ELYSIAN, the riordanverse

41

GENERATION WHY

[ set in a mortal AU ]

***

Percy was pointlessly throwing a tennis ball up at his ceiling floor as he laid on his bed. Thump, he caught it and threw it up again, Thump, the ball fell to the floor. He sighed and rolled over to grab it. Percy heard something − it sounded like his name. He jumped off his bed and walked over to the window. His friend, Grover, was standing there, below the house. He was gestured to Percy to come down.

why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why

Percy smiled and ran down the stairs, not giving his mother − who was yelling at him to come back right this second − a second thought. He grabbed his beanie laying on the coffee table, threw it on and ran outside, laughing as he spread his arms wide. He fist-bumped Grover and asked where they were going. His friend smiled and Percy already knew the answer.

I was off keying cars,
parked on radium lawns
by suburbian moms

Percy laughed with mirth and grabbed the compass tool from his pocket and knelt down in front of a car. Grover glanced around, making sure no one was there and gave Percy a thumbs-up. Percy smiled and started to trace out three scraggly, but visible letters on the car, WHY? He laughed and stood up, giving Grover a high-five. The two friends laughed and Percy tucked the compass tool back in his pocket. 

I called a friend, "Let's meet at ten,"
Go wherever we want, '
Cause no one cares that we're gone

Percy fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed in a number as Grover watched excitedly. This night would be there night. The person Percy was calling picked up. Hey Annabeth, let's meet up at ten near the fountain. The girl on the other end of the call seemed to grin into the phone. And go wherever we want? Percy laughed, Of course. Percy ended the phone call and turned to Grover who threw a fist in the air. No one would care and they would have the best night of their lives.

This town don't got much to do,
You and I haven't got much to lose, 
So do you wanna rot in your room like we always do?

Annabeth, Grover and Percy walked through the town, their shoulders brushing together. There was nothing much to do in town. But then again, they had nothing to lose. Grover suggested that they all head over to the park and just talk. That's what they did.

Talk about how fast we grew and all the big dreams that we won't pursue, then get in your car and laugh 'til we both turn blue

The three friends talked about everything. They talked about how fast they grew up. They talked about all the stupid things they had once wanted to do. They talked about all the cars they'd keyed. They talked about all the dreams that they would never pursue. Laughing and laughing and laughing, they all piled into Grover's car and then laughed some more.

'Cause we are the helpless, selfish, one of a kind
Millennium kids, that all wanna die
Walking in the street with no light inside our eyes

Annabeth, Percy and Grover all knew it as they talked and talked and talked. Dying would be so simple. They craved it. They joked about it. It would be the best, wouldn't it? They laughed some more − who cared if they keyed cars? Who cared if they did anything? Who care if they walked and ran in the streets? Maybe that was selfish, but they knew no one really cared. And sometimes, neither did they.

We are the worthless, cursed with too much time
We get into trouble and lose our minds
Something that I've heard a million times in my life
Generation Why

They were talking so much and laughing so often that Grover swerved into a pole. Nothing happened, but they laughed even more after that. They would surely get into trouble tomorrow, but what did it matter anymore. They'd lost their minds already so Percy, Annabeth and Grover laughed and set off into the night again.

Parents think we're fast asleep
But as soon as we're home we're sneaking out the window

Grover started the car and drove off into the light. They all talked some more, thinking about how their parents probably believe that they were fast asleep in their rooms. They laughed − they never slept. When had they slept last? Who cares anyway. They always snuck out of the window, they always laughed and talked and the smiled some more. Then wondered when they had slept last.

'Cause at this rate of earth decay
Our world's ending at noon
Could we all just move to the moon?

Percy had read an article about how the world was supposed to end in 2012. He laughed and told his friends about it. They laughed too. What would it matter if the world decayed even more? It was all ending anyway. Annabeth asked if they could just move to the moon. Percy and Grover laughed and agreed.

This town don't got much to do
And you and I haven't got much to lose
So do you wanna leave everyone in this place for good?

Grover revved the engine and took a sharp turn. They had nothing to lose. Their town had nothing to do. Would it be that bad if they just left for good? Grover asked his friends if that wanted to leave. Annabeth and Percy laughed and said of course they wanted to leave. They started to make plans for their escape. They would take Grover's car of course, but what then?

'Cause we are the helpless, selfish, one of a kind
Millennium kids, that all wanna die

Annabeth thought it might be selfish to leave but she brushed the thought off. What would it matter when her father thought she was asleep anyway? What would it matter when they were saying the world was going to end? She smiled and turned back to her friends. They all laughed some more − they were helpless and they wanted to die but they kept on laughing.

Walking in the street with no light inside our eyes

Grover parked his car and the three friends rushed out, breathing in the night's air. They didn't know what time it was. They didn't know what their parents were thinking. But who cared? They for sure didn't. They started to walk in the street together.

We are the worthless, cursed with too much time
We get into trouble and lose our minds

Percy and Grover started to talk about the car they'd keyed before they'd called Annabeth and Annabeth started to laugh. She elbowed Percy in the ribs and told him that he'd lost his mind. He laughed and said that he had. Grover kicked a pebble and started to run. Percy and Annabeth looked at each other and started to run too. They had too much time and nothing to do with it. So just like that, they were running in the streets, with no light inside their eyes and their arms raised high. They laughed and laughed and ran through the night.

Something that I've heard a million times in my life
Generation Why