002. some invisible string tying you to me

40 2 0
                                    

────── "DUDE, THIS IS WEIRD EVEN FOR you and me

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
























────── "DUDE, THIS IS WEIRD EVEN FOR you and me."

Cassie and Annabeth stood shoulder to shoulder in the infirmary, their arms crossed as they stared down at the unconscious boy. Annabeth had all but begged Maddie and Chiron to let her "observe" him and had dragged Cassie along for moral support. Not that Cassie had any idea what they were actually supposed to be observing. She'd been briefed on the boy's encounter with the Minotaur—how he'd arrived at camp with their mutual friend, Grover, and his mother, Sally Jackson, who had mysteriously vanished after the attack. The whole thing struck Cassie as bizarre.

The boy looked peaceful now, despite everything. His messy hair—blond at the tips but darker at the roots—was plastered to his forehead. Freckles were scattered across his face like stars in a half-formed constellation. Drool dripped lazily from the corner of his mouth, pooling on the pillow.

"So..." Cassie's voice trailed as her gaze flicked from Annabeth to the boy passed out in bed. "What's the game plan here, exactly? Watching him drool until he wakes up?"

Annabeth, eyes still glued to the sleeping boy, waved her off. "It's important."

Cassie rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Important how? Because unless he's hiding a sword under his pillow, we're literally just babysitting a dude in a coma."

Annabeth shot her a look but didn't respond. Cassie, not one for awkward silences, reached over to the tray by the bed, swiping a box of chocolate milk. She jabbed the straw in, taking a slow, defiant sip. "You know," she said between sips, "this is weird. Even for you."

Annabeth finally tore her eyes away from the boy, glancing at Cassie. "Did you seriously just steal his chocolate milk?"

Cassie shrugged, unfazed. "He's not gonna notice. Think of it as a fee for dragging me into this weirdness. You know, the 'Cassie tax.' What are we even doing here? This kid doesn't exactly scream 'monster slayer.'"

Annabeth's eyes flickered with something Cassie couldn't quite place—hope? Determination? "He fought a Minotaur, Cass. And won. That has to mean something."

Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he just got lucky."

"Luck doesn't save you from a Minotaur," Annabeth shot back.

In his groggy state, Percy started to hear their voices, faint and indistinct. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. The room was blurry, his surroundings unfamiliar—rows of beds, medical supplies, and... two girls standing over him. One had dark braids and striking brown eyes, her expression curious, almost mischievous. The other girl, with chestnut-brown hair and eyes like chocolate, looked downright unimpressed, sipping a box of chocolate milk. His gaze lingered on her a little longer.

Young Gods, Percy JacksonWhere stories live. Discover now