Friends With Mental Issues (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Hazel's Time

   Percy was awoken when a pillow was thrown directly at his face. He bolted upright in all his bed-headed glory and looked around the room. He was still in Annabeth's room, which was probably why Annabeth was glaring at him angrily and holding another pillow.

   "Why the hell are you in my room?" she demanded, raising the pillow threateningly. Percy gulped, rubbing his face. How could a pillow make him hurt so much?

   "Uh, I came here last night because Nico was showing me around and I wanted to come by and see you," he said nervously, getting up off her bed and backing away a bit. Annabeth lowered the pillow a bit, seeming to think it over, then tossed the pillow onto the bed. Percy breathed a sigh of relief.

   "Why did you want to see me?" she asked curiously, crossing her arms.

   He thought about it for a second. Why had he wanted to see her? "I don't know. Maybe because I wanted to see if you were okay." He shrugged, thinking he would've done it for any of the other seven. "So what happens in the mornings?"

   Annabeth shrugged, running her fingers through her hair, which looked kind of like a blonde rat's nest, in Percy's opinion. "Breakfast. A lot of tea for Nico since he can't have coffee unless Chiron says so. Then we go to our hang out room, while other patients go about their therapy or other business. Same as usual." She walked over to the closet and pulled out an orange t-shirt and a pair of cut-off jeans. Percy watched with genuine curiosity as she took a necklace into her hands, it didn't look like anything special. It was just clay beads on a leather string, but she held it dearly, then tied it loosely around her neck.

   Realizing Percy was watching, Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him. "Percy, as much as I think of you as a friend, I don't think we're familiar enough for me to change in front of you." Percy snapped out of his trance and felt a blush crawl across his cheeks.

   "Right. I should go to my room to change." Annabeth nodded and he walked out, silently cursing himself for being an idiot.

   After changing into a pair of cargo shorts and a plain blue t-shirt, Percy walked out of his room, looking around the hallway. If only he'd paid attention to where Nico had lead him the day before. He sighed, heading in the oposite direction he knew Chiron's office was and decided it was best to just wander around until he found the right place - or a sane enough person to ask for directions.

   There was a chuckle from a particularly dark patch of shadows that he had just passed, and Percy jumped, whirling around to face whoever it was. Nico emerged from the shadow patch, triumphantly holding a coffee cup and smirking tiredly. "What the heck, Neeks?" Percy asked, his hand going to his heart, as if that would slow it down.

   "Seriously, what is with the nickname? Do I look like some innocent kid you can easily call Neeks?" Nico rolled his eyes, sighing and taking a sip from his coffee, which he savoured. "Anyway, you are totally lost and it was very entertaining."

   "I am not lost," Percy said defiantly, crossing his arms. He knew he was lying, but that didn't mean Nico had to know that.

   "Percy, I've been following you ever since you left your room. You're lost."

   "What, do you have a crush on me to follow me?" Percy asked jokingly, only half registering the way Nico smirked and shrugged. "So where is you guys' hang out room again?" he said, almost defeatedly.

   Nico took a sip of his coffee, looking up at the ceiling and sighing dramatically. "Hm, I don't think I should tell you." Another sip. Percy made a noise of disapproval and whiny-ness, his shoulders sagging.

   "But I'm supposed to help you guys," Percy whined. Nico rolled his eyes, walking ahead of Percy and gesturing for him to follow. "So you're going to help me now?" he asked hopefully. Nico shrugged, taking another sip. "What's that supposed to mean?" Nico looked back at Percy, a mischievous grin on his face, then winked.