26.) I Don't Blame You

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C H A P T E R   T W E N T Y - S I X

PERCY

"Leo, would you like some more pancakes?" My mother asks in a sweet voice.

"Yes please." He grabs onto his plate and lifts it up to her so she could just plop some of the blue pancakes on his plate.

I saw her avoid my gaze and didn't really blame her. I knew why she was avoiding talking to me. I knew exactly why she was trying her hardest to act as if I didn't exist today.

Camp had ended for non-year-rounders a few days ago. My mom had picked us up and tried her best to avoid all eye contact with me, which the pack had noticed quickly.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," she said to me. I look over at her in surprise and confusion. She wasn't looking at me, she never does at this time of year.

I don't bother thanking her as I push my plate away and stand up, walking out the front door for some fresh air. The only thing it did was make me sick. The blazing sun was burning down on me and the birds were chirping happily with one another in the green trees. Everything around me made me absolutely sick, causing my head to pound and ache.

I walked and walked over to the park where I had first met Will. It was a bit far from my place so I instantly climbed into a tree to rest and just stared at the sky. I tried to get lost in the clouds and the blue sky. I guess I thought that if I looked hard enough, I could forget everything around me. Maybe so I could actually lie to myself enough so that I could finally tell my friends 'I'm okay' without feeling as if I was lying to them. Though I had a feeling that was wishful thinking and it wouldn't ever truly happen.

A shimmering light caused me to look behind me and mentally groan when I saw Hazel on the other side of an Iris Message. A frown and concerned look on her face.

"Percy, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"You always shut yourself out on your birthday and your mom was trying to stay away from you. Why?" Her voice was filled with so much concern and I just couldn't bring myself to tell her about today. It would make her worry even more and that's the last thing I want. I don't want to remind her of that.

"I'm fine, just...hang out with the rest of the pack today. I'll be there later."

"But Percy—" she didn't get to finish as I swiped my hand through the Iris Message. They'll be fine without me. They don't need me to be happy. They can be excited on my birthday while I sit it out in a tree, drowning in all my sorrows.

"You know, I'm beginning to miss the green," a voice says from down below. I follow the voice and see Nico standing there, a hand on his forehead in an attempt to block the sun.

"Why are you here?"

"Am I not allowed to come to visit on your birthday?"

"Nico, why are you here?" The son of Hades sighed and climbed up the tree so he was sitting in front of me.

"I went over to your house so I could be a good friend and when I got there, Hazel was chewing on her fingernails when she decided to IM you."

"Oh. So you were there for that?" I ask him softly, avoiding his piercing gaze. He only nods and gets a little closer so he doesn't fall off the tree. As funny as that would be, I don't feel like getting ambrosia from home and calling Will so Nico can get his broken arm healed.

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