𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 || 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣¹

020

(chapter xx - gone, but not forgotten)

SELENE ALREADY REGRETTED her past words.

What she said was completely true — she did have a lot of shit to talk about, especially to Percy. She just didn't know how to start it.

So, there they were. In the upper left corner of the infirmary, Selene cleaning up Percy as he avoided her eyes. Even the chaos with Mal behind them couldn't defeat the awkward silence between the two.

Percy spoke up. "Hey, I —"

"Don't."

"But you said —"

"Just don't."

"Okay."

And that was that. Selene slowly started to wrap a bandage around his bruised knuckles, not even looking up at Percy.

It seemed he couldn't take it anymore. "Selene, please. I'm so sorry. Mal will be okay, I promise. I'll — I'll even apologize to him, if you want. Please, forgive me, I'm so —"

"You think I'm mad about Mal?"

"What?"

She looked up at him, his sea green eyes studied her, looking for a hint of anger, resentment, regret.

He found none.

She squeezed his non-injured hand. "Percy, I'm not mad. Disappointed, maybe but....it's not about Mal. Fuck him, honestly. I...I just want to know why. Why you did it. I already have an idea on why...I just don't want to believe it."

Percy's guilty look gave her enough of an answer.

"I — I didn't mean to hurt him," Percy tried to explain, "I asked him why he lied, about you two being together. Why he...said you two were dating. He said — he said I didn't have to know. He said he wasn't sorry about it. Then...then I punched him. It — it was stupid, I know, but — he deserved it. He —"

"Percy," She interrupted with a sigh. "I told you, I would handle it. This just made things a lot more complicated with Mal. Gods, what am I going to do? I —"

"Selene, he doesn't deserve you. He lied, and he didn't sound sorry, when I talked to him."

"You weren't supposed to talk to him!" She exclaimed. "I was supposed to talk to him about it!"

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Percy muttered, scoffing.

"It sure as hell would! He's already so riled up about you, Percy. You are too. Can you guys just figure this rivalry out before things get even more complicated?"

Percy didn't reply. He avoided her gaze, staring at the floor.

Selene stood up, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets. "I hope you feel better. I also would advise you to not get in anymore pointless fights, today."

"But it wasn't —"

"I'll see you," She muttered bitterly, storming off.

She was angry, now. At Mal, at Percy, but especially at herself. She could've done something to prevent this all — maybe introduce them, maybe get them to be friends. Maybe she could've stopped the fight. But no, she just stood there, staring and doing nothing.

As usual.

It seemed Annabeth still wasn't back yet, so Selene took the opportunity to pass by Thema's cabin. As she walked into it, many of Thema's siblings said hello. They looked similar to her best friend — same golden brown eyes, same sun-kissed skin.