Hi all! I'm so glad you are enjoying this story so far! I apologize for getting this out so late,
the computer deleted three drafts of this chapter so I had to start all over agin.
Ps. ThankYouKanyeVeryCool, I made you cookies! Sorta. :)
A drop of condensation gathered on a hole in the wall. The water fell onto Percy's sleeping face. He rolled over, trying to dry himself off and get back to the warm comfort of dreams. The 605 ran overhead and shook more water onto his face, forcing him to get up.
He rolled out of bed, grumbling. Percy stumbled out of his room and into the kitchen. His mother was tending the derelict stove, trying to coax enough heat out of it to make porridge.
"Ah, the prince finally awakes!" She straightened with a smile as warm as a quilt.
"Good morning Mami." He kissed her hair.
"What would you like for breakfast my prince?"
He pretended to think for a moment. "Blue porridge." She served it to him, really it was just oats with blueberry syrup mixed in.
They ate and listened to the city wake up. For as long as Percy could remember, it had been like this. He would wake up, his Mami would go to work and he would be left to his own devices. Normally he would get a job as a laborer or working at the docks. But strangely, no one wanted to hire the half-Greek kid who couldn't read and had a rap sheet a mile long. Truly a mystery as to why no one hired him. Once Mami had left, he cleaned up the dishes and left the house.
The day was an exploring day. The kind of day where the air seems to be alive and everyone walks a little faster and smiles a little easier. Today, Percy wanted Italian.
Little Italy was by far, Percy's favorite place, second only to the ocean and the Statue of Liberty's crown. The place was packed with good smells, great people and even better food.
He walked through the crowd, listening to the rush of voices. When he found the place he wanted, a little bakery called il Buon Biscotto, he ducked into the alley behind it.
The back door was propped open, so you could see the inside. The kitchen was small, but functional. A young boy was kneading bread, his dark hair blocking out the rest of his face.
"Ciao Nico." Percy greeted, leaning up against the doorframe. Nico whirled around, his eyes wide and hands still covered in flour. When he saw who it was, he clutched his heart and swore vehemently in Italian.
"Che cavalo! Don't do that Percy!"
Percy smirked. "Aw, but you're so cute when you're scared." Nico only rolled his eyes and mumbled some more Italian curses that would've definitely gotten him in trouble.
Luckily for him, Bianca showed up. "Ciao Perseus. What can I do for you? Or just came to beg?" She teased, brushing her hair away from her eyes.
"Just came to have a nice conversation with you and Nico." He replied, snitching a fresh biscotti from the rack.
"If we give you food will you go away?" Nico asked, now washing his hands clean of flour. Percy didn't get a chance to reply, because Bianca handed him a handkerchief full of cookies and various other treats.
"Shoo you pesky tramp, I've got work to do." She playfully hit him on the shoulder, and returned to the warm kitchen.
Long after the last biscotti was gone, Percy was in the heart of the city. He loved just walking through the streets, no one knowing who he was, not caring who he was..."Blimey Guys! It's the tramp!" Someone hissed. And unfortunately, he recognized the voice.
Leo's curls poked through the bars. "Hiya Percy!" He grinned like he knew exactly what went wrong. "Just a minute guys, I'm almost done picking the lock."
"That's what you said before we got arrested." Piper complained, absently braiding a lock of her hair. She, Frank and Leo we're currently locked in a police cab. These were his friends.
"What are you guys doing here?" Percy whispered.
"Would you like me to answer alphabetically or chronologically?" Piper responded, handing Leo a hairpin, which she procured from goodness knows where.
"Cops are getting more and more rigorous. You shouldn't even be here Perce." Frank said.
"I know I know, but I can't just leave you guys here. But try to keep off the streets! My Mami can't know about...oh schist." Or at least, he said something like that.
An officer rounded the corner, licking the frosting off of a pastry. The cop hadn't noticed the fact that his captives were currently in the midst of escaping. Leo had finished picking the lock, and everyone was quietly creeping out of the cab. They would've gotten away, had Piper not tripped over Franks foot.
"Run." Percy commanded. He then heroically stepped in front of the cop and snatched his baton.
"Hey!" The Officer bellowed,frosting in his bushy mustache. "Give it to me kid!"
"Hmm." Percy tapped the baton on his chin. "Nah." He then ran off, the cop hot on his heels. He knew, judging by the size of the officer, that he would be able to outrun him. All Percy needed to do was just make a few turns here, run through this alley, and...he was gone.
"where am I?" Percy asked himself, turning around in a circle to get his bearings. It seemed like a nice neighborhood. The kind of nice that would host an event at the Grand Hotel when they came into the City.
For a while, he just wandered around the neighborhood. Maybe there was some old widow here who would give a hot meal to a poor, bedraggled boy. But as he walked, he noticed two men, one in a chair with wheels. Intrigued, Percy followed.
The men made their way to the back of the house where a lovely garden bloomed. Someone sat at the cast iron table, their head bent over a book. When she looked up, Percy's heart stopped.
When he was young, his mother had told him stories about a princess who was the fairest maiden of all. This girl was exactly what he had imagined the fairest maiden. Her blonde hair was twisted back, but that didn't stop some strands from escaping and curling oh-so gently around her face. She was reading a book, her thumb ran lines along her pink lips.
His thoughts were interrupted by the talking to the two men. Percy noticed that the men seemed to be very friendly with her. What was her name, Annie did he say?
Percy heard the girl explode in shouts. She yelled stuff like "lady" and "nanny." He chuckled, "a nanny you say?" All attention was now turned on him. "Oh, I've heard of nannies. Ridged women with a stick shoved up their..."
"SILENCE! There is a lady present." The young blond one shouted, his face turning red around his scar.
Percy grinned and shoved open the gate. "Now now gentlemen. Do you think I would use such crass language in front of the fairer sex?" He bent and kissed her hand. She watched him with a mixture of amusement and criticism.
The blond one looked like he was about to combust. "Now you see here." He began, pointing his finger at Percy like a police officer wields a baton. "You get off this property or I'LL CALL THE POLICE!"
"All right!" Percy raised his hands and walked over to the street. "But remember my lady." He turned and faced her once more. "Life only comes once, live it to the fullest."
As he walked away, he savored the memory of the girl's face like the crumbs of the tea cake.
