Here, you are. I'm sorry, I haven't updated these past few weeks. I am grounded. And i am sneaking around to update this because my parents are not in the country. In more important news, my parents registered for my college.
They paid and everything, so I am going to next year. If there are any college students on fanfiction, would you pm me about anything college related. Like what college is like and what I should prepare for. That would be helpful. Also, if there are any high school students who wonder what they should do to prepare for college applications, I will be glad to help.
Or if you wonder what senior year will be like. That question applies to any grade.
College applications were really stressful for me and i will be honored to help anybody on their college application.
PM me if you have questions. I will be glad to answer.
Chapter 3:
Disclaimer: I don't own this. Sherrilyn Kenyon owns the plot and some characters. Rick Riordan owns the characters too.
Previously on Infinity,
And then he heard it…
The sound of his mother's tears coming through the wall of her bedroom. God, how he hated that sound.
"I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered, wishing he'd strangled Matt where the creep stood.
One day … one day, he was going to get out of this hellhole. Even if he had to kill someone to do it.
Now,
It was nine o'clock when Percy left Liza's store. He'd already picked up his assignments from Piper at her huge mansion of a house on his way into work. Then he'd put in five hours so that he could save money for his "college fund." 'Course at the rate it was accumulating, he be fifty before he could go. But something was better than nothing.
Liza locked the door to her shop while he stood behind her to shield her from anyone who might be watching them. "Good night, Percy. Thanks for all your help."
"Night, Liza." He waited until she was safely in her car and on her way home before he headed down Royal Street toward the Square. The closest streetcar stop was over behind Jackson Brewery. But as he neared the Square, he wanted to see his mom and apologize for getting suspended.
She told you to go straight home…
Yeah, but he'd made her cry and he hated whenever he did that. Besides, the condo was really lonely when he was there alone at night. They didn't have TV or anything else to do.
And he'd already read Hammer's Slammers until he could quote it.
Maybe if he apologized, she'd let him hang out at the club for the night.
So instead of turning right, he made a left and headed for her club on Bourbon Street. The faint sounds of jazz and zydeco music coming out of stores and restaurants soothed him. Closing his eyes as he walked, he inhaled the sweet smell of cinnamon and gumbo as he passed the Café Pontalba. His stomach rumbled. Since he hadn't been at school, his lunch had consisted of more powdered eggs and bacon, and he had yet to eat dinner… which would be those nasty eggs again.
Not wanting to think about that, he walked down the narrow alley to the back door of the club and knocked.
John Chartier, one of the huge burly bouncers who watched out for the dancers, opened it with a fierce frown—until he saw Percy. A wide smile spread over his face. "Hey, buddy. You here to see your mom?"
"Yeah. Is she on stage yet?"
"Nah, she's still got a few minutes."
He stood back so that Percy could walk down the dark back hallway to the green room.
He paused at the door to the room where the dancers dressed and rested between performances, and knocked.
Tiffany answered. Absolutely stunning, she was tall and blond … and barely dressed in a G-string and lacy top.
Even though he'd been raised around women dressed like that and was used to it, his face flamed bright red as he kept his gaze on the floor. It was like seeing his sister naked.
Tiffany laughed, cupping his chin in her hand. "Sally, It's your son." She squeezed his chin affectionately. "You're so sweet the way you won't look at us. I knew it was you when you knocked. No one else is so nice. All I can say is your mama is raising you right."
Percy mumbled a thank-you as he stepped past her and made his way to his mom's dressing station. He kept his gaze down until he was sure his mom was covered by her pink bathrobe.
But when he caught her furious glare in the chipped mirror where she was putting on her makeup, his stomach hit the floor. There was no forgiveness in that face tonight.
"I thought I told you to go straight home."
"I wanted to say I was sorry again."
She put down her mascara wand. "No, you didn't. You wanted to try and make me tell you that you didn't have to stay on restriction. I won't have it, Perseus Jackson. And your paltry apology doesn't change the fact that you knew better. You have to learn to think before you act. That temper of yours is going to get you into serious trouble one day. Just like it did your father. Now go home and contemplate what you did and how wrong it was."
"But Mom—"
"Don't 'but mom' me. Go!"
"Sally!" Her handler shouted, letting her know it was time to go on stage.
She stood up. "I mean it, Percy. Go home."
Percy turned around and left the club, feeling even worse than he had when he'd left Liza's. Why wouldn't his mom believe in him?
