𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒, apollo

𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. actually debating if i'm schizophrenic

I STARE OUT THE window as the reality of the situation finally kicks in. I was sitting in Percy's stepfather's, Smelly Gabe's, Camaro as Sally drove us to the special summer camp. I bit my lip, recollecting the last six hours.

𝕬fter the three of us got off the bus, I smothered the boys with hugs and made Percy swear to not forget about me and to keep in touch. I also may have shed a tear or two.

Then I called the taxi and drove home. As I entered the apartment the silence didn't surprise me. Just like last year, or the year before mom didn't greet me home, I should have expected it, I knew that it would happen, but still, a pit of disappointment swarmed in my stomach.

A few hours passed when suddenly someone started pounding on my door, yelling my name. My first instinct was obviously to grab a baseball bat and have 911 ready on the dial, but imagine my surprise when I found Grover standing in front of me.

"What are you doing here? And how did you get my fucking address?!"

Grover only shook his head, "No time to explain, just quickly pack your necessities, leave this on the table for your mom —" He handed me a letter, making me catch a glimpse of words the 'camp director Mr. D' before my friend pushed past me into the apartment, "Quickly, we have to go!"

I was about to argue and push Grover against the wall and make him spill his guts about what was going on and ask if it had to do something with what I overheard him and Mr. Brunner talk about when his voice appeared in my thoughts:

Do as he says, pet. Trust me.

So I did. The next thing I knew, Grover and I were in a cab, going to some place called Montauk. At some point, it started raining. It was probably the middle of the night as we got out of the car and I paid the driver, as my friend led me to a cabin. My confusion only grew as I noticed how he was biting his nails and how his eyes darted around, paranoid.

The person who opened the door was a distressed Sally Jackson. The woman I met once when she picked up Percy for Christmas break and offered to drive me also, considering we lived in the same area. She also insisted that I call her Sally and tell her all about how Percy and I became friends.

"What were you thinking?" Grover breathed out, staring at the Jacksons. I noticed the mother turn to her son, "Percy," She turned to her son, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

But it looked like he wasn't listening to his mother, staring at Grover. Confused I turned to my friend beside me and choked out a gasp as I stared at his legs... or what was supposed to be his legs. Because Grover didn't have his pants on — and where his legs should be... oh my fucking god, was I hallucinating?

Because where his feet should be, there were in fact no feet. There were fucking horse hooves. How the fuck did I not notice before?! Was I going crazy?!

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" Grover yelled. "It's right behind us! Didn't you tell her?" I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly, just like Apollo, that it wasn't the first time I understood the language.

Percy stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand and Mrs. Dodds. Then his mom told him to grab his rain jacket as she grabbed her purse and keys, yelling at us to get to the car. Grover ran for the Camaro — but he wasn't exactly running. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.

And now, around twenty minutes into our drive I stared at the window, watching two drops of rain race to see who's faster. Percy was spewing questions at his mom and Grover, making me decide to join the questionnaire also.