A/N:
Thank you for the response that I am getting on the story thus far!
AVWPD5033B (Guest)- Thank you so much! I'm glad that you thought the first chapter was very well-written and I hope you stick around for more!
Echoxenvy- while the 2010 movie wasn't a perfect adaption, there were plenty of elements to it that I really liked; I liked that throughout the film Percy didn't pull any punches and that the action happened pretty much immediately. You'll see certain elements of that throughout this story; the movies themselves are fine and there is fun to be had watching them, but I do agree I would have preferred the movies be a little closer to the novels, because my biggest issue with the movies was Luke getting so screwed over the writing for him was atrocious. I call it the Dr. Von Doom effect, where you take away the very element that makes the villain menacing, and he becomes so effing weak. And Luke suffered that very effect; you take away Kronos' control over him, and you're left with a psychopathic, spoiled bratty lunatic who is nearly impossible to sympathize with. Hopefully, the show changes that.
Chapter 2: A Very "Sweet" Homecoming
"Mr. Jackson," said Mr. Nicoll sternly, "pay attention!"
Percy stared off out the window, noticing the thick, black clouds and the rain pelting hard against the window. The weather was not helping his mood. It was the day before final exams started, Monday. Friday would be his last day. And hopefully, that meant he could just go back home. The wind smacked against the window of the classroom fiercely, shaking the whole building.
"What?" he snapped, irritably.
Mr. Nicoll looked at him sternly. "Drop the attitude, Mr. Jackson."
Percy just narrowed his eyes at the teacher. He clenched his fists hard, to a point where his nails dug into his palms. He had a migraine and on top of that, everyone treated him like he was hallucinating. He could have sworn there had been a Mrs. Dodds – not Mrs. Kerr. Something had happened at the museum. That had been a month ago. They were now in June, with finals nearing them. But every time he talked about Mrs. Dodds, people would look at him as though he'd grown two heads. He, quite frankly, had enough. And his nightmares of Mrs. Dodds turning into a leathery, old hag with talons and wings didn't help at all. The nightmares always woke him in a cold sweat and unable to sleep the rest of the night. And Mr. Nicoll berating him in front of everyone was the last straw.
Percy sighed heavily. "Sorry, sir." But he didn't fully mean his words. This teacher was one of the worst ones. He would shake his head at Percy and scold him for not trying hard enough on spelling tests. He would call him stupid in front of the whole class. Why should he give this teacher any respect at all?
"Mr. Jackson," Mr. Nicoll said once more, in front of everyone, "your grades have been slipping to Fs. I expect better from you. I don't care whether you're 'dyslexic' or not. Quite frankly, I see that as an excuse not to try."
Percy clenched his fists even harder. "I'm sorry, sir. I find it hard to try when every time I read out loud people here laugh their asses off at me!"
"Watch your language," scolded the teacher, "and why are you too lazy to study for spelling tests?"
"Because he has no brain!" someone laughed from the back.
"You can't teach someone as stupid as him!" laughed a girl.
Percy had enough. He'd dealt with a lot of people who called him "stupid." He felt sick to his stomach with anger.
"SHUT UP!" Percy snapped. "I do study you old sot! Just leave me alone!"
The whole class laughed at Percy's comment, but Percy's face just went beat red as tears of humiliation filled his eyes.
"Mr. Jackson," Mr. Nicoll said once more, "I'll see the headmaster about this. Go out into the hallway."
Percy sighed dejectedly, walking out and into the hallway. He just slumped against the wall as his tears streamed down slightly. He burrowed his face into his hands to try and hide the tears. He couldn't bear the thought of Nancy Bobofit seeing him this way. She would hold it over his head for months and months.
He knew in his gut what was going to happen. He was going to be expelled, again. His sixth school in six years. After all his hard work, trying so hard, he was destined to be kicked out again. His face went even redder before he rose to his feet. This being his final class of the day anyway, he just raced up to his dorm room and slammed the door behind him. He grabbed the phone that hung on his wall and called home – his apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. But upon the phone being picked up, he heard "Smelly Gabe" on the other end of the line.
