✔︎ PERFECT WORLD ━━━━━ p. jackson¹

012.

It was Saturday, and traffic was heavy going into the city. They arrived at his Sally's apartment around noon. When she answered the door, Vivi remembered who much she used to adore the woman. Sally let out a breath of relief and gave Percy a bone-crushing hug that made his face squished.

"I told them you were all right," Percy's mom said, but she sounded like the weight of the sky had just been lifted off her shoulders. She gave Annabeth a hug before her eyes landed on Vivi and the girl could see gears working inside the woman's head, "I don't believe. . . I remember those eyes. . . Vivi?"

"Hello, Sally," Vivi smiled and the woman pulled the girl in a bit loose bone-crushing hug which Vivi returned with as much enthusiasm.

"Oh my! It's been so long!" Sally released her from a hug and took her face between her gentle hands, "You look so mature now, and beautiful! You haven't changed one bit since you were little. . . oh, were those the times! Percy still talks about you," she turned towards her son, "Why didn't you tell me Vivi was back in town."

"I just found out ─ "

" ─ oh, I'm so happy right now! Come, come in, I'mma make you that milkshake you used to love. . . do you still like it? . . . and I have some baked cookies, blue of course."  

Sally sat the three down at the kitchen table and insisted on them eating her special blue chocolate-chip cookies ( she made Vivi that blueberry milkshake ─ and yes, Vivi still likes it ) while they caught her up on the quest. When Percy got to the part about Geryon and the stables, Sally pretended like she was going to strangle him.

"I can't get him to clean his room, but he'll clean a hundred tons of horse manure out of some monster's stables?"

Vivi laughed. In the corner of her eye, she could see Percy watching her with a hopeful expression which she quickly dismissed. She made a deal with Travis to make the boy suffer as much as she could, but it was starting to get hard when he had that stupid pout on his face when looking at her direction.

"So," Sally said when Percy was done with the story, "you wrecked Alcatraz Island, made Mount St. Helens explode, and displaced half a million people, but at least you're safe."

That's the Sally Vivi knew, always looking on the bright side.

"Yep," Percy agreed. "That pretty much covers it."

"I wish Paul were here," she said, half to herself. "He wanted to talk to you."

Vivi didn't know who Paul was, but by Sally's expression she guessed that the person was someone close to her.

"Oh, right. The school." Percy said, "What did you tell him?"

Sally shook her head. "What could I say? He knows something is different about you, Percy. He's a smart man. He believes that you're not a bad person. He doesn't know what's going on, but the school is pressuring him. After all, he got you admitted there. He needs to convince them the fire wasn't your fault. And since you ran away, that looks bad."

Daughter of Hermes looked at her best friend with a pointed expression, 'Fire!' she mouthed. Annabeth shook her head and responded with, 'Just Percy being a dumbass.' and Vivi got the story.

"I'll talk to him," Percy promised. "After we're done with the quest. I'll even tell him the truth if you want."

Sally put her hand on his shoulder. "You would do that?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he'll think we're crazy."

"He already thinks that."

"Then there's nothing to lose."