Chapter 7 Things Get Awkward

Percy POV

Things were silent as we approach the diner I just couldn't believe what my dad was saying .Sure Clarisse shows the proper respect for the gods but she is a total bitch to anyone else. I doubt Ares parenting style is working all that well. Honestly, I just think father is covering for him. I doubt that is how Clarisse and the other children of Ares see it. I sighed heavily as I couldn't shake this feeling that I was being watched.

It wasn't until I shifted my head ever so slightly that I noticed my father watching me with an intrigued smile like he couldn't figure out whether to laugh at me or yell at me. But by the twinkle in his eye and the twitch that comes as his mouth curved upward, I could tell that he made his decision. "What is it, dad?" He laughed gently before pointing his finger to the window.

I didn't know why till I refocus my gaze and my mind so that it was no longer cluttered with thoughts only to see the sign for the diner though usually, it said the four season. But as the words rearrange in ancient Greek all I saw were the nine muses. Was that the real name of this place. I looked at my father this sly grin on his face as he shook his head slowly. "Shall we get this late lunch over with. "

I knew that my father wasn't looking forward to this I'm sure that the last thing that he wanted is to see was mom cozy with some other this dinner meant a lot to her I hadn't seen her face to face in two month and I knew that this meant the world to her. So I agreed but then she also invited dad and he was less than pleased about that but it's not like mom could pick me up from school and then drive me all the way down to the long island. The last time that we tried to do that we all nearly died.

I shook my head sadly for a moment before grinning back as dad and slowly rising from the car, the cool fall air whipped through my light fading afternoon sun shined its last whips of warmth as it began to lower. I'm sure that Apollo would be glad to be duty-free right about now. I grinned a little of myself as droves of people rushed passed me but I wouldn't change busy city life for anything.

I walked into the diner the bells on the edge of the glasses door ringed causing a sweet melody to drift into the air. As I walked in all the mortal's attention was drawn to me. But as I watched their gazes I noticed that they were looking at dad. I could see the twinkle in my father eyes as he waved a hand dismissively and they all went about their business. It made me think of Ares a few years ago when he did that to a couple of mortal in a dinner. Just thinking about him made my blood red hot with anticipation and anger.

Though I did my best to shove all negative feelings down I haven't seen my mother in 2 months and I was going to enjoy this lunch/dinner if it killed me and it might. You never know what kind of monsters are lurking in a place like this.

I looked around the dinner my dad's warm presence at my back as I looked at the crowded place doing my best to pick my mother out of the busy restaurant. Her warm smile or her soft brown curls but I didn't catch a single glance of her. Could we be here early, I looked around confused as my father poke my back gently prodding me forward.

Though I didn't want to move it was like my body had a mind of its own, only the mind that my body was listening to was my father. I got so distracted so irritated that I wanted to turn back and yell at him.

But then I noticed to anxious people sitting in a corner and the moment that they looked up I knew who they were. My mother's face lit up with joy and her gaze filled with love when she saw me. She shoves Paul out of the both which force a chuckle to leave my father lips.

Paul, on the other hand, didn't think that it was funny as he came crashing in hard on the floor but my mother pays no mind to his pain. She pulled me into the tightest hug that I ever felt. Her warmth engulfing mine as a dazzling smile took over her face.

As she pulled from the embrace I could see a storm of emotion welling instead her and she just couldn't pick one but I saw a single line happy tear from the corner of her eyes. "How have you been son? How is the new school going? I'm so sorry to hear that the first one didn't work out."

I knew that she wasn't really sorry I'm sure that when the school burned down she thought that I would move back with her. I'm sure it broke her heart when I told her that dad found me a new school closer to didn't like that at all but she has had me for the better part of 16 years. I know that it is probably selfish of me for saying this but I honestly just want to live with my dad and learned everything he has to teach me. Living with my mother I'm sorry to say is far from my mind right about now.

