Hey! Sorry, I've had a tremendously busy schedule the past few weeks. Working a show takes a lot of time. I've gotten a combined maybe 20 hours of sleep the past two weeks.
So here I bring you chapter 2. Paul asks for the permission of a mere child for marriage? Well looks like it's time to come out of the closet Percy. Tell Paul your deepest secret…or to put it like always. I'm sorry, rambling in my mind.
Disclaimer- I do not own Percy Jackson and The Olympians, nor do I own New York but I don't have to specify that do I?!
Paul-
Almost a year! I never thought Sally would deal with me that long. Now I think I'll take the step I've been debating for months. I think I'm going to propose. The only liability now, besides the omnipresent problem of rejection, is Percy. I don't want to go against this boy. I know he's a fine young man now but I still understand his ability to kick my ass.
I just need his blessing. And I'll plunge into the abyss known as marriage. I may be a very intelligent guy when it comes to books, and Mythology but woman? Marriage? Not a shot.
I had waited to ask Percy until after his orientation for Goode High, but he decided to just up and leave without a trace, right in the middle of it. When I had saw the destruction left behind I couldn't believe my ears when a cheerleader, what was her name? I didn't remember ever seeing her before. When she said Percy had done this I was shocked. Still in disbelief I fought for Percy, putting my job and fantastic reputation on the line for him. After the orientation was over I ran to catch the 1 Train faster than I'd ever ran before. I needed Sally's reassurance. I needed to know it wasn't him.
I told her the story. Waited for her reassurance. And she gave it, but in her beautiful eyes I could see the disbelief. The anxiousness. I could see every bit of her dying to tell me what had really happened. But I didn't pry. I promised that to them long ago. They had their secrets, family secrets I could never know until I was indeed family.
So I let it be, and I waited to ask Percy. I waited, and waited. One month, then two. Until he showed up at home. I waited for his birthday, god, I hoped I wouldn't ruin it by asking. His birthday party Sally had been planning. Surprised him as it should've when it showed up, apparently he had a lack of parties in his life.
I took Percy to the side, patience gone, and my mind focusing on only asking this one question.
I go to ask him but then stumble, I beat around the bush for a moment, not wanting to blurt it like I do most things. I was truthfully scared. This boy had a large aura of power. Larger than I'd seen of the big shot in my senor classes, or in egotistic principals. He just didn't seem to realize he had it, that made all the difference.
"So, I hear your mom signed you up for driver's ed this fall"
He doesn't seem as happy about it as most kid's his age, I guess he does have a busy life, might not even need it. I bet it fails in comparison to his life. But what do I know, huh?
"Yeah. It's cool. I can't wait." He's definitely not as excited as the others. I never realized how he can really be so unchild-like. He acts mostly as a child would but there are times he seems so grown up, so much like he knew, he just knew his life was much harder than yours and he envied it,
Today he looks as if he's making a decision. He's too carefree to be worried about school, especially in the summer. Life and death? No. Well jeez, I hope not. Sally did say he loses a lot of friends sometimes. Not necessarily because of anything, just bad luck I suppose. Maybe a girl? Or deciding between two of them? He is a teenager, it's plausible. I have to break the ice. I can only hope for the best.
"You've had a rough summer. I'm guessing you lost someone. And…" dear god please let me be right, "girl trouble?"
"How did you know that? Did my mom-"
So I was right. I feel like such an ass giving him more to think about. I don't want to overwhelm the boy. But I can't wait any longer. Still, have to ease my way there. "Your mother hasn't said a thing. And I won't pry. I just know there's something unusual about you, Percy. You've got a lot going on that I can't figure. But I was also fifteen once," even if that was awhile ago, "and I'm just guessing from your expression… Well, you've had a rough time."
He nodded at that I could see the gears turning in his head, as if strategizing his plan of what can and can't be said. I understand. I was fifteen once upon a time.
"I lost a couple of friends at this camp I go to. Not close friends, but still-"
I took a glass of punch. Punch makes everything better right? "Here," handing him the "make-your-life-better" punch. Picking up my own glass and trying to lighten the mood, "To your fifteenth birthday. And to a better year to come."
Taking a drink I decide, now is as good as any and I just couldn't delude having patience any longer, "Percy, I kind of feel bad giving you one more thing to think about," listen brain, I thought, I just want his blessing. No need to beat around the bush any longer. Just get it over with! "But I wanted to ask you a question."
"About what," his eyes changed from their normal bright color to the lighter shade meaning curiosity. You could always tell his mood. He was probably the easiest one to guess out of ever teenager I've ever seen.
"Yeah?"
How do I make this easy to explain? General topic? "Girl stuff."
He frowned, his eyes changing to their protective perspective. Good going Paul, I thought, Way to make it seem like you need help cheating or something.
"Your mom," I need to clear it up, might as well be the blunt Paul everyone loves right? "I'm thinking about proposing to her."
'You mean… marrying her? You and her?"
Ah, good ol' blurt-out-the-first-thought Percy, how this becomes less like thin ice and more like solid earth with thee. "Well, that's the general idea. Would that be okay with you?"
"You're asking my permission?"
Scratching my beard I begin to think I am, but I still am throwing out the idea of a blessing. Not permission, hopefully. "I don't know if it's permission so much but she's your mother. And I know you're going through a lot. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't talk to you about it first, man to man."
I hope he says yes. I don't want to go against him. Because, even if I deny it, he's a frightening kid. If I didn't know him I'd think he was much more deliquent-y.
"Man to man," he repeats, "I think that's a great idea, Paul. Go for it."
I couldn't keep my smile down. I tried. Failing miserably. "Cheers, Percy. Let's join the party."
As the party went on the doorbell rang. When the door opened it revealed, not an ordinary man, but Poseidon, at least that's what he called himself. I found it to be a very strange name. Never heard of people named Poseidon. But it made sense that some people are named it.
After slight confusion with the parenthood of Tyson, and with the awkward meeting of Percy's father we made our way through the strange occurrence. After a couple minutes with Percy talking to his father and he returned to us, alone. He claimed his father had left via the fire escape. But what other way could he have left? Vanish into thin air? How foolish to think of that even as a possibility.
After a couple minutes Percy took me over for a quick minute. "Paul," he said, "I think me, you, and mom should talk. Tonight or tomorrow. It doesn't make too much of a difference."
What could he want to discuss? A decision his father left for him to decide? "Sure, Percy."
"Good, mom's been bugging me to do it for too long."
So we played games, ate cake, and had a dandy time. With Tyson being surprisingly good at Monopoly. A game I could never even finish, now seeming to take place at light speed. When suddenly Percy came in with Nico, his cousin, he said, from his father's side.
He took some cake and said he'd be back in a little bit. Said he had to speak with Nico privately.
And who am I to invade on private matters?
So, I figure getting to know thy author would make me seem less like this random person over the internet, which I am….shhh. But more as a friend or acquaintance persay. I'm a junior. My name is not of the female origin because the female origin, be it as most on here are, is not my origin.
I have a question that hopefully people answer, because most, they tend to just read and leave. I want to know if I should include a family for Paul, a sister, stuff like that of which we never saw in the book nor learned about. So if you'd be kind enough to answer that for me I'd be ecstatic.
-Petey
