Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson characters.

What's that saying kids have these days? Having a cow? No. Having beef with someone? Maybe.

Either way, I can't deal with a few of the other parents at my daughter Suzie's school. They're just so odd. The way they talk, act and the way they know something everyone else doesn't, making jokes about guinea pigs and 'Queen Dirt Face'.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket. 'Laurie'.

"Hi, honey," I heard from my phone.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Tommy, I need a favour. Can you pick up Suzie from school? It's just so busy today, I don't understand."

"Yeah, of course. Love you."

"Love you. Bye." I hung up and found my car keys.

I saw Suzie standing at the front of her school building, talking to another girl. The girl had short brown curly hair, dark eyes and a Hispanic complexion. She was a bit on the short side. I stepped out of my car and walked over.

"Oh. Hey, Dad," Suzie was obviously surprised that I was picking her up. "Mom too busy?" I nodded.

"Who's this?" I asked, meaning her friend.

"Oh, this is Esperanza," Suzie nodded toward the girl.

"Hi, you must be Mr Richardson," Esperanza stuck her hand out. I shook it firmly.

"Anza!" I heard a male voice call out behind me. A short Hispanic man, almost a mirror of Esperanza, was running toward us.

Oh, please, God, not him. I thought.

"Dad!" Esperanza yelled. They hugged for a second.

"Who are you?" Esperanza's father asked, quite defensively, standing slightly in front of Esperanza.

"Oh, this is my friend Suzie and this is her dad, Mr Richardson," Esperanza explained.

"And you?" I asked, trying to subtly say, Get away from my daughter, you freak.

"I'm Leo Valdez and this is Esperanza, my daughter," Leo said as coldly as I had.

"Uh... Hey Dad, guess what!" Esperanza obviously sensed the tension between her father and I.

"What?" Her father took a playful tone as if we weren't just basically having a staring contest.

"I got a C-!" The girl looked absolutely elated.

"Really? That's amazing! And, you know what?" Leo leaned in. "I think we'll have to have some ice cream tonight."

"Yes!" I almost smiled at kids' obsession with ice cream.

"That's great, Anza!" Suzie congratulated her friend. I was confused. If Suzie got a C-, she would be grounded. I looked at her oddly and she gave me a Look.

"Are we going to Hazel and Frank's?" Esperanza asked her dad.

"We sure are," Leo confirmed. "And the rest of the gang will be there too."

Esperanza groaned. "Dad, you have to stop calling them 'the gang'."

"Well, it's faster than saying Mom, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Nico, Will, Thalia and Reyna. Plus, it's better than 'The Seven plus some'. " Leo retorted.

Esperanza scoff/snorted.

"Let's go, Suzie," I said abruptly. She tossed me another Look, this one saying something like, Don't be so rude. Something like that. Chiding me like I'm the child and she's the grown-up.

I gave her a Look only parents can do, saying Do it. Now.

"Bye, Anza," Suzie waved.

"Bye," Esperanza said back.

We got in the car and as soon as I shut the door, Suzie fired me with questions.

"Dad, what was that?" She asked, clearly upset.

"What was what?" I asked innocently.

"'Let's go, Suzie'," She lowered her voice and made a gesture like an old-timey movie villain plotting something evil.

"Really? That-" I made the same pose as her, "- was supposed to be me?"

"Dad! Don't change the subject!"

"Fine! Fine. I just think there's something... off about Esperanza's dad and the people he's always around," I started driving.

"Really Dad? Esperanza and her father are good people! And you don't even know them!"

"I don't have to explain myself to you, young lady," I said a little too harshly. "Look, honey, I'm just trying to protect you."

"That's what it is now? You think Esperanza and Mr Valdez are dangerous?"

I sighed. "You're taking this whole thing way too far! I'm only concerned!"

"No, you're taking it too far. You're judging people you haven't even met and you're trying to make me stay away from my friend!"

"Now, I never said that." It's more like I don't even want you to remember her name.

"It was heavily implied," Suzie snapped.

I sighed silently. Great job, I thought to myself.

"Why is Suzie not speaking to you?" Laurie asked about an hour after she came home.

"I f-f...fudged up," I said.

"Explain."

15 minutes later, Laurie had obviously sided with Suzie. I could tell from her face.

"Tommy, why are you so suspicious about these people?" Laurie asked.

"I don't know exactly, but they just... aren't... giving me the right vibes."

Laurie snorted. "The right vibes?"

"Look, something is strange about those people. They're beyond odd. Peculiar, even," I tried to convince my wife.

"While it's great that you want to protect Suzie, a best friend, her father and a group of people will not be her downfall."

They were talking to her. That strange group. They were talking. To my daughter. With their kids.

"So you're that famous Suzie?" The man with Pitch Black Hair asked.

"Famous?" Suzie blushed and looked at Esperanza. She shrugged. "I talk about you."

"Get away from my daughter." A little dramatic, yes, but I know these people have something going on.

"Dad! What are you doing?" Suzie asked, half annoyed and half embarrassed.

"Suzie. I said. We. Are Leaving. Now." I said with as much authority as possible.

"Excuse me, Mr Richardson, did we do something?" Blonde Hair- Blue Eyes asked me in a polite tone but also threatening.

I impulsively (and stupidly) answered, "Yes."

Suzie looked at me with wide eyes and her lips pursed. Before she could say anything, Blonde Hair Girl with Grey Eyes stepped forward. I'd love to say she wasn't intimidating.

"And just what is that, sir," She practically spat the word sir.

I drew myself to my full stature which was taller than Blondie but it didn't prevent me from being very fearful.

"I know that you all are... different," I said clearly, unlike my insides, which were trembling.

The whole group shared one of those glances, one of the ones I hate the most like they knew something I didn't. A smile worked its way onto the face of the obvious son of Pitch Black Hair and Blondie.

"I mean, he's not wrong," He said slowly. His father chuckled.

"You're absolutely right, Charles," He agreed.

"What are they talking about?" Suzie nudged Esperanza.

"Oh, nothing. It's kind of an inside joke," She replied absently.

"See!?" Everyone looked a bit startled by my sudden outburst. "This is what I'm talking about. So many inside jokes equals so many secrets!"

"Look buddy, I don't wanna hear you talk to my family like that again," said none other than Leo Valdez. "And if I do... well, bad things will happen to you." Even though the man was barely 5"8, I felt like he would most definitely go through with the threat.

"Is that a threat?" I questioned bravely (stupidly)

"As a matter of fact, it is," Native American Girl said, dead serious.

"Anza," Suzie spoke, surprising everyone, "I'm really sorry. I don't know what the hell he's talking about, but we should go."

"Yeah, no, it's cool. But don't think those are empty threats," Esperanza looked me dead in my eyes and it sent a shiver down my spine; I could've sworn I saw a fire in her eyes... or... was it her hands...?

And that's how I learned a little more about that strange group. They were strange, but maybe they liked it like that.

Before you guys say that The Seven and the other demigods wouldn't want to be demigods, the way I look at it, they wouldn't've even known each other if it weren't for their godly parents. So... yeah.

Also, this has nothing to do with the story, but I have a new poll up. Would you guys want to see me write in the 3rd person more often?

Hope you enjoyed the 35th chapter.

KEEP BEING AWESOME,

captainMcSchizzle