The school bus doesn't come anywhere near my neighbourhood, the upper middle class school only had one student who lives in Harlem, and it's me.
Good news is that mom is looking at houses in Yorkville: she got a promotion at work, and Triton had learnt the land custom of 'child support' and had shown up with several solid gold bars, so we finally have enough money to buy a bigger apartment. Bad news is that until we can move in a few months time, I'll be continuing to have to take the subway and bus to school by myself early every morning.
Today though, Athena offered to flash me to school before her 8am lecture at Brown, so mom happily handed me over with extra money for breakfast at school.
"Sasha!" I called, opening my eyes to see her standing at the school gates.
"Percy!" She waved back, calling me over.
Athena and I approached the school gates, and I quickly let go of her hand in favor of Sasha's fistbump.
"Hi Ms Athene," Sasha respectfully greeted her. "How's your daughter?"
"Athena," She corrected. "And Olivia is doing quite well from what I've heard, she joined the Maidens a few months back and is thriving according to my sister."
"Yeah, Olivia is great, she sent me an email yesterday about being stationed in Toronto." I agreed, then turned to Athena. "Bye, see you later!"
I grabbed Sasha's hand and dragged her into the school, leaving Athena behind. "How was your weekend?"
"Good. Is your cousin Olivia in a cult? These Maidens kinda sound like a cult."
I laughed, "Nope, they're not. They're a lifelong volunteer group to help battered women and orphaned children."
"...You do realise that the 'lifelong' bit and the fact that it's also all-girls and religious makes it sound very much like a cult, right?"
I sighed, "I know."
She grinned, "Just checking. Do you have your food card? I'm hungry."
My nose wrinkled at the thought of the blandly textured school breakfasts, but I waved my card at her. "Yep. I grabbed a banana before I left though."
"Same, grabbed two croissants, wanna share that and raid the vending machine instead of the school breakfast?"
I beamed, "Yes! Race you to the gym vending machine!"
I took off, and I heard her splutter something indignant about cheaters.
oOo
"-and when the environment matches a character's emotions, we call that Pathetic Fallacy. Now, in Holes you see Pathetic Fallacy in the barren environment of the desert reflect the hopelessness of all the boys-"
Mr Dantren kept droning on and on about the book that we were reading, but I wasn't paying much attention to be honest.
'Afto einai toso vareto' I wrote down, and passed to Sasha.
She smiled and passed back 'Что такое Vareto?'
Being really bored, I had begun trying to teach Sasha Greek in return for some Russian lessons a few months ago, and we had managed to get to basic conversational fluency.
'Vareto is boring' I passed back.
She smiled and scribbled something, but Mr Dantren quickly snatched it up. "Mr Jackson and Miss Zhorova, do you have something you want to share with the class, hm?"
He opened the paper, then quickly frowned. "This is an English class and an English speaking country. Speak English, not- what is this- Spanish?"
I scowled, and caught sight of the words that Sasha had written down in Greek. "No, sir, it's Greek."
He raised an eyebrow, "And how do you know Greek?"
A few students began to turn around, muttering and pointing.
"I'm Greek, sir." I balled my fists underneath the table, leg bouncing in agitation.
"You don't look Greek," Mr Dantren said, clearly trying to find a lie that didn't exist. "Isn't your mother Mexican?"
I glared at him, "My father's side of the family is Greek, and my mom is from Ecuador. Sir, we don't have anything to share with the class, may I have the paper back?"
"No." He walks away and throws the note into the bin, "I will be having a talk with your parents after school, now can you tell me the Pathetic Fallacy devices in Chapter 10 or do you need to pay more attention?"
I grumbled, but answered correctly to his ire.
oOo
Social Studies was the class that I was dreading, yet it arrived too soon.
"Mr Jackson," Mrs Smith calls me, and I stand up and walk to the board.
Sasha flashes me a thumbs up in encouragement and I respond with a weak smile.
Facing the class, I hold my cue-cards up.
"I did my speech on Aristocracies, and I decided to speak about both the positive and negative side for an Aristocratic rule," I began my speech, and thankfully didn't stutter.
Let's hope that all of Triton's and Athena's lessons on politics and speeches have actually been absorbed by my brain.
oOo
"An A!" Sasha ribbed me, laughing as we took our lunch trays outside. "Good job!"
I smiled, "Thanks."
The speech managed to go well, and I managed to impress the teacher with the debate about Monarchies vs Aristocracies that Robbie and I had during the Q&A part of the presentation.
"Where did you find all that information about the insider's views of an Aristocracy?" She asked, stealing my corn.
I shrugged, a smile playing on my lips. "Triton works as a diplomat." And the Sea runs on a weird mix of Aristocracy and Monarchy, which I happen to be the prince of.
"Huh," Sasha waves the plastic spoon around. "Much better than my speech on Governing Systems and their effects on the Environment that I'm supposed to give tomorrow."
"I'm sure you'll do great," I reassured her, spooning what is probably supposed to be Mac and Cheese into my mouth.
