When I Don't Remember You (Percico)

Chapter Forty Two: Heaven Knows You Tried

Percy Jackson

Is it bad that I was able to understand Luke now?

It was just a few days after we got back, and some of the others were talking about how cool the concept of camp was and that it's cool that the gods care enough to make a safe place like that for their children. That they care about kids.

I laughed.

And then the others looked at me and I actually realized that I laughed.

"What's so funny?" Frank asked me and I saw Grover's eyes widen because I think he realized why I laughed.

"Oh, sorry, nothing," I insisited. "Just um... Yeah. It's been a while since I've heard somebody say that."

"What? That the gods care about their kids?" Piper asked. "Do they not?"

That's a dangerous question, though, and I knew that.

"Oh! I got a response from Annabeth the other day, I forgot to tell you guys after I fell asleep," Grover interjected, but it didn't fool them.

"No, you told us," Piper insisited. "Thanks again for asking. Wh... Do you have a problems with the gods, Percy?"

"Do I... Generally speaking, no," but having to clarify that felt bad and I saw Frank scoff. "Personally speaking... I have made enemies... Over the years."

"Enemies?" Leo was intrigued, though. Nico rejoined us from the bathroom. "What god...?"

"Are you sure that's an answer you want?" I asked in return.

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted back, making me jump a little because yelling... Yelling.

It gets me sometimes.

"Um..." I began, trying to not let my anxiety take over my brain because Leo and Piper still haven't seen me have a panic attack and I'd like to keep it that way. "Yes. Okay. Um, so for reference, he deserved it. Grover can vouch, he was there for it. Annabeth, too."

I took a breath.

"So I was brought to camp because I was framed for stealing something from Zeus before I even like, knew about my dad," I filled the others in. "And so I went on this quest to prove myself innocent and to also save my mom because Hades kidnapped her and took her hostage, and we assumed he had the bolt for various reasons and long story short is that I get framed by Ares, who was working for Kronos although he didn't know it was Kronos, after he gave me a backpack in like, Denver that had a spell to make the bolt appear once I reached the Underworld and I like, got pissed, because I made myself out to be this heroic asshole in front of Hades, insisiting that I didn't have the bolt or his helm, which apparently also was missing, and I didn't have the Helm because Ares did but I had the bolt and we escaped and I had to leave my mom behind and so when Ares appeared, I was mad and I might have called him a coward and challenged him like, a few times. We definitely fought and I definitely stabbed him in the heel. So like... We don't get along. A lot of the other gods are kind of iffy, I guess? Like, it's warranted, I guess, but..."

I shrugged.

"I don't know, they're stubborn and don't want to change. Hestia's pretty cool, um... Apollo did help me out once, which is against the rules. So like, it's not all of them, just... Most of them? I'm just really tired of being thrown on quests and given jobs because while I want to die, I don't want to die that way, you know?"

"Hey!" Nico and Grover called me on my joke, though.

"What?" I responded, not even thinking about the fact that the others haven't really heard me joke about it because I'm reality I've been with them for a little over a month, and half of that time was in Tartarus.