Wasting My Young Years
Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan. If I were, have sure I wouldn't post my fanfics here lol. The title is from the song by London Grammar.
A/N: I've been reading a lot of percabeth fics lately and also I've read again PJO so it's why most of my fics will settle during the first series or pre HoO (at least for now). I didn't have sure how this fic would go through since I started thinking how I'd use the prompt, so this idea just crossed my mind and I decided to give it a try. It got longer than I planned and I'm not sure about the plot itself, but well I like the end mainly.
Feel free to comment/favorite it is appreciated. I'm sorry if there are grammar mistakes. Remember, English is not my first language.
I woke up with the familiar scent of my mom's cookies baking in the kitchen. I smiled cheerfully in just thinking how good those cookies would taste right after the first bite. I didn't realize how hungry I was at such an early hour.
From the window of my bedroom, I knew it was early morning and I should get up and get ready for the last day of school. I felt excited in a way that wasn't normal, at least not for me. For the first time, I had sure I'd finish the school year without getting expelled or put myself in a huge trouble. It was funny because I didn't remember why I've been expelling from every school I'd attended since forever… I knew something very bad happened but I couldn't figure out the reason. That was weird.
I forgot about this thought the moment I entered the kitchen and saw my mom smiling to me. She was beautiful in her work clothes ready for her new job. I couldn't be happier for her knowing how much hard work she did to get her diploma and the position.
"Morning dear", she said to me putting the baking tray full of my favorite cookies on the table. The best thing about those cookies? They were blue. Yeah, I know it's so cool. We happily ate and drank coffee talking about small things like school, her new job, the fact that I needed to clean my bedroom right after I arrived (honestly it didn't make me happy) and if I could finally buy that skateboard I've been desire since the beginning of the school year. I even started working in a part-time job at the café down the street from of our house just to make money for it. My mom has said to me how much it was dangerous and that I should be careful and responsible. I just said I was her most responsible son.
"Hum dear but you're my only son", she didn't hide the laugh in her voice.
"Exactly, that's why I'm the most responsible".
She grinned shaking her head and getting up to wash the dishes, while I clean up the table the best I could, still eating the last cookie. An hour after, she left giving me a kiss on the cheek and wishing me a good day.
I went on my way to school and met my friends at the subway. We were cheerful and noisy, making jokes about what we'd do during the summer or if we'd pass that horrible Math test today. To be honest, just thinking about that test made me nervous because I knew that my chances to pass were minimal. Since my ADD and dyslexia have been part of my life for my misery, I couldn't tell if I did a good job studying. Making things worst, I hated Math the same way I hated English and Literature. Christ, those classes were a torture, but I knew I couldn't fail this time because even though I'd never admit loudly, I wanted to make my mom proud of me and prove that Percy Jackson, the troublesome kid that every teacher hates, could pass in Math and English. Deal with that.
I was quiet in my seat just listening to Adam talking how much he wanted to ask that cute girl from his PE classes to a date when I saw something staring at me. I blinked then a girl probably at my age was looking at me with puffy gray eyes, her messy blonde curls making her appearance wild, and her lips were trembling in a thin line:
"Percy, please don't"
Her voice was sad on the edge of crying. No one was paying attention to us and I had a weird feeling that I was the only one who could see her.
"Who are you? I've never met you before…"
That wasn't totally true, though. For some bizarre reason I had the feeling I knew her from somewhere, but when I tried to force my mind to think what could be, it was as if a big brick wall raised blocking my thoughts. I couldn't pass or climb it for the most I tried.
The girl let some tears fell down on her face and something inside me cracked. Seeing her sad made me want to go to her, hug her tight and stop her tears. Nevertheless, she was gone in the magic way she appeared in front of me.
No one noticed what happened, and I was glad that my friends weren't paying attention to me because I felt bothered and sad for no reason I could tell. Something about that girl was very familiar to me.
After that, I tried not to think about the mysterious girl and instead I concentrate on the classes and final tests. I was trying to put my mind in focus to answer the questions but of course, I was thinking about the girl again. That weird feeling still was there and it frustrated me how much I couldn't understand what happened. Did I start getting paranoiac? Like really crazy? I didn't know what to think.
