Going Viral

Chapter 37

February 12th

Chiron ushered them out of the cab, chuckling to himself at The Halfblood's antics. The three of them rolled their eyes halfheartedly, unable to keep a straight face then Percy lifted his hand in a wave as he drove off, leaving them to enter the building in search of the radio presenters.

"The Halfbloods!" A cheer sounded from behind a desk in the front room. "Travis, they're here!"

The boy behind the desk grinned impishly. With his pointed ears and upturned nose, Percy reckoned he looked like some kind of faery, especially with his sage colored shirt and tan khakis. Another person ran in, Travis presumably. Aside from being an inch taller and in a navy blue shirt instead of green, the boys looked identical down to the creases of their cheeks as they beamed at their guests.

Nico fell into step beside Percy as they were led down a long corridor. "Are they freaky or am I just being paranoid?" He asked under his breath. Percy sent him a look of understanding.

"Hermes'll wave you in when he needs you." The first boy said, opening a door. When Thalia  stuck her head into the room and raised an eyebrow at what she sees (nothing), Travis guffawed.

"Idiot, Connor. She was never gonna fall for that one." He opens another door and smirks. This time, none of them even bother to look in the room because of the sign on the door reading 'SITE STAFF ONLY'.

No one laughs so Travis clears his throat. "Tough crowd." He comments, turning the corner and showing them into the right room. Inside is a row of chairs opposite a perspex screen, separating them from a circular table covered in mics. A red 'on air' sign hangs above who Percy presumes is the presenter, a man in a crisp, white shirt with brown, curly hair.

Nico takes a seat and taps away at his phone so Thalia and Percy follow suit, listening to the conversation the man is having through the speaker overhead. He zones out, not really interested in learning about the nutritional properties of weeds and leaves should he ever get stranded on an island.

After twenty minutes of twiddling his thumbs, the woman discussing plants makes an exit and the presenter waves his hand to call the three of them in.

"And now, my lovely listeners," He said, his voice booming around the small, sound proofed room. "We have special guests, Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo, AKA The Halfbloods!"

Thalia plasters on a blinding false smile and shakes his hand, taking a seat around the table. "Hello again, Mr Hermes." She greets, remembering Chiron's orders to be polite. This isn't their first radio show so they all know how to behave, they'd even spoken to this same man before at a different station. Percy hadn't remembered this name but clearly Thalia had been paying better attention.

"Hello, my dear. Lovely to see you." The older man croons. "So, you're performing tonight at the arena but while I've got a hold of you, the fans have some burning questions."

In all honesty, Percy loses focus on the conversation entirely until Nico elbows him in the side.

"Wha-?" Thalia glares at him. "Sorry, can you repeat that?" Percy straightens himself.

Hermes chuckled, bemused. "Percy, my boy, I was just wondering if you could address the rumours."

His mind is blank trying to work out what on earth this man is on about. Rumours? Percy was considering a solo album, but no one besides Chiron and Annabeth knew about that so that couldn't be it. Had something come out about his past again? He really didn't want to have to deal with that nonsense.

Filling in the blank air space, Hermes explains. "You haven't heard?" He presses his lips into a thin line. "Oh, well I'd hate to be the one to break the news to you."

When he glances around, his band mates look equally as confused at Hermes' words.

"What news?" Percy has to consciously control his voice to stop it rising an octave in panic. Had he missed something? Had something happened? Was everyone okay? Maybe something had happened to his mom, to Estelle...

Visibly uncomfortable, Hermes clears his throat. "There was an article on Olympus News with a photo of Annabeth Chase on a date with a blond man. The photographer couldn't get a clear shot of his face she but swears he has blue eyes. They were arm in arm when she spotted them."

Percy feels his stomach drop. He wouldn't usually believe a word of what comes out of Olympus News, he knows first hand what kind of fiction they're capable of coming up with, but when Hermes pulls up the article on his phone and he gets a look at that photo, he knows it isn't edited. Sure enough, Annabeth is enveloped in a hug from a tall blonde. From the back, the man's only distinguishable features are his height, his broad shoulders and his close-cropped blonde hair. He wracks his brain. Who was she with?

He goes to speak but his throat is dry.

"What makes you think it was a date? That could be a friend of hers." Nico says, trying to diffuse the situation.

Hermes just shrugs his shoulders forward and carries on as if the world hadn't just come crashing down around Percy. "So, anyway, we've been told we can hear an extended edition of Love Letters on Sunday's performance as a Valentine's Day treat, is that true, Thalia?"

Ignoring Nico's concerned face (which is really just Nico doing about anything with his face besides scowling at him), Percy stands and leaves the room. He doesn't even try to be quiet, deciding to let the listeners hear the way his chair scrapes on the floor and the door slams forcefully. Connor - or maybe it was Travis - tries to stop him as they cross in the corridor to no avail. Percy leaves the building in a hurry and runs.

Percy picks up his phone and rings.