Found Family (HoO, Mortal AU)

GROVER UNDERWOOD

Two weeks after Thanksgiving break, he was packing his bags to go to Oklahoma, even though it meant missing out on school.
That sucked. The school was closed during Christmas for the Christians. Not for any other religion. They used the fact that Hanukkah was celebrated in the evening as an excuse, which didn't make sense. At all. He couldn't travel the whole way to Oklahoma and be in school the next day.

He didn't mind missing that much. He'd missed most of the seventh grade, then had to repeat. Not fun.

He did go into school the day before he had to leave, though. It was a Wednesday- meaning they all had a free study period. Apart from Nico and Hazel. Which only meant one thing. Piper and Grover were going to bust them out of Geography, as they always did.

"Can we have Nico and Hazel?" Piper asked.
"You do this every Wednesday," the teacher said.
"We need them," Grover said.
"Why?"
Grover and Piper looked at each other.
Nico and Hazel both sighed.

• • •

"The teacher wouldn't let Nico and Hazel out of class!" Grover complained, while Mr Blofis walked past.
Percy grinned. "Leave me to it. Hey, Paul!"
"Oh no," Frank muttered.
"Percy, don't call me that," Mr Blofis said.
"Shh. Can you get Nico and Hazel out of class for us?"
"No."
"Please. Please. Please!" Percy begged.
Mr Blofis sighed. "Why?"
"Uh- cause."
"If you stop calling me Paul."
"Deal."

• • •

Three minutes later, Hazel and Nico came over to them.
"How did you convince Mr Blofis to do that?" Hazel asked. Percy just shrugged.
"Anyway," Grover said. "I'm gonna be gone until Monday, by the way. Don't miss me too much. Try not to kill each other."
Rachel shrugged. "If Percy keeps existing I might have to kill him. Not my fault."
Grover laughed.  "Fair."
"Hey!" Percy shouted.

"Please don't kill each other," Frank said. "And have a good Hanukkah"
"Thanks," Grover smiled.
"Tell Shel I said hi," Piper said.
"And we'll miss you," Hazel added.
"Thanks, I'll miss you all too. Not Percy but you know."
"Hey!" Percy repeated.
"I'm kidding. I love you all equally."

• • •

The next day, Grover was in Oklahoma.
He hugged Shel, instantly telling her everything, though they'd seen each other two weeks before.

[SHEL UNDERWOOD]

She went into Instagram to show Grover a photo and almost died. Piper McLean followed her back on Instagram. Both on her main account and private account, which she kept for her friends only, as Grover informed her. Shel had to restrain herself from screaming.
"That's so cool," Shel said.
"It's just Pipes," Grover shrugged.
"Just Piper McLean?! You can't be serious!"
Grover laughed at her.

"Hey-" Shel shoved him. "Just because you're fancy and live in New York!"
"Fancy and New York do not belong in the same sentence."
"Fancier than living on a farm," Shel sighed.
"Hey, I love the countryside."
"Yeah, 'cause you're weird," she joked.
"No, you're weird."
"You."
"You."
"Shut up."
"You shut up!"

———

Word Count: 503

———

A/N: update, THIS is the shortest chapter so far. But I wanted to finally give Grover his own chapter.

Also, I've said this before. I think. I grew up in a Catholic area, in a Catholic school with Catholic parents. I wasn't educated on any other religion. I tried looking on the internet for as much information about Hanukkah as possible but I couldn't find much, surprisingly. I was honestly afraid to make a character a certain religion because of this but I didn't want to give misinformation or anything. If there is any misinformation in past or future chapters please please please tell me asap. I'm gonna continue researching, though!!

Thanks:)))