Valentines Day Special!
"Don't you always want to be somebody else? Haven't you ever want to be anybody but yourself? Have you ever wonder what's it like for a day if you're anybody but you? What's the fun in life if you're the same person everyday?" ~ Justin Fontaine
Okay, I lied. Percy told himself guiltily. He didn't break up with Annabeth. He really couldn't get himself to do it so he reluctantly asked her out to Cat's Valentines Party.
Percy still recalled the moment he met up with Annabeth and asked her.
"I was wondering when you'll ask, seaweed brain." Annabeth laughed in reply. "I love you."
It sounded so genuine as if Annabeth was truly in love with him. Percy hoped it's real, he tried convincing himself Annabeth is really in love but it didn't work. The image of her kissing Luke popped right into Percy's mind again.
"I love you too." Percy somehow got himself to say, it sounded rather dry to him though. It wasn't a lie but he wasn't sure he can say 'i love you' to someone who has cheated on him and might not really like him.
"So, you're picking me up at 6:30 in front of my house for the party?" Annabeth asked.
"Yeah." Percy confirmed.
Annabeth had a huge grin on her face. "It's going to be awesome."
Percy nodded and had a fake smile on his face. He didn't see how it's going to be awesome when he's going to have to spend a night with his girlfriend who he doesn't know if he can trust anymore. He wasn't even sure how his current status with Annabeth is. Percy wished the whole thing is over and everything turned back to normal. Annabeth knew that he knew about her kissing Luke and it turned out to be some huge misunderstanding.
His relationship with Annabeth had been magical, like a dream until the picture shook his to reality. Now, he felt as if the magic was gone. There's nothing between them. He didn't want to hurt her feelings but just ending it abruptly especially before Valentine Day but he didn't know what to do either. He wish he could just break up over text but Piper would kill him. Texting would have been a much easier option, and after texting, he could go in hiding and hopefully never meet Annabeth again. Maybe he could get his mom to move to some small town in Texas or somewhere in the Australian outback where nobody can find him.
"You're going to the party tonight?" Leo asked over a phone call.
"Nah." Nico shook his head although Leo couldn't actually see what's he's doing. "What's the point anyway. Besides, I'm busy."
"You might meet some cute chick in the party. Cat probably knows some hot single girls." Leo cooed his friend. "It'll be fun! And I'll need a buddy like you since all of our friends have dates."
Nico laughed. "Sorry, bro. Don't worry, you'll hit it off with somebody once you get there. You won't be alone. I'm terrible at parties. I'm always in a corner just being unsociable and invisible. You probably won't even notice I'm not there."
"Drats." Leo muttered. "What are you doing?"
"Uh..you know. Cleaning up the garage." Nico lied. Really, he's in his dad's office again. He decided to spend more time looking through his dad's files. They had given him some insight on the situation so far and it is true. His dad seems to know everything. The files had great detailed explanation of everything and Nico is interested into looking at all of them. The police made him promise not to look at anything but the Di Angelos are never good at keeping promises.
"Fun." Leo said sarcastically. "Your mom?"
"Yeah." Nico said smoothly. "She's making me look through everything and dump out the useless stuff."
"Your mom had changed after your dad's er..death. She became more distant from you and kept making you do all these chores." Leo noticed.
Nico had noticed the change in his mother. She communicated less with her socialite friends and barely talked to Nico. She had spent her days up in her room doing god knows what. The 'his mom making him do chores' is a lie. Nico was just finding excuses so he didn't really have to tell his friends what he has really been up to. He never liked sharing things until he know the truth and the whole story. "Yeah." He agreed.
"So see you tomorrow or something?"
"Okay, bye." Nico said and hung up. Picking up random files off his father's desk, Nico skim through the documents.
Some of the files were dated a while back, as far as five years, but they still intrigued him. It seemed like the Shooter has been planning the attacks for a long time. After looking through more files, Nico realized the Shooter's plan. It wasn't hard figuring out, especially with his gifted shrewd mind. He still couldn't tell who the Shooter is but is motives are clear. The school shooting was only the start, there are a lot more to come and Nico is going to a Valentine Party.
Piper took a cup of vodka and gave it a sip. She knew it's illegal and she shouldn't be doing it but it's a party. Who cares? You're suppose to get all wasted and high in parties. Besides, everybody does it. Nobody gives a damn if you're of age or not. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sky talking with a hooded figure. Strange, Piper thought as she walked closer to them trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"No, she won't do that." Sky argued firmly. "I will protect her. Don't you think she's weak. You're wrong. You don't know her."
"Know her?" The hooded figure laughed. A eerie one that gave Piper creeps. "I know many things. I know everything in fact. I don't need to, in fact it's not important to me but seriously, sometimes it comes interesting when I do my ah..business to know more about them."
"Have you spoken to her? As in personally?" Sky challenged.
"No." The figure answered shortly. "But I know people who have."
"This is ridiculous." Sky shook his head. "I don't even know who you are."
"You don't have to."
"If you're going to threaten her like that, I would like to know who you are. If you're going to do that, you'll have to get through me." Sky smirked. Piper's heart drop, he is so cute when he smirks.
