Chapter 1

It wasn't Tuesday.

I hope it wasn't Tuesday, because if today is Tuesday, it could mean only the end of the world. Taking a deep sight, to sooth my nerves, didn't help a lot, so the other and only option I had was to look at my life as the failure it is Everything started from the fees, I couldn't pay anymore, because Grover moved out from our flat, and finished with Annabeth's break-up with me. Something I didn't have the time to think about, because everything in between the beginning and the end, was my work, and my studies.

For all my idiotism, I just couldn't start and work at Starbucks, like a normal person, like Grover did, and now is happily living with his girlfriend. Do you want to know what I did? I decided I can be my own boss, and now I'm drowning in my own poorness. I don't know if that was the reason behind Annabeth's leaving, but I'm pretty sure it is not the only one.

Being you own boss is terrible, and it is the most terrible idea you can have. I don't have money for clothes, I don't have money for food, I don't have money, so I can do my job, properly, and sell some of my paintings. I'm studying art, in University - third year. Good university – shitty students. Like my life. I had to finish 2 paintings this week, and if I have to be more specific, today is the day. Tuesday. God, why is it Tuesday?

I looked at my old coffee from last night. It was really Tuesday. The coffee looked like my cat have puked in it. Oh, yeah, I don't have money to feed my cat, let's add that to the list. After getting up from the bed, I went for the bathroom - stretching. What little money that I had from last month's sales, are now gone. I had to finish these paintings this week, but my paint was gone, and now Annabeth is going to kill me. I looked at my reflection. Looking like a dead man again, great start Percy. How am I supposed to go to Annabeth, again, and ask her to lend me some money and not look like a homeless man?

Looking back at the paintings I have started, I calculated how much I would need to buy new paint. And food. And coffee.

A lot. That's what I summed up in the end, I'll need a lot. I brushed up my teeth, and got back to my bed, still staring at the two paintings I have started. Portraits, they were just simple portraits of rich family members. They don't even show me as a painter, as a character, as a person. They're just simple portraits of the rich persons, I don't even know. But Annabeth know, she knows everyone in the higher class. With all her fancy meetings with rich people. I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking, I'm exhausted. I tried to show off myself to these people. You know what I got? I got one simple meh from them. Meh is even too much.

How am I supposed to get the money, so I can continue my living, I need this paint.

My phone ringed, and when Annabeth's names showed up, my hopes for better life died with my enthusiasm to go out and find money. I picked up.

"Good morning."

"Good morning? Percy? It's 2 pm." She answered me with annoyed voice. Or maybe concerned? I'll never get girls.

"Normal time for me to get up, yeah. I've been working 'till late tonight." Lie. I haven't touched these paintings from 3 days now.

"Are they finished?"

"Well, no… I need to work more on them. I need them to be perfect."

Her sight, was so loud, it sounded like she was in the room with me.

"Is there a problem? Do you need help with anything?"

Yes, I need more paint, and no I can't tell you this because you already pity me so much, my ego is buried deep in the ground like my father. I tried to suppress sight.

"No, I just need more time, can you help me with that."

"Of course." Her answer was immediate, but she didn't sound happy.

"So why did you called me? I hope you didn't just call me to see if I have finished my job, which I'll finish these days." I'm a dead man. If you ask me why I am still excavating my own grave, I don't know. Ask the ego that is trying to unbury itself from the ground.

"No that wasn't the only reason. Today I had a very pleasant talk with a man, which holds a nearby gallery. I really liked the architecture of the place, I mean it's very compact, but holds a lot space inside. When I went to look it up, and add it to my journals I was in a pure awe. The place is amazing both in the outside and the inside. Also mister di Angelo didn't want to tell me who was the constructor of the place, but I'll hunt down that man or woman, I really don't care, and ask them of all their secrets."

"Sounds really interesting." It happens often of Annabeth telling me about some or other place build by a person that I will never see or remember. But today I don't have the straight to hear it all out.

"And you know what is more interesting?" She asked me as enthusiastically.

"What?"

"He needs to put a fresh name in his gallery, so you know…" Annabeth trailed the last words, and I got the hint immediately.

"Shut up! He wants to show my paintings?"

"Yup." If Annabeth was here I was going to hug her, and swing her to the skies, this girl is God, and I'm so indebted to her.

"You know how much I love you, right!"

She laughed.

"But as I said, the space is large. Do you have like… 60-70 paintings?"

"Of course I have, you know I'm doing something non-stop, I have even more. I still can't believe this!" I heard her laugh again on the other side of the phone.

"Alright I have to hang up now, work is calling. I'll email you the address, and the details."

