Percy stared up at the church. His hands shook, so he shoved them in his blue hoodie. Several kids his age were walking inside.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Poseidon asked cautiously as if he'd scare Percy away.

"No." I can do this. Percy opened the door, breathing in the fresh air.

"Percy, I'll be right here when you are done." He nodded and closed the door. Percy stopped at the side entrance. He pulled out his lanyard full of old chips and unhooked them, ready to pawn them off to whoever led the meetings. He didn't know why he kept them since he fell off the wagon.

"Um, are you going to stand there, or can you step aside?" Percy jolted out of his trance and turned to face a red-headed girl about his age.

"Sorry. Uh here." He opened the door for her and stepped in after her.

"Thank you. I'm Rachael O'dare." She held her hand, and he took it. Her jeans were splattered with paint and had little drawings on them.

"Percy Jackson." She looked at the silver and red chips.

"AA is this way. Mr. Brunner runs the meetings here. He is awesome."

A man in a wheelchair was welcoming everyone who walked in. He smiled as Percy approached, and he pulled out the folded piece of paper. "Hi, uh, I am Percy. Uh-I wanted to hand you these." He dropped the chips into Brunner's hand, and the man shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Percy. Keep them Percy. It's all part of the journey." Percy took the chips back and shoved them in his pocket. They felt like stones that weighed him down.

Percy sighed as he also unfolded the piece of paper. "I um. Have to have you sign this for my court order."

"I only sign them after the meeting is over. Come talk to me after. We are happy to have you here, Percy." Percy sat in the back, and Rachael sat right next to him.

There goes sulking in the back, praying that he could go unnoticed. Percy went through the familiar prayer and tuned out some of the stories until Rachael stood at the podium.

"Hi, I'm Rachael O'Dare, and I'm an addict." Everyone welcomed her, and she nodded, smiling wide. "I made it to five months of being sober and a day doesn't go by where I wish I had some alcohol. Uh It's been pretty tough but I finally started painting again. However, I got into a fight with my dad, and I have an unopened bottle of wine under my bed but I have been keeping my five month token on me which has helped me not to open it. I plan on returning it tonight, and thank you guys for inspiring me to paint again. I just want to say-"She took a breath. Her eyes twinkling. "I couldn't have done it without you guys, and I love you all."

She stepped off the seat, and several people looked over at him as she sat next to him. "You can do it. Get up there!" She whispered to him. Percy sighed and walked up, shoving his hands further into his hoodie.

"Um..." Percy looked around, and his eyes landed back on Rachael, who was nodding encouragingly. "My name is Perseus Jackson but I go by Percy. I'm a drug addict. I uh came tonight because I'm officially eight days clean. The withdrawal was rough, and my cravings were so bad I felt like I was going to implode. I just moved in with my biological father because I couldn't stay clean in New York." Percy scowled at the podium. "My mom sent me here because I was arrested for drug possession again." The words tasted bitter in his mouth. He focused on the podium, gripping it to the point his knuckles turned white. He had to ground himself. "Anyways, I went to a neighbor's house because my dad can't trust me around alcohol, which I don't blame him. I was in their bathroom and saw all their prescriptions. All I wanted to do was take them. I-I actually want to try to stay clean for my mom. So, uh, thanks." Mr. Brunner rolled up to Percy, the first token in his hand for being a week sober.

"I think a week of sobriety is something to celebrate. Percy, you are welcome anytime." Percy closed his fingers around the token. He knew he'd have to start making amends and all the steps, but tonight was a start. Percy sat back down, idly bobbing his knee as he pulled out the blue lanyard. One chip was added to the ring. He added a new ring and rubbed his thumb over it.

"You did great!" Percy only nodded as he focused on the chip in his hand. He vaguely remembered the Stoll's, both brothers who were addicts, telling their stories and a few others. Percy was the first one up when the serenity prayer ended.

Mr. Brunner, Chiron gladly signed his paper. And Percy was one of the first to go out the door. Meetings always made him feel good, but when they ended, it was awkward because you shared some deep secrets about yourself with all of them.

"Percy, wait!" Percy turned to the redhead running after him. A sharpie was in her hand, and she grabbed his arm. "Here this is my number. I remember what it was like being sober for the first few weeks, and it was really hard. If you need someone who went through it to talk to, call or text me."

"Uh, thanks, Rachael." He meant it. Her freckles and red hair made her stick out compared to all the faces swarming out of the church.

"See you in the next meeting!" She waved as she trudged up to a man who he assumed was her father. Percy sighed and went to his dad's car. The man had the lights on and was reading a book about whales. He was a marine biologist at the rescue center, so Percy wasn't surprised by his boring reading choices. Knocking on the door, making Poseidon jump, only for him to embarrassingly unlock the door. Percy climbed in, toying with the seven-day chip.

