Trust No One

Chapter 5

Percy POV

Pretending to have memory loss is harder than I thought.

It is so difficult to keep up the act while seeing the faces of my friends, family, and significant other. I wanted to hug, hold, and kiss Annabeth so badly, but I couldn't.

However, I had no choice.

I had to keep up the facade because it was the only way to make sure that the traitors of Lake Valor didn't come at me.

I didn't know who I can trust. The conspiracy ran far deeper than I ever imagined.

As far as I was concerned, no one was trustworthy, and they all would try to kill me for figuring out the truth. There was a network BlodgeHarm and WiCKeD spies currently working at Lake Valor. I didn't know how high or deep this conspiracy ran.

The fact that I knew about it made me a massive threat to them.

That's when I came up with the memory loss idea.

Memory loss would entail that no one would suspect me because I wouldn't remember anything. It was a solid plan, but it was so hard to lie and pretend around my friends and Annabeth.

To make things worse, Thalia said that my mom was flying in. We were waiting for her at our apartment.

"What's her name?" I asked miserably.

Thalia and Jason both turned towards me. They both looked so sad to see me like this. If only, they knew the truth, then they'd be reassured.

However, I couldn't risk their lives.

Plus, I couldn't trust anyone right now. Not even my best friends and loved ones because I was already stabbed in the back once. That's what led me into 6 months of torture at a BlodgeHarm facility. Betrayal was what led me into this dammed situation.

"Whose name?" Jason asked cautiously. His voice was shaking.

"The person we are waiting for. You both said that she's my mom, but I don't know her or remember her name," I said gently.

My gaze flitted away from them.

My throat was choking from the pent-up emotion and pain. I hated this, and I hated having to lie to them.

"Your mom is Sally Jackson," Jason said before getting up. He quickly stepped out of the room, which left me and Thalia alone.

"Jason's just shaken up, Percy, but he'll be okay," Thalia reassured.

"Were we all related?" I asked softly.

I felt tears burn my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Asking all these questions that I already knew the answers to was a part of the memory loss facade.

"We practically are. Jason's your best friend. We were like family. Hence, why we all live in the same apartment together," Thalia said sadly.

Her hand gently rubbed my own.

It was true that Thalia and Jason were like siblings to me. I loved them both so much.

I simply nodded as we waited in silence.

I didn't know how I could look at my warm mother's face and pretend to not know her. I wasn't sure how to pull this off, but I'm gonna have to.

I couldn't tell her the truth even though she had no connection to Lake Valor.

Lake Valor was located in an isolated location while my mom lived in Florida. It would be okay to reveal the truth to her if it weren't for my suspicion that I was bugged.