how to fall in love - jercy

8 - percy jackson

j.g.

he's all i've thought about. everyday was a waiting game of when i'd hear the buzzing of my phone again and see that the screen says, "percy jackson"

i'm addicted to his name these days. two words, four syllables, twelve letters written on a screen and its enough to make my heart jump out of my chest.

i'm not even sure if he's real. i have to see him. i love texting him, but i can't seem to remember his voice. i love reading his texts, but i want so much more than words on a screen. it's like falling in love with a stranger. craving the touch of a ghost.

percy jackson.

what a name. there's something about him that i can't quite place.

for the past few weeks, i'd do anything to hear his voice again, but now i want to eat my words.

percy: want lunch? we can go to amelie's. u kno where we went w annabeth and piper

me: sure

percy: pick me up lol my cars gettin fixed

me: see you in like 20 minutes.

"i'm heading out in a bit," i said over my shoulder to piper who was sitting in my office chair and scrolling on her phone. sometimes piper would just show up at my apartment and lounge around like it's her house. "i have to take a shower."

"isn't this, like, your second shower already today? how many showers are you planning to take?" piper asked, spinning in the chair to look at me.

"as many as it takes to feel clean," i didn't want to show her how nervous i was. I didn't want to tell her who i was going with either, because she'll make a large deal out of it and make me more nervous. all i needed was a hot shower.

i let the water rush over me and loosened my muscles. my mom was extremely germophobic. she'd instruct us to wash our hands obsessively and always carried hand sanitizer in her purse. when i played outside and got dirty, she'd scrub me until my skin was pink. it would get worse and worse as she got more anxious.

now? i take hot, scalding showers or wash my hands over and over and over again whenever i'm nervous or upset. i'd feel disgusting and dirty otherwise. something about scalding water running over my skin until i felt clean reminded me of her. i loved watching water trickle down the drain. the tingling of my skin due to the temperature was oddly therapeutic.

i shut the water off and thought about percy jackson again. i wondered if there ever was anything there between the two of us or if i just imagined it all. it didn't seem real. sure felt like it. i hadn't felt anything strong for so long, feeling anything for someone was new. i had to relearn how to feel again. what to do with my heart thumping in my chest. how to text when my fingers are shaking. how to let my mind wonder about this mysterious guy i hardly know. what to do with this name echoing in my head.

i got dressed and grabbed my keys from off my bed.

me: on my way!

percy: drive safe