Ten-Years-Old

Jason Grace was confused. Their teacher, Mr. Buchanan, was talking, and he was trying to listen, he really was, but his ADHD was kicking in and all he could think of was how shiny his desk was now that they had cleaned them. Looking back up at the whiteboard meant being confused and he really didn't feel like being confused so staring out the window it was.

"I'm not good with numbers," is what he told people whenever they asked him about his problems with numbers and math in general. "I just can't do numbers."

"Never say you can't do something," his father had told him multiple times. "You can do anything if you put your mind to it." Jason had scowled at him.

Multiple times.

Because usually after any of these talks, Hera would breeze in asking Zeus to do something and Zeus's answer would usually be, "Sorry, dear, I can't do that."

Do anything if you put your mind to it my butt, Jason thought savagely. Really, it's not like Zeus did everything he was supposed to.

Thank the gods Reyna had problems with numbers too.

As Mr. Buchanan lectured on about numbers, Jason sighed and daydreamed about a world where he was good with numbers like Malcolm Pace, a world where the stuff Mr. Buchanan talked about made sense, a world where Reyna was in the same class as him because that would help at least a little bit.


Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano had decided that she hated math.

"Reyna, you can't hate everything you're not good at," Annabeth sighed. "You have to keep an open mind."

It was easy for Annabeth to say that. Annabeth could see numbers properly. Annabeth could process the numbers because she was seeing them the right way.

The numbers didn't blur together or fly off the page for Annabeth or Percy or Grover or Leo or Piper.

Piper's face swam across Reyna's mind, her sparkling eyes and her glossy hair and Reyna didn't know why it bothered her so much, why Piper's face kept on showing up, why it was an incentive for her to work harder-

But it did and it was and so she gritted her teeth and grasped her pencil and stared at her fractions and prayed they'd stay straight.

They didn't and she groaned and decided to call it a night. She imagined Piper scribbling down numbers and helping Jason because Reyna couldn't and told herself to go to sleep already because that was stupid.


Jason Grace was tired and Jason Grace was quite obviously stupid and Jason Grace couldn't see numbers properly and Jason Grace made the mistake of telling Thalia that.

Who told Hylla that and they both talked about it and Hylla had issues with numbers too and Thalia wondered if it was hereditary but Hylla pointed out that Jason had issues with them too and somehow Lee Fletcher's cousin Ashton who was a doctor got involved and asked if he could get Reyna and Jason tested.

"For what?" Hylla had asked, holding onto Reyna protectively.

"Dyscalculia," he had replied. "I could test you to if you wanted. It sounds like you might have it too."

"What that?" Reyna had asked.

"It's like dyslexia except with numbers. Do you know what dyslexia is?"

Jason had nodded really really fast. "Annabeth has it and Percy has it and Leo has it and Piper has it."

Reyna had scowled a bit and smiled a bit and Jason didn't know what that meant but anyway.

It ended up that Jason and Reyna did, in fact, have dyscalculia and this, on top of ADHD sucked.

"So that's why you have issues with numbers," Annabeth said thoughtfully when they told her.

"It sucks," Reyna said, frowning.

"You get used to it," Annabeth replied. Jason remembered with a start that Annabeth had dyslexia on top of ADHD and he realized that maybe they weren't the only ones in their school with problems.

"You know, I don't think you guys are the only ones with dyscalculia," Percy interjected, sounding the last world out slowly.

Jason frowned. "Really?"

"No, Percy's right," Annabeth said. "Gwen has it and Bobby has it and Dakota has it and Frank has it and I think Bianca's half-sister Hazel has it."

"Huh," Jason said slowly.

"Octavian has it too," Percy grinned, turning to Reyna. She smacked him with a pillow.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

"But Reyna!" Percy mock cried. "What if he luuurrrrves you?"

Reyna tackled him and they tumbled across the floor laughing and Annabeth laughed and Jason laughed too but his laugh sounded a little off and Annabeth noticed and Jason turned away and focused on Reyna's laughing face because Octavian's crush was not important.

Right?


Short chapter cause I'm a butt and I'm really sorry but the next chapter should be better and come faster? Idk, lets all cross our fingers.