"What do you want brain boy?" Gabe asked him, uncaring. "You're interrupting my poker game."
"Where's my mom?" Percy asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking and to stop the sniffles.
"Still working." With that, Gabe hung up the phone, leaving Percy standing there. He just collapsed onto his bed and grabbed the assigned reading Mr. Brunner had given them for Latin class – The Odyssey. But the words swam around off the page, like they were riding on skateboards. With that, he threw the book across the room and slammed his head back on his pillow.
He was homesick.
He wanted nothing more than to just pack up his bags and go back home early.
But he knew that wasn't an option. He had to endure finals, first.
The week passed by, and each night, the only test he studied for was Latin. He tried reading The Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology, but once more, the words swam around on the page went he read. He couldn't discern the difference between "Chiron" and "Charon," or "Polybotes" and "Polyphemus." Sighing dejectedly, he looked over at the alarm clock and saw it was nine at night.
'It can't be too late to talk to Mr. Brunner. I don't want to leave this place with him thinking I didn't try,' he thought as he exited his dorm to head down to the faculty offices.
But as he approached Mr. Brunner's office door, he could hear Brunner and Grover talking . . . about him. Heart racing, Percy leaned against the door and listened.
"I'm worried about Percy, sir," Grover was saying.
"I understand, Grover. Frankly, I am worried, too."
"But there was a Kindly One in the school. He saw her. He's not buying the stories," Grover said.
'Because you're such a bad liar, Grover,' thought Percy as he kept his ear pressed to the wall. But what did Grover mean by "Kindly One?" Was that code for something?
"The Mist over the eyes of the students and staff will be enough to convince him he imagined the whole thing," Brunner insisted.
"Are you sure about that? And what about the summer solstice deadline?"
"That's a matter we must deal with later. And if we must, we'll have to send Luke, Silena, and Charles off again."
"Sir, after what happened last time with those three? You think they can do it?"
"They're capable. They've got the experience. They're the oldest we have at camp. And I know they can and will do better this time. In the meantime, let's focus on keeping Percy alive until next semester."
Percy's heart raced fiercely as he heard those words. His hands violently shook with fear as his eyes widened.
'What are they talking about? Keep me alive? Am I in danger?'
"Sir . . . I just can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice sounded broken with sorrow.
"You haven't failed, Grover," Brunner said kindly.
"So, when are we dispatching Percy to camp?"
"We must give the boy time to mature more."
"You heard what Silena said! That might be time he doesn't have! He's realizing what he really is!"
"I know, Grover. Just keep a close watch on him when he goes home on Saturday."
"Of course. It's just . . . my nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."
"Mine, neither. But things with the summer solstice will have to wait. Until then, go on upstairs. You have a long day of exams tomorrow."
"Don't remind me."
As soon as Percy heard that, he took off running up the stairs back to the dorms. What had Grover and Brunner been talking about? Keep him alive? The summer solstice? Camp? None of it made sense. And it only left his anxiety worsening. And if Grover and Brunner were talking about Mrs. Dodds – whom they both denied had ever existed – that meant she had been real. And she'd meant to hurt him. No, not hurt. Kill.
Breathing hard, Percy quickly slipped into his room, feeling the cold sweat returning. His nightmares of Mrs. Dodds kept him awakening in the night screaming. And Grover being so bad at denying Mrs. Dodds's existence didn't help at all. Sitting on his bed, he heard Grover entering the room.
"Perce? Are you alright? You look terrible," Grover commented.
"Just . . . tired," Percy said, half-truthful.
"Do you think you'll be ready for the test?"
Percy shook his head no, and slipped into the bed, closing his eyes and falling into an uneasy sleep.
On the hills of Camp Half-Blood, Silena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf had managed to climb up onto the rooftops of the Hephaestus cabin, staring up at the night. Although the magical barriers kept the incoming rain from the thunder storm from breaking through, they could see the rain pelting off like a glass window.
