*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

- ͙۪۪̥˚┊❛ 010. it's halloween and
            we can be anything  ❜┊˚ ͙۪۪̥◌

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ꕥ

THE BETRAYAL OF LUKE CASTELLAN has changed the Schuyler-Dawson household. Aurora has spent most days in her room, sulking and complaining that the boy was the "biggest loss of her life", which meant Eleanor and Elijah had to take care of everything around the house. William and Vivienne were working full-time, so the eldest had to take care of Andie.
It wasn't like she couldn't do it herself, but Elijah would never even think about not taking care of his baby sister.

He made sure she was prepared for school, helping her with her math homework, getting her ahead, and making sure she was fed and happy, despite the situation brewing around them.

Usually, they'd spend the free days at camp. There was something special about seeing the leaves turn brown at Camp Half-Blood, seeing everyone in their sweaters and boots as opposed to the orange t-shirts and sneakers, smelling the cold breeze, and drawing on foggy windows in the morning. Andromeda felt most at home during this season. But this year they didn't go to camp and spent the short break as a family in the house in Vermont.

Andie gazed at the clock on top of her bedside table. Half past one. She would've had a nice warm lunch at camp right about now, joking around with him. Afterwards, the traitorous son of Hermes would lead most activities along the lines of the arena.

It felt strange not to hear his voice running around commanding everyone what they should be doing.
No one complained when he was in charge. Everyone loved it — they enjoyed him in that leadership position, listening to every word he spoke.

The blonde felt foolish for ever trusting him. He was a liar, she loathed him. She should hate him — despise him for what he did to Percy. But part of her wondered what would've happened if the traitor was Clarisse instead.

Would Luke still be here, entertaining her sister, Aurora, while keeping everyone focused on their tasks? Would he practice kindness and empathy? Or would he be a total jackass about the preparation? Would he have a panic attack over failing like last year? Would he try to charm his way into convincing her to do something?

Hell, if Luke never betrayed them, she might've been at camp right now.

Maybe this was what Taylor Arlen wanted to warn camp about all those moons ago. The big betrayal she had never gotten the chance to witness — yet experienced first-hand.

Tick Tock.
Tick. Tock.

It was as if the clock was mocking her, every sound reminding her of the events that happened on the Fourth of July. They were shining like fireworks over her sad empty town, a painful reality check of all his doing. The once so joyous memories turned incredibly painful.

Now, every look, every touch, every promise felt wrong. If she had known that this would've happened, she would've looked away and ignored him when they first met.
The blonde felt like dried-up paint, splattered everywhere except on her old friend.

She remembered how Luke always called her his little sister, his best friend.

Now, the daughter of Apollo finally noticed the red flags like him consciously trying to plot her and Annabeth against each other, or when his gaze lingered on her a little too long. She shuddered, now hyper-aware of his eyes lingering on her every move. Did the boy ever blink?

She wanted to puke.

Suddenly every touch left her with a gnawing feeling in her stomach. It was as though she felt him, either when he hugged her or patted her back. The feeling wasn't pleasant. She itched her skin raw.

He had covered her in gasoline and was starting to light her on fire.

Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.

If she never reciprocated, would she feel clean?

For the couple of years at camp Luke Castellan had not only been her mentor, he had also been her friend.

The boy saved her from boredom during the endless summers beneath the trees. The memories were tattooed stains all over her body and soul, reminding her that he only ever saw her as a pawn in his corrupted way of chess. He had had her in check without her knowledge until he finally managed to win. Checkmate. Worst of all, if he had never paid her this much attention, she could've moved on without a problem.

But Gods, he made her feel important.

The traitor made her feel loved, cherished; worshipped. She loved his attention, his constant praise. And now she fears it. She fears it as much as she did the snakes.

Luke Castellan was the crisis in Andromeda Dawson's fate.

She didn't remember him being so disgusting. He was the loverboy of Camp Half-Blood. The sweetest guy, everyone's playmate. What would Thalia think?

Andie could only guess.

Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.

She turned her gaze to the window, watching the wind pick up as well as the first set of raindrops start to platter on the window.

If he manipulated her with ease if he made her feel powerful and worthy, carefully plotting his every move around her, who says he wouldn't do it again?

She was worried about the bullied and the unclaimed — the unwanted. She winced at the thought of it. But she couldn't warn anyone. Far too embarrassing to admit.

With Kronos' arrival around the corner, everyone was counting on the Apollo cabin to stay good and heal everyone in case a war broke out.

Andie glanced at the clock again. She should really take a shower.

THE DAUGHTER OF APOLLO went into the bathroom, locked the door, peeled her clothes off and stepped into the shower.

Then, she turned the water on, letting her body freeze under the temperature, before turning the water up, hoping she could burn the remains off.

She picked at the skin, picked at it until raw, scrubbing in hopes of finally getting rid of him. She let out a choked sob when nothing seemed to work.

