Percy Jackson is a girl?!

Chapter 17

   Percy's POV

   The hunters stayed for a one day more, but had to go meet Lady Artemis. We gave our goodbyes and were about to get back down the hill when a satyr came running from outside camp. He was breathless when he got over to us.
   "Help!" He cried. "There's... a... demigod! The... other... side of... the hill! Unconscious!" He said between shaking breaths.
   Annabeth and I ran towards where he was pointing to find a boy around our age laying on the grass. He was hurt and unconscious, but thankfully breathing. His dirty blond hair was splattered against his forehead and there was a pile of golden dust beside him.
   "Perce, help me get him up and take him to the Blue House!" Annabeth was crouching down next to him.
   "Alright." I nudged his arm:
   "Hey, bro! Wake up! Can u try to stand?"
   He lazily opened his eyes and gave a small nod.
   Annabeth and I helped him stand and took him slowly into camp.
   When we got to the Blue House, I gave him a cup of nectar while Annabeth went to call Chiron.
   As soon as he took a sip, a small smile crawled it's way up his face.
   "That's really good!" He said licking his lips. "Can I have some more? I'm feeling so much better now."
   "Uhm, you better not." I laughed taking the cup away from him. "Unless you like the idea of burning to death."
    "Not really" He chuckled.
    "So, what's your name?"
    "Jake. Jake Williams." He coughed and laid back in bed. "What about you?"
    "I'm Percy. I wish we could have met in a better situation." I said as I cleaned the blood on his face.
   "Nah, that's just perfect." He laughed.
   "Sure." I rolled my eyes, laughing.
   "Hey, I really like your hair. Pretty interesting." He pointed to my blue streaks.
   "Why, thank you, hehe. I'm flattered." I smiled. "But anyway, how did you get to here?"
   "I came with my satyr friend all the way from Nevada. We were almost passing through the barrier when a dracanae got us, and, well, you know the rest."
   "Wait, you already know about being a demigod, and satyrs, and camp, and everything?"
   "Yeah, my mother told me long ago, she's clear sighted, but I still didn't want to leave her alone there, so I didn't want to come. That is, until I started attracting too many monsters. Then I thought better to come here."
    "Well, I guess you can skip the orientation film, then."
   "There's an orientation film?"
   "I think so. But I never watched it either." I chuckled.
   I heard the sound of footsteps as Chiron got in.
   I explained to him what Jake had told me. Apparently he didn't have any big bruises, so he would be good by dinner time, when hopefully he would be claimed.
   As soon as he got good enough to walk, Annabeth and I gave him a quick tour around camp before heading to the pavilion.
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.
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"So, here's the mess hall, and that's the Hermes cabin" I pointed to the one where the Stolls were. "You'll be staying there until you get claimed by your godly parent."
"How long will it take?"
"It depends on how lucky you are" I said. "But trust me, the Hermes cabin is pretty cool. But keep your things to yourself" I chuckled.
"Alright. Did it take you long to get claimed?"
"About a week, I think."
"And who is your godly parent?" He asked.
"Poseidon. The ocean dude."
"That's cool. And it suits you" He laughed.
We were interrupted by the horn.
"Well, time to eat. See ya soon." I said as I went to my table.
"You eat alone?"
"Yeah. I'm the only demigod child of Poseidon, so, yeah."
"That seems kind of boring. Do you want me to seat with you?" He asked promptly.
"Nah, thank you. That's against our rules." I frowned. "Kind of stupid if you ask me, but still a rule."
"Okay then. See ya" he to the Hermes cabin.
I was halfway through my lunch when I heard lots of "wows" coming from around the hall. Everyone was pointing to a symbol floating over someone's head. Jake's head.
He seemed really confused as he inspected the slowly fading golden lyre.
"What's that? What does it mean?"
"You've been claimed, bro" Travis said, nudging his arm.
Chiron stepped forward.
"Yes, you have indeed. All hail Jake Williams, son of Apollo."
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.
.
"What do you mean new classes, Chiron?" I asked the centaur as we walked.
"I mean exactly what I said. You'll start new classes with the Apollo cabin today."
"But why?"
"Piper and Annabeth told me about your new knack for singing, so you better train this. Plus, you've been having lots of free time lately." He said eyeing me. Why couldn't those two keep quiet?
"But I'm not sure if even want to learn how to sing or whatever."
"Just do it Percy. Try something new. It'll be good for you."
I preferred not to mention I've been dealing with an awful lot of new things recently as I headed to the Apollo cabin.
   There was a satyr giving the lesson about chords, tune, pitch and so on and so forth. Austin came to sit by my side.
   "So Perce. They said you can sing, huh? For some reason I don't think so" he teased me.
   "You underestimate me, my friend. I can be pretty good if I want to." I winked.
    It was true. In fact, I was never a bad singer. I used to sing with my mom at home and we would get together as she played the piano and I followed with my voice. She taught me to like music. But I never really sang in front of my friends. I don't know why, I guess I just never felt comfortable doing so. I was afraid they'd mock me. So when they eventually asked me to sing, I pretended I sucked. It was actually funny. They didn't expect anything from me after that.  But something changed that night of the slumber party. I wanted to do something that linked me to the real me. To the old me. Something that didn't change.
    Then it came the time to test out pitches and voices. There were other people there and they went first. I noticed that Jake was there too. I got really curious when he stepped into the stage. Was he good? He is a son of Apollo after all.
   Oh yeah. Definitely good, I thought as he sang. And he seemed like he enjoyed it so much that he made us enjoy hearing his singing.
   When Austin said it was my turn, I felt suddenly so self conscious. Everyone there was great, and the only experience I've had on singing are the times I sang with my mom. I was never really shy, but when I was supposed to start singing, I couldn't make my voice come out. Everyone was staring at me and I started to panic.
