Do I Really Understand the World Around Me?
This was inspired by another story I read, Ms Connway. The story really touched me, and got me thinking about this one. I hope you like it. OC: Ms. Rowe. I put Annabeth in Goode High School because I felt like it. Deal with it. This one's really long.
Ms. Rowe's POV
When I thought about Percy Jackson before I met him, I admit I was a little afraid. I received his school record, and it wasn't very promising. The same with Annabeth Chase's file, although hers was noticeably thinner. Like an inch thinner than Percy's two inches. Yeah, yeah; it doesn't sound like a lot, but if you think about it, paper isn't that big by itself. Way less than a millimeter.
Anyway, when I met Percy and Annabeth I was surprised. In truth, I expected two lonely Goth kids who always frowned and looked as if they were going to hurt you. What I didn't expect was for them to walk through the door with one other person, together, smiling and looking normal. I honestly didn't think it was them until they found they're nametags on their desks and sat. I had put them close to see if they could encourage good behavior in each other. I didn't expect them to be best friends already.
But still, they were still odd. The only other person they talked to was Rachel Dare, and Annabeth didn't seem to like her too much. I was their homeroom teacher and English teacher. As I summarized what we would be learning in English this year, the two exchanged a smirk that seemed to say, this should be fun, when I told them that in the fourth nine weeks we would be studying Greek Mythology. Even Rachel grinned a little. There is definitely something going on there!
Apart from the fact that they were dyslexic with ADHD, they were fairly normal. I treated them as such, and they accepted it. At the end of the third nine weeks, I heard something about 'Chiron', 'Greek Mythology', 'Yancy', and 'Mr. Brunner' come from their mouths as they whispered. (A/N if you really want to know, this is what they were saying, "I think we would be better off if Chiron taught us next nine weeks. I mean, don't get me wrong, Ms. Rowe is the nicest teacher I've ever had. She just doesn't know everything about Greek Mythology," Annabeth told Percy. Percy responded, "Yeah, when I was at Yancy, he posed as Mr. Brunner and taught Greek Mythology.") Curious, I went to Percy's file and looked for anything that looked like it said 'Yancy' or 'Mr. Brunner' on it. I'm positive 'Chiron' was not related to 'Yancy'. I finally found a part of the file that looked promising. Percy had attended Yancy Academy, and Mr. Brunner was his Greek Mythology teacher. He got the best grades in that class. (A/N even though Percy doesn't know about the gods yet, Chiron briefly mentions that he excels) I was looking forward to this unit.
The Fourth Nine Weeks
"Well, good morning. Today we will start our Greek Mythology lesson," I told my class. Percy and Annabeth grinned. Their behavior is still odd. I have to admit, through these past three nine week periods, despite her disabilities, Annabeth is a bright student. Another thing I must confess to be my love of Greek Mythology. My favorite god is actually a goddess: Athena. She is smart and strong. Annabeth's eyes are sort of how I pictured Athena's. Now I can imagine them more clearly.
I continued, "Our lessons will start with the titans, go to the fall of the titans, the rise of the gods, wars the gods were rumored to be involved in, each Olympian, each minor god, some well-known heroes, and much more." Annabeth, Percy, and even Rachel frowned when I said titan. I admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the titans, but still, Percy's eyes shined with hatred as I mentioned them. As if it was personal. These three students' behavior has me thinking; do I really understand the world around me? Is there a secret force that these two, Percy and Annabeth, are apart of? That's just silly. Stop thinking this way Mary; you'll go insane. I pushed that to the back of my mind and started the lesson.
Percy and Annabeth answered all of the questions I threw at the class. Every answer was correct. Are they Greek? I took in Percy's appearance yet again; his eyes reminded me of the ocean. Since my brain was hardwired for Greek Mythology, I immediately thought Poseidon. While thinking Poseidon, I took in the boy's hair. Black: just how I pictured Poseidon's hair in those myths I read.