Why couldn't she see that he wasn't trying to play her?
Whatever … He was tired of trying to convince the world, and especially his mom, that he wasn't worthless.
On the street, he headed down Bourbon toward Canal, where he could pick up a closer streetcar. He hated when his mom treated him like a criminal. He was not his father. He would never be like that man.
Fine, I'll never protect your honor again. Let them insult and mock you. See if I care. Why should he bother when doing the right thing made her so mad at him?
Angry, hurt, and disgusted, he heard someone call his name.
Pausing, he saw Ethan, Chris, and Luke across the street, hanging outside a tourist bead and mask store. They waved him over.
Percy crossed the street to tap his fist against theirs. "What's up?"
Ethan leaned his head back in silent salute to him. "Hanging. What you doing?"
"Heading home."
Ethan slapped at the collar of Percy's orange shirt. "Boy, what you got on? That shit's hideous."
Percy slapped his hand away. "Clothes. What's that crap you got on and what truck did it fall off of?"
Ethan snorted and preened. "These my Romeo threads. They make all the ladies call me tasty."
Percy scoffed. "Tasty-crazy. Them ain't no Romeo duds. Those fashions by Geek Street."
They all laughed.
Luke sobered. "Look, we got a thing tonight and we could use a fourth. You want in? It should be worth a couple hundred dollars to you."
Percy widened at the sum. That was a lot of money. Ethan, Luke, and Chris were hustlers. Though his mom would have a stroke if she ever found out he'd been known to help them a time or two when they'd scammed locals and tourists. "Pool, poker, or craps?"
Chris and Ethan exchanged an amused look. "This is more a job of watchdog. At least for you. We got big boss from Storyville who's paying us to shake down some deadbeats. It'll only take a couple of minutes."
Percy screwed his face up. "I don't know about that."
Ethan tsked. "C'mon, Percy. We don't have much time before we have to be there and we really need someone to watch the street. Five minutes and you'll make more money than working a month for that old lady.
Percy looked back toward his mom's club. Normally, he'd have told them to forget it, but right now …
If everyone's going to call me a worthless delinquent, l might as well be one.
`Cause living right sure wasn't paying off for him. "You sure it's five minutes?"
Ethan nodded. "Absolutely. In and out and we're done."
The he could be home and his mom wouldn't be the wiser. For once he enjoyed the thought of sticking it to her, even though she would never know about it. "All right, I'm in."
"Good man."
Percy looked at Chris, who was nineteen. "Can you guys give me a ride home after?"
"For you, boy? Anything."
Nodding, Percy followed them over to a seedy part of North Rampart. Ethan put him on the street, blocking an alley.
"You stay right here and watch for the Five-O. Let us know if you see anyone."
Percy inclined his head to him.
They vanished into the shadows while he stood there, waiting. After a few minutes, an old couple walked past him on the sidewalk. By their dress and manners, he could tell they were tourists just taking a late stroll off the beaten path.
"Hi there," the woman said to him, smiling.
"Hi." Percy returned the expression. But his smile died an instant later when Chris leapt out of the shadows to grab the woman while Ethan knocked the man into a wall.
Percy was stunned. "What are you doing?"
"Shut up!" Chris snarled, pulling out a gun. "All right, grandpa. Give us your money or the old ho gets it right between her eyes."
Percy felt the color drain from his face. This couldn't be happening. They were mugging two tourists?
And I'm helping….
For a full minute he couldn't breathe as he watched the woman cry and the man beg them not to hurt her.
Before he even realized what he was doing, he grabbed Chris' hand that held the gun and knocked it away. "Run!" he shouted at the couple.
They did.
Ethan started after them, but Percy tackled him to the ground.
Chris caught him by the collar of his shirt and jerked him back. "Man, what are you doing?"
Percy shoved him. "I can't let you mug someone. That wasn't the deal."
"You stupid…" Chris hit him in the face with the gun.
Pain exploded in Percy's skull as he tasted blood.
"You're going to pay for that, Jackson."
The three of them descended on him so fast and furious that he couldn't even see to fight back. One minute he was standing and the next he was on the ground with his arms wrapped around his head to protect it from the gun Chris was beating him with. They stomped and beat on him until he lost all feeling in his legs and one arm.
Chris stepped back and angled the gun on him. "Say your prayers, Jackson. You're about to become a statistic."
