Chapter 3: Max and Percy

"You know him?" Tara asked.

"He and I have a little bit of a messy history," Percy said. Max rolled his eyes and walked in a different direction. "I'm Percy. Son of Poseidon," he said shaking her hand. She nodded, smiling but looked over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Tara said, bowing her head a little before running after Max for the third time.

"Percy?" Annabeth said.

"It's a long story," Percy sighed. Annabeth just smiled. They both went to Percy's cabin for a story.

"Care to explain anything?" Tara asked as she caught up.

"Nothing to explain. Percy said it all. Messy history," Max said resisting the urge to roll his eyes again.

"Come on. I wanna know," Tara said and stopped in front of him. He was angry no doubt.

"Well maybe you don't need to know," he hissed and pushed past her.

"Fine, she murmured. She headed towards the Poseidon cabin.

"So wanna start explaining?" Annabeth asked as she sat at one of the bunks in his cabin. Percy opened his mouth to start but there was a knock on the door. He went to open it.

"Yeah, I wanna know too," Tara said immediately.

"He didn't—?" she shook her head.

"Just told me that I didn't need to know and pushed past me," she said. He gestured for her to walk in.

"I'm Tara by the way. Daughter of Apollo," Tara said looking around his cabin. It was cleaner than the Hermes cabin.

"I'm Annabeth. Daughter of Athena," Annabeth said and let Tara sit down next to her.

"Alexa is the daughter of Hephaestus. Max is the son of Hades,"

"But I thought that Hades—"

"Apparently not," Tara shrugged. "He does want to go find his mom though." Tara shrugged it off though. She wanted to know Percy's past with Max. The girls smiled before scooting back and crossing their legs ready for a story.

"Well, I met Max when I was walking to my mom's place. He was with his stepfather. I know him. I don't know if you know, Tara but his stepfather's in prison. Because of me," Percy cleared his throat.

"I caught his father with a few other people. His father was gonna hurt a couple of kids. No older than fourteen maybe. And then he did. I couldn't stop him in time. And though I didn't stop him in time, I think it was a good thing he did. Well, not good obviously. There were the victims and then an eyewitness. He was sent to jail. And no one ever told Max why his stepfather was in jail. No one wanted to tell him the only guy he had as a family was abusing children. I testified though and Max wasn't allowed into the courtroom but he knows I testified."

"Why'd he hurt them?" Tara asked, quietly.

"For the sport. I think he did more than hurt just children," Percy said. No one spoke for a while. Tara was thinking about Max and Annabeth the whole situation. Percy was standing there waiting for someone to say something.

"He knows," Tara said, standing up.

"Max knows?" Percy asked. Tara nodded walking to the door. Of course, Max knew.

"That's why he is so angry at you Percy. You sent his stepfather away. To him, it was his dad. Not just a stepfather. And when he found out his father was hurting people, he refused to believe it. But when he finally accepted it into his thick-headed skull, he was angry. At his dad and at you. At his dad for being a bad person. And you because you proved he was a bad person," Tara explained.

"How do you know?" Annabeth asked.

"Because I know Max so well. Max is someone I can read their actions. Just like I know he's been sitting on your porch for the last ten minutes after he felt bad for snapping at me and followed me," Tara said opening the door and Max falling backward from the sitting position he was in leaning against the door.

"You know me too well," Max groaned.

"You're predictable," Tara shrugged helping him up. He didn't look towards Percy but when Annabeth introduced herself once again and as the daughter of Athena Max introduced himself as the son of Hades. Percy stayed back though.

"It's stupid you know?" Tara asked looking between both boys.

"And one of the shortest stories ever, might I add?" Annabeth added. "You're big boys. It's not his fault he wanted to bring justice to your dad."

"He's not my dad," Max said. Tara rolled her eyes and grabbed his shirt pulling him down to her level so she could whisper in his ear. Percy and Annabeth watched as Max's eyes teared up. When she finished she wiped the few stray tears that he had let slip.

"I'm not saying that I'm over it," Max said to Percy. "But…" he stepped over to Percy. "I'm willing to try and put it behind me. For your sake that is," Max said with a slim grin.

"M-My sake? What are you gonna do, ghost boy? Send me to Tartarus. Sorry bud, been there, walked through hell and survived it," Percy smiled and laughed as they shook hands. Max laughed a threatening laugh.

"I was thinking more along the lines of sucking the life out of you," Percy's laugh faded as Max's eyes were stone.

"And he's kidding," Tara slid under Max's arm and wrapped it around herself. Max just laughed and Percy chuckled rolling his eyes. "We'll get out of your hair and we'll see you at dinner," Tara said.

Well, that was short. Pooey. I struggled a bit but I think I can get the hang of it. R&R, please! Thank you!