I'm a Mermaid (a PJO / H2O crossover) - Complete

Chapter 20

Percy's POV

About half an hour after Apollo leaves, Bella comes into the Moon Pool. 

"Oh, hey Percy, I didn't know you were in here." She says, "I'll leave you in peace- I can come back later."

"No, wait. It's fine, you can stay. I was just thinking."

"About what? The job you took for Dr Denman? Do you think you'll get it?"

"No, it's not that. Don't worry about it- it's just for me to think about."

"Percy, that's not the way to feel. If you're alone, you'll feel isolated from everyone else. You have to talk to people. You don't have to talk to me- we haven't known each other for a long time. Just talk to someone, I can tell something's bothering you, and sometimes it will feel much better to get it out in the open." Bella starts to leave again. I know I need to talk to someone, but talking to people who I've known for a while is even worse, especially if I have to go back to camp, and since mom is pregnant I don't want to stress her or Paul out with anything. I can't talk to dad either, he's a God, he wouldn't listen and he has worse things to worry about.

"Bella, wait." I say. "You know Annabeth, my girlfriend, the one you met at the café?" She nods and I continue to tell her. No, I'm not about to reveal my whole demigod life to her. "Well, Annabeth is in a coma."

"How?" Bella asks, her tone seems a little fake. I knew I shouldn't have told her, she wouldn't get it. 

"It's not a big deal."

"Percy, it's a huge deal! You're telling me that the way your girlfriend got put in a coma isn't a big deal? That's stupid! It's clearly upsetting you, and it's one of the most important things in the world to you at the moment! So do not tell me that it isn't a big deal." Wow, she actually cares. 

"She got into a huge fight. Over time we've made some enemies, and a lot of them came at her at once and she couldn't fight them all off. Only three other people that were there at the time thought to help her as well, and that was when she was already brutally injured and losing. By the time I got there to help, it was too late. I fought off the rest of the mon- I mean people, but Annabeth was in hospital already. I was too late. If I could have got there sooner, she could have survived, she-"

"Percy, she did survive! She's in a coma, not dead! She could wake up at any time! And, she's in America, you're on the other side of the world! How could you have gotten there quick enough?" She says. I forgot they were in America! Now she'll ask questions about how the fight could have lasted so long.

"You're right Bella, I could never have saved her in time. Thanks for listening to me, I appreciate it. I'm sorry to be a burden, I hate talking about my problems to people, I prefer to listen to them talking."

"The listener can talk once in a while as well." To my surprise, she doesn't mention how long the fight lasted, or anything about the fight in general. She doesn't even mention my slip-up when I almost said monsters. She's either really un-observant, or, well, I don't know. She should be questioning this- I can't believe I was so stupid to slip-up like that, she could have noticed, and found out about be, but luckily she didn't.

"I have to go Bella, but thanks for this, I mean it. I'll see you around, I'll hopefully see the others too." I swim out of the pool and vapour travel to Rikki's café to get a drink.

I walk up to the counter and order an Americano. Just normal, nothing extra, a simple coffee. I need that right now. My phone rings, calling me to attention. I enjoy quietly singing my ringtone for a bit (because you have to sing Under the Sea, it's a law) and then answer. "Hello? Percy Jackson speaking."