Percy Jackson liked to think he had an okay life.
Even if it sucked sometimes.
He knew there were kids who had it worse all over the world. Kids who went to bed hungry every night. Kids didn't have any parents at all. Kids who only had themselves for protection and support.
Percy liked to think he had a lot to be thankful for. He had a wonderful mother, a caring best friend, and a place to call home.
Sometimes, the good things in his life made him forget the bad. The father he knew next to nothing about. The endless abuse from Gabe.
But Percy tried not to think about the bad things. He had always hoped that in the long run, none of them would matter.
AaAaAaAaAa
The only major way that Nico di Angelo's life was similar to his friend's was because of his father. The father he didn't know, the father who didn't care about him. In return, Nico only thought it fair that he didn't care about his father, either.
He wanted nothing to do with the pathetic excuse for a man, whoever he was.
He had a mother and a sister who loved him, and a best friend who stuck by him through anything. Even if a best friend was the only friend he had.
And it was all he needed.
AaAaAaAaAa
"Nico, explain to me again how the Poseidon card works," 11-year old Percy said, slightly amused by how much his friend loved the card game.
Nico launched into an extremely descriptive explanation of the card, stating its strengths, weaknesses, and point value.
"You gotta find a new hobby," Percy said after he was finished.
Nico sighed, changing the subject. "I'm screwed for this math test, you?"
"Oh, yeah." Percy replied. "I'll fail for sure. Nothing new, really..."
"Mr. Burton told me I may get held back a year if I don't stop trying harder. He just doesn't get it."
Percy knew exactly what his friend was talking about. Their dyslexia made school a lot harder than it should've been. He looked around the classroom he was currently seated in. So many posters on the wall, textbooks, and notes scribbled on the board that he had a very hard time deciphering.
Suddenly, the door burst open, producing a tall and skinny middle aged man with black hair and glasses. Mr. Burton was here. Great.
"So the sub left a particularly bad note about your behavior yesterday," the man said as he took a seat behind his desk. "And I must say, I am not happy."
The class groaned, causing Mr. Burton to shush them. He went on and on about how proper respect was in order whenever you were with adults, and how they had given the class a terrible reputation the previous day.
Naturally, Percy and Nico stopped listening five seconds in. Instead, they both found themselves lost in their own thoughts.
Percy was thinking about his mom. It was Friday, and his mom always took him to eat at his favorite Italian restaurant after school that day. Even though they did it every week, it never got old. It was time with his mom, and time away from his step father.
Nico's attention, however, was on someone else in the room. It was the last person he would ever expect himself to be paying attention to, even under bizarre circumstances. However, he suddenly found himself intrigued by what Cindy Berkley, the most popular girl in school, was doing. She was not listening to the teacher lecture either. Instead, she was maliciously gnawing on her perfect blonde hair, while furiously scribbling something down on a piece of notebook paper. Her eyes seemed to be blazing a violent red, much different from their usual hazel color. It was so unnatural, Nico figured he must have been dreaming.
But the strangest thing was, no one seemed to notice. Except him.
Around her, her popular friends were all muttering apologies to the teacher, claiming they had been perfect angels while he was gone. Nico knew if what Cindy was doing had something to do with drama, her friends would all be gossiping away at the moment.
Nico tapped Percy on the shoulder, pulling him out of whatever he was thinking about. He quickly gestured to Cindy.
Percy stared at her for a second, before turning to Nico with a confused expression on his face.
It just didn't make any sense.
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When Percy arrived home, he was glad to see that Smelly Gabe wasn't there. He was not thrilled, however, to arrive to his mother's absence as well.
Percy stopped to think for a moment. His mom was off work on Friday, and it was rare for him to come home to nobody. It was possible that they had went somewhere, but Percy figured his mother would have let him know, not just left randomly.
And the door had been unlocked when he had gotten there. His mom wouldn't have just left the apartment vulnerable like that.
Suddenly, his thoughts turned to Cindy Berkley, and her odd behavior hours before. He didn't know why, but thinking of her filled him with an unexplainable chill.
Something wasn't right.
AaAaAaAaAa
"Mom? Bianca?"
Eleven-year-old Nico wasn't used to being home alone. His mom said he wasn't old enough, and he was always used to coming home from school to find his mother and Bianca watching television. But today was different.
Today, he hadn't been able to get the image of the girl from his mind, despite his greatest efforts.
Today, he would seriously question his views on what he thought didn't matter.
Today, his life would change.
How was that? This chapter was probably quite slow, but it will get better as the story progresses. Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is very welcome.