Then I took in Annabeth's appearance. Her eyes were the grey I described, but as I looked deeper into them, I felt a sense of forbidding. As if her eyes were telling you not to cross her. They looked intelligent and strong. She had a deep tan and blonde hair. These two traits made me think Apollo, but the eyes made me think Athena. Eyes a lot of the time gives away much, so I went with a likeness to Athena.
As I taught the class about the Titans, it looked as if the pair had something on their minds. I decided that I was going to ask them after class. When the bell rang, I asked them to stay behind. They did as I asked. I told them to come up to my desk, "Children, as I was teaching, you looked troubled. Is there anything on your minds that you would like to talk about?" They exchanged a glance.
"Let's just say…I have a big decision to make at the end of the summer," Percy replied vaguely. Apparently, it wasn't vague enough for Annabeth; she elbowed him quickly. It was obviously painful because Percy winced.
"Out of curiosity, who's your favorite god or goddess? Percy and I made a bet," Annabeth asked me.
"Athena," I responded simply. Annabeth grinned.
"Pay up, Seaweed Brain!" she exclaimed.
"Whatever, Wise Girl," he responded glumly as he handed her three golden coins as they walked out the door. That was odd.
To see what kind of reaction I would get, I shouted, "Kronos!" for no reason. They visibly stiffened and turned, Percy holding a ballpoint pen I realized that he never uses. I see it all the time, but never in use. Annabeth looked annoyed, her hand that was at her hip sliding away as she realized that I shouted it for no reason whatsoever. Percy pocketed the pen and they left. What odd behavior.
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I had spent a while on titans, and now we were moving to the transition of power between the gods and the titans. Mainly about Zeus, this lesson should only take the day. Tomorrow we would just talk about all the wars that the gods were supposedly involved in. I couldn't wait for the lesson.
Once again, Annabeth and Percy answered all the questions right. They made me curious. I started to think about their parents, for some reason. When it was parent/teacher conference night, both students' parents requested a conference. The school doesn't require everyone to attend; you are either invited, or you request a conference. Percy had his mother, Sally, and his step-father, Paul, one of the teachers here, come. Annabeth had her father, Frederick, and her step-mother, Mrs. Chase (A/N I don't know her first name), come. I realized that neither of them had both their biological parents come. They both insisted that they were not dead, but just can't come. I suspect either divorce or the children were conceived when the parents weren't married. Dr. Chase just took custody of Annabeth instead of the mother.
I focused on the lesson again, not the peculiar students. Maybe if I request a parent/teacher conference with both biological parents, I could find out. I would have to think of an important reason…heath issues! Yes! Maybe I could tell them that I was afraid the children had depression. They are very worried about something, so it isn't an unfair assumption. Ah! Snap out of it! You're focusing on the children again!
I finally managed to focus on the rest of the lesson that I was teaching. I told them that we would be learning about all the wars the gods were supposedly involved in, and told Annabeth and Percy to stay after class again. They did, this time worried.
"I am requesting a parent/teacher conference…with both biological parents on Friday. You insist that they aren't dead, so I see no reason why they can't make it. You both will have to attend as well," I told them. Today is Monday, so they should have plenty of time to make proper arrangements.
"Well, you see Ms. Rowe, our other parents are very busy…and…well," Annabeth started but was interrupted by a sharp ring. The music was classical. Annabeth's face reddened.
"Miss Chase, no phones are allowed on in class," I scolded.
"Well, for your information, only one person has that ring tone: my mother. She only calls me, especially during school if there is something serious going on. Please let me answer it," she begged. Her mother? One of the people that I was requesting to see?
"Fine," I gave in.
Annabeth gave me a grateful smile and answered her phone, "Mother, what's wrong?...Yes…You were requested for a parent/teacher conference…Are you sure?...Percy's dad will have to be there, and I know you don't like him…You're not busy?...Well, I thought, since you are, you know…OK then. Bye," she said over the phone.
Annabeth's POV
I answered my phone that Hermes fixed so monsters can't track me with it, "Mother, what's wrong?"