Jake looked me in the eyes and gave me a reassuring smile.
"Go on!" And gave me a thumbs up. Austin also encouraged me to start.
I breathed deeply and started singing an old song. One that made me think of home.
I kept my eyes half closed and I could feel the usual calm feeling that came with the tune. For a second, I forgot everything, where I was and what I was doing. It was just me and the music.
I stretched the last note for a few seconds and people clapped. I got back to my seat and it was time for Jake to pat me on my back.
"That was incredibly beautiful." He said with a smile that I was starting to like more than I would ever admit as he sat by my side.
"T-thanks" I scowled at myself for stuttering. Dam. "You were awesome as well. Your voice is beautiful" what did I just say?! I felt an uncomfortable blush crawl its way up my cheeks. "Uh- I mean, your singing is pretty good... yeah. You're nice."
"Thank you" he chuckled. "I guess it has something to do with my father. But you. Oh my, you're just naturally incredible. No godly powers for singing." He said as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Not so sure about that." I said, remembering what Annabeth had said to me. "It might have something to do with mermaid abilities or something."
He looked me up and down. "Well. You'd definitely be the most stunningly beautiful mermaid I've ever seen in my whole life. You've got the perfect mermaid hair too."
I felt my blushing intensifying and I had to look away. Stupid girl hormones!
"You've never even seen a mermaid." I laughed slightly.
"I'm looking at one now."
I was about to give a lame retort on how I wasn't even a real mermaid when the satyr began explaining some singing exercises.
We were supposed to divide into pairs and I ended up with Jake. Apparently we'd be singing together for the next couple of days.
Everyday we'd try new sorts of duets and it was actually pretty cool.
When we gave our first shot, Austin came to tell us that our voices blended together perfectly. Jake grinned at me.
"We're made to sing together, mermaid"
"Sure" I laughed.
   Truth is I was liking a lot to sing with him. He was funny and made me laugh each five minutes or so.
   At my bed that night I realized that this was my favorite lesson with the Apollo cabin.
   .
   .
   .
   "So guys," Austin said to us both. "Tonight at campfire, that is of our responsibility, we're gonna do something different. Can you sing a duet tonight?"
   Jake looked at me as if asking for a permission to say yes.
   We'd reached this sort of silent communication the last couple of days, in which he knows what I'm gonna say just by looking at me, same for me. After all, we've been singing together for the last week, and it's a surprisingly great way of bonding people. I could easily say that Jake was one of my favorite friends in camp now.
   I nodded my head, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach at the thought of singing in front of the whole camp.
   "Nice! It'll be awesome!" Austin exclaimed.
   .
   .
   .
   "No way dude!" I said to Austin when he told me the song we were supposed to sing. Jake had left for sword practicing and we were alone in the Apollo cabin.
   "What's the matter? Afraid?"
   "No! But that's a super girly song! It's like burning all the dignity I have left!"
   "Don't think of it like that, it's just about matching the voices, deep and high, manly and girly. And, like it or not, you're the girly voice in the equation."
   I sighed rolling my eyes.
   I've been a girl for almost two weeks already, but that doesn't mean I was ready to embrace it all. I don't really want to. I've continued to search for solutions with Annabeth every day, but all hope has been slowly fading away and the search was beginning to fall behind other everyday worries. It was becoming less of a priority. For some reason I haven't been hanging out with Jason and Leo as much as I used to. Things are so different and the changes are scaring me. The lessons at the Apollo cabin at least give me a chance to escape it all.
   "I might as well give up any hope of getting back my manhood." I said sighing again.
  "C'mon, cheer up bro. I know it's weird but try to do it. Your voice is the most suiting for this specific song." He said.
   "Okay okay. But that still hurts my pride." I  half laughed.
   .
   .
   .
   "So you don't want to sing?" Annabeth asked me as we walked through the strawberry fields.
   "It's not that I don't want to... But it's still so unnerving. I mean, I would be singing the girl part of a love song. That's weird..." I sighed.
    I've been confiding a lot with Annabeth lately. She's still my best friend obviously, and she's the only one I trust to talk about all this stuff. All these changes. Our friendship dynamic is different than before, surely. Really different. And that's also strange for me.
   I usually saw pairs of girls sharing their secrets as normal best friends would, confiding with each other. I thought it was weird. Boys don't usually have heart to heart talks with their friends. I started doing this girl confiding thing sooner than I thought I would though. Way sooner.
   "It doesn't really mean anything. It's all kind of fake, just singing." She reassured me. "Relax and just do it" she patted my arm. "And enjoy it! It'll be nice."
   "Don't you feel even a little bit uncomfortable?" I asked her. Because I sure was.
   "Maybe a little bit. But it doesn't matter. We have to get used to this, Percy." She looked me in the eyes. "We have to."
   I knew she was right. I had to accept this. But at the same time, I didn't want to. I wasn't ready to leave it all behind.
   "Yeah." I nodded, keeping my feelings to myself this time. I would try to enjoy it. And not think about the mock comments I would get from the boys after that.
   .
   .
   .
   "You'll be great, mermaid. Don't be nervous."
Jake said, as he grappled my hand in a sign of reassurance. The touch sent a weird chill down my spine.
   "Yeah, it'll be cool"
   We prepared to start as everyone took a seat around the fire.
   Austin played the first tunes with his guitar and Jake started the song. (A/N the song is Lucky, by Jason Mraz, if u wanna listen while reading ;))

