Alone Again (Percico/Pernico AU)

Chapter 28

So, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. As I'm writing this author's note, it is almost midnight of Sunday. From last Sunday until today, I've been swamped with my show. It was tech week, the shows were a success, and I had a ton of fun! Anyways, here we go.

I'm sorry in advance because I wrote part of this last week and don't know where I was going but whatever.

(Chapter is very dialogue heavy again)

"Wasn't it?"
*****

The four teenagers sat in silence for at least fifteen minutes before they heard the click of the door opening and closing again. However, none of them bothered to look at the room's new addition.

"Percy?" The addressed boy finally directed his attention at something other than the table to see Grover. He tilted his head in confusion as Grover approached the table and began rambling. "Am I interrupting something? I mean, I could totally come back later if you don't want me here, or I could just not come back at all, whichever works better for you because I wanted to come see you but didn't know how'd you feel about that, but I finally decided to take a risk and come here because the apartment is really lonely without you and everyone seems mad at you and I really don't know why and-"

Percy let out a small, shaky laugh before processing what he'd said. "Wait...so nobody told you why they're mad?"

Grover shook his head as he sat down and set his crutches on the ground. The four on the opposite side of the table exchanged looks before Percy kept talking. "Okay, Grover, I know we haven't known each other for that long, but I just need you to trust me on this one. Please. I'm aware that you may not want to if you talk to anyone else, but I swear to you that I didn't do whatever they think I did."

"What do they think you did?" Grover inquired, now a bit concerned about the situation.

Percy shook his head. "They all think I killed Bianca."

The visitor stared at Percy, mouth slightly agape as he searched for a decent reply. "Wha....why would they....oh my god, is that was Nico's been upset about all week?"

The raven-haired boy sighed shakily and returned his gaze to the table. "Yeah, he, uh...he actually was just here a few minutes ago. Our conversation didn't exactly go too well, to say the least. Maybe if I had just...I don't know," he replied, muttering mostly to himself towards the end.

"How did they keep this out of the picture for so long?" Grover questioned.

Percy shrugged with a small head shake. "I've been stuck here. I guess they all thought there was no point in mentioning it."

"But this was huge to Nico. I...when he told me about her, I just remember him saying something about always wanting to know...and they had to have known that, right?" Grover slowly tried to break down the situation. Clarisse, Connor, and Travis took that as a sign that they should leave the two alone and return to their original table, and they did just that.

After seeing Percy nod, Grover continued speaking, "Why'd they even let you two near each other if it was something this major? Don't they have enough common sense to know that it would end badly?"

"Well, Grover, they're all more afraid of me than they are of Nico," Percy stated emotionlessly.

*****

"You've got guts, Nico," Jason sighed after Nico told him about the visit, "although I'm not sure that's a good thing right now."

Nico shook his head. "I just...it's like I had no control over my words."

"Just hope that he never sees you again," Jason told Nico as he turned onto their street.

"Jason, I don't know what to do now."

"Please don't tell me you feel bad about it," Jason said with a small groan. Nico had a tendency to feel guilty whenever an encounter went unpleasantly. And the one he just had with Percy was definitely what he'd consider unpleasant. He couldn't help but think that there was more to the story.

Nico opened the door and stepped out of the car after Jason parked. "I just think I might've been a bit too hard on him."

"Nico-"

"I didn't even let him say sorry, Jase."

The two walked up to the apartment and closed the door behind them before continuing their conversation.

Jason set his keys on the counter. "You made the right choice, Nico. It's best if you just forget about it."

"Why was I the last one to know?" Nico asked suddenly.

Jason looked over at him before answering, "Grover doesn't know yet."

"You're kidding, right?" Taking Jason's silence as a no, Nico sighed. "He was living with him, Jason! Whatever, I'll just call him."

Nico escaped to his room before picking up his phone and pressing call on Grover's contact. After it went directly to voicemail the first four times, he decided texting might work better. However, Nico's texts refused to deliver. He groaned rather loudly as he tossed his phone aside, inwardly cringing after hearing it hit the floor. It was at that moment when Thalia knocked on the door before opening it slowly.

"Is there even a point in knocking if you're gonna enter anyways?" Nico asked her curiously as she sat on the edge of Nico's bed.

Thalia simply shrugged at the question. "None of my texts will go through to Grover, can you send a picture for me?"

"Mine won't send either," Nico responded with a shake of his head. "What'd you need me to send?"

"I got a Coke bottle with his name on the side today," she explained with a small smirk.

Nico playfully rolled his eyes with a faint laugh. "Essential to his life, isn't it?"

Thalia laughed half heartedly. Jason had given her a brief explanation of the visit. "Obviously."

"Guess I'll go try Jason then," she said, standing up. Before she left, though, Nico had something to ask her.

"Thalia?"

"Hm?"

"What were you told about Percy?"

Lowkey concerned because I had this weird dream, like, months ago, and it actually happened yesterday...I'm really confused about it tbh.

IM ABOUT TO PUBLISH THIS AT 11:11 JUST TO BE OBNOXIOUS, HERE WE GO.