Close Your Eyes (Percico)

Say My Name

Luana Jackson

Vati said that I could go a friend's house if I wanted to, so I went to Celine's house. We've been friends for a long time, since we were like, 8 of something. I haven't been over ever since we've gotten back from America. She's been over a few times, I just haven't been here yet.

I missed her Vater.

I didn't really miss her Mutter.

"Luana!" Celine's dad said as soon as we got into the living room. "Oh mein Gott, hallo! Wie war Amerika?"
Luana! Oh my God, hi! How was America?

"Es war cool!" I answered. "Ich habe Deutschland lieber, na sicher. Mein Großeltern sind da, und das schön war. Um, ja. Oh!"
It was cool! I like Germany better, of course. My grandparents are there, which was nice. Um, yeah! Oh!

I paused.

"Mein Vati heiratet!"
My dad's getting married!

"Er heiratet!?" Both of them responded, because it really hasn't been that long, when you think about it.
He's getting married!?

I mean, it's been about a year, but... Still.

I'm happy for them, don't get wrong, it just seemed to happen really fast.

I told them about Nico and Carlos, though. How they reconnected in New York and hung out because Finn and Carlos hung out a lot, and the feelings were there. He moved in in January because Nico's lease ran out and it just worked out. His job is mostly online, so when we decided to move back, it really didn't effect his job.

But now they're engaged and getting married. Which is exciting. Vati's been doing really good with Nico and he seems a little less stressed about a lot of things. Grandpa is... A weird situation. I don't really ask.

"Nico?" Celine's Mutter asked me, seeming a little puzzled, and I saw her husband's reaction to her reaction. It didn't look like it was good. "Kurz für Nicole, oder? Sie kommt aus Amerika, Nicole ist ein typisch Amerikanischer Name."
Nico? Short for Nicole, or? She's from America, Nicole is a normal American name.

Confused, I corrected her.

"Nein," I insisted. "Nur Nico."
No. Just Nico.

"Oh."

And that's what started it.

She asked me questions that made me kind of uncomfortable. Asking if it was weird to not have a mom but have two dad and how that must be hard on me being the only girl and she said that my Vati was inconsiderate of me and my feelings by being with Nico.

Tried to make it sound like he was a terrible person, when he isn't.

She called him a freak.

I was sent home when I tried to defend him.

•••
Percy Jackson

I made so much food for dinner, it was insane.

But seeing Luke again was... I mean, it was kind of surreal. I forgot how much I missed having him around.

I missed a lot of people.

Maybe I should call them, but... I don't know.

I always get so close and I back out of it. I say that I'll do it. I tell myself that I'm going to send a text or call them. Soon.

But I never get around to it.

Because I'm afraid.

Luana told me what happened at Celine's house. What her parents and... And I just told her that people can suck, right? But we're smarter than that. We're better than that.