We Keep Our Secrets to Ourselves

by riptidedauntlessgryffindor

Percy has been secretly watching the girl next door through the window of his bedroom for a whole summer, and as far as he knows, she has never been out of her house. But on the first day of school, she joins him on the walk, and they become friends. Friends are supposed to tell each other everything, true? But these two...well, they keep their secrets to themselves. (Percabeth AU)

1. Introduction

Hey, everyone. This is my new story, "We Keep Our Secrets to Ourselves."

Trigger warning–allusions to child abuse, but hopefully nothing too bad.

This is the introduction, and I hope you like it. Next chapter will be posted soon!

-SOS

Introduction:

The girl was broken inside.

She was sick and tired of this world. She had sat through many a night of some random woman's screams coming from her father's bedroom. And many a night, those screams had, unwillingly, been her own, though for a different reason.

The girl knew it was bad. She should have told somebody when it first started, after her mother died in kindergarten. But her father kept her locked up, and she had no access to a phone. As far as she could tell, no one even knew she existed.

Sometimes, when she lay in bed staring up at the ceiling with nothing better to do, she wished it all would end. Dying peacefully in her sleep sounded like a good idea half the time. "What did I do to deserve this?" was the only thought that ever ran through her head.

Wondering if anyone cared was how she spent her days; she knew no one did, however, she still had one tiny sliver of hope.

That little sliver of hope paid off well. One day, her dad was out getting drunk and he got into a car crash. "Luckily," (according to the hospital) he wasn't dead, but he was going to be in treatment for a long time.

Of course, the girl couldn't survive at home on her own. So CPS sent a woman to look after her. They lady they sent was called Tarah Sparks, and she was kind, gentle and patient.

Strict measures were to be taken. No one knew that she had been abused by her dad. When faced with the chance to tell, the poor girl chickened out. She was too embarrassed to show the bruise marks all over her body. She didn't even wince when they shook her un-healing arm.

But the authorities knew she had never been to school before. What they did not know was that she had been homeschooling herself through books that were left in her basement after her mother, who was a teacher, died. Even if they thought she was not smart, though she really was, they would still have to send her to school.

And there begins her real adventure…