Percy thought he was finally out of the woods. He’d spent the last five years of his life jumping from quest to quest and fight to fight. He’d had his memory wiped, traveled across the country, and lived on a flying ship for months. He’d done it all, survived it all, and was finally ready to enjoy his seventeenth year. Percy was feeling invincible. He hadn't lived this long not to truly enjoy it, not soak in every moment.
These were his thoughts as he climbed into the back of a New York City taxi cab. He’d spent the afternoon at the library (he really was a changed man) and was ready to go home. He gave the driver his address, and leaned back in his seat. He tried not to pay attention to the fact that the cab smelled like old pizza and the socks of every passenger who’d ridden before him that day, despite the window being cracked. The breeze that came through the slit blew his curls around his head. He brushed a stray hair out of his face, a fleck of gray on his finger.
When he looked down at his hands, they were stained with lead, glistening in the afternoon light. He supposed it was proof that he’d spent the day studying, but it was still odd to see. Annabeth was rubbing off on him. Or maybe it was just his resolve to go to the same college as her.
He reclined further in his seat, leaning against the headrest. His eyes began to shut despite his determination to stay awake, but Percy no longer felt the need to be completely alert. Maybe he was being co*cky, or maybe he had earned it.
But, as always, his peace had to be interrupted. The radio, which had been playing some easy-listening song about New York City just before, switched. The driver tapped along to the tune on the steering wheel, not a care in the world. Percy’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle bar above his head, trying not to meet the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. The lyrics ran through his brain just like they had a year ago, and all it seemed too real.
If you like piña coladas
And gettin’ caught in the rain
He felt like he was back in the elevator heading out of Tartarus. He felt his body pressing into the door, desperately trying to keep the monsters from spilling in. Even though it made no sense, he felt like he was really there.
Annabeth was across from him, struggling to keep her own side of the doors closed, braids hanging limp in her face and breath coming in short bursts. The world outside the elevator rumbled with activity, shaking the doors, conversations spilling through. Mostly just calls to pry the doors open, not let the demigods escape, kill them, etc. Lovely stuff.
If you’re not into yoga
If you have half a brain
The song played on, seeming to warp in his mind into something much more sinister. Maybe it was because it played overhead as tears streamed down Annabeth’s face, or maybe because it reminded Percy of people he’d had to leave behind.
The sting of losing Damasen and Bob the Titan stung like a fresh wound, regardless of the year that had passed, regardless of the fact that deep down Percy knew none of this was real. But if none of it was real, why couldn’t he snap himself out of it?
If you like makin’ love at midnight
In the dunes on the cape
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the world, but if anything it made the memory stronger. He looked at Annabeth, who seemed far away. The music blared even louder overhead, and he longed to slap his hands over his ears, but he feared an onslaught of monsters if he let go of the door.
Then I’m the love that you’ve looked for
Write to me and escape
He thought this might be the end of him, the boy who’d survived so much destined to meet his end at the hand of a song about alcohol mixed with PTSD. He had no clue how to pull himself out, to wake himself up. Finally, as he looked at Annabeth, she spoke.
“Dude, are you good?” she said, her voice gravelly and hoarse, just as it had been after days of drinking from the River of Fire.
Percy snapped back to reality, the cab driver turned around in his seat. He looked at Percy with an expectant look on his face, like he was confused why Percy wasn’t responding. Percy realized then that it wasn’t Annabeth who spoke, but this man.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Percy said quickly, barely able to muster just that. He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and pressed it into the driver’s hand, probably overpaying, but not having the energy to count it out. He pushed against his car door, mumbling a thank you as he slipped out of the car, unsteady on his feet. He stumbled, not really having any other direction in mind than somewhere to sit down.
He found a park bench, plopping down on it, his limbs feeling like they were made of lead. He couldn’t even look down at his hands, the lead feeling all too much like the blood that had coated them as he rode the elevator out of hell. He tried to slow his breathing like his mother had told him, but he couldn’t help but hyperventilate. He knew only one person who had a chance of helping him.
With a shaking hand, he uncapped his water bottle, pouring some liquid onto the ground. He fumbled in his pocket for a drachma, breathing a small sigh of relief when his hand closed around it. He threw it in the puddle without preamble.
“Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering,” Percy said, praying to every god he could name that Annabeth would answer.
He normally wouldn’t send an Iris Message in such a public place, but Percy wasn’t so sure he could stand again if he tried. He hoped that any mortals who walked by would just think he was a crazy person talking to the ground. Maybe they wouldn’t be so far off.
“Percy?” Annabeth’s voice asked, drawing Percy’s eyes to the puddle on the ground. It was a relief in itself to see her, unscathed. Her braids were tied up in a bun, like she’d just woken up from a nap.
“Percy, are you okay?” Annabeth asked again. She looked concerned. “You’re really pale.”
“Something happened,” Percy managed, trying not to choke on his words.
“What happened?” Annabeth asked, her voice worried. “Are you hurt?”
“No, it’s just-,” Percy cut himself off. “It’s just so stupid.”
“I’m sure it’s not if it’s freaking you out this much,” Annabeth promised him. “Just tell me.”
“I was riding in a taxi, and I heard the song that was playing in the elevator when we were heading out of Tartarus,” Percy admitted, retelling the story causing some of the stress to come rushing back. “I felt like I was back there.”
Annabeth listened carefully, schooling her expression. “First thing you need to do is breathe.”
Percy tried to protest, but Annabeth held up a hand.
“I know your chest probably feels too tight for that, but if you don’t breathe it won’t get better,” Annabeth assured him. “Breathe with me.”
She sucked in a breath, holding up her hand and showing him three counts before exhaling.
“This time, with me,” she commanded, holding up her fingers again.
Percy did as he was told, and after a few rounds, had to admit that some of the weight left his chest.
“Better?” Annabeth asked.
“A little,” Percy told her. “The world stopped spinning.”
“That’s good,” Annabeth said, looking relieved.
“How did you know what to do?” Percy asked, hand still gripping the park bench. He wished it was her hand.
“Ever since I came back to California I’ve been having my own panic attacks about holding the sky,” Annabeth admitted. “Hazel helped me out of a couple when I was visiting Camp Jupiter.”
Percy thanked the gods for Hazel. “You could’ve told me.”
“I know, Percy,” Annabeth said, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden. “And it’s not that I don’t trust you. I just didn’t want to worry you.”
“Worry me,” Percy told her. “We’re in this together.”
“Okay,” Annabeth agreed. “If it happens again, I’ll message you.”
“Good,” Percy breathed out, most of the panic gone. “We can’t let things as silly as piña coladas take us down.”
“Gods I hate that song,” Annabeth admitted, shaking her head.
Percy laughed. “I think it’s definitely my new least favorite.”
Annabeth smiled, and for a moment they just enjoyed each other’s company. Then, the puddle started to flicker, signaling that their time was close to up. Annabeth noticed it too.
“Call me tomorrow?” Annabeth asked.
“Sure,” Percy replied. Then, he quickly added, “I love you.”
“I love you too, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth said, just as the puddle dried up and her face disappeared.
Percy leaned back on the bench, letting the breeze wash over him. Despite feeling better with Annabeth’s assistance, he couldn’t help but feel less confident than he did before.
Maybe he wasn’t as invincible as he thought.