"Fine. Easy." The figure shrugged, took out a gun casually and aimed it towards Sky's head.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Sky yelled, drawing everybody's attention towards him and the figure. The DJ turned off the music so all you can hear was Sky and the figure. Nobody dared to move, they were all afraid of the gun. They didn't have a clue what would happen. All they knew was they could die any minute.
"I didn't invite this fricken hooded terrorist into my party!" Ashley screamed breaking the immense silence. "Oh my god! Police! Somebody call the police!"
"Fuck, what's going on?" Somebody shouted. It was on full scale panic mode, except it was only a verbal one. Still, nobody moved. They were just causing a scene where they stood before the figure took the gun out. "Where's the exit?"
"Put down your gun!" Sky ordered. "Who are you? Don't do this."
"Calm down." The figure said slowly. "I'm not here to cause some mass hysteria."
"Who are you?" Ashley screeched inching dramatically towards the stranger as she pointed her poker stick at it. "And get the hell out of my party. Right, put down your gun too. It's a weapon-free zone here. You're ruining my party."
"Your party." The figure stated. "Is a waste. I don't care what happens to your party. And fine, you want to know who I am? I'm the Shooter. Yes, the Shooter who killed a few idiots from Goode High a few years ago."
"Don't kill Sky." Piper blurted. She was nervous. She had watched Sky and this stranger converse and it got pretty intense. She figured that Sky would be fine until the fucking gun was pulled out. What on earth was the Shooter doing? Why is he..or she ruining her life? Piper wailed in despair as she tried to remain calm.
"Fuck that." The figure snickered and gave a loud laugh. If you can see the face, Piper could have sworn there was an eye roll. "I hate doing what people tell me to do, so guess what?" The figure pulled the trigger of the gun as a bullet launched towards Sky.
"No!" Piper found herself screaming hoarsely.
"Police!" Ashley called desperately. "Where are they when you really need them? No, they just have to show up when you're speeding but not when you actually need them."
Sky was in some kind of a dazed mood. He didn't bother moving for some reason but watched as the bullet hit his head. Slowly, he collapsed and fell onto the hard wooden floor. "Ugh-bah-as." He gargled as he stopped moving.
"Oh god, what now?" A girl rubbed her hands together nervously. "Please don't kill us."
Suddenly, from the midst of the frozen crowd, Nico Di Angelo took a step forward. "You have done enough." Nico's dark eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Nico Di Angelo. How interesting." The figure sneered.
Nico's voice was defiant, he seemed as if he was expecting this all along. "Go away. How much did you get paid to do this? A hundred bucks? Two hundred? A thousand? You would never be the original Shooter."
"What do you mean? He's not the Shooter?" A boy frowned. "Dude, he just admitted he is."
"If he is the true one, he won't confess it." Nico told the crowd. "I don't know who the real shooter is but this is a fake."
"No. I'm real." The figure insisted but it sounded lame now Nico convinced everybody he's fake.
"Remove the disguises." Nico challenged. "Let's see who you are."
"I'm the shooter. My identity is hidden." The Shooter claimed.
"Let's see." Nico sighed. Ignoring the gun now pointing towards him, he stepped forward and undid the knot holding the secrets behind.
"Justin?" Ashley stuttered. "Justin? What is this?"
"Ah, Justin Fontaine." Nico grinned. "I don't know you but wow."
"Police here. Don't move." Three burly men wearing police uniforms cladded with badges bursted in with huge guns.
"Tad late, aren't you?" Nico grumbled as Ashley collapsed onto her sofa. From fear, probably, or shock. It wasn't a secret that Ashley and Justin went out a few times and they were always a 'thing'. Piper didn't blame her from being upset and feeling disturbed that her boyfriend or ex tried killing Sky. Piper felt bad for Ashley.
"Nobody move." The police commanded.
The next hour was a blur. Journalists, detectives and polices came into the house making the space even more crowded. Everybody lined up to be interviewed by these people. Piper felt a bit sick seeing her date lying on the floor possibly dead. If Nico hadn't been there, Piper didn't know how she would have survived. Piper was pretty sure Nico wasn't even invited but it's a good thing he crashed.
Piper gasped. "No! It..it can't be happening!"
"Piper, this is the Shooter." Nico said strangely calm. "You're lucky he's not dead."
"But this is Sky!" Piper protested. "He had nothing to do with the Shooter. He's innocent."
"How do you know?" Nico questioned quietly. "You might think you know somebody but you actually don't. Sky might have been doing something behind your back."
"Impossible!" Piper refused to believe Sky was related to somebody in the criminal world in any sense. "He is so..pure. He won't do anything of that sort. I know Sky and he is good. If there's many shades of gray, he'll be in the shade closet to white."
"Piper, if it makes you feel any better. Sky really liked you. If he didn't, he won't risk his life to protect you." Nico said softly.
Piper choked back a sob but managed to smile. "Thanks Nico. Thank you."
"Oh my god." Annabeth cried. "Have you heard what happened to Sky - Piper?"
"Yeah." Hazel nodded. Her blood ran cold when the news travelled to her.