Andromeda would forever be a remnant of Luke Castellan's betrayal. In the army, she would be known as the pawn. The gullible child. She will be a sign of victory in their eyes, and they will smile knowing that their leader has ruined a child.

He had stained her forever. It was like a maroon-coloured wine stain on a linen dress, soaked through the material, the liquid touching the skin, seeping through.

The blonde felt so exposed and she didn't know why. All she knew no one could see her like this. It wasn't her. She bit her lip as another choked sob threatened to escape.

The water dripped down and she didn't bother to rub the shampoo out of her eyes. Where was her mind?

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see and all she wanted was for the scorpions to get her next time instead. Or better yet; Backbiter.

She scratched at an old scar. Another imperfection. Maybe that's why Luke chose her. He didn't see her as the creative wunderkind she was, he saw her flaws. Her mistakes. It irked her to know that she watched him change.

After soaking in the water for another 30 minutes, she stepped out and dried herself off with a towel. She took a deep breath in and out. It was okay. She wasn't dead yet.

Even if she wished she was.

              THE DATE ON HER CALENDAR said October 30th. Tomorrow, she would hang out with Percy again. She looked forward to it and was curious to see what he chose to wear.

Her family decided on "family costumes" this year, choosing The Wizard Of Oz as the theme. She looked at the costume on the hanger and managed a small smile. The dress was pretty.

She put on her pyjama pants and grey sweater, before going downstairs to check up on Elijah.

The boy was making pasta while humming to Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen, and Eleanor was in the other room doing laundry.

"Can I help?" she inquired, sitting on a kitchen island counter.

"You wanna help?" he smirked, looking at her.

"Don't tease, Elijah. I'm bored and I want to do something."

"Uhuh. Sure, how about you tidy the living room before Mom and Dad come home."

"We're calling him 'Dad' now?"

Her brother shrugged. "He's the closest we've got to one."

She turned on her heel to the living room. "I mean, yeah, but I don't know, feels weird. Calling him something he isn't."

"He's a dad."

"Not ours."

"He will be," the brunette reassured her. "He'll be better than the last one, that's for sure."

Andromeda nodded. It was a comforting thought. William Schuyler was a good man. She fixed the pillows and picked up the trash on the coffee table. Doing something was a nice distraction. Now, the material of her sweater replaced his arms around her. And the presence of her brother made her feel safer.

Elijah used to tease her quite a bit, but ever since the quest with the snakes, he wouldn't dare to make her cry ever again. He's turned into an endearing and compassionate brother, treating the girl as if she were his favourite person.

"You excited your friend's coming over?"

"Don't say friend like that."

He snorted. "I'm not saying it weirdly."

"Just because I have game and you don't doesn't mean every boy I bring over is secretly my boyfriend."

He scoffed. "I have game."

"Uhuh. Sure. And Beckendorf isn't your only friend. Got it."

Luke Castellan didn't only teach Andromeda Dawson how to fight with swords. He taught her the art of fighting using her words. A skill she has mastered and arguably become better at than him.

"Don't bring him into this!" he argued.

"Don't make me mention him then, dumbass. Besides, Percy's the only guy I've brought over besides Jameson."

"And that's how it will stay? Hello, you're my baby sister. No boy should even be worthy of calling themselves your best friend."

"You're a guy."

"I'm your brother."

"So?"

"Difference. I'm not your best friend."

"Yeah. That's Annabeth. Fair."

"After you're done, do your homework."

"Yes Dad," she quipped.

Elijah smiled. It was a faint smile that was supposed to mask his inner hurt. She wasn't supposed to call him that, even if she was joking. Even if he helped her with her homework, went to her plays, made her food, gave her advice, and hung out with her. Damn it, his sister deserved to call someone else that. It wasn't like William didn't try, but for some reason, the girl never viewed him as a dad.

After tidying up the living room, Andie went upstairs to do her Latin homework. She had to translate a short text and summarise a short mythology story. She glanced at the title. Perseus and Andromeda. Now that got her interested. She was focused now, finally getting the strand of motivation she needed to finish the homework she received over break.

She took the paper out of her folder and began reading the myth. She found herself smiling when she read the name, blushing when she realised she wasn't smiling at her name; she was smiling at his.

Normally she never focused on tasks like these because of her ADHD. But right now, summarising the myth was all she could focus on. She even went the extra mile to analyse it for extra credit, absentmindedly doodling over his name on her copy.

Once she was finished, Andie turned to look at her corkboard. It was filled with Polaroids of her and her friends (with Luke cut out of the frame), as well as some childhood pictures and decorations. It might've been her favourite part of her room.

The blonde wondered about what she and Percy would do tomorrow — what movies they'd watch. William wanted to take them "trick or treating" (as if that would help their scarred childhoods and PTSD in any way). What would his costume even be? Some superhero? Or a niche interest she had yet to find out about?

