Chapter 12: Just Your Shoulder

One of the hardest lessons to learn is how to let go, let go of the pain, anger, and loss that was once inflicted upon you - Unknown

Percy's heart rate quickened, and he immediately didn't know what to do with his hands. His palms felt sweaty, and then he felt stupid. It was stupid, she was asleep she didn't even know.

Calm down. Calm down. He tried to relax. Just a girl. She was just a girl.

And the only girl that had been on his shoulder. The only girl that he had managed to not scare away. He remembered when he had met Thalia. He had thought she was pretty. Thalia had an edgy look that other girls didn't have. Then, something he did or something scared her away.

Percy remembered, that one time they had sat together in Science class. Percy had thought he would suffocate from the tension around them. Thalia had always been scared.

Thalia sat across the room, her gaze careful. She looked at her best friend and her acquaintance. Annabeth's grey eyes were shut, but she looked so calm. So… at peace. Something Thalia knew that Annabeth never was. Annabeth never talked about her inner turmoil. Thalia sometimes wished that she would, but she never pushed. But at the end of the day, Thalia was only her best friend. So who was she to tell Annabeth who she could date? She had been telling Annabeth that she should start dating for years, but the one time that she fell for someone it was Percy. Thalia had seen the light in Annabeth's eyes when she saw Percy. Annabeth had already fallen for Percy. Thalia could tell even though Annabeth couldn't.

It was so many years ago when they had met. Even so, Thalia would have that day burned into her memory forever. They were inside his apartment. They had met on accident, Thalia didn't know that meeting this boy could make her life go downhill so quickly. Because suddenly she became the talk of the school, and Thalia still so this day didn't know why.

"I'm sorry about your shirt," Percy said. He handed the shirt back to her and she sniffed it. She was taken back by how strongly it smelled like bleach.

"It's fine really."

"I'll be on my way now," Thalia said opening the door.

Percy nodded but looked as if he had more he wanted to say.

"Wait!"

Thalia spun around.

"Maybe we should hang out sometime? I mean like you know just anywhere. We don't have to if you don't want to but I mean, it sounds fun right?"

Thalia chuckled and agreed. They swapped numbers and they were both on their way.

"Have a good evening."

"You too," Thalia said. She walked out the door and promptly dropped her freshly cleaned shirt on the floor.

"Of course Thalia, you drop the shirt that was just washed." She mumbled to herself, irritated. She bent down to pick it up then started to go down the stairs. She heard a loud crash and spun around. She heard loud irritated shouts, then silence. She identified the sound coming from Percy's apartment. She knew that she should have left, turned around, and went home. Instead, she cautiously tried to approach the door. Curiosity had gotten the best of her. She tried the handle and found it unlocked.

She gently opened the door, ready to bolt if anyone saw her. No one was in the hallway so she gently crept along the wall. What am I doing? She thought. I'm definitely going to get caught.

She reached the kitchen and saw a man she would simply describe as ugly. There was no better term for it. He was yelling and Thalia spotted a shattered vase on the ground.

"I'm not going to hit you, kid. The wrath of your mother would rain down on me. But I warn you if you ever bring another person in here without telling me." The ugly man's eyes glinted with a murderous glare. Thalia crept a little closer to the kitchen and saw Percy. The ugly man shoved Percy out of the way.

Percy had a glare on his face and it was also sad. He looked defeated. Thalia didn't know what she was supposed to do. Was she supposed to help Percy? Call the police because she had just heard a threat? Instead, she ran from the house. She shut the door behind her and tried to forget that she had ever seen the argument go down. She lied to her mom and dad when they had asked where she had been, just in case. She was ashamed that she hadn't told anyone, sometimes she felt guilty because she hadn't. But she had no proof. Except for maybe Percy, maybe he would tell.

Percy had tried to text her multiple times after the incident.

It just had to be Percy. When she saw him, he didn't know what to do. She just stared at the ground. They never talked again after that incident. There were rumors that flew around, and Thalia didn't even know how they started. She was keeping so many secrets from Annabeth when Annabeth trusted her completely. So many secrets.

Thalia wanted to tell Annabeth about what she had done, but she was scared. She didn't want to lose her best friend. She knew Annabeth had been through some shit in her life, she didn't want to add to it. But wasn't not tell her the truth also adding more shit than she needed when she found out about what she had done?

She looked at Percy and Annabeth again, they looked… right for each other. As much as Thalia hated to admit it, she couldn't deny it.

Percy started combing his fingers through her golden blonde locks. Percy who seemingly looked tense earlier seemed to be able to relax a little and adjust to her presence.

"This is gonna end horribly," she mumbled to herself.

~q~Q~q

Percy eventually grew tired, and let his eyes flutter shut. He tipped his head onto Annabeth's and drifted to sleep. Unaware of the turmoil going on inside of Thalia's head. The friend he once had.