Will's Flashback

On Monday, Will was with his hand on the doorknob.

Are you ready?

Yes.

No turning back now.

I know.

So let's do this.

Will entered the infirmary.

***

OH. MY. GOD. AAAAAAHHHHH, I'M SOOOOO HAPPY, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

I just feel weird. And stop yelling.

It's called fangirling, and I have the right AND the duty to do it now! COME ON! Trevor just kissed me... well, us, on the cheek! Who knew helping at the infirmary could be so good!

It was completely unnecessary! I just gave him a pack of ice to put on his leg, nothing much.

Nothing much!? He pulled his shorts up, showing that AWESOME and MUSCULAR and PERFECT thigh, and put the pack of ice over it. It was a dream! And then he said 'thanks' and gave me a kiss!! I'm sooooo happy! Come on, you're gay, you liked it.

He's not my type.

Right, you like them gothics.

Really? Again?

Wow, amazing, it's only Wednesday and helping here is already paying off.

Do you remember WHY are we here?

Yes, yes, to help me pay for all my sins, blah blah blah, I get it. But please, let me enjoy I silver lining I hadn't considered before now.

Fine, yell all you want.

AAAAAAAHHHHH, I'M SOOOOO HAPPY!

"AAAAAHHHHH, IT HURTS!"

Who dares to interrupt my fangirl moment?

The cheer squad.

My friends! What are they doing here? Oh, I need to tell them about Trevor!

No way I'm letting this tale spread out.

Why not?

Sharon looked up and saw Will standing there.

"Will, thank God! Can you help?"

Will moved to the strawberry blond girl who two other girls from the squad were putting over a stretcher.

"What happened?"

"Beatrice fell from the pyramid. She said to Vanessa she was feeling the start of a cramp on her foot, but Vanessa ignored it and said that if she didn't climbed, she would be kicked out. When Bea was on the top of the pyramid, her cramp hit full force and she fell before anyone could try to hold her"

When Sharon finished telling, she was red with anger. The nurse, Bridget, was already checking Bea's ankle and shaking her head from the bad news she was about to deliver.

"Sorry to say, but your ankle is broken. We need to take you to a doctor, and I'm afraid you won't be cheerleading for some time"

Bea's eyes were watery, Will didn't know if it was from the pain, from becoming unable to cheer, or both. Bridget patted the girl's hand, with a gentle smile.

"Let's take things slow, right? I'm calling your parents and we'll take you to get an x-ray. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. Girls, I know you're worried about your friend, but I have to ask you to leave. Will, take the girls out, and come back to stay with Bea while I talk to her parents"

Will was leading Sharon and the two other girls to the door.

What are their names again?

The taller one is Dana and the blue-eyed is Sabrina.

Right, UFC and the witch.

Stop calling her a witch!

Well, her name is Sabrina, I don't say that as an offense.

Sabrina had a worried face and spoke to no one in particular.

"Do you think she's going to be ok?"

Sharon and Dana turned to look at Will, expecting him to answer.

Why do they think I have the answer?

Because we're the ones who knows something about anatomy?

You mean I'M the one?

Just answer them.

"She has a home, a family, food on her plate, clean water, friends and a coat to wear during winter. She's more than okay"

Really? Do you HAVE to make them look like heartless girls?

More than one demigod ended up in the streets before finding their way to camp. And more than one was probably eaten by monsters before they could. So I'm sorry to have a diferent perspective of what it's to be 'ok'.

"You know what we meant. Her ankle"

"You heard Bridget, is broken. It'll take her eigth to twelve weeks to it heal completely. The bones, I mean. And then she'll take a little longer to walk completely normal and do all the... cheerleader things"

Cheerleader things?

You don't expect me to remember the names, do you?

You can remember a ton of monsters' names in latin...

Mostly greek.

But can't remember a few CHEERLEADER THINGS?

Why are you yelling again?

"What will they do to her?"

"Who, the doctors? Some pain killers, x-ray, and then they will push the bones back to place..."

All the girls took a step back with shocked faces.

"What? Like that?"

"It depends of how the bones are, but sure, just like that. But with a LOT of pain killers, so she won't feel a thing"

Sharon was getting angry and red again.

"It doesn't matter! If Vanessa wasn't such a... bitch, this wouldn't have happened!"

Sabrina was nodding her head while Dana was speaking.

"I know! It was really bad to threaten Bea like that!"

Why is she captain if no one likes her?

I don't know...

