51. Someone Like You

"I hate going to school," she moaned, as she crawled out of her warm bed that called to her to keep sleeping.

"I'll be back, I promise," she said, rubbing her pillow. She then got dressed in a pair of sweats to hide her sun tan. She left earlier than she normally did, so she didn't see her mother that was usually up around now because she had to pee so many times during the night. Thalia had to admit she enjoyed seeing her mother most mornings, who seemed to eat healthier than she did before and would sometimes even pour Thalia a glass of orange juice. It took her a while to get used to, because her mother doesn't normally do nice things for her, but it was a nice change.

She left her building quickly and got to school in no time, because the real foot traffic started later. The school was mostly empty because people enjoyed to arrive about three minutes or less before class started. As she walked towards her first class, someone called her name. Thalia cringed and tried to ignore it and keep walking, but there was no crowd of kids to melt into. She couldn't hide, unfortunately, so she turned around.

"Hey Dr. Woodrow," Thalia said sullenly. Last night had been heavy for her because her mother kept throwing up and snapping at her, and the dream had followed her well to three in the morning, and she felt like there was a heavy, dense fog surrounding her.

"Morning, Thalia. You didn't come see me last Friday," she said, clutching a few folders in front of her chest and softly tapping her bright blue heel. Thalia mentally face-palmed. Dammit. I knew I forgot something. Thalia shrugged.

"You know, it was Friday. Lots of things I don't have to do," Thalia said, smiling sarcastically. Dr. Woodrow gave her a sarcastic smile right back.

"Well, we still have half an hour before class starts. That's more than enough time to meet me in my office," Dr. Woodrow smiled as she walked ahead. Thalia sighed. Great. She followed Woodrow to her class and plopped into a chair.

"How was your weekend?" Woodrow asked.

"Uneventful," Thalia said plainly, which wasn't true. Memories of her kiss with Percy flooded through her and almost made her shiver. She had to work hard to suppress her smile.

"Oh… so that's not a sun tan I see?" Thalia froze for a second and looked down to see if her jacket was showing her shoulders, but it hadn't moved. Woodrow rolled her eyes. "Please, Thalia, give me some credit. If you wanted to fully hide your sun tan, you should've covered your cheeks too. They're as red as tomatoes." Thalia unconsciously covered her cheek and felt stupid she hadn't thought about it.

"Did you have a fun?" Another almost-shiver.

"It was fine, I guess."

"Did you go with a friend?"

"Um, yeah, a friend," Thalia said, still trying so hard not to smile and laugh. Woodrow nodded.

"That's good. Was he nice?" Thalia was taken off guard.

"He?" Woodrow smiled.

"Thalia, I have a daughter. I can tell when there's a guy involved." She leaned back. "I'm also a psychologist, but that's beside the point." Thalia looked away. Dr. Woodrow trying to get into her head, she could deal. Dr. Woodrow exploring her love life, that's where she crossed the line.

"He's a friend," Thalia said firmly.

"You're sure?" she smiled.

"I think I'd know."

"Of course." Woodrow didn't say anything else, but her grey eyes made Thalia uneasy. Before Thalia was about to run out of the room, the bell rang. Her body drooped with relief. Saved by the bell.

"Go get to class now," Dr. Woodrow said, standing up to open the door. Thalia grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Bye," Thalia said, walking out of the door. She thought she heard paper crumpling as she left, but she wasn't sure, so she ignored it.

She wished she hadn't by eighth period.

"May all the students participating in the Talent Show meet Mrs. Kilsov in the auditorium," the speakers boomed. Thalia kept doodling until the teacher called her name.

"Thalia, you too," she said, waving at the other two kids leaving the classroom. Thalia just stared at her.

"What?"

"I have you on my list for the Talent Show, you're free to go." Almost in a trance, she packed her bag and left, trying to figure out how she had gotten on the list when she hadn't submitted her paper. She followed the crowd of people to the auditorium and cursed under her breath when she saw Dr. Woodrow standing at the very edge of the stage. She winked at Thalia.

"I'm going to kill her," Thalia whispered under her breath. She sat down, as far away from people as she could get and scooted lower, trying to disappear among the other students. The principal and teachers went over the rules of appropriate songs and acts and the teachers who would be working with the students, and the ones working in the background, etc… Thalia hating the world during the entire thing.

When they were let out, Cindy stood at the doorway. Unfortunately, it was the only doorway open and Thalia couldn't avoid her. She tried to walk right past, but Cindy caught her shoulder.

"Let go."

"I told you not to join the Talent Show," she hissed. Thalia threw off her hand.

