We Olympians (A Percy Jackson AU) || BOOK 1

Chapter 22 || Percy

Twice. Twice he was told by his two former best friends that he was shit. The moment Thalia was gone, Percy broke. He wanted to hug her so bad. To hug Annabeth so bad. To be friends with them would be the dream to Percy. But the thoughts of Mark, Ethan, Luke, and Kronos, as well as Gaea and her weird sons... it was frightening. Filling his nights with horror. 

He could fight, yes. But his friends couldn't. They weren't trained. And Percy wasn't lying about the fighting club. Nah, he went there to box it out with Clarisse all the time. He smirked when he saw her red hoodie peeking out from behind the hall. Percy had pranked her last week and she was obviously going to get him back. He was ready.

The moment he sensed her presence behind him, he whirled around, catching her arms before she could perform a wedgie.

"Aw!" she whined. "Let me give you a wedgie, Prissy!"

"Shut the f**k up." Percy rolled his eyes. "You aren't giving anyone a wedgie today. And I can't believe I'm literally going to as you for this, but I need advice that you can't screw up."

"Who says I can't?"

"It'd literally ruin everything and cause Kronos to literally destroy us before Gaea goes in and gives us all a wedgie."

"Alright," Clarisse said. "But let's go somewhere that's not school. Breathing in the fumes of pity is making my brain woozy."

"The school doesn't allow smoking." Percy frowned.

"Yeah." Clarisse gave him a look. "Ice cream?"

"Sure." Percy felt his heart seem to pump a little slower as a tingling feeling spread in his stomach. "I know a good place."

The two of them got in Percy's blue Bugatti Chiron, taking off.

"You know," Clarisse said as they drove. "I'm surprised no one's tried to rob our cars yet."

"I know," Percy laughed. "Are the robbers clueless as to which cars are expensive?"

The moment they got to the ice cream parlor, memories came flooding back to Percy's mind. He could see Thalia, Annabeth, and Nico inside, eating ice cream.

"Do you wanna take it to go? Eat in the park?" he asked as they approached the door.

"Yeah," Clarisse shrugged. "And sorry about not being there the other day for the fight. Chiron wanted me."

"It's okay," Percy said. "We had enough people anyways."

They opened the door and Percy saw all three heads swivel over to him. Honestly, he wished they didn't do that. It was uncomfortable as heck. Clarisse rolled her eyes, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

"They look at you like you're a god. And you're the last person I'd expect to be a god!"

"Oh, shut the f**k up, bitch," Percy joked.

Yep. Percy and Clarisse, when it came to joking around, didn't shy away. They'd call each other names, tell each other insults, do anything to damage each others' egos. Well, it was all for fun, so no egos were actually damaged.

"No you, you dumbass," Clarisse retorted.

"Look who's talking," Percy scoffed, turning to order. "Hi, can I have one cup of blue cotton candy ice cream--"

"And one coffee ice cream," Clarisse said.

"Don't need to be rude, Clarisse." Percy handed the cashier his credit card.

"Don't need to be stupid, Prissy."

"Stupid? Your face is stupid!"

"That's a comeback for a fifth grader!" Clarisse shot back.

"Yeah, right, you didn't even go to fifth grade."

"Well you were poorly taught in fifth grade."

"Why don't you just shove your head up your mother's ass so we don't have to worry about you anymore?"

"Why don't you go back to your old friends so we don't have to deal with you anymore?"

Clarisse didn't know that she was crossing the line, but Percy's look must've told her. The ice cream cups were ready and Clarisse sighed.

"Sorry, Prissy."

"You should be," he responded like he always did, grabbing the two cups.

The two people walked out of the ice cream shop, walking towards the park. Sitting down, they began to eat the ice cream in awkward silence.

"You know I didn't mean it--" Clarisse started when he didn't say anything, but Percy cut her off.

"No, I know you didn't. We do this all the time. It's just... they bring back memories. And you know I can't be friends with them. I'll literally put them in danger."

"I'm guessing this is what you want my advice for?" Clarisse sighed, spooning her beige ice cream into her mouth.

"Was it that obvious?" Percy sighed, putting more blue creaminess into his mouth.

"After you said that line about your friends... yeah. Listen, Prissy."

"It's Percy."

"Fine. Percy. You can't continue blaming yourself for things that happen. Yeah. Luke broke in and literally killed so many of us. So? It wasn't like you helped plan it!"

"But I trusted him--"

"We all trusted him!" Clarisse interrupted. "Shouldn't that mean everyone blames themselves? No! You need to stop being such a dumbass and start realizing you're more protection than danger."

"You know they want to get to me, Clarisse," Percy said quietly. "They'll stop at nothing to get me on their side or to kill me. I don't want my friends getting caught up in it--"

"So why are you friends with us?" Clarisse cut in. "Why? If you think you're so dangerous why do you even stay in the house? Why do you go on missions if you think that you'll harm anyone you get close to?"

"To save the world--"

"If you think you're gonna do danger to your friends why are you trying to save the world? Your friends and the world exist together, Percy. If you're an Olympian, you don't have to ruin your life for it. If you did, I'd tell you to quit... but then they'd probably kill you."

Clarisse's words sunk in. It was true. Percy did hang out with the rest of his friends a lot. They were practically siblings.

"But they're normal." Percy said. "If I go anywhere near them, they'll be targeted. And if they were targeted, they'd hate me forever. I'd hate myself."

"Percy I am full on serious when I say this. If they hate you for wanting to love them... they're not your real friends. And if you hate yourself for wanting to be happy... you're gonna kill yourself before the enemy can kill you or them."

"So...?"

"You don't have to do it immediately and you don't have to take my advice. But just like more people need to learn to put everyone else before themselves... you need to learn to put yourself before others. Because at this rate, you're treating yourself like shit."

Silence as the two friends stared at their empty ice cream cups. Only then did Percy realize he had cried slightly. Clarisse noticed his tears. She glared at him, but sighed.

"Just this once, Prissy."

She pulled him in and Percy cried into her shoulder. As hard as Clarisse tried to pat his back in an act of "punching", it ceased as it slowed to soothing rubs.