NEVER BE THE SAME . . . percy jackson

sixty nine: the funny number.

BROOKLYN WAS IN her room, finally putting on clothes that weren't pajamas, which was a black, long sleeved shirt and a matching skirt along with a Yankees cap she found in her room. She was getting ready by spraying a shit ton of perfume on her, starting her usual makeup routine when someone knocked on her door and then Jason was poking his head in.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," she said, waving him inside. "I'm not helping you craft up an apology, though. I'm horrible at apologizing."

"Noted," he muttered as he looked around. "You've made this place look like home."

She really hasn't; just kept her closet open so that people could see all of her clothes to take up more space. That's what Annabeth said, anyway.

"Annabeth put a lot of my clothes in here," Brooklyn shrugged. "And not a lot else. Probably because I didn't have any fucking furniture in the Zeus cabin. That statue was too big." She shivered thinking about it. "I do have cards if you want to play, though?"

Jason frowned. "I never learned how to play card games."

She gasped loudly. "Really? No way. You're a fucking sheltered child."

"Thanks," he drawled.

"After I finish my makeup, I'm teaching you about five million card games," she declared, leaning closer to her mirror so she could do her eyeliner. "Tell me about something, Jason."

She could see him frown in the reflection in the mirror. "About what?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Anything. I literally know nothing about you, and you're my brother, come on."

So they played Poker for hours, him talking to her about a lot of shit, and when he ran out of things to talk about, she gave him some more things to talk about. At least, until Piper yelled his name from the mess hall.

"That's me," he apologized, laying down the cards gently in front of him before standing up. "Sorry."

"You're a busy guy," she shrugged. "She seems like she keeps you real busy, anyway. But we'll hang out soon, yeah?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah," he promised. "I'll come by soon. Although, if you're sleeping with Percy again—"

"Do not," she groaned, reaching out to smack his leg. "You owe me. I'll be jumping on your back for piggyback rides now whenever I want."

"No you're not."

"Annabeth can lift me. You can too, J Dog."

Jason's nose wrinkled. "I'll do it if you never call me that again."

"Pinky swear?" Brooklyn offered him her pinky.

He stared at it for a second, before linking his pinky with hers. "Okay. Deal."

"Cool, J Money, now off you go!" she grinned at him, pushing him out of her room and shutting the door before he could protest.

Brooklyn was playing solitaire because she wanted to, and it made her smarter, when she heard heavy footsteps stomp outside her door and Frank's voice gasp loudly: "Where's Leo? Take off! Take off!"

"Where's Percy?" Brooklyn heard Annabeth demand. "And the goat?"

"On deck. They're fine. We're being followed!"

Brooklyn heard multiple footsteps going up the stairs, so she exited her room and bounded up the stairs after them. Percy and Hedge lay on the deck, looking exhausted. Hedge was missing his shoes. He grinned at the sky, muttering, "Awesome. Awesome." Percy was covered with nicks and scratches, like he'd jumped through a window. Brooklyn totally didn't know what that felt like. He didn't say anything, but he grasped her hand weakly as if to say, Be right with you, as soon as the world stops spinning.