After the class, I went to my locker to exchange my books for the final hour when someone approached me.
"Hey, Percy what's up?"
I turn to see the face of my locker neighbor, Alicia Crawley. She was smiling as always with her curly black hair in a high ponytail, her lips with a light pink lipstick that made a nice contrast with her cinnamon skin. I had to admit, I've always found her very beautiful and maybe I had a crush on her. We have hung out a couple of times because our friends were the same and we shared some classes together through the year.
Not only she was beautiful, but also, she was very friendly, funny, and good at playing games. She was the nicest girl I've met, not kidding.
"I'm good and you?"
"Fine" she opened and closed her locker quickly, her smile without vanish "I was thinking if you want to go to have some ice cream with me after class?"
I felt an entire gymnastic routine in my stomach. Was she asking me out? Suddenly my mouth got so dry as if I haven't drunk water for days.
"Y-yeah sure".
It was so quickly that after, I thought if it didn't happen. She got closer and kissed my cheek enough for me to blush hard. Then she left for her next class not only before she faced me through her shoulders, her eyes sparkling.
"Good. See you later then".
I stayed a long five minutes glazing to nothing like an idiot. Suddenly, the girl from the subway appeared again in front of Alicia's locker. This time, she wasn't crying, but her face was serious and her mouth tight as her wrists. I jumped scared -I know how brave of me, but I doubt you'd have a different reaction.
"You again!"
"This is what you want to yourself, Percy?"
Her voice sounded like daggers throwing at me. I couldn't understand a word she was saying and sorry, this made me angry. I hate when people talked to me in this tone of voice.
"What the hell do you want?"
Her eyes widened a little so yeah I sounded very angry. I felt bad for that right after. When she spoke again, her voice sounded deep in sadness.
"You need to come back to your life, Percy. This is not your life and will never be. We need you, the world needs you right now…"
I stared at her feeling a lump in the throat. I got sad for no reason. Something inside me was saying "she was right, you know that you idiot".
The girl approached me not leaving my eyes. I'm not that good at understanding people's feelings though I knew she was begging for me to listen to her and do what she said.
"I need you. I need you so badly, I can't complete the quest without you, I can't…" She stopped.
I almost broke the distance to hug her, but she took my hand and squeezed it, some tears threating to go down.
"I can't live without anymore, Seaweed Brain. I'm so sorry if I've treated you bad in the last weeks, but please, please don't leave me. Not now!"
I frowned feeling a lot more confusing. What did she call me?
"You keep saying it but I just can't understand," I said softly. I didn't want to make her cry again. "I mean, how come this is not my life and you keep appearing from nowhere?"
She caressed my face with her free hand bringing a million shocks through my body. It was a pleased sensation, better than when Alicia kissed my cheek.
"This is a trap, a choice to make you confusing, remember? Please try to remember".
I frowned forcing my mind again to pass the wall inside it. Somehow, I succeed and flashes like bad photographs crossed my mind. There was something very wrong going on here, this I could tell.
You know that kind of dreams you have that feel so real but suddenly you thought that everything was a fake? That was what I felt in that moment. However, I still couldn't understand everything and it gave me a headache.
Catching off my guard, the girl hugged me sobbing a little. I hugged her back feeling horrible to the suffering I was causing to her. She didn't deserve this, I knew that.
"If you go with that girl, it will be almost impossible for me to track you again since you made your choice. Your memories will be less about who you are and… You'll be in this reality… Forever. You can't, Percy…"
"Ok, ok. I'm not sure what's going on but I believe you, ok? I'm not going anywhere".
I rubbed her back and let my head rest on her shoulder. She lifted her head and stared at me, a tiny smile playing on her lips. Her eyes were red and her cheeks marked with a path of tears, but even that I thought she was very pretty. Adorable even.
"Good, Seaweed Brain. You need to get out of here. Now".
