tell you who it is but that would be really mean because we agreed to not out each other and the date was sort of a last minute plan but he's going to be here soon-ish and I have no idea what to wear and—"

"And we're going to make sure he knows how hot you are tonight," and being smart, Rachel stopped my ramblings. "What's his vibe? Can we go all in or not?"