Disclaimer: So RR owns my literary heart, my husband the rest... I do have my characters' hearts.
Author's Notes: Happy middle of the week. 8,900+ views.
29. Bounding
Since we have been here, I haven't seen Grandpa drink a single drop of alcohol. Twice a week, Aida went with him to his AA meetings while I stayed and babysat Claire…. and my dad? He kept spending most of this time researching and looking at maps. When he wasn't investigating, he was cleaning the house from top to bottom. According to grandpa, Grandma Sally used to do the same when she was stressed. Every night, I wondered if he was just waiting for the month to pass, so he could leave us again. I dreaded the possibility that we were just holding him down against his will.
So 2 days later, Claire, Aida and I took THE school bus to our new hell, sorry, school. Aida refused to sit next to me and Claire and walked all the back to the bus. She had no trouble making friends as she was already giggling at some guys' jokes in less of 5 minutes.
Claire looked at me and asked so many questions. She was really nervous. Her English wasn't nearly good and she rambled in Greek a lot. We had a good excuse for her lack of English proficiency. She had been in Greece with our mom since she was born. Now, our parents were getting divorced, Claire wanted to know her siblings, lame but really plausible.
I will never say it loud but I was actually a little excited of meeting kids who weren't demigods. As I walked the halls just two steps behind Aida, I felt something I had never felt before. I was the new guy. I felt nothing but panic. I really didn't know how to behave, where to go, where to sit and so many more. Claire squeezed my hand harder showing me her support. I managed a timid smile to her.
"It's okay. I'm nervous too" I said.
For the first time since we returned to New York, I wanted to see Taylor. I missed his goofy smile and his easiness to lighten every situation in the most annoying, but endearing ways. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts as I walked slowly with Aida in the halls that I didn't notice the tall boy standing in front of me.
"Hey, man" said Taylor smiling "Are you thinking about me, right? I can see your love for me in your eyes"
I breathed out a little gasp and I felt my cheeks burning. I said "Shut up!"
Taylor just gave me crocked smile and turned his attention to my sister. He said "Claire, I missed you"
"Taylor" said Claire with her clearest English accent so far.
"Do you attend here?" I asked.
"Since now, our parents' idea" said Taylor shrugging "So Claire will be in the same class with Piper"
"Great" I said.
"Piper?" asked Claire.
"My sister" said Taylor and Claire nodded as she understood him.
"Where is Piper?" I asked.
"With her new friends of course, my sister is pretty much the ultimate queen bee of 3rd grade. She will take good care of Claire. Don't worry" said Taylor.
"It's okay. I wished you and I shared the same classes. Aida is still fuming mad of being in 10th grade" I said.
"Don't worry. Sophomore is not that bad, but of course, senior is amazing" said Taylor "By the way, there is a pretty girl in your class. I think her name is Lucy. You should ask her out"
"I can't" I replied fast.
Taylor grinned and said "Why not? You are not dating anyone, right?"
I realized that I didn't have a good excuse so I just said loudly at him "Shut up!"
"We have to go to the principal office to get the paperwork done" said Aida at us "Hi, Taylor"
"Good morning, Miss Matthews. See you at lunch?" said Taylor.
Aida pursed her lips upset not at Taylor but at the whole 'being at school' thing. She said "It depends. Do we share the same lunch hour at least?"
"I can sneak" said Taylor brightly "See ya" and he left us.
Claire took Aida's hand. Aida looked to our sister and sighed. She looked calm but her eyes showed otherwise. "Let's get done with this" she said.
After a couple of minutes walking, we found the office and we made the proper paperwork which was mostly just received maps, schedules, rules and explanations. My dad and grandpa made sure Aida and I shared the whole schedule and stayed close to Claire's classroom. We had to explain that Aida and I were cousins since we had different last names, and she lost the school year in an accident when she was in 6th grade.
We accompanied Claire to her classroom. She looked nervous. She pleaded with her eyes to go somewhere else. I knocked her classroom door and a really good looking late 20's teacher opened the door.