"How was your meeting?"

Percy didn't answer immediately as he absently flicked the chip in his palm. "It was okay. I want my phone back though."

Poseidon shifted in his seat. "No. You gave it to me for a reason and I don't feel comfortable giving it back without you telling me why you gave it to me in the first place." Percy went back to mindlessly looking out the window. The text messages from Octavian made his hands shake.

O- look, man, I got you set up with Luke. He promised one chip in exchange for three small packs of Oxy.

O- don't be an idiot. That is a really good deal. You're what a week sober? Don't you want to soothe those cravings?

"Look I know you still don't like me. I will spend every waking moment trying to- "

Percy sighed. He couldn't take the wallowing in self-pity mess that Poseidon was going through. "It was my dealer trying to introduce me to a friend here."

"And did you... answer it?"

Percy felt his stomach clench, and he scowled at the chip in his hand. One week wasn't worth celebrating. Not after he had three one-week chips and several others when he tried to get clean. Here he was right after a meeting, feeling like he'd rather be anywhere but here.

"No." He quipped. His tone was sharper than he wanted.

"Are you going to act on whatever he sent you?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't know. But I met a friend who gave me her number and you mentioned a movie night with Thalia and Nico."

Poseidon stayed silent for a brief moment. "I'm getting you a new phone."

Percy whipped his head over to him. "Why?"

"Because you can get a new number and those people can't contact you." Percy sighed and sank back in his chair.

"I won't act on it." Come on, Percy, at least try to make it sound convincing. Percy's shoulders slumped as he realized he was never going to see his phone again, and Poseidon shook his head firmly.

"Nope, I am still getting you a new phone, and they aren't allowed to talk to you."

Percy wanted to laugh. Octavian and his buddies were never told no. One time, Percy did, and he ended up with a few broken ribs, a black eye, a split lip, and a death threat, all for saying no to fentanyl. Percy hated needles, and he knew they had a habit of giving too much during their "free trial."

"Do they know where you lived?" There was a slight hint of fear in his tone. Percy knew who those guys were, the fear of them hurting his mom in spite. He also didn't want his mom to know the people he had surrounded himself with because, knowing her, she'd call the cops the moment they stepped foot on her doorstep.

"No, I didn't want them around mom."

Percy watched as relief washed over his dad. He actually worried about his mother, and it made him wonder why Poseidon even left them. Maybe things would have been different if he had stayed, but then his mom would have never met Paul. Paul was the one who built her back together, and it made him hate himself for how he was treating the poor guy.

"Percy, if you didn't want them around your mother, were they ever worth spending time with?" Percy felt the words sink in. He knew they weren't worth it, but they had something he wanted but didn't need. Percy didn't wait for Poseidon to even put the car in park in the garage before he was out of the car. Percy walked into his room, shutting the door. He looked over at his window and decided he needed fresh air. He grabbed his laptop and climbed onto the roof for a moment of silence until his eyes met those steel gray eyes.

Annabeth Chase was also sitting on her roof, wearing a fuzzy blanket and a book with a little light attached to it. Maybe it was the drugs finally being out of his system, or his brain really was fried because his heart seemed to beat just a little quicker. He forced himself to look away and put his headphones on as he leaned back, looking at the stars. He pulled out his key chain and, out of habit rub, bed his thumb over all his failed attempts.

Was he wallowing? Yes. Was he going to make a mistake? Probably. Percy pulled the laptop closer and logged into the Apple Store to send an iMessage. He stared at the offer he was given. He could continue the same pattern he had always had, but he looked to the girl on the roof across from him. She was smiling at her book, her face illuminated by the book light.

P- I'm getting a new phone. Don't talk to me again.

Percy watched as the three typing bubbles as Octavian was replying.

O- you'll come back. The offer still stands, but next time, we won't be so generous. You still owe me $500. Kronos doesn't like it when someone can't pay off a debt.

They know your face.

Percy jumped when he heard yelling across from him. "Annabeth! What are you doing on the roof?" Fredrick was sticking his head out her window.

"Reading. I'm hiding from the twins." He smirked as she clutched her book to her chest.

"It's dangerous! What if you fall off?"

"It's not like I'm walking around. I'm almost done with this chapter." He could practically hear the laughter threatening to come out.

Fredrick looked flabbergasted. "How often do you do this?"

A smile on her face said it all. She did this a lot. "You don't want to know if you're this stressed." As if that was the answer enough, her dad went back into the house, leaving her to her book. She gave him a look as if asking him what?

Percy shrugged, and his smile faded as he looked back at his laptop. Breathe, he told himself. They were just trying to scare him, and it wouldn't work.