She would know soon. She'd find out if he had gotten taller or if he looked different than before.

    "IS HE HERE YET?" ANDIE inquired. "Nope," Vivienne, her mother, shook her head. "Mom, you're not ready yet? I mean, he's gonna be here in like—"

"Two hours. Relax. Did you clean your room?"

"Yes."

"Did the dishes?"

"Yes."

"Wow, honey, I'm impressed," she looked her daughter up and down. She had grown over the summer — that much was clear. Her hair was longer and wavy than before. She had more faint freckles and her cheeks were tinted in a slight reddish hue. "Tell Aurora to do your hair later, okay?"

She nodded and scurried back up to her room. Two hours. She could wait that long, wasn't too difficult.
For the first hour, the daughter of Apollo read a book while listening to music. Then she got her dress on. It was long and movie-accurate. The only different thing was the lack of puffy sleeves this time. She especially liked the white and blue checkered pattern on the dress. As well as her tights so she wouldn't be cold. But the most important part of all; her deep red sparkly ballet flats. She would've never worn them day to day, which made them all the more special.

Then, Aurora did her hair. She curled her bang pieces outwards and braided her hair into the two braids everyone was used to, putting two matching red ribbons in her hair for each braid, too. "Are you sure you aren't the daughter of Aphrodite, Drey-Drey?" she smiled. Despite the blonde's distaste for the nickname, she smiled too. It was a soft awkward little grin, the one she always offered when she didn't know what to say.

The rest of the family was done by now, everyone ready to go trick-or-treating with some neighbourhood kids. Aurora went as Glinda, Eleanor as the Lion, William as the Tinman, her mother as the Wicked Witch, and Elijah as the Scarecrow. His costume wasn't as extra as the others since he didn't want to "embarrass" himself in front of the others.

Andie waited in her room. Then she went down to the living room to wait some more. Three hours passed and he still wasn't there. Had he stood her up?
He wouldn't. Would he? Maybe he was stuck in traffic. That could be a plausible explanation. She hated herself for overthinking this.

But every time a guy knocked on the door, she opened it with a bright smile on her face, ready to jump into his arms, only to realise it was another teenage boy with their younger sibling in the mood for candy.

The clock said 7:30 p.m. He was supposed to be here at four. She frowned. Some baby strands of hair were already out of the braid in the front, and her dress developed a set of wrinkles. Her face morphed into a frown that not even Elijah could cure. The bell rang.

"Andromeda, honey, would you get the door?" William called out from his office.

"Elijah, get the door," the girl turned to her brother.

He glanced out the window. "No, I think you should get it."

"Why? I always get the door," she grumbled.

"Don't make the trick-or-treaters wait."

"Well, they're taking all the good candy! By the time we're trick-or-treating the families will have nothing for us."

"Be serious."

"Fine. Nothing good," she muttered, opening the door.

There a boy stood, slightly taller than her, wearing what seemed like a Deadpool costume. At least that's what it looked like to Andie. She had only seen the suit in Elijah's comics. The boy matched the top half of the suit with a set of dark blue cargos, the pants on the baggier side. "Trick or treat?" he spoke a little awkwardly. Okay, so he didn't have the anti-hero's charm. Though, his voice was deeper than she remembered Percy's. She sighed.

"Nice costume, poolguy," the blonde decided to at least give the guy a memorable conversation. Humour him.

"Poolguy?" he questioned.

"I'm not calling you 'Deadpool'. Or Wade Wilson."

"You know your stuff," he commented.

"I have a geeky brother," she replied, leaning against the doorframe, the comment earning a 'hey!' from her brother.

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Is the yellow brick road close? I'd love to meet Glinda."

Maybe he did have the Deadpool charm.

"Haha. Very funny, poolguy. Original."

"Thank you! I mean, really, is the lion around, too?"

"This is why I prefer Spider-Man," she sighed.

He let out a chuckle, despite himself.

She was either going insane, or that was Percy. That laugh was his.

"Do you wear your mask cause you also can't heal your face?"

"No, actually. The opposite. I just like this mask."

"Sure."

"Seriously!"

"Yeah, masks, mysterious and stuff."

"Click your shoes."

"Take your mask off."

"You do the honours."

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? You're so keen on seeing what I look like. So take it off," he laughed now. That stupid laugh was identical. The boy took a step closer, too.

"You're crazy."

"Hey, the worst thing I can be is some ugly-looking guy from your neighbourhood. Come on, Andie. Afraid of a little danger?"

"Afraid?" she questioned. "You wish, poolboy."

She took a step forward and tugged at his mask. The boy in the costume bent down slightly to make it easier. Andie pulled the mask off his face and immediately grinned. "Are you insane?!"

"Well, it's been a long couple of months," his smile matched hers, although his was softer.

Andromeda immediately leapt into his arms, her lips accidentally brushing against his temple in the process.

