Bitter Truth

At the edge of the dump, they found an old tow truck. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so they decided to borrow it.

Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as the rest of them.

"The skeletons are still out there," she reminded them, "We need to keep moving."

She navigated through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoe sat up front with Thalia. Percy and Y/N, sat in the pickup bed with Grover in the middle, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca.

Percy's hand closed around the little figurine that had cost her life. He didn't know why Y/N was acting the way she is. He put her hand on her shoulder in support but she shook it off. It's like she was showing her anger on him instead of Thalia or Zoe. Most importantly, he was worried about Nico. What was he even going to tell him?

Percy wanted to believe that Bianca was still alive somewhere. But he had a bad feeling that she was gone for good. "It should've been me," he said. "I should've gone into the giant."

"Don't say that!" Grover panicked. "It's bad enough Annabeth is gone, and now Bianca. Do you think I could stand it if…" He sniffled. "Do you think anybody else would be my best friend?"

"Ah, Grover…"

He wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy, like he had on war paint. "I'm… I'm okay."

But he wasn't okay. Ever since the encounter in New Mexico—whatever had happened when that wild wind blew through—he seemed really fragile, even more emotional than usual.

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended.

Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Great. What now?"

They scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below them.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

Percy tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face. "That's a goat path," he said.

"So?" Grover asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats."

"We can make it," he said. "I think."

"No, I, uh, think we should go farther upstream."

Grover said, "But—"

"Come on," he said. "A walk won't hurt us."

Y/N noticed Percy glancing at Thalia. Her eyes lingered on him for a bit. This was just great. He definitely didn't care about the words she spouted out just moments ago. As a matter of fact, why would he, right? It wasn't directed at him. She looked away and started walking faster, away from the rest of them. They can bond over the distrust on her all they want. She's going to do whatever is required and leave their company forever.

They followed the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU three canoes.

"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. It was the first time they'd heard her speak since the junkyard, and she sounded like somebody with the flu. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," he said. They put the canoes in the water.

Thalia pulled him aside as they were getting the oars. "Thanks for back there."

"Don't mention it."

"Can you really…" She nodded to the rapids. "You know."

"I think so. Usually, I'm good with water."

"Would you take Zoe?" she asked. "I think, ah, maybe you can talk to her."

"She's not going to like that," Percy said and looked at Y/N who looked at the water with a blank expression on her face, "Besides, I need to talk with Y/N too. What you said back there..."

"Please? I don't know if I can stand being in the same boat with her. She's… she's starting to worry me. And to be honest, I don't think Y/N wants to talk with you or anyone right now."

"And who's fault is that?" he asked.

Thalia sighed, "I was angry and sad. I didn't mean what I said."

"It's not me who you should be telling that," Percy glanced at Y/N, "I go with Zoe and you go with Y/N."

It was about the last thing Percy wanted to do, but he nodded. Thalia's shoulders relaxed. "I owe you one."

"Two."

"One and a half," Thalia said, "Since I'm talking with Y/N too."

She turned and helped Grover get their canoe into the water and then turned to help Y/N who quietly took her help.

As it turned out, Percy didn't even need to control the currents. As soon as they got in the river, he looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at him. They looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you'd see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.

"Hey," he said.

They made a bubbling sound that may have been giggling. He wasn't sure.

"We're heading upstream," he told them, "Do you think you could—"

Before he could even finish, the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing them up the river. They started so fast Grover fell into his canoe with his hooves sticking up in the air.

"Sorry," Thalia said. But Y/N was still silent. "Hey, I didn't mean what I said. I was just...hurt and angry."

"I could tell you a lot of things to you if I acted like you. About Luke. But I didn't. Just because you were hurt and angry doesn't mean it justifies all of your fucking actions," Y/N said in a stern voice.

The mention of Luke did rile her up a bit, but she decided to ignore it. She didn't want to make the situation worse. "Percy does...trust you."

"No you were absolutely right about him," Y/N said, "He doesn't trust me. There's no need to sugarcoat your words now. Just be yourself." She didn't feel the need to make herself feel better. It was the truth and she had to face it.

"No he does-"

"Thalia, I'm not saying this out of anger. He trusts me in stuffs that involves life and death situation. He knows being a child of Apollo I have certain qualities that is a guarantee to things he could trust. And then there are decisions that I don't have proof of. It's those that he still doesn't feel the need to trust. He does whatever he wants."

Thalia kept quiet for some time and said, "You...love him, don't you?"

Y/N chuckled, "I don't know. I just wish I didn't. It would make things much easier. I would actually stop caring."

"You know how he doesn't like Harris? Do you have any idea about why-"

"I know what you're trying to say but that's really not the case. He doesn't trust me when I've been to quests with him so many times. It's not that hard to accept as to why he doesn't like Harris. I drag the guy everywhere and Harris is the only person in the whole camp that actually believes in me. He doesn't mind. He even went out together with us even though he knew how Percy's going to behave in front of him."

"....Honestly you're completely omitting out the possibility of him being jealous and that's not like you."

"Oh I know that. I'm drawing a line between us. I don't want to think about it cause if I start hoping, it would only lead to disappointment," Y/N laughed, "So far, in the matters of my feelings, Percy has been nothing but a huge disappointment."

Thalia squeezed her waist as a sign of comfort. "You...are you trying to get rid of us? Like...from your life?"

"I guess so," Y/N whispered, "Just until all of this is over. I'm just gonna...stay away from whatever makes me feel hurt."

"You've just got Harris as your friend. Like...won't you feel lonely?" she asked, trying to make her take back her words in panic.

"Sometimes loneliness is way more comforting than people who would let you down over and over," Y/N said, "And I can make new friends."

"But-"

"Apart from Grover, who I will only talk to if he's not with the rest of you. He's has always been sweet to me."

"Isn't Annabeth your best friend?" Thalia asked, "Why would you-"

"Do you even know what Annabeth did to me?" Y/N asked turning her head to look at Thalia, who just stared back at her in silence, "I can't tell you. It would sound like...I'm bitching about her out of jealousy."

The rest of the journey, both of them didn't speak. They didn't feel the need. It wasn't awkward anymore. Maybe Thalia should've told her about it.

Yes, she knew what Annabeth did.

Ahead of them the river was blocked. A dam the size of a football stadium stood in their path. This was as far as the naiads could take them.

"Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge."

They stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. People were walking along the top of the dam. They were so tiny they looked like fleas.

The naiads had left with a lot of grumbling. The canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"Seven hundred feet tall," Percy said. "Built in the 1930s."

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Graver sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoe stared at them, "How do you know all that?"

"Annabeth," Y/N said, "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said.

"Spouted facts all the time." Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

The others nodded. Zoe was still looking at them strangely. It seemed like cruel fate that they'd come to Hoover Dam, one of Annabeth's personal favorites, and she wasn't here to see it.

"We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You are mad," Zoe decided. "But that's where the road is." She pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is."