Since We Met (Percy Jackson Fanfiction) AU

Ch. 7- Tomorrow

-Annie

November 19, 2007 (10 years old fifth grade; Percy)

There was an all too familiar ball of dread in his stomach as Percy listened to the shouting. He heard footsteps and Mom poked her head in his room. She looked different. Tired and sad. The most recent cut was on her lip and the bruises in places she could hide with the right clothes. "Percy, honey, why don't you go to Nico's?" she told Percy.

"You always want me to be over there. It's not like I don't know what that... that jerk does to you." His mom sighed. "Why are you staying with him?" Percy asked pleadingly. "It doesn't make sense! He's not the nice guy we knew, Mom."

"Honey," she said, closing her eyes. Percy could tell she was trying not to cry. "He pays the bills, baby." She took a breath. "Please. I promise, everything is okay."

"What about Thanksgiving?" Percy asked sadly. "Are we even going to have a good holiday?" Sally started to say something, but Percy cut her off. "I'll go, Mom. I'll go. But... if he hurts you-"

"I love you, baby," she said kissing his head. "Go on now."

"Sally!" they both heard.

"I'm going!" she called back. "Go."

Percy reluctantly left through the back door, and made his way across Mrs. Callida's yard to Nico's curving garden. He didn't even knock before the door opened. He saw Nico looking up slightly at him. "Another argument?" Percy nodded. "Come on." He let Percy in.

"I'm sorry that you guys have to babysit me. I'm pretty sure you guys are all tired of me. Especially your dad." Percy sat on the couch and rubbed his face, addressing the di Angelo siblings.

"We're not tired of you, Percy," Bianca said sincerely. "Papa doesn't mind, and I know Nico could never get tired of you."

"Bianca, can you shut up?" Nico snapped glaring at her.

"What was that?" Percy asked as she walked off. Both of them had been acting a lot different.

"Nothing. She just thinks she knows things because she's in middle school." Percy nodded. "Want a grilled cheese? Papa had to get some paperwork done at his office. I can't use the stove too much if he's not here."

"I'm not really hungry," Percy said. "But I'll watch." Percy sat on the kitchen counter as Nico made himself a grilled cheese. "I just keep wondering what we're going to do. The holidays have been so messed up since...." Percy stopped, not wanting to trigger anything.

Nico just sighed. "I know. I don't think people can just be okay after certain things. Some things... you can never get back from."

"Can you promise me something, Nico?" Nico nodded. "Promise me we'll always be friends. Everything else gets so crazy and lost and different. I don't want that to happen to our friendship. Ever."

Nico smiled as he moved the sandwich from the stove to a napkin. "Best friends. Forever. As girly as that sounds. Deal?" Percy nodded and stuck out a pinky, remembering how much those used to mean for them. Once, Nico had even stopped talking to Percy for a whole day when they were 5 and Percy broke a promise. Nico smiled again and looped his pinky through Percy's. "Come on let's see if the documentary on the Wild West is over yet. There was a murder mystery next." They sat down on the couch and Percy put his legs on Nico's lap and Nico used them as a table.

Percy saw some Mythomagic cards on the table. "Were you playing?" he asked.

Nico looked. "Oh. Yeah. I found them in the back of my closet, and I started playing with them again. I'm still pretty good."