"Hey Mom, can Grover come over?" I called out as I walked through the front door.

"Mom? Are you okay?" She was on the ground.

"Mom? Did you fall?" No response.

"MOM!"

I rush over and shake her shoulder. "…momma?"

She wasn't responding, and her eyes were closed. She must have passed out. Then he saw it.

Blood.

He hesitated slightly, then dialed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?"

"My mom, she- she passed out and… blood. There's blood all over her face."

"Okay sir, please calm down. Tell me your address so we can send an ambulance."

I gave him the address of the apartment building and out apartment number. Then I waited. And waited. And waited. Then finally-

WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP

I run to the door to make sure it was unlocked, but they beat me to it. The door opens and 4 people with a stretcher came in.

"Hey kid, where's your mom?" one of them askes.

He's so tall.

I pointed toward the kitchen. A young woman came in behind them and walked up to me.

"Hi, I'm Ms. Dare. But you can call me Rachel. Those people will help your mom, and I'll take you to the hospital. Don't worry. Your mom will be fine." I hesitated, then followed her out the door.

…A few hours later...

I look at the clock. It's been 3 hours? What's taking so long?

"Percy Jackson?"

"Yes?" I jump up, setting down the cards he was trying to distract himself with.

"Mr. Jackson, she's asleep, but you can see her. Please, follow me."

I follow the nurse as we went up a few floors and to room 38F. I enter the room and immediately want to vomit. Why so many tubes and wires?

I can see stitches on the injured side of her face. Even unconscious, her eyebrows are scrunched together like she's in pain.

"Hello, Percy. My name is Doctor Apollo."

"Is my mom ok?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot answer that yet. I believe she has a tumor, and it appears cancerous."

Panic fills my brain.

"Don't fear the worse just yet! We had to do a biopsy and we sent it to another part of the hospital for testing. We may just get lucky, and I could be wrong."

"How long will that take?"

"2-3 days most likely. Do you have any relatives that you could stay with for the time being? I want to keep her overnight for a few days, for a bit more testing."

I ended up staying at my godfather Chiron's house for a few days. A few days later he drove me up to the front of the hospital. They got the results back.

Positive

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Ugh. Dumb alarm. I groan, stand up, and throw on some clothes.I never understood why some people try to dress up on their first day. It makes no sense to me. My mom knocked on my door and came in smiling.

"Hey blueberry! First day at Goode Jr. High, you ready?"

"I'd rather stay with you." She had been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer only 3 months ago, and I don't like the idea of her being alone for so long.

"Don't worry Percy, Paul is coming over for lunch. I won't be alone all day," Mom says, reading between the lines.

It still doesn't feel right, leaving for school and dealing with middle school drama like nothing is wrong while his mother is slowly dying.

I walk into the kitchen and demolish the pancakes his mom set out for him, blue as always, then head out for the walk to school. A year ago, I was going to go to Yancy Academy, but after my mom's diagnosis, we moved to an apartment nearer to the hospital. Paul, my mom's boyfriend, helped me enroll in Goode Jr. High. He's an English teacher at the sister school, Goode High.

Lost in thought, I accidentally bumped into a girl as I passed her.

"Sorry!"

"It's okay I guess. Are you walking to school too?" she smiled at him. She has a nice smile.

"Yep. How did you know?"

"Where do you go?" We're walking side by side now.

"I transferred to Goode Jr. High this year, but I was going to go to Yancy Academy"

"I guess we're going to the same place. I go to Goode. Why the move?"

Oh no. I really don't want to drop my sob story as a first impression on this potential friend.

"Umm, my mom got a new job. Hey, look at that building! It looks cool!" I say in a desperate attempt to change the subject. Luckily, she seems into it.

She gasped, "Are you into architecture too?"

Um, what? "Isn't that the thing where they poke you with needles?"

"Not acupuncture, architecture. You know, designing buildings." She looks disappointed.

"Uh, I just like the picture of the ocean on the side. But that sounds cool too I guess."

She gave me a look as we approach the school. We separate for our first period, and then meet again at lunch where we sit together. I've never meet someone who I've clicked with so easily. I'm glad I made a friend so quickly. All of my friends from elementary school live on the other side of the city since I moved. Maybe this year won't be quite so bad after all.

Yay, reboot!

To any old readers, welcome back! I promise this version is better thought out and has better writing. Thanks for your patience!

To new ones, hi!

I have already written this entire story beforehand, so don't worry, no year long hiatus this time :)

Updates every Saturday! Bye lovelies!