❛ 𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 ❜ ━━ 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐱 𝐎𝐂

𝐈𝐗

As yesterday's meeting replayed in Percy's head, he got furious with Thalia. Keep an eye on her, Chiron had said. Not, go ahead and manipulate her into a friendship.

Percy hadn't realised how hard he had been staring at the pair until Aspen Bukowski's head bopped from the Hermes door, meeting his fiery eyes with her cold ones. She, too, gave Thalia a disapproving look. She then turned back to Percy and frowned, as if to ask what on earth Thalia was doing.

Percy shrugged in return, telepathically telling Aspen that he didn't know.

Aspen rolled her eyes and popped her head back into the Hermes cabin.

For a person who had always managed to find her way to Percy, Menodora didn't acknowledge him in the slightest. Maybe she hadn't seen him, which Percy doubted. Menodora was voluntarily ignoring him.

If Thalia had said anything bad about Percy, or had mentioned the baby pictures Percy's mom had showed her before they got to Westover Hall, Percy was going to make sure to slap her with a fierce wave of water no amount of wind could stop.

"—turned into a pinecone. Those seven years were heavy. Percy!" Thalia said with feign excitement. "You sleep alright? You look... rough."

Percy rolled his eyes before ignoring her comment. What on earth had happened to that super sentimental moment they shared earlier? Was it as fake as her telling Menodora about her thrilling life as a tree?

"What are you two talking about?" Percy asked Menodora rather than Thalia, but naturally Thalia felt the thundering urge to speak out of place.

"I told Menodora that I had her stuff in my cabin, and that I'd give them to her after breakfast. Then we spoke about other stuff," Thalia said, lifting her eyebrows as if to challenge him to tell Menodora about the meeting.

Percy wondered if Menodora could see past Thalia's hypocrisy. Even if she did, she mirrored Thalia's hypocrisy to perfection; she seemed absolutely clueless, encouraging Percy's compulsion to snitch on Thalia.

"I'm going to go back," Menodora said, pointing at the Hermes cabin with her thumb. "Aspen and Ethan are waiting for me."

"Okay," Thalia said. "Before you go, I don't think Percy gave you a proper tour of camp yesterday. I can show you around before capture the flag, it'll make things easier on you."

Guess she kept the Percy slander for when Percy himself showed up.

"Percy did a good job showing me around," Menodora said, smiling at Percy. "But, I'll go with you too, Thalia."

Percy had done an absolutely atrocious job showing Menodora around. He had limited the camp to twelve cabins and his bunk bed while there had been so much more to see. He made a promise to himself to do a proper tour around camp with Menodora when Thalia's hypocrisy would leave some space for Percy.

"See you guys later." Menodora walked back to the Hermes cabin and before she closed the door, she looked over her shoulder, flashing Percy a distinctive, yet genuine smile.

Percy sheepishly smiled back, completely forgetting about Thalia.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Jackon," Thalia grumbled, not a hint of the smile she wore earlier to be found.