Well, this took me long enough, didn't it? XD Over two weeks... I should be ashamed, I guess. I was originally going to end it at the first line break, but it was way too short and I was listening to Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, and... the second half just kind of wrote itself. Anyway, I have a ton of homework this weekend (My homework level is crazy. One day I'll have nothing, and the next day I'll have something in every class :P) so you guys are lucky I love you. RIGHT?
I have a question for all of you: Do you want me to reply to your reviews here in the AN, or in a PM like I've been doing (or trying to do)?
THANK YOOOOUUU TO Mandi2341, Guest, Myseybee, MidnightEevee, and Insane PJO LOver 93 for REVIEWING! You all get Jolly Ranchers. BLUE RASPBERRY Jolly Ranchers. Or whichever ones are your favorite, I suppose... I just like Blue Raspberry the best... I know, I'm weird...
I'd left a bunch of schools before, but this one was the fastest. That's kind of stupid, because it was the only one I really liked.
I also felt kind of bad about leaving Jordan and not telling him that I wasn't coming back.
I asked Mom if I could call him, but she said that wouldn't be a good idea and that I should forget about that school. That made me a little sad, but Mom really did look sorry about it. Besides, I couldn't be mad at her about it. She was my mom, and she was the greatest person in the entire world. If I was going to be mad at anyone, it would have to be the one-eyed stalker. It is his fault I had to leave.
Mom told me that I'd be starting at a new school after Christmas. I told her I'd just get kicked out again, or something would happen and I'd have to leave. She said not to think like that, and that I should believe in myself a little more.
That was when I got mad, just a bit, and I said that I hadn't made a whole year at one school before ever, and why would I this time? I kind of yelled, and Mom didn't yell back. She just looked really sad and tired - even more than usual - and I went to my room and felt pretty bad about the whole thing. I shouldn't have yelled at her, she was trying to help me. I was an idiot. I wanted to tell her that, because maybe it would make her feel better, but I didn't. I don't know why I didn't. I just… didn't.
I liked to stay in my room most of the time. Smelly Gabe couldn't bully me, because he was too fat and lazy to get up and walk over to my room, and I didn't really have to talk to anyone else. I wanted to talk to Mom, but she always looked stressed, all the time, and I didn't want to distract her any more than she already was.
It also didn't help that Smelly Gabe kept telling her to make him some bean dip. Every time I saw them together he was telling her to hurry up with it, and she said she would, but a few minutes later he'd bug her about it again.
I wanted to slap His Royal Flabbiness across his chubby cheeks.
I got really close, too, once. It was just some normal night; we were eating supper, which was Chinese takeout, at eight because Mom got off work late.
"This is real good, Sally," Gabe said loudly with his mouth full. If I'd have done that, I would've been dismissed from the table. "But you know what would make it better? Bean dip."
Mom sighed and put down her fork. I felt kind of nervous, like I knew something bad was going to happen. "Gabe, I told you… I'll make it when I have time."
"Why don't you make some time, then?" Gabe asked in a rude voice. "Instead of looking at all those prissy school websites for the kid in your free time."
I bit my lip and shoved half of an egg roll in my mouth. I have a name, you know? I wanted to snap at him. Self control. I didn't have it.
Now Mom looked a little more than annoyed. I sat forward slightly, because I wanted to see Mom chew Gabe out.
"You have lived with Percy for two years. I'm sure you know his name by now. And don't you care at all about your stepson's education?"
"Hey," Gabe said thickly, "He does nothing. I don't know why we keep his sorry ungrateful hide around this dump."
"He's a child!" Mom said angrily. "He is nine years old, Gabriel. Do you honestly expect him to pay his way around here? Do you?"
"I'm not tellin' him to get a job or anything," Gabe said, slamming a hand on the table. "I don't wanna get arrested, woman. I'm just saying he should do a little more. Like maybe help out me and my buddies while we're playing poker? Fetch us beers when we need 'em?"
"My son will not be your beer boy," Mom said in a voice that meant I'm serious.
"He's dead weight!"
"Enough!" Mom yelled. "That's enough. Gabe, we'll discuss this later. Percy, it's time for your shower."
"But I don't wanna take a shower!" I protested, and right away I felt like a jerk for being mean to Mom right after Gabe was.
"Percy, please," she said quietly, rubbing the side of her head like she was getting a mybrain… I mean migraine.
"I'm sorry," I said. And I meant it.
"I'll get the towels ready," Mom said, pushing in her chair and going into the next room. I went to my room and kicked over a pile of Gabe's magazines. Gabe was so dumb. Mom deserved so much better than him. She was amazing, and he was a cow. And I wasn't helping.
I grabbed some pajamas and went into the bathroom, where Mom was waiting with a pile of towels, that she put down on the counter.
"I'm sorry," I blurted out.
"There's nothing you need to be sorry for," Mom said with a smile that looked a little sad. Or maybe I was imagining it. I opened my mouth to reply, but she stopped me. "I know what you're going to ask. You're going to ask me why Gabe is still here."
"No! Well… yeah," I admitted. It hurt to see Mom being shoved around by Smelly Gabe. And I was pretty sure that toothpaste in an Oreo wasn't going to get rid of him.
"I know you hate him," she said, and I could just see it coming. This would turn out the same as every other time we talk about Gabe. I'll understand when I'm older, I'll understand someday.
But what Mom really said surprised me a lot.
