★🗯️°⋆ ▌𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐗𝐄𝐃 ━ percy.

𝐢𝐢. there's really no way of winning

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨: there's really no way of winning.
( blue hair - tv girl )

❝ can i draw on you? ❞

The cafeteria was loud.

It always was, and she hated it. As much as she hated the silence, sometimes noise wasn't as comforting as it usually was. It used to drown out all the other noises, the ones in her head, the way she mumbled to herself absentmindedly so quietly the other kids wouldn't notice over their own noise. But now it was too much.

Someone was screaming with their friend over a guy, someone else was yelling over a card game, some kid was throwing his food everywhere, and another boy kept banging his tray against the table. She could feel it surrounding her, like hands crawling over her skin. Her clothes were itchy, her chest tight.

They're doing it on purpose. Shut up. They hate you. I know.

Deianira lowers her head to the table, her hand at her ears, eyes squeezed shut. The sounds echoed in a muffled roar under her hands, the cruel words of her father's voice in her head scratching at the back of her brain.

Deianira. Shut up.

"Deianira?"

Her head lifts, her eyes squinting at the sudden light. Percy Jackson stands beside her, a red tray of food in his hands, the sun shining through the window behind his head, like a halo. His brows are furrowed, gaze gentle. His hand is hovering near her, but he doesn't touch her, he knows she might not like it. He lowers his hand, his head tilting slightly.

"Are you okay?"

Tell him to go away. Stop.

"Percy?" her voice is small. Her eyes move around the cafeteria, which had drastically quietened. Most of the kids were watching them now, frowning and pulling faces. Why on earth was someone talking to her? "What─ what are you doing?"

His frown seemed to deepen. She didn't like that frown, if didn't suit him. "I just.. wanted to make sure you were okay." he says. "Can I sit with you?"

Her eyes move to a few tables away, where Grover Underwood, Percy's best friend, sits picking the seeds out of his apple core, but his eyes are watching her. He quickly looks away noticing her gaze, and pretends to focus on the seeds.

No.

"Okay.." she watches him carefully as he sits beside her, only a foot of space between them.

He sets his tray down carefully, as to not make too much noise, and takes a sip of his water. Deianira felt... odd. Percy seemed completely at ease sitting there next to her, already focusing on his food and ignoring all the looks from the other kids. Did he not notice them, or did he just not care?