Olympus Drive Book 2: Nothing to See Here

Chapter 55

Sol

"I'm sorry, it's really my fault—"

"We are sorry, we never pay you as much attention as your horrible, ugly, violent siblings—"

"We really need to focus on you and your needs and how to help you succeed and not break all the windows in the school orchestra room—"

"Yeah and we will completely do that."

"You're a good child and we understand this is a cry for attention that your sister gets—"

"By being rotten—"

"We don't call any of the children rotten—"

"We do the rotten little ones---"

"Are—are either of these people your dad Sol?" my orchestra teacher Ms. Finley who didn't even really blame me for the broken windows.

"No," I say, shaking my head.

"His dad is busy right now so I have his cell phone," Detective Stamos takes my dad's phone 50% of the time for medical reasons.

"And he's my grandpa," I say, pointing at my grandpa.

"I'm not his grandpa," he says, calmly. He's handcuffed of course.

"Sol isn't in trouble we were concerned he hurt himself, he's obviously too little to have even reached those windows," Ms. Finley says, trying to figure out why they were blaming me.

"Oh, right," Detective Stamos says, suspiciously, "Now I'm not gonna be mad, Sol, is it your fault and if not which sibling did it? It's okay, nobody is in trouble we just have to know who is responsible so I can be deeply disappointed in them."

"Okay we both know you did it and that's lovely for you can you not damage public property? I have a list of private property that's fair game," my grandpa says, getting out an actual list, "That little lady with the ugly dog, that fellow who called Chiron ugly and fat---those horrible little boys who took Dara's doll-----that little old lady who tried to curse your dad and called him whore----"

"I was just playing the piano in here. Ms. Finley lets me sometimes," I mumble. Of course I did it. I was hitting the keys, one at a time, focusing on the sounds like I do. It's soothing. But today, I don't know. It was like one of the notes just echoed through me. Next thing I knew the windows were broken.

"He's a very good boy, he's never been in trouble," Ms. Finley says.

"I know, nice when they start real young in'nt it?" my grandpa asks.

"Sol, so you're sure you don't know what happened?" Detective Stamos is suspicious.

"No, I have no idea what happened," I lie.

"UNHOLY SATAN YOUR FIRST PUBLIC VANDALISM—"

"WE MADE YOU A MEDAL!!"

Luna and Diana and Nym burst in, bearing a medal and chocolate.

"Girls," Ms. Finley sighs.

"I didn't do it."

"That's probably not true, I'm so proud of you," Luna says, flinging her arms around my neck.

"Girls, leave your brother alone I know you're trying to be nice but he's sensitive," our grandpa says, ushering them away despite being handcuffed. No one has even asked why he was handcuffed. I love my family.

I wipe my face with the back of my hand.

"It's okay, Sol, we know it was an accident. You're not in any trouble. Do you want to come ride along with us for today?" Detective Stamos asks, kindly.

"How on earth do you think he did that?" Ms. Finley is still skeptical.

"Fuck, Lucifer knows, it's weird huh? What do you want Sol, you want to go back to class or come help your dad?" our grandpa asks.

"No, I want to go to school," I say, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to cause anybody any trouble."

"Of course you didn't, now are you sure you're going to be okay? You want me to get your mom?" Detective Stamos asks, kindly.

"No, she's at work she'll get in trouble if she calls out," I say because of course I want my mom, "That's why I had them call you."

"Your dad wouldn't let her get fired----what I'm not encouraging the behavior I'm stating a fact," my grandpa says, when Detective Stamos glares at him.

"No, no it's okay. I just want to go back to class," I say.

"All right, we'll practice breaking things this weekend all right? I'm sure your brother can be compelled to take you to the junk yard," my grandpa says.

"Or we'll do it completely legally somewhere else, anyway—call me okay? I'm gonna be with your dad all day that's it, we'll come pick you up anytime."

"Okay," I say, nodding. I hate this. I was just enjoying myself. To be perfectly safe I'm never going to do anything again at all.