"Yes?" said the teacher as she looked at us "Ah, you must be the Jacksons. I'm Miss Banks"
"TJ" I said "this is our cousin Aida and she is Claire"
"Welcome to 3rd grade, Claire" said Miss Banks "Don't worry. I have experience with foreign students, mostly Latinos but a Greek native speaker will be a great experience." She smiled as she looked excited. She gave her hand to Claire and my sister took it with hesitation. They entered together to the class. We moved to the doorway and we saw Miss Banks saying "Class, we have a new student. She comes from Athens, Greece. Her name is Claire Jackson. Everybody say hi"
"Hi, Claire" said the class at the time. Then a voice stood out in the crowd "Sit with me. I'm Piper. We are going to have so much fun" I couldn't help a giggle. Piper was definitely Taylor's sister, the same goofiness and bright smile. She was probably the most alike my aunt, the same tanned skin and mahogany straight hair.
Claire looked at us with hesitation but Aida nodded at her and my baby sister smiled. She walked a little unsure but she sat next to Piper and she seemed to be relaxing.
Miss Banks walked to the door, to us and said "Don't worry. I got it" with a big smile and closed the door at us.
"Ready?" I asked to Aida as I stared at the closed door.
"Not really, but can we do?" said Aida then she sighed. We walked in slow heavy steps all the way to our classroom in the upper floor. However, we were too late to enter so we had to wait for the 1st period to finish. We sat on the floor against the wall. Aida took my hand and it could tell she was nervous, so was I.
The bell ringed and I saw the crowd of students exiting the classrooms and moving to their next class. We were almost stomped by a couple of students, so we had to stand up. We waited outside the classroom until pretty much was seated and the teacher noticed us. She didn't say a thing at us but addressed the rest of the class "Good morning class"
"Good morning, Mrs. McCarthy" replied the class.
She moved her hand asking us to come in. "As you can see, we have 2 new students" Aida gave her our paperwork and she read loudly "Aida Matthews and Theodore Jackson"
"Call me TJ please" I said to the class.
"Please, sit down. There is room in the back" said Miss McCarthy and I followed my sister to the back of the class where 4 empty seats waited for us.
I sat in one and expected to Aida to sit next to me but she let 1 empty seat between us. She quickly engaged into conversation with another girl by her left. I felt like I had to the same, you know, to fit in. I touched the shoulder of the guy sitting in front of me. The guy turned, took 1 look at me and looked back to the front. I looked to the girl to my right and she just looked away clearly faking interest to whatever Mrs. McCarthy was saying.
The class was uneventful boring. I already knew all Mrs. McCarthy was saying. I held my tongue a couple of times. I wanted to correct as she said a couple of dates wrong as she was talking about the French Revolution. If I talked, I would be known as a smarty-pants. I already was that but I didn't everybody to know it.
The rest of the day until lunch was full of me sitting down looking around and hoping for someone to notice me or talk to me. Well, that didn't happen. Not even Aida talked to me even when we were paired together in team activity. She just did everything and passed me her notebook, so I could copy the answers. I didn't copy. I tried to make her talk to me but she kept chatting with the closest guy or girl to her.
I was looking for to see Taylor at lunch but that didn't happen either. I neither saw Claire. I ate in a lonely corner as I saw my sister talking what it was supposed to be a popular kids table.
After lunch, I didn't see Aida coming back to the classroom to the next class. I thought that she was maybe in the bathroom or something. 20 minutes of the class passed and my sister wasn't back. Now I was worried, maybe monsters found her. As I was moving my foot nervously, someone came in into the classroom, a secretary and whispered something to Mr. Stevens, the Math teacher.
"Mr. Jackson, you are needed in the principal's office" said Mr. Stevens and I gathered my things and followed the secretary.
Just outside the office by the bench, Aida was sitting with other 3 girls. She looked okay unlike the rest who wore purple eyes and bruises all over their bodies.
"Aida, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing" muttered Aida and the rest looked really eager to start talking. Aida threw a mean glare at them and they were frightened by my sister.
I leaned against the wall and waited in silence. I watched the other 3 girls entering to the principal office one by one as their parents came. One hour later, we were finally alone and probably waiting for my dad to come.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I asked.
Aida looked away still upset. "I just forgot how mean girls can be with the newbies. I tried to take the high road but she insinuated I wasn't smart enough, the others tried to hold me… and dad is coming" said Aida and I knew she was lying. She had this habit to smile when she wasn't telling the truth.
Before I could ask what really happened, my dad turned in the corner and saw us.
"Hey, guys" said my dad waving at us. He didn't look angry, mostly surprised of coming.
