Unknown Friendship

15. A Different Timeline Part I

Katie felt... odd-bored.
Percy returned, done with doing the gods' bidding. The Fates had thrown more curveballs, and yet-and yet here they were. Better. Safer.
Percy came back. He was done with going on adventures. He wanted a break-a calm life.
And Katie-Katie didn't. Before, when she was younger, she told Percy to back off. Camp, strange as it was, would be her calm place. Her normal home away from home. No odd, crazy, reckless adventures-no tightroping the line of the law only to jump to the other side. Camp Half-Blood, the gods, the Fates-none of them would get to her like Percy did.
But now-now, even outside of camp, Percy was done. School, he said. Annabeth, and he'd leave. Gotta prepare for college, and he'd study, study, study. His sister, Estelle, and he'd run off to babysit her. It happened gradually this process, but now-
Now Katie was bored.
Now there was nothing to do.
She'd pickpocket and sneak into places she wasn't supposed to be. Break small rules here and there, but it wasn't the same.
Maybe Katie felt more than bored. Maybe-just maybe-she also missed Percy. He had grown, and she felt... stuck. The same. She didn't like that going on wild adventures depended on Percy. She didn't need him. She shouldn't.
But it felt different without him.
She ought to make a scene, get Percy back to-well, Percy. At least somewhat like the one she knew, and not the one the camp expected.
Katie wanted the old Percy because he always felt new and exciting. Maybe Camp Half-Blood would appreciate that.

oOo
K

atie stood on the border to camp, feeling Peleus's warm breath.
He was a dangerous creature for sure, but no more scary than Percy in the midst of battle. That concentration-unlike the rest of camp, she understood the deeper layers of his intelligence. She understood he wasn't all rainbows and cupcakes-that Percy lived in a far more gray area than most of the demigods were comfortable with. They were supposed to be heroes, demigods, and yet Percy-he often changed tactics just for the hell of it. To him, it was fun.
That isn't to say gods, demigods, and all other such mythical creatures were not morally gray. Far from it, in fact. Many gods killed people for petty reasons. But they still believed themselves inherently goods-or they questioned what they did wrong and live with the guilt forever. Percy had neither issue when it came to him breaking the law-when he broke and stole and fought. It was just a grand ol' time.
Well, maybe Katie was wrong. Maybe she had been to close to the demigods in camp and too entrenched in society's rules to think of Percy objectively. Maybe he was just a morally gray trickster, and did things in a roundabout way that were still good. Maybe.
Katie had all heard of Dungeons and Dragons, and that that being a good person that did things such as Percy did would make him Chaotically Good. But maybe she was wrong. Percy did bad things just for the hell of it too.
But he had grown. Maybe he wasn't all that bad anymore. Even outside of camp, katie and Percy rarely spent time with each other. They had different friends groups-well, Percy did, and he's the one that always had plans.
Plans to be boring, anyway.
Maybe Percy had no chance of being the person she remembered. Katie doubted it, thought Percy just hid it to shield his friends.
Well, Katie planned on cracking the shield. She was bored, and wanted to have some fun again.
She stared once more at the strawberry fields, the sparking Athena Parthenon-at the entirety of Camp Half-Blood before Percy Jackson came back to wreak havoc on the world like he owned it.
Then Katie turned around and left.

