Aftermath

2

Percy

Annabeth and I hugged and then went our separate ways, her to the AP classes that make her stress out, and me to the average classes. I'm nothing special.

I settle into my seat, chatting with Jason next to me.

The classroom is pretty loud, but one conversation stands out.

"So, uh, Reyna?" An annoying, nasal voice says from a row or so behind me. I point the conversation out to Jason and we turn to see Octavian, standing next to Reyna's desk.

"Wanna go out?" He asks and me and Jason erupt into a fit of giggles. The entire school knows that 1.) Reyna has it bad for Thalia, and 2.) She hates Octavian.

"Honey, she gay." Someone says from the otherside of the room.

"What she said, and also, even if I liked dicks, it wouldn't be you."

The whole class is laughing at this point. Mr. Brunner might have even cracked a smile from the front of the room.

Octavian grunts a response, and almost sprint south of the room. No one really pays that much attention after that.

The school day starts normally and we head to the rest of our classes.

It's not until we're in the library, checking finding books for social studies when someone realizes that Octavian's been gone all day.

Nico
Trigger warning? School shooting, slurs, until end of chapter

I'm looking through some book about the Concentration camps and how they affected different people when I hear it.

It sounds like someone dropped an encyclopedia. But, then they drop it again. And the screams start.

Our librarian, Ms. Dare's eyes open wide. "Get under the desks." She hisses.

Everyone just stares at her, and then we realize. Someone's shooting.

Reyna darts over to me and grabs my hand. Together we find a table, and climb under. I can hear her hear beating. The shots continue, and so do the screams.

Percy Jackson pulls his phone from his pocket and starts recording. I'm almost crying, along with several others.

Then, we hear the footsteps. They go on for a second, then stop outside our door. No one closed it.

The door swings completely open and someone enters. They send out a bunch of shots at head height, as if warning us.

"Reyna? Reyna? Come out, come out. I know your in here?"

I hear her gasp, and squeeze her hand tighter.

The gun goes off again and someone chokes out a sob.

Percy

I'm under the table, my heart beating like a literal drum. I see Octavian's Van's pass by my table. The phone shakes in my hand.

He squats, looking me in the eyes.

"Hey, man." I say quietly. "What're you doing?"

He cracks a smile, his uneven teeth glinting. "Killing people." He says and stands back up, making his way across the room to the table where that tiny, emo kid and Reyna cower.

"Hey, Reyna?" He asks. "Hey fag."

He shoots and I close my eyes. I hear the boy gasp and sob, then stops crying when another shot goes out. And another. And another.

He chuckles, his laugh nothing but happiness. No regret.

Octavian fires again, then I hear him dash out of the room. I hear sirens in the distance and open my eyes.

My first thought is Annabeth. Then, I remember the field trip that the advanced classes went on. A weight is lifted off my chest.

The room is full of crying, and I open my eyes. Kids are just weeping. I look over at where I saw Reyna and the boy. I wish i hadn't.

The carpet is covered in blood, three feet in each direction, along with both kids. I look away immediately.

The sirens must be outside now, because they're really loud. I hear yelling.

We sit in the classroom for another 10 minutes, until footsteps come down the hall and stop in front of the door again. I speak over the desk, my phone still in my hand, my heart beating.

The person tentatively opens the door and bursts inside. They're dressed entirely in SWAR gear, and have their own gun. They do feel.. safer then Octavian, though.

"PUT YOUR PHONES DOWN!" they yell as they survey they classroom. "Shit." They mutter the second they see Reyna's table.

The person, I've determined that it's a woman pulls her radio from her belt.

"I-I've got bodies. No sign of the shooter. Repeat: I've got bodies." I cant help it myself and cry.

"Is the shooter in here?" She asks in a no-nonsense tone.

"He left." Someone chokes out from the back of the room.

The lady keeps questioning us until medics burst in. They hurry to where the bodies lay and carefully lift them onto stretchers, then bustle out of the room. We sit in quiet for what feels like an hour, but is more like 30 seconds.

More people in the SWAT gear hurry in. They help each of us up and hustle us through the building. As we walk through the halls, we see drips of blood.

"What's going on now?" Leo Valdez asks one of them through heavy tears.

"We're getting you out of here." A man says.

"Did you get Octavian?" Piper McClean wonders.

"No, the shooter wasn't apprehended."

"Shit." She responds.

"Is my brother okay?" Thalia Grace asks. She's obvious on the brink of tears.

"Other than the two in your class, twelve people are seriously injured, that we know of."

We leave the school through the double doors. Its actual hell out there. Ambulances are zooming around along with cop cars.

Some parents are there, all crying. I actually collapse when I see my mom and stepdad. They rush to me and we hug, nearly drowning in tears.