I gave her a polite smile a little too frazzled to even get a word out when Paul walked over to us, he gave my father a skeptical look as if to say you're the reason that she has been so upset lately. I wanted to yell at him to tell him that it wasn't my father's fault that Zeus just now suspended the old rules.

I wonder why he did that probably to spend time with Talia or something, I don't really know I couldn't tell you what went on in the ruler of the sky head all I know is that Paul needs to stop looking at him like that. As if he read my thought he shifted his attention to me an excited smile plastered on his face as he speaks in an energetic voice.

Though I could tell that he was doing his best not to look at my father. Something about him maybe unnerved him I really couldn't tell you but I was worried. "Hey, bud how have you been?"

His kind smile warmed my heart as he gestured to the booth at first I didn't know what is rush was till I felt the heated stares and sound of people shifting their weight from one foot to the other as they clear their throats. Right we were in the middle of the walking area and I'm sure that they wanted to get to their tables.

I dropped into the plush soft red leather seat of the booth starting out the window as my father sat beside me. Not once saying a word, I'm sure that the only thing that he was thinking is that I could be spending time on the beach right about now.

I could agree with that sentiment but this demigod has got to eat right not all of us can live off of nectar and Ambrosia. I grinned a little to myself when I noticed that my mom hadn't once looked at dad. She was the one that invited him here and then she doesn't even look at him.

I rolled my eyes as a waiter came running over, she looked it be about my age she kinda remembers me of the daughters of Aphrodite, she has painted the crimson red nail with matching lipstick, her bouncy blond curl was pulled back into a ponytail and her hazel eyes shimmer in the light.

She is gorgeous and she seemed like one of those bubbly airheads she would fit in perfectly with the girl back at camp. Even as she spoke all I could think about were the total airhead cheerleader cliches you see in movies.

"Can I like get you anything." I gave her an uneasy smile before ordering my drink, my dad asked for a water and mom and Paul both asked over a coffee. Which seems weird who drinks coffee with their dinner.

Unless they were pulling an all-nighter so that they could get another chapter of her book done. I still don't know what she is writing about and she refused to tell me but you never know. I think that it might be about me and all my half-blood adventures if you know what I mean.

"So how was your first day at a new school?" My mother energetic voice pulled me out of my thoughts as dad leaned further back into the chair staring downward at his hands. I couldn't figure out why till I noticed he had his phone out and was watching a surfing competition going on in Hawaii.

I grumbled under my breath in Ancient Greek which only force a light-hearted laugh to leave his lips but he never once looked up from his hand and mom and Paul weren't paying him any mind so it's not like they would think that it odd.

But I did my best to look at my mother and cheer up for her sake it's not like I could tell her that my first day involved a lot of startling revelations, running into Ares and on top of that the whole thing with Clarisse and the rumor about us dating.

"Well it was pretty a good few people from camp were there, Chris and Clarisse" I tried to keep my voice from sounding too happy or impressed when I brought up Clarisse but by the way that my mother's eyes lit up told me I wasn't doing a very good job.

"Oh yeah and how did that work out." I shrugged it off like it was no big deal but I knew that wouldn't work so I told her a partial truth. "We have greek history together with a class that her mom teaches actually. Her mom used to live with Arizona but when Ares and Clarisse moved to Long Island she moved up here and got a teaching job. It was just Clarisses luck that her mom works at the same school she goes to. I can understand the shitty feeling."

Paul gave me a sly smirk as my father cleared his throat clearly telling me that he didn't like my language but my mother seemed ecstatic kinda like she didn't care that I just cursed. "Well, I'm glad that you have already made some friends at school. Do you plan on joining the swing team there."

I nodded my head with new found enthusiasm as a wide toothy grin formed on my face."Yeah, Clarisse said she would introduce me to the coach of the swim team tomorrow. I'm excited I hope they have an opening on the team."