"Do you hear me, I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky oh, my, baby, I'm trying"

I took a deep breath, swallowed my pride and locked my eyes with his.

"Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel you whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard"

He smiled at me and we mixed our voices in the air.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I wait for you I promise you, I will

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday"

Jake had a glint in his blue eyes as he sang, and I couldn't help but grin when he restarted alone:

"And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music, feel the air
I put a flower in your hair"

Then my turn:

"And though the breeze is through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keep spinning round
You hold me right here right now"

He stood at my side for us to sing the last verses. He sang with an inspiring passion and for a second we were all that mattered, and I couldn't even focus on my problems with Circe nor anything else anymore. I haven't really focused on it the last week. This new friendship and singing bonding with Jake made me realize I hadn't lost everything after all.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh"

People clapped and we smiled as we sat back down. The camp songs restarted and the campfire was brighter than ever.
"You sounded awesome" he muttered in my ear, leaning toward me a little.
"Thank you. You were awesome too." I smiled.
"I love singing with you, you know?" He asked, now looking at my eyes.
"It's pretty incredible. You're the best partner I could ask for." I responded truthfully.
"You made me feel so at home here at camp." He continued. "Every time we're together I feel something boiling inside of me. Percy, you're my best friend here and sometimes I just-" he stopped mid-sentence. "I don't know how to describe it, but you're not like the other girls. I feel like I can be myself with you and I love it."
My heart was beating fast and I realized that this little talk turned out to be a lot deeper to him. I was afraid of where exactly he was trying to go with this, and I suspected it had something more to do than just our partnership.
    "It's just, I like you so much"
   He reached his hand to my face, fingers brushing my cheeks and I couldn't muster the strength to pull away. He leaned closer and closed his eyes.
   My mind went blank as he parted his lips, now mere inches away from mine.

   A/N
   Yeah, I've been really shitty on updating and I'm so sorry! I don't know if I was able to create the right "vibes" for this chapter as I wanted to, and it took me so long to finish it and I'm still not sure if it turned out nice enough...
   Anyways, as always, I really hope you enjoyed it!
   For the next chapters, I want you guys to know that I have two different lines I'd like to follow with this story, so I'll probably create two alternative endings from now on. And I'll try to make it faster than last time (sorry about that again 😬)
    Also, I'd like to thank you all for the comments and votes, they warm my heart every time and keep me going on with this <3
   And kind of out of topic, I wanted to tell you guys that I have this art acc on instagram where I post some pjo (and other fandom or non fanart too) art that I draw, and it would mean the WORLD to me if you could check it out and maybe give it a follow :3 the insta is @colorsofcharcoal
   Love y'all and I'll try to update as soon as can <3