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Everyone knows I hate planes.
It’s common knowledge.
But not everyone knows how bad it is.
They don’t know how my whole body freezes and my hands tremble every time I’m even ten feet in the air. They don’t know how my mind turns frantic and my knees shake pathetically when I’m at even the lowest of heights.
Which is why I am so fucking scared today.
Because today, we’re heading back to camp.
We had been on a short quest to check up on Camp Jupiter and drop off some weapons, the normal routine. Except this time it was different. This time, I came. I was usually busy teaching the little demigods how to sword fight and madly trying to avoid going with them. But this time Frank and Hazel weren’t with them and they needed extra people. I suppose they counted me as two people, and I can’t tell if I should take it as a compliment or not. All I can think of is the impending sense of doom that is clouding my head. It is like an expanding layer of smoke slowly descending into me and making my thoughts slurred and rough. My ears are ringing and it sounds like a thundering timer is ticking in my skull.
“You ready, water boy?”
Leo’s high and bubbly voice cuts off the blaring timer for a second, and my shoulders jump up to his ears.
“Gods, Leo, don’t scare me like that,” I say, voice low.
“My bad—you good, Perce? You look a little…pale.”
“I’m fine. Just tired,” he mumbles.
Leo shrugs and begins walking up through the gate into the small plane. Ever since the war with Gaea, Chiron had decided to take matters into his own hands (hooves?) and get the gods to get us a better mode of transportation. Zeus, notorious for being self-centered, gave us a literal plane. It was small and could only fit about fifteen people, but it was a plane, nonetheless.
Jason follows behind Leo, looking relaxed at the idea of being in his domain.
Then comes Piper, and I trail on after, trying to hide my shaking hands.
My whole body is seemingly rejecting the idea of walking into the plane, but I push my legs and strain my muscles, doing everything in my power not to run. I walk onto the plan stiffly, and shove myself into the nearest seat. The pilot’s scratchy voice echos in the plane and I buckle my seatbelt. My head is pounding and I hear Jason’s footsteps. He lowers himself into the seat beside me and buckles himself. The soft smile he gives me soothes my nerves if just for a second. Then the ticking is back, and my foot is bouncing uncontrollably.
“Are you okay?” He whispers, blue eyes shining with concern.
“Yea—holy fuck!” My voice raises when the plane abruptly starts rolling forward. My hand shoots out and grabs Jason’s hand out of its own accord. His eyes widen, and he looks worried as I press myself as hard as I can against the wall against my back. He notices my trembling hands and squeezes my scarred wrist. I force my lungs to work again, and just when I’m calming down, the plan starts ascending.
My whole body jerks back and my eyes widen. I can feel my mouth pressing itself into a grimace. And for some reason unknown to me, I decide to look out the window.
“No—”
My voice is raw and animalistic, in a way. I can feel my heart beating in my chest. I slump forward. Everything is spinning.
My head is spinning.
The ground is falling.
The sky is breaking.
Nobody ‘normal’ acts like this.
Everything is breaking.
My heart is loud and painful against my chest.
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP—
“Percy?”
It’s Leo’s voice that snaps me out of my daze, yet again.
“So fucking high,” I hiss, voice breaking.
I see Leo’s eyes widen in realization, and Jason waves him away. Then it’s just me and him.
“You’re okay, Perce. You’re okay—“
But I can’t hear him. All I hear is the thundering voice of Zeus, threatening my twelve year-old self. All I hear is my heaving breaths.
“Too high…” I mumble.
My eyes are frantic and maddening. They’re crazed and filled with fear.
“Breathe in. I’m here.” Jason’s voice is slowly dulling the pounding in my head.
I take a deep breath and choke on my gasp.
And then I’m falling down a rabbit hole of panic as the plane evens out and shudders.
My chest heaves and my ribs feel like cages preventing me from taking a full breath of air. My hands are shaking and I grab Jason’s hand with all of my strength. My vision tunnels and all I see are Jason's lightning blue eyes and striking blonde hair.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no…”
My chest tightens uncomfortably and my eyes are half-lidded.
All of the sudden, my whole body feels weightless. I feel dizzy and tired and completely drained. I feel empty.
My hands grab everything in my view and the plane shakes again.
“Jason,” I gasp.
He wraps his arms around me and my body melts into him. My head rests against his shoulder.
Everyone knows I hate planes.
But do I even know how bad it is?