Athena's sharp, powerful voice came through, "Nothing's wrong Annabeth. So; I was requested for a parent/teacher conference?"
"Yes," I answered.
"Ok, now tell me that I was requested, just for your teacher's sake," she demanded.
"You were requested for a parent/teacher conference," I told her.
"Good girl. I will be able to attend," she told me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing!
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she answered in a question.
"Percy's dad will have to be there, and I know you don't like him," I answered.
"Well, even if old Kelp Brain is there, I have no plans whatsoever. I'm bored, and this gives me something to do," she told me. A goddess is bored?
"You're not busy?" I asked, unsure if she was telling the truth.
"Why would I be?" she yet again answered in a question.
"Well, I thought, since you are, you know…," I responded, still unsure.
"Annabeth, just because I'm a goddess, that doesn't mean I am busy every second of the day," she said.
"Ok then. Bye," I ended the conversation.
Ms. Rowe's POV
"She can make it," Annabeth told me after she showed me that she turned her phone off. Percy raised his eyebrows at her.
"What? She's actually not busy!" she defended. Percy looked at her skeptically. She narrowed her eyes at him, "My mother will take time for me, Perseus. What about your father, hmm? Is he coming? Or is he too busy saving the ocean?" I wanted to stop this before it became violent, but I wanted to learn more as well.
"I'm just surprised that your mother could make it. She's not exactly the parental type," Percy responded. Annabeth's face became red with anger. Right before she was about to retort, loud thunder rumbled. When I say loud, I mean standing right next to a running helicopter loud. The pair's faces paled and they stopped fighting immediately.
"We better go before we are late to our next class," Annabeth told me as they scurried out of the room.
Percy's POV
At lunch, I visited the single restroom. In there, I turned on the sink, concentrated on the water spraying up just enough for the light to catch it and make a rainbow. I took a drachma out of my pocket and said, "O goddess, accept my offering." I waited, "Poseidon, Mount Olympus."
The mist shimmered, and my father appeared. He was absentmindedly staring at his trident. I coughed. He looked up, "Percy?" he questioned.
I bowed my head, "Father."
He chuckled, "Raise your head, son."
I did, "You have been requested for a parent/teacher conference this Friday. I have been giving excuses for you, but the teacher insists this time. I couldn't bring myself to the excuse of death, so I told her I would try. Will you accept the invitation to the conference?"
"Of course. Even though I have already been informed that Athena is also coming, I will accept for my son," he smiled at me. I loved this trait of my father's. He's always so kind.
Ms. Rowe's POV
Once Percy walked into class today, he told me that his father could make it. For some reason, I was thrilled. I was finally going to meet these mysterious parents. I taught of the wars that the gods were supposedly involved in. It would be so awesome if it was real.
As usual, Percy and Annabeth answered all the questions correctly. But this time, they weren't as enthusiastic. Percy looked as if he was concentrating on something unpleasant, staring at his desk. Annabeth was biting her lip, throwing sad glances at Percy. It looked as if she were fighting back tears. Even Rachel looked a little sad for Percy. Why were they sad for Percy? Do I really understand the world around me?
Today I wasn't going to get distracted by their strange behavior. I continued my lesson, and my students took notes. I did notice that Annabeth and Percy never took notes. I'm not going to call them to my desk this time; this is just another thing to mention at the conference. But then again, it might be because of their dyslexia. But even though they have dyslexia, they've been trying to take notes to the best of their ability. Oh well, I'll just mention it at the conference and see what happens.
I glanced at the clock and realized that I had only five minutes left before the bell rang. I wrapped up the lesson and told them what we would be learning tomorrow: Zeus. Everything about the king of the gods they will learn tomorrow. I didn't tell them who we would be learning about the next day, though. That would be Poseidon. The day after that would be Hades, then Hera, then Athena, then Ares, then Aphrodite, then Hephaestus, then Demeter, then Dionysus, then Artemis, then Apollo, and then Hermes. I know that Hades is technically not an Olympian, but since he's Zeus and Poseidon's brother, I decided to teach him then.
