[For Percy]

[lightningthief]

After a more interesting day at the Compound, I decided to go back home and wait up for Percy. He hadn't been back at our place when I got there, so I fired up the game system and started up dishing out some digital death.

Coraline had asked me if Percy liked her. She'd also mentioned Esther attacking her, and how she and Percy had some earlier conversation that hadn't answered her questions. I didn't honestly know anything about any of it. I'd told Coraline I'd ask Percy for her. Maybe the best thing would've been to insist that the two of them try talking again, but I thought I'd get in the middle here just for a bit. This could get messy considering not-Thalia, a.k.a. Valkyrie.

And, maybe Percy doesn't know either. I'll help him sort it out if he needs me. Anyway, until he gets here, I'm going to pile up the virtual bodies.

Comments

[percy_jackson]

I pushed open the door to the hut that Luke and I shared. "What a day," I muttered. "Hey, Luke!" I stepped into our bathroom and poured myself a cup of water. I drank it down and poured another. I took this back out to our common area and sat down on the couch. I set the cup beside me and picked up a console, logging myself into the game. "How goes the battle?"

The game went "Blip! Blip! Blip!"

[lightningthief]

"Great," I reply as I execute a brilliant cheat that lets me win easier. It's my preferred method of playing, as always. After that, some times goes by as we play the game together.

"So. Bumped into Coraline today," I remark.

[percy_jackson]

I frowned. I was pretty sure the game didn't normally have a provision where trap doors opened up beneath advancing troops. Or for the advancing troops to make Wile E Coyote faces or whistling falling noises while they fell. But I shrugged and kept on playing.

"Always dangerous," I said in response to Luke's comment. "How's she doing? Any better?" I took a drink of water.

[lightningthief]

"She'll be okay. I can't say I'm too excited to hear some girl tried to kill her, but I think she'll heal up fine. But, I wouldn't say she's 100% okay. Coraline's a bit wound up about something," I say and cast a look over to Percy. Let's see how obvious I have to get. Percy was always lousy when it came to subtlety.

[percy_jackson]

"Yeah, that was Esther." I grit my teeth at the thought of her hurting Coraline. "Didn't you hear about that? Creepy girl who, turns out, wasn't a girl, and she tries to knife the chief of the IPD and gets shot to death? Crazy! We thought we had some weird monsters back home."

I frowned as I registered the other part of Luke's comment. "Wound up? More or less than being attacked by Esther?" I thought a moment. "Well, she and Johnny have been awkward. Again. Apparently she wants an innocent sleepover, and he's all 'Um' about it." I decided not to mention that I'd been roped into acting as chaperone, just yet. I took another sip of water.

[lightningthief]

Upon hearing that Coraline wants an innocent 'sleepover' with her friend Johnny, I have to pause the game. That's... cute.

"So, you and Coraline were talking about her sleepover with Johnny?" I'm baiting Percy a bit to see if I get any reaction to that.

[percy_jackson]

I blinked as the game froze, and then I looked sidelong at Luke. Why did I get the feeling I'd stepped into a minefield and hadn't seen any signs.

"Yes..." I said, slowly, warily. "She told me she wanted a sleepover with Johnny, and she couldn't understand why he was uncomfortable, and I told her that of course Johnny was uncomfortable for, you know, reasons."

I sighed and shook my head. "You know, I was fifteen once. I vaguely remember being so. I knew about sex. I know Coraline knows about it too. And while I was a lot more busy to worry about it, Annabeth and I would never have even thought about asking for something like a sleepover. We were friends. And there was more there besides. But we'd both know that was a line we weren't ready to cross unless something really serious was about to happen. How does Coraline not get that?"

[lightningthief]

My mood shifts more somber when Percy mentions Annabeth. I always wonder... if things had been different...?

"It's simple. Coraline wants it both ways. She wants to be grown up, sophisticated, and have boys like her, and maybe even have a boyfriend. At the same time, she wants the comfort and safety of childhood innocence. People aren't rational. Who knows, though? Maybe she did have ulterior motives and plans for the sleepover."

[percy_jackson]

"Hm," I said. "I hadn't thought of it like that. That makes a lot of sense."

I thought a moment, then decided to add, "Well, you can be sure nothing... untoward is going to happen at Johnny and Coraline's sleepover. I..." I took a deep breath. "I kinda got roped in as a chaperone. Apparently.

[lightningthief]

I grin and huff out a small laugh.

"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, hero of Olympus, and sleepover referee. Why exactly do Coraline and Johnny need a chaperone, again?"