oOo
Katie found Percy.
Well, more like to hunted him down to his apartment and broke in through the fire escape. She used to do it all the time when Smelly Gabe was his stepdad. She stopped for a while when that Blowfish guy came around, then only did it in secret. Now, she did it to irritate Percy, because she knew Annabeth would be over.
Katie liked Annabeth. Loved her, in face. Especially for Percy. She was just... too logical sometimes. She needed to let loose and break some things. Maybe steal some things.
Ugh. Maybe Katie should have found the Stoll brothers. Or, the one left anyway. They'd be easier to convince, even if they were novices.
Anyway, back to breaking in to the Jackson household (or maybe technically Blowfish, though Katie has yet to be convinced the guy was all that great; maybe it was because she only saw him at the wedding when she was part of Ms. Jackson's/Blowfish's bridesmaids).
It wasn't like people didn't realize she and Percy had a history-they just didn't know the extent of it. They saw Katie Gardner, Daughter of Demeter, plant grower. Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon, Hero of Olympus. Sometimes at Camp Half-Blood, they passed by each other and exchanged friendly words.
It didn't look like they had the closest of relationships to the unknowing eye.
In reality, it was more like this: Katie Gardner, Wrangler of Percy Jackson; and Percy Jackson, Likes to do Stuff He Shouldn't.
But back to breaking in. Or, more like, entering her second home where she had been estranged because of Percy. That sounded like a good excuse for just about anything. Why'd you do that? Because of Percy. Why do you feel so bored? Because of Percy. What made you like... this? Percy.
Just a general life explanation right there.
But yes, breaking in through the fire escape. Really quite easy. Not even deserving of an explanation of how Katie did. Real basic stuff.
So Katie was in. She tiptoed, kept quiet as she snuck through the apartment. She wondered if Percy would be calm at her entrance or be so unused to it he'd be on his guard. She didn't know which would be sadder. Probably the fact that Percy remaining calm about someone breaking and entering.
Really, Sally should update their security. Percy made a garbage guard dog.
She turned a corner to peek into the living room. Annabeth and Percy sat on the couch, curled close to one another and hunched over a book. Annabeth pointed something out to Percy and whispered as she tried to explain the concept to him. He nodded, but his gaze was locked on a loose lock of Annabeth's blond hair bobbing in the air.
Katie could already feel the third-wheeling vibes.
Suddenly, Annabeth stiffened and reached for her side. Katie knew what the meant: knife-which equated to: Super Danger. She locked gazes with Katie for a microsecond. Then she pulled away around the corner.
The following visual description here is from what Katie knows about Percy, which is a lot, and the bit she knows from Percy always blabbing on about Annabeth:
Percy blinked himself out of his daze and glanced around. Katie stood frozen in her spot, curious if Percy could recognize it was her. Surely, Katie would be disappointed.
Percy flapped his hand at Annabeth. "It's all cool. Just Butterfly. I mean, Katie."
Ah, yes. Percy really could disappoint Katie like no other. No worries whatsoever that Katie wasn't the person around the corner. He didn't even deign to explain anything to his girlfriend. What a loser.
Annabeth whipped around, and Katie could already feel the steel of her gaze. "What-? Percy, Katie who? No-no, don't just get up." She gripped Percy's arm, and the dummy probably looked confused. "Why are you-why are you so calm about this?"
Percy blinked, most likely waved for Katie to come out. As if. She wasn't endangering her life until Percy soothed his girlfriend's fiery anger. He sighed, rubbed his fingers together. "Annabeth, stuff like this happens all the time. You shouldn't be so stressed. It's just Katie. Katie Gardner? You know her. She's cool. Ish. Not really, but"-he ran his hand through his hair, sighed again-"it's just normal. We should be used to it."
Annabeth pursed her lips. "Even gods sometimes have the decency to use a door."
Silence, then: "C'mon Katie, you're doing this just to put me on the spot."
Which, yes, was partly true. She didn't need to admit that, though.
"Fine, fine," Katie said, sliding around the corner along the wall. She pressed the backside of her hand to her forehead. "It's just because you've been ignoring me. I decided to give you"-Katie glared at Percy and steeled her voice-"a taste of your own medicine."
Really dramatic, yes? Katie was aiming for that. Sometimes she thought Dionysus would be a more suited godly parent for her, but then she remembered his face, and, well. She was far too pretty for that.
Annabeth looked-not distressed, exactly, but definitely not happy. She had plans that Katie just interrupted. Katie was just glad she hadn't asked why Katie decided to use the fire escape to enter in the first place. Katie wasn't sure Percy wanted to bring up his whole tragic backstory with Smelly Gabe.
Percy was Percy. "What's up?" he asked as he leapt over the backside of the couch. "We have orange juice if you want some. Mom and Paul took Estelle to"-he waved his hand around-"somewhere. I can't remember." He smiled his goofy, snarky lopsided smile, like he hadn't been a terrible friend recently.
Katie huffed. "Well, you wouldn't know, would you? Neglecting me like that."
Percy reached over for a hug. "Ah, don't be like that, Butterfly. I've just been-"
"Ah ah ah." Katie held up her hand. Percy paused. Then she kicked him in the leg. Hard.
"WHAT THE F-!"
"Language, Percy."
"Don't fall on me." Annabeth shoved Percy onto the couch.
Percy flopped over on the couch, which whooshed under his sudden weight. "Ow-oh," he whined.
Katie shrugged. "Not my fault. You weren't at camp."
Percy sat up, and Annabeth stood close by. He rubbed at his shin and asked, "And why were you looking for me in the first place?"
"I'm bored."
Annabeth closed her eyes, opened them. "Excuse me?"
Katie shrugged again, lifted her arms and dropped them. "I want to do something, and so Percy has to think of some weird adventure for us to go on."
Annabeth's glare would have weakened any man. But Katie was no man. She understood the language of women, and although this glare said, "I will murder you," Katie had no fear. She also spoke the language of Percy, whose demeanor read, "I wish this would lead to a cool superhero fight, but it probably won't. That'd be bad anyway. Should I stop that if it does happen?"
"Percy doesn't go on quests anymore. If you want-."
Katie held up her hands, arms open, to stop Annabeth before Percy was placed with the responsibility of choosing. "No. No. No, no, no. Not a quest. Just... something dumb to do. It'll be fine. We can even do it later."
"Really?" Percy said. "You're pretty impatient, and we haven't done anything in a while."
Annabeth looked suspicious, but relented. "As long as you're safe, I guess. Don't do anything dumb, Seaweed Brain. But you have to study first."
Percy glanced at Katie, locked eyes for a moment. They had a convoluted conversation because neither were actually telepathic.
"We should start at camp," Katie said. "You need the practice." Then she turned on her heel and went to exit through the fire escape.
"Hey!" Percy waved his arms. "That was not what I was thinking!"
Katie left. Later, she'd meet Percy at Camp Half-Blood, and maybe she'd finally kill this boredom in her.

oOo

Ali's author note: this is just a reminder that I am just reposting from fanfiction.net the story by unexplainable contradiction.

Really short, but it's only part one.
Later,
Unexplainable Contradiction