Keeping Quiet (Percy Jackson)

Chapter Four

Percy Jackson

Come dinner, I sat down with everyone to talk to my dad.

Hey, Dad, c—

You're dating a skeptic? And didn't mention it at the meeting?

I'm sorry! I didn't know. I just thought he was loosely christian like Paul is, or athiest.

You're not planning on telling him, are you?

No, Dad, it hasn't even been six months, that's not long enough. Why? He's not a demigod, they've done like, DNA testing and stuff apparently. He showed me the results.

Because Zeus would throw a hissy fit, Percy, why else? Just hold off for a bit, alright? Maybe until after camp. Especially after Rachel.

That was the plan.

Okay, good. Anyways, what did you need? Or are you just avoiding prayer right now for Christmas?

Oh, I mean I'm also doing that, but can you send over or drop off those health insurance things? The envelope or whatever? Mom needs them apparently.

Yeah, sure! I'll drop them off before New Years. Now have some dinner, tell your mom I said hi.

Say it yourself when you drop the stuff off. Say hi to Tyson.

With that, I open my eyes and ate some food and avoided awkward conversations.

Which was harder said than done and Matteo saved me two or three times after dinner, thankfully. After a while I just offered to help Beatriz in the kitchen because she's nice and safe and her accent is comforting.

Making up shit about my dad was wild when she asked. I just said he was Greek and that he moved here when he was younger for like a job offer and he met my mom in vacation and it was a lot that hopefully I remember come easter.

Hopefully.

If I'm not killed before then.

I got some stuff from Matteo's parents and him and his grandma got me a little swimmer pin because she knows we swim together which made me want to cry because it was so nice and his grandpa gave me a blue flannel which was also cool because I like blue and I guess they knew that.

Growing up, we didn't get this. Gabe I guess also knew about the gods somehow so we didn't celebrate anything and his family wasn't that involved with us because he was an alcoholic and Mom and I didn't have family and the gods don't do much and so like... I didn't think I'd care at all.

But the card his mom wrote me made me want to cry.

Percy:

Merry Christmas! I know you don't celebrate, but I'm happy that you were willing to play along to meet everyone today. I know it must've been hard to come back from wherever you where that had your parents so concerned, but I'm happy to see you or hear about you from Matteo every day. I know it's been a little bit, but I am sorry about your friend Jason, and I'm not entirely sure as to what's been going on, but I personally believe that you'll live past 25, okay? You're tougher than that, we all know that. I hope you at least have something good come from today.

Reyna (your other mother)

Yeah it made me feel a way that I've only ever really felt with like, a few friends from camp.

But even then, the remark about me living...

Did she really hear me say that?

I need to stop making people worry so much. I'll die, but I shouldn't concern them being they can't control it.

After the main festivities ended and they started drinking, we left because I established with then that I'm not comfortable around drinking and they were nice and didn't ask why so we went back to Matteo's.

Tragically my boyfriend had to leave with his dad to stop by that Christmas for like an hour but they'd also probably be drinking so I was just in Matteo's room, sketching and hanging out. Waiting.

"Hey, is there anything you need or want?" Reyna asked me as she poked her head in, the door being open. "are you doing alright? I know my family can be a lot, sorry we weren't able to get out before my brothers started drinking."

"It's alright, I'm okay."

"You sure?"

And the card she had with my present made me feel important and it was a good felling, but it also made me feel guilty and anxious at the same time.

"Uh, yeah, just... Not used to big family celebrations," I tried to pass it off as general anxiety but I think her maternal institute knew better then that. "I don't really do stuff with my dad and we don't have family on my mom's side that's close so..."

"Are you definitely sure?" But she must get the same gut feeling my mom gets at times. "it'll be awhile before the others are back, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anxious or anything like that, okay? If there's anything you need—"

"Did Matteo tell you guys about the comment I made about dying when I'm like, 25?"

She sighed, leaning against the doorframe.

"No, Daniel had happened to hear it and asked me if I knew anything about it," but at least she was honest about how she heard. "Matteo hasn't said anything to us. Was that supposed to be a secret? You're not... You don't have something chronic, do you?"

But this is the worst way to tell somebody about it.

"N... No," I assured her or that much. "i don't have anything chronic that would kill me, I'm not sick or anything, nothing really runs in the family that we know of. I'm probably like mentally ill beyond ADHD but we're finding out soon hopefully. I'm not suicidal or anything either, but..."

I stopped after a second, putting my pencil down.

"It's just stuff to do with my dad, I guess," I tried to explain without telling her who he was. "Um, yeah. Stuff with when I was gone for the year and in the summer and like... Yeah. I probably won't live past 25 but I also wasn't supposed to live past my 16th birthday be then I did so... maybe... Yeah."

"16?" Reyna rightfully questioned my safety with that. "Sweetie, are you okay and like, safe."

"I'm safe, its just... Weird," it wasn't convincing but it wasn't the total truth. I'm never sure. "I'm sorry that I can't say but... He's not involved in government or anything illegal but... I'm not supposed to talk in detail about it unless I'm like living with someone or planning to marry them or... Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm already on a warning after friend found out when I was around and I'd definitely get in trouble and then well... Then I might not come back, so... If Matteo and I ever get engaged I'll talk about it a bit but... Yeah. I'm probably not going to really live to do much of anything after I graduate. I've made my peace with it."

That last part was a lie, but she's already worried.

"Well I don't know what kind of bullshit your dad's gotten into, I've never met the man," Reyna insisited. "But I have known you for a while and I think you'll live a lot longer than 25 years. Long enough to do something you'll enjoy with your life. Don't cut yourself short of it, okay? Like you said, for whatever reason, you were supposed to die like a year ago and you're still alive so you'll probably live to be old enough to retire. Have fun, alright? I'm gonna go take a shower."