The door opened and Mr. Snow, the sub-principal, was expecting him.
"Mr. Jackson" said Mr. Snow.
My dad nodded and said "Yes, could you give me a moment with my niece and son?"
"Of course. I will wait for you inside" said Mr. Snow and closed the door.
My dad turned to his daughter and asked "Aida, are you okay?"
Aida nodded and said as she was looking to the floor "Yes, it was a silly fight"
"Did they start it?" asked dad.
"Yes" mumbled Aida almost fragile.
"Don't worry. I'm not mad. The first day is always hard. Your grandma Sally had to ask the day off of work because she knew she had come to my school one way or another" said my dad.
"Did you get into fights? Were you a bully?" I asked but it didn't seem like him.
"I was the one who stood up against the bullies and somehow I always ended up like the bad guy. I think it's the fate of the hero, always being misunderstood" said my dad and entered into the office. I sat next to Aida.
Aida and I stayed alone and she looked relieved. She was probably worried of dad mad at us. I understood her preoccupations and insecurities. I was worried myself of my dad walking away because we weren't what he wanted or expected of us, or simple not being enough for him to stay.
10 minutes later, the end of class bell ringed and I heard the murmur to the kids walking and talking loudly outside the school.
"I will go for Claire" I said as I stood up.
Before I could turn the corner, Claire and Piper were coming, behind them Emma, Lauren and Taylor. Claire ran to us and started rambling in Greek about her day. Emma and Lauren hugged me and said hi.
I think I haven't mentioned the complete descendant list of Daniel and Piper, the Radcliffes. Well, Taylor, my best friend, is the oldest with 17 candles on his birthday cake, 18 by Christmas. That Taylor's birthday is on Christmas is annoying every single year. He spends days before and after remind us that he is the King and stuff like that.
After him, my uncles didn't have another kid until Emma who is 12, then Lauren of 11, Piper of 9 almost 10. For I can remember my mom and aunt were really excited being pregnant at the same time, so Piper and Claire are pretty much the same age.
"I heard what happened" said Taylor teasingly at Aida "You are my personal hero" Aida looked at him and just nodded as she was blushing.
"How come you know and not me?" I asked.
"I told you. I talk to people" said Taylor "Besides, that your sister swept the floor with a National Tae Know Do champion and two of her teammates. Well, it was on everybody mouths in less of 10 minutes"
"Why?" I asked to Aida.
My sister sighed "They were picking up to one girl of our class. I wasn't going to help her, but I just couldn't stay away"
Then my dad came out and after a handshake with Mr. Snow, he greeted everybody "Taylor. Emma, Lauren, you two are so big. You must barely remember me. You were so little, the last time I saw you" Both girls just nodded nervously "How are your parents?"
"Mom is pregnant" said Lauren quickly. Emma elbowed her like she did something bad. I forgot to mention. So, the last one until now was Tristan, named after his grandpa, who is the youngest with 2 years old.
"That's great" said my dad "Do you need a ride home?"
"No, Percy. We can take a cab. Don't worry. I wanted to make sure to leave Claire with you. I didn't want her to get lost on her first day" said Taylor so politely that he gave me goosebumps.
"Thanks, kids. Say hi to your parents for me" said my dad and the whole Radcliffe clan nodded.
All together walked out the school, we accompanied them to get a cab. We took the subway home. Claire was amazed by the underground transportation and I was worried of monsters. They tended to be underground and always hungry and between the 4 of us, our smell must be mouthwatering. Every time the doors opened at each station, I felt the need to touch the hilt of my dagger inside my jacket.
"All of you are so like your mom. I wonder what did any of you take from me" said my dad looking at us.
"The dark hair" said Aida looking at her siblings "Though the blond hair is amazing too"
"Don't worry. TJ will probably have grey hair by 40" said my dad teasingly and I felt slightly insulted.
"The eyes" said Claire.
"Perhaps" said my dad.
"The capacity to annoy Juniper" I said.
My dad laughed and said "Only you and me"
"The need to see the bright side of things" said Aida "I definitely got that from you"
"I hope so, don't you ever lose that" said my dad caringly.
"Helping others" I said and Aida and I looked at each other. She smiled and her hand held mine.
"We are Jacksons" said Aida "We always fight against the bad guys"
"Yes, we do" said my dad and we continued our way home.
