Lost

2

That night I walked home. I took slower than usual, but it's not as if I really had any place to be.

My mother, of course, fussed over me when I arrived home and asked about my day, which I gave a generic answer to.

She seemed satisfied with this as she went back to what she was doing—baking. Ever since I'd come back home she'd started baking nearly daily. My favorites, of course. Although I could barely keep them down.

"Percy, I have to tell you something," my mother said as she placed two cookies on a plate and slid it over to me. I ignored it. "Tonight is Estelle's back to school night. Now, I don't have to go. Paul can go alone with her, but..."

"Go, mom," I assured her. "Please, for me. Estelle needs you. I'll be fine here."

She smiled nervously as she pushed the plate of cookies closer to me. "Are you sure, sweetie? Because I can always stay. Or have someone come over. I could call Chiron, I'm sure he'd come here—"

"I don't need a babysitter."

My mom nodded. "Of course you don't. Just checking. Alright, well, I better be getting ready. Tell me all about your day when I get home, alright? And please do eat those cookies."

She kissed my forehead as she left the kitchen to go get ready. I downed one cookie, which was dyed blue, and stared down at the floor.

Before my mom left with Paul and Estelle she asked for my permission one last time and then almost stayed home. After convincing her again she reminded me to eat the other cookie and left.

The evening was boring, really. I ignored the dinner my mother had left for me in the fridge and sat on the couch and watched mind numbing reality television for what seemed like hours. That always seemed to distract me.

A forceful knock on my door made me spring up from the couch and grab Riptide. Nowadays I always welcomed any monster attack. Chiron called it reckless. I called it distracting.

Without even asking who was there, I swung open the door and before I could see the person, I was hit by a fist.

My face seared with pain as I grabbed my cheek, which was throbbing. The door closed and the person who'd attacked me rushed inside.

"Thalia?!" I demanded as my vision finally returned to me. Thalia Grace, my supposed friend, stood in front of me, holding her wounded knuckle.

She was dressed in ripped jeans, some t-shirt of a band I'd never heard of, a leather jacket, and combat boots.

Her black, choppy hair was dyed several new colors and a sheath of arrows was slung on her back. Her expression was full of rage.

"What the hell was that for?!" I demanded. "And what are you even doing here?!"

Then I noticed thick tears were falling from Thalia's face and my expression lightened.

"So you heard," I said, my voice dropping.

She nodded and wiped the tears from her face, although they didn't stop falling. "H-how could you?! S-she was my b-best friend and now she's g-gone!"

"Believe me, if it could've been me, I wouldn't be here right now!" I yelled. "If I could take her place, I would! If I could die instead, I would!"

Thalia seemed to believe me as she nodded and headed towards my freezer, simply pulling out a bag of frozen peas which she promptly handed to me. "Hold it to your face."

I obeyed her simply because she terrified me, even when she was on the verge of tears. We sat there for a few minutes before she finally spoke.

"When was her funeral?" Thalia asked, peering down at her combat boots. She couldn't bring herself to look me in the eyes.

"Late August," I replied, "right before I left Camp. There was no body, so her shroud was empty. Chiron told me it burned in an explosion. Greek Fire."

Thalia sighed as she rubbed her face as if she were trying to make it go all away. "I didn't know, otherwise I would've gone to it, you know?"

"I know."

We sat there, Thalia awkwardly glancing at me every other minute. My face still throbbed, but, surprisingly, the peas were making it better.

"It was my fault," I admitted, which felt good to say. No one had let me. Not Hazel, Jason, not even Chiron. "I sent her off. She wanted to stay near me, of course, but I told her her help was needed elsewhere."

"I hate you," Thalia said, tears welling in her eyes. "And myself, gods! I came here to punch you, Percy! I came here to yell at you, as if that would bring her back! I'm such an idiot!"

"I hate myself, too, Thalia," I replied. "Every day I can't face myself. "Every time someone tells me it wasn't my fault, I want to scream. Every time people watch what they say around me, ask me how I am, I want to scream."

"I know, Percy," she whispered. "I mean, when I joined the Hunters of Artemis I knew I would see my friends die...see Annabeth die....but I guess I thought I had time. And to not even know about it! Gods...."

The peas had started to melt so I removed them from my face and set them down on the counter. Thalia didn't protest, or seem to even notice.

"Do....do you think she's in Elysium?" Thalia asked weakly, her voice sounding close to breaking.

"Yeah, I think so," I decided while nodding. That was the only thing that had allowed to me actually function. The thought of her in eternal paradise. "And I bet she even made it to the Islands of The Blessed."

Thalia laughed and sat up slowly, her arms crossed against her chest. "Of course she would. She's so perfect, she's probably already the queen there or something."

"That sure does sound like her."

After several more minutes of silence, the door clicked and swung open. My mom, Paul, and Estelle came rushing in.

"Thalia! What are you doing here?" my mom asked as she rushed over to her. "Did you change your hair? It looks so lovely!"

Thalia chuckled as she stood up from the stool. "Something like that. I just stopped by to see Percy."

More like punch me.

A smile erupted on my face and I almost burst out laughing. Even if Thalia admitted that, my mother would never believe her. She loved Thalia for some reason.

Then my mother peered over at me, her eyes widening. "Percy! What's happened to your face?!"

My hand found my bruise again. In the moment I'd forgotten about it.

"Oh, he fell," Thalia said nonchalantly with a shrug. "That's also why your peas are, uh, all like that. You were out of ice."

She nodded, although I could tell she knew Thalia was lying, but she wouldn't pressure us. Not now, at least. "Thalia, are you staying? I could whip you up some dinner!"

"No, Ms.Jackson, you've already been too kind," she said with a smile. Then she patted Estelle on the head. "I love your shirt, Estelle! Lots of glitter, my favorite."

I almost died right there. I thought I'd never hear Thalia say that sentence in her life.

Estelle just giggled and thanked her before running off to go play with her toys.

"I'll see you soon, Percy," she promised as she opened the door. "I swear."

Although Thalia usually kept most of her promises, I didn't believe her. Not one bit.