Silena shivered slightly into Beckendorf's arms, closing her eyes. They'd changed from blue to a shade of hazel green – a sign of her uneasiness.
"Charlie," she whispered, keeping her fingers laced in his, "do you think Grover and Chiron will get that new kid to camp?"
"I think so," Beckendorf said, his strong arms remaining around her firmly as he kissed her head.
"But this is Grover's second chance," Silena whispered, shivering again. "That story about Thalia . . ."
"It won't be a repeat of it," Beckendorf told her firmly.
"How do you know?" Silena looked at her boyfriend incredulously. "The way Luke and Annabeth talk about it . . . it sounds so awful. And you know Annabeth. She doesn't talk to a lot of people. Not many can even get close to her. She trusts Luke way more than us."
"Yet she talks to you," Beckendorf reminded her gently. "You get along with people and they trust you. It takes talent to calm someone like Clarisse, or get close to Annabeth."
"Yet I couldn't even charmspeak a dragon in the Garden of Hesperides," Silena said bitterly. "It's proof all everyone will see me as is a pretty face. And I'm not even that pretty."
"Hey, you're more than that. Besides, you're gorgeous. Don't start comparing yourself to your sisters" Beckendorf's voice was firm yet gentle. "And you know it."
"Are you kidding me? Being a daughter of Aphrodite is a joke," Silena said, shaking her head. "I can't make anything. I'm no good in battle even with my sword and shield. Even before I came here I hoped I was one of Hermes's. That would have explained my charmspeaking and how it got me in trouble for stealing a Gucci purse from the American Dream Mall. But I just had to be a dove, the most useless animal in battle."
"But you're our best Pegasus rider," Beckendorf reminded her, "you're a friend to everybody, and you're empathetic. You're more powerful than you think. A little empathy and kindness go a long way."
Silena sighed, shaking her head. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Charlie. But I just don't see how we'll get a second chance at a quest. After the Garden of Hesperides being such a failure . . ."
"It wasn't just on you," Beckendorf told her sternly.
"But Luke got that scar because of me! I had one job! One job!"
"It was on all of us. And you know it. We were a team. And we still are. And when this kid comes, I know you'll make him feel right at home. Remember what Luke says."
"We're extended family. We take care of each other." Silena had to smile thoughtfully at that, her eyes turning to a beautiful shade of amber.
"That's my girl." Beckendorf kissed her nose.
A comfortable silence fell over the young couple, but as they stared up at the rainy night sky, another question dawned upon Silena.
"Charlie, what do you think happened at the winter solstice?" she whispered.
Beckendorf looked just as quizzical to that as she did. "I honestly don't know. We were all there that night; Annabeth, Luke, the Stolls . . . everything had been so normal. And then the next day, the bad weather came and all we could gather was the gods are pissed. About what, I don't know. Annabeth seems to think something was stolen from Mount Olympus. I tend to not question one of Athena's kids, because they're usually right."
Silena shuddered. "It must be pretty important then."
"Yeah." Beckendorf nodded in agreement. "Hopefully, we find out what it is."
"Do you think it'll have anything to do with this new kid?" asked Silena.
"I hope not," Beckendorf whispered. "The way Grover talked about that kid, he's Big Three material. I'm honestly hoping he's one of Zeus's, because if it were Hades or Poseidon . . ."
"Yeah, that would mean another one of the Big Three broke the oath," Silena agreed, closing her eyes. "And I don't want to imagine what that would mean. Hopefully, when he comes here, he'll get claimed. I don't want to see another unclaimed demigod forced into the Hermes cabin again. Luke keeps getting a new handful every year, and half the time, they're children of minor gods. It's just so unfair."
Beckendorf nodded. "No child should ever be left behind. I was lucky when I arrived at Half-Blood Hill that Hephaestus claimed me immediately. But I know others aren't so lucky."
