Lonely (a Percy Jackson fanfic)

Chapter Three

As Percy changed into his pajamas- shorts and no shirt- he couldn't stop thinking about Nico and Will. His head felt like there were a million jackhammers pounding on it.

In his dream, Percy was walking through a hallway full of bluish purple mist. He came to two doors, and Janus, the god of choices.

"Hello, Perseus." The left head grinned

"Come to make your choice?" The right leered.

"On one side, there is a happy, boring destiny, on the other there is-"

Percy woke up in a cold sweat. He sat up slowly, stiff from his sleeping position. He stretched his arms above his head, trying to relive the stiffness. He wanted answers to whatever his dream was trying to tell him. He got out of bed and put some clothes on, then walked to Rachel's cave. He could see light shining from the entrance before he gets there. He knew she was a night owl, but didn't know she stayed up this late. He knocked on the wall next to the entrance, then let himself in. He turned a corner and saw Rachel sitting on her stool, Mason O'Connor holding one of her hands and painting her face.

"Rachel?" He says, confused. "What's going on?"

"Um." She blushes furiously. "I... well... you're taken, so..."

"I'm actually not anymore, but what does that have to do with it?" He asked, clueless as ever.

Mason stepped forward protectively.

"Back off, jerk. You broke her heart, and now I'm here to pick up the pieces."

Percy tilted his head furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you even talking about?"

"You broke her heart, so don't think you can come steal her away."

"Dude, chill. I just need to know what this freaky as dream I had means." Percy's hands were up, palms out in a placating gesture.

"Mason." Rachel put her hand on Masons bare chest. "Hear him out. He seems really... out of it right now." Mason could barely hold himself in check. "Just say your thing then leave." He spat.

Rachel nodded. "What happened in the dream, Percy?"

"Well, Janus is there, and he's like, 'make your choice,' and I don't know what choice I'm supposed to make and... it's weird." Percy confessed, shrugging.

Rachel looks deep in thought. Mason watches her, worried. "Well, all I can tell is- wait, Percy, what the hell? You're single?"

Percy nods, shifting awkwardly. "Annabeth and I just weren't working." He mumbles.

Rachel leaped up. "Oh shit. Ohhhh shit. No, this can't be.... what! No. I can't-" Mason looks at Percy. "You'd better go." Percy backs up, then walks out of the cave. Glancing behind him, he saw Rachel curled on the floor, Mason rubbing her back in slow, steady circles.

Percy stood there for a minute and bit his lip, wanting to help, but turned and left instead, pondering what just happened.

He didn't realize he was mumbling until someone behind him said, "Dude, what the heck. You're keeping us up." Percy jumped and looked around. He hadn't realized he was walking by the beach. he turned and saw Will wrapped up in a blanket, Nico standing shirtless beside him.

Percy blushed, unsure if he was embarrassed because of his senseless mumblings or because Nico was shirtless. "Umm, sorry."

Nico looked like he was blushing too. "Yeah, well." Percy realized he wasn't wearing a shirt either.

"Sorry, I'll leave you guys alone." Percy turned to leave, his cheeks flushed a bright red.

He didn't realize how tired he was until he got back to his room. His mystery wasn't solved but right now he didn't care. His dreams were filled with whirling images of Nico, Rachel, and Annabeth.

He woke up that morning feeling sluggish and exhausted.

He walked outside after putting on jeans and a Camp Half Blood T. As he walked to the dining pavilion, he noticed he was getting dirty stares from more than half the camp. He kept his head down as he walked to the big three table

He grabbed his plate and made a sacrifice before sitting down and eating his food slowly.

Jason sat next to him. "Percy, Piper wants to know what the fuck happened yesterday."

Nico cocked his head. "What happened yesterday?"

"Nothing, death boy." Percy grumbled, then froze.

"What did you say, Jackson?" Nico seemed to loom over him despite the six or so inches Percy had on him.

"Nothing, sorry." He turned back to his food, pushing it around his plate with a sigh, uneasy with how close the others were.