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Yesterday, when I taught my class about Zeus, both Annabeth and Percy participated. But today, the day I'm teaching Poseidon, only Percy is participating. Annabeth answered a few questions, but she looked bored out of her mind. This brought me back to yesterday, when I told the class we would be learning about Poseidon.
"Tomorrow we will be learning about Poseidon, god of the sea and earth," I told them. Percy grinned while Annabeth groaned. Percy stuck his tongue out at her; she just rolled her eyes.
He started to taunt her in a different language as they left the classroom. I only heard a little, but I'm sure it was Greek. How do they know Greek? They must have been taught the language. Or maybe they really are Greek.
Annabeth's reaction to Poseidon was not very positive. Percy was really happy, as if he was sharing a joke with himself. He answered 99% of the questions. Annabeth answered the other one percent. I was concerned that only these two ever participated. I hoped that my other students were paying attention. I decided to call on Rachel.
"Rachel, do you know how Poseidon created horses?" I asked her.
She looked up, "Huh? Oh. Out of sea foam," she answered, a little surprised. This caught my class's attention. They were worried that they were next, so they listened better. I decided to keep that smile on Percy's face though, and let him answer the rest of the questions. I would torture the class tomorrow with Hades. How appropriate. I told the class who we would be learning about tomorrow and dismissed them.
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"Monday we will learn about Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle," I told the class. Annabeth grinned while Percy groaned. Annabeth stuck her tongue out at him; he rolled his eyes at her. Once again, their behavior was strange. Tonight is the conference. I taught the rest of my classes about Hera to finish the day, and then got the stuff out for the conference.
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I had set up six chairs around my desk. Paul wasn't coming because he had a conference tonight as well. Mrs. Chase wasn't coming because they couldn't get a babysitter for their other two children.
The first to arrive was Percy and his mother. They took two seats. Then Annabeth and her father arrived. The conference wasn't set to begin for another two minutes. Just as the second minute was finished, two people walked through the door.
One was a woman in a grey pantsuit with a white shirt. Her black hair was tied into a smart-looking bun. She had grey eyes that you did not have to look far to find that sense of forbidding that I found in Annabeth's. This could only be her mother. She reminded me of how I always imagined Athena.
The second was a man with khaki pants and a shirt with Hawaiian flowers all over it. His black hair was loose and shaggy. His green eyes reminded me so much of Percy's. The only difference was the crinkles around them from smiling a lot. This man seemed kind. He was obviously Percy's father. He reminded me of how I imagine Poseidon.
In the chairs around my desk, this was the order: Percy's father, Percy, Mrs. Blofis, Dr. Chase, Annabeth, Annabeth's mother. I noticed that the child sat between the parents. It must be odd to have your old lover sitting only a seat away.
"Welcome. Excuse me, but how should I address you two," I asked the two other parents.
"You can call me Philip," Percy's father said. (A/N Philip means 'lover of horses' in Greece)
"Call me Alyssa," Annabeth's mother told me. (A/N means 'logical' in Greece)
"So, now we can begin," I started, "I'm worried about Percy and Annabeth. Ever since I started the Greek Mythology unit, they have been acting strange. The behavior was especially odd when I talked about all the wars that the Greek gods were supposedly involved in. Percy looked as if he was concentrating on something unpleasant, staring at his desk. Annabeth was biting her lip, throwing sad glances at Percy. It looked as if she were fighting back tears. Even Rachel Dare, another student, looked a little sad for Percy. This puzzled me," I started. Alyssa and Philip looked a little sad as well, but they had smirks on their faces too. Mrs. Blofis, Sally, looked as if she were fighting back tears herself. She wasn't successful; on escaped down her cheek.
"Another thing I noticed was that in the other units, these two tried their best to take notes. But in this unit, they don't even bother. They would have A's in this class this period of nine weeks, but since they don't take notes, I have to lower their grade to a B. If they try, I can bring it back up to an A," I added. Alyssa immediately turned her head to her daughter. Then she spoke in a different language.
