The Other Side of Me

Hmmm… Miss me? Well, I'm indeed a bit disappointed by the reviews I got, it's decreasing and decreasing and decreasing… Sometimes I really don't know you guys enjoy it or not… Big twist coming up! And well, check out my other stories!

Chapter 8—Can't I be normal for a change?

As I was going though all those different possibilities and ways to approach Annabeth and have her back in my side, Nico slapped me in the back. I sensed him shadow-travelled ten meters behind me sixteen seconds ago, not that I would tell him that. Thalia playfully punched me again, and the campers that attended the meeting gasped, again. What happened to not telling them what I am?

"Okay you guys, just go do whatever you're doing, Pinecone Face and the Ghost King here got something to tell me, 'kay?" I asked the campers, acting casual, and of course, all of them went off doing their stuff and stealing nervous glances on me every so often.

Apparently my two cousins were confused by the looking at their expression, but they quickly hid it and shook their heads to clear what ever thought they had about me.

"So… Nico, what brings you here?" I asked.

"Nothing really. Well, I have a cabin now, thanks to you, so I decided to drop by during the Winter Solstice Meeting and visit you guys because I know the camp is second most occupied during this period. Most of the old campers are here anyways. And taking a break from searching clues about my past is good sometimes anyways." Nico replied.

For a second there, I felt that I was back to normal, talking to my two cousins. Well, as normal as a demigod might be that is. But then, what Thalia ask completely ruined it.

"So… Did you find out who the new god is? Did you get there with Annabeth? I know you guys…" Thalia said as Nico nudged her. Me? I'm desperately controlling my blush, avoiding being one of Apollo's sacred cows. Then the sadness came crushing to me like a hundred-foot tidal wave, I mean sure I can hold it if you mean it literally, but I can still feel the pressure, and that's exactly how I felt.

Thalia and Nico must have noticed it too, because they asked, "Are you okay, Perce? Want to talk about it?" I really wanted to change the subject right now because I didn't have the courage to talk about it. It was all a misunderstanding. Annabeth should have known I would love her no matter what. I told her that. Did she escaped because she didn't want to be with me? Or think that I'm already with someone else, like… Calypso? Whatever it is, I'm gonna explain to her.

"Hey, why didn't you two went to the Winter Solstice? Is it because…" I tried to change the subject. Fortunately, it worked. Unfortunately, they blushed like sacred cows.

"Well… Some of the hunters didn't want to go to the solstice, so I had to take care of them, 'kay" Thalia claimed. Sure…

"My dad Hades doesn't even have a throne, what's the use of going up there and see him like that?" Nico replied as well, which makes me as suspicious as ever.

"Well, for one thing, your dad Hades is officially one of the fifteen Olympians." I informed him.

If Nico's mouth can get any bigger, I would have paid you a million drachmas.

"Real… Really? That's true? Great? But… How? Who are the other two new Olympians?" Nico stuttered, and I could see the briefest trail of smile and the innocent and sweet (not mentioning the I-got-so-many-question-that-you-will-love-to-strangle-me) boy he once was. It's good to see his former façade every so often.

Even Thalia was also so surprised, "Father… Father let that happen?"

I answered, them, not with the complete truth, nor any statement a lie. "Yes. Nico, your father's throne is right beside Thalia's father's throne. Hestia is one of the other two new Olympians, who got a throne right beside Hera's, and the new god's throne is in the middle. Who he is, you will have to find out yourself."

They wanted to protest about me not telling them, but I acted like I haven't heard them and ignored them.

Then I heard Thalia mumbled, "So much for missing the Meeting to set you and Annabeth up."

"What?" I whirled around with an inhuman speed, too fast for even a demigod.

Thalia blinked. "No… It's just that me and Nico did something… You'll see…"

Annabeth's POV (Listen to Secrets, by OneRepublic. BTW, there's a former student who's the meanest person ever sang a song and it's on iTunes and it was the most horrible song ever. We mocked her for who-knows-how-long…)
I ran for a few minutes until I was sure that he wasn't in sight. I felt like Hermoine in the scene where Ron and that girl ran off and laughed, like a happy couple. Just like me and Percy when we watched that movie. It was only yesterday, but it felt like decades ago.

He went off with Calypso, just like that. I thought his fatal flaw was personal loyalty! Oh yeah, I forgot, gods don't have fatal flaws…

An owl hooted by my side, and I signed. Thinking of the song we listened in the Sorcerer's Apprentice, Secrets of One Republic, I hummed it out. Just like that song, I had to find someone to confess my feelings. Over the years, whatever feelings I had, I always confess to Percy and let him help me with it. Like how I thought my dad abandoned me when I was twelve, or that time…

If we could end up like the couple in the movie, which by the way, their dragon was indeed loyal… Focus! Curse my ADHD. Anyways, I knew I wouldn't have had a good ending. Dad left me, Thalia left me, Luke left me, Grover left me, Nico left along with Bianca, Tyson too… And now Percy… Who am I ever going to talk to?

A glistening tear rolled down and dropped to a nearby rock in the Celesial Bronze Mine I'm currently in right now. I haven't cried since Luke died… I promised Percy to be brave, but what is the use? He himself broke the promise of not leaving me… How could he do this? I lov—

The last sensation I had before I blacked out was an extraordinary throbbing pain on the back of my head.

Percy's POV
When my cousins and I were catching up, a very tired Grover came up and formed the words that I dreaded the most with ragged breath, "Percy, Ann… Annabeth had been cap… Captured…"

Guess you guys can't wait any longer huh? I mean, if you can't stand such a long update, you can ALWAYS tell me to do short chapters but more updates. Really. Btw, I chipped my tooth last week so I had tons of stuff to do…

Whoever can guess what happened would have a surprise… And I guarantee that you would love the surprise!