When December Ends
1
Disclaimer- I don't own PJO
A/N- This is a tribute to the Sandy Hook tragedy that happened on December 14th. I don't take this event lightly or in fact any school shooting/tragedy. This is a dedication for my friend whose cousin was in Sandy Hook at the time.
It was December and the school was in tears. Last friday, at the elementary school that was in the neighboring district, a man broke in. He shot 20 children and 6 adults. Everyone was devastated, but luckily no one's siblings went there because it wasn't in our district but it was still awful.
An assembly was taking place and many students were piling in the gym. I sat in the bleachers with my fellow Sophomores. Next to me was my best friend, Thalia Grace, and her brother Jason Grace. I was already tearing up before the assembly even started.
It was a high expectation, but I was expecting Thalia to cry. You see, with her punk clothes and hair comes a punk personality. She isn't too emotional and isn't a crier. However, she was very effected by the whole school incident. Thalia hadn't cried yet but I knew it was coming.
Jason was pretty much the opposite of Thalia. He played football but he wasn't a jock. Actually, he was like a dictator when it came to his grades. He hated getting a 'B' or lower on any assignment. Unlike Thalia, he was a pretty sensitive guy. He could cry at sad pictures of puppies.
Anyway, I'm getting off topic. I fiddled with my thumbs while the last of the school piled in the gym. The lights dimmed and a single spotlight was shinned in the center of the stage, where an Asian man stood. His eyes were red and he held a piece of paper in his trembling hands.
"Hello," he spoke into a hand-held microphone. "I am Mr. Quinn, principal of Sandy Hook Elementary. There are no words to describe the horror of the tragic shooting on December 14th."
"I would like to hold a special moment of silence for the 26 people who lost their lives," he continued.
He hung his head in silence and everyone else followed. Jason, Thalia, and I bowed our heads and stayed silent. I stared bluntly at the blonde ends of my curly mess of hair. Time seemed to go so slowly. It felt like hours before he gently spoke in the microphone.
"Okay," he said. "Today, we are remembering the tragedy that occurred at the elementary school. Today, all of you will understand the true and utter horror."
He continued the assembly with a video that showed 9-1-1 phone calls and clips from the news. There were interviews with parents who were desperately sobbing and gripping their children. Throughout the video, I could hear many different sniffles and choked back sobs through the crowd.
I was on the verge of tears myself. I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep them back. I felt shuddering next to me and saw Thalia shaking with tears pooling down her cheeks. I couldn't help it after that. I let out all my sadness and wrapped my arms around my best friend.
When the video ended, there was constant sniffling and every Sophmore was pretty much in tears. It was very hard to see all of this. To see all the people screaming, the interviews, and the children. The children who survived and were sobbing, gripping their parent's shirts.
I wiped my eyes on my sweater sleeve. The spotlight returned on the stage and Mr. Quinn returned to the stage. He was trying not to cry and I didn't blame him. How would I react if a man broke into my school and murdered innocent lives? I'd feel utterly terrible. Any one in their right mind would.
It was very scary when I thought about it. It could've been us. That man could've come to Goode High just as easily. We were both near the edge of the counties. Really, Sandy Hook Elementary was only a couple blocks away. I wished it had been us. Just saying that bluntly sounds crazy and strange but it could've gone differently. We were in high school, we had lived much longer than just little kids. Kids who never deserved anything bad. These were kids who could've been doctors, lawyers, or could've made a differences in the world. But no, that was taken from them.
"Now," Mr. Quinn said once he gained his composure. "I would like to welcome a young man who was actually in the school at the time. Welcome Percy Jackson singing his original song, Green and White."
I tilted my head as a grand piano was rolled out onto the stage. Mr. Quinn stretched out his arms to someone who was in the darkness. Soon, a boy met his embrace and they gave a quick hug. I didn't know who Percy Jackson was, and I didn't even know he went to our school. His hair was jet black and his sea green eyes were puffy. I felt a twinge of sympathy strike my heart as I looked at his leg.
His entire leg was strapped in a brace. He walked with an uncomfortable limp and I almost gasped out. He was in the shooting. He was wounded. I was confused though. Why would he be at the Elementary school? If he went to Goode, how would he be at Sandy Hook?
I heard Thalia gasp and choke back a sob next to me. I looked over to her and her head was buried in her hands. She was shaking with cries and I rubbed soothing circles in her back. To me, it seemed as if she knew this Percy Jackson fellow.
I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the sound of piano. Percy Jackson was seated on the black stool. His right leg, the braced one, was sticking out to the side. His hands danced on the keys in a slow and depressing fashion. The melody was breath-taking and I was starting to cry all over again.
When his mouth leaned towards the microphone, that was propped on a stand, my heart stopped.
"I hugged you tight
Kissed you goodbye
And walked you to the door
I watched you walk away
For school that day
Like any day before
If i had known it then
All that would happen
You'd be with me now
If i could go back and change it somehow
Well i got the call
That changed it all
And rushed to the scene
To the terror there
Everyone so scared
But i kept on waiting
Faded hope burnt out
In the time i found
You weren't coming back
And i'd never hold your little hand
Nothing will ever be the same again
Inside that small elementary school
It's official colors were changed all too soon
And they couldn't stop it although they did try
And that was the day red spilled on green and white
That was the day red spilled on green and white
Now candles are lit
And flowers sit
Where love used to be
Recovery's thin
And grief fills in
All the holes gouged in me
I would do anything
To feel your heart beat
At least one more time
And tell you it will be alright
The friday your life slipped from mine
Inside that small elementary school
Their official colors were changed all too soon
And they couldn't stop it although they did try
And that was the day red spilled on green and white
That was the day red spilled on green and white
And it's almost christmas
It's that time of year
But it doesn't mean anything without you here
And though the pain cuts so deep
Now that you're gone
Your spirit forever lives on
I can feel it right here in my heart
In my heart...