"Percy, your father was one of the best men I've ever met. He was wonderful, and my short time with him was one of the best in my life. He was rich and important, and one day he had to take a journey overseas…" She looked like she was about to start crying, and I awkwardly looked away. I hated watching people cry. It made me feel bad that I wasn't crying with them, and it was even worse that it was Mom. "He never came back. Lost at sea."
That was the most I'd ever heard Mom talk about him. Some famous guy was my dad? "So he's dead?" I said, frowning. I guess I kind of always thought he was still around, and I'd be able to find him someday. But, now that I think about it, him being dead makes more sense. He wouldn't just leave Mom for no reason. She was too good for that.
"Not dead," she told me. "Lost at sea."
"Isn't that the same thing?" I asked, confused.
Mom shook her head. "Not necessarily." She looked like was going to cry again, so I just hugged her. She looked like she needed a hug. She hugged me back, and when I let go, I grabbed a towel.
"I guess I'll take that shower now."
Mom smiled. "You do that."
Sally Jackson was waiting in the parking lot of Percy's new school, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel and scanning the area for her son. School was wrapping up for the day, and students were beginning to filter out of the building.
Percy had been at this school for two relatively quiet weeks, and he seemed to be doing all right. Sally felt almost guilty for separating him from that Jordan boy who he seemed to be getting along so well with. Of course, it was all for Percy's safety. That was her first priority.
Or was it? If Percy's safety was really the most important thing to her, then wouldn't she have sent him to that place by now? Camp Half-Blood?
Sally banished those thoughts from entering anywhere near her head. She had more important things to worry about than whether her priorities were straight, such as paying the bills, dealing with Gabriel Ugliano, and making sure she didn't slip up and tell Percy more about his father than he needed to know, like she'd done a month ago, after Gabe was having a particularly bad day.
She had been so sick of that - could you really call him a man? - and had gotten a little too sentimental for her own good.
She dwelled on the past too much in her own mind, there was no need to force her weaknesses on her son.
And there he was, walking along with his hands in his pockets and his backpack over one shoulder. Sally reminded herself to tell him that he should wear his backpack over both shoulders, so he didn't put too much pressure on only one.
Percy opened the door and hopped in, giving Sally a smile. "Hey, Mom."
Sally asked her usual question, "How was school?"
"It was pretty good. We had a substitute teacher, though. And he was cool. He didn't make us do a ton of work, and he let us have extra recess!"
Sally let a smile slip onto her face. Percy tended to have that affect on her. She reached over to grab the paper that was sitting on the passenger seat and said, "Would you mind staying here for just a few minutes? I need to give this to the school nurse." It was Percy's medical information. He didn't have any allergies, or a history of diseases, but the administration insisted Sally fill out the sheet anyway.
"All right," Percy said, stretching and yawning. "I might fall asleep, though."
Sally grinned. "I'll try to be quick." She went into the school and, with not much difficulty, found the health office. The nurse wasn't in the room, so Sally pulled off a Post-It note from the stack that was laying around and scribbled 'Percy Jackson' on it, sticking it to the paper and leaving it on the desk.
When Sally turned around to leave, she came face-to-face with someone she fully expected she'd never see again. Dark hair, green eyes, tanned skin.
It was him.
"P-Poseidon?" she managed to choke out. It was the first time she'd spoken that name in - well, who knows how many years.
Poseidon gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Sally."
"What are you doing here?" She found herself slightly flustered, struggling for words. He had left her ten years ago. Him showing up now… well, it was more than a little painful.
"Well, being a third-grade substitute teacher, I suppose. But, my true motive is this: I needed to remind you of something I told you before I… well, before I left. About -" he lowered his voice a bit - "Camp Half-Blood. I've been keeping tabs on my son, even if you think I don't care about him."
Sally cringed inwardly. He was right.
"The monsters are finding him, no matter where he goes, am I right?"
She couldn't even look him in the eye anymore. "He's still safe."
"True, he is now, at this very moment. But he's growing up. There will be a day where you won't be able to watch him at all times. That day is coming, sooner than you think."
"Well, then, when is it?" Sally asked, fearing the worst. That he would tell her the time was now. That he would need to take Percy away to the camp immediately. That there was no other way.
Poseidon sighed. "You'll know. Believe me, when the time comes, you'll know."
"Why now?" Sally asked. She hadn't meant to say anything more, but the question was too much to ignore. "Why are you coming now? Percy has been having these incidents since he was five years old!"
"I know."
"There's something else, isn't there?" Sally demanded. "Something going on. With… your side of the family."
He smiled sadly. "You always were a little more perceptive than those around you." Something shimmered and appeared in his hand. A trident. No, Sally thought, no emotions right now. Just Percy and what's best for him.
"Well," she said abruptly, "If that's all you had to say, then I should get back to my car, where my son is waiting for me." She took great care to not say our son.
Poseidon looked like he wanted to say one last thing, but instead he turned around, the trident shimmering and disappearing once more. He opened the door of the health office and walked out, rounding a corner. When Sally was sure he was out of sight, she left the room herself, making her way back to the car. When she opened the door, she saw Percy stir. So he had fallen asleep while she was gone.
He sat up and said drowsily, "That took a long time."
"I know, I had to talk to someone while I was in there."
"Oh… okay," Percy said, leaning against the side of the car. "I was having an awesome dream, though! I was a hero and I was fighting monsters with a cool sword!"
Sally wanted more than anything for that fantasy to remain in his dreams.