Silena nodded, a little bitterly as she pulled out a celestial bronze compact mirror – which unfolded into the form of a reflective shield which could temporarily blind someone, if the light hit the shield at just the right angle and if the individual unwittingly looked in that direction. She'd even blinded the Stoll brothers a few times. It gave her a limited control over photokinesis – one of her mom's powers. The shield could bend light and create rainbows for Iris messages. It had been a sweet sixteen birthday gift from Aphrodite herself, who claimed Silena as one of her favorite daughters and sent it to her on the wings of a dove.
"You're brave, beautiful, and remain true to yourself. You never try to be something you aren't. And that's one of the hardest things for anyone to do – myself included. You, Silena Beauregard, are my favorite daughter. This shield is a gift from me. Use it well. Happy birthday," the letter had said.
'You sent it a little late, Mom,' thought Silena. 'I could've used this when I went to the Garden of Hesperides at the age of fourteen.'
"Come on. Get back to your cabin before the harpies take notice," Beckendorf told her.
"I don't need them invading Aphrodite's cabin and ruining my bunk," agreed Silena as Beckendorf helped her climb down from the roof. But he stole another kiss from her.
"I love you," he told her.
"I love you, too," she said, before running off to her cabin. Watching as his girlfriend left, Beckendorf looked towards the sky once more. If only he and everyone else knew what had happened at the winter solstice . . .
But as he was about to lower himself down from the roof so he could climb back into his bed, he was startled by the sound of a loud, blood-curdling scream in the night . . . screams of a girl. Jumping down from his roof, he recognized who was screaming, judging by the word "Spider!" Annabeth. It had to be.
Running across the lawn towards Athena's cabin, he, Silena, and Luke met each other outside, along with a few tired campers who were rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. Upon reaching Athena's cabin, they saw Malcom Pace – Annabeth's second-in-command, looking pale and shaken. A few of the young children in the cabin – including little eight-year-old Alexandra clutching her stuffed, grey owl – looked deeply traumatized. And upon stepping inside, Beckendorf, Luke, Silena, Lee Fletcher – the twenty-year-old head of Apollo during the summers, and Katie Gardner – the sixteen-year-old head of Demeter's cabin – saw the cause of it. In Annabeth's bunk was a huge, fuzzy-looking tarantula, crawling up Annabeth's blankets. The tarantula had left a series of webbing around Annabeth's hands. The girl was shaking violently and trying to press herself into the wall as tears flooded her grey eyes.
Luke sighed, shaking his head as he reached his hand forward. He grabbed the spider in his hand and proceeded to get it out of the cabin, while Silena wrapped her arms around Annabeth in an embrace, stroking her hair to soothe her.
"It's okay. It's gone now," she whispered, lacing some charmspeak into her voice, brushing away the cobwebs from Annabeth's hands.
"Whose idea was that?" asked Katie, her hands on her hips.
Suddenly, something seemed to spark in Annabeth's grey eyes, and she jumped out of her bed.
"I think I know," she growled angrily, and with that said, she stalked out of the cabin and headed straight towards Cabin Eleven – Hermes's. There were only two individuals who could have the balls to pull something like this off.
Luke exchanged a glance with the senior counselors – he knew what was about to happen. With that, he, Silena, Katie, Lee, and Beckendorf raced after Annabeth just as Mr. D came stumbling towards them, looking irritated that someone interrupted his sleep that night. Even Clarisse La Rue – the fifteen-year-old head counselor from Ares had left her own cabin to see what was happening, which was shocking. Clarisse and Annabeth hated each other's guts and had a rivalry that went back to four years ago when Clarisse first arrived as part of the new wave of Ares campers.
"What in Hades is going on here?" Mr. D asked, rolling his eyes.
"Tarantula in the Athena cabin," explained Luke as he raced after Annabeth, who'd knocked down the door of Hermes's cabin and had already grabbed Conner Stoll – one of Luke's half-brothers and the younger brother of Travis Stoll. The Stoll brothers were the resident pranksters of Hermes's cabin. They were the ones who primarily pulled pranks on new campers, but their favorite target was the Athena cabin. Athena's children were terrified of spiders. Travis was smart enough not to do something like that. But Conner still hadn't figured it out.