Right. I know what you're thinking. That was the craziest conversation ever and nothing made sense at all.
Then, she's gone.
In a minute I was hugging her, the next I was alone again in the middle of the school corridor. I swallowed hard. I wanted to run and try to find the girl, no way had she just evaporated like smoke – though I knew that was exactly what happened.
I felt like someone had just punched me in the face twice.
Alicia's hand caressed my shoulder. Her laugh was a beautiful sound in the sunshine of the park. I followed her gaze to the two kids in the swing. I know it can sound tacky, but I was very proud of them screaming to each other and competing who could go highest.
"You love that, don't you dear?"
"Of course" I caressed her locks near her ear. "It reminds me when I was a child".
She gave me her shiny smile. "I can't believe how much they grew up. Seems it was like yesterday we were changing their nappies".
I nodded grinning because of the memories. It was crazy to think how much time has passed. I could tell for now I've had a good life. Back in my school years, I didn't think that I'd be able to go the college, less getting married. It happened though and sometimes I caught myself thinking how I did it.
Alicia got up running to our kids to join the party. I stayed observing them for half an hour until I felt someone sat down next to me at the wood stool.
"Percy"
I turn to the source of the voice and my heart speeded up in my chest. No way, not again after all those years. The girl of the subway and from the school corridor again. She hasn't changed anything – I mean she still was a girl between fifteen and sixteen, while I was almost in my thirty's. I looked to Alicia and the kids quickly to see if they were paying attention to us, but they didn't so I turn back to the girl next to me. Honestly, what the heck I was supposed to say to her?
"You again…"
I couldn't tell what was her expression meant. Her hair shined in the sun making her appearing almost translucent. What was possible that was a trick of my mind again? Since our last encounter, I've assumed that everything was a weird fantasy and moved on. But now what was? Those feelings of knowing her from somewhere I didn't know, to hug her, to caress my hand in her curls, to kiss her… Came back. But damn that was creepy, I mean I wasn't a teenager anymore while she… Well.
"Tell me, this is exactly what you've wanted since you discovered about your roots? I can understand… I want to be normal sometimes, not be a monster radar, a key for a stupid prophecy… Just being young and free".
I didn't dare to say anything so I remained to gaze at her face. She looked at the kids and Alicia playing and back at me again, her eyes full of emotions.
"This is your life if you were normal, Percy. A mortal. You'd never meet me and I'd never meet you".
She pursed her lips as if she was hesitating to say what she wanted. Finally, she murmured:
"I'd never love you and… We'd never be together as we should".
Then something went down in my mind. The wall that was always blocking some thoughts I'd had in the last ten years come to me. The flashes weren't bad photos anymore, they were real and clear like water. I felt the world around me vanishing; disappearing like someone was erasing a board. Before everything fades, I saw a figure of a doorman with two heads looking straight at me. It was disturbing and I could have sure the man was smiling with his two mouths.
The girl took my hand the same way she did years ago, not leaving my eyes while we bore witness the world collapsing around us.
I woke up almost in the dark if it wasn't a bonfire in front of me. My lungs felt tight in my chest and my breath was out of measure. I heard Annabeth coughing next to me also waking up. I just had the weirdest dream of my life and probably I'd struggle to face her again. However, this wasn't the weirdest thing, actually was Annabeth looking with wide eyes. Then and she threw herself into my arms.
"Percy! You came back!"
I hugged her back frowning. No way had she known what happened…. Had she?
"Hum… Yes? Seems so… But Annabeth, how did you…?
She froze in my arms clearly in tension.
"I… Well I guess we exchanged a dream. Together. It's possible since you know the Labyrinth does that kind of things to fool people".
She sounded unsure as if she was trying to convince herself of it.
"That was the most vivid and weirdest dream I've had" I murmured.
Annabeth released me biting her low lip, her eyebrows almost together. Knowing her the way I did, she was thinking hard, her brain working like a machine gear.
"It was very real to me… I almost believed it. I mean…" she sighed "Your mortal life… I thought you'd really stay there forever and would never come back".
