The Player's Proposal

25a: The Last Day

Percy POV

Okay. Here's a rundown of the worst day of my life.

It started like any other day. Gabe was passed out on the couch as I quietly made myself breakfast. I settled on a simple bowl of cereal today. As I was pouring the cereal into the bowl, my hand slipped.

The bowl clanged on the floor loudly, and I froze. My breath hitched as I heard stirring from the living room.

A loud shout reverberated through the apartment. Gabe stormed into the kitchen and grabbed me by the shirt. I nearly gagged at his morning breath. Rotten teeth and rancid stench exploded in my face.

"It was an accident, Gabe."

"Accident or not, you need to be punished," Gabe shouted in my face. Then, he shoved me against the stove. The gas buttons roughly jammed into my hip. A bruise was inevitable.

"When are you going to stop making mistakes, boy?" he snapped. "I guess I haven't given you a proper lesson."

"Gabe, I'm gonna be late for school. It'll be suspicious," I tried. He was standing a few feet away, and I was frantically trying to get out of a morning beating. Those were the worst.

Then, his hand went into my hair. Tears stormed in my ears as he dragged me towards the dining table. "Lay down," he commanded.

I massaged the back of my head while laying on the table. My heart hammered as I watched Gabe's actions. He left the room before coming back with a pack of green bottles.

The box wasn't opened yet.

"Hands to your side. Clutch the table if you have to," Gabe ordered.

I swallowed my nerves as I clenched the edges of the table. I stared at the ceiling as Gabe opened the pack of beers. I didn't know what he was planning until it happened.

Gabe lifted the first bottle above me and dropped it. The tin can (filled with fluid) crashed into the right side of my chest. Hard.

I groaned while coughing out.

"I SAID DON'T MOVE," Gabe shouted as he dropped another can. It hit at the same location. He repeated the procedure with all six cans.

By the end, water clouded my vision.

Imagine how much it hurts when you drop a bottle on your foot. Now, translate that pain onto your ribs. I didn't even want to look at the bruising on my chest, specifically my right ribs.

Gabe smiled wickedly before leaving. I didn't dare move until he was gone.

It took several groans to pull myself off the table. I clutched my chest while drinking some water. Pain shot through my frontside with each gulp. Since I lost my appetite, I grabbed my backpack before walking out of my apartment.

The drive to school helped to distract me. I got lost in my thoughts, which helped ignore the pain in my chest.

Today was the last day of Annabeth's and my proposal.

At midnight, I would be declared the winner because I made it three months without having sex.

Even after I win the proposal, I wasn't going to force Annabeth to sleep with me. I was on board if she wanted to, but I wasn't going to force her into anything. My mother raised me better than to ignore consent. Being comfortable with your partner was important even in one-night stands. Consent is important.

As soon as Grover saw me, he knew that I was in pain. I was used to seeing the worry in his eyes. Sometimes, I feel bad about how concerned he gets. My best friend shouldn't have to feel pain because of me.