Chapter One

The social worker, Michael, told me that I would have a say in where I would be placed. I figured that meant choosing between being put in the foster system or being emancipated. That's why I gave him a blank stare when he handed me five different brochures, each advertising a different mental hospital.

"I'm not crazy," I said. I had been saying that the entire car ride, but Michael continued to ignore me. I saw the hospital come into view, and swore under my breath. "I don't need to be put in a nuthouse!"

Michael pulled inside the parking lot of the Long Island Sound General Hospital. He parked the car in a reserved spot, and turned the engine off.

"Perseus-"

"It's Percy," I interrupted.

"Percy," he started again. "You need help. You can't just expect to get pulled out of a situation like that and not have to deal with the repercussions."

I folded my arms over my chest and stubbornly turned my body to face the window. "Can't I just see a therapist or something?" I heard Michael sigh, yet again.

"You will be seeing a therapist, Percy."

"You know what I mean."

Michael stayed silent for a moment, and I knew he was trying to find the right words to say. I just wish he would come outright and say it. That he thought I was not strong enough to get over being taken away from my home, from my situation. That he thought I was a flight risk, or even worse, suicidal.

"I know this is the last place you want to be." Michael spoke slowly, and I knew whatever speech he was about to give me, he had given before. "I know you think that you will be fine now, and maybe you will. Maybe after a few weeks we'll see that you are fine and then you can find a relative to stay with, or get put in a foster home, or be emancipated. But until then, we just want you to be in a safe environment with people who are willing to do whatever it takes to help you."

"But I'm fine." I knew I must have sounded downright whiney by this point, but I didn't care.

"You're not, Percy," Michael said. "You're really not."

Michael unlocked the doors and stepped outside. He began walking towards the entrance doors, and looked back when I didn't follow. I contemplated refusing to move, refusing to follow him inside. But I knew that by this point, nothing I could do would change anything.

I sluggishly followed Michael across the parking lot, keeping my head down and staring at my worn Converse. When we got to the front entrance, I folded my arms across my chest again, wondering what my friends would think if they found out where I was.

"By the way," Michael said, opening the door. A blast of cool air hit me as I took a cautious step inside. "The correct term is psychiatric ward."

"Perseus Jackson?" I shifted my body a fraction of an inch, choosing to ignore the doctor standing in my doorway. Michael had left as soon as he checked me in, and I refused to leave my room after that. I could hear the other patients, even with my door closed, and they weren't pleasant. One girl down the hall wouldn't stop laughing, and the boy next door moaned every few seconds. I could hear people screaming from their rooms, others sobbing.

"Perseus." The man sounded impatient. He had been standing at my door for nearly three minutes, persistent to get me to respond. "I know you're awake, kid. You have group in five minutes. It's down in room 205."

I closed my eyes, willing the man to go away. I didn't want to go to group. I didn't want to be surrounded by a group of mentally unstable teenagers who moaned in their sleep.

"For the record," the man said, his voice distant, as if he were walking away. "If you don't show up for group, I'll have to mark it down on your charts and that will only result in you being here longer."

As soon as the man's footsteps disappeared, I jumped out of bed and made my way to room 205.

When I walked into the room, I found a group of teenagers sitting in a circle. At the front of the circle was a middle aged doctor in a wheelchair. It was like kindergarten all over again.

"Ah, you must be Perseus," the man said. He spoke to me in this soothing voice that's normally reserved for infants and puppies. And teenage basket cases. The man made hand motions towards an empty chair, gesturing for me to sit down. "My name is Dr. Chiron. I am the leader of group. I'm glad you could join us; you're just in time." He gave me a friendly smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. I rolled my eyes and plopped down into the plastic chair. The chairs were way too small for any teenager to sit comfortably in.

"Now, Perseus-"

"It's Percy," I snapped.

"-we're going to start out with introductions. Annabeth," Dr. Chiron said, nudging the girl who sat on his left, "why don't you start us out?"

