Chapter 15

Carefully, glancing down at the paper, I scan the words briskly focusing my attention back on Mr. Mason, the image of the perfect student. "Are we okay?" Luke's messy scrawl is so familiar, so comforting, and it tugs at my heart-strings, making my wonder how the hell I'm going to tell him I'm leaving in a few weeks. Even worse, how am I supposed to tell him that he's not allowed to join me. When Mr. Mason turns to scribble notes on the grossest plays in sports on the board, I take out my pencil and scribble my reply. "Yeah, we're fine." With his fingers drumming on the desk, Percy glances at me and grins. I swear Luke tenses, wondering what's going on. Anxiously, I tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, and cross my arms. Even though I've been dealing with it for a while now, the polar opposite personalities still makes me tight with tension.

"In class today, I'm feeling merciful, so I'm going to give you some time to work on your project with your partners." Mr. Mason announce, slumping into his desk chair and pulling out the sports' section of a newspaper. This is the reason I took sports and society. Sure, I positively adore soccer and everything, but the real draw of this class for me is there is absolutely no reading. I don't have to spend extra amounts of time staring at the paper to figure out what the hell it says. The stress relief is much appreciated. Rolling my shoulders, I turn to Percy and smile lightly as I hear Luke leave to go work with Michael. Uncertainly, I cross my legs and take out a piece of notebook paper. Sliding it in the middle of us, I look at Percy, and hold my pencil to the paper.

"So we agreed on Soccer," I confirm, scribbling it down on the paper. Percy nods and drums his fingers on his desk some more. The noise irks me, but I just press my lips into a tight line and keep my mouth shut. Bickering with Percy would not be a good way to spend my time. I shake my foot, unable to keep still, until Percy seems to jump.

" You do realize your running your foot up and down my thigh, right?" He asks, leaning forward with a twinkle in his eyes, I turn cherry red, I'm sure and start stutter my apologizes, before uncrossing my legs frantically. Percy laughs good-naturedly, "I know, you didn't mean to Annabeth chill," he assures me, still what that stupid amused expression on his face. The jerk.

"So what are you thinking?" He asks, tilting his head, turning serious again. I glance up, and get trapped in his Sea green eyes, melting a little. My mind flies, miles and miles away from the project, the class room, and Remington; I can't help but wonder what's going to happen when I finally leave this town... with him.

"Fall break." I blurt out and I swear he considers checking me for signs of delusion. I lower my voice a little before continuing. "That's when we'll leave to find your dad." I explain and Percy's bright green eyes seem to harden just thinking about his father. He leans a little closer to me before responding.

"Don't you think our parents will miss us?" He wonders, his mangy hair falling into his eyes. I can't help the crazy to brush it out of his eyes, and shift so I'm sitting on my hands before glancing stealthily over at Luke and Michael, while formulating my response.

"Not if we tell them we're going on the class trip." I explain, gesturing to the poster advertising a massive learning experience in Greece. I originally had wanted to go anyways, but I'll help Percy instead without out much regret. Something in Percy's face changes as he looks at the ground and shakes his head.

"I couldn't afford something like that." He mutters just loud enough for me to hear, pink rising up his cheeks. He has no reason for embarrassment but I can't find any words of comfort for him. I'm fortunate in that sense, my dad and step mom have good jobs and we're well off.

"Just say that you got offered a scholarship opportunity." I suggest, hoping to let him know I'm not judging him based on his financial status. He shakes his head again.

"I'd never get offered a scholarship." He protests and looks back down at his shoes. I know he means academically, I've seen his frustration with his school work before.

"Yes you would, you're an amazing soccer player, Percy." I remind him, normally I would never resign myself to ego petting, but I get the feeling that Percy isn't fishing for compliments. He smiles a little, like he doesn't really believe me. Quickly changing the subject, he starts scribbling down different brainstorms for the complete presentation. I purse my lips but let the subject drop.

…

Percy

"Mom, I'm home." I call, letting the door clang shut behind me. She turns around from where she washing dishes and smiles at me despite the dark circles under her eyes.

"How was school?" She wonders, towelling off her hands before wrapping me in a hug. I grin and hug her back, it would be fruitless to protest that she's smothering me, before spinning around a chair and plopping down as she goes back to scrubbing a stubborn pot.

"I've got good news," I announce, forcing the grin despite how anxious I feel at lying to her face. "My soccer coach told me that he chooses a few students every year and offers them scholarships, for the fall trip to Greece." My mom spins to me, her face lighting up and the dark circles under her eyes fading slightly.

"Oh Percy!" She rushes to me, wrapping me in another hug. I laugh before hugging her back.

"How'd you know I got the scholarship?" I tease before she glares at me and ruffles my hair. I'm sure she means for expression to seem exasperated at my antics, but I can see the joy in her eyes.

"You need a haircut Mr." She tells me, and I laugh and shake my head, getting the fallen strands out of my eyes. It doesn't bother me much though; I've never put much effort into my appearance. it's just much too much effort necessary to keep up with ridiculous trends.

"Yeah… Yeah…Yeah" I grin at her, feeling her pride in me, despite the fact that I don't deserve it. A little guilt bubbles up in my stomach, but I tap it down, imagining the redemption I'll feel when I finally get the opportunity to confront my deadbeat father.

"Did you ever get the chance to go on trips like this when you were younger?" I ask, hoping to study her reaction. I watch as my mom dries her hands on a towel and picks up her work bag.

"No, the closest I ever came to a trip was to Magic Mountain," She laughs, then smiles at me, like I've just made her day.

"What high school did you go to, anyways?" I wonder, trying to act as nonchalant as po ssible. She freezes for a second then seems to decide that there's no harm in telling me.

"Paxton Prep, in Idaho" She confesses. Hmmm, turns out there is more there than potatoes. I nod and shrug, like the info's going in one ear and out the other, even though it's joined the phrase Perseus James bouncing around in my head.

"Well... I'm off, Percy, I'll be back later, but you'll have to heat up some leftovers for dinner." She sighs, and I know the toil of all the long hours at her crappy job is getting to her. I hate that she's stuck in this position and there's nothing I can do about it.

"Bye mom," I try to smile at her as she leaves, but a fleeting expression of confusion darts across her face, and I know that she saw right through my act. The door closes behind her with a quiet thump, and I know, if I'm going through with finding my father, I'm doing it for my mom. Suddenly my phone buzzes and I glance down at it, before opening the text from Annabeth. Malcolm came through, meet me at the park on Second Street.