twenty-seven
reunions

It was about 3 weeks into August when Lennon found herself standing beside Julian outside her mother's new apartment building in Brooklyn. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She hadn't seen her mother in person in years, it was only ever on the opposite end of a computer screen.

She fiddled with sleeve of her jacket, scanning the parking lot for any sign of Percy. He'd insisted that he would go with her like he promised.

    "Lennon, you'll be fine," Julian glanced over at her.

    The girl huffed. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one visiting your mother,"

    "Just try to distract yourself from the worries,"

    "Sure," she nodded slowly, turning to him. "So, what's going on with Annabeth? You always get silent around her," Julian opens his mouth to respond but Lennon keeps talking. "Remember when we were 9 and you had that little crush on her? Don't tell me—"

    She gasps and Julian looks away.

    "Wait, do you like her?" The redening of his face was all the answer she needed. "Oh my gods, you do!"

    "Percy's here," he croaks out, embarrassment laced in his voice.

    Surely enough Lennon glances over to see Percy walking up to them.

    "Hey," he grins at her then looks worriedly at Julian, who had dropped his face into his hands. "Is he okay?"

    "Oh yeah, lovely," he says miserably.

    Lennon gives him a bright smile. "We just did a little soul searching,"

    Percy's brows scrunch in confusion. "Okay?"

    "Come on," Lennon said, grabbing Julian and Percy's hands on either side of her and dragging them into the building. "Let's get this over with before I chicken out,"

    As she dragged them towards the elevator, Percy glanced at the side of her face. "Uh, how are you?"

    "Great. I'm great. Very great," they reached the elevator and she pushed the button. She stared intently at the elevator doors.

    Percy glanced at Julian and whispered, "Has she started doing the hair thing?"

    "Not yet," he shook his head.

    Meanwhile, Lennon was still staring at her reflection. "Do you think I should have braided my hair? I didn't but maybe it's not too late to put up," she started anxiously braiding a few strands of her hair, waiting for the elevator to arrive.

    Percy and Julian shared a look with each other.

Julian frowned. "Lennon you're hair looks great,"

"Are you sure?" She asked, not even noticing the way she was still frantically braiding one of the ends of her hair.

Percy reached out, touched her hand and stopped her from braiding her hair. "We're sure. It looks really pretty when it's down like that,"

She looked at him, realizing that he was holding her hand. Then the elevator chimed and her eyes snapped away. She wordlessly got into the elevator, the two boys following her. Once she pressed the button for the 5th floor she leaned against the elevator walls and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm being really frantic and anxious. I'm just... nervous,"

"There's nothing wrong with that, Len. It's understandable," Julian said calmly.

"I know. I just don't want her to... i don't know, not like who I've become. My mom, she's a perfectionist. What if I'm not the person she wants me to be?"

"Lennon, nobody is perfect," Percy said. "If you're mom doesn't like you because you're not perfect then that's her loss," he gave her a smile. "Besides, there's no way your mom won't like you. You're amazing,"

"Thank you Percy," Lennon smiled, glancing at him.

Beside her Julian let out a scoff. He jokingly said, "Oh but when I told you all of that on the car ride here, you acted like I was crazy,"

"That is not true,"

Julian hummed. "Sure. Just say you like Percy's voice better,"

Her eyes darted to him, her cheeks quickly heating. "No, his voice is all squeaky,"

Percy gaped at her. "When I was like 13!"

She gave him an apologetic look. "I'm kidding,"

"Yeah?" he raised his brows. "At least I got a little taller,"

Lennon scoffed, "Really?"

"I'm kidding," he says teasingly.

Lennon glared at him and punched his arm, to which he winced at.

"Ow! Why do you punch so hard?"

Julian watched as the two bickered, almost rolling his eyes at the two. They were so oblivious. Then the elevator chimed again and Julian spoke up, "This is the floor,"

The trio left the elevator and followed Lennon as she walked towards her mother's door. She paused, staring down the door. Then she knocked on it and she let out the breath she had been holding.

Her mother opened the door, her hair in a perfect bun, like how ballerinas wore their hair. "Lennon!"

"Hi mom," she smiled weakly. She gestured at the boys beside her. "This Julian, my brother or... uh, half brother. And this is Percy,"

She smiled at them and gestured for them to come in. She led them to living room where they all awkwardly sat down. Her mother on one side and the trio squished together on a couch across from her.