A girl with messy blonde hair looked up. She had been drawing something in a notebook, and shot Dr. Chiron a nasty glare when he said her name. She dropped her book and pen onto the ground and stood up, tugging at the hem of her orange hospital issued shirt. "My name is Annabeth, as Chiron so kindly told you. I just turned seventeen." She spoke in an irritated, monotone voice that made Dr. Chiron sigh.

As Annabeth sat down, another girl stood up. "My name is Hazel. I'm thirteen years old." She spoke in a soft, quiet voice, and was clutching onto a strand of her hair. She gave everyone a polite smile as she took her seat.

Next to Hazel, an Asian boy with chubby cheeks and a big stomach stood up, taking several deep breaths before speaking. "I am. F-Frank. I am f-f-fourteen." He seemed to pause before every word, as if he was forcing himself to speak. He sat down and took more deep breaths, his body shaking slightly.

"I'm Piper." A skinny girl stood up, her voice loud and peppy. She had choppy brown hair and bright eyes that caught your attention. "I'm fifteen and so-so-so happy to be here." Piper's voice was so chipper, I almost thought she was serious, but as she took her seat she rolled her eyes, sharing a smile with the boy who sat on her left.

The boy stood up, grinning. "Hey guys, I'm Leo. I'm fourteen and I gotta say, this place totally rocks. I'm currently trying to find a way to make this place like a permanent living situation, ya know?" He smirked in Dr. Chiron's direction, who groaned under his breath.

After Leo, a tall boy with thick bandages around his wrists stood up. "I'm sixteen and my name is Jason." He sat back down, managing to avoid all eye contact. The skinny girl, Piper, kicked his shin, which caused him to look up and give her a small smile.

I was next. I stood up and looked around the circle. Piper and Leo were making faces at each other, nudging Jason occasionally to get him to smile. Hazel sat with her hands in her lap, one foot tapping against Frank, who was still taking deep breaths. Annabeth was drawing on her arm. The only person paying attention was Dr. Chiron, and even he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

"My name is Percy and I am sixteen." My voice sounded even deader than Annabeth's, earning me a look of disapproval from Dr. Chiron.

"Alright everyone." Dr. Chiron clapped his hands together, getting our attention. "Today we're going to talk about love. I know, I know, you guys are teenagers and having a boyfriend or girlfriend is probably all you think about. But I want to talk about unconditional love."

I audibly groaned. Dr. Chiron chose to ignore me, but the rest of the group let out a few snickers.

"I want all of you to think of one person who loves you unconditionally. It could be anyone, a parent, a sibling, a friend." This time is was Annabeth who groaned, but she did it so quietly, I was the only one who heard. I let out a breathy laugh in her direction, catching her eyes. She gave me an eye roll and went back to drawing on her arm.

Dr. Chiron had everyone share their person. Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper chose their dads, Frank chose his grandmother. Jason chose his sister, and Leo chose Piper, which earned him a punch in the shoulder and a smirk.

"Percy, it's your turn to share," Dr. Chiron pressed. I sat up a bit more in my chair and looked Dr. Chiron right in the eyes.

"My dog."

"Your dog, Percy?"

"Yes. He is loyal and caring and is always there for me. He has shown me unconditional love since he was a puppy, and is the only one I can confide myself to." Dr. Chiron smiled, pleased with my answer. I smiled back, gripping my arms tightly around my chest.

I didn't have a dog.

"Honestly, Dr. Chiron's sessions are a joke," Piper said. Said doctor's group had ended just minutes before, but none of the other kids made any means to leave the room. At the beginning of group, I had thought of nothing but retreating to my room as soon as the clock struck eleven. But I decided against it for two reasons. One, I had absolutely nothing to do but sit in silence (there was no TV for games or even books in there), and two, the other kids in group were pretty interesting. Once I got past the "they're all crazy" factor, of course.

"I thought it was really great," Hazel said. "I think everyone should acknowledge that they have people who love them in their lives." Hazel spoke softly, her lips upturned in a sweet smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Hazel Levesque, the only kid in this entire joint who enjoys Chiron's therapy sessions." Leo gave Hazel a slow clap.

