Our Bedroom After the War (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Cherry Lips and Yellow Cars

Percy was helping Paul carry his suitcase up the stairs when his phone started ringing.

        About a week had passed since his attempt, or at least that's what everyone around him had been calling it. Apparently before his meeting with Dr. Norton, he had been comatose for four days. He'd spent the last week, staring at walls, having nurses give him various colored pills and have Dr. Norton question him for about two hours, two times a day.

        As if that hadn't been enough torture, he hadn't been able to use his phone or any type of electronic device. All he did was sleep, answer questions, take pills, repeat. He didn't feel better, but he didn't feel worse either. At least he wasn't so tired anymore, that was a they finished carrying the bad up the stairs Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out phone.

Ten missed calls: Annabeth.

"Um, I'm gonna go take this." He said looking up, from his phone to Paul, who simply nodded.

        Neither of his parents had said much during the car ride, like they were constantly looking for the right words to say to him. They were treating him as if he was made of glass, one wrong move and he would shatter to pieces.

He hated that.

        He dialed the number quickly and locked himself in his room. He'd guessed by now that Annabeth knew what had happened, after he'd gone MIA for a week, he assumed his parents would've told her, but he wasn't quite sure who else knew. He didn't like the idea of everyone treating him like he was helpless, like he needed to be looked out for. After all, everything had been an accident, a huge misunderstanding. He was sure of it.

After about two rings a voice picked up.

"PERCY-FUCKING-JACKSON YOU COMPLETE IDIOT!" Annabeth screamed into the phone.

Percy smiled, he was glad to have someone be so blunt for the first time in days.

"Hello to you too wise girl." He greeted.

"Oh don't give me that shit! What the hell were you thinking! I call you to see if you want to hang out, and much to my surprise your MOM PICKS UP AND TELLS ME YOU'RE IN THE HOSPITAL!"

There was the screaming again.

"Yeah, sorry about that–"

"No, you shut up and listen! Gods Percy, what the hell is going on with you?"

        She wasn't screaming anymore, there was genuine concern in her voice. He'd missed her, even though she was angry, she missed the sound of her voice.

"I don't know… I mean, everything that happened was and accident. I was just trying to get some sleep and now my parents think I'm suicidal so, yeah I don't know."
He wasn't trying to downplay what had happened, but there was no point in making it a bigger issue for Annabeth to lecture him on.

"No shit… Gods Percy, I thought you were dead…"

The line was silent.

"That makes two of us." He said and he could almost feel Annabeth glaring at him and shaking her head.

"Your head is so full of kelp seaweed brain." She teased and he smiled.

"I'm sorry about that, I really didn't mean to scare anyone."

        It'd been weeks since they'd talk like this, without having to think so much about what to say. Percy missed it.

"I know… it's just you didn't answer so I didn't know what to think… I'm sorry for not calling you before, I really was busy but it could've waited. I should've called you…"
Her voice was soft, almost as if she were whispering.