*My first story about our favorite heroes as regular mortals. No demigods, gods, or monsters.

Warning: prologue will be Percy/Rachel. Sorry this prologue is kinda depressing. If I continue this story it won't be like this.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Rick Riordan's.*

*Prologue*

"Percy?"

I heard her call my name, but I didn't turn. I couldn't.

"Percy?" This voice belonged to Nico. I knew him and Thalia would come looking for me, even if I didn't want them to. I wanted them to go away. I wanted everyone and everything to go away and be left alone.

Of course, maybe I should have chosen a spot different than the place where they found her body . . . .

"Percy?" Thalia said gently, her and Nico walking to my side. "Come home. We miss you."

"You can't stand here forever," Nico added, his voice equally as soft.

"What's the point?" I whispered. Rachel was dead. What was the point of going home and pretending everything was okay?

"Sally brought blue cookies for you," Thalia coaxed. "And we know you can't resist those."

"I don't care about stupid cookies, Thalia," I snapped.

But Thalia wouldn't listen. Neither would Nico. She and Nico each grabbed my arms and steered me forward where my car was waiting. This somewhat shook me back to reality.

"You drove my car?"

Nico grinned. "Don't worry, we didn't scratch her. Well, Thalia almost did, trying to race that old man, but . . . "

Thalia smacked the back of his head. "Shut up. The car is fine, and that old man was asking for it."

Despite my mood, I couldn't help but ask, "What, did he 'look at you wrong?'"

"Yes," Thalia huffed.

"That was because he had a glass eye!" Nico exclaimed.

"So?"

Nico and I laughed at Thalia's stubbornness. Then it hit me: I was laughing. Maybe I could get through this. Maybe there was hope, if I had Nico and Thalia at my side. And my mother. I'd once learned that even after someone dies, the world around you keeps going. I knew that, I just never thought of it like that, from that perspective, until now. Weird.

Suddenly all of our moods sobered.

"Percy . . ." Thalia started.

"I know, Thals." It's going to be okay. She's in a better place now. You're so strong. These things I've been hearing since two o' clock last night, and was getting quite sick of hearing them.

Thalia and Nico knew this, so they kept silent as we walked back to the car arm in arm, and I was grateful.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When we finally returned home, we found our fathers waiting for us.

My father, or Poseidon, as he called himself, was wearing his usual business suit, his black hair and beard neatly trimmed. I got my black hair and green eyes from him.

Thalia's father, Zeus, was in a crisp pin-striped suit, his hair and beard neatly trimmed like my father's.

Nico's father, Hades, was wearing a black suit with a blood red tie. I'd be lying if I didn't say Hades was my least favorite out of the three.

It was also safe to say none of us really liked our fathers. Thalia's mother died when she was little, as did Nico's mother and older sister Bianca. My mother lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with my step-father Paul. Nico and Thalia loved her almost as much as I did. She was the sweetest lady in the world. Thalia, Nico and I were next in line to take over our fathers' business. We didn't really have a say in the matter. They owned most of New York, and came from "big money." We tried to ignore that fact.

Poseidon cleared his throat. "Perseus." I scowled at my real name, which no one used except my father, and sometimes Zeus and Hades if they had to.

Poseidon continued. "We're sorry for your loss. Miss Dare was an extravagent girl."

My scowl didn't waver. I didn't want to talk about it. I just wanted to sit and relax and watch a crappy movie with Thalia and Nico like we used to, throwing popcorn and making fun of the movie.

Thalia spoke before I could. "Well, he doesn't want to talk right now, so can you please just leave?"

The three scowled, and we scowled back. This is normal for us.

"Alright, but I will have your mother check up on you," Poseidon said to me.

"Fine," I said, and they left.

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Okay, is it just me, or were they a lot easier to get rid of than usual?"

Nico laughed, but I didn't smile. Nico then stopped laughing.

"Come on," he said.

"Movie time?" Thalia grabbed my arm. Nico grabbed my other.

"Movie time," Nico and I agreed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rachel's funeral went by quickly. I was barely there for half of it. I zoned in and out throughout the service.

All I could see was her face in my mind, her laugh, her mane of red hair, her smile. The way her eyes twinkled when she was painting. She loved to paint. I still have a picture she'd made of me and her in my bedroom.

Thalia and Nico stood beside me. Sally, my mother, and Paul stood behind us. My mom's hands were on my shoulders.

"Let this young lady rest in peace, and may God lift her soul." I couldn't bring myself to look at her coffin. I couldn't, or I'd start to cry.

Why that night? Our night? It seemed like a blur now, when I replay the memories of that night over and over again in my mind. Waiting for her to show, panicking when she didn't. Going to her house. Her parents telling me she wasn't home. Calling the police. And finally, sitting in mute shock as Thalia drove to the park where Rachel's body had been found . . .

This was torment. I just wanted it all to end.

*When chapter 1 starts it won't be depressing, only slightly at times when Rachel is mentioned. This isn't a sad story.*