Percy POV

It's like I told Annabeth before. Whenever I need a break, some force of nature says, "Percy Jackson has it too easy right now. Let's throw him a curveball!"

Then, consequently, I get thrown a curveball. Like right now, for instance. Just when I thought I was safe from Clarisse for another few days, I get assigned to do chores with her. And not just any chore, the worst one on the list.

Wanting to enjoy my last few minutes of not being a punching bag, I collect trash as slowly as I can without being suspicious. First I go to the boys' dorm, trudge to the corner of the room where the trash can resides, and dump the contents into the large black trash bag I was given for the job. Then I do the same with the dining hall. Then the kitchen. Then the boys' bathroom.

Finally, when I can't get away with stalling any longer, I haul myself to the infamous "Big Bertha", also known as the huge Dumpster behind the Half-Blood Home. Of course, Clarisse is waiting for me.

"All right punk, payback time!" she says gleefully. Then she throws me inside the Dumpster and closes the lid, obviously relishing every moment of her revenge.

Crap. Crap crap crap. Not only am I stuck in here with no help available, but I'm stuck in here with dirty, smelly trash and no help available.

I find my mind wandering back to a place where I've refused to let it thus far. My past.

Actually, that isn't quite right. It was so recent that I can't yet call it my past. But it isn't my present, thank goodness, so I don't know what else to call it.

I never knew my dad. My mom told stories about him, and talked about him like he was a god. The most wonderful person to ever walk the Earth. She said he loved the ocean. That he took her deep sea diving one summer and it was one of the best experiences of her life. That he couldn't wait for my birth, and sometimes sang to me while Mom was pregnant.

I wish I'd been raised by him. He would have made an infinitely better father than my only-qualifies-by-the-barest-definition stepfather.

Smelly Gabe abused my mom and I for years. I don't understand why she married that jerk. (If Mom hadn't taught me to never cuss worse than "crap" "hell" and "damn" I would be calling him names way worse.) He hit us for years.

On the day Chiron showed up at my door, Gabe hit my mother so hard that she went into a coma.

Then all hell broke loose.

Of course, I called the hospital. And I almost called the police, before realizing that this was my chance to get some long, long overdue justice.

I screamed at my stepfather. There were even a few punches thrown. But what really got him was when I ran into my room, got what little money he hadn't stolen from me to gamble away and use on alcohol, and threw it into the fireplace.

"You see that burning pile of cash right there? Well, that's what you deserve, you-" I called him some extremely unflattering names. It was the only time I ever broke my mother's no-cussing rule.

Only when I was satisfied with my justice did I call the police.

I'm interrupted by my thoughts with a banging. "Percy! Percy, can you hear me? Are you in there?"

I reply, "Yes! Can you get me out of here?" I don't recognize the voice, but I don't care. If they can get me out, then it doesn't matter who's rescuing me.

It turns out that it was Grover. When I hadn't come back from chores, he explained, Chiron sent him out to look for me. And so he thought (correctly, obviously) that Clarisse threw me in the Dumpster with no way out.

"Dude, I'm sorry Clarisse did that to you. Everyone has gotten roughhoused by her one way or another. Even the people who don't want to admit it."

I nod, too relieved to be out of the smelly Dumpster and wrapped up in my own thoughts to really answer.

A/N: Hey guys! Quick update this time, because I was really eager to get this one out!

Clarisse finally gets her revenge, and we find out a few things about Percy's past! What do you guys think? Please review and tell me!

Speaking of reviews:

son of Ophion: Thanks :)

Queen of Poptarts: Thanks as well, and the reference was "Good Kid" from the TLT musical.

See you guys with the next update!

~The88Constellations