Even as I said the words I knew that I was excited for another reasoning that had nothing to do with water everything to do with Clarisse. What is going on with me, one minute I hate the girl the next I couldn't stop thinking about her. I shook my head doing my best to clear out my thought when our drinks came.

Not long after that we order out food and for once my mother directed her gaze to my father, her moony eyes stared made me sick but I did my best to pretend like I didn't see it. Though dad, on the other hand, seemed to be thrilled by the attention. He even put his phone away and looked deep into her eyes.

The two of them looked like they were in the middle of a trance, kinda like when Rachel did her oracle stuff. But I wasn't the only one that noticed it Paul glared angrily as he spoke in a calm reassuring voice. "dear is alright?" With that soft and calming tone, my mother snaps out of it but her eyes never left dad.

A coy grin formed on her face like a dark twinkle formed in her eyes I didn't like where this conversion was about to go and I didn't even know what was going on at the moment. "So how the wife and kids." Dad laughed gently before looking at me with love and pride in his eyes, "As you can see Percy is fine as for my wife she busy overseas with work you know how it is. How had you been doing Sally you are radiant as ever." I gagged as I realize that this was my parent's idea of lowkey mom blushed but that coy grin never left her face, gods I wanted to puke."I'm doing great thanks for asking how of those pesky siblings of yours been doing."

He laughed gently "My sisters are good and you know my little brother always trying to one-up the rest of us." He grinned as thunder boom and lightly roll over the sky which only forces a gently laugh to leave my mother lips as a smug smile formed on my father like making her laugh was the best gift he could ever receive.

It gave me hope for a moment that they would get back together. But I knew that wouldn't happen, dad is married and mom is on her way to getting married. I don't know why but I didn't like the idea of them with other people and I could tell that Paul like the idea even less as he sulked in his seat and mom and dad talked like there was no one else there. Both their eyes sparkling with joy and excitement.

Once dinner was over we started a drive back to the house, dad hummed along with the radio, some old 80's rock song but he looked euphoric at the moment. Hades it even looked like he was floating out of his seat. Thought it began to pour down rain but it is as if the rain new that dad and I were in the car.

The water wrapped around the car like there was some invisible barrier protecting the car and us. Even the road that we drove on stained dry till we got past a certain point then the road grew dark as it became slick with rain. Thunder boomed overhead as dad's phone started to ring.

The earing piercing sound forces me to shiver as calm waving and the sound of boat horns went off in the background. "Dad you need to get a new ringer." He laughed lightly but I was 100% series there is no way that I could stand the sound of that tone playing for the rest of the year. He lifted his phone gently to his ear as one hand gripped the steering wheel firmly. "Hello"

A frown being to form on my father's face with each passing moment of silence. I thought that something might be wrong but then he perked right back up again. "Sure be there in a few." He hung up the phone and pulled into the large paved driveway. Even from here I could see the grave waves of long island coming rushing upon the shore from behind the house.

"Head in the house I have to get speak with Hermes though I shouldn't be long it has something to do with his son though I don't know which one."

I nodded my head before running into the house. I lifted my keys up trying to find the right one though I wasn't in a hurry even though I stood in a torrential downpour not a single raindrop could dampen my close. Within a minute a grabbed the keys shoving it roughly into the golden lock as I twisted.

Within a second the door was thrown wind open due of the strong gust of wind. I jumped into the house as quickly as I could before slamming the door shut the last thing I wanted was for the water to get in the house. I might be waterproof but the house wasn't.

I walked gently through the house my shoes clopping against the hardwood floors as I made my way into the living room. My dad dark navy blue recliner stared back at me inviting me to sit in his chair but I'm not dumb.

I sat in his throne and that was bad enough there is no way that I'm sitting in his favorite chair. Instead collapsed on the soft leather couch simply staring out of the sea rage with the massive storm as a thought popped into my head, I should call Clarisse, though I didn't know why such a thought occurred to me but what could be the harm right?