Percy caught her, holding her equally as tightly. He momentarily froze when he felt the touch against his temple, but he wasn't opposed to it.

He could smell her shampoo; it had a sweet scent of cranberries, and he was certain her perfume was expensive. She also smelled like flour. Did she bake something beforehand? His face felt warm after realising she was analysing her scent and committing it to memory.

There he was, hugging a pretty girl, knowing his mother was in the car and could see. It wasn't anything provocative at all — they were hugging. But it still felt strange. The last time he saw her was in camp, now they were on a dimly lit porch, under a soft yellow light in October. He tried to act cool, but then, all of a sudden, the son of Poseidon saw the girl looking at him.

She freed herself from the hug, and both experienced the loss of touch immediately. The blonde looked behind his shoulder and saw what looked to be his mother sitting in the car with a small smile on her face. She waved at her. "That's your mom, right?"

"Oh. Uh. Yeah, my mom," he mumbled.

"She can come inside, you know? My mom would love to meet her. If she's not busy of course."

"Let me see," he nodded awkwardly, hoping Andie wouldn't see the flush on his face and neck. He walked to the car, inwardly cursing himself for being so awkward. "Mom?"

"Percy, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you—"

"She wants to invite you inside," he blurted.

"Well, that's very sweet of her."

"Andie said something about her mom wanting to meet you."

"Okay. Why are you so worked up, then?"

"What? I'm not– I'm not worked up!" his pitch went higher and he was sure he was redder than the traffic light at the end of the street.

"I'm sure you aren't, hon."

"Really! I'm not."

"She's pretty, Percy."

He swallowed, staring at his mother. His mouth opened and closed again.

"And I'd love to meet her mother, too," she got out of the car and patted his shoulder. "Go on. She's your friend."

Friend. Right. Friend.

"Hello, Ms. Jackson. My name's Andromeda. But please, call me Andie," she extended her hand.

The woman shook it, smiling. "Well, Andie, my name's Sally Jackson. Call me Sally though, dear, 'Miss Jackson' seems so formal."

Andie nodded and led the two into their house. "Okay, so, this is the living room, there's my brother, Elijah." The son of Apollo greeted the two, shaking each of their hands. "My mom should be around here somewhere."

"Over here is the kitchen, and if you walk straight ahead and turn you'll find the bathroom," she rambled.

Vivienne Dawson shortly arrived, walking out of the kitchen. "Oh, hello! Excuse my costume," she chuckled, shaking Sally Jackson's hand. "William insisted on family costumes."

Percy looked at her. She looked like Andie, just older and more mature. William Schuyler went down the stairs with a bright smile on his face upon seeing him.

"There you are, bud. We were worried you wouldn't show," he grinned. He seemed like the average football dad.

He called Andie's sibling out to finally go trick or treating.

"Andie, do you need a jacket?" her mother inquired.

"Not that cold," she shrugged and ran outside.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Dawson," he offered an awkward smile.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Percy. You go enjoy yourself with the others."

He nodded and closed the entrance door behind him.

He stood next to Andie and looked at her costume. It fit her nicely. "So, where are we going?"

"Houses?"

"No, I mean—" What did he even mean? "Is it like in the movies, with teens running around, trick-or-treating?"

"Ohh. Pretty much. Just some kids around the neighbourhood, my dad, and their parents."

The girl handed him a basket. "Treats." He nodded, starting to follow her, glancing at the houses in the neighbourhood.

A bunch of houses, their town went all out. Everywhere Percy looked there was decoration, everyone opening the door with costumes, offering punch and other snacks at so-called 'pit stops'. "Is it always like this?" he mumbled.

Andie nodded, a smile on her face. "It's Halloween, Percy. Don't they go all out in Manhattan?"

"Well, not like this. Everyone knows everyone here and they have so much trust. It's just— woah."

She chuckled as they walked together, catching up on everything that had been happening in their lives. Normally, Andie would be with the other teenagers, socializing with them, but at the moment, she was only focused on him. Other kids in the neighbourhood were curious about who he was; it was not every day that someone joined their group.

She didn't even notice her stepfather taking a Polaroid picture at all.

As the air gradually turned colder, the daughter of Apollo started shivering every so often.

"Are you cold?" Percy asked her.

"I'm okay," she began, but the boy had already taken off his grey jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Andie looked at him.

"I'm not cold. This thing is surprisingly very comfortable and warm," he gestured to his suit.

She put the jacket on and noticed that it was a little too big for her. It was warm, and the scent was one she recognized. She liked his jacket.

EVENTUALLY, THE TRICK-OR-TREATING session had come to an end, the six went back into the house and started trading the goods. Before that, Sally made her way back home, telling Percy to 'be good' and 'not cause trouble'.

Andie received a pack of blue gummy sharks, and instantly placed them in Percy's bag. He didn't notice, he was busy checking the candy.