Oh...
Inside that small elementary school
Their official colors were changed all too soon
And they couldn't stop it although they did try
And that was the day red spilled on green and white
They couldn't stop it although they did try
And that was the day red spilled on green and white
That was the day red spilled on green and white…"
Everyone was in tears. His voice was utterly amazing and he put so much emotion in his song. I could see several tears drip down his face as he sung. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed him before.
Ms. Dodds, my algebra teacher, began pacing by the bleachers, handing students tissues who needed them. I took one and blew my nose into it. Soft cried echoed through the gym as Percy limped away from the piano. My heart was aching and I felt awful. This kid put so much emotion into the song.
Part of me wondered what seeing that had done to him. No child, even a teenage, should have to see anything that evil and horrible. I buried my head in my hands and I felt Thalia and Jason wrap their arms around me. We all just cried, and cried, and cried. We hadn't known anyone in the shooting, but this was so horrible. These children didn't deserve this and neither did that Percy Jackson.
I didn't notice when Mr. Quinn dismissed the assembly and the gym lights flickered on. I was so happy that school was being dismissed early that day, because I'd just be a floppy sack of depressed noodles.
"Annabeth," I heard Jason call. "Come on the assembly ended."
I lifted my head from my hands and I stood up with Thalia. The three of us exited the gym and all the girls were still sobbing. The guys were putting on their brave face due to stupid pride but some were actually crying, as well was Jason.
"That was horrible," I said, walking down the hall with my friends.
"Tell me about it," Jason replied, rubbing his eyes.
"Do either of you know that Percy Jackson?" I couldn't help but ask.
I could see Thalia pale but Jason just nodded. "Yeah," he said. "He's a Sophomore…that's about it."
"Oh…" I sighed and we turned into the lunch room. The assembly took up a pretty big portion of the morning and after lunch, we were allowed to leave school.
We sat down at a long lunch table that was bursting with activity. Lots of the people were chit-chatting about the assembly. All I cared about was that it was Friday. I could go home, bury myself in sheets, and wallow in depression all weekend.
As I ate my sandwich, I lapsed into thought. It seemed as if no one cared about this. Yeah, people cried and talked about it but I could hear many of the conversations shift to something as idiotic as makeup or who has the bigger bra-size. I couldn't stop thinking about Percy Jackson. His voice was amazing and he seemed to pained.
I scanned my eyes across the busting lunch room. At first, I saw nothing but my eyes were drawn to the far left corner. A lone circular table was tucked away in the corner and there he was. Percy Jackson sat there, his leg propped on a chair and he ate alone.
I frowned and glanced up to Jason. "Hey, Jase. Percy Jackson is at that back table." I motioned to Percy and Jason looked back.
"Oh wow," he said. "Should we go sit with him?"
"Why?" Thalia interrupted, chewing on a piece of jerky. "I mean… It's best we leave him alone. I would want to be alone after something so traumatic."
"Yeah but you're you." I retorted.
"It doesn't matter," she said, sipping her Diet Coke. "Any one in their right mind would want to be alone."
"I wouldn't." I said.
"Well, I said anyone in their right mind, didn't I?" Thalia said with sarcasm in her voice.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I glanced over to Jason and back to Percy. He was twirling a black ball point in his hand and he was staring at his untouched tray of food. His dark teal hoodie complemented his striking eyes and his black converse made him look like the typical teenager.
Behind his eyes were pain. Pain beyond my wildest nightmares. They were haunted and damaged. It amazed me by how much I could learn from just a pair of eyes.
His eyes.
His head snapped up, gazing at me. He found my stare but I didn't look away. Usually, I would just blush and fluster back to my friends but this time, I kept the eye contact. His lips stayed relaxed into his natural frown and I sighed.
It was like I could feel him channeling his internal pain. He was trying to reach out. From the looks of it, he was very unpopular. Heck, I haven't even seen him before. He must've been trained to keep a low profile or something.
My gaze was forced to move when Jason jerked my shoulder. "Hey! Watch it Grace." I snapped.
He rolled his eyes and laughed. "Sorry," he muttered. "Just trying to connect you with earth."
Thalia snorted as she started to laugh. It was a funny thing that happened when she laughed and it had always made me laugh. But this time, there was no laughter in return. This earned me a confused gaze from Thalia.
"How can I laugh on a day like this?" I sighed and they nodded, understanding what I meant.
I frowned to myself and picked at my half eaten sandwich. Throughout the rest of lunch and up to the bell, I thought of one person.
Percy Jackson.
There it is! By the way, as I stated earlier, this is a dedication to my friend. She loves PJO and she wanted me to write this. I know the start was a bit rushed and there wasn't much on the actual shooting but there will be once Annabeth and Percy get talking! Thanks for reading! Song- Green and White by The CommandSisters