If we were still in the squad, I was going to start a revolution. Thank gods I'm not in the squad anymore!

Yes, we're not, because you managed to get us KICKED OUT.

Best day of my life! In your body, I mean.

***

"Hey, Will!"

Right, Sharon is in our Thrusday class.

So now she's sitting besides me again?

"Why are you sitting next to me again?"

"Because Vanessa had threatened everyone, saying we should ignore you. But now I don't care what Vanessa says, you're my friend"

Oooowwwnnn, I love her.

Who would have thought it. You do have friends who cares for you.

Say it to her.

What?

That I love her.

No.

As a friend.

No.

Pleeeeeease?

"I love you, Sharon"

"Oooowwnn, Will, I love you too! We'll be friends forever!"

Thanks!

Yeah, yeah. Now, if she could release me.

You're not a hugger, huh?

With strangers? No. In a body I'm not comfortable? Even more.

They're not strangers, they're my friends!

For me, they're strangers. But I like Claire.

Of course you like Claire.

Because everyone loves her?

No, because you hate me! You like her just to be nasty at me.

I admit, it's one of the reasons.

***

Sharon whisper-yelled to her.

"Will, what do you think you're doing? SIT DOWN!"

Please, PLEASE, listen to her! We can't do anything!

He hit Nico!

Yeah, I know, I saw, and looked like it hurted. But remember you're in the body of a girl, and you don't have your powers or your weapons with you, and Skull is NOT a monster.

I strongly disagree...

See, Percy is already going to help Nico, now PLEASE SIT DOWN!"

***

...

Shocked?

But...he... I don't even... HOW?

Demigod training. Now you know what I'm talking about.

That was... impressive.

Oh, no, where's Nico?

What? Oh, no. I was distracted, where did he go?

I don't know. But right now, I'm going to help Percy.

Flashback over, back to present

"Hey"

"Hey, Will"

"I saw what happened back there, and came back to the infirmary. I got you packs of ice"

Percy nodded his thanks and put a pack over his eye and the other over his hand.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, sure. Comparing to the after battle of Manhattan, or after killing the Minotaur for the first time, this is nothing"

He is so lying.

Will rose an eyebrow.

"Then why are you cringing?"

"Because this body is not used to take a punch. Peter may act like a rebel, but he does not get into fights that often or with someone that strong. Since he is not used to get beaten, a punch like that still ranks high in his scale of pain"

Do you believe him?

It makes sense.

Will nodded and turned to Percy.

"But it was nice what you did for Nico, even if he don't come here to say it. But why did you do it?"

"It was nothing. I feel responsible for Nico, since I saved him at Westhover Hall. You know that saying, that if you save someone's life, you become responsible for them? That's how I feel"

"I would say you saved his life more than once, even if indirectly. And that he saved yours. Don't you think you're even by now?"

"It's not just that. He doesn't have a family support. Of course, all the demigods are family, but I would miss my parent's support. My mom loves me no matter what, even if I gave her a few grey streaks earlier than I should. She worries about me, and wishes to keep me safe, but understands what is the life of a demigod and never tries to convince me not to kill a monster, or not go on a mission. She always says that I should do what I think is right. My step-father Paul always have my back, and tries to understand how is my life and help with whatever he can. And my father, even if he is a god, and shouldn't show preferences, is warm, kind, honest and proud of me. I can't even imagine not having a mother, and worse, barely remembering her. Or having a father like Hades, who looks like he forgot how to smile, and always says that would be better if you had died, as long as your sister survived. When you think about that, it is a wonder Nico could still care enough about the world to help us as much as he did. He was always ready to do what was right, didn't mattered how dangerous it was, even if he didn't had a mother to support his decision, or had a father who wouldn't approve him or his actions, not matter how noble."

Wow, that was deep. That guy, Nico, is his life really that miserable?

All demigods have a life more... difficult than mortals, but yes, Nico seems to have the worst.

They just sat there, saying nothing, until Percy broke the silence.

"But he is better now, since he started hanging with you. It's like, with you, he is finally rediscovering the good side of life, that he can have friens among the living too. That he can have friends like family, who don't care if he is able to conjure skeletons at will, or disappear at the shadows, that we only care if he is happy. So thank you, for making him see that, since I couldn't."

(A/N:I'm sooooo happy right now. This little dialogue between Percy and Will was the very first thing I wrote for this fic, and it was so good I decided to write the fic for real. And I was FINALLY able to fit it in a chapter!! Half of Annabeth's next chapter was the second thing I wrote for this fic)