Reyna said bluntly. "I'm glad we didn't go to that party."
"I guess." Leo agreed. "But wasn't your sister invited? Is she okay?"
"She's probably fine." Reyna muttered under her own breath. "Not like I care anyway."
"Annabeth, there's something I have wanted to talk to you about for ages." Percy interrupted. He felt terrible for what happened in Ashley's party but he had to say it before he loses the courage. He knew it'll make matters worse but if he doesn't do it, when would him? Piper lost her date by a possibly deadly assault, losing Annabeth won't be as hard as that.
"Yeah?" Annabeth's gray eyes turned to him expectantly.
Percy took his phone out and handed it to Annabeth. "Explain this." He said quietly.
Annabeth took a glance at the phone and murmured hoasly. "Oh god. No, this can't be happening."
"Explain it, Annabeth. I honestly don't know what to say."
"When did you get this photo? Who gave it to you?" Annabeth asked urgently. "Who?"
"Never mind the details. It doesn't matter who gave it to me. What matters is I saw it and I need an explanation." Percy said, trying to sound strong and confident despite his insides crumbling seeing Annabeth in this state.
Tears started streaming out of her eyes. "No, Percy, you don't understand. This was nothing. You got to listen to me."
"That's not an explanation." Percy told her. "Give me a proper one."
"I-I can't." She stuttered. "It's best if you don't know anything. I'll be protecting you."
"Protecting me from what?" He frowned raising his voice slightly. "Kissing Luke is protecting me? That doesn't make sense."
"I can't tell you anything." Annabeth shook her head. "The less you know the better. They're after you."
"So? They can follow me all they want, they can do whatever they can do, but you don't have to kiss them to protect me. I don't need protection. Who are they anyway?"
"Sorry, Percy. I can't. It's a secret." She covered her face with her hands shamefully as she ran out of Cat's house.
Percy couldn't help but feel angry at his girlfriend, wait is she even his girlfriend? What is their status now? Anyway, Piper said it wasn't healthy to keep secrets in the relationship so Percy told Annabeth he knew about the kiss. Percy had nothing to hide now but Annabeth is keeping secrets now? What had this world turned into? Everything is so confusing now.
"Tell me why are you doing this?" A police interrogated Justin Fontaine.
Justin smirked. "Why not? Give me a reason why I shouldn't."
"You killed Sky!" Piper screamed in fury."Does Cat even know about this?"
"Cat?" Justin laughed. "Cat's nothing. I don't even know why people think she knows everybody secrets and stuff. If I'm Ancient Egypt, Cat won't even be Ancient Greece. She would be New York while everybody is some newly developed cities."
"Um..what?" The police stared at him as if he's a lion inside a zoo cage.
"You won't get it. Your brain is equivalent to a pea." Justin said smugly. "Besides Sky isn't dead and Cat, forget her. She never listens to her genius of a brother. She calls me crazy and psychotic. Tell me, do I look like a lunatic to you."
"Lunatic?" Piper repeated. "You're more than that."
"Why did you impersonate the Shooter?" The police asked trying to break up the argument between Justin and Piper.
"Why not? Don't you always want to be somebody else? Haven't you ever want to be anybody but yourself? Have you ever wonder what's it like for a day if you're anybody but you? What's the fun in life if you're the same person everyday?" Justin questioned.
"I suppose so." The police sighed. "But why don't you pretend to be superman on Halloween? There, you're somebody else for that night. You don't have to pretend to be the Shooter and assault Sky."
"Sky's a dick." Justin waved his bottle of whiskey around as people duck to avoid it. "Who cares about him anyway? We have a bit of history back in high school."
"Okay, let's start new. I'll ask you in a different aspect. Do you know who the Shooter is?" The police asked making eye contact with Justin.
"No." Justin answered honestly. "I don't but who the hell cares? It's not about who the shooter is, it's about why the shooter killed people. Did we do something wrong that made the shooter pissed off? Do we have the reflect on ourselves?"
The police nodded. "Valid point there. Other than being one of those most outrageous, dangerous, evil young adults this neighborhood has seen, you'd make a great police."
"Thanks." Justin beamed. "I always wanted to be apart of the FBI."
"Justin." Piper walked over and hissed at him. "If I were you, I won't threaten to kill people's date and possibly have killed them before I join the FBI."
Justin smiled. "Oh, pretty little Piper. You can do so much better than Sky. You should be glad I got rid of him for you."
"Shut the fuck up." Piper snarled. "If you're a color, you would be the darkest, most poisonous shade of black."
"And you would be an pure, light, cute shade of pink." Justin said. "Oh, the innocence you own Piper. It's so rare these days.
"Fuck you." Piper's cheeks turned pink. "You don't even know me."
"You have no idea how much Cat talks about you." Justin replied smoothly as he got up. "Now excuse me, I believe I can call my lawyer now."
AN: Happy Valentines Day! xx I hope you like this Valentine Special! hehe, so Percabeth broke up and Sky is half-dead? Dead? Alive? Okay, I have to figure out his status now...speaking of statuses, forever alone here! Lucky couples ;)
~Kisses, Emily