Percy Jackson had nothing. No parents, no friends, no money, anything: but a crappy foster home. He was living with his foster parents, Gabe and Sally Ugliano. It had been four years since he had been adopted- he was currently seventeen years old. His dad, Gabe, was the worst person he ever knew, not that he knew many. Gabe was abusive, and would hit Percy and Sally whenever they didn't do as he said. Percy even nicknamed him "Smelly Gabe" because he reeked of alcohol and pizza, probably because that was what he had when he was playing poker with his buddies.
Sally, however, was one of the nicest people Percy knew, except for his real mother. She was hit by a drunk driver when Percy was eleven years old. Percy never knew his true father; he was a sailor and got lost at sea before Percy was even born.
The only reason Percy hadn't run away yet was because of Sally Ugliano. Whenever Gabe wasn't home, Sally would do kind things towards Percy- from smiling at him to baking cookies when Smelly Gabe. She was that one person that makes you feel happy whenever you were around her.
Later that week, Percy refused to get Smelly Gabe a beer from the fridge, and was suffering a particularly painful beating on his back. It was his last straw. After he was done, he went over to Sally, sobbing, and told her his plan. She agreed. He was going to run away.