"Sure," she replied skeptically. "Did you do the Math homework?"
"I did it yesterday, why?"
"Can I copy it?"
I sighed, but reached in my bag to grab it. "Do you need help or are you just going to straight copy it?"
"Eh," she shrugged. "Are you up for explaining Volume and Surface Area to me again?"
I grabbed a pencil and pushed my food tray aside, "Sure. So-"
oOo
Sasha's math homework done, and Lunch finished, we quickly escaped to the playground for recess.
We were racing, trying to see who could get from one end of the playground to the other without touching the ground, twisting past the other kids as we skipped monkey bars and ran through the rope bridge.
"Hey!" One kid called, then shoved Sasha, making her fall to the ground. "This is our territory and you're not part of the pack!"
"Oi!" I quickly butted in, helping Sasha to her feet. "Don't be a bully!"
Donna scowled, and Amy and Lexi came over. "Only the Silver Moon Wolf Pack can play on this part of the playground. I'm the alpha and so I know this. Go play elsewhere!"
Sasha glared at her, "That's a letter not a rank. The playground is the school's, we can play where we want."
Donna growled, like, actually growled at us. "No it's not!"
I gave her a weird look, "Okay… can we pass through then?"
"No. You're not pack and our pack will rip you apart if you do!"
Sasha rolled her eyes, and snapped a "weirdos" in Russian.
She went to grab my hand and drag us away, but Donna bit her hand.
Sasha shrieked, but Donna didn't let go.
In a panic, I pulled her hair and yelled at her. She let go, but in the time that she did and my hand left her hair, a teacher had appeared.
"Mr Jackson!" Miss Rita shrieked, "Let go of Miss Tam right now!"
I let her go like she'd burnt me, "She bit Sasha!"
"Yeah, but only because wolves bit people, and Alexandra was calling me names in her weird language!"
"I didn't!" Sasha lied, indignant. "I told Percy 'Let's go' because Donna was threatening us and she pushed me!"
Miss Rita frowned, "We don't speak in other languages at school because other people don't know what you're saying. And even if Donna had bit Miss Zhorova, you do not respond with violence. All three of you, the principal's office, now."
"But-!" Sasha protested, waving the red bite mark on her arm. I quickly gestured to it too.
"Now!" She snapped.
We sent twin glares at her back, annoyed at her obvious favoritism.
"Vlak gi'agape," I muttered at her back.
"What did you just call me, Mr Jackson?!"
I think I might just get expelled again.
oOo
Athena storms into the office, looking incensed. "Principal Westfeld, why did you call me into the school?"
He looked very off-put by Athena's presence, "You are young Percy's emergency contact, correct?"
"Yes, and I don't see how my darling nephew could do anything wrong. So again, why am I here and you better not be telling me that Percy has been bullying another student like your secretary tried to tell me." Athena came to stand behind my chair, meeting Mrs Zhorova's eyes and Mr Tam's glare.
"Your nephew pulled Donna Tam's hair and called a teacher names in another language. He was also backing up Alexandra Zhorova when she insulted Miss Tam in Russian." The principal said strictly, "Mr Jackson was bullying and it is against the school rules to speak in another language."
Mr Tam spoke up, "My daughter was crying when I arrived-" "-And my daughter still has a large bite mark on her arm, which your daughter freely confessed to putting on her." Mrs Zhorova interrupted, "Not only that, but your daughter pushed mine. Percy was acting in defense of my daughter, meanwhile your daughter has given no explanation for her actions other than the paltry excuse of her pretend-play of being a wolf. I can sue, Mr Tam, Principal Westfeld."
"And I can make sure nobody in the academic community will ever speak well of your school again, nor send their children here." Athena snapped, "Especially since you feel compelled to defend the daughter of one of PTA board parents, and not the true victims of the bullying that has been going on."
Principal Westfeld stuttered, "I'm sure that wouldn't be necessary."
"No, of course not." Athena smiled coldly.
Sasha and I exchanged victorious smiles to Donna's growing tantrum.
"Of course, of course." Westfield repeated. "All the children will be suspended for three days, nothing on their permanent records."
"Suspended?" Athena snarled.
"The children were still breaking rules-"
"Then I shall be withdrawing Percy from your school if you find such ridiculous discipline fit." Athena declared.
"No!" I quickly protested, my delight turning to horror.
"Quite right. Alexandra can find a much better education at Maria's Ladies School."
"Mama!" Sasha exclaimed.
"Ladies if we could just calm-"
"I will not calm down." Athena said, eyes cold and what I could see as a flicker of godly power in her hand. "I will be finding a new school for my nephew."
She turned to me, "Come on Percy."
Rage welled in me, "I don't want to change schools, I want to stay with Sasha."
She frowned. "Percy."
I took her hand, and she dragged me outside, where she promptly flashed us home.
Mom was sitting on the sofa, obviously waiting for me to come home, Triton and Hermes there too, but I ignored them.