After trading back and forth, the two went up to her room. He glanced around the room, taking in the big windows first. Andie had a nice view of her big backyard. She had a blue chair in the corner, as well as a wide desk with a lot of shelf space. He noticed a corkboard with a punch of pictures on it, including his own on there. He smiled faintly, stepping closer to take a closer look.

"Who's that?" Percy inquired, looking at a Polaroid picture.

"Heather," Andie started, "We used to be
best friends but she moved away."

He hummed, noticing her sad smile.

"Last time we talked she mentioned some girl named Rachel. She seems happy. So I'm happy for her. Besides, I have Annabeth."

His gaze moved from the picture of her and the ravenette to other Polaroids. He smirked after realising his face was there numerous times and Jameson's wasn't anywhere to be seen.

However, the proud gleam in his eyes faded once he spotted the familiar flannel over the orange camp t-shirt. He frowned. It looked innocent enough; his arm draped lazily around Andie's shoulder, and her arms crossed in front of her chest. She had her usual set of two braids and a smirk on her face. The boy observed the fact that the face was cut out. He looked at her questioningly.

"That's Luke. I kept the picture solely because I looked pretty in it."

He snorted. Andromeda wasn't wrong. She did look incredibly pretty in the picture.

"Anyway, we were looking for Aurora's homecoming dress, and I found this," the girl went to her jewellery box and pulled out a silver necklace with a pendant on it.

"That's a nice necklace," he commented, unsure what to say. He wasn't used to commenting on necklaces out of all things.

"I'd hope so. It's yours," she chuckled.

"What?"

"Well, it had a trident on it, and it made me think of you. And I've got the sun, so you should have a trident."

His face felt incredibly warm. He looked at the pendant. It was white with a dark blue-green trident engraved on it, and the back had an engraved 'PJ' on it, almost as if it was custom-made.

It matched Andie's golden one exactly; just that hers was a golden sun and the initial 'A' engraved on the back. He remembered her necklace well; it suited him nicely when he wore it.

"Let me put it on you," she went up to him, gently fastening the necklace around his neck. "There we go, now we match!" she exclaimed, her smile forming into an endearing little grin.

He toyed around with it, feeling the material in his hands. "You didn't have to get me it, Andie," he started to protest, but she quickly silenced him by putting her index over his lips. "Hush. I wasn't there for your birthday."

The girl chuckled at his dumbfounded expression, the way his hand was still feeling the necklace to see if it was real, the way his gaze was locked on her finger, and the way his face flushed.

"Okay, let's go watch those movies now," she took his hand and led him back down the stairs. Percy blindly followed; still processing what happened moments before.

               IN THE LIVING ROOM, Andie first got the cookies she baked out of the kitchen and placed them on the coffee table.

So she did bake today.

He smiled, noticing they were blue. "You remembered?"

"I wanted them bluer, like the ones you described but it didn't work," she shrugged.

"I– you didn't have to do that," his chest felt warm.

"I wanted to."

She went up to the TV and set the DVD system back up, "We have the first Scream, do you wanna watch that?"

"You watch those now?" he smiled.

"Elijah had a phase. He found that one reporter woman hot so he had to get every movie."

Percy snickered. "Gale Weathers? The one played by Courteney Cox?"

"Monica Geller's actress is in this?" the daughter of Apollo gasped, immediately inserting the disc in. "We're watching it."

She sat down on the sofa after turning the light off, as the first scene appeared.

Percy took a bite of the cookie. "You're a good baker," he mumbled.

"Thank you," she smiled, her face feeling a little warmer as usual.

"Hello?" a blonde woman appeared in the frame.

Andie liked the way the shot immersed the viewer in the movie, not any long sequence before. It caught her interest.

She watched as the character made popcorn, and the caller asked for her favourite scary movie.

"So, you got a boyfriend?"
"Why, you wanna ask me out on a date?"
"Maybe. Do you have a boyfriend?"
"No."

"Well this isn't scary at all, Perce," the girl murmured.

"You never told me your name."
"Why do you want to know my name?"
"Cause I want to know who I'm looking at."

"Oh."

The scene gradually picked up, with the music and the movements. It was an incredible opening scene for a movie, and she wondered why she never watched the movies with Elijah.

The voice of the killer — who she now recognised as Ghostface got darker, less flirtatious than before. Wes Craven was a genius. A master at the art of horror.

The movie continued with nobody believing Sidney that the killer was Billy Loomis.

Percy wasn't focused on the movie anymore, he found Andie's reactions to jump scares and jokes far more amusing. He found himself observing her, counting the freckles he saw on the left side of her face.

"I think it's the Billy guy."

"Hm?"

"The guy who made out with Sidney. And then was there after the killer tried to kill her. I think it is him. He's got the word 'Killer' printed on his forehead!"

Just then Ghostface found another victim. The principal was next.

"Oh! Okay," she mumbled.

The boy chuckled. He didn't tell her anything.