[percy_jackson]

I lowered my head. "Because Coraline demanded one?" I grimaced. "Actually, she sort of didn't. She just invited me to this future sleepover with her and Johnny. The 'chaperone' part is what I'm telling myself in order to sleep nights."

I looked up at Luke. "I know you're laughing. Stop it! It's not funny!"

[lightningthief]

"Nice. She actually didn't even ask. Very nice."

For Percy, I try to keep my amusement down to just a smile. My smile's wide, though. There's only so far I can go.

"I know it's none of my business, Percy. But, you might want to actually tell Coraline whether you like her or not before this soon-to-be-infamous sleepover."

If Percy knows me at all, I completely and totally plan to throw in references to sleepovers into our everyday lives for the foreseeable future. Connecting that reference to the line 'be gentle, it's my first time' will be only too easy.

[percy_jackson]

"What are you talking about? Of course like her. Why would I have to--"

I stopped, suddenly keenly aware of another connotation for the word "like". A connotation that Coraline used quite often. "You mean 'like-like' her, don't you?"

I looked at Luke for a response, all the while wondering how this had come to me through him. Must have heard something. How? Through Coraline. Why?

I lowered my head in my hands. "Oh, crap!"

[lightningthief]

Percy's doing the same cute-innocent thing Coraline does by totally missing my initial meaning at first.

"Percy, you didn't say it, but 'oh crap' is not a response someone with no feelings gives."

I'm sure this isn't simple for him. He's still got his 'thing' with Valkyrie, and even further hiding is the topic of Annabeth. I'll just let him say something at this point.

[percy_jackson]

I glared at him. "Luke: Coraline is fifteen. And I'm in love with Valkyrie. And Coraline's Johnny Maxwell's girlfriend. And did I mention that Coraline's fifteen?"

But my mind was beginning to spin. Geez, first Annabeth, then Valkyrie and now, possibly, Coraline?! What kind of lovesick fiend was I?

Then again, maybe it was the Island. Bella was a friend who'd just married Edward Cullen -- a man/vampire from back home. But I'd heard through the grapevine that she'd been in love and living with another man whom she'd met on the Island. And Annabeth had been here and suddenly she wasn't and I was full of regrets.

It wasn't that my feelings for Valkyrie were superficial -- far, far from it. But maybe it was possible to love more than one person in your heart. And maybe this place, with its uncertainties, made this more urgent.

[lightningthief]

Percy's glare doesn't phase me. "So? I didn't quite catch the part where you actually denied having feelings for Coraline."

The other things might influence how he acts, but not how he feels.

[percy_jackson]

I rubbed my forehead wearily. "Luke, Coraline is my friend." I sighed, then I laughed a little. "If she were in our world, she'd be one hell of a Demigod. Who do you think? Daughter of Zeus? Or Athena?"

[lightningthief]

Imagining Coraline as a daughter of Zeus or Athena is somewhere I'm not going. Coraline has a place in my heart, but she's not Thalia or Annabeth.

"Percy, I know why you want to avoid directly answering that question. It's messy. I can see that. What you decide to tell Coraline is one thing, but you need to figure out the truth of how you really feel. Don't lie to yourself. You've got Valkyrie to think about, and Annabeth too. Like I said before, it's okay if you want to keep pursuing Valkyrie, but don't build it up into a quest that the world depends on. I know you're a very loyal person, but break-ups are okay too. Coraline told me she tried to ask you. She probably didn't do a great job of it, but she deserves an answer."

[percy_jackson]

For a moment, I could only stare at him, my mind a complete blank. Finally, I answered with the only thing I could: "I don't know the answer," I said. I looked away, and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm confused. It's damn confusing. You know, I once told Coraline that she was like a sister to me? She said 'ew', basically. It might help if I knew what she thought for sure but--" I laughed bitterly. "--like that's going to happen."

[lightningthief]

I lean in and say, "Percy, that's fine. Don't feel like you have to decide immediately. You could try telling Coraline that and give her a chance to step up and act like the grownup she professes to be." She'll be something else in a few years, but for now, I still have my doubts.

"Whoever you end up with will be very lucky, Percy. You've got a good heart, and everyone underestimates you." I surely did. I'm not quite sure why I felt like adding that. Maybe I want Percy to know I think very much of him. There's also envy, but I want to keep that to myself.

[percy_jackson]

"Uh... thanks," I said, frowning at him. One of the last things I was expecting was such a compliment, but it is welcome, just the same. "I'll talk to Coraline, okay? Though I don't promise that I'll be able to get very far. Can we get back to the game now?" I reached over and press the pause button on his game console.

[lightningthief]

Alright, we can go back to playing the game. "Yeah, sure." I let him unpause it, and we continue. The more serious conversation is done, just like that.