"C'mon Leo, you can't hate the girl for being uncorrupted," Piper replied. Piper, Leo, and Jason all sat in a cluster of chairs, Piper's legs sprawled over Jason's, and Leo's head resting in Piper's lap. They looked like they were best friends, not inmates of an asylum.

"Do you guys want to play a game?" Hazel asked. She crouched down next to a giant cupboard and began digging through a pile of games. Piper and Leo joined her, and they eventually decided upon Twister. They shoved aside the chairs and set up the game in the center of the room. The rest of the group made their way over to the game, arguing over who had to be spinner.

"Hey, Percy, you playing?" Leo shouted. I shook my head. I didn't want my shirt to ride up, or for anyone to see the backside of my arms, the side that was currently held against my chest.

"You're no fun!" Piper said, but they didn't press me any longer.

"You know, Dr. Argus is gonna put bad marks down on your chart for not playing." I spun around in my chair and found the snarky girl, Annabeth, sitting in the seat next to mine. She made a hand gesture to the orderly observing our room, who was jotting down notes on a clipboard.

"What do you know?" I shot back. "Maybe he's noting down that you're not playing."

"While I'm not playing, I am socializing with a newbie, which should earn me extra points." I turned away from Annabeth. She continued to try to get me to talk, but I tuned her out. Eventually, she joined the group for a new game, and every time I glanced her way, she'd glare.

After six rounds of twister, I was bored. I stood up, glimpsing at the group. Frank, who was the spinner, sat on the ground next to Hazel, who must've been out, as they cheered the rest of the group on. Annabeth was trying to squeeze her arm through Leo and Jason, who were practically laying on top of each other. Piper, whose leg was snaked around Annabeth's, was laughing so hard, she almost tipped over. I didn't understand how kids who were stuck in a mental hospital could be so happy.

Dr. Argus raised an eye at me as I left the room, but made no comment. I walked down the hallway and into my room, and turned off all the lights. The room had no door, so that was the only way I could have a bit of privacy. I rolled my gray sweatpants up to my thigh and ran my fingers over the words written on my skin.

Rachel used to cover her skin in marker, drawings of city skylines and trees and flowers. The marker never seemed to wash off, so one day I asked her about it. She had demonstrated her method of using sharpie, baby powder, and hairspray to create temporary tattoos. I allowed her to give me one. She had written a poem just above my knee. That was nearly two weeks ago.

I follow the birds, they guide the way, fluttering, flying, upwards through shafts of light.

Rachel was the only one I ever told. And that's how I ended up in the psychiatric ward. I used to think I knew what trust was, but now I'm not so sure.

"Percy, it's time for lunch." The voice of the doctor jolted me awake. I had been sitting on the window ledge, watching the cars on the highway, and had fallen asleep.

"Do I have to go?" I complained. The doctor folded his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow in my direction. "Guess I do."

I walked a few steps behind the doctor as he led me to the cafeteria. All the other rooms were empty. Everyone was already eating. The doctor stopped when we got to the cafeteria doorway, turning around so he faced me.

"Now, lunch is from now until 1:30. After lunch there are arts and crafts, games, and music in the front rooms." He paused and flipped through the papers on his clipboard. "At 3:40 you have you have a counseling session. My name's Dr. Poseidon. I'm your personal psychologist. Please meet me in room 208 at that time." He gave me a warm smile and walked away.

I entered the cafeteria with hesitancy. I looked around at all the tables and noticed that everyone had their own group of friends. All the skinny blondes sat together, all the nerdy boys sat together, all the kids with weird piercings and tattoos sat together. It was basically high school but with crazy kids.

I got my plate of food and made my way to an empty table in the back. I got a few stares, but thought nothing of it. I just hung my head down and picked at my mac and cheese.

"What are you, like antisocial or something?" I lifted up my head and was greeted by all six members of my group.

"Leo, if he was antisocial he'd be a murderer or something. Do you mean introverted? Reclusive?"

"Oh my God, Hazel, you take everything seriously."

"I just don't want you to hurt anyone's feelings!"

Piper rolled her eyes at her friends' bickering and took a seat next to me. The rest of the group followed her in suit. "Don't give us that look, Percy," she said.