Annabeth had Conner pinned up against the wall, and was screaming at him in a rage. Her hands were around his throat as she got in his face. And Travis was too terrified to pull her off his younger brother. Luckily, Luke got behind the girl he considered his surrogate sister and placed gentle hands on her shoulders, pulling her away while Silena stepped in between Annabeth and Conner.
"Easy, Annie," Luke murmured to her – he was the only one who got to call her that, his name of affection for her.
"But Luke –!" Annabeth screamed.
"Listen to me," Luke told her, stepping in front of her firmly. He took her cheeks in his hands and stroked them softly. "I will take care of it. Alright? Go back to bed. I got rid of the spider; it's okay now."
Luke pressed a brotherly kiss to Annabeth's forehead, nodding at Silena to lead Annabeth out. Silena put her arm around Annabeth's shoulders and led the twelve-year-old girl out, charmspeaking her to get her to calm down. Beckendorf watched as Luke shook his head at Conner.
"Conner, what in Hades were you thinking?" Luke reprimanded. "You know how Annabeth gets when she sees spiders!"
"I told him it wasn't a good idea!" Travis groaned.
"We'll discuss this in the morning," Luke said, shaking his head. "Everyone, back to bed. Lights out."
Everyone in Hermes's cabin nodded as Beckendorf, Katie, and Lee left to go to their respective cabins. Just another normal night at Camp Half-Blood. It wasn't a normal night if the Stoll brothers didn't pull a prank. But before Beckendorf left, he pounded his fist against Luke's.
"See you in the morning, man," Beckendorf told his friend.
The next morning at Yancy Academy, Percy's eyes were swimming from his three-hour Latin final. He knew he got most of the answers wrong. And he knew he'd misspelled almost every Greek and Roman name. But his head spun and all he wanted was to just go home. At least on Saturday, his bag would be packed and he'd be on the Greyhound to the Upper East Side.
As he dropped off his scantron on Mr. Brunner's desk, he knew he'd failed indefinitely. But he could hardly bring himself to care in that moment, especially since Brunner was giving him such a look of pity.
"Percy," Mr. Brunner said in a kind voice, "please don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. Perhaps, it's for the best."
"Yes, sir," Percy whispered, his voice shaking slightly.
"I knew that this simply wasn't the right place for you," Brunner said, feeling his chest ache at the dejected look in Percy's eyes, which were glazing over in shame as he looked down. "But I promise, you will find a place for you soon enough."
"Okay," Percy mumbled.
"Percy, you aren't normal. It's nothing to be ashamed of," Brunner said kindly.
Percy's face went completely red at that comment. "Yeah, thanks for remind me," he said, his eyes shining with unshed tears as Nancy Bobofit snickered loudly from the back of the classroom. With that, Percy hastily left the room, his face going red in shame.
Saturday couldn't get there fast enough for Percy. That morning, he'd thrown his clothes into his suitcase and booked his Greyhound ride into the city. Except, he didn't have to say goodbye to Grover, who'd booked the same bus as him. And as they climbed up on the bus, Percy couldn't help worrying about what he'd do that summer. He knew part of his summer plans would be finding a job to fund his step-father's stupid poker parties. In the words of Gabe, he had to "pull his own weight."
'It's not like Gabe pulls any weight. If he did, he'd drop twenty pounds,' Percy thought bitterly as he took his seat on the bus, with Grover sitting there beside him. But throughout the course of the bus ride, Grover kept looking up and down the aisle of the bus nervously. This lasted for about an hour until Percy finally said what came to mind.
"Looking for Kindly Ones?" he whispered.
Grover nearly jumped out of his skin. "What are you talking about?" he asked, clutching his fingers tightly around his crutches.
"I . . . I kinda overheard you and Brunner talking about me Thursday night," admitted Percy. "What were you guys talking about? What's the summer solstice deadline?"
