Princesses, Punks, and One Problem.

Where's the Panic Room Again?

Every muscle in his entire body tensed. "What?!"
Nico nodded, his hands painfully mashed in his pockets once more. "Yeah... Fun huh?" His smile was weaker than a sick newborn.
Percy took a deep calming breath, so he wouldn't blow up on Nico. "How long have you known?"
Nico's eyes flew to the horizon. "Two weeks from Thursday..."
"And why the hell didn't you think it was important enough to tell me TWO months ago?!" He was mad, pacing around the stairs mad.
"Because I didn't want you to do something stupid..." Nico replied quietly, drawing his shoulders inward.
Percy shook his head in disgust. "But you did something stupid!"
Nico stared straight down, his dark hair hanging in his face. "Will's helping with that."

Percy shook his head again. "I'll see you on Saturday Nico."
With that he left. Screw the world indeed. First Annabeth tries to hear his secrets, then Nico keeps secrets...that involve him!
Stalking down the streets, Percy eventually got home and slammed his dorm door shut. He couldn't care less who he just woke up. He never got his jacket back, he thought crossly.

His mind was in a dark place right now. A very hurt, angry place. Shaking his head, Percy decided to take a shower. Those always seemed to calm him down.
After his shower Percy only put on sweatpants, staring at himself in the mirror. His hair was down and wavy, all his darkness washed away. He almost looked normal, if you didn't look in his eyes. Maybe if Paul had never walked into his life he could've been the older version of his younger self. Happy him.
And just like that he was crying. Full on, tears splashing his chest. Silent tears though, as he gripped the counter of the sink and stared at himself in the mirror.
Paul had broken him. Turned him into a solitary freak, afraid of his own skin. He'd put on the black clothes and done the crazy hair to push people away, tell them he didn't want friends.
But he did. He really did. He wanted them so bad. Because beneath the scary clothes and mean attitude, Percy was still the little kid who first met Paul.
Percy sank down with his back to the counter, ignoring the scrapes the knobs left on his back. He couldn't do it anymore. Especially not with the weekend coming so soon.
Yet if he took off the black halfway through the year like this, everyone would know immediately it was an act, and undoubtedly he'd get bullied. There really was no winning... At least this year.
Maybe if Paul mysteriously died by next year he could come back normal and call it a good summer.
That night Percy did things he wasn't proud of. Things he hadn't done in years. And they hurt, but at the same time they felt so good. Pain for pain. Because of even more pain. Everything was pain!
He was knocked out of his terrible thoughts by an insistent pounding on the door.
"Percy!" It was Annabeth? What the hell? It was like six am, what did she want?
He stood up,  a pounding headache making him stumble, before reaching the door. Oh, he still didn't have a shirt on. He quickly grabbed a navy blue sweatshirt and tugged it over his head, before opening the door.
"Can I help you?" He asked harshly. He knew she was judging his appearance. The red eyes from not sleeping and crying, the messy hair not dealt with.
She held up his jacket. "How in Hades did I get this?"
Percy shrugged. "Nico probably dropped it off."
He didn't even care at this point. Not that that was his favorite jacket, or that Annabeth was holding it.
"This is going to sound crazy." She began.
He rolled his eyes. He'd heard that line before. From loony hobos on the streets.
"I had a dream where you gave this to me, last night. Now why do I have it?" She demanded.
He was about to roll his eyes, but smirked instead. "Dreaming about me, are you?" He raised his eyebrows.
Was she blushing? That only turned his smirk to a grin. "You were."
She rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter. Point is, I shouldn't have this!"
He shrugged. "Okay? I don't care."
"You should," she glowered, shoving the jacket into his chest. He held his ground, grabbing the jacket and throwing it inside. "Why should I?"

Annabeth looked around the hallways, before jumping forward and kissing him?! Percy was too surprised to react. "That's why, okay? Because when you're not being a rude and self concerned jerk, you're kind of cute."
"Cute." He repeated in disbelief.
"Yeah, and when you're not going for the whole 'don't touch me I'll kill you' look. You look nice, like someone people might like."
Was she flirting with him? Despite how cocky he was being earlier, he really had no experience with girls whatsoever.
"Uh... Thanks?" Now he was blushing. Great.
She stepped inside. "You're a dork too."
"What did you want again?" She was making him feel weird.
"Nothing really. But now you need sleep. Sleep." She commanded.
He stared at her. "Not with you here! Go away!"
She laughed, "Are you a shy sleeper?"
"No, but it's just weird I hardly know you."
Annabeth smiled. "Then meet me after you sleep."
"Ugh," he groaned, falling onto the bed. He was exhausted.
"Good boy," she laughed, addressing him like a dog.
Percy put a hand over his eyes. "Shut up."
Annabeth only smiled, as Percy drifted off to sleep.
She really did like him, but she knew something was wrong. His eyes were too red for it to just have been sleepiness. His stance was too tense when he opened the door. Like he was trying much too hard to act normal.
She ever so slowly rolled up his sleeves. She'd seen the signs. And she was right. Maroon lines crossed his wrists.
What had happened to him? What had hurt him so bad??
A/N: Writing this was physically hard for me... That's why I wasn't too descriptive about the sad scene. I really hate Paul now... Sorry book Paul for making you terrible.... Heheh... Not really. But ahhhh!