Perfect Little Blue Boy (Percy Jackson)

Chapter Forty Eight

Percy

I didn't mean to snap at him, and I didn't want to do that. But I just... The way he had said that I've changed it was like he thought I'd be the exact same person. And he didn't seem to like how I've changed. And I...

I mean, how do I know that when I wake up tomorrow, he'll still be at home? How do I know that he won't walk out again? How do I know Paige won't just go and kill herself again?

How do I trust them again? It was easy to trust Luke when he came back. Silena. Beckendorf. That was no problem.

And these are my siblings. We're triplets. Were supposed to be a team. We used to be.

Until Paige killed herself. And Patrick left. And my life fell apart.

As I was walking along, I ran into somebody. Which, in New York, that was normal. I said sorry, but they stopped me.

"It's alright," he told me. He was an older, larger man.."hey, kid—"

I stopped where I was. I didn't even think of the fact that I was crying. That I was just frustrated.

"You alright?" This dude asked me. "You look a little upset. Let me buy you a drink from the cafe down the block. You gotta stay hydrated."

"Oh, no, it's..." I started off. But I mean, I can protect myself. And maybe he was just trying to be nice. He was too old to hit on me or anything. He was my mom's age. "Sure. I like cafes."

We walked into the cafe and he was nice ad bought me a smoothie. When he refused money in return I just left a tip. But we sat down.

"Alright, I'm not therapist or nothing." This random dude told me. "But I know a problem when I see one. I had three kids at one time."

"Had?"

"They were step kids," he explained. "We got divorced. I was a drunk back in those days, though. Don't know why she ever put up with me, bless all of their souls for doing it. But I know a problem when I see one. What's going on?"

"It's..." I shrugged, unsure if he'd ever get it. "Family stuff. I'm a triplet. But when I was little my sister tried killing herself and she went into a coma and we thought she had died so there was a funeral and my brother ran away. My dad was never around. My step dad o the time was kind of an asshole. My mom was never home. And when I met my dad he was a selfish asshole and he still is. He's trying to change and it's not happening. And my sister just got out of her coma this morning and she came home. And my brother suddenly decided to come home and... I mean, I was happy about it. But we were talking and my brother said something about how I'd changed and he didn't seem to like it and I just got pissed off and..."

I paused, taking a drink of my smoothie.

"I don't want to be mad," I tried to explain to him. "I don't want to blame him for anything that happened. And I don't for the most part. A lot of what happened happened because of my dad. But I kind of snapped at him and walked out of the apartment. I'm not sure if he'll be there or not when I get back. I don't know what one would be better at this point."

I got used to being alone. To feeling like nobody really cared about me. To just sucking it up. To keeping my mouth shut. To not having anyone.

Okay, having Nico was weird and I'm now just getting used to knowing that he's there. Knowing that he won't leave just like that. I'm not used to having a commitment like I did with them. A bond. A connection. That kind of shit scares me now. Because what happens when they leave. When they find out they don't actually care.

I'm now getting over that hurdle with Nico, to know that he won't just up and go. I know that he won't be gone when I wake up. And if he is, it's because he had to get something or do something and he left a note or told me the night before.

He learned after the first time he did that without leaving a note... I kind of freaked out. Had a panic attack.

Kind of like what I was doing now. But then it was worse because I thought he was actually leaving.

"Well," he tells me. "This might not be the best advice because I only know what you've told me. But I'd say that you have to trust him. At least enough so that he won't leave again. You have a right to be mad, of course. But talk it over with him. He might feel bad."

He told me he had to leave and I thanked him for the smoothie and the talk. Nico showed up a couple minutes later, worried. But I promised him that I was fine. Just a little frustrated with what's going on.

Gabe

I walked out of the cafe, knowing full well who I just gave advice to.

"Stay strong, Percy." I said after leaving the cafe, glancing in for a moment. A guy had chased him down. A boyfriend, I hope. He deserves someone there for him. Because he's always had trust issues. And Patrick leaving just made that a lot worse. "You're a good kid."

I started to walk towards the address I was given to drop off some stuff for a teacher or something. I don't know, if was a larger order and the guy said it was for teaching.

It took me forty five minutes to track down the place. I walked by it twice and went into the wrong building at least three times. But eventually I got to the right place with the right building and right apartment number.

I knocked on the door, and was answered by a woman.

"Hi," I said, looking down at the papers that needed to be signed. "Is there a Paul—"

I looked up to see her.

"Sally?"