Losing Games

10.

10.

The Birthday Eve Party & Reckless Behavior

~*~

Silena POV

Ever since Annabeth broke up with Percy, he's been a wreck. Like literally.

His room was trashed, photos were torn apart and Percy... well let's just say that he tried not to show it, but everyone knew it was tearing him apart.

We were all going out for his 18th birthday-eve party. He didn't want a party, but his mom insisted. She hated seeing him so sad and depressed so she managed to convince Percy to go out with us. 

The cold August air blew around us and Charlie pulled me closer.

The other boys were all throwing loose stones out onto the beach and seeing who could throw it further while us girls sat on the bench, chatting away.

We'd been out a while by now and things had gotten pretty wild. 

By the time we'd left the nightclub, most of us were all pretty drunk but Percy was completely off his head. He was so far gone that he didn't know what money was anymore. 

That was how we got kicked out because Percy was drinking every single beer there and forgot to pay.

He was nowhere to be seen now. We'd lost him somewhere back at the club and I was starting to freak out because Percy never drank. 

Every time we offered him alcohol, he'd decline with a tight smile and say, "I don't drink."

It was different today. Leo and the Stolls had been going on and on about how he should drink it just this once and make himself feel better.

I guess Percy thought he could drown his problems away with alcohol because he drank so much alcohol that he didn't know which ones were which. I walked in on him drinking Vodka, Tequila and Gods knows what else. 

We shouldn't have brought him out tonight--I mean we shouldn't have gone to the club. I wish I'd known that earlier.

He hadn't been right in his head before he started drinking and smoking and God knows what else he's been doing.

"This is good," Percy said, a smile on his face. The first one I've seen all week. He took another swig of his alcohol, shoving some garlic bread into his mouth. "I want some more."

"I don't think you should have anymore," I said cautiously. 

"What are you talking about, Sil? This is the best thing in my life."

This whole Annabeth thing was tearing him apart. He had spent every hour after Leo and the Stolls convinced him to drink drowning out his problems with alcohol. At first, he had been this miserable dark figure at the back of the group and then after he took a few shots, he was the crazy guy dancing on top of a table, holding beer and alcohol. 

I tried to stop him, but Grover egged him on.

He was completely out of control and he couldn't be stopped. 

Speaking of the devil, he reappeared moments later as if sensing that we were all talking about him.

It was a bit chilly but Percy wasn't dressed for the weather. He was wearing a gray t-shirt--correction, he was wearing a gray t-shirt. He had spilt so much alcohol and wine on it, you couldn't tell what color it was originally. 

What surprised me the most was the scars on his arms. There were so many you couldn't even tell which ones were which. 

And I wasn't going to ask him.