"Percy, can you not talk about this right now?" Grover hissed.
"No, I need answers. What's going on? What camp were you guys talking about?"
"This isn't the right space to talk," Grover said, "but if you ever need me for anything, call me."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card that had an address and phone number. The words "Grover Underwood," "Keeper," and "Half-blood Hill" stood out more than anything.
"What's Half –"
"It's my summer address!" Grover cut off hastily. "So, yeah, just call that number if you ever need me."
"Grover, why would I need you for anything?" asked Percy. All year he'd gotten into fights stopping bullies from picking on Grover, not the other way around.
Grover looked a little hurt. "Percy, I – I sorta have to protect you."
"But . . . what are you protecting me from?" asked Percy. "And why were you talking about me to Brunner?"
"Look, I was worried that you were getting sick. I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers . . .?"
"Grover, you really suck at lying," Percy pointed out, narrowing his eyes.
Grover sighed, glancing down at his feet. And as Percy glanced out the window of the bus, he noticed something as they stopped at the traffic light, stationed right outside the city of Manhattan. Sitting at a roadside fruit stand were three old ladies, knitting what appeared to be a huge pair of socks made of bright blue yarn. But as Grover caught glimpse of them, he seemed to panic.
"Perce, look away."
"What do you think those socks are for? Sasquatch?" Percy joked.
"Not funny, Percy," Grover said, shaking his head as one of the old ladies snipped the yarn. But Percy could have sworn he heard the snip with those large sheers she had, as though the sound echoed.
"Grover? Are those old ladies like Mrs. Dodds?" asked Percy.
Judging by how pale Grover was getting, Percy knew those old ladies were much worse than Mrs. Dodds.
"Grover, what's so dangerous about an old lady snipping yarn?" Percy asked. "What does that mean? That someone's going to die?"
Grover cast Percy a sad look, as though he were already picking out the flowers for his friend's casket.
"Perce, when we get off the bus, wait for me!" Grover pleaded. "Let me walk you home from the bus stop!"
"But Grover –"
"Please, promise me you'll wait!"
"Okay." Percy felt bad for lying. He wasn't planning on waiting for Grover. Grover was freaking him out, and he knew that once they got to the bus stop, Grover would make a beeline for the bathroom. That would give him time to catch his taxi and head to the Upper East Side.
As Percy hauled his suitcase up the stairs towards his and his mom's little apartment, he suddenly felt regretful at leaving Grover behind at the bus stop. But Grover had kept looking at him like he was a dead man, whispering, "Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth grade." What did Grover mean by that?
As Percy climbed the stairs, he called, "Mom? I'm home!"
"I'm up here, honey!" Sally Jackson called back to him, and as Percy dragged his suitcase into the apartment, his heart warmed at the sight of Sally in the kitchen, making seven-layer dip for Gabe and still wearing her Sweet on America uniform – she'd just gotten home from work.
"Oh, Percy." Sally dropped what she was doing and walked towards her son, taking his face into her hands and kissing him softly. "You've grown since Christmas. I've missed you so much."
She reached behind her and grabbed a sweets bag from the counter – it was filled with nothing but blue candy. Blueberry sour strings, blue M&M's, blue jelly beans, blue gum drops, blue lollipops, blue Airheads, and packs of Trident peppermint wave gum – all Percy's favorites. Percy couldn't help smiling at the sight of it as he grabbed a piece of the gum and started to chew.
"How was the rest of your spring session at school?" Sally asked, sitting him down and stroking his hair. "Did you enjoy the semester? And how was the bus ride home? What else didn't you tell me in your phone calls and your letters?"
"Mom," Percy sighed, "lay off a little. You're smothering me again."
"It's my job," Sally said, pulling her son in for a tight hug and kissing his temple. "Besides, I've got a surprise for you. We're going to the beach tomorrow morning."
"Montauk?" Percy asked brightly.
"Yep. A week. Same cabin," Sally said, winking.
