He's Back (Percico)

Chapter Seven

Nico

Percy was calming himself down so he wouldn't have a panic attack.

I was gone for ten minutes. And I don't think it was because I was gone.

"Percy?" I said as I walked over to him in underwear and a shirt because I forgot my pants in our room. "what happened? I was in there for like ten minutes."

He also seemed kind of pissed off.

"Grover just..." Percy said and took a breath, trying to calm down. "He started talking about me being single. About how I would always tell him if I got a girlfriend. If I had a crush. Even if it was a guy. And then he was saying that dating a guy is an adjustment but it's okay and there's nothing wrong with jt and like just his tone kind of pissed me off because it's not like I had a panic attack about this this morning. So I snapped at him and told to just leave it alone. We're dating, but right now I don't want then doing because they won't leave us alone and you know they won't and my mom will find out and she'll kill me, if not both of us. I just wanted to go like a day without worrying about it."

I gave him a hug and we heard the front door open. Probably his parents.

_____________

Paul

We were late, but we made it.

And when we got there, we first saw Grover and Leo. They seemed to be doing well, and of course we asked where Nico and Percy were.

Leo literally broke Percy's only rule for them.

"Probably making out or something, you never know with them."

He made a gay joke.

Sally is the last person you say a gay joke around. She's weirdly okay with me being bi because I never like showed interest in men apparently. She didn't even know until after we got married.

And it's not like Percy's told me he's gay or bi or whatever he is. But one, it's not hard to see. I'm one of his teachers. He sits in the back of the room half of the time and checks out the guy in front of him. He has yet to honestly fail my class so I really can't yell at him that much.

Plus, the school councilor has told me about Percy's visits when he goes home sick. Because of the time it's anxiety attacks. But it's not because it's just anxiety. Some of it is. But he's has breakdowns on multiple accounts in the councilors office and nurse's office because he's fucking terrified that Sally finds out.

Grover slapped Leo's arm because that had Sally's attention.

To make sure it was a joke, Sally of course wants to make sure. And she found the room Percy was in.

He was having a meltdown because he could hear everything and he knew he was screwed when Leo said that.

Percy was sitting in the floor. Shaking and crying. Out of his fucking mind. Meanwhile, Nico is going through Percy's bag because he probably doesn't know how to handle a fucking panic attack, I doubt he's ever had to deal with one.

Much less for something like this, where he's fucked anyways.

Sorry that I'm swearing a lot, but really you don't understand the intensity of this without it. Percy was in another fucking world right now because he was scared shitless of his mom, who was about to go batshit crazy on him. Because guess what, he's got a boyfriend.

_______________

Percy

She got me alone. Outside. Kind of by the shore. And she yelled at me, which raised my anxiety. I don't even know what she said. But she was mad and loud.

Overwhelmed with emotions and anxiety and all of my problems, I wasn't responding and I didn't know she said anything because I was back in my 12 year old mindset. It wasn't going well.

Of course, it got better. And I say that with a lot of sarcasm. Because it's just turned to hell for me when I didn't respond to her.

My mother slapped me right into a flashback.

The next 45 minutes we're a blur. But what I do remember is her telling me to leave and I mean I came back to reality in my car. This time Nico and I were in the back and Grover was driving. He has his license. Leo was out cold. Grover was too focused on making sure he was going the right way to pay attention to us.

"Hey, you back?" Nico asked me and I think I nodded. He got the idea. "mostly? Good. When we look out and we saw your mom beating you we kind of rushed over and yeah. Grover worked his magic so you should be pretty good. Do you remember anything?"

I shrugged.

"I remember her just being really loud and bothering my anxiety." I told him, leaning on his shoulder. "she slapped me, and then I think I she said to leave. I was out like as soon as she slapped me, I really don't remember much afterwards. Actually any of it. I uh... Flashbacks..."

"It's okay," he told me, rubbing my back. "it might be better that you don't remember. Your mom got really brutal. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well," I started off, not even thinking because I was exhausted. "it's not the first time she's done it. But uh... I'm kind of tired. I can tell you later but like... It's been really bad day."

"It has been," my boyfriend agreed, and I found the back seat recliner thing that leo and Grover wish they knew about. But I was able to grab my blanket and with being in the Middle seat, I was able to curl up and use his shoulder as my pillow. It's nice.

I'm just relieved that at least he's here. I have something to hold onto because it just feels like I'm losing everything else. Everything but him.

Cause my gods, even Grover is slipping.

•••

Nico died a week later on a job for his dad.