𝐃𝐄𝐉𝐀 𝐕𝐔 • Percy Jackson.

12

HE STARES IN THE MIRROR, packed bag in his hand with a wrinkled orange T-shirt and jeans. He stares at his eyes: they're the same brown eyes he always sees, he checks his hair: it's still black and wavy cut short. He says his name, it comes out in a dry whisper. He frowns, trying to say his name louder, it only comes out hoarse and wobbly. He says it again and again, but nothing changes. The boy in the mirror is blurry, blobs of brown mixed with black and orange. 

He's still hesitant. 

Why are you hesitant? He mouths to himself. He gets no answer. I'm going fucking crazy, all because some fuckers ignored me. He laughs with his eyes carved into crescent moons. His mouth is covered as he tries to stifle the sound, yet even then his mind is still replaying over and over what happened in the Big house until he hears a knock. 

He gives no answer. The knocking continues harder and harder until they shout, "if someone's in the bathroom hurry up! I need to take a shower!" He knows from the voice, that it's someone from his cabin–His home? 

He sighs. The toilet flushes. The sink turns on. Cupping a handful of water, it splashes onto his face and drips down as he opens the door. "I was taking a piss, calm down." He lied, rolling his eyes, the irrelevant camper scoffs. "Nobody should take that long for the damn toilet–wait aren't you the one who has a quest?" He asks, Amani nods before he's out the door of the bathroom and off to the meeting point.

He reached where the trio were. They nodded to each other before hiking up the hill to where Chiron waited in his wheelchair.  Next to him stood the camp's head of security. He wore a chauffeur uniform. "This is Argus," Chiron told them. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things." Amani heard footsteps behind him. 

Luke panted, having just run up the hill, "hey!" He shouted. "Glad I caught you." Amani nodded at him, before he glanced at Annabeth, her face was flush with a hue of red and held a smile. "Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told Percy. "And I thought… um, maybe you could use these." Amani narrowed his eyes at the pair of sneakers Luke held out to Percy.  

He held them as Luke said, "Maia!" White bird’s wings sprouted out of the heels, it startled Percy so much he jumped and dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared. "Awesome!" Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don’t use them much these days…" His expression turned sad. 

Amani looked at Annabeth again, her face was even more red and he wondered if it could match that of a tomato, and the way her breathing seemed a little unstable. Luke shook Amani's hand, "Eloise couldn't make it, but she wanted to say good luck." He said before moving to give a hug to Annabeth. 

A whisper echoed in his ear, "you think she'll pass out from that?" Before a chuckle and Amani laughed along with it. After Luke had left, Amani told her, "you look like you're hyperventilating. Percy nodded in agreement. "Am not." She denied.

"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn’t you?" Percy asked and she rolled her eyes. "Oh… why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?" Before stomping On the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.

"I don't think you should have said that." Amani whispered before following them to the car. Percy rolled his eyes, muttering, "it was a little joke I didn't think…" he had already left before he could hear the rest of it. 

On the way, he heard Grover scream, when he turned to look, he saw him flying sideways down the hill towards the van. He paused in his steps, turning to look back up the hill where Chiron and Percy were talking, before shrugging. "He'll be okay…maybe." He muttered glancing at Grover who's face was flat on the ground next to the door of the SUV.