"Why? Are you intimidated? Scared I'll beat you? Is that it?"

"Not in the least," Cindy said, crossing her arms.

"Then why the show? What's the point of targeting me if you aren't afraid?"

"Just watch your back." Cindy stomped out, and Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Drama queen," she said, as she left school. On her way home, she stopped by Percy's building. He buzzed her in without asking who it was and Thalia ran up the steps. She knocked on the door and she almost toppled Percy over when he opened it.

"I'M IN THE TALENT SHOW," she yelled, pacing back and forth in his living room. She was frustrated and angry and she felt only slightly guilty about taking it out on Percy. Only slightly. "My counselor frickin' signed me up! Can you believe that?"

"Well, it's not a bad thing, Thalia," Percy said, sitting on the couch.

"I'm not doing it, Percy. I'm not doing it."

"Hey, hey, relax," he said, grabbing her hand.

"You'll do fine," he said. Thalia shook her head.

"You don't understand. I can't get up on that stage and sing. I can't."

"Okay, no one is forcing you, but I think you should give it a try," he said, sounding not very Percy-ish. He wasn't joking this time. He seemed seriously, completely believing she could do it. She couldn't stand it.

"I'd do awful." Percy scoffed.

"I heard you sing before, Thalia. You were not awful. You were the complete opposite of awful. You were frickin' amazing." She wanted to believe it, but it sounded too much like what he said. The he that said he loved her and left her the next day. The he that lied to her.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!" Thalia said, pulling her hands out of his. He pursed his lips.

"We can practice, if you want."

"No"

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand again and pulling her to his bedroom. She hadn't been in his room before. It was painted a light blue, and he had a few posters of bands hanging on his walls. His bed was very simple and he only had a dresser and a desk other than that. The only thing he had that surprised her was a mini pond in one of the corners. It was about the size of a laptop with little plants around it and a bunch of fish you could see, because the container was see-through.

"Nice," Thalia said, studying it. Percy shrugged.

"It was a present from my dad. Anyways, let me show you something." Thalia looked at him closely, because he changed the subject from his dad way too quickly. That's when she realized she had never heard anything about his dad. He doesn't have one either. He opened his closet and pulled out a guitar. Thalia took a step back because it looked almost exactly like the one she had. Memories from her days of playing swarmed inside her head making her want to puke.

"You- you play?" Thalia stuttered.

"Yeah. I stopped playing because I didn't have anything to play for, but now I do," he smiled. He sat on his bed and got the guitar ready. He started strumming.

"You got a price tag hanging on the back of your dress, you got your shoes undone, and your hair is a mess, but no one sees you like I do. You roll the windows down when it's starting to rain, yeah, everybody else might think you're insane, but no one sees you like I do," he sang. Thalia sat down on the floor in front of him, and watched him play. His hair fell in front of his face and his foot tapped with the rhythm. He looked beautiful as the sun hit face. The music vibrated in her bones, and his voice made the memories start to fade, and replaced them with new ones.

"'Cause the little things don't mean much to me. My girl, I'd cross the whole world for someone like you. Uh-oh, no matter where I go. Oh-oh, my unpredictable girl. You're impossible girl, you know that it's true. Uh-oh, no matter what you do, I'd cross the world for someone like you." He looked up at her and smiled crookedly, making her heart skip a beat, which surprised her, like always.

"You love to sing along when you don't know the words. You lock your keys in your car right next to your purse, yeah, no one sees you like I do. You only show up right out of the blue, and twenty minutes late is five early for you, yeah, no one sees you like I do." She smiled, as his green eyes stared straight into her blue ones.

"Yeah, you're perfectly imperfect, my love. Oh, I'd be waiting up all night because you're little things are the stupid things. Oh, the little things don't mean much to me. My girl, I'd cross the whole world for someone like you. Uh-oh, no matter where I go. Oh-oh, my unpredictable girl. You're impossible girl, you know that it's true. Uh-oh, no matter what you do, I'd cross the world for someone like you."

When he finished, he put his guitar on his bed and knelt on the floor in front of her. He put a hand on her neck and kissed her. She felt his teeth on her lip and his hands on her waist and she realized that maybe the Talent Show wasn't such a bad idea. It had nothing to do with the fact she would be coming to his room to practice. Of course not. Thalia wasn't that kind of girl. She would it purely to practice for the Talent Show, because that's what girls like her did.

I feel like I might've moved this chapter a little too fast, so please, please let me know what you guys think about this one! I'd also like to say thank you! I disappeared for a while and you guys are still reading it, so that makes me happy :) I hope you enjoyed this chappie.

Lyrics from Someone Like You by The Summer Set!