Lennon did a quick glance around the room, observing platinum plaques she'd received for some of the songs that she'd produced. There was some minimalistic artwork on the wall. A Fender guitar that Lennon remembered from their old house. Then she spotted the mantle that was mainly empty except for the decorative center piece and the two framed pictures. One of them was when they'd visited Santa Monica Pier and the other was an old school picture from when she was 7 years old.

"So," her mother started. "I'm assuming you're both demigods?"

"Um, we usually say halfbloods," Lennon spoke up. "But, yes they are,"

Her mother hummed and then a chime came from the kitchen, most likely the microwave. "Oh, I almost forgot. I made blueberry muffins," she glanced at Lennon. "I wasn't sure if you still like them but..."

"I do," Lennon quickly nodded. "I'll help you get them,"

She got up and followed her mother into the kitchen where she once again glanced around. "It's really nice apartment," she said, trying to fill the awkward silence.

"It is. Though, I still miss the house in California,"

Lennon nodded not knowing what to say to that.

Her mother opened the microwave, taking out the plate of muffins. "Do you think your friends will like muffins? I know it's not the most conventional meet snack or whatever you call this but I wanted to make something familiar,"

Lennon smiled. "muffins are fine. Plus, Percy has this thing with blue food, so I'm sure he'll enjoy blueberries,"

Her mother hums then says, "It's funny actually. I'd made the muffins too early that they had gone cold and just as you got here I had to pop them back in the microwave. At first I was going to make cookies but I'd burned the first batch,"

She'd never remember her mother like this. Unprepared or worried. Then again, maybe the mom that she'd always remember wasn't exactly accurate. She watched as her mother brushed a strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun out of her face.

"Hopefully they're as good as you remember,"

"I spent all morningtrying to decide how to wear my hair. It was between this or a braid,"

"Lennon you're hair looks lovely. It's grown a lot,"

"Thanks mom," She smiles and then says, "I'm, uh, sorry I never came home to visit,"

"Oh, I was always short-tempered on those calls. I can understand why you didn't want to come back. I know it didn't always seem welcome but..."

Lennon surged forward hugging her mom. "I'm so sorry,"

"No, Lennon I'm sorry. I should've been more understanding of the halfblood life. I just wanted to push things under the rug and pretend like it was all normal. But it's not. You're an extraordinary girl and I should've told you that more often,"

Lennon smiled, hugging her mom tighter. "Sorry I always cut our calls short,"

"Ah, I always chalked half of it up to you being an angsty teenager,"

Lennon laughed, saying, "And them some,"

Her mother laughed at that and pulled away. "I really missed you Lennon,"

"I missed you two mom,"

Her mother picks up the plate of muffins and says, "Come on. We shouldn't leave your friends in the living room by themselves,"

"Oh, I'm sure Julian's already told Percy a dozen musical history facts,"

Sure enough when they entered the living room the two were talking.

"It was improvised?" Percy said in surprise.

"Oh yeah, they couldn't even agree on which vocals to use. Not to mention they were both totally drunk,"

"We come bearing muffins," Lennon says with a smile as they set the blueberry muffins down. She took a seat opposite the two boys next to her mom.

"Ms. Hart," Julian said, glancing at the guitar on the wall. "Is that actually David Bowies guitar? I recogonized it but... I thought it was never seen again"

"Because he gave it to me. I wrote a song with him years ago, of course that never saw the light of day,"

Julian was gaping at her mother in awe.

"Wait till she tells you about how she used to work at the studio Fleetwood Mac recorded Rumors,"

"What?" Julian's jaw dropped.

"Fleetwood Mac like that song you're always humming?" Percy asked.

Lennon nodded but Julian was still stuck on what she last said. "Sound City Studios?"

Her mother smiled. "Well, I was more of an intern and worked their for..." she thought about it. "Maybe two years,"

"That is so cool,"

"So, Julian, you're father is Apollo, right?" He nodded and her mother hummed. "That's actually how I met him. He'd gotten it into his head that he was going to record a platinum album,"

Lennon smiled at that story, imagining her father in a recording studio.

"Did he?" Percy asked.

"Oh, no," her mother shook her head. "He decided to stick to Haikus,"

All three teens shared a look, knowing all to well how Apollo liked to spout Haikus.

"What's more interesting is when Lennon wanted to be Tom Cruise in Risky Business,"

Lennon groaned, dropping her face in her hands.

"Oh, please, tell us more," Julian grinned teasingingly.

"Please don't," Lennon shook her head.

And just like that, the meeting turned out to not be as bad as Lennon thought it would be. Late that day, the trio leaves with Lennon promising to come visit again.

AUTHORS NOTE:
ok a quick little chapter to end off act two!!! i'm super excited to start act three