𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

19 - i'll call your mom

˖*࿐ •*⁀➷

LUCKILY, THE TRAIN STATION WASN'T FAR. The four of them made it just in time to get tickets for the last train south. Mabel wasn't entirely thrilled— trains just gave her bad vibes.

As Frank and Hazel boarded the train, Percy stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed on something on the wall of the station. Mabel saw him think for a moment, then swallow hard before glancing back at them. "Just... gimme a sec," he requested. Almost as if it was involuntary, his hand latched onto Mabel's wrist and he tugged her with him as he ducked back into the station.

The brunette furrowed her brows. "Huh?"

Percy said nothing, digging in his pocket for spare change and stopping in front of a pay phone. His hands were shaking, just barely. For a moment, he stared at the pay phone, unsure how it worked. Mabel almost wanted to smile.

Slipping her wrist out of his hold, she held out her hand, waiting for him to drop the quarters into her open palm. She glanced over at him as she deposited the coins into the slot, picking up the receiver with her other hand. "What's the number?"

Percy stared at her for a moment like he couldn't believe any of it was real, something so incredibly soft in his eyes, before listing off the number, hands twisting in the fabric of his shirt.

Mabel punched the number in carefully. "What area code is that?" Her voice was curious, casual. Trying to distract him.

"New York."

That made sense, she decided. There was a sort of air to him that screamed city kid, plus, the faint East Coast accent that stuck to the end of his words gave her a good hint. She finished dialing, hearing the ringing tone start through the receiver as she passed it off to him.

Percy's hand shook as he held the phone to his ear, shoulders rising and falling with trembling breaths. Mabel went to take a step away, just to give him some room, but his free hand shot out, fingers curling around her arm just above her elbow. His eyes met hers, round and pleading. She stayed.

Faintly, Mabel could hear the sound of a voicemail on the other line, a man's voice, and Percy looked like he'd been punched in the gut hearing it. Figures flickered in the air behind him— that vision of his mother again, kind and gentle, and behind her, the faint form of a man that looked like he'd be an English teacher, all smile lines behind glasses and dark hair flecked with gray. Finally, Percy managed to speak at the tone.

"Hola, Mamá," Percy breathed, fingers tightening around Mabel's arm. "I'm alive. Hera put me to sleep for a while, and then she took my memory, and..." His voice faltered and Mabel shifted her arm from his grip so she could take his hand. She wanted to help more, but she didn't know how. The son of Poseidon took a deep breath before continuing, "Anyway, I'm okay. Estoy bien. Lo siento. I'm so sorry. I'm on a quest—" He winced, as if he shouldn't have said that. "I'll make it home. Te lo prometo. Te quiero, mamá."

Reluctantly, Percy put down the receiver. He stared at the phone, as if hoping it would ring back. Mabel let him until the train whistle sounded, the conductor's voice ringing across the crowd. "All aboard!"

Mabel tugged on his hand. "We have to go. Vamos." she murmured.

Percy nodded faintly, and they turned and ran. They made it just as the doors were closing, then climbed to the top of the double-decker car and slid into seats across from Frank and Hazel.

Hazel frowned softly, studying Percy's face. "You okay?"

"Yeah." The son of Poseidon tugged a hand through his hair, unwilling to let go of Mabel with his other. "Just... made a call."