"Γιατί έχετε πάρει τις σημειώσεις;" she asked. (A/N I will translate later, don't worry!)
"Το ξέρω ήδη όλα," Annabeth responded. This must be Greek.
"Κατόπιν το κάνετε ακριβώς για το βαθμό," Alyssa contradicted.
"Αλλά είναι μια τέτοια παρενόχληση! Παίρνει πάρα πολύ πολύ λόγω της δυσλεξίας μου," Annabeth told her mother.
"Κατόπιν γράψτε στα ελληνικά," Alyssa told her.
"Πρόστιμο," she said in a defeated tone.
Then Philip spoke in the foreign tongue to Percy, "Ακούσατε αυτό, σωστό; Σκέφτομαι ότι πρέπει να κάνετε το ίδιο πράγμα."
"Ναι πατέρας," Percy responded. I looked over at Sally and Dr. Chase. They were just as confused as I was; they apparently didn't speak this language. I coughed.
"I'm sorry," Philip told me.
"Yes, I am sorry as well. I enjoy speaking my native language better than English, and it helps that Annabeth and Percy can speak the language as well," she apologized.
"That's OK," I forgave.
Annabeth's POV
As soon as Ms. Rowe said that I could be doing better in school, my mother turned to me and spoke in Greek, "Why have you not been taking notes?"
I responded in Greek, "I already know it all."
"You could get a better grade," Athena contradicted.
"But it is such a hassle! It takes too long because of my dyslexia," I told her.
"Then you write in Greek," she told me.
"Fine," I gave in.
Then Poseidon spoke in Greek to Percy, "You heard this, correct? I think you should do the same thing."
Percy replied, "Yes father." Then Ms. Rowe coughed, and the two gods turned their heads to her.
"I'm sorry," Poseidon told her.
"Yes, I am sorry as well. I enjoy speaking in my native language better than English, and it helps that Annabeth and Percy can speak the language as well," my mother apologized.
"That's OK," our teacher forgave.
Ms. Rowe's POV
"Is it OK if Percy and Annabeth take notes in Greek? For some odd reason, they can only write and read in this language. We don't know why; it's just an odd trait of theirs," Philip asked me.
"Sure. But they will have to take tests in English. I am not fluent," I told them. Percy and Annabeth nodded their heads, "What about their odd emotions. I'm concerned that they are nervous about something, something that scares them."
"That is an outside of school matter that does not concern you. If you make it your concern, you will get hurt. Not by us, of course," Alyssa told me.
"All I need to know is that they aren't having trouble at home. If there is any shouting or beating, you must tell me. Any form of abuse in the home is a concern for anyone," I told the group.
"I assure you that neither child is abused at home," Philip told me.
"My final question is this: is there any romantic relationship between the two? I know you are about to say, 'that's none of your business.' I agree; it is not. But if there is, I must tell you that there is no PDA at this school. It calls for ISS, or In School Suspension," I asked. Percy and Annabeth's faces reddened. Sally and Dr. Chase looked at them, waiting for their answer. Philip and Alyssa shot angry glares at each other, and then Alyssa glared at Percy. Her glare would make me want to go find a rock in China and hide under it if it was on me. Philip raised his eyebrows at both of them.
"We're not a couple," Annabeth said, "just best friends." Philip, Sally, and Dr. Chase looked back at me immediately, but Alyssa's glare lingered for a moment before returning her now calm gaze to me.
"Thank you for coming; you can leave now," I told them. They all rose from their seats, the adults avoiding each other's eyes. Outside of the classroom, in the hall, I faintly heard their goodbyes. There was silence, so I assumed they left. I got up and gathered my things. But just as I was about to make my way towards the door, I heard Philip's voice, "I'm glad you are happy Sally," he said. How sweet!