I stomped past them, ignoring the way the sink turned itself on, and slammed my bedroom door shut behind me.
"Percy?" Mom called, concerned.
"Go away!" I shouted back.
"Perseus!" Athena snapped, "Stop acting like a child! Apologise to your mother!"
I yanked the door open, face red with rage. "Maybe I'll stop acting like a child when you stop treating me like one! I didn't have to leave the school- I'm fully aware that I broke the rules and that the suspension was well deserved! Why didn't you ask for my opinion? Because you think you know best! I finally had a friend and a school I liked but now I have to leave it behind! Go away!"
I didn't even pause to see her shocked expression or mom's saddened one when I slammed the door back shut and threw myself on my bed, screaming into my pillow.
Why doesn't anyone ever ask my opinion when it comes to things that involve me?
oOo
"Land-lover!" A mer jeered, from a ring of other mer.
"Oi!" I shouted, "What do you think you're doing?"
One of them looked up to see me, paled, and quickly swam off. The others followed, revealing a young woman standing tall, chin raised and proud.
"Are you okay?" I asked Athena. "They're dishonorable cowards."
"I'm fine," the brunette smiled. She looked around 16 or 17, nearly a full adult by godly standards. "You shouldn't pick fights with them, they are the children of the king's allies."
"They are assholes," I snorted. "You are my lady and my foster sister- I can defend you as much as I want."
Athena blushed, and to my surprise, she pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth.
I blinked, but she had already swam off.
oOo
Knock-knock.
"Percy, can you let me in?" Uncle Hermes asked through the door.
"No." I growled, burying myself deeper under the blankets. Stupid dreams weren't helping, I wanted to scream and break something.
A pause. "Please Percy?"
I pressed my eyes closed, trying to make all the traces of my tears disappear. "Fine."
I didn't bother getting out of bed, and he let himself in.
"Hey kiddo," He sat at the end of my bed.
"Not a kid." I weakly protested.
"I understand," He agreed. "But it's hard for me not to see you as a kid. Can I call you kiddo just for a little while longer?"
I sat up a bit, "Okay."
"Are you alright? I understand that yesterday was hard for you."
I fiddled with Hermione, the little bronze lamb comforting. "I just want to be treated like a person. Choices keep being made for me and I want my opinion to matter for once."
"Okay." Uncle agreed, "And how do you want to be heard? Do you want to join us when we talk about your next school and where you're moving? Or do you just want to be asked more about your opinions when we choose things that involve you?"
"Both?" I tried. "Athena just came in and began yelling. She didn't ask me what happened first, nor if I thought whether the punishment was appropriate first. She just got mad and pulled me out of the school."
"She was wrong to do so," He nodded. "Sally and I had a conversation with her, and then one with Triton." He hesitated, "Sally asked me to talk to you because she thought I could do this better, but I told her you need to have this talk with her too- she's your mother."
My lips twitched at his honesty. "Thank you."
He nodded, "Can I hug you or are you still angry?"
"Still a bit angry," I replied but opened my arms so he could hug me.
He pressed a kiss to my hair and pulled back. "Do you and Hermione want to join us for lunch, or do you want to stay in your room? You missed dinner and breakfast, I understand that you're hungry."
"I'll join lunch." I conceded, and put Hermione down on the dresser. He ruffled my hair and said, "Good."
He stood up with an exaggerated groan, I smiled at the theatrics. "Not going to lie to you, kiddo, I'm getting old."
"You're already ancient." I poked my tongue out at him, then paused as a thought came to me. "Hermes, how come you're so good at de-escalating arguments?"
He smiled sadly, "Without being able to raise my kids myself, you mean? I earned my title as God of Diplomacy from de-escalating my family's arguments for the past few millennia. Athena may be the eldest daughter, but she can only calm down father, I'm the middle ground for the entire family even as the second youngest."
I winced at his explanation. "Well, race you to the table?"
He grinned, "I'll give you a one second headstart. 1."
I yelped as he ran, accusing "Cheater!"
Translations/Lore
Afto einai toso vareto= This is so boring (greek)
Что такое Vareto= What is 'vareto' (russian)
Vlak gi'agape= Idiot land-lover
A/N
Hello! There's only 3 more chapter to go until canon starts, yay! I'm gonna be warning y'all that from 10th December to 21st I won't be home with access to my laptop, then 27th to 15th jan I will be on (within my country and covid-safe) holiday again. I won't be able to update properly, but I'll have updates between now and feburary, don't worry!
So, people have been commenting about Percy's race, so I clarified it for y'all. Also, here's the long awaited teen angst! Percy is growing up and slowly exiting that child phase, but it's not going to be sudden, he's a kid. Hermes and Sally are the responsible parents, Athena does have issues but hopefully we work through this, Triton is not here because I forgot about him. Pallas and Athena did have a puppy crush/ kinda dating thing going on, and Athena did love her, but she died.
If you want to join the discord server, just ask!