Andromeda's orange cat Charlie also made his way to the living room, lounging on the sofa next to her. He always calmed her down; so the pet was always welcomed.

"You have a cat?" Percy looked at her.

"Mhm. Charlie. We got him in September. He'll come to you once he's ready."

As the film continued, Andie was left shocked at the twists and turns, most of them she guessed correctly, but the motives surprised her. She jumped at the jump scares, had her hand clasped to her mouth almost the entire time after Tatum's death, and squeaked a couple of times.

In the end, she could only manage a "woah" as she processed what just happened.

The son of Poseidon barely registered the movie was over. He didn't pay much attention but found her reaction to the end amusing. "You knew it was Billy. How?"

"It was obvious," she began. "The way he talked, the way he looked at her in the station. He looked so guilty. Especially when Sidney asked who he called. I was just surprised how they played it at the end. I mean, Stu was obvious, too, in retrospect. But in the end, he was like— tweaking. Borderline insane. And he stuck his tongue out to look like the mask." Her voice trailed off, realising she was rambling.

Percy listened, smiling as she rambled. "Yeah, I didn't notice it before.

"You never notice anything, Perce."

She replayed the last 10 minutes in her mind. Billy's infamous quote was fresh in her mind.

"We all go a little mad sometimes. Anthony Perkins, Psycho."

It was something she could hear Luke saying. The letter, where he begged her to join him, promising that he'd turn her into the "Queen of Olympus" when all of this was over. Maybe Luke Castellan was also a deranged psycho and got his ideas from his own from of scary movies.

If he was a movie, he would be in the horror genre. Not the gory kind, but the ones that messed up your brain, where the main character slowly went insane the further down the road they went, the one where a single twitch meant something different.

Luke Castellan was in his psychological horror movie, and he dragged everyone he knew into the plot.

"You never told me what was in his letter," he looked at her.

"Nothing important. Just what he promises everyone."

"What does he promise everyone?"

"Glory."

"You don't want glory."

"I'm not everyone, then."

"You can't make me believe that he wrote about glory when you never wanted it," he pressed.

"Well, he did!"

"Did he?"

"Yes, Percy. Believe it or not, Luke didn't know every little wish I had."

"I highly doubt that."

She scoffed. "Can't change what he wrote. And it wasn't about glory. Okay? Come off it, you wouldn't even know—"

"He told me otherwise."

"Uhuh. Sure he did. And then you held hands and skipped afterwards."

Percy went quiet, looking at her questioningly. Why was she so defensive about this?

"It was nothing. The letter was a whole lot of crap about overthrowing the gods, and giving me what I wanted. I couldn't care less. I barely even knew him."

It was a lie. Andromeda knew him better than anyone at camp. She saw every part of him. The things he kept hidden, the side no one else saw; not even Annabeth. He taught her many things. He ultimately ruined a piece of her and aimed the sharpest knife so perfectly that he managed to stab a chemical cut at her chest.

He didn't miss her heart. It felt like he repeatedly stabbed her over and over again and watched as the blood seeped out of her, as she gurgled it up and looked at him begging for mercy.

He never got the chance to listen to her scream and cry over his doing. But the way he rattled off a list of all the things she could get back at the gods for, she realised he might've managed to do so without hearing it.

She couldn't even smile at the irony of her closest friend turning their relationship into their own private arena, with him winning the match.  She faced the consequences of her own actions, those being her choosing to joke with him about ever overthrowing something so powerful such as the gods. And he made sure she would feel the pain every time she saw the scar on her friend's hand.

He knew the scar would hurt her more than him, it would hurt her underneath the thick skin she barracked herself in, and he slowly pulled her apart.

He twisted the knife so deep she was sure it was still in there. She wanted to get back at him, to yell, to cry, to show him how she feels right now but she knew it was no use.

Luke Castellan was in too deep. It didn't hurt him underneath his scars anymore, he was a punisher now, and he had proven Andromeda Dawson that he would always be her kingdom come undone. He ripped her open but never glued her back together.

"That's all?"

"Yes! What do you think was in there? A love confession? An 'I'm sorry'? A 'good riddance'? A documented plan on how he'll eventually try and kill me? God, don't be an idiot!"

"I'm not being an idiot," he argued.

"Sure you aren't. But that's all you're for, isn't it? Stupid questions."

"Andie–"

"No! Stop putting your nose in business where it doesn't belong. It was about glory. It is about glory. I'm not like him. I don't crave glory."

He sighed, turning his head to look at the ceiling.

"Why do you think I'm craving glory? I'm not like that. I don't need for it."

"You made an awful lot of jokes about it."

"What?"

"Don't play dumb," he sighed. "I know you told him about the scorpions."

"Oh."

Her face fell. And she looked at him, observing his side profile, trying to gauge his reaction.

"I just didn't think it would be your idea. That's all."