"But Gabe always said we don't have enough money," Percy said.
"Well, I promise there's enough this year," grinned Sally, running her fingers through his hair as Gabe came stumbling out of his room. His putrid smell instantly filled the air.
"So, you're home," Gabe told Percy.
"Yeah," Percy said.
"Gabe, I was just telling Percy about the trip," Sally said with a smile.
"Wait, the trip?" Gabe asked. "You mean you were serious about that? Gone a week?"
"I knew it," Percy muttered, "he won't let us go."
"Gabriel, I promise you won't have to settle for anything. I've been making you enough seven-layer dip to last you the entire week. And I've already gotten a start on cooking enough food for you and your friends to last, as well."
"But who's going to service me and my friends? Like get us beer?" Gabe asked.
"Hey, don't talk about my mom like that you bald-headed freak!" Percy spat. "Show some respect! Get your own beer!"
But that hadn't been the right thing to say, because Gabe grabbed Percy by the neck and slammed him into the wall. A sharp punch landed on Percy's stomach and Gabe was about to squeeze at his neck, but Sally grabbed Gabe's shoulders. A look of pure fear appeared in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to see Gabe hurt her son.
"Gabe! Stop please!" Sally pleaded. "Percy, your step-father is just worried about the money. Gabriel, I promise, it'll come out of my clothes budget and we'll be very, very careful with the car. Percy, apologize."
"But Mom –!" Percy protested. Gabe grabbed a fistful of his hair and slammed his head into the wall, hard.
Sally shot Percy a stern look. It said that if Percy just apologized to Gabe and remained nice to him for the rest of the day, they would be able to get out of there as soon as possible.
Percy just sighed. "Fine. I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry I talked back to you."
Gabe just narrowed his pig-like eyes at Percy, as if trying to detect the sarcasm in his step-son's tone. "This is my house," he said, "you show some respect."
With that said, Gabe lumbered off to his bedroom once more, leaving Percy standing there and rubbing at his neck and stomach. Sally just walked over to her son immediately and kissed his forehead. She smoothed her hand along the back of his head.
"Are you okay?" she asked him gently.
Percy's eyes stung as he asked, "Why do you stay with that pig? And why do you care what he thinks? He reeks like a sewer! He sleeps till noon every day and he barely goes to his job! Why do you stay with him?"
Sally sighed and ran her hands through her son's hair again. "He's been helpful to us, honey, in ways you don't understand."
Percy shrugged his shoulders. "You're right. I don't understand. I don't get it." With that, he walked back into his bedroom – Gabe's "study" when he was in school. Gabe's smell followed him into his room. But Sally followed her son and sat beside him on the bed, pulling him close to her and holding him tight.
"Sweetheart, someday, everything'll all make sense," she said gently.
Percy shook his head. He didn't see how it could. But Sally sensed Percy wasn't telling her something. She could see an underlying uneasiness residing there, and a tension in his eyes. She could read him relatively well, given the amount of years they'd had where it had just been the two of them.
"Baby?" she whispered. "Did something happen at school that scared you?"
Percy shook his head once more. "No, Mom," he said, but he felt terrible lying to her about Mrs. Dodds and the old ladies he saw just before he and Grover entered the city.
"Sweetheart, you can tell me more about your school year when we get to the beach," Sally said gently. "In the meantime, just please don't make Gabe mad. We'll be out of here tomorrow morning and you won't have to deal with him all week."
"Okay," Percy sighed, and his mom pulled him even closer to her. His stomach hurt from being punched by Gabe. It could've been worse than that. Gabe always managed to do worse than that. He felt his mom running her hands along the back of his head, feeling for any hint at a bump, given how hard Gabe had slammed Percy's head into the wall. Percy recalled all the times Gabe would hit him; Gabe had said as long as Percy put up with it and provided his gambling funds, Sally wouldn't be touched. And Percy would protect her until the end.
'I cannot wait to get away from Smelly Gabe for a whole week,' he thought.