Tempest (Percy Jackson)

five

chapter five: three furies in a bus

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The painted hues of sunset had passed over the rainy skies by the time the four kids had reached Manhattan. Angus had dropped them off at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side. He unloaded their bags, made sure they got their bus tickets, and then drove away.

River sat herself down cross-legged on one of the dirty benches next to Annabeth while Percy and Grover had their own conversation nearby. They looked like an odd group of children in comparison to anyone else that passed by, but none of them seemed to mind standing out. They were used to it.

River found her eyes trailing over to Percy and the emotions that passed over his face. Sadness, irritation, anger, then sadness once more. She had rarely seen a smile on his face in the weeks she had known him. Hard as she tried, she only managed to get a few out of him herself.

"What's your obsession with him?" Annabeth muttered out as she took notice of her friend's staring, "You've been glued to him practically since you met him."

River shrugged, "I don't know. There's just something about him. Plus, he's going through a hard time."

"So, it's not an obsession, it's just your savior complex."

River whipped around, an offended look on her face, "Hey! I don't have a savior complex."

"River, every time someone gets the slightest bit sad, you're always the first person to step in. You'll stick to that person until they get better, no matter how long it takes. And whenever they show no signs of getting better, you either try harder, or you start getting sad. You're doing the same thing with Percy right now."

River sat back on the bench with a sigh and began to pick at the flaking paint on her calf. She couldn't argue with the daughter of Athena about any of those points because she was right. Annabeth was one of the most observant girls River had met. River did have a problem. She didn't like seeing people upset. She would get panicky and feel the urgent need to help them. Even if she didn't necessarily like the person, she would try her best to make them feel better. It was the same with Percy, but at the same time, it was different and she couldn't explain it.

"It's not a bad thing, River. You're one of the best people I've ever met. I'm just saying that you should be careful not to let it affect you or change who you are."

"Maybe empathy is my fatal flaw," River said half-jokingly.

Annabeth remained serious, "It could be."

"I get your point. I promise that I will not let my overly caring personality change me or harm me in any way," River promised, making a show of putting one hand up and the other on her chest.

"Good," Annabeth nodded firmly, "Your sticker is peeling off, by the way."

River took off the heart sticker with a whine, "Oh darn! It would've stayed on if you hadn't taken it off earlier! So unfair. Grover!"