"Put your cap back on," Percy said. "Get out!"
"What?" I shrieked. "No! I'm not leaving you." What was Percy doing?
"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider - maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."
What was this idiot thinking? He would die instantly. He probably didn't even have a plan. I wasn't going to leave him. Never. He had to stop being such a Seaweed Brain. I knew what was going to happen, even if he didn't.
"But you'll be killed!" I protested.
"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice."
Ugh! He wouldn't be fine. Of course he wouldn't. I glared at him, and a thousand emotions flew threw me at once. I was so mad at him for telling me to leave. I couldn't just let him die. But, there were other reasons why I really didn't want to leave. I would lose him, and any chance of us being more than just friends. He would never know how I yearned to hold him, to touch him. How I fantasized about us. He would die believing I only thought of him as a friend.
Why did it all have to be so hard? Percy was right; we had no choice. We needed to find Daedalus if we were to defeat Luke's Army. I was so angry that a hot tear nearly spilt out of my quivering eye. My hands clenched into fists. I glared at Percy accusingly because for some unknown reason, I was pegging all the blame on him. How could he think I would leave him? The simmering heat probably made my face look redder than it already was. Percy must've noticed my fury, because a sort of worried look appeared on his face. One look at him, and I knew the worry wasn't for himself because it was for me. He was worrying if he had done something wrong to hurt me. Oh, Seaweed Brain, how am I supposed to stay mad at you when you're so sweet? I came to a conclusion. He needed to know how I felt. If he died, who knows what beautiful spirit he would meet in Elysium. At least he would know how I felt. I couldn't let him die without showing him, it would make me feel incomplete, hollow, empty, unsatisfied. So instead of punching him (which I was seriously considering right now), I leaned forward, grabbed his chin, and kissed him.
It was short, sweet, even. But it was enough to let him know. He looked at me like an idiot, gaping and sputtering. That was my first kiss. What a shame it had to be in this situation. But when you're a demigod, you get kind of used to not having enough time or ending things right when they start. My heart beat fast and I was so scared. So scared that Percy would leave me, so scared I would be alone. I'd be small, insignificant and unimportant. Percy made me feel the opposite of all those. Now I was losing him. Way to go, life. Thanks a lot. I hadn't realized that I was still holding Percy's chin. I quickly let go. Eyes brimming with tears, I fingered my hat and looked at Percy for one last time, soaking in his appearance.
"Be careful, Seaweed Brain." I whispered, and remember me if you end up in Elysium.
I put on the cap, seeing my body vanish from my peripheral vision. Without looking any more, afraid I would break down completely, I ran. I tripped over the broken bricks on the floor of the tunnel, running faster than I ever had before. My legs flew out wildly in front of me, trying to get away, to run from the horrible possibility that Percy could die. I spotted the spider on my way and screamed and screamed until my voice was hoarse. When it scuttled out of sight, I continued to shout, letting out all the fright and anger and frustration and worry and all those mixed up emotions I kept bottled inside. I poured it all out, and when I was done, my throat felt raw and I was exhausted. I replaced the screams with sobs, loud heartbreaking wails that would inform every monster within a hundred meters that I was here, weak and torn. The tears exploded out of my eyes and I couldn't stop them. They were a part of me, just like losing everything good, just like Percy.