Gabe Ugliano hated a lot of things.

He hated his job working at an electronic mega-mart. He hated how Eddie would win their poker games three out of five times (he had done the math). He hated how his hair was falling out and how much weight he was gaining and that Sally was right about blue food.

What he hated the most, though, was Perseus Jackson. Sure, it was childish. It was petty, idiotic, shallow, and many other synonyms that Gabe had learned via an hour of bored Googling. He couldn't help it. He hated Perseus Jackson.

Perseus Jackson who Sally loved more than everyone in the world, including Gabe.

Perseus Jackson who wasn't a horrible person (not that Gabe gave a damn).

Perseus Jackson who couldn't last more than a year in any school.

From strangling a snake (which Gabe thankfully didn't have to witness) to firing war cannons to dumping his entire class into a shark tank, Gabe didn't think he could possibly hate him anymore.

And then Perseus Jackson had the audacity to make a friend. A good one.

Gabe had learned of it thanks to the monthly letter that Perseus sent home after he started attending Yancy Academy.

Grover Underwood.

Gabe had hit Sally again that day. Then he walked out of his apartment, got into his car, and drove. He drove and drove and drove all the way back to his old house, the one he had sold. It was someone else's now.

He didn't go there for his house, though. Across the street from his house was a field. It was fenced off, but the owner never took care of it. The grass came up to Gabe's waist and, even though it was probably incredibly stupid, Gabe climbed the fence and jumped into the field.

Gabe waded through the grass, jumping every now and then when he heard a sound or felt a bug. He went around the whole field, not knowing what he was doing.

Finally, he came back to the fence. He climbed over and was about to walk to his car when something moved in the corner of his eye. His head snapped to the side.

He saw a cat, four kittens following it in a line.

None of them was the kitten that had lived on his porch for a short period of time. The kittens were too young and the cat was all brown with black spots. The kitten had been white with brown stripes.

He stared at the cats as they walked across the street and went under the fence. The last kitten in the line paused and turned to Gabe. It regarded him with the cold eyes that only felines had, then turned and bounded into the grass after its siblings and mother.

Gabe climbed into the car and drove back home. It was well after midnight by the time he got back, and Sally was asleep in bed.

She was smiling.

Gabe hated a lot of things. His job to his many poker losses to his appearance to his step-son to his wife's smile.

He never hated Sally, though.

He hit her and he didn't care, and she would cry and he wouldn't care. He never did care enough. He didn't like that she lied to him and continued to lie to him.

She didn't love him. He didn't love her.

But he never once in his life hated her. "Do you love me?"

Gabe was met only with his wife's snores and that smile.

Gabe hated a lot of things.

This silence was one of them.

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I hope you liked it! Again, it's pretty short but I make no apologies because I've already told you about that.

Again, I've tried to keep him the same while humanizing him. Can you comment and tell me if I succeeded? I want to grow as a writer, and it would really help. Thanks!

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