"I didn't think you'd be the one getting hurt," she looked out the window.

"But someone would've gotten hurt anyway."

"I was joking, Percy. I was joking with him."

"Were you?" he questioned.

"Of course I was."

"Luke said you weren't. He said you'd be his 'right-hand woman'," he glanced at the scar on his right palm. It was the only scar that would never heal. He hated it greatly.

"I might've been," she mumbled.

"Yeah, might've."

"Do you not trust me anymore?" the daughter of Apollo hated how exasperated she sounded.

"I didn't say that," his tone softened.

Everyone knew Andie trusted Percy more than anything in the world right now; he was the way to her heart.

She's heard so many stories about him, most times, alone, some, looking his worst. But he was not sweet enough to trust funds and punishers.

Often at night, she wondered what would've happened if he never run to camp that eventful night.

And she debated on telling him at that moment that he was truly the real reason she never moved to the "bad side".

She couldn't open her mouth and offer a sharp retort. Because even if she could she wouldn't know where to begin and when to stop.

He looked at her, his gaze softening instantly. He could tell she was sick of the questions he kept asking her.

Percy Jackson was always surprised at how easily he forgave his loved ones. He did everything for them. It was practically his brand.

That's why it was no surprise when he wrapped his arms around her in apology. The boy hugged her side tightly.

Andie started to push him off, she didn't deserve his pity.

She was serving the consequences of her actions.

But he was relentless. Every time the girl pushed him off, he hugged her even tighter. Eventually, she gave up leaned her head against his shoulder, and let out a shaky breath.

The blonde felt utterly stupid for craving something as dumb as his trust.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"It's okay."

"No, he hurt you. That's not okay."

"Andie–"

"He hurt you with my idea," her voice cracked. "It was my idea he used, and he rubbed it in, Perce," she continued, taking deep breaths.

"What do you mean he rubbed it in?"

"He, oh god." The weight of the words in his letter came back to her at full force again.

Kronos is good for me. For you too. He's good for all of us.

If you don't come to your senses, I'll have you know that I'll go easy on you when our paths strike again. I won't hurt you like I hurt your friend. I'm sure the scorpions didn't kill him. But I wouldn't care. He deserves it. I think.

Don't get me wrong, he's a sweet kid! Genuine, kind. But also freakishly loyal. I know I can't convince him. I'm only hurting him if he disagrees. Annabeth told me all about the quest, and how Poseidon helped him.

He'd probably be on his knees if it meant his father would help him again. Haha.

So, if you hear some kid scream for help, or something like that just know that that's your friend. And that I did that. Me! With your idea.
See how I take them seriously? Your ideas? How I've never doubted them? I guess now you're getting your own medicine.

But I'd use them against anyone. Shame that your friend had to deal with the consequences of your decisions. You decided to joke about this. I remember your words very well. 'If anyone stops us, we'll use scorpions that lurk around here', you were so innocent back then. Ready to fall at my feet.

She started to cry, mumbling 'I'm sorry' over and over again. She sounded like a broken record, begging him not to hate her.

Percy could only hold her, brush the tears out of her eyes and stroke her hair. He didn't know what to say. Because he couldn't possibly hate her. Even if she had betrayed him, even if she sent the scorpions personally he couldn't form an ounce of hatred in his body towards her.

"It's okay," he murmured repeatedly. "I don't hate you, Andie. I never could."

She held him as if he were her lifeline. In that moment she clung to the love she had for her best friend.

She cried for what felt like an hour, but her weeps went quieter until she eventually stopped. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I shouldn't cry now."

"It's okay."

"No, I wasted an hour just crying."

"It wasn't an hour. C'mon, we'll watch another movie. We don't have to walk about this."

"10 things I hate about you?"

"We can watch that."

"Okay," she nodded, standing up, and fixing her hair as she went and set the DVD player up.

It was a feel-good movie, she couldn't complain.

Around the fifteen-minute mark, she was already smiling at the cutesy love scenes, and pointing to things she found endearing.

Percy grinned. It was a full 180 to the lengthy crying session before.

"They're cute," she murmured.

"Mhm," the boy was already getting tired.

By the time Kat and Patrick were on the swing set, with her rambling about how his eyes 'had a little green in them' Andie turned to him with a smile on her face.

"So do you."

"Hm?"

"In the dark, they're greener."

"What?"

"Your eyes, duh."

"They are?"

"Yeah. I mean, when they're in sunlight they're a little more blue."

He chuckled. He couldn't lie, it was flattering to know she paid attention to things such as these.
"You pay attention to that?"

"I pay attention to many things, Percy. You should know that by now."

He nodded, watching her turn her gaze back to the movie.

By the prom scene, he was already asleep against Andie's shoulder, his arms were snaked around her almost protectively. The blonde covered both of them with a blanket nearby and smiled at his sleeping state.

He looked peaceful. And she found he looked nice, even if he was drooling in his sleep and occasionally mumbling something incoherent. She always found him handsome.

