What is it With Mako and Mermaids? (A PJO / Mako Mermaids Crossover)

Bonus Scene 1

Between the books #1: What happened with Chad and Isabella?

One month after the virus' destruction...

Isabella's POV:

Recently Percy has been acting very different, he comes into school, teaches his class, and then just leaves without interacting with anyone. I know he probably thinks no one has noticed, but I have, and so have some of his students. I hear some of them talk in my class about his lessons, how they've become more generic, how he's stopped doing the dives around Mako, and he's even been using technology in his lessons to teach. Something feels wrong about this whole situation, I just don't understand how a person can change so much over one weekend. I've tried to text him about it too, I've tried to meet up with him, but he's always busy and his replies are as short as possible. It all just feels wrong. I know he's been talking to Chad though, which I don't understand why, but they seem to have recently bonded. Even though I haven't known him for long, I care about him, and I don't want to see him in this state. Which is why I'm going to talk to Chad about it, I know I can get him to talk, and I want to help Percy get through whatever he's going through.

I walk over to the PE office, where he hopefully should be. It's after school has ended, and I know he coaches the local football club on Friday evenings, so we should have some time to talk before he has to go. "Chad? Can we talk?" I ask as I walk into the office.

He seems to be ending a call with someone when I walk in, "Ok Perce, I'll see you this afternoon- don't be late, and don't show me up again in front of the team." He laughs a little and then puts his phone down. "Oh hey Isabella, what did you want to talk about?"

"It's about Percy- I'm worried about him. You two have become quite close and I was wondering if you could tell me anything."

"Why are you worried? He's fine." Chad says quite forcefully.

"Come on, you and I both know he isn't. He's been like a ghost around school, he's become a boring teacher, he's even stopped his dives around Mako. I've noticed, and I know you know what's going on with him."

"He had a lot happen to him last month, he lost his best friend, and he lost his girlfriend forever, ok? He isn't fine, but no offense, you wouldn't understand."

"And you would? I haven't forgotten what you did to me Chad, how you've treated everyone that's been close to you. What makes this any different?" I say, raising my voice.

"This isn't about me, about us. I'm the only one who understands what Percy is going through here, he only has three people left in this world, and I'm one of them. I never cheated on you, but I needed to break up with you. My best friend died before I came here and you reminded me of her, ok? I realised I was using you to have her in my life again so I ended it because what I was doing wasn't right. Happy now?"

I suddenly stop talking, I stop shouting at him. We're both silent until I finally ask, "How did she die?"

"We were attacked by some very strong people who had been hunting a few of us down, and she was stabbed trying to protect me. Percy went through these attacks too, and we didn't know each other then but we were fighting the same so-called war. Both of our fathers have made some powerful enemies in their lives and we get punished for it, along with many others. That's why you wouldn't understand and I do." He's not telling the full truth here, but he's opened up a little. "I'm sorry for how I treated you, but you can't help Percy. I might not even be able to help him now."

"How could your fathers have made so many enemies? You've already started to open up to me, please just tell me the full truth. What are you so afraid of?"