I Am Not Your Sidekick

He's Back, But Neither of Us Are Happy About It

Percy POV
1 year later
Percy just turned seventeen

Kaldur'ahm finally came back, but he didn't look happy. Neither did I.

He left an entire year ago, and it was almost time for me to go live on the surface with my mom.

She didn't live anywhere near the beach anymore. She was going to New York, which meant that I would only be able to come back twice a year if I'm lucky.

"Welcome back, Kaldur'ahm. " I greeted when he swam to Poseidonis. My dad was with me and he immediately fell into a conversation with Arthur.

"Thank you, Perseus. " he greeted back, seeming distracted.

"Where were you?"

"Huh?" He looked at me.

"For the last year? You said that you would be there for a week tops. It's a year later. Where have you been?" I asked.

"I'm sorry for not letting you know. I've had a busy year." I could clearly see that Kaldur was choosing his words carefully.

"You could've at least told Tula. We were worried about you."

"I couldn't Iris message you or Tula. Where I was with my team was classified information. " he tried to explain.

"Tula doesn't see it that way. "

"What way does she see it?"

"She thinks you forgot about her. Garth went after her."

"Garth? Military Garth?"

"Yeah."

Okay let me explain. Kaldur'ahm and Tula started dating a few weeks before he left. They were quite a couple. Tula is a beautiful naiad with red hair and green eyes. She wears purple dresses and shes always barefoot with bangles around her ankles and wrists.

Garth, on the other hand, is a total jerk. He came with Kaldur from their old city's military. He has black hair and blue eyes. He has a brown tanned skin and his hair is always either cut really short, or it is so long that it makes him look like a mop. He's been a jerk to me even since I met Kaldur, but he's nice with Kaldur. Eish. Some people just can't handle my awesomeness.

Garth has always been after Tula. So the first chance he got, he scooped her up and they've been together ever since. She was reluctant at first, but then she slowly fell in live with him and gave up on Kaldur.

Good, now that we've cleared that up, let's go on.

Kaldur'ahm looked bewildered and upset.

"Are you serious?" He silently asked,

"Very."

"If I'd known-" he started, but I cut him off.

"You would've come right back. I know." I growled. "But you didn't know and you didn't show any care for either of us. You didn't even try to stay in contact."

"I'm sorry Percy."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Kaldur. No calls, no messages. Is Poseidonis suddenly not good enough for you? Am I not good enough for you? Did you find better friends up there? A better home?"

"I would never find a better friend than you, Perseus. Understand that. And I will always be part of Poseidonis. It is my home."

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Yeah well, it doesn't feel that way."

Kaldur was silent for a while. " I'm sorry that you feel that way, Perseus, but I cannot say that I regret it and I cannot say that I don't want to go back."

"You know what, Kaldur? Do whatever the hell you want. I'm done." I declared. " I'm leaving next week for the surface."

"Maybe we will probably see a lot more of each other up ther-"

"No, Kaldur'ahm. I'm going to New York. My mom moved there a few months ago with Paul. Which means I will probably only come here twice a year if I'm lucky."

Kaldur was silent for a moment before softly asking, "when will you be back?"

I shrugged. "Probably after another seventeen years."

"I can come see you there." He tried.

I looked down and then up at him with a stoic expression and turned around to leave.

"Great. That's fine. Then, I guess I will probably see you around, or probably not."

"Yes, I guess we will."

I left, not looking back.

My former best friend didn't do anythong to stop me.