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“Sorry, sorry!” Grover rubbed his horns. “I—I need to play. I’m practicing social dominance in the herd.”
He butted me in the chest again.
“This is going to get old real quick,” I said.
“Right now, I’d love to get old real quick,” Annabeth said. “Let’s keep going.”
None of the other patrons paid us any attention. I guess we were just three more children in the crowd. I looked for Sparky, or somebody else in an employee uniform, but I didn’t see anyone. I tried to keep my focus on finding the exit, but every blinking light and beeping sound caught my attention, tempting me to try the games.
It’s hard having ADHD, but now I remembered how muchharderit had been when I was younger, before I’d learned how to channel my focus, control my fidgeting, or, for all practical purposes, even operate my own body.
Being eight years old again was terrifying. The idea that I might have to go through all those years again... I felt tears welling in my eyes. I wanted my mommy. I pushed down the sense of panic as best I could. The exit. Just find the exit.
No one tried to stop us. No one had chained the doors. We simply stepped back into the afternoon sunlight of Times Square....
And we were still little kids.
I grabbed Grover’s arm to keep him from head-butting a street performer in a Mickey Mouse costume.
“So, what now?” Annabeth asked, her voice tight. “We can’t just... go home like this.”
When Annabeth asks for advice, I know things are bad. She’s always the one with the plan. Also, home for her was a dorm room at SODNYC. She couldn’t exactly show up nine years younger.
“It’ll be okay,” I said.
She scowled at me. “You think so? Then you’re a dummy!”
She put her palms to her temples. “Sorry, Percy... I—I can’t think straight. I think Hebe changed more than just how we look.”
I knew what she meant. I hadn’t felt this panicky in a long time—it was like I’d eaten a combination of sugar and glass, and I would either get cut to pieces or shake apart from the inside.
“I’m not doing nine years over again,” I said. “Let’s go back in and find Hebe.”
“And then what?” Grover bleated. “She might turn us into babies!”
“Stop it!” Annabeth said.
“No,youstop it. Meanie!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Guys!” I grabbed their arms and held them apart. “We can figure this out. Back inside.”
I was trying to be the reasonable one. Definitely a sign of the apocalypse. I led them back into Hebe Jeebies, which was the last place I wanted to be.
Almost immediately, we ran into Sparky, who looked much more cheerful without her wheel o’ prize tickets.
“Hi, welcome to Hebe Jeebies!” she said. “Do you know your way around?”
“We were just here,” I said. “Except older.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down....” She looked us over more carefully. “How much older? Fifty? Eighty?”
“Seriously?” Annabeth said.
“We asked you where Hebe was,” Grover offered. “You pointed us to the karaoke bar?”
