𝐃𝐄𝐉𝐀 𝐕𝐔 • Percy Jackson.

03

act I━━━━
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 • edited.

❝ New questions, old problems. ❞

              THE NEWS of Amani Shah expelled and would not come to Yancy the following year had reached the student body fast. Percy heard the whispers of shock that the boy who only sleeps could beat a kid black and blue and draw blood. Kids who avoided him more began to flock away even quicker and he could see that Amani relished it. The fear in their eyes when he would glance at them would make him grin because he could be undisturbed for hours.

With his expulsion most teachers began to care even less. They were more even  more direct, rarely even bothering to hand him an assignment as if he wasn't worth looking after anymore.  Something Percy was a little jealous of. He supposed it was under the notion that he would be gone in a few months, what's the point? and that he could fight.

However it didn't excuse tests, especially the Latin one. So on the evening before his final he was 'studying' with Amani except the two were trying and failing at it. (One was on the verge of sleeping and he himself couldn't read straight) The words were swimming and circling, doing cool magic tricks like they were dolphins in the sea, but they were not. They were words on paper that he would never be able to remember.

Stupid names, stupid monsters, stupid stupid stupid he thought. The pent up rage of weeks unleashed like a tidal wave when he threw the 'Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology' across his dorm room making his study partner jump at the bang. He winced a bit before whispering a soft sorry. He started pacing the room as his feet prickled like ants were crawling on his feet.

"I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson." Mr Brunner had said to him once and he felt his heart drown upon the tides of sorrow and madness he's felt since the museum trip. His throat felt scratchy as it prickled against his skin and it felt as if he could feel the depths of chaos dealt by his mouth in the core of his gut as it surfaced into his throat.

He suddenly remembers every little aspect of his life, from the warm embraces of his mom playing quiet whispers, like a melody into his ear when he would cry from night terrors as a little kid, to when he would watch another disappointed teacher glance at him.

God he hated it, the whispers, the little glances kids would throw his way, the labels. "Troubled, rebellious" all of it. Sometimes he wishes he could just tape himself to the seat of a desk, legs unmoving, arms captivated by thick duck tape and maybe tape his eyes open so maybe, just maybe, he could be the best.

He felt his eyes sting, his throat close up, and god, god, gods, how he hated this feeling of sick twisted grief. Fucking hell it hurt so much, he felt like such a loser. Stupid crying over a sentence. His lips twitched at the horrid thought, knowing it was wrong. He wallowed in his own thoughts until he heard a slight whisper that echoed in his ears and through his body.

"Percy, do you want a hug?" A sweet soft whisper that brought home and loneliness and before he even registered his response he was engulfed in a tight warm embrace. It felt so soft and the tears he had been trying to hold on finally let out. His voice cracked, he hadn't even bothered trying to understand the noises he let out his throat, he only felt comfort. Comfort he needed was so bad and he could only feel grateful. There were no comfortless words of, "are you okay?" Because no. He wasn't. He was not okay and he was glad Amani did not say those words because it would've only solidified his grief.