Alone Again (Percico/Pernico AU)

Chapter 35

So this is just chapter 35 again. I still really don't know what happened to it originally.😂 nothing changed in this chapter except some very light editing, so you don't have to reread this if you saw it before it mysteriously died. (Unless you're bored and want to.)

[TRIGGER WARNING: chapter contains mentions of self-harm, anxiety, depression, and general mental health issues. A very brief summary of the chapter will be provided for those who wish not to read the detailed anecdotes of the aforementioned topics within this chapter. Stay safe, and thank you for reading.]

Aren't we all?
*****

Percy got discharged a day later on Sunday, as expected. As much as he hated the fact that he was still considered a criminal, he would rather be back at the facility with his friends (or just Clarisse at that point) than stuck in the monotony that people called the hospital. The only downside he could find with the change of scene was that his "visiting days" went from seven to one, which meant a lack of communication with the rest of his friends and acquaintances.

Even though there was only one whose absence would really bother him

Back at the detention center, things were quieter than Percy would've liked. The Stoll brothers weren't there to be the main source of conversation and noise, Chris was no longer there to calm them down, Percy was still rather emotionally drained, and Clarisse was really just lost in the midst of it all. She did try to strike up a few conversations with Percy, but her attempts appeared to be futile besides a few exchanges here and there.

The one that really stuck out to Percy was right before "lights out" the day he returned.

"Percy?" Clarisse had begun all of their discussions the same way.

And Percy usually responded in a similar fashion. "Hm?"

"Why?"

Confused, Percy tore his eyes away from whatever he was doing and plastered his eyesight to the girl. "Why what?"

"Why is everything going wrong?"

Perch shook his head with a shrug. And they didn't speak again before returning to their cells.

Even after replaying the events in his mind, Percy never really understood why such a small, pessimistic conversation was the one that he remembered.

Maybe remembering depressing things was just a talent of his.

After all, his clearer memories always seem to be the worst ones, most of which contained death. He could write a novel about the day his mother died, and the thoughts swimming through his head when Gabe took his final breaths will stick with him for most of his life. The way the street lights shined on the knife that ended Bianca di Angelo's life would be forever engraved in his mind. He could make a list about various other details from tragic events, but stopped himself before he completely shattered whatever sanity he had left.

Despite the fact that it was Sunday, Percy had told Nico that he shouldn't be wasting his time visiting if he really had all the makeup work Percy assumed he did. Nico followed his suggestion.

And Percy utterly regretted making it that night.

**stop here if trigger warning applies to you**

Percy sat on the uncomfortable bed with his knees pulled into his chest. He had placed himself in that position nearly two hours ago and still hadn't moved. By this point, Percy had to assume it was at least midnight, if not later. He'd spent the past few minutes trying to steady his shaky breaths with nearly no success. His eyes flickered around the room. All he needed was a distraction. Something to pull his mind out of the dark abyss it had seemingly crawled into.