"Thank you," I heard Mrs. Blofis's voice respond. I peeked around the corner of the door and saw the two shaking hands. Humph. He still likes her, that's obvious. I looked over to Alyssa and Dr. Chase. Alyssa was rolling her eyes at the two with a bored, but smart, look on her face and Dr. Chase was sneaking a look at her. He still likes her, but has moved on. Alyssa walks out the front door (my classroom is close to the entrance to the building). The door is an odd one, because it swings both ways. It swung outwards for Alyssa to walk out. Then it closed for just a second, and then swung inwards. I was shocked at what I saw; Alyssa was gone! Annabeth, who had been watching her mother leave, didn't seem surprised. Philip walked out the door, and the same thing happened to him. Again, no one thought twice about it. This got me thinking once more: do I really understand the world around me?
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It was the last day of school. I noticed that Percy and Annabeth looked both happy and sad. They wore the most peculiar shirts that said, "Camp Half-Blood." What the heck is Camp Half-Blood? When Rachel saw the shirts, she raised her eyebrows and said something to them, (A/N "You're going to camp after school?") at which they nodded in response. They took their seats and I began class for the last time. I taught until the end of the day. At the end of every class, I announced something that I had been emailed.
"Next year, I will be your English teacher again. The school system is transferring me to be a tenth grade teacher, and they want all of you to be my students again. I will look forward to seeing you all next year," I told them. I got mixed reactions. I got smiles, cheers, and a few groans and frowns. I ignored the groans and the frowns.
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The school year was starting again in two days. I was looking forward to teaching the same students again, even if two of them made me feel insane. I love my job. Right now I was on the fire escape, something I enjoy doing at night. I do this at about midnight because I love to watch the stars and there aren't as many lights on. I knew every constellation. I was intrigued by the new one that astronomers found recently and named 'The Hunter.' It was of a teen girl with a bow and arrow who looked as if she were charging into battle.
As I gazed at the sky, I noticed that a group of them shined brighter than usual. I studied them for a while and noticed that they were in the shape of a teenage boy with a sword and shield. The weapons looked Greek. I was curious why I hadn't noticed this before.
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In the morning there was an announcement on the news of a new constellation in the night sky. A young woman with auburn hair and strange silvery yellow eyes that reminded me of the moon appeared on the television. It was the same woman who announced The Hunter's presence in the sky. When she announced that one she looked like she was holding back tears.
"My name is Atlanta, and I'm an astrologer here in New York. We have found a new constellation in the sky, and it's called 'The Hero'. I have my own name for it, and it is 'Perseus'. Many questioned my naming, and I name it so because the constellation reminds me so much of a strong young man I knew who deserves the title of Hero. His name was Perseus, and he died on his birthday in a battle. Other teens were lost in this fight. If you knew any one of these teens you will be sent an email telling you who you knew that died and that you are invited to the funeral, no matter how loosely you knew that child. If the relatives of the child don't have your email, you will be notified somehow," the poor woman looked as if she were fighting back tears again. (A/N if you haven't guessed, this is Artemis in the form of a woman in her late twenties. Any god can take the shape of any age. Also, I know Artemis is a strong goddess, but it only makes sense for her to cry for someone who died to protect her and her family of gods.) Percy's name is Perseus, isn't it? Oh no. He said her had to make a big choice at the end of the summer. I knew his birthday is at the end of the summer. It can't be…?
I ran over to my computer and logged into my email. I checked my messages, and as I did so, I started crying. There it was. A letter speaking of a death. I clicked on it, and it told me that Perseus Jackson, or Percy had died, with a picture of him. It had a list of the other dead teens underneath, with their pictures. The other kids were: Charles Beckendorf, Connor Stoll, and Clarisse La Rue. I cried because they were all so young. I cried because Percy, a strong, independent student, had died. I cried just because someone I knew died. I would definitely attend the funeral. It was set the weekend after school started. The lady on the news said that she knew him. He knew a lot of people. I bet the principle will hold a ceremony at school for him and the other teens that were lost.