Charlie, her cat was asleep on her lap, and eventually, as the ending credits rolled in, she was asleep, too, her head on his. It might've been the best sleep she had gotten in a while.

Elijah went in to check up on them and tell them to finally go to sleep since it was late, but as he went into the living room he noticed that they were both passed out against each other. He couldn't be angry about it. If it were any other boy asleep next to her he would've been fuming. But he was accustomed to the fact that Percy wasn't like any other boy. He turned the TV and the other pairs of lights off and decided to let them sleep.

He hadn't seen his sister this content since July.

              ANDIE WOKE UP TO THE SUN tickling her nose. She rubbed her eyes, only to find Percy still asleep against her. They were both in their costumes from the night before, even though Vivienne Dawson offered him one of Elijah's pyjamas to wear.

"Perce," she murmured.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled, stirring.

She sighed, taking some lint off his hair. How'd that get here? She couldn't help but smile, though. Somehow his hair was even messier in the morning.

It was a lie, Percy was out of sleep for another 10 minutes until he finally pulled away. Instantly feeling the loss of her touch.

Andromeda Dawson made him feel absolutely golden, and every time he wasn't with her, it was like he had turned into a pale grey.

"C'mon. Elijah will eat all of the pancakes," she stood up.

"How are you such an early bird?" he groaned.

"I usually sleep till noon and complain if woken up. But, you're here. Can't be grumpy about that."

That woke him up. His chest felt warm. He nodded, standing up, and straightening himself up.

Andie picked one of the dishes up.

"Let me help," he picked up the cups. "I can't let you do all of it alone."

"Thanks," she smiled.

Breakfast was normal. Elijah and Andie were bickering over maple syrup (because someone couldn't just hand it over) and William Schuyler put the newspaper down cracking his knuckles and turned to Percy.

"So, Bud, d'you have a good night's sleep?"

"Uh, yes, Sir. Nice couch," he nodded, staring at his plate. He knew it was coming.

"Andie, darling, d'you sleep well?"

"Yeah?" she looked at him questioningly.

He hummed, looking back at the newspaper, licking his index finger to flip a page.

"Did you two sleep this.. closely during your little quests? Or was this a one-time thing?"

Percy nearly joked about his food.

"What?"

"Sorry. It's just not every day I see my stepdaughter snuggled up to a boy," he chuckled.

Aurora smirked and Eleanor was trying to decide which face was redder.

"Very cute, by the way. Hope the blanket kept you warm."

"Uhm, yeah it did," he mumbled, not daring to look up.

"Don't tease them, honey," Vivienne Dawson's voice broke the awkward tension at the dining table.

"What? It's not every day she gets so red,"

Elijah started laughing. Loudly. His attempt to ease the tension. And make it less embarrassing for his sister.

"Anyway," she glanced at the paper. "What's going on in the world?"

The father's eyes brightened as he started rambling about every event he read about (yes, even Sports).

Percy tuned most of it out, plagued by thoughts of how easy this felt. He wished his mother would've found someone like him. William Schuyler seemed like the dad to play with you in the backyard and show up to events. More importantly, he seemed like the type of father who wouldn't dare to hit his kids.

He felt sad his mother would be here in the afternoon. He wanted to spend the week with Andie, maybe even longer.

Before Sally arrived, Andie took him to see some different places in the city. Percy had an extra change of clothes with him since he knew he'd spend the night and didn't want to wear a Deadpool suit on the first of November.

The girl wore a striped dark blue sweater with some flared jeans, her black jacket and some navy sneakers. Percy himself wore his grey sweater, the same cargo from yesterday and his plain old sneakers.

She took him places she'd go when she went on walks. "It's not as fancy as Manhattan, but it's home."

"I like it," he decided. He liked it a lot.

  ONCE SALLY ARRIVED TO pick him up, Andie threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly again. "Call me when you get home," she murmured.

"I will."

"And we'll hang out soon," she promised.

"We will."

The hug lasted longer than usual. In the short time they both saw each other again, they healed each other's scars, without knowing their existence.

She clung to him as if it were the last time. Silently promising him an even longer one the next time they saw each other.

blue speaks 🌅

I'm baaaaack.... did you miss me? Because I sure missed you!

freshman year is in 2 weeks lowkey nervous 😓😓😓😓 ummmm

me writing every single angst part of this chapter:
(and you hopefully reading it)

ANYWAY, I teased this enough

thank you to mcle4an and 0lou_louise0 for listening to me yap about percomeda for 382818181361936 hours straight...

ok so... tsom era is next! ☹️ no more baby percomeda no more :,)

hope you liked this one, it's been stuck in my head for weeks and it's the lengthiest chapter yet (7883 words)

hope you enjoyed!!!

don't be a silent reader pls ☹️💓💞💘💕

love always,
blue!!! 💛