Demigods Against Highschool

4: Fake Names and Nightmares

ANNABETH

We head home. Sally left us a note that she and Paul are going to a book signing, and they're staying in a hotel overnight with Estelle. She meant to tell us but we left before she could.

Usually, I could cook. But Leo is here, so I have a slight suspicion that if I turned the gas stove on he would accidentally set our building on fire. Which means.....

''Hey! Is this Dominos? Yeah? Okay then...could I have a cheese pizza, one ham and cheese, and one extra spicy pepperoni? Make them all large please...yeah, I'll just add-''

''LEO, NO GARLIC BREAD. WE HAVE IT HERE''

''Geez Annabeth....sorry, no garlic bread, just the pizzas. A name for that?''

''LEO I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU PUT ANYTHING ASIDE FROM OUR NAMES—''

''Uh, Anita P''

(for those who don't get it, Anita P is supposed to sound like 'I need to pee'. Sorry.)

''LEO GODS DAM VALDEZ I SWEAR--''

''Yep, 5:30 pickup please. Thank you!''

Leo hangs up, and I glare at him. Why couldn't I just order the stupid pizza?

Percy glances up from the couch. ''Seriously, Anita P? Was that the best you could think of? Why not like, Hugh Jass? '' Leo grins. ''They only let me put an initial in, so....''

I glare at Leo. ''Okay then. You can collect the pizza, me and Percy will wait outside, Anita'' Leo turns a deep shade of red.

We hop on the subway, and Leo gets the pizza, very embarrassed.

He puts his head in his hands as we go back to Sallys on the train.

''The girl there, she flipping recognised me. You wanna know why? She was a god dam daughter of your mum, Annabeth! '' I laugh, then remember. ''Oh yeah! Tris got her first job at dominos last term. I completely forgot about that!''

He groans. ''To make things worse, I walk in and she's like, are you Leo? And I'm like, yeah, are you a monster, and she said, oh nah, I'm Annabeth's half sibling on the camp side''. I grin.

''Knowing Tris, a video of you becoming Anita P with be on the CHB Instagram page within the next fifteen minutes''

Percy check his phone. ''Wait, let me check....oh yep. The post is titled ''Anita P...or Leo Valdez?'' and she tagged you in it''

Leo groans

We make it back to the apartment, and  begin to watch a Disney movie as we eat our pizzas.

LEO

The credits roll. Percy and Annabeth say goodnight to me and turn off the lights and the TV. My phone says it's nearing midnight.

I listen as they close their bedroom door and the apartment is bathed in darkness and silence.

Surprisingly, sleep comes easily. Usually it takes sneakily scrolling around on the internet and laying for what seems like hours before my brain can finally turn off.

I slept amazingly.

Until 2 AM when I woke up to someone being murdered.

The screams wrecked the apartment, and I wasn't entirely sure where they were coming from. My first thought was ''is this just a New York thing where people scream at 2 AM?'' Until I realised that I knew the voice.

So remember how Annabeth and Percy had that panic attack in the elevator and I just stood there because I don't have any elevator-related trauma?

For me, that was very awkward. Which has to make the moment I realised one of my friends was screaming in their sleep a whole lot more awkward.

On one hand, I could try and go back to sleep and pretend I hadn't heard anything. Annabeth and Percy probably know how to deal with their trauma, and I could leave them be.

But on the other hand, I could go into their room and make everything worse for them.

It seems pretty obvious which option I, being Leo Valdez, would choose.

I sighed, and shoved the blanket off myself, heading to Percy and Annabeths room. They hadn't turned the lights on, but I could see enough of their shadowy outlines to tell that they were sitting on the bed and just hugging.

Annabeth noticed me and sighed, flopping onto her back. I figured I had to be the first to speak.

''You okay guys? I woke up to screaming and well....''

Such an amazing way to talk to your friends who just had a nightmare, right?

Percy sighed. ''Sorry for waking you up Leo....I just had a nightmare, I guess after the elevator incident. We're alright now if you want to head back....''

I pause. ''Yeah, but you guys are my friends. Are you guys okay?''

Annabeth waved her hand. ''Yeah. Seriously don't worry, it's just something that happens sometimes''

It was clear the subject was closed, so I went back to the couch.