"Thank you." I said at last and hang up.

Gallery means showing off my paintings. Showing off my paintings means I can make people look at them. If people look at them, that means, people might buy them. Perfect timing Life, perfect timing. Still being in bed, and with nothing else to do, I got up and started cleaning around the flat, with the hope to find something for the poor car. The cat that I haven't seen around, for the last 15 minutes, in which I'm wake. Which means only two things – she's either dead, or doing something bad. She's like a little kid, if the kid is quiet it is definitely doing something nasty. I have to name her someday anyways. Every kid has its own name.

My flat may be small, but I have place for every one of my paintings. One is under the fridge. I got other ones over the tallest shelves, more around the bed. Well it is hard to walk around the flat, but since Grover is not around I've got double the space. And double the fees too. After fining my cat sleeping in my warm covers I opened up my laptop. At least I had the money to pay my electricity and internet. My university fees were paid by my mother.

There it was. The e-mail for Annabeth. Maybe after she finishes work, I'll bring her to restaurant or bar, to thank her properly. With the money I don't have. Adulting is a hard place to survive. Like you're on the last level battling the boss, but battling the boss for like 50-60 years, before he kills you and you die. Too dark, Percy, too dark. I laughed at myself, and started reading at the details about the gallery. The address was really near my flat, which made me just happier. I looked up at the gallery's website, and it was really normal for Annabeth to be so excited about the architecture of the place. It was like made of glass, with only one corridor, but when I looked at the pictures taken from the inside, it was like labyrinth. Plenty of space for a lot of paintings.

I wasn't interested in the person who was holding the gallery, just in the dates that I can have the gallery. Maybe I was supposed to talk to him over the fees, and money we'll share. He have chosen to open the gallery in two days. In two days?! Okay, I was screaming. I won't be able to hang up all of the painting within two days. And Grover is working every day, Annabeth too. I sighted, who could help me to hang up the paintings.

That's right! Calypso, she's always free. After I made myself something like a breakfast, which wasn't breakfast, I called her. When she picked up the first things I heard were strange muffled sounds, and crackling.

"Um, hello? Calypso?"

"Oh, Percy, hi, I wasn't sure if I have picked up." She laughed.

"Am I interrupting something?" I laughed sheepishly on my side.

"No, no, I'm on the seashore now."

"Seashore? In October? You're not in town?" With every following question my voice started to sound squeakier, and squeakier.

"I'll be back in a few hours, don't worry. Is there something? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine thank you. And yes again, I need a little bit of your help."

"What is it?" She asked enthusiastically and I felt her smile.

"A gallery near my flat wants to show my paintings, and I need help to hang them up.

"Really, I've got a job." She sounded even more enthusiastic. More than me.

"This is remotely a job."

"But still counts." Calypso laughed. "You'll earn some money from it. I'm sure!"

"Okay, let's hope so." I smiled too.

"I'll be back in a few hours. When are we going to start?"

"Tomorrow maybe." I answered lazily.

"Tomorrow? When is the opening?"

"Day after tomorrow."

"Uh-huh. Well, no dear, after I get back, we'll start immediately."

"Are you sure? Aren't you going to be tired, or something."

"I said immediately." And she hang up.

That went well. Now it's time to choose the perfect paintings for the gallery. Which is the worst part of the job. I don't know which is perfect, I love them equally. Most of the time, I ask my half-brother for an opinion, but from years now he's far far away. Now I have to do this job myself. What would these rich people like to buy? Something that looks expensive and unique.

Choosing is a hard part of my life, but after my phone ringed again I realized, it have been hours, since the last time I called Calypso. And it was Calypso calling me back. I picked up the phone.

"Hey."

"Hi, I'm back, in front of your flat."

"Wait, what?! Too soon Calypso, too soon!" I answered panicked, and then heard the bell. "From how long are you in front of my flat?" I asked, and hurried to the door.

"Three minutes now." She said and sounded more like she was bored, then mad. Maybe I didn't heard the stupid bell, because I was too much into the paintings.

"Welcome." I said, as I opened the door, and hang up the phone. "Sorry for the wait." It sounded like I'm working in some shop, or restaurant, so I laughed.

I hoped she was with her car, because if we had to bring all the painting to the gallery by bus, it will take us like 6 hours.

"No problem." She said with a smile. "You artistic people, are always in some other world, that we the normal humanity can't see or visit." I laughed. "What were you thinking so hard?"

"I can't choose which paintings to take."

Calypso went straight for my living room, so she can examine all my paintings.

"You haven't finished the portraits." She said worriedly. "Does Annabeth knows?"