"What look?" I asked.

"You know what look. We're doing this for your benefit, so be grateful." I furrowed my brow, completely confused. "We know you just wanna get outta this place, right?" I rolled my eyes.

"The doctors are never gonna give you a clean bill of health if you sit by yourself," Leo said, spooning mac and cheese into his mouth.

"Or refuse to talk," Piper said.

"Or eat," Hazel added.

I looked down at my untouched plate of food. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and glared at the group. "I don't want to sit with..." I trailed off, unsure what to say. I didn't want to sit with a bunch of mentally disturbed teenagers? That sounded offensive.

"You don't want to sit with a group of mentally ill teenagers, right?" I glanced to my left where Annabeth sat. "Guess what? You're one of us." She lifted up her hand and shoved her white medical I.D. bracelet in my face. "We're all wearing the same wristbands and shirts and sweatpants. It's like we're in a cult or something." She glared at me, or maybe it was just her natural expression because she always seemed to look ticked off.

Hazel, who was sitting across from me, smiled warmly. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, her hair tucked behind her ears. She looked a lot younger than thirteen. And she looked so sweet and happy. I wondered what happened to put her in a place like this. "So, why don't you tell us about yourself? Do you like books? I have a ton in my room if you wanna borrow any. It can get pretty boring here."

I shook my head no. "I'm dyslexic. Reading is like my arch nemesis."

"That's probably a good thing," Leo chipped in. "Hazel just reads girly romance novels and poetry."

"Leo," Hazel whined.

"Love ya, Hazel."

"Do you like video games? Movies?" Piper asked. She hadn't touched her food, but clutched a water bottle in her hand. "Jason has a ton of those that we can use after dinner." I shrugged.

"Do you like anything?" Annabeth said. She reached over me and took Piper's cookie from her plate. She took a bite and continued. "C'mon, there has to be something." I shrugged again.

"Why aren't you eating?" Leo asked, kicking my shin from under the table.

"Yeah, why aren't you? Are you anorexic? Piper is," Annabeth said.

"Annabeth," Piper snapped. "You don't just tell people that."

"Oh, like he didn't already guess."

"You're such a prude," Piper said. "But really, if you are anorexic, you should at least make it seem like you're eating. If you don't, who knows how long you'll be in here."

"Can boys even be anorexic?" Leo mused.

"Leo, you really need to think before you speak," Hazel chided.

"Yeah, bimbo," Piper said.

"Isn't a bimbo a girl?" Jason asked. Piper nodded.

I laughed, and the rest of the group joined in. We were all grinning from ear to ear, and if you took away the hospital garb, we would've looked like a normal group of teenagers.

"So, Percy, how are you feeling?"

"Amazing. The attire the hospital provides, gosh it's amazing. I can't believe it hasn't been on the runways yet."

"Percy, be serious."

"I'm extremely serious. Can't a guy appreciate florescent orange t-shirts and gray track pants?"

"Have you felt more or less tense since being removed from your home?"

"Again, I feel amazing, but it probably has something to do with those happy drugs you've had me on."

"Do you think being removed from your home was for the better?"

"I dunno. I had this sick baseball card collection going on, and I'm having a really hard time parting with it."

"Would you have handled your situation in any other way?"

"I'd been planning to hijack a car and drive to like, Cambodia or something, since I just got my license, but I'm really good at procrastinating, so it wasn't gonna happen any time soon."

"Do you feel safer here than you did before?"

"Considering you have three orderlies stalking every room, yes I feel safe, but slightly violated. I mean, there aren't doors on the bathroom stalls."

"How do you feel?"

"Man, you've asked me that three times! Are you sure you don't have brain damage or whatever?"

"Perseus."

"It's Percy."

"I'm aware of that. Percy...honestly, how do you feel?"

"Good."

"Good. And why is that?"

"It's 4:30. My time is up."

"I will see you tomorrow."

"Are these gonna be daily things?"

"I'm afraid so."

A/N: For the purpose of this story, none of the characters, except for Hazel, are going to have any of the gods as their parents.

- Lillie