"But Annabeth it was a just a dream. Weird but a dream. Right?"
She didn't answer me and instead she stared at the fire. My mind started working to see if I could remember details of the supposed dream – I couldn't remember much, but something crossed my mind.
"It wasn't a dream at all then? We lived it, this what are you thinking?"
Annabeth looked at her hands nervously. "I have a theory but it's too crazy even for the god's standards. I guess it was a parallel reality, something like that".
"Parallel reality?" I asked very confusingly.
"Yes I mean, I've never believed it was possible such a thing since it's just a speculation. Though, yes I guess our dream was that. I've never imagined the Labyrinth could do it".
So Annabeth and I ended up in a supposed parallel reality gods know where, and I almost stayed there until the end of my life. Suddenly, I understood.
"Not only the Labyrinth," I said.
"What do you mean?" She frowned.
"I guess it was Janus making me choose… I remember his words, he said he'd make me choose soon" I sighed frustrated "Though I can't believe he'd come back so sooner".
Annabeth seemed very bothered for something I couldn't point out, I'd say I was too. I mean Janus made me live in a parallel reality where I was just a mortal bloke with a family? Yeah, kind disturbing to think mainly when your best friend was appearing to the so-called parallel reality trying to give you some sense.
"Right… Better not sleep now, I'm not sure if I could. I prefer to stay here, thanks".
"So you really prefer to be a half-blood?" Somehow, she looked at me anxiously.
"Hum yes? It's not like I had a choice at all, but if you ignore the nasty monsters, stupid prophecies and angry gods, it's quite nice to be a half-blood".
I chuckled and I thought Annabeth would laugh too, but she was serious with a strange fear in her face that I've never seen before. She spoke again to the fire, avoiding me.
"The thing is Percy, you could have stayed there forever if you wanted. You wouldn't need to come back to this reality. Not at all. You could be with that girl…" she stopped her voice failed to go on.
My jaw dropped. Ok, I had dealt with many strange things in my life since when I discovered that my dad was a Greek god, but that? It was too much for me. However, it wasn't just that perspective of a normal mortal life that scared me, but this meant I'd never meet Annabeth...?
"You mean… This exactly what happened with the girl from that sci-fi TV show, right?" I began, "She got stuck in another world forever. I don't remember why. Such a sad episode…"
Annabeth couldn't hold her smirk and this was a way better than the fear and concern earlier. I really liked to make her laugh.
Then I remembered something she said to me back at our "dream".
"I'd never love you and… We'd never be together as we should". I said loud. Annabeth gazed at me as if I was from another planet, but suddenly she understood the implication of those words. It was the last thing she said to me before we "wake up".
She blushed and avoided my stare but seriously, I couldn't stop thinking about it. She really meant it or it was just a misinterpretation…? Damn, I've never been good in this feelings business and I guess Aphrodite has just made things worse – she promised me that last winter. Then there was that mortal girl, Alicia. I knew her from school but the only words we exchanged was "hi" and "bye". Very romantic.
Nevertheless, a whole normal life just didn't fit me at all, unfortunately. Maybe in the future, I'll be able to retire or something, if I not get killed before. A long life for a demigod was rare and almost impossible.
"I was trying to bring you back, ok?" Annabeth murmured.
Well… I could be bad in romantic feelings, and I've never known how to do with my own, but I'm not so stupid and Annabeth was bad as me.
Then, I blinked and in a crazy wave of courage, I grabbed her waist, pulled her to me and kissed her. She was shocked first, but she quickly kissed me back, throwing her arms around my neck.
My mind shut down for the most amazing minutes of my life until we pulled apart. We were breathing as if we just arrived from a run. Dude, that was good and I couldn't contain my smile as so did she. Sometimes I forget how beautiful she gets when she's smiling and happy. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.
"I'm glad you brought me back, Wise Girl".
A/N: Thanks for reading. I have to point out that Percy didn't believe demigods could have a normal life until he arrived at Camp Jupiter, to make it clear. Of course, he changed his mind after :) I hope someone got my Doctor Who reference xD