"Yes, of course." I tried to calm her a little. "We talked today, she got me the place."

Calypso didn't said much after that. She chose the paintings, which she thought the others will like. And she had eye for these kinds, of things, so I'm really happy I got her to help me. Her car couldn't fit all of the paintings, and we had to do three trips to get them all. Which took as hours.

After that it took us even more hours to hang them all up. I met the gallery owner, which looked like a strange hippy guy, but didn't gave it much thought. He was really happy I came as fast as possible, and really liked my style. Only the fact that almost every picture was sea themed, or with something very blue on it. I think he had way too much blue for one day. All of the rest of the day went in haze. I was so concerned in hanging the properly, I didn't notice Calypso poking me on my shoulder. I looked at her questionably.

"He's looking at you from hours, now."

"Who?" I didn't have single idea what is she talking about.

"What do you mean, who? The strange all-black clothed guy, hiding in the dark corners of the gallery. He's been watching you since we came." I still didn't have idea what was she talking about, so after she notice my confused face she continued. "Okay, look at the corner in your right. Behind you." She said without looking at the said direction.

Turning around I saw him. Pale guy, maybe on my age, with dark wavy hair, and dark clothes. He looked so depressed, and dark. Something that didn't concern me, so I turned back to Calypso.

"Creepy." I breathed out and continued to place the paining on the right angle.

That said guy was actually everywhere. And by everywhere I mean only in the gallery. Every single minute that I was in the gallery, he was there in some corner, watching me suspiciously. Even when we opened the gallery with mister di Angelo, he was there – by his side. In a well-tailored suit, looking now more like a man, then the depressed person from the corners of the gallery.

"This is my son Percy." The owner said unexpectedly, after I was watching at the other guy with suspicious look. He was pointing at his left, exactly at that guy. Well that was unexpected, I tough he was someone who worked in the place. Maybe cleaning the floor. But he was just some rich kid, as the others. The problem now was that even when he looked like some emo, he was cute from up close.

"Uh-huh" I said, not sure what else to say. Then it occurred to me maybe I should introduce myself. "Nice to meet you." I gave my hand. "My name is Percy Jackson."

And the other guy took it in his, and said:

"Nico di Angelo." Nothing else. Why was I expecting more? And why was I so disappointed?

"He's a little bit older then you." Hades said, when he noticed the awkward atmosphere.

Well that was unexpected. As the following week. It was also unexpected, because some of my paintings actually get sold. So I got the money, and bought the paint I which I needed. In the end of the second week of my exhibition, I had enough money to survive for 3 maybe 4 months, and even have some vacation. And it was the last week that my paintings would stay in the gallery. The second unexpected thing that happen, was that Nico was very nice guy. And good company. I didn't know him much for two weeks, but what I knew was enough to make me trust him a lot.

The others didn't trusted him. Annabeth especially. I thought after she knows his father she would like him the best, but I was wrong. Well at least she was happy I finished the portraits and they were sold too.

On the day in which mister di Angelo closed the gallery and I had to get the rest of my paintings, happened the third unexpected thing. I was all alone, and it was late at night. I was trying to get one by one every painting into Calypso's car, which I borrowed. And then came Nico, and I was thinking he was going to help, but he didn't. He stayed near me, and was just watching me. I smiled at him.

"Hey." I greeted the guy.

"You're leaving the gallery?

"Yes, your father is going to show someone else's paintings next week."

"Pity." He said, and I laughed at this.

"Yeah, I don't know when will be next time I can show my paintings and earn some money."

"Can you come with me for a second?"

"Of course." He took me through the gallery, which was like labyrinth and we went into the staff room. Then there into another room, some stairs going down, and then another room. After he turned the lights on, I looked around the room confused, and then I saw half of my sold paintings.

"I'm sorry." He started, and I was so confused.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold myself, and bought so much of them.

"Oh." I didn't know if I should be angry or not. Thinking all week that maybe I'm getting famous, and half of my paintings were in some dirty and rusty basement.

"I'm sorry." He said again.

I couldn't say it was no problem, because it was kind of a problem, just earning money like that. After I didn't gave him any answer he turned to me, and cornered me near the door.

"Actually, no. I'm not sorry. I'm very happy with what a got." He said everything in a breath, and continued to get close to me. "And I want more." Nico turned off the light, and what happened next was the most unexpected thing from maybe years until now.

I felt him over, me, his lips, his body, his warmth. Everything. And it felt like a normal thing. And I forgot about everything else.

I'll do 30 days random Percico prompts. This one is very boring, because I wasn't very much into it. Also the words I'm using for every one of the days are from a Ranodm Word Generator.