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"Today we honor Percy Jackson, Charles Beckendorf, Connor Stoll, and Clarisse La Rue. They all died in a fight, and they will be remembered for a long time, if not forever. Percy Jackson was a student at this school, and many of you might know him," the principle stated. I noticed Annabeth and Rachel comforting each other, because they were both crying. They wore matching black shirts that said, "I really hate the Titans." I found this odd, but didn't say anything about it. This was on the front, along with, "Especially Kronos." On the back was a picture of the new constellation with the words, "May 'The Hero', Perseus, live forever in the stars." I knew the back of the shirt was referring to Percy. The funeral was tomorrow, Saturday. I was crying silent tears myself for Percy once more. Poor boy.
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I arrived at the funeral, dressed in a simple black dress. All of the ceremonies were at the same place, because so many people knew all four teens. I only knew Percy.
When I walked into the room, I saw many people. They seemed to be sitting in groups. A girl who looked exactly like Atlanta from the news except for the age sat with a group of girls you looked ageless. I'll just call the girl Alana (just take the T's out of Atlanta). Next to one of the girls sitting with Alana, who I later learned was named Thalia, was Annabeth. Annabeth cried into her shoulder, and Rachel cried into Annabeth's. Silent tears ran down Thalia's face. Percy's mother sat with Paul, Dr. Chase, and Mrs. Chase. She wept into Paul's shoulder while silent tears streaked his face like Thalia.
Percy's father sat with a group of powerful-looking people. There were thirteen of them including Philip, and among them was Alyssa. The most beautiful of them all, who I later learned was named Amethyst, or Amy, cried hysterically, always muttering something like, "Could've been such a good couple," or, "I had big plans for Percabeth." (A/N Aphrodite) I thought these mutterings were odd, but I decided not think about Percy's odd relations today.
One of the powerful people stood on front of one of the caskets (The one labeled Clarisse La Rue), frowning. He was big and burly, and he sort of made me afraid, but also angry. I don't know why though.(A/N Ares) He looked as if he was never going to cry, but he was still upset. Since no other man walked up in a worse state, I guessed he was the father. I could sort of see it in the girl's peaceful features that she was his offspring.
He was not the only one in front of a casket. There was a man with a misshapen face standing in front of the casket labeled Charles Beckendorf. (A/N Hephaestus) They had similar features, so I assumed that he was the father. Amy came up to Charles's father and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. I assumed she was the mother, but then a bawling woman came up to the casket. She had to be the mother. Maybe Amy was the father's wife, but not the mother of the child. Step-mom was more accurate.
Another man with salt-and-pepper hair stood in front of the one labeled Connor Stoll with someone who looked exactly like the boy in the casket. (A/N Hermes and Travis Stoll) The double was crying silent tears when a woman came up behind him, wrapped him in a hug and started to cry hysterically herself. These two must be the dead boy's twin brother and their mother. The man looked uncomfortable, so he just turned back to the casket and started weeping silently. This must be his father.
Philip walked over to Percy's casket with Paul and Sally. Sally was still bawling, and Philip started to cry silently as he looked at his son's peaceful face. The only noises in the room were that of crying people. Annabeth walked over to Percy and actually stroked his cold face. She whispered something to his lifeless body that looked like, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Save him from what?
Alyssa came up behind Annabeth and put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. Annabeth looked up at her mother, who surprised her daughter by giving her a hug (the surprise was all over Annabeth's face). Annabeth was about the same height, maybe a little shorter, than her mother, so she cried into her shoulder. I watched this sadly.
Rachel had no one to comfort her now, and Alana noticed this. She came up to her and started to talk to her. I thought that was nice of her. Ali looked about twelve, and Rachel was sixteen. Even so it looked as if Rachel had a sense of respect for her. Why would Rachel respect someone four years younger than her? Do I really understand the world around me?
We all took our seats and the ceremony began. Percy Jackson was dead.
Don't kill me for killing Percy! It was necessary for the story! Otherwise, I would never have done so!