Hello again, y'all. Welcome back to chapter 1. I'll keep this short because I know that I don't like reading authors notes much. A few songs are mentioned in this chapter, so I'll leave them at the end.
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, or any characters from it. Uncle Rick does, dingnabbit
Percy's POV
"Death Breath! Pinecone Face! Let's go!" I yelled.
"We're coming Perce. We're just not as excited as you." Thalia replied.
It had been five years since I left for Hawaii. It was supposed to be two years, but I enjoyed it so much that I decided to stay until my senior year, which starts next month. As soon as I had gotten there, I met Nico and Thalia. They were the kids of my dad's best friends since childhood, Zeus and Hades. We hit off immediately, and through them I had become one of the most popular kids in my new school. I started working out, and managed to achieve a six pack. That, tied with the tan I had gotten from surfing every day and a height of six foot two, had helped me become the most sought after guy in school, although I always turned girls down that asked me out.
Anyways, it was time to go home. We had just gotten off of our flight to New York, and my mom and Paul were picking us up. Nico and Thalia were staying with me because their dads wanted them to get a taste of the city. They agreed, and here we are!
"Earth to kelp-for-brains! Are you with me?" Thalia asked, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Oh shut up, Thals. Go get stuck in a tree again." I responded. In the first month that I had gotten to Hawaii, Thalia had climbed up and gotten stuck in a pine tree, earning her the nickname Pinecone face.
"Come on, at least she didn't get kelp all over her," Nico argued, referring to the first time I had tried to surf.
I rolled my eyes. Of course Nico would side with Thalia. Three months in to my stay in Hawaii, Nico had asked Thalia out, and I had spent the rest of my time there as a third wheel. "Of course you side with your girlfriend," I teased.
"Seriously, PJ? You're just jealous that I actually have one." Nico smirked.
"Nico, not too loud! I'm still trying to hide my identity!" I quickly replied. Three years ago, I had posted a video on YouTube of me singing a song that I had written. Surprisingly, it had gained popularity and I now spent most of my vacations going on tour. I used the guise of "PJ," and nobody knew who I really was. When I performed I wore a beanie covering my hair and put blue color contacts in my eyes, so nobody knew exactly what I looked like. Only my parents, Nico, Thalia, Grover, Selina, and Beckendorf knew who I really was. I didn't tell Luke and Rachel because, well, things.
My first spring break in Hawaii, I decided to visit New York. I was allowed to go to Goode High, where Luke and Rachel were going for the week. The first day I got there, it turned out that they had forgotten about me.
Flashback:
I opened the door to Goode, to find Rachel glaring at me.
"What?" I asked.
"You fucking bastard. Why'd you give Luke his scar?" She growled.
"Excuse me?" I responded, confused. "Last I checked, Luke doesn't have a scar."
Luke shoved in front of me. "Check again, Jackson." I stared at his scar, remembering him telling me over the phone that he got it from "a fight."
"You believe that? I've been away for almost a year. How could I have given it to him? I thought you were my friends, guys? Come on." I said quickly.
"Sure. 'Friends.' That was middle school, Jackson. We're popular now. Even if you don't go here, we don't need you." Luke sneered. "Even if you try to protest the scar, nobody's gonna believe you. You're a nobody, Jackson. Get out."
I walked out of the school, crying softly. My first friends had left me, just because I wasn't 'cool enough' for them.
End flashback.
After that, I was driven into a state of depression for three months. Nico and Thalia, along with regular video calls from Grover and Selina, managed to get me out of it. What really changed everything was music. I began to write more songs and started to post them on YouTube, until my first hit, Save Myself, was found by Chiron Brunner, a music producer. I managed to fully recover, and here I am.
"You're thinking of them again, aren't you?" Thalia stated, softly. "Come one, Perce, you're better than them. Besides, you've got us and we're not going anywhere."
I smiled softly. "You're right. Let's go get our bags and meet my mom!" I said. "Race you to the baggage claim!"
*Time skip, three weeks*
"Alright New York! I've got one more song for you tonight. Many of you might know that I've been living in Hawaii for the past few years. What y'all don't know is that most of my friends live in New York, and they're here tonight. My best friend, Grover is even playing the bass for me," I yelled into the microphone before pointing at Grover, "And Selina and Beckendorf are backstage handling the tech. This song goes out to them. It's called, Already home."
I had written this song on the plane to New York, and since this was my last concert of the summer, I though it was fitting to sing it.
You say love is what you put into it
You say that I'm losing my will
Don't you know that you're all that I think about
You make up a half of the whole
You say that it's hard to commit to it
You say that it's hard standing still
Don't you know that I spend all my nights
Counting backwards the days 'til I'm home
If only New York wasn't so far away
I promise this city won't get in our way
When you're scared and alone
Just know that I'm already home
I say that we're right in the heart of it
A love only we understand
I will bend every light in this city
And make sure they're shining on you
If only New York wasn't so far away
I promise this city won't get in our way
And when you're scared and alone
Just know that I'm already home
When life takes its own course
Sometimes we just don't get to choose
I'd rather be there next to you
Promise you'll wait for me
Wait for me
Wait 'til I'm home
All I have is this feeling inside of me
The only thing I've ever known
If only New York wasn't so far away
I promise this city won't get in our way
When you're scared and alone
Just know that I'm already home
If only New York wasn't so far away
I will be there every step of the way
And when you're scared and alone
Just know that I'm already home
Just know that I'm already home
I ended the song by looking at the Stolls, Katie, Juniper, Will, and Zoe, whom I had told earlier that day about who I was.
"Alright, guys. Thanks for coming!" I said into the mic before exiting the stage, where everyone was waiting for me.
"Someone get me an Advil." I complained.
Will handed me one and started jumping up and down. "Dude! That was awesome! We knew you were good, but damn!"
"Thanks man, but let's get outta here before I get mobbed."
We exited the building and headed back to Beckendorf's house.
"Oh, guys? I need to tell y'all something. The school I'm enrolled in..." I took a deep breath, "It's Goode."
Travis nervously cracked a smile. "Well, it better be good, we've got PJ going there."
"Seriously, Travis." Katie hit the back of his head. The two had started dating last year, along with Grover and Juniper. "Are you okay, Percy?"
"I'll be fine. I've got Thalia and Nico with me, and Thalia said that her best friends goes there, so maybe we'll actually be able to fit in with a group." I said, grateful for their support.
In truth, I knew it was gonna be hard, but I smiled. "I mean, who won't want to be friends with the great Percy Jackson?"
Nico slowly raised his hand. "Sorry Perce. I've known you for too long."
I threw a pillow at him. "Put your fucking hand down, Death Breath. I don't want your opinipn."
I got a pillow to the face from the other direction. "Watch your mouth, Perseus. I don't want to here you say the fuck word one more time." Zoe laughed.
We spent the rest of the night laughing and throwing pillows at each other, until Nico, Thalia and I took our pickup truck home.
We had one week left before school, and we had to figure out a damn Goode entrance.
Okay, I did it. Sorry if it's a bit rough, I wrote it during multiple car rides. The two songs mentioned are Save Myself, by Ed Sheeran, and Already Home, by A Great Big World.
Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. This is atmywitsend, signing off.